Two great things about the Renault Sport Megane 265 Cup: it involves the driver more than any other car at the price, and it looks as good as it goes. It’s a three-door hatchback with a race-bred pedigree that sets the standard for thrills, especially through the twisty bits. It is called the RS265 because it delivers 265 horsepower, or 195kW, from a turbocharged 2-litre engine driving the front wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox. Torque is 360Nm. It starts in price at upwards of NZ$53,000 with standard front seats, red seatbelts and 18-inch alloys. Add Recaro seats with yellow belts, 19-inch black alloys, tyre pressure monitoring, and keyless entry, and the price tops out at just under $NZ60,000. The cabin stands out from the crowd, thanks to the flowing design of the dash, soft-touch plastics and coloured stitching for the seats, steering wheel and gear lever. The Renault scoots from 0-100km/h in just over six seconds and on to a top speed above 250km/h. Its strength is its agile handling, accurate steering and throttle response, evident in normal running mode but especially heightened when you tinker with electronic performance aids in Sport and Extreme modes. Other, more subdued modes, are Linear and Progressive. Sport loosens up the reins; Extreme lets them go. Switching off electronic aids on some cars loosens them up to the point where they can be a handful. Not the 265. It becomes raw and refined at the same time, rewarding the driver with every throttle and steering input. But it’s best to leave traction control on – unless you are in a controlled driving environment. As Michael Schumacher said: “If you are as good as me turn it off; if you’re not leave it on.”

Good features
The most rewarding go-fast hatchback around.

Not so good
Needs sharper exhaust note in normal running mode.

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Here’s the thing about the new B-Class: although there are four models, a diesel and three petrols, starting at $49,900, there are also various equipment packages. If you let your ticking fingers run amok, you can soon add 10 grand or more to the price. There’s a Sports Package, a sexy looking Night Package, a Vision Package that includes a huge sunroof, a multimedia COMAND package, a Driving Assistance Package and a Night Assistance Package (that, ironically, contracts to “nap”). Dealers were happy to get this Generation-2 B-Class after years of living with the earlier version that was so anonymous even the salesmen seemed to fail to remember it. Mercedes said at its introduction in 2012 that no model change in the company’s history saw so many new developments introduced in one go. Everything was new, including sales expectations. New engines, new technology, new gizmos and most of all, a new gearbox as Mercedes swum against the tide, dumped the CVT and went with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. What a cracker the gearbox is, either left on its own or worked via paddles. The B’s a swift car, no matter which engine is chosen, and handles and rides well, although enthusiasts will want the Sport setup. The interior is nicely laid out and fitted. It will immediately appeal to those who carry a full complement of passengers, or lots of luggage. The designers have jumped through all sorts hoops to bring down fuel consumption. The petrol engines are the first of a new direct injection series; the new diesel a development of the OM651 in the C- Class and others.

Good features
Roomy and well designed

Not so good
Less costs more

The post Mercedes-Benz B200 appeared first on Automotive News NZ.

The growth of Kia sales in New Zealand can be measured in part by the success of the Cerato sedan: The first-generation model averaged 220 units a year between 2004-08 and the second-generation 339 between 2009-12. Now Kia expects the third generation four-door to account for an average of 500 annual sales. The new model is appreciably bigger than before, with bold new looks and a generous list of equipment. Step inside and there is an immediate impression of roominess, thanks in part to the cabin-forward design and an expansive dash. Chrome highlights thankfully give the black interior a lift. Kia has paid more attention to the driver – the centre console is angled slightly towards the go-to seat. Door apertures are generous, so is legroom front and rear. Headroom is a tad tight for six-footers. Stowage for small items is also good, especially the open-and-shut box in the centre console for an iPod or smartphone. The boot offers 421 litres of space – but flipping the rear seatbacks forward increases luggage room. On the road the 1.8-litre powertrain was a good match, down on power and torque against the 2.0-litre unit but sweeter overall. Ride and handling, apart from a bit of bump and grind over sharp surfaces, was up there with the best in the segment. To add to the Cerato’s sportier look and feel, Kia has borrowed the Flex-Steer variable steering system from South Korean partner Hyundai. It offers three levels of weight – comfort, normal, and sport – via a steering wheel-mounted button. Flick through all three on a winding road and the difference in comfort and normal is negligible – but the helm certainly firms up in sport mode.

Good features
Looks, cabin, equipment levels, drivetrain

Not so good
Will anyone bother to use Flex-Steer?

The post Kia Cerato appeared first on Automotive News NZ.

The 11th generation Corolla might be racier looking but it comes with the same core values as its predecessors: it‘s well built, good value, easy to drive, and is bound to be as reliable as every other Corolla before it.
It’s like the handyman hubby’s favourite weekend shirt: there’s nothing fancy about it, but it feels comfortable. An added plus is that the new Corolla’s lower and stiffer bodyshell helps make it more agile. The result is a reasonably impressive balance between good road-holding and a compliant suspension set-up that soaks up bumps and ruts. Road noise is appreciably less intrusive, too. Inside, casino online it’s a picture of efficiency and predictability: what you see is what you get. Leg room in the front and rear is adequate, but the lower roofline and smaller windscreen means the cabin feels somewhat smaller than before. The back seats fold almost flat for more cargo room – they needed to because the 280-litre boot space is only average for the segment. Bag hooks in the rear are a nice touch. The engine is nothing to write home about, being largely the same as the outgoing unit. It still needs to be revved hard when extra grunt is needed, but the seven-step CVT transmission is a better match than the old four-speed automatic unit. The CVT is one of the reasons for the new Corolla’s impressive fuel economy.

Good features
Improved ride and handling, racier look, CVT transmission
Not so good
Carry over engine, small boot

The post Toyota Corolla appeared first on Automotive News NZ.

The original A-Class of the late 1990s broke with convention as Mercedes-Benz set to plot a new front-drive/small-car path. The new model follows it, with a footprint typical of today’s executive hatchback segment. But it has a couple of things on its side: it’s clearly full of  Mercedes-Benz DNA and won’t be lost in the mix, it’s sharp looking, sporty even, drives as good as it looks, comes with class-leading equipment and clean engines. All that is enough to ensure it features on European shopping lists. Unlike some of its Euro rivals, there’s nothing conservative about it. The A-Class has been designed to turn heads. Inside and out, it is a racy blend of colour, contrasts, and converging design lines. The cabin is largely driver-focused, remaining roomy for four adults, and providing adequate storage space front and rear. But it can’t claim to be an airy environment. On the road the A-Class clashes with itself. Handling is sharp and responsive, as good as it gets in the segment, no matter which of the engine offerings is under the bonnet. Body control was as good, too, but the ride was a compromise: good over good surfaces, skittery and jarring over bad surfaces. Road and wind noise intruded. The 1.6-litre engine in the entry-level A180 stays quiet at low revs, pulls obligingly in high gears, and returns decent economy. It has price on its side, too.

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