Automotive Lighting

Automotive Lighting

Grille seeker

ISSUE 54 . OCTOBER 2013

Jeep’s new Cherokee will polarise, but there’s substance under this skin

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#54OCTOBER

2013EditorialGoAuto NewsroomPO Box 18Sandringham VIC 3191(03) 9598 6477 goautomag@goautomedia.net

ProductionLuc Britten

ContributorsMike CostelloBarry ParkByron MathioudakisTerry MartinTim NicholsonDaniel Gardner

Advertising enquiriesSally Mellor(03) 9598 6477 0425 700 904sally@goautomedia.net

.com.auGoAuto

3 Brave faceNew Cherokee will polarise, but there’s substance under this skin

9 Show-stopper‘Nanuk’ is Inuit for Polar bear, and Audi-speak for ‘high-riding supercar’

12 Crinkle cutLexus teases baby SUV at last, with looks that won’t die wondering

7 Purple moverRenault gives the humble MPV some sex appeal

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JEEP CHEROKEE

Brave face

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By MIKE COSTELLO in CALIFORNIA

A SERIES of production delays at the Toledo plant in the US may have delayed Australian deliveries by a few

months, but Jeep’s local arm plans to hit the ground running when the all-new Cherokee compact SUV hits showrooms in May 2014.

The company will offer almost the full

gamut of configurations: both front-drive and four-wheel drive, petrol and diesel, manual and automatic, as well as four specification levels including the hardcore, trail-rated Trailhawk hero from the get-go.

Pricing will be aggressive, from around $30,000 driveaway, with models such as the Subaru Forester and Nissan X-Trail cited as key

rivals. The new model plays more definitively in the compact SUV space, Australia’s busiest SUV segment by some margin.

We recently spent some time behind the wheel of the new Cherokee in California, and can attest to one thing above all else: It’s rare to drive a car that is so fundamentally different from its predecessor that it feels, for all intents

and purposes, unrecognisable.The term ‘clean-sheet redesign’ could have

been created specifically for this model, which combines a new car-like architecture with a hi-tech cabin and a polarising exterior design that remains a hot topic months after its world premiere at the New York auto show in March.

It swaps the old model’s unibody

Jeep’s new Cherokee will polarise, but there’s substance under this skin

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construction and live-axle underpinnings for a lighter and stiffer car-like monocoque chassis shared with the Dodge Dart, independent all-round suspension and electric steering.

The benefits are obvious: fuel economy improves by between 30 and 45 per cent, dynamism is light years ahead of its truck-like predecessor, refinement improves, and it becomes a more viable contender for younger, image-conscious buyers.

But a Jeep isn’t a Jeep unless it can handle the rough stuff, is it? Importantly, approach, departure and break-over angles are similar to the old hardcore Cherokee, and two out of three four-wheel-drive systems offered have low-range gearing.

The trail-rated Trailhawk variant even gets heavy-duty tyres, integrated tow hooks, skid plates, a locking rear axle, a higher 220mm ride height and a five-mode ‘Selec-Terrain’ system with hill-descent control.

As well as the Trailhawk, Jeep will offer three other specification levels in Australia from launch in May next year: base Sport, mid-range Longitude (projected to be the top seller) and flagship Limited.

The Sport will be a front-drive-only proposition, powered by a 137kW/234Nm 2.4-litre ‘Tigershark’ four-cylinder petrol that is a claimed 45 per cent more frugal than the previous base 3.7-litre V6 Cherokee.

Both the Longitude and Limited will be four-wheel-drive only, with either a 199kW/316Nm 3.2-litre Pentastar V6 or 125kW/360Nm Fiat 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine under the bonnet.

All petrol engines are matched exclusively with the same ZF nine-speed automatic found in the facelifted Range Rover Evoque. The diesel will also get a manual option, though homologation is yet to be finalised.

Now let’s get two important points out of the

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way: first, we’ve taken the new Cherokee across a rather tortuous off-road circuit

in the Californian wilderness, and can attest to its prowess. Steep inclines, sharp and rocky outcrops, and very loose sand proved no bother.

Hardcore versions have a locking rear diff and a dial that adjusts power delivery for snow,

mud, sand and rocks. It also has an automatic mode with a CPU that

does the thinking for you (it’s intuitive, too), plus a ‘Selec-Speed’ system that leans on engine braking to limit speed to 1km/h increments, controlled by the transmission’s manual mode.

Second, that controversial nose design appears softer and more palatable in the flesh – though it will still raise some eyebrows from onlookers. The Cherokee also looks smaller than it is and, from some angles, has a surprising resemblance to its Grand Cherokee big brother.

But it’s on the paved stuff where the new Cherokee took us by surprise. On a sublime stretch of sinuous mountain

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passes, cutting through the quaint weekend getaway locales presumably belonging to Hollywood A-listers going incognito, it showed a level of dynamism above a Honda CR-V and not shamed by the class-leading Mazda CX-5.

The new electro-hydraulic steering system possesses excellent levels of feel and feedback, turn-in is sharp and positive with much less ‘slack’ on-centre than the Grand Cherokee, and body control is kept relatively under control.

The ride quality on our 18-inch wheels with Continental rubber was also pliant, while the slipperier shape and 36 per cent stiffer body kept noise and vibrations in check. The petrol six has grunt but is quite thirsty, while the four-pot petrol is acceptable for the class, albeit uninspiring.

The ace up its sleeve should be that class-leading nine-speed auto, although we found a

few teething issues. First, it’s slow to respond to gearshifts in manual mode, and second, it has a tendency to hunt for gears on inclines, perhaps not surprising for a ’box with so many ratios to spread power delivery across.

The cabin is a marked improvement, echoing the simple and uncluttered fascia of the Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, dominated by either a colour display or touchscreen, nifty TFT dials and a delightful chunky steering wheel. Thankfully, and not common for the class, all contact points are soft-touch.

The front seats are wide but lack thigh support, while two adults will be happy for leg- and headroom in the rear. The middle seat is cramped, but the bench moves fore and aft, tilts, and tumbles to free up cargo space (which falls somewhat shy of the Nissan X-Trail’s).

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Purple moverRenault gives the humble

MPV some sex appeal

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By TIM NICHOLSON

RENAULT previewed the future design of its people-mover models with the Initiale Paris concept uncovered at

the Frankfurt motor show in October.As well as previewing the next-generation

Espace MPV, the sleek concept hints at a possible Renault premium sub-brand, said to

be a rival for Citroen’s DS range.The French car-making giant says the

flowing design of the Initiale Paris concept is inspired by the “worlds of architecture and aeronautics” as well as iconic Parisian landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Grand Palais.

Measuring in at 4850mm in length, the

Renault is longer than French competitors the Citroen C4 Grand C4 Picasso (4590mm) and Peugeot 5008 (4529mm), but 33mm shorter than the Dodge Journey/Fiat Freemont twins.

The rounded front end features a new take on the current Renault design language that appears on the Clio hatch and Captur light-SUV, while diamond shapes appear

everywhere from the air dam in the front apron to the side skirts to the spokes of the massive 22-inch wheels.

Renault says the tail-lights are shaped like the tail of an aeroplane, featuring motorised aerodynamic screens that move in a similar way to the tail fin of an aircraft.

As its name suggests, the styling of the

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Initiale Paris concept is heavily influenced by the city of love, with the unique plexiglass and aluminium roof depicting a map of Paris, highlighting a number of districts, arterial roads and the River Seine.

The LED head-lights incorporate a feature that causes the lights to ‘blink’ and external mirrors are replaced by slim-line cameras.

Passengers enter the MPV concept via rear-hinged doors and are treated to a suitably futuristic cabin with more nods to aviation in the form of pod-like armchair seating, and lighting guides throughout the cabin.

Renault has designed a smooth, uncluttered dash and incorporated a floating centre console, while at the rear, the third row features a bench that can be folded away for extra cargo space.

Wood veneer and chrome highlights feature throughout the cabin and Renault has teamed up with regular audio collaborator Bose to

create a 32-speaker sound system. The Initiale Paris is powered by a turbo-

diesel engine mated to a dual-clutch transmission. Renault says the powertrain emits 40g/km less CO2 and uses 25 per cent less fuel than an equivalent diesel engine.

Renault says the Initiale Paris is the sixth ‘petal’ in Renault’s ‘life cycle’ design strategy that is based on “an emotional styling language that is simple, sensual and warm in equal parts”.

The current-generation Espace MPV went on sale in Europe in 2003 and is overdue for a replacement, but Renault has not indicated timing for a production version of the Initiale Paris concept.

Renault Australia does not sell the Espace here and it is unclear whether it will consider a local berth for a people-mover. If it did, it would compete against Citroen’s upcoming Grand C4 Picasso replacement and the Peugeot 5008.

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By MIKE COSTELLO in Frankfurt

AUDI pulled a genuine surprise on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show by tearing the covers from a mid-

engined concept supercar you won’t scrape

over speedbumps. Called the Nanuk - apparently Inuit for

‘Polar Bear’ - the high-riding coupe packs a massively powerful 400kW/1000Nm V10 turbo-diesel beneath its bonnet and a quattro

all-wheel-drive system under the bodyshell, matched to a beefed-up seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Audi says the 1900kg jacked-up coupe can dash from zero to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds but

use only 7.8 litres of diesel per 100km under more careful driving. The 22-inch wheels hide carbon-fibre ceramic brakes, while a new-generation adaptive air suspension system with electronically controlled dampers premieres.

‘Nanuk’ is Inuit for Polar bear, and Audi-speak for ‘high-riding supercar’

Show-stopper AUDI NANUK CONCEPT

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Drivers can raise of lower the ride height from between 'normal', 30mm lower or 40mm higher for trickier conditions - just like the A4 and A6 Allroad crossovers. It also has supplemental rear steering (four-wheel steer) driven by separate rear actuators.

The concept is made of an aluminium

spaceframe structure and features extensive use of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer. It has a 2710mm wheelbase and measures 4541mm long, 1990mm wide and 1337mm high.

It’s becoming increasingly rare to experience an unexpected reveal at a major motor show, with concepts invariably leaking online or

being unveiled early. But Audi managed to keep the identity of this particular mystery concept a total secret.

The Nanuk sat alongside the similarly sporty, 512kW plug-in hybrid Sport Quattro muscle car concept on the Audi stand at this year’s show.

Audi describes the Nanuk - penned in collaboration with the famed Italdesign Guigiaro design house - as being “equally at home on the race track, the highway or a winding country road as it is off-road in the sand or in the snow.”

“It’s crossover concept combines the

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dynamics of a mid-engine sports car with the versatility of a sporty recreational vehicle,” the company says.

The Nanuk is just a concept for now, but the company says it will actively weigh up crowd response from the motor show, and could consider putting it into niche production. The Lamborghini-esque design cues could also preview its next-generation of sportscars.

“The Audi Nanuk quattro concept is a dynamic sculpture on large wheels that opens a new chapter in the Audi design language,” the company said. It has a more pronounced hexagonal front grille, LED headlights and a large side-blade intake behind the door to feed air to the engine.

It also features upward-opening doors, wing-

shaped side cameras in place of regular mirrors, a distinctive rear diffuser with integrated twin pipes and an oversized rear window that flips upward in one piece like a race car.

Audi says the stripped back carbon-fibre interior is “reduced to the essentials”. In the frontal storage area, Audi says there’s room for “two trolleys or a golf bag”.

Rather than physical dials and needles, the show car has a freely programmable instrument cluster, meaning the driver can call up a variety of displays and information as desired.

Two small monitors in the A-pillars serve as digital exterior mirrors and display the images. The same function is provided by the center display mounted on the headlining, which replaces the rear-view mirror.

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By MIKE COSTELLO

LEXUS ripped the covers off a new compact SUV at this year’s Frankfurt motor show, with the wild lines of the

LF-NX concept sure to raise some brows. With sales of luxury SUVs continuing to

boom, the Japanese luxury brand has long acknowledged the need within its range for an answer to the Range Rover Evoque, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and BMW X3.

Currently, the company’s SUV range kicks off with the RX large SUV: it’s second most

popular car Down Under, which fights the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz ML.

The production NX will slip beneath this model in the Lexus range, and if it’s to match up to key rivals, will need to kick off somewhere around $60,000.

As well as all-but-confirming the expected NX badge will adorn the nose come production from 2014, the radical concept hints at a distinctive exterior design for the road-going model, in-line with the company’s increasingly edgy styling direction as seen on

Lexus teases baby SUV at last, with looks that won’t die wondering

LEXUS LF-NX CONCEPT

Crinkle cut

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the new IS sedan. The design - an evolution of the brand’s

L-finesse styling language used on recent concepts such as the LF-CC coupe - is all sharp angles and jagged lines, with wild flared wheel arches and a version of the now-signature ‘spindle’ grille with daytime running lights.

The distinctive brushed metal finish, says Lexus, “gives the striking impression that the body shell has been carved from a single billet of solid metal”.

In a continuation of Lexus’ ‘Human Oriented’ L-finesse design concept, the dash is divided into an upper ‘display’ zone and lower ‘operation’ zone. Future technology includes the use of touch-sensitive electrostatic switches and a new version of the familiar touchpad Remote Touch Interface (RTI) design.

The cabin’s radical look is completed by the yellow and black leather-accented seats with contrast stitching and the ice-blue instrument lighting.

The production version is expected to share

some of its underpinnings with the new Toyota RAV4, with the range likely to feature either petrol-electric hybrid or newly-developed turbo-petrol powertrains.

The LF-NX concept is a hybrid, although Lexus is withholding the full technical details for now. Production versions are a good bet to use a version of the 164kW/300Nm powertrain from the IS300h.

Expect Lexus to offer the production NX in price-leading front-drive and all-wheel-drive guise. Pricing will start well south of its current SUV price leader, the $69,045 front-drive RX270.

It is understood Lexus had planned to reveal the concept in its home market of Japan at the Tokyo motor show in November this year, but pressure to fill the gap in its line-up appears to have forced the company to reveal it early.

If things follow their expected course, the production NX will appear in road-going form at the Geneva show next March before progressively rolling out around the globe over the ensuing months.

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