The Redline

Tag: SUV

  • 2025 BMW X3 30e Review

    2025 BMW X3 30e Review

    BMW’s mid-sizer adds a plug-in hybrid variant to ride the hybrid wave. It’s not the first plug-in hybrid X3, but this time BMW is putting in some real effort to let people know it exists.

    Just a few weeks back we had the quickest G45 X3 you can buy right now, the X3 M50. It’s a ripper of a car – quiet, composed but also genuinely quick and huge fun to drive. So few complaints there. It’s mild hybrid so it uses a bit less fuel and things happen without the engine that otherwise would need the IC bit of ICE to being going.

    But we don’t all want the fun stuff or, just as reasonably, we can’t all afford it. Even more nobly, we’d rather have something that can waft about on electrons but not worry about range anxiety when wanderlust takes over. Again, we had a BMW M5 recently that can do the same thing while also tear out your vertebrae. Except that’s nearly three hundred grand on the road and quite obviously not an SUV. But monstrously large.

    Then there’s the problem of doing it properly and getting an iX3. Well you can’t have one – yet – because they’re still cooking that. But just to make sure, they’re cooking it on a completely different platform, the Neue Klasse, rather than the long-serving Cluster Architecture (CLAR) setup. BMW’s CLAR EVs are excellent despite their attendant compromises so the next-generation platform is going to be something else.

    So we come to the X3 30e. It’s a plug-in hybrid with a claimed EV-only range of up to 91km. Which seems like a good start, don’t you think?

    How much is a 2025 BMW X3 30e and what do I get?

    BMW X3 20 xDrive: $84,500 + ORC
    BMW X3 30e xDrive: $104,800 + ORC
    BMW X3 40d xDrive: $109,600 + ORC
    BMW X3 M50 xDrive: $129,600 + ORC

    The 30e is the second of four current models in the G45 X3 range. Starting at $104,800, it’s a hefty increase on the X3 20 nearly twenty grand below but, crucially, nearly five large short of the 40d diesel. That’s pertinent because folks love a diesel for its thrift and sometimes for its towing. Diesel isn’t always cheaper than petrol and when you’ve got a hybrid, you’re using even less of the cheaper stuff, even if it’s 95 RON. And to find a five grand saving over a few years of ownership is going to be troublesome. Electricity, even at egregious Australian prices, is cheaper than diesel.

    The standard equipment list is long:

    • 20” M light alloy wheels 
    • 3-zone auto climate control 
    • 6-speaker 100-watt Hi-Fi system
    • Acoustic glass
    • Acoustic protection for pedestrians 
    • Adaptive LED headlights
    • Adaptive Suspension
    • Powered tailgate
    • BMW Digital Premium (90-day trial)
    • BMW Iconic Glow illuminated kidney 
    • BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant
    • 14.9-inch digital dash
    • 12.3” curved widescreen display with Operating System 9
    • Comfort Access and Digital Key Plus
    • Driving Assistant Professional inc. Steering and Lane Control System, Active Cruise Control inc. Stop&Go and Blind Spot Monitor
    • DAB Digital radio
    • Electric Seat function, front row
    • Head Up Display 
    • M headliner in anthracite
    • M Sport package inc. M Sport brake system with blue callipers
    • M Sport leather steering wheel
    • Mirror package, incl. anti-dazzle function
    • Mode 2 & 3 Charging cables 
    • Parking Assistant Plus incl. Surround view camera, Reversing Assistant and Drive Recorder
    • Panorama glass sunroof (fixed)
    • Remote Software Updates
    • Tyre pressure monitoring system
    • Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
    • Wireless phone charging
    • Comfort Package:
      • Active seat ventilation
      • Heated steering wheel
      • Cargo net
      • Privacy glass
      • Seat heating for first and second rows
      • Sun blinds for rear-side windows

    Often these lists are full of things like “seatbelts”, but given everything has gotten insanely expensive and also given there aren’t any silly inclusions in this list, that’s a lot of stuff. The six-speaker stereo as standard is a bit weak at this price point, but as you’ll shortly discover, you can improve that with the savings on the diesel.

    The Enhancement Pack wraps up metallic paint ($2000 on its own), an alarm system and a Harmon Kardon speakers for a total of $4000. Not many people are going to go without metallic paint (the only freebie is white), so in all honesty, the extra two grand for the speakers is the real extra cost here and I think it’s worth it.

    M Sport Pro adds a bunch of gloss black stuff on the outside, red brake calipers and M seat belts for $2000.

    If you want to tow, you can add the tow bar for $2200, which works out neatly as $1.10 per kilogram of towing capacity. Before GST, anyway.

    If you need to tow slightly more (2200kg) or for tow very long distances, this may be the only reason to go to the diesel. The long distance concern is because once the battery is out, you lose a fair bit of torque, which might be a problem if you’re on the hilly bit of your journey. Having said that, the battery never goes completely flat, so you know, just have a think about it.

    This Arctic Race Blue metallic X3 30e came out at $108,100 with the Enhancement Pack, before on-roads.

    Look and feel

    I’m pretty sure Blake still doesn’t like it but I really don’t mind it. I’m not totally sold on the headlight-to-grille ratio, but I do like the geometric vibe of the design. I think this is probably BMW’s more successful recent car to date and it doesn’t look anywhere near its actual size.

    The illuminated grille does rather remind you how big it is at night, too, but on balance I’m pleased it’s there because I do like a bit of lighting bling. The front end aside, it’s a pretty cohesive and convincing design and there’s something I really like about the rear lights that I can’t quite put my finger on, but I like them.

    These wheels almost fill the huge arches, too, and I quite like the chamfered look of the arches at both ends, a kind of aerodynamic look that speaks to me.

    No, it’s not pretty, but BMW is more interested in setting tongues wagging and, truth be told, doing pretty with all the regs and SUV mania is hard.

    Say what you like about the outside of BMWs, the cabins are great. Again, you don’t have to like the look of them but they’re so well designed, even if the occasional material choice doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The design is coherent, bold and inherently useable.

    The big chunky wheel is great in the hand, the dashboard clear even if the graphics aren’t to your taste. The big sweep of the now-familiar double screen layout looks grand and techno-cool and in the newer cars is lower set so it doesn’t feel like they tower over you.

    It’s very comfortable in both front and rear seats and the boot is huge, BMW choosing to sacrifice 15 litres of fuel tank space to hold on to most of the boot volume, which drops from 470 litres to 460. It’s a good flat space, too, with a slot to put the cargo blind under the floor when it isn’t in use.

    The week we had with this car and the foul weather that went with it passed by in another universe. It’s really nice in here. Like, a segment bigger serene.

    Drivetrain and Chassis

    This is obviously the most interesting bit of this car.

    BMW starts with the B48 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo four-cylinder – confusingly dubbed TwinPower – spinning up a modest (for this engine) 140kW and 310Nm. The eight-speed ZF automatic sends power to all four wheels and that’s all fairly normal and straightforward.

    BMW then adds a 135kW/250Nm electric motor fed by a 19.7kW lithium-ion battery under the floor. This knocks a very decent couple of seconds off the 0-100km/h time, down to 6.2 seconds and several litres off the pretty terrible ADR fuel figure, coming out with an official 1.6L/100km. That’s obviously very silly, but really the main story here is the 91km of claimed EV range which probably works out at about 70-80km in the real world.

    That’s pretty good. You’ve probably heard this story before, but if you’re disciplined like a friend of mine who keeps his PHEV charged (an Outlander with not too dissimilar claims), you can get 3000km out of a tank of petrol if your daily use is pretty average (30-45km).

    Riding on the CLAR platform means all the usual things like a multi-link rear end and struts up front with adaptive dampers all round. The 30e is a bit of chonk compared to the other cars, falling over the two-tonne mark to 2065kg, about 265kg heavier than the straight-six turbo M50 and 310kg more than the 140kW X3 20 (is the lack of i on 20 annoying you too?).

    Battery and Charging

    As I’ve already mentioned, the X3 has a 19.7kWh battery hidden away under the floor. That’s a decent size and is par for the course for non-Chinese brand PHEVs.

    Charging is via a Type 3 cable (the car comes with Type 2 and 3 cables in a bag). As you can see from the image above, there’s no DC, so the fastest you’ll be going is 11kW. Don’t panic – with a 19.7kWh battery and an optional wallbox, two hours is all you’ll need.

    Charging at home without an 11kW wallbox (which itself requires a three-phase electricity supply)(if you know, you know) will take around seven hours from nothing to everything, so that’s your classic, “Hi [insert affectionate term], I’m home!” to “See you tonight!” proposition.

    Energy fiends wknow some retailers will offer an EV charging deal of around 8c in the wee small hours and that’s a bargain. If you get 70km out of your charge, that’s the genuine equivalent of covering the distance on a single litre of very cheap fuel, about $1.50. If you buy a plug-in electrified car of any type, it is very important you shop around for a better electricity deal.

    Real energy fiends who use Amber (get a $120 bill credit for me and you, click here)(come on, you know you want to) will know that during many afternoons, solar feed-in is small and/or grid power is cheap, so that’s a good time to charge. If you’re on the cartoonishly evil Ausgrid network, some days your feed-in tariff goes negative, meaning you have to pay them for the privilege of giving them power they can’t be arsed putting into storage themselves, so that’s when to charge if you’re home.

    Sadly the X3 30e doesn’t come ready with vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-home (both if which remain largely unavailable in Australia) so you can take advantage of that when it happens.

    Driving

    Having not long since driven the M50, I felt that this was going to be a good one. The X3 platform found its feet in the G01 guise (you may recall my love for the M40i) and every single one of them was eminently ownable. The G45 should probably be the last gasp for the CLAR platform in this form factor, but it doesn’t feel like BMW has given up. Not at all.

    This really is a terrific thing. Swift, quiet and efficient, it goes about its business in excellent comfort, whether you’re bombing around town or firing up the freeway. The hybrid system is almost imperceptible most of the time, whether you’re in full EV mode or you’ve exhausted that and you’re in hybrid mode.

    Energy recovery is smooth and seems to work well, pulling a kilowatt here and there out of downhill runs. The digital dash keeps you informed of how fast you can go before the motor kicks in and the theoretical maximum is 140km/h, which is an improvement on most PHEVs I’ve driven. I quite liked that and as with so many cars with meaningful electrification, you get to enjoy yourself a bit playing the energy game.

    The steering is pretty light as you might expect and even in sport mode doesn’t do much to let you know what’s going on underneath. It’s handy fun, though, with a decently keen turn-in and body control that keeps everything in check, despite the extra weight.

    Braking is strong but the pedal is a bit inconclusive. The transition between energy regeneration and physical braking is pretty good but the pedal feel is not confidence inspiring. It’s not awful, there’s merely a bit of marshmallow stuck in there somewhere.

    I really like the cut of its jib, though. The Michelin Primacy EV tyres had a decent amount of grip and were excellent in the wet. The suspension is really quiet and that’s partly because these aren’t run flats. But the suspension feels really well isolated from the road. The trashed roads in Sydney give cars an absolute hammering but they were just distant thuds and clunks in the 30e. It really is quite lovely.

    Redline Recommendation

    This is the all-rounder in the range, so if you’re not going for the M50, this is the one to go for. Yes, it’s in the six figures but it’s so nice to be in and get around in you won’t begrudge the outlay. More to the point, everyone involved will be comfortable because it’s got that easygoing, serene vibe about it that hides its reasonably athletic capability.

    I came away thinking a whole lot more positively about than when I went in, which as I said at the start, was already pretty positive.

  • 2025 BMW X3 M50

    2025 BMW X3 M50

    Munich’s new mid-size SUV has arrived and with it the M Performance M50. The old one was the best X3 you could buy, how does the new one stack up?

    Words: Peter Anderson
    Co-pilots: Blake Currall and Mark Dewar
    Images: Blake Currall

    The previous generation X3 was a really good car. From the entry-level 2.0-litre sDrive right through to the all-electric iX3 (a criminally underrated vehicle), that car managed to be all things to all people. That meant, of course, the S58-equipped X3 M was the daddy, right?

    Right?

    No. The (at launch) $99,000 X3 M40i was the X3 to have. The X3 M was a bastard of a car – fast, yes, but the ride was absolutely punishingly, inappropriately hard. Some could live with it, but I sent many a folk to drive both back-to-back and every one of them chose the M40i. It does everything, including not being very much slower than the X3 M. The X3 M is, thankfully dead, with BMW taking the M badge from the CLAR-based car and waiting to launch it on the Neue Klasse electric iX3 variant. Should be beauty.

    But for now the quickest X3 is the M50. It’s not cheap – few cars are anymore – and some have criticised the looks (not me as it happens)(Blake, I’m looking at you) but it’s not that much more than the car it replaces. A lot is new though, so while it has big boots to fill, given how much has been thrown at this machine, it’s going to give it a red-hot go.

    How much is a BMW X3 M50 xDrive and what do I get?

    BMW X3 20 xDrive: $84,500
    BMW X3 30e xDrive: $104,800
    BMW X3 40d xDrive: $109,600
    BMW X3 M50 xDrive: $129,600

    When first announced a year ago, the X3 range was just the 20 and M50, but the gap between has since been filled by the 30e plug-in hybrid and the 40d 3.0-litre turbodiesel straight six. Never mind about that for the moment, though, we’ve got the B58-powered M50 at nearly $130,000, but it’s only a scooch more than the M40 was, so BMW has exercised some restraint. In fact, when it launched, it was the same price as the outgoing M40i give or take a few bucks. So the price rise since has been relatively small and in company it seems about right.

    The spec is actually really good for the money and builds on the generous feature list of the 20i and 30e. There is a stack of stuff in here but the highlights are multi-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, excellent synthetic leather trim and a 15-speaker harmon kardon system.

    • 21-inch alloy wheels
    • Metallic paint
    • M-specific kidney, mirror caps and aerodynamic elements
    • Quad exhaust outlets
    • M Sport Pro package
      • High-gloss Shadowline with extended contents
      • Radiator grille frame and struts
      • Tail light trim detailing
      • Tailpipe trims
      • M Lights Shadow Line
      • M Sport brakes with red calipers (blue also available)
      • M seatbelts
    • M braking system with red calipers
    • Fixed panoramic glass sunroof
    • Roller blinds for rear side windows
    • Heated steering wheel
    • Power-adjustable front seats
    • Heated front seats
    • Ventilated front seats
    • Heated outboard rear seats
    • Privacy glass
    • M Shadowline headlights and extended contents
    • 15-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system
    • M seatbelts
    • Run-flat tyres
    • M Sport package
    • Adaptive suspension
    • Adaptive LED headlights
    • BMW Iconic Glow illuminated kidney grille
    • Acoustic glazing
    • Power tailgate
    • 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
    • 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring Operating System 9
    • BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant
    • Remote software updates
    • Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
    • DAB+ digital radio
    • Wireless phone charger
    • Head-up display
    • Tri-zone climate control
    • Anti-dazzle exterior and interior mirrors
    • Comfort Access and Digital Key Plus
    • M Sport leather steering wheel
    • Anthracite M headliner
    • Veganza upholstery

    Look and feel

    The G45 X3’s cabin is something else. BMW has of late gone with a bit of a spaceship vibe as it slowly works its way through replacing its line-up. The previous car was pretty unadventurous inside and out which made sense for this middle-of-the-market offering. Yeah, screw that. I really like the new direction and while I love the simplicity of my tatty old E87, the X3’s interior (and the M5‘s and 1 Series/2 Series Gran Coupe) looks amazing.

    BMW’s twin screen layout has been refined and moved off the top of the dash meaning a better view out. I really like most of the interior detailing but the success of the translucent and LED-lit surrounds on the doors and phone-charging cubby is debatable. BMW calls it the Jewellery Box but I’d be happy with a nice satin aluminium finisher around it.

    Ergonomics could be better throughout as it’s not amazing once you’re off the driving controls. There are some baffling parts like the vent controls and there are too few physical buttons. BMW would counter with voice control but I’m not a fan.

    Some have complained about the iDrive’s depths and lots of clicking about. I will always defend the iDrive system but that’s because I’ve used it since almost day one and can only say it has got better over time, so…you know.

    I really like the steering wheel, which is a gentle evolution of the old M wheel and the cheek of the 12 o’clock marker made me laugh. It’s chunky in the BMW way, but not too chunky.

    My wife isn’t a fan of the angular dash graphics – and it would be nice if a set of classic dials were available Mustang style – but they’re clear and concise as is the excellent head-up display.

    The big 14.9-inch screen is lovely to look at and use and the X3 has retained an iDrive controller, unlike the 1 and 2 Series. Blake and I had a long debate about the door handle/seat memory/vent units in the door that are sprung to stop them shattering but Blake felt that it made for a flimsy effect as they move when you prod them. The lengths we go to ensure you’re up to speed on things.

    The rear seat is great for adults, super-roomy in all directions and the seats are well-shaped and comfortable. Even the middle seat looks bearable although the transmission hump is consequential to comfort. The boot is massive at 570 litres/1700 with the seats down, well shaped and behind a powered tailgate.

    The thing is, it feels a lot more expensive than the old interior and so your money feels better spent.

    As with all BMWs these days, there has been the usual chorus of disapproval. The company is damned if it does and and damned if it doesn’t, so I’m kind of pleased it’s just decided to do whatever.

    The rear three-quarter view of the X3, both close-up and at a distance is where it looks best. This design you’ll be shocked to learn is polarising as every BMW is. Blake despises the lit outline of the grille but I like it. The grille itself is a bit out of proportion to my eyes and could have done with being a touch smaller. Those who don’t like it will be pleased to discover that the Neue Klasse cars will have tiny bonces by comparison.

    In person the X3 looks smaller than it is and I think that’s a good thing. Too many cars are big and designed to look it so it’s nice to see some effort made to reduce the visual bulk of an SUV. I am also a particular fan of the taillights, they just really work for me. I’m also a fan of not being able to see the radiator supports like you could in the old car.

    For the record, Blake hates most of it, I don’t. This colour really works.

    Drivetrain

    I am unashamedly on the record as a fan of a straight-six BMW. I have owned three petrol straight sixes (two N52s and an N55) and one diesel (an M57 I think). Glorious. The B58 turbo petrol, however, is an absolute ripper of an engine.

    BMW has persisted with the confusing TwinPower nomenclature to refer to a twin-scroll turbo. It doesn’t matter because it spins up an impressive 293kW and 580Nm. Peak power is available between 5,200 and 6,250rpm while peak torque is smeared across 1,900 and 4,800rpm. That’s a properly flexible range.

    Power goes to all four wheels via the indomitable ZF eight-speed automatic resulting in a 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, two-tenths quicker than the M40i. It’s also a mild hybrid, so fuel economy on the freeway is mighty impressive and mildly improved in town. You really notice the mild hybrid at work around the burbs and it’s quite well integrated with the drivetrain. It won’t save the planet – heck the car can’t move under electric power – but it certainly reduces consumption.

    Chassis

    Despite looking smaller, the G45 is bigger in every direction. Starting with length, it’s 34mm longer taking it to 4.755 metres. Which is big. It’s wider at 1920mm (up 29mm) and 35mm lower, which is by far my favourite statistic. A downward migration is always good and given this car will never go off road, sensible. Coupled with the wider 1636mm front track (up 15mm) and 1681mm at the rear (up 45mm!), it looks a lot more purposeful and promises even better handling.

    For reference, the length now falls between the first-generation X5 and second-generation X5. The first-generation X3 was almost a foot shorter in length than the G45.

    BMW says the body is lighter (which is also promising) with an overall kerb weight of 1980kg which seems slightly lighter than the M40i depending on where you look. The double-joint spring strut front end and five-link rear end has been modified (BMW uses words like kinematic and elastokinematic to describe the bits they’ve changed which isn’t super-helpful). Caster angle is up by 19 percent to improve straight line stability, or so the press release says. Basically, the adaptive M suspension has been tweaked and is better and it’s not because the wheelbase is much longer. Because it isn’t.

    What I can say for sure is that the X3 M50 rides on quite attractive 21-inch alloys with Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber all round. Not sure if that’s the only tyre you’ll see on this car. The front tyres measure 255/40 R21 and the rears a hefty 285/35 R21.

    M performance brakes – the calipers in red rather than blue in this instance – weigh in at 328mm at the front and 320mm at the rear, with 28mm thickness up front and 22mm at the back. The red calipers come with the standard M Performance Pro package and are four piston fixed calipers for’ard and single piston floaters aft.

    Driving

    One of the great things about testing a BMW is that as soon as you leave the pick-up location, you’re in deeply annoying traffic on poorly-maintained urban roads. This means you get yourself into a good position to understand the kind of car this is. I was not expecting BMW to fall into making it more like the old X3 M – the criticism was vast and wide of that car’s liveability – but a new car sometimes means someone can go rogue.

    In the plushest mode, the X3 is firm but fair, with just a little bit of aggro at the rear on the worst surfaces, but that’s really only between about 20 and 40km/h. As you build speed, that melts away. I take the back way home, bombing through Surry Hills, Waterloo and Botany. The roads through there are varied and irritating and the X3 got through them without any molar-mashing drama.

    You have to frame that, however – it’s on 21-inch alloys. That’s a lot of wheel and tyre for a car even this size so the ride will fidget and fuss on, as I say, the low-ish speed stuff. Sport mode obviously throws away most of the pretence and is only for the smoother stuff, at least when you’re just driving around.

    Like its forebear, however, this really is the complete package. Comfortable and (mostly) very refined, it’s the kind of mile-crusher that few cars can genuinely be. I said this about an Audi Q8 over at Drive (well, I will have said that when it’s published) and the X3 is not far from being as comfortable as that big ol’ air-suspended beast from a segment higher. That’s high praise from me because the Q8 is a continent-crosser I’d cheerfully point at Perth and go.

    Anyway.

    The other thing the M50 can do is go fast and be very enjoyable. I may have mentioned in passing earlier in the review that the turbo straight six might be a good engine and good gracious it’s fantastic. It’s a happy revver and so much nicer than the high-powered fours that sometimes end up in performance cars. While Mercedes’ M133 is an incredible engine producing prodigious power, it never feels as together as BMW’s straight-six. It kills me to think this engine will never grace a 1 Series again because BMW went front-drive for the small hatch. I get why they did it, but let me mourn it.

    Working up the modes, the steering becomes much better weighted and it’s a joy to fire the X3 into bends. The big brakes easily haul it down to a sensible speed and the weight does not seem to trouble them. With a little blip of torque from the mild hybrid system (up to 200Nm and 13kW), the turbo lag effect is well minimised and so corner exits are brilliantly rapid.

    The left paddle features a boost function to ensure electric and combustic worth together to give you full whack and it really moves.

    The car doesn’t feel anything like its size when you’re on it and that’s quite an achievement, one mirroring the M40i. Yes, I keep mentioning it because yes it was that good.

    It turns in obediently, is largely unruffled by mid-corner bumps and defies physics the way the SQ5 first did all those years ago. Cornering is remarkably flat and composed and you’ve really got to be going for it to feel like it’s as tall as it is.

    The brakes are very strong and have great pedal feel, which is impressive given the energy recovery built into the system. While I wouldn’t send it too hard on a track day, fast road use will not rustle the M50’s jimmies. The grip from the Goodyear’s is excellent and you only bemoan these tyres on a coarse motorway run because they’re a bit noisy. Not quite Pirelli P-Zero, but noisy enough for me to mention.

    Redline Recommendation

    I have no hesitation recommending this car. I’ll be keen to see how the new Audi SQ5 stacks up against the M50 because that was also an absolute ripper of a car that lasted longer than it had any right while still being enormous fun to drive. This M50, though, will take a lot of effort to match let alone beat – it’s fast, quiet and safe for a family hauler. But it has a little bit of a sense of humour, too – it knows it’s a vaguely ridiculous car and loves being ridiculous when you’re on a road that invites sit.

    So yeah, if you have to own an SUV and have this kind of cash, put it on the list.

  • 2021 Bentley Bentayga Is Here

    The big British bruiser has landed with a tightened front end and vastly improved rear, new tech inside and service plans. Still a twin-turbo V8, still big, still fast.

    The Bentley Bentayga, if I’m being honest with you (as I am always) is not my favourite fast SUV. Partly because I had never driven one until the low-key launch event but also because it didn’t seem to fit with the brand. As the car has settled into the automotive landscape, I find it less unappealing.

    For 2021, Bentley has set to work on an updated Bentayga, raiding the Volkswagen Audi Group’s parts bin while also addressing what I personally thought were some of the car’s visual problems. Bentley wasn’t worried about what I thought, just quietly, but it’s nice to know we’re on the same page.

    Interestingly, Australian buyers have not taken to the Bentayga the way I thought they might. Big fast SUVs are the playthings of the wealthy, with BMW, Mercedes and Audi all banking serious cash from its bigger – and biggest – machines. It seems Australian Bentley buyers remain in a global minority, preferring the Continental GT to the SUV.

    Undeterred, the 2021 Bentayga has arrived.

    How much is the 2021 Bentley Bentayga and what do I get?

    Bentayga V8: $364,88
    Bentayga V8 First Edition: $448,219

    That’s some proper Bentley money right there. One thing you could never complain about now, or in the past, is the Bentley’s specification.

    You get full matrix LED headlights with signature DRLs, LED taillights, powered everything, heated and cooled leather seats, wood trim, wireless charging for mobiles, digital dashboard, 21-inch alloys (with optional 22s and 23s), cooled glovebox, sat nav, multi-zone climate control, powered tailgate, auto wipers, air suspension and endless options and combinations for interior and exterior, plus wildly expensive Mulliner coach-building.

    There is a new media system centred on the 10.9” central touchscreen with gesture control. The basic stereo is a mere 12 speakers or you can up your game to 20 speakers with the Naim for Bently option. The system also has DAB, wireless CarPlay, USB Android Auto and sounds excellent.

    Warranty and Servicing Plans

    Three years/unlimited kilometre warranty
    Three year service plan: $3950
    12 months/16,000km service intervals

    If I’m being honest, a three year/unlimited kilometre warranty on a $400,000 car is a bit weak, especially when highly-strung Ferraris ship with a seven-year warranty. Having said that, only Mercedes/AMG – arguably in a different category of car – beats it with a five year warranty and the mechanically similar Audi RSQ8 and Lamborghini Urus are also the same.

    For 2021 Bentley has added service plans into the mix, with a starting price of $3950 for three years. Which is fine, I guess, given the kind of service you get from a Bentley dealer and it’s hardly a high proportion of the car’s original cost. You’re expected back at the dealer every 12 months/16,000km.

    Safety

    The Bentayga has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, reverse cross-traffic alert, around view cameras, reversing camera, rollover stability, forward AEB with pedestrian detection, side exit warning, two ISOFIX points and three top tether points.

    Predictably, there’s not an ANCAP safety rating.

    Look and Feel

    After almost six years on sale, the Bentayga was in a need of a bit of a freshening. As Bentley itself says, the brand has “welcomed” a number of competitors in its space in recent years, while claiming it invented the premium SUV. Not sure what compatriot Range Rover would say about that, but that’s a popcorn moment for another day.

    Bentley customers are less keen on chrome these days, so newer Bentleys will be a bit more understated in that area. Not to worry, the jewel-like new headlights should bring the bling and the new grille they frame is even bigger. But less imposing in black rather than traditional chrome.

    The new bumpers are a bit more aggressive, the new wheels very attractive things are bit less *big* than before.

    The rear is the most obvious change, with the big blocky taillights gone and a new tailgate with integrated elliptical lights to better sit in the Bentley range. I think it’s a vast improvement although the extra space afforded by the more petite headlights has been filled with big Bentley lettering. Not my bag, but I’m sure owners will love it.

    Inside, well, it’s bloody lovely even if a bit dated. The new seats look great with the winged B sewn into the leather and the new screen lifts the technical feel. While it has a digital dashboard, it doesn’t do anything startling, but that’s not what Bentleys are for.

    There’s a lot of VW Group switchgear, which isn’t a sledge – it all works – but some of the buttons are looking a bit old. Having said that, you’re not going for Peugeot avant-garde in here. It’s exceptionally comfortable, of course, and I’ll admit to loving the feel of the high end leather.

    For wealthy kid-havers, there’s even a seven-seat version.

    Drivetrain

    For the moment, the Bentayga is still only available with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Developing a colossal 404kW at 6000rpm and 770Nm between 1960rpm and 4500rpm, it’ll blow to 100km/h in under five seconds and on to a top speed of 290km/h. Which, if you’re wondering, is really fast.

    The engine features cylinder cutout in certain circumstances to cut fuel use and has a 48-volt system to run various high-power applications such as the active anti-roll.

    Chassis

    It won’t be a surprise to know that given the tech list, engine and transmission, the Bentayga is related to various other high-performance SUVs from Germany and Italy, namely the Porsche Cayenne, Audi RSQ8 and Lamborghini Urus, so it’s all fairly promising.

    The car is held off the ground by double wishbones at the front and a multi-link trapezoidal arrangement at the rear, with a 48-volt electric anti-roll bar to keep it flat in the fun stuff. The plush ride (in Comfort and B mode, at least) comes from self-levelling air suspension.

    The giant brakes are 400mm front discs with six-pot calipers and 380mm discs at the back. If you fancy the carbon ceramics, the discs are slightly smaller but the front calipers squeeze with 10-pots. So they’ll probably be quite effective.

    Despite some aluminium panels and plenty of aluminium throughout, it’s still a chonker at 2.4 tonnes. It’ll tow a massive 3500kg, though.

    Driving

    Look, it’s nice. We only got a short trip in the Bentayga as a sort of taster to a full review (coming up, I hope) but it was certainly terribly pleasant pootling in traffic, accelerating to 80km/h off the lights like a damn hooligan and in Comfort mode shrugged of the concrete nastiness of Sydney’s Foreshore Road.

    TL;DR: need more seat time, which I’ve been promised.

  • 2021 MG HS Essence Review

    Putting together this classic British badge and mighty Chinese automotive company SAIC, the MG HS gives the sense that big things are coming.

    This is the story of a car that is not the best in class. Like its smaller stablemate, the ZS, there is plenty of room for improvement. But if you look at MG’s sales figures, you’ll see that these cars are good enough to find thousands of buyers in 2021. Possibly 20,000 of them. MG sold nearly 16,000 cars in Australia last year, almost double its 2019 performance.

    Half of those 2020 sales were the MG3, a car MG Australia doesn’t want journalists driving, so I’ve not driven it. It remains one of the few sub-$20,000 hatchbacks in the country and the people buying them clearly like a proper bargain and a long warranty. It’s super-old and has had several facelifts but, as I say, people seem to like it. Good for them.

    Roughly a third of sales went to the ZS compact SUV, which I’ve driven in EV form. It’s okay as far as knock-off Hyundai ix35s go and the ZS T facelift will appear on these pages shortly.

    Around 2500 people bought the mid-size SUV, the HS, MG’s replacement for the GS. That’s pretty good going when you remember that, really, the MG brand only holds real cachet with tweed-wearing, pipe-smoking flat-cappers who think smouldering Lucas Electrics are a feature rather than a bug. Holden, an allegedly beloved brand, couldn’t sell that many Acadias.

    Heck, MG nearly out-sold Holden altogether despite the General offloading their cars for next to nothing as part of its haphazard exit strategy.

    So anyway, spoiler alert: the HS isn’t the greatest thing on four wheels. But I’m here to tell you, it’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be and it’s not going to be long before MG starts punching on with the big boys.

    How much is an MG HS and what do I get?

    MG offers the HS in four flavours, starting at the Vibe, moving through the Excite and landing at the top with the Essence. Which kind of feels like an entry-level name, but hey, I’m no marketing genius. Or indeed a genius of any kind.

    There are no options apart from colours, with just white coming as a freebie, the rest a slightly stiff $700.

    Core – $29,990 driveway

    This bargain basement beastie sneaks under the magic $30,000 mark and puts it in direct competition with compact SUVs (so, smaller cars) from more established makers. The website says it’s still in pre-order, but I’m sure a dealer will take your money.

    You get 17-inch alloys, a four speaker stereo, air-conditioning, active cruise control, auto high beam, halogen headlights, remote central locking, cloth trim, power windows and mirrors, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, manual seat adjustment and a space-saver spare.

    It has the full MG Pilot safety suite, which is not bad going.

    Vibe – $31,990 driveway

    Formerly the entry-level car (the Core arrived in October 2020), you get what’s already in the Core albeit with a six-speaker stereo, keyless entry and start, height-adjustable driver’s seat, heated door mirrors, a shark fin antenna, fake leather trim, front fog lights, silver roof rails, leather steering wheel and a cooled centre console bin.

    You also get a wider choice of colours, with five on offer rather than three on the Core.

    Excite – $34,990 driveway

    The Vibe picks up 18-inch alloys, customisable ambient interior lighting, powered tailgate, sat nav, dual-zone climate control, auto wipers, LED headlights, metal pedals, paddle shifts and the slightly hilarious Super Sport driving mode.

    Essence – $38,990 driveway

    The big price jump to the Essence – the car I drove for a week – includes a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, leather sports seats, reading lights in the rear, heated front seats, powered fronts (six-way for the driver, four-way for the passenger).

    There’s also a football tragic version of the Essence called the Anfield. You can choose a red interior as long as you choose white or black exterior colours. It’s another $2000, weighing in at $40,990. Apparently, MG sponsors the Liverpool football club which I believe is…good?

    Media system

    The 10.1-inch touchscreen is probably the weakest part of of the cabin. It looks good and is far better than the ZS’s unit, but it’s very slow. Having said that, it’s no worse than the stretched-looking Toyota head unit on Corolla and C-HR.

    In the Essence, the sound was fine, the sat nav hopelessly slow but, as ever, all is forgiven in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, which works well even if you have to stab the screen a bit to get it to respond.

    Service and warranty

    MG supplies on all its cars – except, strangely, the ZS EV – a seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty which puts it on a war footing with Kia while leaving most other manufacturers behind. Except Mitsubishi, but there are specific terms and conditions (and limits) to its ten year warranty.

    You also get a roadside assist for the duration of the warranty, which is pretty good going.

    You’ll need to visit the dealer once every 12 months or 15,000km, which for a turbo engine is not bad. There is – I believe – a capped-price servicing regime but the website is very much not interested in giving up that program’s secrets.

    Safety – 5 Stars (ANCAP,

    The entire range comes with MG Pilot, which is rather nice and other manufacturers will want to take note.

    Pilot includes the usual six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls while throwing in a reversing camera, forward AEB, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, exit warning, speed limit display and reverse cross-traffic alert. As an extra, the top of the line Essence gets around-view cameras.

    The forward AEB has pedestrian and cyclist detection at up to 64km/h and works with other vehicles at up to 150km/h.

    You also get two ISOFIX anchors and three top-tether points.

    The systems are a bit frantic, with beeps and boops everywhere, even worse than a Subaru. Something that at first amused me – then began to grate – was the lane keep assist. When you drifted towards the edge of the lane it would do its job – excellent. But when you had your indicator on for a lane change, it would keep doing its job and then rage quit when you crossed the lane divide, as though screaming, “If you won’t listen then I can’t help you!”

    Having said that, quiet chats with colleagues tells me that this system is light years ahead of where MG was even a year ago.

    Look and feel

    I quite like the look of the MG HS and there’s a reason for that – it looks like a lot of other cars I like the look of. There is a lot of Mazda CX-5 in it as well as more than a hint of Nissan X-Trail in the rear, particularly where the glasslike kicks up. It’s a handsome thing and the value of a funky grille is not lost on the designers.

    The HS also has some nice touches – probably just slightly too much chrome but it’s not wildly excessive. I can’t work out if I like the way the DRLs are designed either, but they’re funky enough. The proportions are spot-on and the wheels fill the arches about right.

    As with the exterior, MG’s designers took some pretty solid ideas from other manufacturers. The flat-bottomed steering wheel has a big red Super Sport button that looks like the starter button from the Audi R8. The circular air vents are actually quite lovely and the centre stack is a nice cross between Mazda and someone else. Don’t come here looking for originality but I did like the tricky merging of the analogue dials with the central digital screen.

    The main caution I had with people who asked me about MGs was about fit and finish. All challenger brands go through a period where they’re slapping cars together and getting them to market. Going by the HS – and the difference between the quality of the MG3 and ZS – MG is at the tail-end of that process and is starting to move into the place Hyundai was in after nearly thirty years on sale in Australia.

    It takes a long, long time to get quality right. MG has been here for less than ten years and when you line up its early cars next to this HS, you can see the huge progress. Hell, a ZS built on the same day is not as good as the HS but you look at a ZS from three years ago and you’ll see how the company has shaped up.

    It’s really well built. Panel gaps are consistent, the interior doesn’t squeak and squawk and nothing was loose or out of place. It felt easily as good as a Suzuki, which is not damning with faint praise. Those guys have been making cars for years.

    Drivetrain and Chassis

    Slotted under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder good for an impressive 119kW and 250Nm. Somewhat disturbingly, the peak torque figure arriving at 2500rpm. Which is interesting, because peak power arrives somewhat later at 5600rpm.

    Driving only the front wheels, the engine is coupled to a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic.

    There’s nothing much to report on the chassis front, apart from a multi-link rear end joining the MacPherson struts up front.

    Fuel economy

    7.3L/100km (combined cycle)

    The little engine, drinking premium unleaded, is rated at 7.3L/100km. And, well, no. You’re going to have to be driving extremely carefully to manage that. I got about 10.2L/100km which, to be fair, isn’t terrible at all, but it’s a bit on the thirsty side.

    Blame the 1520kg kerb weight. And a few other things at which I am just about to arrive.

    Driving

    So, as I said, the MG HS isn’t much to drive. The steering keeps every single thing it knows about the road a closely guarded secret and keeps you awake by randomly changing the level of assistance. That’s probably the worst of it, so really, that’s not bad. This car is hardly aimed at the hardcore enthusiast.

    For a car obviously pitched at townies, the soft suspension set up is very comfortable for pottering about. The multi-link rear-end does its thing without fuss and handles potholes nicely.

    The way it handles reminds me of Japanese cars in the eighties and nineties – reasonably firm in the vertical but lots of body roll in the horizontal. That barely matters around town but if you’re in up-and-down country, the shell does heave about a bit, giving you that rollercoaster effect that might upset a few stomach. So there’s some work to do there. Again, my sources tell me that earlier MGs were pretty terrible all the time, so work is already underway.

    On the freeway it is extremely quiet, even on the rubbish roads kicking around Sydney. So it’s fairly relaxing and the engine hums away quietly until you need to overtake.

    That’s where things fall down a bit. While I admire the chutzpah of a seven-speed twin-clutch, it’s not one of the better ones available. The engine and transmission seem barely on speaking terms – sort of a Pence/Trump deal – so the messages don’t always result in getting the right gear or the power when you want it.

    The 1.5 is very laggy, so much so that it took some time for me to get used to its lazy spin-up, which meant I was mashing the throttle to get it moving. The lag is long and if you’re breaking into traffic, unsettling, but the power arrives eventually and if the gearbox is playing dumb, you can drop it a command via the steering wheel paddles.

    The Super Sport driving mode button is best left alone as it merely makes the transmission behave worse. MG is not alone in this, by the way, so it’s not a specific sledge.

    So all that lag and throttle mashing is the reason for me solidly missing the claimed fuel figure.

    Redline Recommendation

    I felt like I’d been giving the MG HS a bit of a belting, but as I re-read this review, I realised that, actually, it’s not a bad car. It may operate well in a fairly narrow window, but Australians mostly operate in that exact window, especially if they live in the two biggest markets in the land, Sydney and Melbourne.

    The HS is a perfectly reasonable daily driver as long as you don’t expect the kind of polish you get from a Mazda, Hyundai or Kia. While those brands are much more accomplished dynamically, they’re still transport. As a city-biased family car, the MG HS does everything asked of it at an absolutely bargain price.

    While the Essence might not exactly be the kind of money that you want to spend, the second-tier Vibe seems like exceptional value.

    You’re not going to buy the HS for fun driving times. But if you or someone you know is after something cheap, safe, seemingly reliable and they’re not all that fussed about how it drives (about 95 percent of people), then the HS isn’t a bad choice.

    I didn’t think I’d be saying that.

    And talking to the folks at MG Australia, you know that its cars are going to continue to improve. Big things are coming and the HS, while nowhere near perfect, is a good sign of that.

  • Volkswagen T-Cross 2021 Review

    One half of the T-Cross and T-Roc pair, the T-Cross is the German giant’s latest – and late to the party – SUV offering.

    If you could show Karl Benz what his creation would become, I reckon the small SUV segment must be one of the most surprising things to him. Once he’d, you know, recovered from the massive changes wrought upon his chuffing wooden-wheeled machine, anyway.

    It continues to surprise me, for two reasons. The first is that it exists at all. Yes, there have been compact SUVs for years (Suzuki Sierra springs immediately to mind) but nothing prepared me for the virtual replacement of the small hatchback with larger, higher-riding and more expensive versions to which buyers have flocked.

    It just doesn’t make any sense.

    The second thing that surprises me is just how late to this segment is Volkswagen. In typical fashion, however, it has arrived with something box fresh and reset the bar for the rest of them.

    How much is a Volkswagen T-Cross and what do I get?

    Life Auto: $28,390+ORC (MY21, +$400 from MY20)
    Style Auto: $31,390+ORC (MY21, +$400 from MY20)

    I drove a T-Cross Style R-Line, which is the top of the two-tier range with the added R styling pack.

    The base car ships with 17-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, auto LED headlights, auto wipers, auto parking (steering), heated folding mirrors, wireless charging and a space-saver spare.

    Volkswagen’s media system runs on an 8.0-inch touchscreen and also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although neither operate wirelessly to go with the wireless charger. The sound was pretty good from the six speakers and the hardware impeccable to use. The basic software on the system is getting on a little, but is very simple. Always a marker for me is when the DAB selection doesn’t require a PhD.

    The car I drove had two packages added – the $2500 R-Line Package bolts on a set of handsome 18-inch alloys, badging, scuff plates, R-Line steering wheel and some nice Alcantara inserts on the seats.

    The Sound and Vision Pack ($1900) throws in the digital dashboard, sat nav and a 300-watt Beats-branded sound system.

    That brings this T-Cross to $35,790 before on-roads.

    Safety – 5 Stars (ANCAP, April 2020)

    This segment has a pretty good range of cars with excellent safety packages and the T-Cross certainly turns up and puts on a good show.

    Along with the usual six airbags, ABS and stability controls, you get a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, front and rear low-speed AEB, high-speed forward AEB, driver fatigue detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high beam.

    You also get two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors.

    The T-Cross scored five ANCAP stars in April 2020.

    Warranty and Servicing

    VW offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is very nice indeed, bettered only by the Kia warranty. I should say the Mitsubishi warranty is ten years, but that would require you owning a Mitsubishi and there’s a couple of caveats in the program, too.

    You can pre-pay your servicing for three years ($990) or five years ($1800), so you’re looking at roughly $300 per year for servicing, which isn’t too bad. VW reckons you’ll save $645 over five years or $256 over three years if you go with the Care Plan over Assure Service Pricing (ie pay-as-you-go).

    It’s worth pointing out that VW says the first service is free, but either way, you’re amortising the costs over the specified period the same way you would with any other car.

    Look and Feel

    While it’s very obviously a Volkswagen, it’s not a jacked-up Polo. I think buyers find that important and I reckon that’s why the new Mercedes GLA isn’t just an A-Class on stilts in its second-generation. It does, however, look like a shrunken T-Roc which in turn looks like a shrunken Touareg and no, that’s not even remotely a criticism.

    It’s a much taller and more upright design than the Polo and adds another five centimetres in length to the hatchback. The 18-inch wheels from the R-Line package look great but render the brakes hilariously dinky-looking.

    Everything is simple, though – straightforward headlights, fog lights and daytime running lights, where Hyundai and Kia and Mazda have gone large, VW kept it very quiet.

    Very conventional, very VW again in the cabin. The Sound and Vision package throws in the digital dashboard which is very slick and almost worth the price alone. Okay, not really, but you won’t be disappointed. The cloth trim has a kind of carbon weave vibe about it with the fake suede additions that come with the R-Line providing a nice lift.

    I will remind you that I am a fan of cloth trim over leather in almost every situation and this is the good stuff. The cabin is a little grey if you were to push me for anything like an adverse reaction, but it all fits together predictably well (built in Germany, dontchaknow) and there are few genuinely cheap elements.

    Rear space is good for adults but don’t expect to get three across. The back seat slides back and forth like in the T-Roc and excellent Tiguan and that’s a massive win if you want more boot space which you often need with small kids. Very clever and exceedingly useful.

    While you get two rear USB ports in addition to the two up front, there’s no armrest or cupholders or air vents, though. You do get cupholders in the front, two of them in the centre console and each door will hold stuff. The front doors will take bottles but the rear pockets aren’t really shaped for it. So a bottle will go in, it will just loll about a bit in cornering.

    The boot has 385 litres when you have the rear seats all the way back, slide them forward and you have a very healthy 455 litres. That’s a lot of boot space for such a small car. With the back seats down it expands yet again to 1281 litres.

    Drivetrain and chassis

    Being Polo-based, the 85 TFSI has the familiar 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo. Cards on the table – I love a three-cylinder engine.

    While the 85kW (at 5000rpm) figure is in more of a Toyota C-HR league rather than a naturally-aspirated Kona or Seltos, it matches the torque figures of most of its competitors. It’s also unusually light at 1240kg (I think only the Vitara is lighter) and with the snappy seven-speed twin-clutch driving the front wheels, you’ll slip under the ten-second mark to 100km/h by a solitary tenth. Not quick but not C-HR slow, either.

    There is a 110TSI coming, but for the moment COVID is keeping things a bit loose. I can’t see how that car will be remarkably better, but if you need more power, it’s coming, along with a 7.8-second run to 100km/h.

    Fuel Consumption

    5.4L/100km

    Volkswagen’s official testing yielded a 5.4L/100km on the combined cycle. One should always be fairly suspicious of ADR-derived figures and I have a 30 percent rule – add about a third of that figure on top and you’re in good shape. It’s not VW’s fault, it’s just not a very good testing cycle for real world figures, but is a benchmark to give you a good idea..

    Anyway, the T-Cross spent a week in my hands and went through the premium unleaded at 6.5L/100km, just inside that rule. And given it’s a bit of a laugh to drive, that’s a pretty good result, I reckon.

    Driving

    I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the T-Cross. I thought it would feel either a lot like a Vitara (given its weight is similar) or a bit leaden. I don’t know why, it had been a while since I had driven any VWs.

    I was, however, not expecting much from the 85kW engine. I hang my head in shame because it has all the character one might expect from a three-cylinder but actually got the T-Cross moving along very nicely. In fact, once the seven-speed was over its customary dithering on anything under about half-throttle, it felt like a bigger engine. Which is why I’m wondering if most buyers will rush for the 110TSI when it arrives.

    I found the T-Cross very agreeable around the burbs and didn’t once felt like it was a particularly slow car. I think it’s because the low-down torque gives you a good shove across the intersection and really only starts to run out of puff once you’re into second gear. In town, that doesn’t matter.

    The steering is good, with a nice positive feel from the front and the chassis is pretty keen to go with you, too. That’s an emerging trend in compact SUVs as car companies work out nobody takes them anywhere slipperier than a Coles underground car park.

    The ride, too, is excellent around town without getting too bobbly unless you’re hitting sharp bumps. That’s where the optional 18s make their presence felt, so if you’re not keen on the occasional jolt through the cabin – and jolt is rather over-playing it – stick with the 17s. Obviously you get a bit more grip from the bigger wheels and tyres, so have a think about that too.

    Competition

    There’s a lot going on in this segment. The Ford Puma is a relative newcomer and is packed with stuff and a more powerful engine. It costs a little less in mid-spec ST-Line and has a few bits and pieces the T-Cross doesn’t have but is on balance less practical.

    The Kia Seltos looks like a bit of a whale size-wise next to the T-Cross, almost approaching its bigger brother, the T-Roc. It’s sharply-priced and for the same money as a T-Cross R Line you can get a mid-spec 1.6-litre turbo all-wheel drive.

    The Hyundai Kona is about to score a facelift and isn’t quite in the same league as the interior and nor does it have as much boot space. Drives well, though, and again you’ll be getting a mid-spec turbo 1.6-litre AWD for this money.

    The Mazda CX-3 is in its twilight years. It still looks great but the tight rear seat and boot aren’t a match for the T-Cross and nor is the driving experience as refined.

    Redline Recommendation

    Despite strolling on to the stage a couple years after everyone else, the T-Cross pretty much resets the bar. While other compact SUVs might be cheaper, have more stuff, be bigger inside, etc etc, the T-Cross rolls up a whole bunch of stuff and presents it in a package that looks great and isn’t too riotously priced.

    If you can stretch to the Style, do it – you get more safety gear, more stuff and it’s the better of the two. Not a lot wrong with the Life, but the extra inclusions are worth it.

    While the total cost of ownership is a little higher than some of its rivals, it’s not nearly enough to knock it from the top of the compact SUV perch. The gap isn’t huge to the rest of the pack, but for what is effectively a walk-up start, the T-Cross is a mighty opponent.

  • 2020 Land Rover Discovery 110 – Offroad Review

    You’ve read the on-road review, now find out about what the 2020 Land Rover Defender is like out in the rough, slippery, loose and muddy stuff.

    I’ll put it out there that I am not a hard-core off-roader. Give me some clear tarmac and a sports car and I’m in heaven. Mud and puddles are fun, but only in someone else’s car.

    Which is just as well, because the new Land Rover Defender is here in 110 form and it likes mud. As with the road section, the company took us on a two hour off-road sojourn in the bush west of Sydney’s Blue Mountains.

    See the on-road review for specs and info.

    Driving

    Defender 110 P400

    Before we set off, Land Rover Experience leaders took us through the cars we were driving. There was a mix of S and SE spec cars with all of them running the P400e 294kW straight-six mild hybrid. The important figure there is the strong 550Nm available between 2000 and 5000rpm.

    Neither of the two diesels on offer were available to drive because the punters have gone for the oil-burners like people possessed.

    The team explained we we would be on Goodyear Wrangler tyres, which are optional. The standard tyres are Ramblers. And for our trip into the slippery stuff, the tyres would down a few pounds.

    Additionally, the cars each had the Advanced Off-Road Capabilitywhich adds All Terrain Progress Control, Terrain Response 2 and Configurable Terrain Response for $2210 on all but First Edition and X (it’s standard on the latter, obviously).

    All Australian-delivered Defenders (as at August 2020) have air suspension, starting with 290mm ride hight, adding 75mm for off-road height and then another 70mm when things get really sticky. It will also drop 50mm for “elegant” entry and egress.

    At offroad height, you get 38 degrees of approach, 28 of breakover and 40 degrees of departure and super-short overhangs that don’t drag over humps.

    What’s it like?

    Designed for the hard stuff, the Defender is supreme. Now, as I’ve already said, I’m not going to pretend that I know what I’m doing. We had radio contact with guides, a leisurely pace and some reasonably challenging stuff.

    Speaking to folks who know what they’re doing, this was a walk in the park for the Defender. I mean to say, we didn’t even drive through a river, which I’ve done in an Evoque, no less.

    Off we went down a dusty road and then into a steep descent. As you’ll see in the video, we switched to low-range, activated muddy ruts mode which raises the ride height and sets the diffs to stun and away we went.

    Hill Descent control kicked in and you control the speed with the cruise control + and – switch on the steering wheel. Low range also meant the car climbed out the other side without argument.

    It was a pretty basic run-through really, but the point I need to ram home is that the Defender made it easy. Despite measuring over five metres with the spare hanging off the back, the Defender is pretty easy to place on narrow tracks and has a tight turning circle.

    The different modes are finely judged, but that really comes down to the way the controls are tuned – the steering isn’t too quick or heavy, the wheel is a good size, the throttle is very sensibly soft in off-road modes and the brakes are just-so.

    The Defender threw great gobs of confidence at a nervous off-roader meaning I was really able to get into the spirit of things as I felt the worry lift from my shoulders. Obviously we were never going to get into grief, but still.

    Redline Recommendation

    Someone asked me the other day how it stacks up against a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series. Off-road, I have no idea. But on-road, the Defender smashes it to pieces.

    Both are obviously incredibly capable but the Defender – given its reputation – will no doubt more than hold up its end of the bargain. But I’ll leave that to people who know more than me.

    The Toyota’s interior is from another world, the Defender’s bang up to date, super comfortable and quiet when you’re out and about, at least in the P400. It’s also cheaper by quite a margin, unless you go for a boggo Cruiser. It’s vastly better and more efficient than a Patrol, too. Pajero trails by some margin.

    As for me, there’s no other off-roader I’d choose. It’s comfortable, full of tech and gave me such confidence in the slippery bits. I know its competitors are extremely capable, but this comfortable? Nope. This advanced? Nope.

    This cool? Definitely not.

  • 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 Review

    Peter Anderson takes the new Land Rover Defender, fresh off the boat, for its first run on Australian roads (and muddy tracks).

    You know the old joke. The second album is always the hardest. Land Rover knew that so put off the second Defender for almost seven decades. We get sniffy about a car that hasn’t been replaced in over seven years (ASX, I’m looking at you) but seven decades? Almost unheard of.

    And that’s partly because there was no need. The other reason was that Land Rover was busy diversifying its range from one, then two, then five…yeah, you now what I mean. From one model with no real name to having a huge range of SUVs trading on the original’s name.

    We’ve been hearing about a new Defender for almost a decade and now after floods, fire and pandemic have ravaged our fair nation, we got a bright, crisp sunny day to get a taste of what this all-new Defender.

    How much is a 2020 Land Rover Defender and what do I get?

    $69,626-$136,736

    As with any Land Rover model range, it’s very complicated and plenty on offer. Bottom line is you can squeeze into a Defender 100 D200 for under $70,000 (before on-roads), with a 147kW/430Nm (!) 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel.

    Another $6000 will get you more power in the D240 with 177kW but the same torque figure.

    For both of the D200 and D240, you will be waiting a while.

    Which is why the cars I drove were all the P400 in S and SE spec and in 110 form – the 90 will be along later on.

    Land Rover Defender 110 P400 S – $95,335

    A P400 S will set you back $95,335 (you can’t get a “naked” Defender 110 with this engine) and score you the 3.0-litre straight-six turbocharged petrol with 294kW and 550Nm.

    The S spec includes a standard body-coloured roof, heated folding power mirrors, alpine lights, puddle lights, trailer stability assist, auto high beam, auto LED headlights, 19-inch gloss sparkle silver wheels (the 18-inch white steelies, currently unavailable (August 2020) are a no-cost option), electric front seats, rubber hose-out flooring, leather steering wheel, leather seats, dual-zone climate control, soft-close tailgate, keyless entry and start, around view cameras, reversing camera, wade sensing and a full-size spare.

    Land Rover Defender 110 P400 SE – $102,736

    To the above you can add “premium” LED headlights with signature DRL, 20-inch wheels, more electric adjustment on the front seats, electrically adjustable steering column, a Meridian system, blind spot assist and clear exit monitor. Among other things.

    Media and Entertainment

    JLR’s new Pivi Pro system makes its debut here in the Defender. The new software and hardware is much snappier than the old InTouch Control and is powered by a Snapdragon chipset, if that’s something you’re interested in. Much nicer to use and it feels better than the old one, which got quite good by the end.

    The new screen hopefully has a better nav system than before which was famously dim, but we didn’t really get a chance to test its mettle.

    The system includes DAB and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both via USB.

    Packages

    It wouldn’t be a modern Land Rover without an options and accessories list as long as your arm. And your other arm. And both legs. And the limbs of the person sitting next to you. I’m not going to go into all of them because zzzzz but also because there are some handy packs to get them all together in what Land Rover hopes are sensible groups.

    The Driver Assist Pack is available on the base car and S and SE for $2086 and the SE for $948. It’s cheaper on the SE because a couple of options on the lower-end cars are standard on the SE. This pack includes Blind Spot Assist, Clear Exit Monitor, adaptive cruise control, rear collision monitor (lane keep assist, closing vehicle sensor, reverse traffic detection, rear pre-crash and evasive steering assist) and rear traffic monitor.

    Given the base cost of the car, most of this stuff should already be standard, especially bind spot assist and reverse cross-traffic alert.

    Interior Options

    A Premium Upgrade Interior Pack adds 15-way heated and cooled front seats, electrically adjustable steering column, more leather in the interior and something called an integrated Click and Go base unit. That package is $7547 on the Defender, $6552 on the S and $3713 on the SE.

    The Cold Climate Pack brings a heated windscreen, heated washer jets, headlight power wash and heated steering wheel for $1481 on all Defenders but the First Edition.

    The Comfort and Convenience Pack – or as classic Defender owners will no doubt call it, the Soft Townie Pack – adds a 10 colour LED interior lighting and more interior lights, front console fridge, Meridian sound system (Defender and S) and wireless device charging for $3036 (Defender), $2740 (S), $1414 (SE and HSE) and $818 on the X owing to some of these features already being on the higher-spec cars.

    There are 12 seating options, including the front jump seat for a six-seater configuration ($1853) and a third row for seven seats. Heating, reclining, split options, load-through options, the list goes on.

    A head-up display is $1690 (HSE) and has to be specced with the solar attenuating front windscreen ($520).

    Off-road and towing options

    The Off-Road Pack brings an electronic active differential with torque vectoring by braking, black roof rails and and a domestic plug socket in the boot. That’s $1448 on all Defenders bar the First Edition and X.

    Moving up to the Advanced Off-Road Capability Pack you get All Terrain Progress Control, Terrain Response 2 and Configurable Terrain Response, all for $2210, again on all but the FE and X.

    Wanna tow? For $3702 the Towing Pack adds the same suit as the Advanced pack as well as a tow hitch receiver and Advanced Tow Assist.

    2020 Land Rover Defender Colours

    You can choose Santorini white as a no-cost option. Santorini Black, Indus Silver, Eiger Grey, Pangea Green, Gondwana Stone and Tasman Blue, all for $1950.

    You can get a Satin Protective Film on some colours for a whopping $6500.

    White contrast roof or a black contrast roof is a $2000 option on most specs and black roof rails are $897.

    Look and Feel

    It’s all very rugged. We’ve had a long time to get used to the 2020 Land Rover Defender – I published the launch story about seven years ago in September 2019 – but it was good to finally go toe-to-toe with one.

    It looks great, even in white, but you’d be mad not to toughen things up with the 18-inch steel wheels when they arrive. I’d get them, anyway, I’m also very fond of the Tasman Blue (pictured) (not the white one, obviously).

    It looks rugged enough without being too much, like those cos-playing Patrol drivers with every accessory known to man.

    I really like the interior too. Bold, full of places to put your stuff and again striking a good balance between rugged and modern. Take a look inside a Trailkhawk Jeep of any description, and then this and you’ll see what I mean. It also avoids being self-consciously masculine – a lot of women will own and drive this car and none of it is alienating for the sake of the old masculine ideal of toughness.

    The off-road controls are grouped in with the climate control dials. That can take some getting used to, with the dials switching to selectors when you press the Terrain Response button. I’m sure ownership will bring familiarity if you’re the off-road type.

    You can see the gear selector sprouting from the console. It’s there so the six-seat option jump seat can go in without re-designing the cabin.

    The new Pivi Pro screen is a 10-inch unit in all cars and looks great.

    Chassis

    The Defender rolls on a very serious off-roading platform, which should come as no surprise. The D7U platform hosts Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery Sport. The evolution is the D7X, which is where the Defender lives.

    The shotgun-and-muddy-welly folks will no doubt gasp when they learn the Defender is now built on a monocoque, but hey, surviving crashes is not frowned upon as it once was.

    From the ground up, you’ve got Goodyear Rambler tyres, a standard 290mm ground clearance with an additional 75mm when you select the various chassis modes that suggest more height. And then there’s yet another 70mm for a total ride height somewhere near the summit of Everest.

    The standard-in-Australia air suspension does the job there, providing a lot of adjustment and some serious wheel articulation in the rough stuff.

    The air suspension also brings adaptive dynamics and, oddly auto-levelling headlights.

    Obviously you get high and low-range, centre diff and you can specify an active locking diff with torque vectoring by braking. Configurable Terrain Response let you set traction control, diff and ride height to your own tastes in addition to the also-optional Terrain Response programs.

    At offroad height, you get 38 degrees of approach, 28 of breakover and 40 degrees of departure, aided and abetted by those abbreviated overhangs.

    Drivetrain

    I’ve only driven the P400, so we’ll talk about that engine because it’s a new one for the Land Rover brand.

    A 3.0-litre turbo straight six MHEV (mild hybrid) system, you get a very decent 294kW and a massive 550Nm.

    A twin-scroll turbocharger is joined by an electric supercharger to provide low-rev torque fill and get everything pumping at low revs and making sire that the torque is always there.

    The 48-volt system is otherwise very similar to Audi’s with a belt-alternator starter replacing the alternator and a small lithium-ion battery to support the electrics.

    Hooked up to the always awesome eight-speed ZF and the updated all-wheel drive system with low and high range, you’ve got some serious hardware here.

    There are two diesels, of course, but I haven’t driven one yet.

    Even with a hefty 2400kg kerb weight (or near enough), the Defender P400 will streak to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds. Yikes.

    Driving

    The new Defender has a lot more to do than the old one. Everyone was very forgiving of the old girl because, goodness, she was old. Clatter old diesel, bare cabin, old-school looks and very “traditional” safety. Land Rover did well to try and keep it up with the times, but you can’t fit modern into 1948.

    Off-road it was near-peerless in the right hands but if you didn’t know what you were doing, it was a challenge. On the road, it was a noisy, wayward machine by modern standards. Still plenty to love, but buyers want more now.

    We already know it has all the tech. The off-road stuff is hardcore (see separate story) and you can tow 3500kg along with 900kg on board. You can get away in this thing. But what about the every day that this car has to fulfil?

    It’ll do a cracking job. It kneels down to let you in. The cabin is lovely even though it still has the rubber floor. The Pivi Pro system is really good and the cabin has everything you could want for the family to ride in.

    The biggest surprise is the on-road capability. It’s terrific. Where I was expecting big body roll and a ponderous steering, I got body control (still rolled, but nothing like I was expecting) and a mildly responsive front end.

    Through some challenging bends west of the Blue Mountains, the Defender was…fun. Through the slower stuff and the towns and by-ways, it was impeccable, with a strong low and high-speed performance and a pleasing growl from the Ingenium six.

    The seats in the S I drove on the road were very supportive, holding me in the chair without the need to hang on to the wheel. Even with off-road tyres, the noise from beneath was quite hushed and the only irritant was the wind rustle – gentle, yes – from the mirrors.

    It might be a big unit at over five metres with the spare wheel in place, but it doesn’t feel anywhere near that big. With good vision, cameras everywhere and only the tailgate-mounted tyre getting in the way, it’s easy to place in pretty much any condition.

    So the bit it has to do well it has well and truly exceeded what I thought. It’s probably as good – or even better – than a Disco Sport and I would choose this over the Discovery unless I absolutely had to have the big fella. A P400 90 should be a right giggle.

    Redline Recommendation

    Never thought I’d say this about an off-roader, but hell yes. All SUVs aren’t created equal, that much we already knew. The Defender has a big reputation to live up to and the P400 lifts the badge into a whole new realm.

    Off road is easy to do if that’s all you want, but a modern Defender has to do both. It has absolutely nailed the on-road. Stay tuned for the off-road review…

  • 2020 Audi Q2 40 TFSI Review

    The Audi Q2 is Ingolstadt’s compact SUV. It treads its own path, not just in the way it’s a unique design in the Audi range but it’s also unashamedly dynamic.

    I’m not afraid to admit that I am a straight-up fan of the Audi Q2. I first drove it on the Australian launch in 2017 and then again with my partner-in-crime Nikki Cousins for Carsguide’s Torquing Heads.

    Time has passed, the range has changed and there are shiny new badges on the tiddly SUV’s rump. The Q2 now only comes with petrol engines, the 1.4-litre turbo four in the 35 and the 2.0-litre turbo four in the 40 TFSI.

    How much is a 2020 Audi Q2 and what do I get?

    Audi Q2 2020

    35 TFSI: $41,950 + ORC
    35 TFSI Edition #2: $44,550 +ORC
    40 TFSI quattro: $49,400 + ORC
    40 TFSI Edition #2:  $52,400 + ORC

    More than an A1, less than an A3 and obviously less than the Q3, the Q2 is a nice little gap-filler in the Audi range.

    Before the inevitable ticking of the boxes, the 40 TFSI scores 19-inch alloys, an eight-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, sat nav, auto LED headlights, leather(ish) trim, leather steering wheel, auto wipers, sports seats and wireless charging.

    Audi is slowly working its way through the range with the new interior (like slotting the Q8‘s dash into the Q7 and the fun new A1) but for the moment, it’s still the same dash design as the ready-for-the-back paddock A3. That means old school MMI. That’s no shame, but it’s not a touchscreen and there’s no wireless CarPlay (although both Apple and Android Auto connectivity is available via USB).

    The Edition #2 I had adds $3000 to the 40’s price while – Audi says – adding $4000 of value. You get painted wheels (which sound awful but are actually really cool), convenience key and side assist safety tech.

    Packages

    Assistance Package: For $1100 you score lane departure warning, lane keep assist, auto parking, active cruise and auto high beam.

    Comfort Package: This is $1300 and adds a bunch of storage items that – again – should be largely standard – but also adds electric lumbar support, heated door mirrors and heated front seats.

    Technick Package: In this $2500 add-on, you score Virtual Cockpit (yes!), a flat-bottomed steering wheel (why?) and an upgraded sat nav (good, I guess).

    You can also spec a heads-up for $990 and heated seats on their own for $600.

    Safety – 5 stars (ANCAP, 2016)

    Off the bat, you get six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward AEB (low speed) with pedestrian detection and forward collision warning.

    In 2016 that was enough for a five-star ANCAP rating but really, there should be a few more safety gadgets as standard at this price point.

    Warranty and Servicing

    Audi is still on the three-year warranty/unlimited-kilometre warranty train, along with BMW, while its (admittedly much more expensive rival) Mercedes has gone to five years.

    Servicing is every 12 months/15,000km and you can prepay three years for $1580 and five years for $2140.

    Audi dealers, at least in metro areas, are pretty swanky, so you can at least see where your money is going.

    Look and feel

    2020 Audi Q2
    2020 Audi Q2
    Audi Q2 2020
    Audi Q2 2020
    2020 Audi Q2

    Audi was very excited when this car launched, with lots of chatter about the new polygonal design language. It really sits well in this car and it sill has one of my favourite design elements. Along the top edge of the doors is this lovely chamfered edge, as though someone grabbed a bit of clay wire and ran it along the sharp character line that starts at the headlights. It looks amazing,

    Yes, I’m weird.

    The painted wheels work really well on the white Edition 2, but your mileage will vary on the colour.

    2020 Audi Q2

    I’ve already mentioned it;’s the old A3’s interior but that’s no sledge. It’s a lovely piece of design and has aged spectacularly well. The 40 TFSI Q2s get the sports seats and they’re great. Storage isn’t wonderful in the cabin, but you do get a decent-sized boot starting at 355 litres and that triples with eth seats down.

    It’s got a great driving position, too, with heaps of adjustment for seats and wheel.

    Chassis and drivetrain

    Audi Q2 2020

    The Q2 rides on the Audi’s MQB platform, which underpins about a zillion cars. The 40 TFSI features a multi-link rear end (as opposed to the 35’s torsion beams) which means better ride and handling.

    The 19s are wrapped in 235/40 rubber, in this case Bridgestone Potenza S001.

    Under the bonnet you’ll find the 2.0-litre turbo four so beloved across the VW Group, delivering 140kW at 600rpm and 320Nm between 1500-4200rpm. The seven-speed twin-clutch sends power to all four wheels (when required) and will propel the Q2 to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds.

    Not messing about, then.

    Driving

    Audi Q2 2020

    I remember thinking that the original Q2 2.0 TDI (RIP) was pretty close to being a warm hatch. Just higher. The 40 TFSI has reinforced that idea. With the quattro AWD and decent punch from the 140kW turbo, the only thing holding it back is the seven-speed DCT’s low-rev reluctance.

    It is really good fun to punt around, with tons of grip from the wheels that somehow don’t destroy the ride. It’s not a soft cruiser, obviously and is firmer than you might expect, but it really works.

    Once you work out the need to have the throttle down to keep the engine and transmission from falling off the boil. The seven-speed version of the Audi twin-clutch is a little hit and miss (hit in the A4, miss here) but once you learn how it behaves, you’re good to go.

    The car does handle the city beautifully, which is pretty much where they all live. High speed cruising is a doddle but it does have a little bit of wind rush around the mirrors, something it shares with the Q3. Apart from that, super solid and a genuine ball of fun.

    Competition

    BMW has two on offer, the X1 and X2. Given the Q2’s style focus, the X2 is closer to the mark. The German rival is throwing the kitchen sink to jump start sales. The X2 has a newer interior and wider engine choice but its probably the less practical of the two.

    Mercedes is running out the current GLA in favour of the new one coming down the pipe. Unlike the Q2 and X1/2, the GLA is obviously a jacked-up A-Class rather than a really distinct design. Longer warranty, though.

    The Lexus UX is a fine car, but with a tighter interior. Lovely to drive, though and has more stuff and also has a longer warranty, if not as long as the Merc’s.

    Redline Recommendation

    Audi Q2 2020

    I still love it. Sure, you need to tick boxes to match a Kia Seltos GT-Line’s spec (and therefore spend a lot more) but it’s such a cool car with plenty to give. The Edition #2 isn’t the real deal here, but the 40 TFSI is. Warm hatch performance, excellent ride and handling and a very cool design.

    The 35 TFSI isn’t the one you want. Spend the extra for the 40.

  • 2020 Kia Sorento Black Edition: A dark goodbye

    The 2020 Kia Sorento Black Edition is the swansong special for the soon-to-depart third-generation large SUV from South Korea.

    Goodbyes are always hard, but for the hard-nosed car buyer, that means blood in the water. Couple that with an unexpected global economic shock and you’ve got cars to shift.

    Special editions are a good way to do that and the Sorento’s final special is the rather attractive Black Edition.

    How much is a 2020 Kia Sorento Black Edition and what do I get?

    Kia Sorento Black Edition V6: $49,190
    Kia Sorento Black Edition AWD diesel: $52,960

    Most of the time these specials are based on a particular spec with a few extras thrown at them but for this one, it’s hard to tell. Kia says the spec sits between the SLi and GT-Line. Seems legit.

    For your money you get 19-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, sat nav, auto headlights and wipers, panoramic sunroof, fake leather interior, heated and folding power mirrors and a full-size spare.

    The Black bit means those tasty black alloys (reminds me of the blade designs in the 747-8’s GEnx turbofan engine), gloss black grille and roof racks, dark chrome door blades and black side mirror covers. The extras looks great in this Snow White Pearl and you can also get Aurora Black and Silky Silver (all for $595 extra). Clear white is a freebie.

    Six speakers doesn’t sound like very many for a car this big, but they do the job. You get DAB digital radio thrown in as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 8.0-inch touchscreen works well, the base software isn’t bad at all (it’s shared with Hyundai, right down to the font) and it’s easy to use.

    Safety – 5 stars (ANCAP, October 2017)

    The Sorento scores six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward AEB (low speed), forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist and driver fatigue warning.

    Slightly stingily, it’s missing a few key bits like reverse cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring which I reckon will be standard on the new fourth-gen model. Don’t ask me why, it’s just a feeling.

    You also get two ISOFIX and three top-tether anchor points for the baby and child seats. There are neither of these on third row.

    Warranty and Servicing

    7 years/unlimited km warranty
    7 years/105,000km fixed-price servicing

    Kia’s excellent – and industry-leading – seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty runs alongside fixed-price servicing for your first seven services. With service intervals at 12 months/15,000km, if you’re an above average mile muncher, it won’t go the full distance of the warranty.

    The seven services cost $3081 or $440.15 each (roughly) which is a bargain for such a big bruiser.

    Roadside assist starts you off with 12 months and is extended for another year every time you service with Kia.

    Look and feel

    2020 Kia Sorento Black Edition

    The Sorento is a big unit but never really looks as big as it is. It’s a bit slabby from the side but this version is way better looking than its predecessor. This Sorento has a visual link to other cars in the range, most notably the Sportage, which is a quite striking machine. The big imposing grille looks great in black, as do those awesome wheels. It’s looking its age out the back, though.

    2020 Kia Sorento Black Edition
    142 litres / 605 litres / 1662 litres / Legroom galore / Second row in place

    I’ve gone to town with the interior photos so you can see all the cabin space and configurations. For up to five passengers, there is a ton of room in here. The middle row is swimming in space and will be fine even for surly 17 year-olds. Comfy, too, are all the seats except the third row. They’re a bit upright and you’ll have your knees in your face if you’re over 120cm. If you need all seven seats all the time, get a Carnival.

    And I’m not saying Carnival because it’s another Kia but because it’s the best people moving device under a million dollars, basically.

    Let’s not forget the figures – six cupholders, four bottle holders, a big centre console and boot space for days. You start with 142 litres, move to 605 with the back row folded away and then with two rows down, you get 1662 litres, which I think is probably a tad conservative.

    Drivetrain and Chassis

    2020 Kia Sorento Black Edition

    You can have the Sorento in 2.2-litre turbo diesel or with the big 3.5-litre, naturally-aspirated Lambda II petrol V6.

    An all-alloy unit, it produces 206kW at 6300rpm, and 336Nm at 5000rpm. That’s not a ton of torque, but given it’s front-wheel drive only, the off-road capability is somewhat moot.

    The transmission is Kia’s own eight-speed automatic to help shift its 1875kg mass.

    There’s nothing startling to report on the chassis, but the big 19s come with Hankook Dynapro HP2s measuring 235/55.

    The brakes are huge, with 320mm ventilated discs up front and 305mm solid discs at the rear.

    Driving

    I’ve driven a few Sorentos in my time and have always come away impressed with the way it handles its bulk. When you’ve got runaway best-sellers like the Kluger in your class – surely the most boring large SUV on offer today – you have a big target to hit.

    And Kia hits it. The 3.5-litre V6 is easily a match for the Toyota’s under-stressed unit. It sounds a heck of a lot better too, although it’s not backed up by a fun chassis.

    Which is perfectly reasonable. The electric power steering is nicely weighted and set up well for both city and highway driving and won’t ever tell you a fib. Those big brakes haul the big thing down from big speeds without drama and the suspension keeps everything in check.

    It’s lovely and quiet, too. I’d have this over the much more expensive Toyota any day.

    It’s a very nice car to get around in. Comfortable seats, simple straightforward controls and a lovely smooth V6. You can do a lot worse.

    Competition

    King of the kids is, obviously, the Toyota Kluger. While I don’t like that car very much, it’s a very solid choice with a five year warranty, good build quality (despite its US origins) but it’s very soft and lifeless. And drinks, hard. Looks good in its Black Edition equivalent. Pricey, though and still doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

    Hyundai’s Santa Fe is similarly up for replacement soon, but the sister car is already a generation ahead, so it’s just a (big) facelift. I’m a huge fan of the Santa Fe, which does cost a bit more but it’s flippin’ loaded, even at the cheap end of things.

    Mazda’s CX-9 is gorgeous, has a grunty 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo and is just lovely. Only problem is, Mazda fits crap tyres, which on the FWD is a problem in the wet. Apart from that, it has a beautiful interior, is great to drive and feels just right. Costs a lot, though.

    Redline Recommendation

    If you’re not bothered by the very latest and you need/want a seven-seater with a lovely petrol engine, do it. You can probably twist a grand or a few off the price at the moment, too, so you can’t ask much more than that.

  • 2020 Alpina XB7 Announced

    Classic German tuning house has turned its attention to the big fella X7 and popped out this absolute monster – the Alpina XB7.

    The BMW X7 is an absolute whopper of a machine and a very, very good one. Like compatriot Audi, the company saw the gap above its previous flagship SUV, the X5, and filled it. Thing is, the Audi Q8 went for the big limo approach, not bothering with the third row.

    BMW went all out, building a tall ship with buckets of room and some serious box-on-wheels aesthetics.

    Alpina has done its usual chassis and styling mods as well as amping up the power unit.

    Look and Feel

    2020 Alpina XB7

    Alpina certainly likes to square a few curves in bits it can change, with a distinct 1980s West German vibe in some cars. This one has a little bit of that, but the styling team can’t do much to reduce the size of the big kidney grille.

    The wheels probably make the biggest difference, as does the low(est) ride height. Alpina adds the funky “floating” lettering in the lower edge of the front bumper and adds some slots and bits as well as a metallic bar across the air dam.

    2020 Alpina XB7

    It’s big in here. Usually, you’d say there is acres of room, but it’s so big I’m going with hectares. The top-spec Merino leather is everywhere and you get the Crafted Clarity glass look on the shifter and iDrive controller. And BMW’s awesome big screens are of course along for the ride and the Live Cockpit.

    At the risk of labouring the point about how big it is, the boot starts with a massive 750 litres when the rear seats are stowed, through to 2120 litres with all the seats down. You can also punch a button to drop the car’s height by 50mm.

    Drivetrain

    2020 Alpina XB7

    Under that huge bow, I mean bonnet, is BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8. It’s already a belter of an engine, but Alpina likes to adjust the character of BMW engines for what I call relaxed speed.

    The engine spins up 457kW and 800Nm of torque. Maximum torque is available from just 2000rpm all the way to 5000rpm. All that power heads to all four wheels via the usual eight-speed ZF automatic, which is tuned Alpina-style and works with the signature Comfort+ setting.

    Despite its obvious heft, 0-100km/h arrives in just 4.2 seconds. Just 10.7 seconds later, you’ll have doubled the speed for a 0-200km/h figure of 14.9 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 290km/h.

    Alpina’s work on the engine included tuning the two 54mm twin-scroll turbochargers while adding two additional water coolers, a bigger transmission oil cooler and a set of their own intercooler setup.

    Behind the engine, Alpina fits a stainless steel exhaust with a set of flaps to either drop the V8 burble or turn it up.

    Fuel consumption – 13.9L/100km (WLTP)

    The big beast is a drinker. This figure, though, is going to be far closer to reality than the figures we’ll see on the XB7’s windscreens in Australia.

    The figure checks out, too, as the sleeker and lighter M550i xDrive went through 11.3L/100km in our hands.

    Chassis

    2020 Alpina XB7

    With air suspension on both axles, the XB7’s ride height can drop by up to 40mm. That probably helps a bit with high-speed fuel economy. When you hit Sport mode at any speed, the height drops 20mm. If you’re in Comfort or Comfort+, it will drop 20mm at 160km/h and a further 20mm north of 250km/h.

    Probably best not to check that claim on public roads in Australia.

    As you might expect, the XB7 has adaptive suspension with electromechanical anti-roll bars to reduce body roll.

    Huge 21-inch wheels come as standard and are, naturally, in the Alpina multi-spoke style. Shod with ALP-coded Pirelli P-Zero tyres, they’re 285/45s all-round.

    You can spec an absolutely massive set of hoops – 23-inch forged alloys with 20 spokes. Along with the gangster look, the wheels shed 13kg off the bulk of the XB7, despite running 285/35s at the front and huge 325/30s at the back.

    The XB7 features an electronic LSD between the rear wheels for a bit of fast-moving shenanigans. Alpina is keen for you to know it has a locking torque figure of up to 2000Nm.

    The rear wheels also have steering, with up to 2.3 degrees of pivot. All-wheel steering is very handy for such a big unit.

    Alpina also fits its own dome-bulkhead struts and reinforced torsion struts to stiffen the shell.

    Hauling this thing to a stop are four-piston Brembo calipers gripping 395mm front discs and 398mm at the back. You can also specify lightweight drilled discs.

    How much is the Alpina XB7 and when can I have one?

    2020 Alpina XB7

    First of all, it is coming to Australia. It won’t be here until 2021, though, which is a bit of a drag, but hey, it’s not like we’re going anywhere.

    This one is an obvious one for Alpina – the X7 is already a cracker, but with the extra comfort, Alpina-exclusivity and the whole vibe of Alpina rarely has anything but a positive effect on Bavaria’s finest.

    The price will no doubt be north of $200,000 but still well below Bentley’s vulgar Bentayga.