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Aug 7, 2006

Citroen C4 Picasso

The new C4 Picasso is not a replacement to Xsara Picasso, because it has gone upmarket. Citroen will continue to sell the old car as a budget model, much in the same way as Peugeot sells 206 alongside 207.

From the pictures I would say the C4 Picasso is very promising. It has a sophisticated and tasteful styling, more stylish than Ford S-Max / Galaxy and the current class leader Renault Grand Scenic as well as Opel Zafira. If you look at its mechanical aspect, it is very modest – engines include only a 143hp 2.0 16V petrol and 110hp / 138hp 2.0 HDI turbo diesels. Gearbox is a 6-speed automated manual. It will be slow, but most customers in this segment ask for good packaging and comfort rather than performance, which is where the C4 Picasso will shine.

The car offers a class-leading window area of 6.4m2 (including panoramic glass roof), most notably is the windscreen which expand deep into the roof. Moreover, the A-pillars are made narrow, followed by a pair of large quarter windows to reduce blindspot – a thing most modern MPVs did badly.

Besides airiness, C4 Picasso also paid special attention to cabin atmosphere at night. Believed to be employing the LED and optic fiber technology of C-Airlounge concept car, it has light guides under the front fascia, in the door panels and in the headlining that diffuse soft light. Driver can also change the color of the lights.

Space is another strength of the car. Like Zafira and Grand Scenic, it offers 7 seats in 3 rows, but the Citroen's cabin seems more spacious. Because the gearshift is mounted at steering column, there is no transmission tunnel between the front seats, allowing occupants to walk through from the front row to the second row. The second row consists of 3 identical independent seats which can fold flat easily by one action. The third row can also fold flat into the floor. Luggage volume is 1951 litres when all seats are folded, or 576 litres in 5-seat configuration and the second row pushed to the rearmost position. Which is undoubtedly remarkable.

There are four large storage compartments in the dashboard, including a refrigerated cubby for cold drinks. A 4-zone climate control allows individual adjustment for the front and second row. Other high quality features include laminated side windows to reduce noise and self-leveling pneumatic rear suspensions to delivers a smooth ride regardless of load. The C4 Picasso is definitely an upmarket midi MPV.

Aug 7, 2006

Kia Opirus

Kia has improved its flagship Opirus (Amanti) luxury saloon. Externally, it gets a slight facelift at the grille and front bumper while the taillights has been changed to vertical. The styling is definitely more upmarket, although it is still very conservative. However, the most improved is the mechanicals. Gone is the underpowered (195hp) Mitusubishi 3.5-litre V6, replaced by Hyundai Azera's 3.8-litre VVT and variable intake V6, good for 266 hp and 260lbft (both are slightly more than Azera). The gearbox remains unchanged at 5-speed automatic.

The chassis has been reinforced in various areas (e.g. floorpan, bulkhead, sills, B-pillars). The suspension and steering geometry is improved. The tracks are widened by 15mm front and 30mm rear. Tires increased to 235/55R17. Surprisingly, these improvements come together with a weight reduction of 122 kg, thanks to the all-aluminum V6 and the 34 kg lighter suspensions. Admittedly, the Opirus is still an overweight vehicle, that's why its performance claim is far less impressive than its Hyundai cousin. Top speed is only 143 mph while 0-60 takes 7.1 seconds.

Aug 1, 2006

Audi S3

Audi has just released information for the new, second generation S3. Although the current A3 range is led by a 250hp 3.2 V6, for the S3 Audi chose to adopt the 2.0-litre turbo FSI inline-4 for the advantage of lightness. It weighs just 152 kilograms, about 10-20 kg lighter than comparable 6-cylinder engines (including BMW's 161kg magnesium R6 and Audi's own 169.5kg 3.2 FSI V6). This benefits the chassis balance and handling.

This engine is the most powerful member of the 2.0 TFSI family. It combines direct injection and variable valve timing with a larger turbocharger which pumps 1.2 bar of boost into the engine via an enlarged intercooler. Of course, there are stronger block, pistons, con-rods and bearings to withstand the high stress and a cylinder head made of different alloy to resist higher temperature. The result is 265 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 258 lbft of torque at 2500-5000 rpm. The horsepower count overwhelms the 200hp version used in Golf GTI and 240hp version used in Leon Cupra R. It levels with BMW 130i, beats it in the torque figure though trade some smoothness.

The engine mates with 6-speed manual gearbox (no DSG or S-Tronic at launch) and, unsurprisingly, drives all four wheels via Haldex multi-plate clutch. Audi claims the new S3 can top 155 mph (electronic limited of course) and accelerate from standstill to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. That's 0.4 seconds quicker than the BMW hot hatch and make it the fastest hot hatch today - provided you don't count the 3-box Subaru Impreza STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX which are no more expensive.

Compare with the standard A3, S3 has its ride height dropped by 25mm to improve stability. The front MacPherson strut suspensions employ aluminum wishbones and pivot bearings to reduce weight. The large, 18-inch alloy wheels house larger disc brakes and wear 225/40 tires. Mods to the exterior can be seen clearly in these photos. It is unmistakably a hotter A3, but perhaps not dramatic enough. I still miss the days of Ford Escort RS Cosworth...