Home Tags Posts tagged with "2014"
Peugeot are having something of a renaissance producing some good cars that are even battling for class leadership. The 208, 2008, 308 and RCZ R represent the French company being back on form and with their current models sporting an edgy look, they are well equipped to chase Peugeot’s “upmarket” ambitions. Their latest concept car continues to impress…
Making its debut at the Beijing motor show, this is the Peugeot Exalt concept. The highly sculpted saloon continues Peugeot’s current design language and builds upon features from the Onyx concept seen in 2012. Also taken from the Onyx is the artistic statement of bare metals and unusual materials. The exterior is said to have the same texture as shark skin. The cabin seats four and its minimalist architecture is made from natural wool, aged leather, bare steel and ebony. The Peugeot Exalt concept car is poured by a petrol hybrid drivetrain producing 335BHP.
Everything has its time and with the world changing as rapidly as it does these days it never takes too long for something to become obsolete. The current trend in the automotive industry is one of turbocharging, not just for performance, but also emissions. Strict European laws that come into force soon will see the majority of naturally aspirated engines as too polluting. However, sometimes with change comes good things and that is certainly the case for the Mercedes-Benz SL 400. New Twin-Turbo V6 for Mercedes-Benz SL.
The Mercedes-Benz SL 400 replaces the 3.5 litre naturally aspirated V6 SL 350 model. Underneath this revised cars long bonnet now sits a 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 unit. Although it is down on overall capacity, the new engine produces 328BHP and 354lb ft of torque. That is enough to get the new SL from 0-62MPH in 5.3 seconds, 0.7 seconds faster than the outgoing SL 350. Fuel economy is stated at 39MPG combined emitting 172g/km CO2 making this car faster, cleaner and more fuel efficient than option it replaces. Top speed is electronically limited to 155MPH.
Reigning WRC world champion Sébastien Ogier survived a wreckage-strewn Rally Portugal to claim his fourth victory in five years on the Algarve. Over the course of four days of intense competition he successfully held off the stubborn challenge of a rejuvenated Mikko Hirvonen to post Volkswagen’s eighth successive WRC victory, equalling the feat achieved by Citroën’s charges in 2011.
It was a repeat of last year’s result as far as the top two were concerned, with runner-up Hirvonen not only securing M-Sport’s best finish of the season so far but also replicating his second place finish on the same event exactly a year ago. Although the Finn managed to close the gap slightly on Ogier this time round, the imperious Frenchman still romped home with a comfortable 42.3 second margin.
The final podium spot went to Citroën’s Mads Østberg who kept his cool throughout and pounced when those ahead of him hit problems.
Portugal is a familiar stomping ground for WRC’s finest, taking its place on the calendar for the sixth consecutive season. Much like the previous round in Mexico, this rally is a technically demanding gravel test. It combines fast, open roads with narrow tracks, each coated with a clay-like surface that chews tyres in dry conditions whilst becoming treacherously boggy and slippery in the wet. However, this event is probably best remembered for Jari-Matti Latvala’s gargantuan crash in 2009. The Finn overcooked a bend and plunged nearly 200m down an almost vertical hillside, a stark reminder of the wafer thin the line between perfection and catastrophe in rallying.
After the raft of retirements in Mexico, the teams were hoping for a more gentle start to proceedings in the Algarve. It proved anything but. By the end of the first full day of competition, four of the main players had seen their hopes of victory dashed. Friday was by far Hyundai’s best day at the office so far this season, with the WRC rookies taking a hat-trick of stage wins through Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville. Although the pair found themselves fifth and sixth overall by the end of the day, this represented major progress for the Korean outfit who, up until then, had not registered a single stage win all season.
However, things started in an altogether less positive fashion for the likes of Elfyn Evans, Robert Kubica and Jari-Matti Latvala. The former duo made it no further than stage 4, when the young Welshman missed a breaking point attempting a tight right-hand bend and sent his Fiesta RS in to several barrel rolls, the battered wreckage coming to rest at the bottom of a steep bank. Kubica meanwhile suffered the latest in a long line of ignominious exits just 6km down the road from Evans when he clipped a tree, prising the front right wheel clean off his Fiesta. The Pole’s car span sideways, completely blocking the road ahead and halting the progress of several drivers in the following pack. The stage was eventually cancelled. The next test spelled the end for VW number two Latvala. Running in second, the Finn was sucked in to a hole on the inside of a corner and flipped his Polo R in to a bank on the opposite side of the road. That incident may have lacked the drama of his infamous 2009 mishap but it proved equally as terminal nonetheless.
As the Hyundai’s early form tailed off, and with Latvala out of the picture, Ogier was able to pull ahead on the afternoon loop. However, he was trumped on the final stage by Hirvonen and the mightily impressive Ott Tanak and ended the day in third. There was still time for one more slice of drama before the day was out, as Citroën’s Kris Meeke suffered an almost identical fate to that of his compatriot Evans on the re-run of Almodôvar. Meeke careered off on the very same corner that had previously caught out the Welshman that morning and after rolling several times his crumpled DS3 came to rest just metres away from the abandoned hulk of Evans’ Fiesta.
Overnight leader Hirvonen could only hold top spot for a single stage before Ogier turned on the afterburners and usurped both the Finn and Tanak to re-take the lead by stage 9. The world champion crucially had soft tyres to spare for the afternoon loop and accordingly rattled off three straight stage wins to put daylight between him and the chasing pack. M-Sport’s Hirvonen had opted to begin the rally on softs, so by day two his pre-worn rubber was being tested to the limit. He miraculously avoided the constant threat of punctures and ended the day 38.1 seconds adrift of the Frenchman.
It was a different story for Tanak however, whose rally came to an end when he rolled out from third at the scene of Latvala’s monster accident five years ago. The Estonian’s Fiesta finished up sprawled across the road meaning, for the second time in the rally, a stage had to be cancelled. Mads Østberg was the chief beneficiary, moving up in to the podium places.
A new day brought with it an all too familiar story for the hapless Robert Kubica. This time the 29 year-old managed to burn out his clutch after attempting to recover the car from a ditch which had caught him out on stage 9. With ten retirements already clocked-up from only four rallies so far this season, M-Sport bosses may be beginning to question their decision to award the Pole a full-time seat this year. Of course, comparisons will undoubtedly be drawn with fellow F1 star Kimi Raikkonen’s brief and ill-fated stint in WRC. However, considering Kubica’s years of previous rallying experience, not to mention last year’s WRC 2 title to his name, it is fair to say that the man from Krakow is falling consistently below the standards expected of him at this moment in time.
Hyundai failed to repeat day one’s achievements, with Juho Hänninen plagued by a raft of punctures throughout the rally and Thierry Neuville shedding 5 minutes and tumbling to ninth when he broke the rear suspension on his i20 on stage 12. Teammate Dani Sordo survived unscathed to trail Østberg by 20 seconds heading in to the final day.
With the legwork done, Ogier eased his way through Sunday’s three short stages without any dramas, collecting three bonus points on the event-closing power stage to wrap up the perfect weekend. Hirvonen was equally as safe in second whilst any threat to Østberg’s podium spot was all but nullified on Sunday morning when closest challenger Sordo retired with a broken driveshaft before stage 12. Andreas Mikkelsen clinched fourth for VW after a consistent, if unspectacular drive.
Latvala’s failure to score heavily in Portugal means that this victory represents a major step in Sébastien Ogier’s title defence. He now commands a 29 point lead over his teammate in the championship standings, meaning that, no matter what happens, he will still lead the way after round 5 when the action moves back across the Atlantic to Argentina on 8th of May.
There are many reasons why the crossover segment is booming. Aesthetically people like the robust looks of a big car as it promotes a sense of security. The high driving position enables a good view over traffic and down onto “lesser” road users. It is also the current fashion to own such a car and those making a large investment do not want to be seen driving something that is “so last generation, darling.” Of course a lot of peoples excuse for buying a an SUV is the odd day when it snows in the UK and that means you will need one with all wheel drive.
This is the revised 2014 Mazda CX-5 2.2 175ps AWD Sport Nav Diesel and if the above sounds close to what you are after, a 4X4 model with a good torque will not send you far wrong. The CX-5 back in 2012 introduced Mazda’s new design language, Kodo. Its fluid body lines and sculpted shape certainly separate it from a class that has become very populated over the years. Being the first of Mazda’s “6th generation” cars the brand has emphasised their desire to offer a premium product in the appearance of the CX-5. This car also introduced a new offering of efficient engines named Skyactiv of which now can be found across the range. For 2014 a refreshed CX-5 brings with it revised suspension, more refinement and some new technology.
Inside the Sport Nav model you will find a cabin upholstered in some rather nice leather and a console that provides excellent ergonomics, even if a little uninspired in its looks. The car seats five in plenty of comfort which the rear quarters supply good head and leg room to passengers not quick enough to call “shotgun.” Its boot is also of a good size. Up front everything you interact with has a nice robust feel to it which is great for a car that will likely become the family workhorse. The infotainment system in this car provides a touchscreen interface for things such as radio, Bluetooth and a built-in TomTom satellite navigation system. The instruments are functional and easy to read with things such as the gear leaver and climate control fall easily to hand. In terms of the driving position, the CX-5 hits the proverbial nail on the head with an arrangement that feels a little bit, dare I say it, sporty.
This sporty flare continues as you hit the road. Despite having a big 2.2 litre diesel engine and a weighty all wheel drive system, this cars agility is astonishing. Obviously the 2WD variant emphasises this further, but even this car feels swift. The immediacy of its change in direction is very commendable not just for an SUV, but in general. Its steering is well weighted allowing for accurate placement of the car on the road. This paired with a nice 6 speed manual gearbox makes for an involving drive. 420Nm of excellent torque is on offer for a 0-62MPH time of 8.8 seconds. This torque plays a huge part in the CX-5’s fun factor, surging the car onwards out of corner exits. Body roll is much less than you would expect from a car of this size enabling you to carry more momentum through sharp bends. The suspension is a tad softer than the 2013 specification but only marginally. However, what you trade for a little bit of ride comfort you gain in handling. On faster road the 2.2 litre Skyactiv diesel goes to work and is more than happy to pound at motorways all day long. Its 170BHP is more than enough for you to make courageous overtaking manoeuvres when faced with a Sunday driver ahead. Engine noise is reduced in the cabin over last year’s car allowing for a bit more refinement, yet under acceleration the diesel engine can be heard quite predominantly. Settle the car back down and order is restored. If you are unlucky enough to stall the car this 2014 CX-5 will restart the engine as soon as the clutch is pressed. Mazda claim that the 2014 Mazda CX-5 2.2 175ps AWD Sport Nav Diesel will achieve 54.3MPG on the combined cycle, an impressive figure for its class.
At £28,395 our test car had all of the bells and whistles including DAB radio, keyless entry, leather and the list goes on… An entry level CX-5 petrol can be had from as little as £21,595. All-in-all the 2014 Mazda CX-5 hasn’t changed dramatically from its inception, but then did it need to? Mazda got the recipe right the first time offering a machine that is very enjoyable to drive.
If you find yourself shopping for a family hatchback you will be spoilt for choice. This is one of the most competitive segments in the automotive industry, and the continuous war between car manufactures for your money means that every year the game of oneupmanship produces even better products. What each brand attempts to do is differentiate their product in some way. If you are looking for a reliable, well priced and fun to drive alternative to a VW Golf, Mazda reckon they might just have something for you.
The 2014 Mazda 3 is a new car from the ground up. Whilst its predecessor was a good car, the likes of Ford’s Focus was a better all-rounder. Todays question is… Can this incarnation finally surpass one of the UK’s best selling cars? Our test car is the 2014 Mazda 3 1.5 100ps SE Nav Petrol and for those who don’t speak Mazda salesman, that translates into an almost entry level hatchback powered by a 1.5 litre Skyactiv petrol engine with 98BHP. The companies new Skyactiv-G petrol unit emits just 119g/km of CO2 and is said to return 56.4MPG.
It has to be said that even without extravagant alloy wheels or posh paint, the new Mazda 3 looks great! Not that its standard 16 inch alloys are anything to complain about. Utilising Mazda’s current design language, Kodo – soul of motion, its energetic body lines and creases give it a dynamic appearance. A long bonnet and chrome grill surround instates Mazda’s intention to push this new 3 upmarket. This model now has an image that very much separates it from others in the C segment.
Inside the cabin has taken a real step-up from its forerunner, introducing a stylised environment that is still ergonomic. These standard cloth seats might not boast all of the electronic gizmos of the top specification car, but they are well bolstered and very supportive. The seating position itself is spot on with the slick 6 speed manual falling to hand and a highly adjustable steering wheel at your disposal. Its instrument binnacle is dominated by a large speedometer supported by two digital displays. It looks very smart, but above all is functional. That is the trend of this interior that packs just enough style but plenty of usability. My only complaint being that some of the plastics don’t do the design justice. A 7 inch touchscreen display sits on top of the dashboard providing the cars infotainment and satellite navigation. Rear passengers are treated to ample head and leg room with an adequate boot located the other side of a 60/40 split rear bench.
The 1.5 litre Skyactive idles quietly and maintains its refinement on the move. Thanks to being naturally aspirated the power delivery is nice and linear, although you do have to work the gearbox to get the most out of it. Whilst the pedal box lacks some feel, the steering does not. Its responsive nature quickly darts the Mazda 3 from bend to bend and a well sorted suspension set up keeps body roll to a minimum. The cars agility and very tidy gear shift creates a sporty edge to this hatchback. These handling characteristics make it one of the most driver oriented machines in its class which will please those who genuinely enjoy driving. Ride comfort is sacrificed slightly for this more involving chassis, but it is far from back breaking. Taking the needle to the redline produces a not unpleasant noise and the cars capable set of brakes inspire confidence in its capabilities. The heavier 2.2 litre diesel option does feel more planted during exuberant moments behind the wheel, but having a lively petrol unit under your right foot is more entertaining overall. There is a more powerful 2.0 litre petrol engine on offer, but for predominant urban use the little 1.5 litre is your best bet. Visibility is good and the precise well weighted steering is an asset around town as well as on more exciting roads.
Mazda have earned a well deserved “pat on the back” for there efforts with the 2014 Mazda 3 1.5 100ps SE Nav. For a reasonable £17,825 as tested, this car gives competitors a real run for their money. Not only in terms of value, but as a driving experience also. All cars come with Mazda’s Smart City Brake Support which will prevent the car from having low speed accidents, say in stop/start traffic for example. Another nice standard feature is Hill Hold Assist, usually reserved for the options list on other cars in this class.
The new Mazda 3 ticks a lot of boxes and does a fine job of giving Ford a few sleepless nights.
It is very much part of the unpredictable ebb and flow of motorsports that most racing series go through periods of dominance at some time or another, where one team or one particular driver seems to be constantly a step or two ahead of the completion. On two wheels, Giacomo Agostini staked his claim to being the greatest motorcycle rider of all time by winning seven back to back world championships from 1966 to 1972. Sébastien Loeb and Citroën’s nine year stranglehold over the WRC is a feat that will probably never be surpassed, whilst in Formula 1 Michael Schumacher led Ferrari through an era of such dominance in the early 2000’s that fans actually started to accuse the sport of becoming ‘too boring’.
And so the same has come to pass in the oldest race of them all, the 24 hours of Le Mans. Audi, thanks largely to a perfect recipe of revolutionary diesel engineering combined with the unparalleled talents of Danish racing mastermind Tom Kristensen, have reigned supreme over the endurance classic for the best part of a decade. However, rule changes for 2014 will test their resolve to the maximum as other manufacturers grow ever hungrier to topple them from their perch.
This season, Toyota will be one of the teams in pole position to do just that. The car on which they will be pinning their hopes will be named the TS040 Hybrid and has been unveiled to the public in the South of France ahead of the official championship testing season. In order to take the fight to Audi’s recently released R18 WEC, Toyota’s new machine can call on a total of 986bhp via the combined 513bhp 3.7 litre V8 petrol engine and a 473bhp all-wheel drive hybrid motor. This represents a significant evolution from last year’s 3.4 litre TS030 Hybrid which managed second place. New regulations limit teams to using 25 per cent less fuel than in 2013 and therefore place greater emphasis on hybrid power and energy recovery systems. Indeed, Porsche’s claim that they will be able to harvest up to 8 megajoules per lap through a two-pronged kinetic and thermal energy recovery system has already laid down a significant marker to the rest of the field.
The Japanese outfit retains the same squad of drivers for 2014, with Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Kazuki Nakajima sharing the No7 car and Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi piloting the No8 machine.
The TS040 Hybrid has already completed 12 days of testing across Europe and will now enter the final few weeks of preparation in the run-up to the start of the 2014 World Endurance Championship season on 20 April at Silverstone. The main event itself at Le Mans gets underway on 14 June.
The 2014 Formula One Grand Prix season moves onto its second venue of the year, Malaysia, bringing with it all of the potential dramas that unfolded in the opening race. Engine failures, tricky handling characteristics, driver errors, Vettel almost crying… It was an action packed weekend! The teams and drivers now face the challenging humidity of the climate for the Malaysian Grand Prix. How will the new cars cope with the heat? Rosberg Fastest in Malaysia.
The practice sessions have again revealed Mercedes-Benz to have a strong package. Nico Rosberg was fastest in FP2 carrying the momentum forward from his victory in Australia. His team mate, Hamilton, clocked in 4th fastest but due to various test and fuel loads clearly was not running at his quickest. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was 2nd suggesting that the red cars might have found some of their missing pace. Alonso was 5th but, like Hamilton, hasn’t really unveiled his true potential. Sebastian Vettel was 3rd in his Red Bull, showing the expected competitiveness of the generally fragile RB10. Daniel Ricciardo will be looking to put his disqualification in Australia behind him but only managed 7th fastest today. It was another promising day for Williams with strong performances from both drivers contrasting the fortunes of Lotus who continue to have troubles.
Qualifying tomorrow will reveal just how much the teams have learnt about their 2014 cars from their debut.
Audi have dominated the world of endurance racing for over a decade. The Germans have won the famous Le Mans 24 hour 12 times and it would have been 9 times in a row if it were not for pesky Peugeot in 2009. Audi want to retain their Le Mans crown but with strong competition from Toyota and now Porsche, their 2014 Audi R18 WEC has to be one of the most capable cars racing has ever seen.
Audi revealed to the world their new car in race trim complete with updated livery. However, they have decided to backtrack on a technology that regenerates energy lost through heat. The system, MGU-H, is just like that found on the 2014 specification Formula One cars, but the team will not use it as planned due to reliability issues. Instead they will stick with their tried and tested kinetic energy recovery system that can harvest 2 megajoules over a lap. Their competitors, and in particular Porsche, are expected to be recapturing 6 to 8MJ per lap. This potentially puts Audi at a disadvantage but they say that the increased reliability and fuel efficiency of their new turbocharged 4.0 litre V6 diesel engine will prevail.
The 2014 Audi R18 WEC reignited tradition as it was driven through the streets of Le Mans before being shown to the media.
Clever packaging is something that is a great asset to any company’s product. Take Apple’s iPhone for example… Its box is ergonomic, compact and aesthetically pleasing as well as capable of carrying out its primary function of housing the phone. The box echoes the ethos of the product, much like the new Honda Civic Tourer that packages itself around the practicality that its users require.
Around this time last year Honda revealed the Civic Tourer Concept, a design exercise that announced to the world that just because you need an estate car doesn’t mean you have to surrender a your sense of style. The car very much caught the attention of the media and the public confirming to the design team that they were on to a potential winner. A year down the line and the 2014 Honda Civic Tourer is now a reality, and in a rare turn of events, it looks just like the concept car.
You see, usually concept cars are greatly exaggerated echoes of what they eventually become when they hit the roads. Regulations and restrictions tend to neuter them of what made these machines unique on the show stand. Not the Civic Tourer! With its sleek long profile being detailed with sculpted body lines and broad shoulders at its rear, this car really does look the business. Whilst the Civic hatchback split opinion, there is no doubt that the estate variant is not only better looking, but potentially the most visually appealing car in its class. Despite being a Tourer, it is actually only 235mm longer than the standard hatchback. As a result Honda are fielding the 2014 Honda Civic Tourer in BTCC this year.
The interiors dimensions are just as impressive as the exteriors. Coming back to my ramblings of clever packaging, this car has an impressive 642 litres of boot space with the seats up or a whopping 1,668 litres with them folded completely flat. Also included are Honda’s “Magic Seats” which allow you to fold the base of the seats vertically like you would at the cinema. This means you have two areas for storage; the boot for the dog, and the middle for the shopping. Our SR specification test car came with full leather heated seats, Bluetooth, USB, DAB radio, dual zone climate control, voice activation and satellite navigation with DVD player. The cabin is very much somewhere you can settle down for a long journey surrounded by creature comforts.
This specific Tourer is powered by a 1.8 litre i-VTEC petrol engine which is very smooth and compliant. In tandem with its 6 speed manual transmission the car is responsive to throttle inputs and effortless in its gear changes. The steering is better weighted than in its hatchback counterpart and provides the driver with good levels precision whilst cornering. With parking sensors and a reversing camera making it easy to park, the Honda Civic Tourer is well suited to urban environments. On SR grade cars and above, is an adaptive damper system that allows for three modes of adjustment; normal, dynamic and comfort. Each offers a slight change in the ride with dynamic being the stiffest and comfort the softest. We found ourselves leaving the Civic in comfort for the majority of the time, only changing to dynamic when the roads became a bit more exciting. On motorways it is a fairly relaxing drive as you enjoy the support that the seats offer and the caramel-like smoothness of the engine. However, at higher speeds road noise does intrude upon the tranquility slightly which is a shame as the rest of the car is generally quite a soothing experience. In terms of economy, we returned a solid 38MPG in a combination of environments. Our “real world” figures were not a million miles from Honda’s claimed 45MPG, and paying a bit more attention to the cars ECON mode we might have got a bit closer.
Our test car came to £25,350 with all of its equipment, but an entry level car can be had from £20,265. Though that is a tad more costly than some competitors, you do get Honda’s typically excellent build quality and reliability. The 2014 Honda Civic Tourer 1.8 i-VTEC SR is a very solid effort from the company. With looks that set it apart from just about everything else in the car park and unrivalled practicality, it just goes to show that it is possible to have your cake and eat it.
Owning a sports car is one of life’s most enjoyable luxuries. For people who love driving and the sensation of going quickly, a Sunday morning B-road blast is a staple of their diet. The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are two very good choices when it comes to a sports car with high levels of driver interaction. Their top of the line S models have tempted many into handing over their chequebook, but a new range topper is coming. Porsche Cayman and Boxster GTS unveiled.
Just like the 911 and Panamera, Porsche are introducing the GTS badge to these two cars. Both are powered by a 3.4 litre flat six engine with the Cayman GTS churning out 335BHP and the Boxster 325BHP. Cog swapping is undertaken by a six-speed manual, but a seven-speed dual clutch automatic is an option. The Porsche Boxster GTS will get from 0-62MPH in 4.7 seconds, whilst the Cayman GTS is just faster at 4.6 seconds. Top speeds are 175MPH and 177MPH respectively. Inside these two cars a leather an alcantara trim dons the cabin. Both models get new 20 inch ally wheels, darkened headlight surrounds and new bumpers.
A Boxster GTS will cost £52,879 and Cayman GTS £55,397. These cars will make their debut at the Beijing motor show.
123...15Next Page 1 of 15
