Mellow YellowLexus reveals its forthcoming compact hatch

MOTOR MONTHLYIssue 6 ● October 2009

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Hard-earned firstLexus set to build a long-awaited

small car, based on Corolla

EditorialGoAuto NewsroomPO Box 18Sandringham VIC 3191(03) 9598 6477 newsroom@mellor.net

EditorDavid Hassalldhassall@mellor.net

ProductionLuc BrittenChris Harris

Sub-editorRon Hammerton

ContributorsMarton PettendyByron MathioudakisTerry MartinJames StanfordPhilip Lord

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

Lord of the WingsGullwing door Mercedes set to fly in Oz, at around $500,000

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MOTOR MONTHLYIssue 6 ● October 2009

What an EiffelFrench take inspiration from motor

scooters to redefine the city car

Cooper’s premiumTwo-seat roadster variant revealed

as the latest Mini accessory

iSelect’s

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By TERRY MARTIN and MARTON PETTENDY

AT LAST, Lexus has unveiled the crucial new compact hatchback that will target the BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3

when it enters production late in 2010.The smallest Lexus – as well as the first Lexus

hatchback and, possibly, the first front-drive

Lexus (though four-wheel drive is possible) – made its highly-anticipated global debut at the Frankfurt motor show and Lexus Australia chief executive John Roca was there to lobby for a production version for Australia.

While a three-door model is expected to emerge before long, the five-door shown here will be the first to enable Lexus to lower its

brand admission price to below $50,000 in Australia, placing it well below the IS250 sedan and right alongside the 1 Series and A3.

Due here in the first quarter of 2011, the LF-Ch rests on a 2600mm wheelbase – the same as the Toyota Corolla, which is built on the same platform – and measures 4300mm long, 1790mm wide and 1400mm high. This is a

little lower, wider and longer than the Corolla and is quite a bit smaller than the IS250.

Few firm technical details were revealed about the first five-seat, five-door Lexus – other than the surprise confirmation it will be a dedicated hybrid-only model, which Mr Roca does not believe will prevent it from become the top-selling Lexus model in Australia.

Lexus set to build a long-awaited small car, based on Corolla

Hard-earned firstFRANKFURT SHOW: Lexus LF-Ch //

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“We’ve done the research,” said Mr Roca. “We see it (premium compact) as a segment that requires Lexus representation and I think it has potential for being our volume car, or at least on par with IS and RX.”

Asked if he thought the 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid LF-Ch could still be priced

under $50,000 or the IS250’s $58,990 starting price, Mr Roca said: “I think it would be ideal to have the car sub-50 (but) I think people will pay up to $75,000 for it, given it is a dedicated hybrid.”

Lexus enthusiasts have bemoaned the close associations with the anti-niche and less

flavoursome Corolla – the biggest-selling car in the world – and the lack of a rear-wheel drivetrain to match BMW.

Although badged as a ‘concept’, Lexus Europe chief Andy Pfeiffenberger made it clear at Frankfurt that the LF-Ch is intended for production.

“The car appeals to the heart, but also to the head,” said Mr Pfeiffenberger. “With the hybrid power train, Lexus drivers can expect very low CO2, and minimal NOx and particulate emissions. That means they can enjoy the premium drive experience they seek while making far less impact on the environment.”

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In Europe, 75 per cent of Lexus GS and LS sales are hybrids, while 95 per cent of RX sales in Germany are hybrids. At the same time, the proportion of diesel vehicle sales in Europe has dropped from 75 to 49 per cent.

Standout features of the LF-Ch include a bold grille design that sits above a deep, full-width bumper and airdam with brake-cooling slots that aim to give the car a “powerful and purposeful” wide-track stance.

Its compact dimensions are reinforced through tapered side windows, a rising beltline and short rear overhang, while the now common practice of creating coupe-like aesthetics for a conventional hatch is achieved with a steeply raked windscreen, long flowing roofline, blacked-out B-pillars and rear doorhandles integrated into the C-pillar window trim.

At the rear, the roof’s trailing edge extends

over the rear window to create an integrated spoiler. The tailgate section also has a pronounced step, which flows from the fat wheel-arches (containing 20-inch wheels) and is then “anchored” by a wraparound tail-light design.

The interior has liberal amounts of semi-aniline leather, polished aluminium, wood and soft-touch materials, while the seat design is said to be inspired by high-brow furniture with exposed metal frames, lightweight leather and grained black wood used in inter-related layers.

The driving position is low, the wide-grip steering wheel has paddle shift controls, and the instrument binnacle houses large twin dials embellished with a turbine motif. As seen in the latest RX series, Lexus Remote Touch controls are used to keep distracting instrumentation and switchgear to a minimum.

Small business: Lexus Australia believes the new hybrid hatch could become its top-selling model.

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Lord of the WingsGullwing door Mercedes set to fly

in Oz, at around $500,000

FRANKFURT SHOW: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG //

By TERRY MARTIN

NOT since the 300SL of the 1950s has Mercedes-Benz produced a model with roof-hinged ‘gullwing’ doors –

and never before, in four decades of turning out high-performance hero cars, has the Mercedes-AMG division developed a vehicle from scratch in-house – but that all changed

with the unveiling of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG at the Frankfurt motor show.

The $500,000 supercar will arrive in Australia in June 2010 as a replacement for

the million-dollar SLR built in collaboration with McLaren, which revealed its own new supercar at the German show.

As well as the emotive gullwing doors, the

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highlights of the SLS AMG include Mercedes’ first-ever aluminium space-frame body, a dry-sump 420kW 6.2-litre AMG V8, seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox (another Benz first) in a Ferrari-style rear-mounted transaxle, 47:53 front/rear weight

distribution in a front-engine chassis layout, aluminium double-wishbone suspension and a provisional 0-100km/h acceleration time of just 3.8 seconds.

The distinctive “purist” design that has emerged reinterprets the 300SL – considered

one of the most recognised cars ever from the three-pointed star brand. Mercedes is also quick to point to the car’s two-metre-long bonnet, low-set cabin, short rear end, its long wheelbase, wide track and large wheels.

The wheelbase measures 2680mm, front/rear

track measurements are 1682mm/1653mm, the wheels are 9.5x19 at the front and 11x20 at the rear, wrapped in 265/35 R19 rubber at the front and 295/30 R20 astern. Overall length is 4638mm, width 1939mm and height 1262mm.

Three light alloy wheel designs are available,

Reich wings: The SLS is the first Gullwing Mercedes since the legendary 300SL of the 1950s.

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all providing a view of the AMG high-performance composite disc brakes, internally ventilated and perforated at each end.

According to Mercedes, the mechanical configuration above all else determined the proportions of the all-new machine – and to emphasise the point it refers to the low-slung engine mounted well behind the front axle line, and the transaxle incorporating the seven-speed AMG Speedshift DCT transmission.

While the gullwing doors hark straight back to the 300SL, the classic Benz was also a reference tool for the wide grille with prominent silver star and wing-like fin.

The designers also note the 3D sculptured nose with low V-shaped front skirt with lateral indentations, six large air intakes and wide-set vertical headlights with “intriguing internals” – the latter referring to central bi-Xenon low-beam lamps with metallic wing elements that are framed by LED indicators above and LED daytime running lights below.

Aircraft themes also run across the SLS, with the cone in profile intended to resemble the air intake of a jet engine and the curvature of the long bonnet – further emphasised by four ‘silver shadow’ fins – also echoing aircraft design.

There is a misleading ‘6.3’ badge for the 6208cc engine on the flanks alongside the air outlets, which is also the position where a bold character line and lower convex indentation kick in.

The cockpit has a high waistline, low side windows and a steep

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Sex SLS: Sleek new Mercedes is the replacement for the McLaren-built SLR and is confirmed for Australia.

windscreen, while the B-pillar tilts toward the front and transitions to the rear window with what Benz describes as an “elegant curve” that “gives the impression of pure dynamics”.

The SLS has a pronounced shoulder extending from front to rear and aims to look like a taut muscle, flowing at the rear end into flat, wing-shaped tail-lights that are designed to give the car a wide appearance.

Motor racing references come to the fore at the rear with the F1-style LED foglamp treatment, black diffuser insert and chrome tailpipe baffles of the sports exhaust. The rear skirt has sharp indentations to allow a clear view to the wide rear tyres, while the spoiler (integrated into the boot lid) extends automatically at 120km/h for extra stability. Boot volume is a modest 176 litres.

The seats are positioned just 269mm above the bitumen, but Mercedes promises that the wide-opening gullwing doors – which swing

open up to 70 degrees – ensure effortless entry and exit. The cabin was designed to impart a spacious feeling for the two occupants and will come with a fair whack of features that befit the half-million pricetag.

AMG’s Performance Studio will also offer a number of customisation features, including carbon wing mirrors, carbon bonnet, carbon ornamental trim for the cabin, a more comprehensive interior carbon package (which extends to side panels for backrests and seats, and door sills), performance chassis tuning, forged 10-spoke wheels, sports bucket seats and a performance sports steering wheel covered with a leather/Alcantara combo.

A soft-topped convertible version is also under development and is likely to wear an SLC badge when it surfaces in 2012 – the same year the next-generation SL is due to appear, wearing SLS styling cues and riding on a variation of its all-alloy body and chassis.

What an Eiffel

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French take inspiration from motor scooters to redefine the city car

\\ FRANKFURT SHOW: Peugeot BB1 Concept

By RON HAMMERTON

PEUGEOT has borrowed expertise from its partners at Peugeot Motorcycles to develop one of the most innovative

city-car solutions to go on show at this year’s

Frankfurt motor show.With a motorcycle-style tubular steel frame

and handlebar driving controls, the electric-powered Peugeot BB1 Concept shrinks the urban commuter to just 2.5 metres long – about 19cm

shorter than the current sawn-off champion, the Smart ForTwo – and 1.6 metres wide (slightly wider than the 1.55-metre Smart).

But, unlike the two-seater Smart, the Peugeot BB1 packs accommodation for four with what

Peugeot describes as “record use of interior” – a combination of innovating thinking and short-cuts that might never trouble a production line.

With no foot pedals, the BB1 achieves a more vertical driving position, meaning the

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legs do not need as much stretch room. A twist-grip throttle controls the speed, while braking is via a handlebar lever.

Seating is conventional 2+2, but the seat backs are ultra-narrow, freeing up space in the cabin. The rear-seat passengers sit with their knees akimbo, on either side of the front-seat occupants, in another motorcycle inspiration that saves space.

The front seat backs fold forward so rear-seat passengers can clamber over the front seats into the rear compartment.

Access is via large side doors that swing open from the front – ‘suicide’ style - while a conventional rear hatch opens to the rear luggage compartment, which holds a minimal 160 litres when the rear seats are in use. This can be opened up to 855 litres by folding up to three seats.

In what is becoming a Peugeot trademark, the BB1 has a panoramic, high-brow windscreen that wraps over the heads of the front occupants, in similar fashion to the “double-bubble” roof of the new Peugeot RCZ sports car.

Powered by lithium-ion batteries under the seats and driven by two modest 7.5kW electric motors – one in each rear wheel – the BB1 can accelerate from a halt at the traffic lights to 30km/h in 2.8 seconds. No 0-100km/h time is quoted, as the top speed is only 90km/h. Range is 120km, which is fairly typical for an EV.

Despite a not inconsiderable battery

Twist and go: BB1 is controlled entirely through the scooter-like handlebars, eliminating the need for pedals.

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MOTOR

THE hottest Holden money can buy comes from HSV, and with the introduction of the new HSV E Series 2 the thermometer has been bumped up several notches. Now, the HSV E Series 2 has moved the VE-based performance range well above its Holden counterpart.

> FULL STORY

KIA has followed the local launch of its new Cerato small sedan with a two-door version called the TD Cerato Koup – a five-seater that neatly fills a void in the mid-$20k coupe market. The Cerato Koup shares only one panel – the bonnet – with the sedan, and is shorter, lower and lighter than the sedan on which it is based.

Kia Cerato Koup

HSV E Series 2 range

> FULL STORY

SUBARU’S fifth-generation Liberty sedan/wagon range has landed with an all-new platform and body boasting big gains in space, refinement, driveability, safety, economy and emissions reduction. Priced from an unchanged $33,990, the Japanese mid-sizer with all-wheel drive gains higher equipment levels to its repertoire.

Subaru Liberty

> FULL STORY

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you find the right car insurance policy at the right price, just like that. For a better

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13 19 20 or visit iselect.com.au to

compare, select and save.compare, select and save

13 19 20iselect.com.au

“Stuck choosingcar insurance?”

“Stuck choosing car insurance?”Searching for car insurance car be confusing - that’s why iSelect

compares its participating insurance products - side by side, making it

easy for you to choose. For a better way to buy, just call 13 19 20 or go

to iselect.com.au/car to

compare, select and saveTM.

Get Shorty: Peugeot employed novel methods to provide accommodation

for four occupants.

weight of 100kg, the BB1 tips the scales at just 600kg – about 200kg lighter than the petrol Smart ForTwo. Part of the weight saving has come from use of hi-tech carbon body panels fixed to the space-frame structure.

Like most electric or hybrid vehicles appearing today, the BB1 has solar cells fixed to the roof to generate power to ventilate the car when parked in the sun and supply a trickle current to some of the car’s electrical systems.

Peugeot claims the solar panels are flexible – moulding to rounded surfaces – and more efficient than other current solar cell technologies, converting 16 per cent of captured solar energy into electricity.

The in-wheel electric motors were developed by tyre-maker Michelin, which also supplied the low-rolling resistance tyres.

City maneuverability was one of the major goals of the BB1 designers, who have

endowed the BB1 with a turning circle of just 3.5 metres – less than half that of the conventional 10-metre turning circle of a small car. This has been achieved in part with a motorcycle quad-bike steering set up that inspired much of the package.

Another source of inspiration was a 1940s Peugeot called the VLV – basic three-wheel transport turned out by the French manufacturer during the dark days of World War 2, when both resources and customer finances were scarce.

Like the BB1, the VLV was also electric-powered, to counter fuel restrictions in France at the time.

Only 377 VLVs were built between 1941 and 1945. It remains to be seen if the BB1 can surpass that number, as Peugeot has not indicated if the new iteration will make it into production.

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\\ FRANKFURT SHOW: Mini Roadster Concept

By TERRY MARTIN

MINI continued its model diversification push at the Frankfurt motor show by not only revealing a

two-door coupe version of its iconic small car

but also an eye-catching two-seat Roadster.Expected to go into production in 2011/12

alongside the Coupe at BMW’s plant in Oxford, England, the two-seater Roadster is described as a “purist vehicle concept” that promises sporting

driving characteristics that will meet the demands of its “modern and self-confident” customers.

A concept it might be, but Mini has made it clear that this head-turning Roadster is a clear perspective to the future of the brand

and another development route – alongside the Coupe and the ‘Maxi’ crossover understood to be scheduled for production in mainland Europe late next year.

The Roadster arrived on stage at Frankfurt

Cooper’s premiumTwo-seat roadster variant revealed as the latest Mini accessory

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with an unmistakable Mini flavour to its design and an overt sporting character with its strong and substantial road presence, like the new Coupe, although the fabric roof – and in particular its desirable looks with the top dropped – sets this one apart.

Both are built off the same front-drive platform as the Cooper hatchback, but BMW claims the flex-reducing body reinforcements and subsequent shift in weight distribution makes the Roadster even more agile than its hard-topped brethren.

Removing the roof is a manual, single-movement affair – unlike the current electric-operated Mini Cabrio – with the manufacturer claiming that the decision not to give the car a powered mechanism adds to its “puristic flair” and reduces weight. Cost is the other obvious factor.

While the Cabrio has four seats and can swallow a maximum of only 125 litres of luggage with the roof open – 170 litres when closed – the twin-seat Roadster offers 250 litres whether open or shut.

As with the Cabrio, the occupants can access cargo via a large lockable aperture in the bulkhead, made possible by a full-width single-piece rollover bar

that, when required, deploys upwards from behind the head restraints

within 150 milliseconds.The front-end design mimics

the Cabrio through to the A-pillars, with the windscreen low and raked to a greater angle.

As seen on the Coupe, the inner section of the grille

is matched with the exterior paintwork, including the bonnet

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MOTOR

Little Miss Sunshine: Two-seat Roadster will join the four-seat Cabrio in the Mini line-up.

stripes, which provides the two-seaters with an additional sporting flavour and a distinguishing mark from other members of the Mini stable.

The Coupe’s aggressive side skirts are used to the same dramatic effect on the Roadster, with the high, rising waistline culminating at the rear with a notchback look.

Wide-opening doors allow convenient access to the interior, which Mini

promises offers “generous” headroom at all times, thanks to low seating positions. The cabin is swathed in high-grade materials and includes leather sports seats, a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel and Mini’s trademark

large central speedometer.The onboard driver-assist

technologies extend to the Mini Cabrio’s Always Open Timer, which

records how long the roof has been down, and a host of new guides, such as a Nature Guard function, which provides information on how economical the car is being driven, a Highspeed Shifter indicator,

which aims to optimise gearshifts under hard acceleration, and a Gravity indicator which details the lateral forces, g-forces and the direction of acceleration acting on the driver and the car.

There is also a Heart Beat monitor for the car, beating faster for sportier drivers, and a Buddy Radar that hones in on other Mini drivers out on the road.

While the Coupe has Mini JCW running gear, including a 155kW/260Nm 1.6-litre turbo, the Roadster relies on the 128kW/240Nm used in the Cooper S.

“Through all these years and decades, Mini has reinvented itself time and again, always remaining faithful to its underlying philosophy,” the company said. “The (50th) anniversary year is therefore the ideal time to present the Mini Roadster Concept as yet another look into the future of the brand.

“This ... is the vision of a sporting two-seater combining sophisticated design and exclusive features with spontaneous driving pleasure under the open sky and the uncomplicated enjoyment of premium motoring.”