Aston Martin Rapide 2010-2013 review

The Aston Martin Rapide’s only genuine ancestor is the Lagonda that Aston Martin made over a quarter of a century ago. The idea of a new four-door, four-seat Aston based on the company’s existing VH platform first saw the light of day at the Detroit show in 2006, shortly after Aston had been sold by Ford to its new band of shareholders, who green-lighted the car pretty much the moment they set eyes on it.

Aston Martin describes the Rapide as “the most elegant four-door sports car in the world”. It’s a bold claim from an increasingly confident car company, but not one that can be dismissed as hyperbole. Because from the moment this car was announced there has been an inherent correctness about the idea of a four-seat, four-door Aston Martin based on the already excellent VH platform.

Nic
Cackett

Road tester

The biggest test the Rapide faces is whether it has sufficient luxury and presence to justify its startlingly high price

And in the metal the Rapide does not disappoint. It’s an unusually long car – more than a foot longer than the DB9 – but the fundamental proportions are certainly breathtakingly elegant. When people see this car they tend to smile and point.

Question is, does the Rapide work as a four-seater in practice and just how much of the Aston experience has been preserved in the transformation?

And the biggest test it faces is whether the Rapide has sufficient luxury and presence to justify its startlingly high price next to the likes of the Mercedes S-class, BMW 7-series and other rivals.

-Source From : www.autocar.co.uk

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Maserati Quattroporte review

The sixth-generation Quattroporte heralds a new era for Maseratias it strives towards a target of 50,000 sales in 2015.

Total orders last year came to 6307, so the fact that nearly 7000 Quattroporte orders were been taken in the first four months of 2013 came as encouraging news. The new car’s engines and platform are also important because they’ll form the backbone of the upcoming Ghibli sports saloon and Levante SUV, expected to become Maserati’s top two sellers ahead of the Quattroporte.

Steve
Cropley

Editor-in-chief

This new Maserati is just about as new as a new car can get

In the UK, the launch line-up consists of the £80,095, 404bhp 3.0 V6 S, and the £108,160, 523bhp 3.8 V8 GTS. A 271bhp diesel V6 is expected in 2014, while the all-wheel-drive S Q4 model isn’t currently scheduled for right-hand-drive production.

Thanks to a planned assault on the Chinese market (where a detuned, entry-level 326bhp V6 replaces the S), the Quattroporte offers a mammoth 3171mm wheelbase as standard – more than even the LWB Jaguar XJ. And it’s the Jag on which Maserati has set its sights with this car, to which end it must master the tricky formula of high-end comfort combined with a sporting drive.

Both Quattroportes have healthy kit as standard including full leather upholstery that extends to the dash and beyond, ample rear space, a modern 8.4in touchscreen interface, xenon lights, a rear-view camera and adaptive dampers (in the form of Maserati’s proprietary ‘Skyhook’ system). In this context, it’s a shame that metallic paint costs £660.

Outside, the GTS’s pair of split trapezia exhaust differs from the S’s four oval pipes, and the former gets 20in alloys as standard versus the latter’s 19s, but those are the only differences. The S’s interior lacks the must-have, steering column-mounted aluminium shift paddles, and wears an open-pore wooden veneer that’s not a patch on the GTS’s glossy finish, but they can be added for £708 and £660 respectively.

Further optional highlights include two heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable individual rear seats to replace the three-person bench at £4400 (but mandatory upgraded leather and four-zone climate control swell the bill to £9620), foldable rear tables at £2100 and a tilt-and-slide electric sunroof at £1560.

The Quattroporte's interior fit, finish and ergonomics are a class above its coupé and cabrio stablemates, even if the action of some moving parts can't match German benchmarks. Nevertheless, it's a generous and luxurious space, despite a slight visibility penalty from that sliver-like glasshouse.

Drivers sit medium-high in wide, well bolstered seats, but comfortably so and not to the point of feeling perched, while rear-seat occupants have plenty of room all round, albeit without enjoying the serenity of theMercedes S-class’s rear space. The long boot yields a useful 520 litres of luggage space.

Despite the V6's banks making 60deg to the V8's 90deg, the two are closely related. Both are twin-turbo, variable-valve, direct-injection engines built by Ferrari at Maranello to Maserati designs, but the V6 revs lower, produces peak torque from just 1750rpm and is 13 per cent thriftier at 26.9mpg. Both use a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and have 50/50 front/rear weight distribution (a balance commendably achieved by the Q4, too).

The GTS manages 0-62mph in 4.7sec and tops out at 191mph (making it the fastest production saloon on sale), while the S takes 5.1sec and can reach 177mph. Both feel extremely fast, and anyone choosing the cheaper car won’t feel short-changed on performance.

While the new engines can’t match the previous Quattroporte’s naturally aspirated V8 symphonies under rising revs, even the V6 has bags of character, expressed instead in heady upshift blarts, which sound like a bass drum in the boot, and the overrun's repertoire of crackling explosions.

Both sounds can be hushed by disabling Sport mode, but the engine is rarely truly quiet. We also noticed a faint wastegate fluttering when cruising in the V6 that’ll hopefully be remedied before deliveries start. The V6 exhibits noticeable but fleeting turbo lag, and is best enjoyed between 4000 and 6000rpm.

Sport mode also prescribes rapid, aggressive upshifts from the eight-speed, ZF-sourced automatic gearbox, although downshifts are slower. Normal and ICE (economy/low-traction) modes yield smooth shifts, while the gearbox is only occasionally caught out when self-shuffling. The gearstick is not intuitive to operate, and manual mode is selected via an overly discreet button; we’d rather knock the lever sideways as per convention. The paddles work well, though, and are large enough to justify being fixed.

There’s a separate Sport mode for Skyhook that significantly tightens body control. To date, we’re yet to drive either model in the UK, but our GTS drive in the south of France brought different conclusions regarding dynamics to our stint in the S in northern Italy.

The V8 was a sharp handler, but massively let down by its ride, while the V6 also showed impressive agility but didn’t concede much in terms of comfort aside from occasional kickback from the hydraulic steering. Needless to say we’re looking forward to driving both on UK roads.

Given the V6’s strong performance, superior ride and £28k saving over the V8, it’s hard not to make it the default choice, and we can see whyMaserati expects it to win the lion’s share of UK sales.

-Source From : www.autocar.co.uk

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Porsche 918 Spyder first drive review

We drive the 918 Spyder – the most powerful and fastest Porsche road car to date. Take cover, Ferrari and McLaren...

What is it?

Off in the distance, the Porsche 918 Spyder rounds a bend and spears toward us, pursued by the high-pitched scream of its petrol-electric driveline. It flashes by the pit wall then arcs into the turn at the end of the straight, revealing a huge rear wing before disappearing from view.

I’ve travelled to Porsche’s Leipzig test track not only to witness rally legend Walter Röhrl display his talent at the wheel of Porsche’s new flagship but also to become one of the first people outside its team of engineers to drive the staggeringly complex 918 Spyder. 

It seems an impossible task given its complexity, but the 918 Spyder has progressed from concept to pre-production form in just two years. Even since my ride in the first road-going prototype last year, Porsche has reworked much of the mechanical and electrical package, and the car’s completeness today has me in awe.

The naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 produces 599bhp at 8600rpm, giving a specific output of 130bhp per litre. Two electric motors – one mounted within the front axle, another at the rear  – add an additional 275bhp. Combined, the three power sources output 875bhp.

This makes the 918 Spyder easily the most powerful Porsche road car ever. By comparison, the rear-wheel drive Carrera GT’s naturally aspirated 5.7-litre V10 produced 603bhp.

But is 875bhp enough? The new LaFerrari’s naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V12 and HY-KERS system develops a collective 950bhp, while theMcLaren P1’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 and single electric motor produce 903bhp. And they are a respective 385kg and 240kg lighter than the 1640kg 918 Spyder. 

It is this thought I find myself grappling with as the car rumbles down pit lane for my turn behind the wheel.

What is it like?

The 918 Spyder is suitably squat and wide, but the Porsche lacks the visual flare and aesthetic impact of the Ferrari and McLaren. Entering the cabin is tricky with the roof panels in place thanks to the carbonfibre monocoque’s high and wide. The seat belts are at least three-point affairs, so there’s no need to wrestle a full race harness before getting down to business.

Twist the key and there’s no direct firing of the V8 engine, merely some distant whirring as the electric motors are primed for action. The windscreen provides an excellent view out but there’s no rear window due to the lightweight titanium exhaust, which is mounted atop the engine just an arm’s length behind. Instead, a reversing camera and an impressively tight turning circle come to the rescue as we manoeuvre out of the pits.

Off we go. The 918 Spyder may claim race-car lineage but it doesn’t sound like one. Besides the rumble of tyres on the asphalt and the sound of stones being thrown up into the wheelhouses as we head down to the first corner, it is all but silent. With sufficient battery charge in E-Power mode, the Porsche relies on the front electric motor to provide propulsion at speeds of up to 93mph – which makes this Porsche’s first front-wheel drive car.

Before the first lap is over I’m already gushing at the razor-sharp throttle response, the immense in-gear urge, the immediacy of the chassis and the searing V8 engine, which emits a spine-tingling mechanical shrill on the way to its 9150rpm limiter.

The juggling act between efficiency and performance has resulted in five driveline modes. An E-Power is the default mode, in which the 918 Spyder is propelled by its front electric motor and, above 16mph, the rear electric motor. Turn a rotary dial to select Hybrid mode and both the electric motors and the combustion engine combine, although the V8 doesn’t run all the time.

A further turn of the dial activates Sport-Hybrid, in which the combustion engine runs continuously and the electric motors operate most of the time, while Race Hybrid introduces torque vectoring to the front wheels and, when required, has the rear motor acting as a generator to supply power to the front electric motor. If that’s not enough, there’s a so-called Hot Lap mode that allows the electric motors to draw up to 90 per cent of available energy, or 20 per cent more than usual.

Third gear with Race Hybrid mode engaged is best for an out-of-body experience. The combined efforts of the three power sources and the shriek of the V8 under full load is mind-blowingly intense. It’s the same story in fourth, while fifth brings little respite – the torque is so strong that you reach huge speeds with little more than a fleeting prod of throttle. 

The 918 Spyder uses a bespoke regenerative braking system to extend its range, with the two electric motors providing deceleration of up to 0.5g. There’s no regeneration until you hit the brake pedal, though, and just lifting the throttle engages a coasting function. Despite their complexity the carbon-ceramic brakes are not only stunningly effective, but they also deliver true feel, which is not something that can be said of the stoppers on many hybrids.      

We head in to a series of bends at speed for the first time. The steering, which operates on the front and rear axles simultaneously, helps to endow the 918 Spyder with stunning agility. The weighting of the electro-mechanical system is a little lighter than expected but the tyres bite hard and there’s little roll to speak of, while the front end remains remarkably calm. No plough-on understeer, no sudden-death oversteer, just terrific neutrality and masses of grip.

The secret to the ease of drivability is the packaging all of the 918 Spyder’s major drive systems below the horizontal centre line and within its wheelbase. All three power sources are mounted exceptionally low for the best possible centre of gravity and low polar movement: the centre of the rear drive assembly, for example, which includes the petrol engine, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and rear electric motor, is just 273mm above the road; the 6.8kWh lithium ion battery is lower still and straddled by a 70-litre fuel tank.

Porsche employs the front electric motor not only for propulsion but also to tailor the handling by constantly increasing or decreasing the amount of torque that goes to each of the front wheels. As well as countering any tendency toward understeer or oversteer, the addition of drive to the front wheels via a fixed-ratio gearbox also provides the 918 Spyder with tremendous traction and drive.

The suspension uses a combination of double wishbones up front and multi-links. It is, to all intents and purposes, a race car set-up, with adjustable springs and dampers and proper metal-to-metal joints for the lowest possible tolerances and the sort of tactility that has to felt to be believed. There is also sufficient compliance to ensure the Spyder doesn’t crash over kerbs like a race car, which is enough to hint that it should cope with most roads without too much trouble. 

Porsche says the 918 Spyder will now hit 62mph in just 2.8sec and 124mph in 7.9sec on the way to a top speed of “more than 211mph” – some 93mph of which can be achieved on electric power.

This is awesome performance by hybrid standards, and made all the more impressive by the claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 85.6mpg and CO2 emissions of just 79g/km. These figures have little to do with what the Porsche will achieve in the real world, but they point towards a notable advance in supercar efficiency.

Spearing down the front straight, however, throttle pinned hard in fourth, it’s the truly disturbing effect of the 918 Spyder’s torque that impresses most. The V8’s 391lb ft peak arrives at 6600rpm but there’s colossal shove throughout the range thanks to the added efforts of the electric motors.

All up, there’s a whopping 940lb ft, more than 590lb ft of which is available between 800 and 5000rpm, giving the car a tremendously flexible nature.   

Should I buy one?

In pre-production form, at least, the 918 Spyder has exceeded our expectations. For all its speed and ability to run on electric power, the truly extraordinary thing about it is the accessibility of its performance.

Porsche is yet to sign off the final chassis tuning but one thing is already abundantly clear: the 918 Spyder possesses extraordinary purchase and traction. It feels nothing if not tremendously well sorted for something so inherently complex, and it seems there’s even more to come.

“It is a learning process,” reveals Walliser. “We’re continually gathering data that allows us to improve the drive system.”   

Carry more speed into the next corner, get on the power even earlier and you’re no nearer to breeching the heady levels of adhesion; the Spyder simply answers the call for more.

Despite its complexity, this car is also tremendously alert, providing meaningful communication and tremendous weighting as lateral forces are piled on. It’s not a car to be scared of by any means, it's one you’re urged to drive – and hard.

Provided, of course, you can forget about the price tag.

Porsche 918 Spyder

Price £664,135; 0-62mph 2.8sec; Top speed 211mph; Economy85.6mpg; CO2 79g/km; Kerb weight 1640kg; Engine V8, 4593cc, petrol;Power 599bhp at 8600rpm (875bhp in hybrid mode); Torque 391lb ft at  6600rpm (590lb ft in hybrid mode, between 800 and 5000rpm); Gearbox7spd PDK

-Source From : www.autocar.co.uk

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Alpina B6 Biturbo first drive review

What is it?

Rumour has it that the next big thing from Alpina will be a six-cylinder, twin-turbo D3 that can live with a BMW M3 in a straight line yet return more than 50mpg at the same time.

But that car won’t be available until quite a bit later in the year, and in the meantime Alpina has a whole range of other new cars with which to tickle the fancies of enthusiasts wanting more exclusivity from their fast BMWs, starting with the car you see here, the frankly monstrous new B6 Biturbo coupé.

Everything about the B6 is, shall we say, large. Beneath its bonnet sits a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 that produces 532bhp between 5200 and 6250rpm and a positively herculean 538lb ft at just 2800rpm.

The gearbox is a tweaked version of the eight-speed ZF automatic used in the regular 6-series, in this case enhanced by Alpina’s engineers to prevent upshifts in certain modes (which is useful on a circuit, for example) and to momentarily cut the flow of fuel and deliver a lovely burble between gearshifts as a result.

The chassis has also been preened by Alpina to provide a wider range of set-ups than in the standard BMW 6-series. So in Comfort mode the ride quality is softer than you get in a regular BMW, while in Sport and Sport Plus it’s the other way around, with the electronic dampers sharpening up the driving experience to a level that no regular BMW driver would quite recognise.

The same philosophy applies to the interior, in which you’ll find a far higher quality of leather than in a factory BMW, plus a set of dials and seats that are bespoke to the B6.

And if that’s not sufficient to distinguish the car, Alpina also offers a vast range of options that enable B6 owners to personalise their cars to whatever specification they require – while spending a great deal of money in the process, of course.

What is it like?

Outwardly, you can pick a B6 from lesser 6-series for several reasons. Not only does it come with Alpina’s big, beautiful 20in turbine alloys, but there’s also a new front splitter that reduces lift by as much as 10 per cent, says Alpina, while at the back there’s a small new lip spoiler or, if you’re feeling flamboyant, an optional new tea-tray wing that makes even better use of the redesigned rear diffuser.

On the road the B6 feels massively rapid, thanks mainly to the torque it produces from seemingly any engine speed and in any gear. The way the transmission manages the flow of energy is truly epic, and it gives the B6 a blend of smooth but monumental acceleration that no factory BMW, not even the M6, could hope to replicate on the move.

The exhaust note is rather delicious too, Alpina’s modifications gifting the B6 with a depth and range of noises that are endlessly entertaining to listen to.

Despite the chassis modifications, the B6 always feels like a fairly big car on the move. Its kerb weight of 1870kg means it is always going to fight a losing battle against the forces of inertia that swell during rapid direction changes or, indeed, under braking. 

The steering is a touch distant in its feedback, too, even though the front end always feels planted – as does the tail – if and when you aim the B6 at a high-speed corner with some enthusiasm.

Should I buy one?

Overall, the B6 is more of a high-speed cruiser than it is a pure sports car, but for the kind of customer who wants that little bit more depth from their6-series, it’s a lovely alternative to the factory offerings.

At £92,850, it’s expensive, yes, but if ever a car felt worth that sort of money, the Alpina B6 is it. 

Alpina B6 Biturbo

Price £92,850; 0-62mph 4.3sec; Top speed 199mph (limited);Economy 30.0mpg (combined); CO2  219g/km; Kerb weight 1870kg (dry); Engine V8, 4395cc, twin-turbo, petrol; Power 532bhp at 5200-6250rpm; Torque 538lb ft at 2800-5000rpm; Gearbox 8-spd automatic

-Source From : www.autocar.co.uk

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2013 Porsche Cayenne

Ignore the badge on the front of this vehicle. Pretend you don’t see it like that crazy person trying to get your attention on the subway.

FAST FACTS

1. The 3.6L V6 engine produces 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. 2. Along with an 8-speed automatic the Cayenne V6 is available with a 6-speed manual transmission. 3. Fuel economy is rated at 15/22 mpg (city/hwy) with the manual 16/23 mpg with the automatic. 4. Priced from $50,575 after destination charges, our test vehicle came in at $65,655.

Glancing down on the Cayenne’s hood and seeing that familiar crest with the word ‘Stuttgart’ above a rearing horse sends the brain to the wrong place. Images of screaming down the Mulsanne straight or clipping the apexes of the world famous Laguna Seca corkscrew come to mind.

Forget all that. This isn’t one of those Porsches. This is the everyday Porsche. There is no sport focused steering wheel, no heavily bolstered seats, no lowered suspension, no high performance tires and no God-of-Thunder exhaust system. This is a true utility vehicle.

Compared to other models, the base, trim-less Cayenne is the most practical vehicle in the lineup. With seating for five, 62.9 cu-ft of cargo space and the ability to tow 7,716 lbs. (5,952 lbs. with the manual transmission), the Cayenne is ready for daily duty. The base V6 model is the cheapest way not only into the Cayenne family, but into a Porsche altogether. With a starting price of $50,575 after destination charges, the Cayenne undercuts the Boxster by less than a $1,000 to claim this honor. Our test vehicle however rang in at $65,655 after a slew of options were tacked on.

A PRACTICAL PORSCHE

With the exception of the more efficient, yet costly Hybrid and Diesel versions, the Cayenne V6 is the budget-choice amongst Porsche crossovers (until the compact Macan arrives later this year). It is down two cylinders and two gears compared to S, GTS, Turbo and Turbo S, but does boast one very important feature no other Cayenne can; a clutch pedal.

That’s right; standard on the Cayenne is a 6-speed manual transmission paired to a 3.6-liter V6 engine. For those not wanting to shift their own gears, there is an optional 8-speed automatic, but where is the fun in that?

COMFORT OVER SPORT

With a mere 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque being pumped out of the great sounding direct injection V6, the 4,398 lb crossover is not going to win many drag races. But, Porsche still claims this is enough grunt to power the Cayenne from 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds and continue onto top speed of 142 mph. It is not, however, recommended to attempt top speed while towing a travelling trailer.

ROWING YOUR OWN GEARS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

The 6-speed manual transmission features a dual mass flywheel and Porsche’s Drive-Off Assistant, which is basically a hill holder system.

The engine feels down on power most of the time, but thankfully the manual transmission redeems the driving experience to still make this Porsche fun-to-drive. It restores nearly the same level of driving joy as the V8-powered Cayenne S possesses, just don’t expect the same fluidity of the 911 Carrera’s 7-speed manual; it is not the smoothest unit. Engagements are a bit clunky and require some effort when sliding into gear. That said, for a crossover this is a very good manual transmission, but it is not ‘sporty’. The same can be said of the Cayenne V6 in general.

Officially rated at 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway when equipped with the manual transmission and 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway with the 8-speed automatic, after a week of driving our manual equipped test vehicle averaged an impressive 20.4 mpg.

The base Cayenne comes equipped with steel springs in lieu of the option air suspension that features Porsche’s excellent Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). The steel units blend a fairly neutral balance between ride comfort and handling. The V6 is not as handling-focused as the Cayenne GTS with PASM. On the plus side, the base V6 Cayenne’s ride is smoother than the air suspension we tested recently on a GTS model, even in the ‘Comfort’ setting.

Traction was never an issue in the Cayenne thanks to the standard all-wheel drive, while keeping it upright and safe proved a simple task for the latest stability control systems and big brakes; 6 pistons up front and 4 pistons in the rear. Regrettably, we did not have a chance to take it off-road and test out the manual locking differentials.

PRIM, PROPER AND POSH INSIDE

Inside, the Cayenne looks like a proper luxury machine. Everything is power operated and finished in high quality materials. Features include an eight-way adjustable memory driver’s seat, leather seating surfaces, five 12 volt socket outlets (because you can never get enough), a power tailgate, a 7-inch touchscreen color display and a refrigerated glove compartment. The V6 Cayenne uses a conventional steering wheel complete with toggles and switches; no button-less Porsche sport-wheel here.

Like all Cayennes, passenger comfort is top notch. Four people could spend hours inside the cabin and three wide in the back is fairly accommodating. The actual seats are pleasant, but don’t quite match the level of comfort found in some of the Cayenne’s various seat upgrade options. The only place this Porsche really falters compared to its competitors is in cargo capacity; down 12.2 cu-ft to the BMW X5 and 17.4 cu-ft to the Mercedes-Benz ML.

Outside, the V6 Cayenne differs little visually from other trims. There are HID front lights with automatic static range adjustment. Below them are the usual Cayenne LED daytime driving lights with integrated position light, and turn signals. Our test vehicle came equipped with optional SportDesign II 20-inch wheels wrapped in 275/45R20 winter rubber. On the back hatch of the Cayenne is an integrated rear spoiler set above adaptive LED tail lights.

THE VERDICT

These exterior styling touches emphasize what is a true luxury crossover. Porsche has done a great job with this vehicle and it appears, despite the lack of sportiness for the base model, consumers have bought into the idea. When similarly equipped, it falls in line price wise with six cylinder versions of the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

It may seem like an oxymoron, but in base form, the Cayenne actually is a good value; as long as restraint is shown when ticking off options. Plus, it is still offered with that endangered species known as ‘the manual transmission’. That unique feature alone makes this yet another Porsche we want to park in our driveway.

LOVE IT Manual transmission Seat comfort Interior room

LEAVE IT Sluggish acceleration (for a Porsche) Lacking in sportiness (for a Porsche) Fuel economy Small cargo area

-Source From : www.autoguide.com

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Suzuki Swift 1.4 GLX

The Suzuki Swift is, on paper, a fairly unremarkable automobile with a mechanical makeup consisting of elements that are common to most budget hatchbacks. It is the epitome of simplicity, but there is hardly ever a bad review of it anywhere. The Swift is a much-liked automobile; glowing press reports are backed by solid sales numbers in the 100 or so markets that Suzuki does business in. It is a critical and commercial success.

The all-new Suzuki Swift that was launched in January is not exactly new, having been released globally in 2010. Quite why its admittedly fine predecessor was allowed to soldier on for two years of borrowed time is something only Suzuki would know, but it is better late than never, and with a predecessor that has given us so many wonderful memories, the new Swift is a car that we have been anticipating very eagerly indeed.

Prices & Variants

The Swift is currently available with only a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine, mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission as standard. Fully imported from Thailand, the Swift 1.4 GLX that we are testing here goes for RM77,888 with insurance. Units coloured in Snow White Pearl paint have the option of a RM5,300 upgrade to the GLX-S package which tacks on a Suzuki Genuine Accessories bodykit package. 

Enthusiasts will want to keep the chequebooks in their pockets for the upcoming Swift Sport, and those with time on their side may find waiting for the local CKD variants a little more worthwhile, with the prospects of more competitive pricing and/or better equipment to hedge your bets on. Detractors will laugh at the absurdity of its RM78k price tag, but read on, and we will assure you that if you put your money of one of these, it is you who will be laughing the loudest from behind the wheel.

Specifications

Like what Volkswagen is experiencing with the Golf VII, the Swift has been fielding many questions on an engine that is smaller and less powerful than its predecessor. Critics are not interested to know that the all-new 1,372cc K14B engine is 5% more economical than the old M15A; all they are keen to point out is that it displaces 100cc less and makes less power - 94hp/130Nm vs 99hp/133Nm. It is worth noting that the new engine's specific output is 3% higher than its predecessor.

Standard transmission is an all-new 4-speed automatic from Aisin, which is not an unexpected product planning decision these days. The rear axle is upgraded to feature disc brakes, and standard equipment includes keyless entry, push-start button, steering-mounted controls, USB connectivity, auto climate control, dual airbags, ABS, and EBD - not overly generous but it sufficiently covers the bases.

Design

Despite being underpinned by an all-new platform, Suzuki has opted for an evolutionary progression in styling the new Swift. Design cues that defined the predecessor's looks remain prominent in the new model. The predecessor's familiar silhouette has been subtly refined rather than revamped, and the result is a familiar look enhanced with sharpened details. 

The front looks barely different than before, but at the rear, the bumper-mounted number plate now sits higher up, almost at waist level, with the tailgate's opening line accordingly raised. Depending on situation, this can be a boon or a bane. Some people may not appreciate having to lift their groceries higher whilst loading them into the rear hatch, but those who stuff it to the brim might appreciate not having to worry about things falling off whilst opening the tailgate.

Interior

Interior alterations are comparatively more extensive than the exterior's. The availability of tilt & telescopic steering adjust is a massively pleasant surprise, and despite the presence of a start/stop button, there were more than a couple of occasions where I found myself sub-consciously reaching for the key when turning the engine off. I don't make such blunders when testing BMWs, for example, a clear indication that this is a feature that is beyond expectation at this price range.

Switchgear ergonomics are excellent - the control scheme is simple, and buttons are logically laid out and easy to reach. Materials and build quality do not exude the premium feel of a German vehicle, but they feel solid and the impression is that they are engineered for a lengthy operational life cycle. 

Less impressive is the management of space for item storage, be it small or large. The split folding rear seats do not offer a flat floor extension with the cargo hold and there are limited spaces to keep your phone and wallet. My views might have been distorted by the fact that my preceding test car before the Swift was the Jazz Hybrid, but Suzuki can really use a few lessons from Honda in designing and placing cubby holes.

Driving Impressions

The Swift's chassis is a particular highlight; fleet footed on the turn yet impressively composed on straights, it delivers small car agility in the city and big car stability on the highway. Ride quality is as good as you would expect for a car its size, and outright impressive considering that it wears 16-inch rims.

The engine acquits itself well too, being eager and peppy to rev, just like how the engine of any good small car should. Lacking in technology, the engine makes up for it with character, and it quite gamely pushes the Swift's 1,000kg frame up to speeds in the region of 160-170kph, at which we must add the chassis feels pleasingly dignified and unflustered. 

The Aisin-developed 4-speed automatic transmission performs its duties competently and is responsive towards kick downs. The gap between ratios feels a little too wide at times to facilitate hard acceleration, but that's an unavoidable reality when you have only four ratios to pick from. Considering the Swift's fun-loving nature, Suzuki should explore the possibilities of offering Malaysians a manual option.

Verdict

In an age where an average vehicle is laden with enough electronics to make Neil Armstrong's Saturn V rocket seem no more advanced than a pocket calculator, the Swift's overall mechanical simplicity is endearing. Suzuki, to its immense credit, did not use that as an excuse to deliver us a boring crap-mobile. The Swift is a very well-honed automobile that pleasingly enjoyable to drive.

We don't get too many cars like the Swift these days, cars that focuses on doing the basics well and right without complications. It is a bundle of joy, the Swift, much like your mum's cooking - simple ingredients invariably executed to perfection.

-Source From : http://www.autoworld.com.my

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