Audi S3 Cabriolet Quattro 2.0L TFSI

The Audi S3 cabriolet is a much more purposeful beast that the standard A 3 soft top tested elsewhere in this blog..
For a start it sits much lower on 18 inch wheels and 35 series tyres. 
That extra tuning and the quattro AWD system gives the S3 enormous grip in corners..
The 2 litre turbo engine is a cracking powerplant..210 kw and 380 nm, throws the S3 down the road in about five seconds..seriously quick acceleration, accompanied by a rorty pop from the exhaust each time you change up a gear.I saw an average of seven litres per 100 kilometres during my week with the car in  both highway and city driving.

There are several suspension settings...Dynamic, Eco, Sport,Individual,Auto and Comfort,
In Dynamic mode the revs rise and the exhaust from the four pipes takes on a much more sporty growl. The ride , even in sport mode is quite acceptable..smooth and not harsh over most surfaces.  

Flick the steering wheel paddles to change down and he engine will "blip" itself to get the revs just right without any driver input.The steering feel is quite heavy, but you get used to its communication with the road.

Heated seats are welcome on cold days, but with the seat adjusted for tall drivers there's no room at all for anyone in the rear pews.
The soft top is well insulated from outside noise... and raises and lowers while on the move at speeds of up to 50 kph.

Bright, crisp xenon headlights give good spread and penetration on the darkest of nights...The extra weight needed to maintain rigidity in the Cabrio means it's not quite as quick as the hatch versions of he S3, but it's still a very exhilarating and distinctive drive and at just over 69K is a bit of a performance bargain.
Peter Sellen  

Hyundai Sonata Elite

Hyundai continues to impress with each new model it releases.. 

The quality, engineering and styling of all their vehicles is now among the best in the world. 

After winning many hearts with its new Genesis luxury model, ( on test elsewhere on this blog) Hyundai has applied the same level of sophistication and prestige to its latest mid sized Sonata.

The room inside Sonata's cabin is exceptional.. even with the driver's seat adjusted for my tall frame there's still ample space behind it to sprawl out. The front doors open at almost 90 degrees for easy access.

The leather faced seats are initially a bit firm, but after a while you appreciate the support. Night time dashboard illumination is excellent.. most dials and switches  picked out in a lovely classy electric blue.. easy to read and operate. 

Everywhere you touch is padded or soft feel material. The sound system is also exceptional.. half the maximum volume will be enough for most people.. full noise is almost enough to shatter the windows. I didn't put it up to maximum for fear of blowing an eardrum.

Standard equipment includes bluetooth,satellite navigation,cruise, multi position electronic lumbar adjustment for the driver's seat and auto everything. 

Approaching the car at night, using keyless entry,the wing mirrors swing out, and puddle and door handle lights switch on.The foot operated parking brake is a minor annoyance, (a lever or electric brake please Hyundai) but it doesn't detract from the overall level of comfort and quality in the cabin. The only other downside is pretty average headlights..they are simply not bright enough and you'll be wanting to fit some aftermarket globes,  especially if you do a lot of highway driving.

The Sonata's ride is a revelation..smooth and supple , soaking up all but the largest bumps with arrogant ease.In my view it's far superior to most of Sonata's segment rivals.
Cornering is also in another league.. Sonata is one of the best handling in its class..sitting flat and poised through the bends with little fuss..It's the equal of much more expensive rivals in this area.

There's no wind or road noise at urban speeds and on the highway just a faint whisper from the tyres. But it's the engine which impresses most.

The previously mundane 2 litre four cylinder powerplant has been transformed with a turbo, delivering astonishing acceleration and performance for a car in this class.

180 KW and 350 nm of torque will fling the car down the road with quiet, surprising urgency.
The six speed automatic transmission is  the perfect partner for transmitting Sonata's newfound performance.

Fuel economy during my week with the Sonata averaged around 9 litres per 100 kilometres.

If you're in the market for a mid sized sedan, don't just look at Camrys, Accords, Mazda 6 ,Nissan Ultimas and Mondeos....drive the Sonata and I believe you'll find a certain something that's missing in its competitors. Not the least of which is a five year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Sonata prices start at just under 30K to almost 42K for the top spec Premium model.

Peter Sellen

Audi S1 Sportback 2.0l TFSI quattro.

Audi now has all the bases and models firmly covered from A1 through to A8 in the sedan/hatch categories and all the Qs in the SUV arena. 
Each has it's own performance market leader.. This is the S1.. the hot version of the A1.. Audi's smallest offering.
The whole car has been tuned for performance, from the wheels and brakes, suspension and engine. And what an engine.
It will slam you back in your seat with ferocious acceleration.. Zero to 100 kmh in 5.9 seconds... accompanied by a delightful growl from its quad exhausts.First gear in the manual gearbox takes you to 60 kmh and there are five more ratios to go.
It's a slick smooth gearbox.The engine is so tractable, you can potter at urban speeds in sixth at around 60 kmh and with gentle pressure on the throttle, accelerate away without any driveline snatch.

The two litre turbo engine produces 170 kilowatts and 370 nm of torque, and thanks to Audi's all wheel drive quattro system, there's no torque steer when the go pedal is floored.

The speedometer reads up to 280 kmh but top speed is limited to 250.
Heated front seats are absent but the seats themselves are very comfortable and supportive..snug and sporty.
However there's no room in the rear if the front seat occupants are tallish. the rear of the front seats willl almost touch the squab of the rear seat...it's very tight.
A quality 10 speaker sound system caps off a generous level of equipment including bluetooth, satnav and super bright xenon headlights.

Ride comfort is quite good.. not too firm,even on 225/35/18 series tyres.
The steering in the S1 is very direct,but not twitchy and the car corners with an eager, stable and flat stance.Through twisting Adelaide hills roads, the S1 has tenacious, sensational grip.
It's great fun to drive.

The S1 on test here cost just under 55K.
In the realm of small hot hatches/light sporty cars, the S1 is right up at the top of the pack and one car I was reluctant to return. 
Peter Sellen

Volvo XC 60 D4 Drive E

The new Volvo XC60 looks pretty much the same as the first iteration of 2009 but it remains contemporary and stylish. A new engine and some tweaks elsewhere have brought it right up to date. The two litre four  cylinder turbo diesel " Drive E " is part of the upgrade and it's a marvellous powerplant..

Almost inaudible and totally silent on the move, the engine flings you down the road with astonishing speed when sport mode is selected..Zero to 100 kph,in just over seven seconds is pretty impressive for a mid sized SUV. The eight  speed gearbox perfectly complementing its 133 kw and 400 nm of torque.
While on that, the Volvo engineers have managed to do away with torque steer when the accelerator is floored.. there's no tugging at the steering wheel.

The ride is a little on the firm side but you get used to it... and that  helps when pressing on into corners.. but there's some noticeable body roll when doing so.The XC 60 is front wheel drive only.
Inside the cabin, you'll get all the usual well crafted and designed Volvo comfort and convenience features.
The seats are just right, very comfortable and hold you effectively in corners .Rear seat legroom can be tight depending on the height of those in the front seats. Built in child booster seats, a Volvo trademark, will be welcomed by parents of small children.

The City Safe auto braking system now operates up to 50- kilometres an hour should a cyclist ,pedestrian or something else appear suddenly in front of the car. It will instantly apply the brakes for you. You will also enjoy the fuel saving stop/start engine idle feature, a crisp and powerful multi speaker sound system, blind spot indicators in the A pillars, lane departure warnings and active cruise control and a power tailgate, are among the many sought after elements in a car such as this,

Quality high powered Bi xenon headlights are  excellent and there are turn into corner lights as well, up front.

 

Unsurprisingly, the XC 60 is Volvo's best selling model worldwide and here in Australia it's holding its own against string competition from similar vehicles at Audi, Range Rover and BMW.
The D4 Diesel Drive E sells for around 65K

Peter Sellen

Jeep Cherokee Limited Diesel

The first thing I noticed about the new Cherokee diesel was the ride. It's one of the most comfortable in its class and a great reason to investigate the popular model further.
Big cosseting, well bolstered Napa leather seats with heated and ventilation function, add to the initial impression of what's in store.
The new two litre diesel is as refined as they come, producing 125 kw and a hefty 350 nm of torque. At idle the engine is subdued, with just a hint of diesel rattle.On the road, in suburbia and on the highway it's virtually inaudible.

The torque gives the Cherokee some real get up and go, and impressed me with its brisk acceleration. Jeep has fitted a 9 speed automatic gearbox to the Cherokee and it can be left to its own devices or you can swap cogs yourself.. It's a seamless,smooth transmission that has all the bases covered as far as traction goes. Auto, Snow, Sport, Sand and Mud.
Jeep's off road prowess wasn't tested during my week with the car but its go anywhere credentials are impeccable considering the brand has been around since 1941.
Despite its weight the Cherokee corners well with minimum body roll and steering feel is very good. I averaged about 8 litres per hundred kilometres in mainly city driving. The official combined fuel consumption cycle is 5.8 litres per 100 ks.

The high intensity discharge headlights are just right on high or low beam.
Jeep has thrown just about everything it could into this Limited model,as far as features and equipment are concerned.
They include self parking, an audible lane departure warning, self steering( as in the Mercedes E class elsewhere in this blog) active cruise control with adjustable distance settings,power tailgate, electric park brake, a large 8.8 inch touch screen, for sat nav and other car functions, reversing camera, and a nine speaker premium Alpine sound system with subwoofer, a glass full length moonroof, with opening front section. 

The quality of the interior fit and trim is excellent...no rattles or squeaks. A sign of a well built vehicle.
Large door pockets take care of most drink bottles and the rear window glass is privacy tinted. 

My only real gripe and it's a relatively small one, is Jeeps insistence on not fitting a "dead" pedal for the driver's left foot. As in other Jeeps your foot has nowhere to comfortably rest.
Owners might get used to it but it is annoying and a simple fix.
From memory however I believe its absence is something to do with Australian Design Rules compliance.

I felt the shiny chrome wheels looked a little out of place and unnecessary bling, but that's just personal taste. 
Jeep's full on TV advertising campaign seems to be working well with the Cherokee holding its own in a sea of competitors and with a quality, good looking product to sell, little can go wrong.
The Jeep Cherokee Limited diesel retails for around 49 K, and is worth every cent.
A very impressive and competent SUV that will take you just about anywhere.
Peter Sellen

Volvo S60 Polestar

Volvo is cashing in on it's new found successes in Australia's V8 supercar racing with its S60 race car.
The T6 Polestar model doesn't have a V8, but its straight six, three litre turbocharged engine is a powerhouse nonetheless.
The stats are impressive. 258 kw and a giant 500 nm of torque make this engine a real standout all the way to its 6,500 rpm redline..
0 to 100 kilometres an hour is reached in 4.9 seconds..that's serious acceleration, in Audi RS4 V8 territory. 

Accompanying this spectacular grunt (and waiting to be unleashed whenever you want it,in an instant,) is a fabulous snarling, rasping, crackling exhaust from its twin pipes in Sport mode. 
It's a glorious sound and shows off the power of the S 60 to perfection..It's a real head turning and thrilling noise that lets others know this is no ordinary Volvo. (The regular exhaust note is a sophisticated and subdued burble.)
You'll average about 10 litres per 100 kilometres and considering the performance of this car that's pretty good economy.
Visually, the S 60 Polestar is somewhat of a "sleeper." It's painted in the same standout mid blue livery as its Supercar sibling. Subtle badges, huge 20 inch wheels shod with 245/35 series tyres and a small boot spoiler are the only external signs of the true performance car that it is.

The Polestar S60 takes corners with great precision thanks to its all wheel drive Haldex system,and is one of the most surefooted cars I have driven. It's great fun and pure point and squirt motoring at its very best.The only downside is some tyre whine on coarse road surfaces, but it's purely in the background.
The suspension is adjustable, and is a little on the firm side but that suits its character perfectly. The six speed auto gearbox is terrific..snappy changes can be made in sport manual mode or you can leave it to its own devices. Either way it's a breeze to use.

The seats are supremely comfortable, trimmed in a combination of leather and suede inserts, with blue stitching matching the car's exterior colour.
The speedometer is novel. It displays your current speed, with the upper numbers only appearing on the dial the faster you go. The tachometer, as in other S60s is a vertical display to the right of the central speedometer.

I like the floating central console, that will be familiar to other Volvo owners. This car has the console trimmed in carbon fibre.
There's generous padding for arms and elbows, and plenty of room for both front and rear occupants.There's all the usual Volvo safety kit,including active cruise control,blind spot indicators in the wing mirrors,lane departure warning,city safety brake assist, which automatically brakes the car at lower speeds should an obstacle (i.e. a pedestrian) jump out in front of the car. Audio afficionados will love the sound quality from the 12 speaker Harmon Kardon system.
The central info screen contains everything you could want to know  and there's i pod, and bluetooth connectivity and voice activated sat nav as well.

Night time safety is enhanced with brilliantly bright Bi Xenon lamps that turn as the steering wheel is turned.
Build quality is superb.
This is one car that could change your mind about owning a Volvo,
it's spectacular fun when pressing on, yet is also a pleasure to drive in day to day use. 
It turned quite a few heads during my week with it.
The S 60 range starts at around 50K.The car on test here retails at 99K but it's one heck of a value performance package.
Peter Sellen