วันจันทร์ที่ 25 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2554

Benz C63 AMG Black Series Review


Can’t stretch to the £157,000 SLS AMG? A new, slightly more attainable supercar has joined Mercedes’ ranks – and the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series has its sights set on the BMW M3 GTS.


Dominating the headlines is the 510bhp 6.2-litre V8 engine. Hooked up to Merc’s 7G-Tronic paddleshift semi-auto gearbox, it puts out 59bhp more than the standard AMG Coupe. This helps shave three-tenths of a second off the 0-62mph time, taking it to only 4.2 seconds. And that’s a mere four-tenths down on the SLS supercar. The engine note is incredible, too.


At a private preview event, we had the opportunity to listen to the eight-cylinder powerplant explode into life. And thanks to its freer-flowing and amplified exhaust system, the roar had more in common with a piston-engine fighter plane than a road-legal car.


On paper, however, this is the most sensible Black Series Mercedes ever. In the past, the label has been reserved for two-seaters, but bosses have caved in to demand and made the C63 the first fettled AMG model to be offered with the option of four full seats. The penalty? If you want rear passenger space, you can’t have the fixed racing buckets up front you see here. That aside, it looks every bit as insane as previous form would suggest.


A wider front and rear track, plus race-derived suspension, gives the coupé a lower and more muscular stance. This is enhanced by a bodykit, 19-inch multi-spoke alloys and blistered wheelarches. There’s also a pair of air scoops on the bonnet, plus quad exhaust pipes and body-coloured brake calipers.


The interior of the two-seater, shown here, is identified by its shell-like bucket seats and bright red seatbelts. There’s a useful parcel shelf in the back, but it does without the roll cage seen on its more extreme M3 GTS rival. The dash is awash with carbon trim and AMG Black Series logos.


Plus, buyers can add an AMG Track Package, to make the car even more focused for circuit work. This includes competition-spec tyres, extra transmission cooling and an adjustable rear spoiler.

Prices are expected to be in the region of £100,000 when the car goes on sale later this year.

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วันอังคารที่ 19 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2554

SEAT Alhambra 2.0 TDI 140 SE



After enjoying an incredible 15-year shelf-life, the outgoing Alhambra was crying out for replacement. Younger rivals had stolen a march on the value-for-money offering, but this all-new model brings SEAT’s MPV bang up to date.

There’s not much scope for the Spanish flair we’ve come to expect from the brand, but there are obvious reasons why. Firstly, the practical demands of an MPV make boxy outlines a necessity. Secondly, the Alhambra was a joint initiative with Volkswagen, so it shares much of its DNA with the Sharan.

Parked next to the sporty S-MAX the big SEAT doesn’t look very exciting, but few people are likely to be offended by its conservative lines. SE trim includes classy touches such as chrome roof rails and window surrounds. At the back, the runners for the sliding side doors look unsightly, but the trade-off is superior access to the cabin in tight spaces. And the doors open to reveal a functional and very well assembled interior.

The three seats in the middle row slide back and forth independently, and in their rearmost positions give excellent legroom. The chunky doors slightly restrict elbow space for occupants in the outer chairs, and there’s a hump in the floor for the transmission tunnel, but these are minor niggles. Overall, the large windows and generous headroom mean passenger comfort is superb. The outer chairs tilt and slide forwards with ease, creating a wide gap through which to access the third row.


Even in the very back there’s sufficient headroom for adults, while your feet have plenty of space under the bases of the row in front. It’s easier to exit the rearmost seats in the SEAT than in the Ford, too, thanks to the second row’s simpler folding action.

Legroom in the back is cramped with the middle row chairs in their rearmost position, but move them forward, and the Alhambra has space to carry seven adults in relative comfort. In this respect the SEAT has the edge over the Ford. All the latches and handles used to manipulate the chairs feel robust and are intuitive to use, too.

In full seven-seat mode there’s little between our duo in terms of load space. But with its chairs folded flat, the Alhambra has a bigger carrying capacity in five and two-person configurations.


It’s good news up front as well, because the SEAT features high-quality materials and rock-solid build quality. The dash layout is simple yet smart, while the chunky audio and heater controls are well placed. An electric parking brake frees up space for a large bin between the front seats, and you get a big dash-top cubby plus door pockets that are flock lined to stop items rattling about.

A tactile multifunction wheel is standard, and there’s a decent range of seat and steering wheel adjustment. Only the blind spots caused by the thick A-pillars upset the excellent driving position. The seats themselves offer less side support than the Ford’s, which highlights the Spanish car’s focus on comfort over handling. The softer set-up of the Alhambra means there’s more body roll than in the S-MAX, and while the SEAT’s steering is linear and well weighted, it lacks the fast reactions and feedback of the Ford’s.


In 138bhp trim, our Alhambra diesel’s throttle response was flat compared to the more powerful 161bhp Ford, and the S-MAX held a clear advantage against the clock. The Alhambra’s optional DSG transmission has smooth shifts which are well suited to MPV life, although it does push up the basic price by £1,270. Budget-conscious buyers will be better off with the manual, as it should also improve on the 35mpg fuel return we recorded.


Like for like, the SEAT is more costly than the Ford, but it has space on its side. Is that enough to claim the class crown?



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วันเสาร์ที่ 16 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2554

BMW 1 Series Review


It's only just been launched, but already the BMW 1 Series is under pressure. Unlike its predecessor, this new version of BMW’s entry-level hatchback is facing competition from every angle.

If you are lucky enough to have a minimum of £20,000 to spend on a small premium-badged family car, you’re not short of choice. As well as the 1 Series, you can also choose from an all-new Audi A3 from next year, while Mercedes is laying the old A-Class to rest with a new hatchback version in 2012 too. 


And that’s not it either – the MINI Countryman offers buyers a raised seating position, extra flexibility and, most importantly of all, off-the-scale desirability all for the same price. So how is a conventional hatchback going to compete with all that?

Well, while the 1 Series may mark the gateway to BMW ownership, but the German firm hasn’t cut any corners. Not only is it slightly bigger than before, but it’s cheaper to run and comes packed with gadgets. It’s also still the only rear-wheel drive car in its class so it should be fun too.

Prices start from £19,375 for a 116i in ES trim. Five-door versions will go on sale in September, and you can expect three-door to follow in 2012 with a Coupe and Convertible a year or so after. 

Love it or hate it, the 1 Series has always stood out – and the firm has applied an evolutionary approach to the new model. Gone is the edgy ‘flame surfacing’ design language, replaced by an altogether smoother look influenced by the latest 5 and 6 Series. 



There are still large kidney grilles at the front, and they’re joined by curvier headlights. At the rear there are softer LED tail-lamps but the wider stance and flared wheelarches make it seem lower and sportier. 



Step inside and the cabin certainly ticks the quality box. All the controls are chunky, the dashboard is trimmed in soft-touch plastics and there’s a generous amount of leather. 

There’s plenty of equipment too. Even entry-level ES models come with aircon and stop-start, while SE versions get a 6.5-inch flatscreen monitor and a Bluetooth hands-free with USB connectivity.


BMW’s Drive Performance Control is standard on all models, which gives the driver four ‘modes’ to choose from. These include Comfort – the standard setting – and Sport – which sharpens steering, throttle and suspension, while Sport + allows more rear wheel slip.

But the most useful is ECO PRO, which helps drivers save fuel, by adjusting throttle response to encourage more eco-minded driving and limiting the use of the air-conditioning, heated mirrors and seats. The increases in fuel economy are displayed on the dashboard, showing how far extra the car can travel as a result. It’s a really clever and easy to use system, which has you driving more economically without even realising it.

There are plenty of ‘big car’ options too, including lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and Internet access. Another welcome new feature is the amount of personalisation on offer. In addition to ES, SE and M Sport trims, buyers can now select Urban or Sport. 




What’s the difference? Well, Urban gets a host of interior and exterior visual ‘highlights’, including unique 17-inch white alloys, white wing mirrors and a white slats for the kidney grilles. 

Sport gets unique 17-inch alloy wheel, plus a high-gloss black kidney grille, central air intake trim, side intake surrounds and rear bumper trim as well as M Sports suspension.

It’s by far the more successful of the two; the white bits on the Urban car are less than subtle. 

Bosses reckon that UK buyers will agree, with most 1 Series being ordered in Sport or M Sport guise, the latter adding a bodykit and a host of M goodies such as alloy wheels, suspension tweaks and an M steering wheel.

With a wheelbase 30mm longer than the previous car’s, you might hope there’s a lot more space in the back, but the 1 Series is still disappointingly cramped. Even the smallest of adults will find legroom tight. By comparison, a VW Golf is far more spacious. That said, boot space has increased from 330 to 360 litres, with maximum capacity now 1,200 litres with the seats folded.


Under the bonnet is a new 1.6-litre TwinPower turbocharged petrol engine, which comes with direct injection, variable valve timing and a clever twin-scroll turbo, which makes more efficient use of the engine’s exhaust gases. 

The 116i gets a 136bhp version and we tested the 170bhp 118i.

It’s a great unit, with a wide spread of torque and a smooth note. It’s fast too – 0-62mph takes 7.4 seconds and there’s plenty of shove for overtaking. Factor in a six-speed manual gearbox with long-legged top ratio and you’ve got a car that’s just as effective on a B-road as it is at cruising quietly on the motorway. 

Thanks to Efficient Dynamics – standard across the line-up and including start-stop and brake energy recovery – the 118i is capable of returning around 48mpg and emitting 137g/km of CO2, which is very impressive given its performance.

Diesel choices all come in the shape of a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with 143bhp for the 118d and 184bhp for the 120d. The 114bhp 116d is the most efficient from launch, though, returning 66mpg and emitting 114g/km. However, a 1.6-litre 116d EfficientDynamics arrives next year, boasting 74mpg and 99g/km. Exempt from road tax and the London congestion charge, it should be a hit with company car drivers and private buyers who are keen to cut their bills.

But is the new 1 Series fun to drive? Undoubtedly. With a rear-wheel drive chassis, wider front and rear tracks plus 50:50 weight distribution, it’s an agile and involving machine. What’s more BMW’s engineers have learnt how to tune an electric steering system to give the driver real feedback – no car in the class tells you as much about what the front wheels are doing.

And engineers have also been paying attention to UK roads too. Like the current 5 Series and 6 Series, the 1 Series has been tested on British tarmac. It certainly shows, because the ride is greatly improved. Thanks to new front damper mountings with increased compliance, the 1 Series soaks up bumps more confidently and even stiffer Sport versions are much more comfortable. Make no mistake, it’s still firm, but it’s a vast improvement over the old car.

Is the rest of the car such a leap forward? Not quite. It’s not a revolution, but the incremental improvements in efficiency, gadgetry and driver appeal add up to a really impressive small car. As ever, though, it’s not cheap to buy and rear seat space could be better. But in every other respect, the new 1 Series is going to take some beating.

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