Remember the Holden Epica? Thought not, as it was hardly an epic car, although it was cheap. Now Holden’s playing a similar card with the new Malibu, which is yet another medium-sized four-door made in the same Korean factory as its forgettable forebear. Looks like Holden might have got it right this time around, however. For the Malibu occupies a similar value-leading price position to the Epica, yet is a far more engaging car, both to drive and to look at. Some of this is due to the key role Holden played during the gestation of the Malibu, with Melbourne-based designers and engineers being responsible for the overall interior and exterior design, powertrain calibration, and a special chassis tune for Tasman Sea markets. The Aussie design team had just signed off on a new-generation Camaro muscle-car for North American consumption, so it’s probably not surprising that they adopted a Camaro theme for the Malibu, both inside and out. You’ll see hints of the Mustang-fighter in the taillights, instrument pods, and the vestigial hipline carved into the flanks of the Malibu. They create a visual point of difference in a sector where marketers are always crowing about the ‘European design’ of their offerings. The development of a dedicated suspension package for local roads is another thing that separates the Malibu from its competition. It was a bit of a rushed job as Holden had intended to adopt the same spring and damping rates as Europe-bound Chevy Malibus, and 11^th hour changes were made when Holden’s chassis engineers found that car lacking on the rougher roads found in this neck of the woods. This ‘thinking locally and acting locally’ really paid dividends, as the Malibu has a suspension set-up that ranks alongside that of the new Mazda6 and the not-so-new Ford Mondeo as the best in the class. As for powertrain, the petrol Malibu is neither the best performer, nor the worse, in the segment. – Paul Owen

Good features
Visual appeal has an endearing American theme.

Not so good
Holden’s long history of offering mediocre cars in this segment.

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Although a stand-alone model, Volkswagen’s CC is based on the Passat, but has a gorgeous body to call its own – one that looks like it’s doing a zero-100 run just standing in the driveway. The lines look good from any angle, front, back, three-quarters, but especially in side profile. Performance of this hardtop, that becomes a convertible at the touch of a switch, isn’t quite as good as the lines suggest; power is a relatively modest 125kW but the turbocharged engine flicks 350Nm off the flywheel anywhere between 1750rpm and 2500rpm. It runs 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds through a six-speed DSG transmission but, more important, is impressively flexible. Light, responsive and a pleasure to drive on the open road, the CC’s engine is always ready to provide the right torque-kick for overtaking. Ride is good, even with the shocks set to sports mode, by tapping a console button. For those into saving fuel, the CC’s BlueMotion technology is your friend. Among its party tricks is engine stop-start with one of the most seamless restarts found on a diesel. Although the cabin doesn’t match the ambience of some rivals, don’t take that as a criticism; it’s just different – Volkswagen’s minimalist take on interior design. Nor are the cabin’s lines a match for the body’s; they’re conservative, but characterised by exemplary fit, finish and use of quality components. The leather seats are comfy, quite supportive and make the CC’s occupants feel at home, particularly in the front. After all, CC does stand for Comfort Coupe. The rear seating is okay, but more okay if two, rather than three, people are sitting there.

Good features
Compact, economical

Not so good
Cramped with full passenger load

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Choosing an Avensis wagon is not going to take much wading through lists of models and all sorts of trim packs and options. It comes in one configuration, a choice of colours and a few basic extras. Trouble was, not too many wagon-buyers even bothered, as the previous model cost too much. The Avensis hails from Europe, Toyota being a global brand, and for ages the New Zealand dollar was a poor relation to the Euro, not uncommonly trading at less than 50 cents. Today’s Euro is well into the 60c range and when an upgraded Avensis was in the offing, Toyota decided to try again, adding more features and dropping the price by more than $6400. The revised Avensis is no rocket wagon, but it’s brisk enough most of the time and rewards with a decent ride, crisp handling, a good level of comfort and well controlled levels of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Those who dislike a CVT may prefer the “manual” side of the transmission where seven shift points have been well chosen and the computer allows leeway in their use. Maybe this is one advantage of a Japanese car designed in Europe. The Euro influence is also obvious a nicely trimmed cargo area with heavy-duty tiedowns running on rails, like you might find in a top Euro wagon. The 543 litre luggage area now has a cargo net and side boards to help secure cargo. With rear seats folded, capacity grows to 1609 litres. Interior changes include different seats and improved connectivity. The entire instrument panel is new. Exterior styling looks more purposeful, after some nipping and tucking. On the safety front, the wagon enjoys a five star Euro NCAP rating and a healthy list of acronym-rich gear: ABS braking, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRC) and Vehicle Stability Control plus (VSC+).

Good features
Well equipped, well priced and roomy

Not so good
Second row headroom

The post Toyota Avensis appeared first on Automotive News NZ.

Audi’s A4 Avant, one of the best looking wagons, flawlessly blends pretty with purposeful. Its lines were nipped and tucked in a 2012 facelift that included a minor exterior rework and interior improvements. All very nice, but even nicer with the optional $6500 S upgrade pack that’s partly functional, partly for looks. Conventional wisdom is that “look-faster” packages are best avoided because their advantages are few and their cost, plenty. But perhaps the A4 is an exception that proves the rule. It offers leather sports seats with S line embossing, leather armrests, brushed alloy inlays, door sill and interior badging, black headlining, a sports steering wheel, different alloys and bumpers, and front and rear spoilers. Leatherwork is superb, the seats comfortable and supportive, the steering wheel genuinely sporty. The new 1.8 litre direct-injection turbocharged TFSI engine (with stop-start) is slightly less powerful than its 2.0 predecessor but torque is the same 320Nm and available from 1400rpm to 3700rpm. It takes 8.3 seconds for the 0-100km/h run and provides outstanding fuel economy, almost 30 per cent better than the 2.0. The luggage compartment holds 490 litres or 1430 litres, seats folded. Superbly fitted and finished, it offers lashing hooks, bag hooks, a storage compartment with net and a 12V socket. Handling’s crisp, ride satisfying. Although only front-wheel-drive its electronic stability and traction controls give it close to all-wheel-drive Quattro grip.

Not so good
Facing stiff competition from BMW, Mercedes and others.

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The T5-R is the go-fast variant in Volvo’s V40 hatchback range. The V40 scored the highest ever result in the Euro NCAP crash testing regime with a near-perfect five-star rating, thanks in part to the world’s first pedestrian airbag and an improved City Safety system that automatically brakes the car to avoid rear-end collisions at speeds up to 50km/h. There are cheaper and more engaging hot hatches around, such as the Renault Megane RS and Ford Focus ST, but they don’t have Volvo’s bank-vault safety credentials. Inside, the seats are excellent, so too the basic ergonomics, topped by Volvo’s floating centre console. Boot space is just adequate; so too rear headroom. The T5 R-Design is good fun on a well-sealed winding road, helped by a gearbox that channels a linear supply of power to a chassis that blends a soft and firm ride. But step on the power away from a good surface and things change. The ride continues to cope reasonably well but the numb electric steering is caught short by the front wheels often scrambling for direction under throttle-induced torque steer.  The similarly powered Megane RS and Focus ST have sharper helms.

Not so good
Numb steering, unwieldy turning circle, lacks all-round character of rivals.

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Park an old Mazda6 alongside the new one and the design DNA is obvious. But get behind the wheel and the differences quickly become clear. Purists might argue that steering response on turn-in in the old model is a tad sharper. But that’s about the only argument that could hold water. The new Mazda6 sedan and wagon is much improved all-round. Weight-saving measures – including an increase in the use of high-tensile steel – mean the latest model is lighter than many of its rivals. It is also stronger, better insulated and more rigid, in turn improving body control, handling, ride quality, and overall refinement. Inside … well, it’s a mix of precision and pedestrian. Much of the architecture is borrowed from the Mazda CX-5 SUV and shoehorned into the slimmer Mazda6 cabin. It doesn’t quite work. But despite that, there are many nice conveniences. The seats are fine, the controls spot-on, driver and passenger have a wider field of vision now that the windscreen pillars have been pulled back, and there is ample space front and rear. But much of the quality touches and comprehensive equipment levels are lost in the predominantly black-on-black cabin. The CX-5 SUV suffers the same fate. Boot space in the sedan is 483 litres. That rises to 506 litres in the wagon, or a substantial 1632 litres with the rear seats folded down. The new Mazda6 range of four sedans and five wagons gets Mazda’s all-new SkyActiv drivetrain and chassis technology, in essence a package of petrol and diesel engines designed to improve fuel use. The best drivertrain is the 2.2-litre diesel coupled to a smart six-speed automatic gearbox.

Good features
Roomy interior, fuel economy, ride and handling among best in class.
Not so good
Dull interior in an otherwise functional cabin

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