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Automotive Lighting
Brutal Benz A45 AMG beats a path Down Under
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Automotive Lighting
ISSUE 53 . SEPTEMBER 2013
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EditorialGoAuto NewsroomPO Box 18Sandringham VIC 3191(03) 9598 6477 [email protected]
ProductionLuc Britten
ContributorsMike CostelloBarry ParkByron MathioudakisTerry MartinTim NicholsonDaniel Gardner
Advertising enquiriesSally Mellor(03) 9598 6477 0425 700 [email protected]
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Automotive Lighting
6 i for an iBMW set to charge up with plug-in i8
14 Solid goldMuscle car visage but green power for Audi’s newest concept
9 Devil insideBrutal Benz A45 AMG beats a path Down Under
3 Trail blazerNissan smooths out X-Trail’s rough edges
WINNER ANNOUNCED! Page 8
Automotive Lighting
NISSAN X-TRAIL
By TERRY MARTIN
NISSAN has smoothed out the rough edges of its volume-selling X-Trail small SUV with the new-generation
model unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show
ahead of a mid-2014 Australian launch.Although quick to emphasise that it remains
a capable vehicle off the beaten track, Nissan has admitted the design brief for its crucial new compact SUV was to hack into the rugged,
squared-off lines of the current model and create a “premium and dynamic appearance” that blends “the sleek and stylish lines of a modern crossover with the robust appeal of a typical SUV”.
Previewed by the 2012 Hi-Cross concept and built off the new Nissan-Renault Alliance ‘common module family’ (CMF) platform that will underpin a variety of passenger cars across the Japanese and French brands’ model
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Nissan smooths out X-Trail’s rough edges
Trail Blazer
lines, the redesigned X-Trail is set to be built at nine different factories and sold in no fewer than 190 countries around the world, including the US where it will be known as the Rogue.
In Australia, Nissan will be working to return its SUV to the top of its class, having lost market share to newer competitors such as the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester.
Sales of the current model are down 27.5 per cent this year.
The new X-Trail will be available with five or seven seats and as either a front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive model, the latter introducing a revised version of Nissan’s on-demand 4WD system, dubbed All-Mode 4x4i, which is controlled via a rotary switch on the centre console and offers a choice between 2WD, Auto mode or Lock (for permanent 4WD).
The company says a variety of electronic systems have been engineered for the new model, including two world firsts for the segment in active damping (dubbed ‘active ride control’) and ‘active engine brake’ that adds a degree of engine braking while cornering or when decelerating in models equipped with the Xtronic continuously variable transmission.
Also developed for the
vehicle is ‘active trace control’ that looks to be similar to a torque vectoring system that can automatically brake individual wheels as required, while a hill-holder (‘uphill start support’) and an upgraded hill-descent control system have come along for the ride as well.
Powertrain details and key specifications are still to be divulged, with Nissan saying only that it has reduced weight wherever possible with the new X-Trail – which has a longer wheelbase and larger surface area than the current model – and that it has also downsized its engines.
Count on a continuation of both petrol and diesel options, with class-competitive performance and fuel consumption. The latter will benefit from the SUV’s smoother surfaces and attention to detail in aerodynamic terms, including a spoiler that covers the exhaust box and rear panel.
On the weight-saving front, Nissan says the tailgate is largely plastic, saving 7kg compared to today’s version, while loading convenience goes up a notch, too, with the introduction of a power-assisted tailgate with remote operation.
LED daytime running lights have arrived with the new generation, extending to LED headlights (for both high and
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low beams) on high-grade models. New 19-inch alloy wheels are also fitted at the top of the range.
The redesign brings the X-Trail up to date with its rivals in terms of in-car communications technology, including the latest version of the NissanConnect infotainment system that includes smartphone connectivity, a large seven-inch colour touchscreen and Bluetooth audio streaming.
Nissan is claiming the driver will also benefit from “one of the most advanced meter displays yet seen” with a five-inch TFT colour screen incorporating 12 graphic displays covering a range of details such as average and actual speeds, sat-nav instructions, audio content, traffic sign recognition, eco driving advice and torque distribution settings in 4WD mode.
As well as beefing up onboard technology, Nissan has attempted to give the X-Trail a more upmarket feel with new surface treatments such as a combination of chrome,
geometric metallic and piano-back finishes, improved cloth fabrics and better quality leather seats with contrasting stitch accents.
The back doors now open to almost 80 degrees to improve access to the rear seats, the extra wheelbase length and sculpted front seatbacks liberate more knee-room for centre-row occupants, the middle row seats recline and slide, and the third row (where fitted) folds forward to increase luggage space.
The cargo area offers more storage options than the current model with a new ‘double load’ floor built in.
The new-generation X-Trail is due in Australia in the first half of next year, following its international launch in the first quarter.
As GoAuto has reported, a new-generation Dualis is expected around the same time, completing Nissan’s overhaul of its SUV department that includes this year’s all-new Patrol and, before the year is out, the lightweight Juke and fully redesigned monocoque-chassis mid-size Pathfinder.
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BMW i8 PLUG-IN HYBRID
BMW set for an ohm run with plug-in i8 i for an i
6 /16Automotive Lighting
By RON HAMMERTON
THE see-through doors are gone and the headlights have been toned down, but BMW’s production plug-in
hybrid i8 supercar – revealed at the Frankfurt motor show - is close to the concept that has
been floating around since the same show two years ago.
Designed from the ground up as a petrol-electric bahn stormer, the 21st century 2+2 coupe is set to go into production in early 2014 with the United States as its largest
target market. Australian sales are expected in late 2014.
BMW promises the i8 and smaller all-electric i3 city car will spearhead a push into electrification by the world’s biggest prestige car-maker.
Unveiling the new car at the world’s biggest motor show in Frankfurt, BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer described the i8 as BMW’s mission impossible – a pun on the movie of the same name in which the concept car played a starring role.
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“Many people doubted whether the i8 would actually be built,” he said “They saw it as a mission impossible. But, here it stands today as a series model.”
Mr Reithofer said BMW believed in “e-mobility”, and planned to grab a significant market share.
“We intend to grow profitable with electro-mobility,” he said.
BMW says development work in the ‘i’ technology started in 2007, with more than 1000 people racking up 32 million kilometres in cars fitted with electrified powertrains.
True to the concept, the new all-wheel-drive i8 gets a high-tech, light-weight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell and aluminium space-frame chassis and powertrain cradle – dubbed LifeDrive architecture.
The doors still open upwards like wings, but are constructed of CFRP with an outer aluminium skin instead of the fanciful transparent plastic that graced the concept shown at the Frankfurt show in 2011.
Headlights are LED, but the advanced, world-first laser alternatives will be available as an option.
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petrol engine with a BMW-engineered electric drivetrain, the i8 can shoot from zero to 100km/h in just 4.4 seconds, making it the second fastest-accelerating BMW behind the M6 Coupe (4.2 sec).
The 1.5-litre petrol engine pumps out a startling 170kW and 320Nm, delivering power to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
The 96kW/250Nm electric motor draws power from a 5kWh lithium-ion battery, driving the front wheels through a two-stage auto transmission.
Combined, the two power units produce 266kW and 570Nm which BMW says endows the 1490kg i8 with the performance of a purebred sports car.
Combined fuel economy is said to be 2.5 litres per 100km, with the first 35km driven on pure electric power. Top speed is 120km/h on
electric power alone, while maximum driving range is said to be more than 500km on a combination of electricity and petrol.
The battery can be charged from a 240-volt socket in less three hours, but BMW’ s ‘i Wallbox’ charging station can reduce that to an hour.
The driver can select from five driving modes, ranging from Electric to Sport, with the latter delivering an “ultra intense” power boost from the electric motor in combination with the petrol engine.
The i8 rides on 20-inch alloy wheels, a double-wishbone front axle and five-link rear end, with dynamic damper control. Carbon wheels are optional.
Just four colours will be offered, at least initially, including the sky blue shown at Frankfurt.
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Devil insideBrutal Benz A45 AMG beats
a path Down Under
Automotive Lighting
By MIKE COSTELLO
THE current most powerful four-cylinder car on the road, Mercedes-Benz’s A45 AMG hatch, touched
down in Australia earlier this month with a starting price of $74,990 plus on-road costs and a waiting list already six months long.
Remarkably, Australia is expected to be the third biggest market in the world for the car. Mercedes’ local arm will get its hands on between 250 and 350 A45s by December, with a greater allocation earmarked for 2014.
The popularity of AMG models Down Under gives Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific some
clout with its global parent, with the company projecting a bigger chunk of the global allocation should be freed up for Australia in 2014.
The supply issue is not limited to the A45 AMG either, with the regular A-Class still commanding a waiting list, albeit one that has
reduced in recent months. It was six months at its peak, but this has come down to as little as three weeks: provided you steer clear of obscure options and colours.
The forthcoming CLA - essentially a sedan version of the A-Class - and GLA - a small SUV on the same platform again - are both expected
MERCEDES-BENZ A45 AMG
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to command similar wait times when they launch here in October 2013 and April 2014 respectively.
Australia is presently the top AMG market globally on a proportional basis - that is, the ratios of AMG variants sold here compared to regular Benz versions. This, the smallest AMG-tuned model, is pitched at a younger crowd, with the brand hoping to lure a predominately male audience aged between 30 and 45.
Reflecting the performance ‘bent’ of local A-Class buyers, around half of all sales so far - precluding early A45 orders - have comprised the hot A250 turbo, until now the range flagship.
Despite its initial popularity, supply will likely stop the A45 from overtaking the sales of its bigger C63 cousin, 750 units of which were sold here in 2012.
The Euro 6-compliant, hand-finished 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo engine (a Benz first) under the snub bonnet produces a stratospheric 265kW of power at 6000rpm and 450Nm of torque between 2250 and 5000rpm - enough for a zero to 100km/h sprint time of just 4.6 seconds.
For the mechanically-minded, the engine includes spray-guided direct petrol injection via piezo injectors positioned centrally in the four combustion chambers with an injection pressure of 200 bar. Maximum turbo charge pressure is 1.8 bar.
Other features include a sandcast
all-aluminium crankcase, weight-optimised crank assembly with forged steel crankshaft and forged pistons with friction-optimised piston rings, air-to-water intercooler, alternator management and idle-stop.
This gives it bragging rights over its arch-nemesis, the 4.9 second BMW M135i. All Australian A45’s come standard with a raised electronic speed limited that doesn’t cut in until
270km/h. Despite our low speed limits, Benz says most buyers would have ticked the options box for this feature, so it became standardised.
Power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters. The front-biased 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system sends up to 50 per cent of torque to the (aluminium) rear axle if needed.
There are three driving modes that adjust
pedal travel, engine note and gear-shift times: comfort, sport and manual.
The German brand designed the A-Class’ modular platform to accommodate AWD from the get-go, and the four-paw system under the A45 is said to be 25 per cent lighter than rivals.
Reining all 1550kg of kerb weight in are 350mm front and 330mm rear ventilated discs with standard red calipers.
Mercedes claims fuel consumption of just 6.9 litres per 100km on the combined cycle – if you can keep your lead foot away from the throttle.
Despite having half the cylinders of its AMG brethren, Mercedes claims to have retained the signature throaty exhaust note found on models such as the C63 thanks to a sports exhaust system that adjusts outputs depending
11 /16Automotive Lighting
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on driving style.Suspension, electro-mechanical speed-
sensitive power steering and the high-performance brakes have also been fettled by AMG.
The king of the A-Class range is differentiated externally from its more humble siblings by its aggressive front and rear diffusers, side sills, AMG ‘twin- blade’ radiator grille, matte grey front apron, black 19-inch alloy wheels, square chrome-tipped exhaust pipes and ‘Turbo AMG ’ lettering.
Inside the cabin are new additions including Artico artificial leather racing-style seats, a new multi-function, flat-bottomed (and topped) steering wheel with paddles, carbon fibre-look dash trim, red highlights on the seats, seatbelts and vents and a central multimedia display with race-timer.
Australian-delivered A45s will come with a higher level of standard equipment than in Europe, including a rorty AMG sports exhaust and an AMG Driver’s Package that increases top speed to 270km/h.
Further Aussie additions comprise adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, adaptive headlights, a panoramic sunroof, heated leather seats and top-spec COMAND infotainment system with satellite-navigation, internet access and Harman Kardon premium audio.
The options list only extends to three items: $4990 black alloy wheels, a $1990 aero package with front ‘flics’ (bits that hang off the front bumper), a large rear wing and a bigger front splitter, and a $1990 AMG performance suspension pack that adds an extra 40kg of downforce at 250km/h.
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Personal touch: Every AMG engine is hand-assembled by a single employee, and
each car has the plaque to prove it.
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By RON HAMMERTON
AUDI has channeled its gut-tearing quattro rally cars of yesteryear in a new plug-in hybrid supercar concept
unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show.If it goes into production, it will become
the most powerful Audi ever, packing 512kW
of power from a combination of a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 engine and an electric motor embedded in the eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Sport Quattro is claimed to be capable of racing from zero to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds – faster than all but the V10 Audi R8
in the German company’s range. Top speed is 305km/h.
The two-door four-seater is said to deliver a stunning 2.5 litres per 100km fuel economy, with carbon dioxide emissions of just 59 grams per kilometre.
Audi says the concept – which it teased
with sketches last month – has been built to mark the 30th anniversary of the original Sport Quattro that made its first appearance at the 1983 Frankfurt show as a homologation model for the World Rally Championship.
The new iteration borrows some of the key design features of the original, including the
Solid goldAUDI SPORT QUATTRO CONCEPT
Muscle car visage but green power for Audi’s newest concept
trademark all-wheel drive, but is more than twice as powerful.
The new car also incorporates features first seen on a two-seat, five-cylinder turbo Audi Quattro “study” revealed at the Paris show three years ago, but is further developed, giving rise to speculation that this vehicle might appear within a year or two as a limited-edition flagship.
Audi Australia corporate communications executive Shaun Cleary told GoAuto the Sport Quattro was being shown as a concept, and that
head office in Ingolstadt was making
n o
comment on prospects for production.
“It might depend on reaction to it from all around the world,” he said.
The low and wide body features a mix of steel and cast aluminium in the platform that sits on multi-link suspension, front and rear, and 21-inch alloy wheels.
Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic has been employed on panels such as the bonnet, roof, rear hatch and front splitter to cut weight, while doors and fenders are of aluminium. The Sport Quattro tips the scales at 1850kg.
The Sport Quattro rides on a 2784mm wheelbase – marginally longer than that of
the Audi RS5 coupe – and is 4602mm
long –
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47mm shorter than the RS5.The 4.0 TFSI V8 of the Sport Quattro packs
412kW and a whopping 700Nm – the same as the recently launched Audi RS6 Avant that arrives in Australian showrooms in October
The disc-shaped electric motor peaks at 110kW and 400Nm, for a combined power and torque tally of 515kW and 800Nm driving all four wheels via a trademark tiptronic automatic transmission and quattro drive system with a sports differential on the rear axle.
Electricity is stored in a 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery under the rear cargo floor, helping to deliver three driving modes – pure electric, hybrid or sport. The battery can be charged from the electricity grid, and it is said to be able to power the Sport Quattro for up to 50km on electricity alone.
The addition of electric propulsion and light-weight construction gives the Sport Quattro a 0.2 second advantage over the RS6 Avant in the 0-100km/h sprint, at 3.7 seconds, but comes up short of the current flagship 5.2-litre V10 R8 Plus Quattro’s 3.5 seconds.
Audi designers harked back to the original 1980s Quattro to include some heritage in the new styling, adding familiar “blister” mudguards, flat C pillars and rectangular headlights (this time including up-to-the-minute matrix LED lights due soon on the new A8).
Inside, the Sport Quattro features four bucket seats – two more than the Quattro study shown three years ago – and an all-digital dash that allows the driver to select from a range of 3D displays including a race mode that includes track information and a stopwatch.
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