Worldcarblog.com

Thursday, 14 October 2021 04:24

Land Rover Defender Review: Tough Luxe

The verdict: The Defender delivers modern Land Rover SUV qualities, like impressive power and extensive off-road technology, in a distinctive shape that plays off the past.

Versus the competition: For a mid-size luxury SUV, the Defender’s claimed off-road capabilities — including a 35.4-inch wading depth — are considerable. It’s also surprisingly nimble and refined on the street, though its design emphasizes ruggedness over traditional luxury cues.

Last sold in the U.S. for the 1997 model year, “Defender” is a legendary Land Rover nameplate that has embodied capability much the same way as Jeep’s “Wrangler.” More expensive than Land Rover’s entry-luxury compact SUVs but not as pricey as the brand’s family of Range Rover models, the Defender sits alongside the Discovery in Land Rover’s lineup.

The Defender is offered in two-door (90) and four-door (110) form. Our primary test vehicle was a 2020 four-door SE trim level with the optional mild-hybrid drivetrain, which features an inline-six-cylinder engine that’s both turbocharged and supercharged. We also spent some time in a 2021 two-door First Edition. The as-tested price of our SE version was $72,180, while the First Edition’s as-tested price was $66,475 (prices include a $1,350 destination charge).

We weren’t able to test the Defender off-road, but judging by the number of Land Rovers we see cruising around Chicago and its suburbs, the urban jungle is as natural a Land Rover habitat as an actual jungle. We’re looking forward to testing the Defender off-road in the future, but for now this review covers what it’s like as a daily driver.

Surprisingly Quick

The four-door Defender is a big, heavy vehicle that’s as tall and wide as some full-size SUVs. The six-cylinder’s 395-horsepower rating is nothing to sneeze at, but it feels like there’s even more power under the Defender’s hood; the engine delivers effortless acceleration that belies this SUV’s considerable bulk. It incorporates an electrically driven supercharger that increases boost pressure at low engine rpm, resulting in 406 pounds-feet of torque from 2,000 rpm. While it doesn’t have the kind of forceful high-speed passing power the Range Rover’s available supercharged V-8 produces, it’s still swift.

The mild-hybrid drivetrain makes about 100 hp more than the base four-cylinder and gets slightly better estimated gas mileage: It’s EPA-rated 17/22/19 mpg city/highway/combined versus the base engine’s 17/20/18 mpg rating. Both engines have better estimated fuel economy than the Lexus GX 460, another off-road-capable luxury SUV, which is powered by a 301-hp V-8 and rated 15/19/16 mpg.

Nimble, Too

Despite its size, the Defender doesn’t drive like a big SUV; it’s easy to maneuver and place where you want. It steers with a light touch, and steering response is direct and precise. The tall driving position affords commanding forward views, and the SUV feels poised whether you’re on suburban streets or the highway.

Like the top-of-the-line Range Rover, the Defender 110 has a standard air suspension, but this model’s ride quality is firmer and less forgiving. It’s not harsh, but I did feel breaks and bumps in the pavement — and that was with the available 20-inch tires set to their light load pressures of 34 psi in front and 36 psi in back, rather than their normal load settings of 47 psi in front and 50 psi in back. (Higher tire pressures tend to deteriorate ride quality.)

Less Luxury, More Utility

The original Defender and the models that preceded it were rugged, military-derived, no-frills vehicles. The new Defender’s interior has its share of luxury cues, but it’s not as plush as other Land Rovers.

That doesn’t mean its unique design cues aren’t cool. They are, and some of them are even functional. Exposed Torx-style screws on the doors and center console lend a bit of an industrial feel, and the recessed dashboard face creates a nearly vehicle-wide shelf for odds and ends. It’s just one of many storage areas in the Defender, which also has large door pockets and an open storage area where the center console meets the dash.

Taller adults can ride comfortably in the four-door model’s second row, which has lots of headroom — even with the optional panoramic moonroof. The seat cushion and backrest aren’t adjustable in two-row models, but legroom is adequate. A two-seat third row is optional.

Smart Technology

Compared with the dual-screen control systems in some other Land Rovers, the Defender’s single 10-inch dashboard touchscreen and the physical air conditioning controls below it are refreshingly simple to use. The display runs Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro multimedia system, which has easy-to-navigate on-screen menus, crisp graphics and an intuitive navigation system.

The system also includes wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. CarPlay started immediately when I connected my phone to the USB port, and it makes the most of the widescreen display by using all the screen’s width.

Our Defender 110 had no shortage of ports for devices, with USB-A and USB-C ports in front and four USB ports in the second row. Two ports can be had in the backs of the front seats to charge tablets mounted on the optional Click and Go holders.

Practicality Shortcomings

Some of the Defender’s design elements create usability problems. While forward visibility is good and the front roof pillars are relatively thin, wide B-pillars restrict over-shoulder views, and rear visibility is partially obstructed by the full-size spare tire mounted on the swing gate. A rearview camera mirror that can display a feed of what’s behind the SUV — eliminating the blind spot created by the spare tire — is available.

That swing gate is a nod to the previous Defender, and even though it’s a good place to store a large, heavy wheel and tire that would otherwise rob interior space (or compromise off-roading if affixed to the undercarriage), there’s a reason you rarely see them anymore. Swing gates can be difficult to fully open when parallel-parked, and ones like the Defender’s, with passenger-side hinges, block curbside access to the cargo area when open.

What’s the 2-Door Defender 90 Like?

The Defender 90’s ride quality is impressive, and only the roughest roads unsettle it. The ride is comfortable, controlled and refined with the air suspension, and the SUV feels stable at highway speeds. Even with its shorter wheelbase, it rides about as well as the four-door 110 version. There’s noticeable squat under hard acceleration and nosedive when braking, but it’s more tolerable than what you can experience in a Toyota 4Runner, for instance.

The mild-hybrid six-cylinder drivetrain feels just as strong in the slightly lighter Defender 90 as it does in the 110. Mash the gas pedal on the highway and the automatic transmission readily kicks down, the hood lifts toward the sky and the SUV barrels forward. The supercharged V-8 engine that joins the Defender’s powertrain lineup for the 2022 model year is likely a blast to drive, but the six-cylinder drivetrain should satisfy most buyers for less money. The mild-hybrid drivetrain also gets better gas mileage: 19 mpg combined versus 16 mpg for the V-8, according to EPA estimates.

The Defender 90’s backseat accommodations were a pleasant surprise. The seating position is comfortable for taller people, and there’s plenty of legroom and headroom. The large side windows offer good views out, too. However, getting to the rear bench seat isn’t easy; the front seats motor forward slowly, and climbing back there isn’t a graceful experience. There’s minimal cargo space behind the backseat, and the seat doesn’t fold flat with the cargo floor.

Our Defender 90 had an available power-retractable fabric roof, a relatively uncommon feature. The fabric retracts over the rear seat, giving you a bit of an open-air driving experience, but it doesn’t feel like you’re in a convertible with its top down; there’s still a lot of SUV around you. The closed fabric roof also lets in more noise than a panoramic moonroof, which the Defender also offers.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Defender hadn’t been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as of publication.

Standard active-safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind spot intervention, lane-keeping assist, a driver-attention monitor and a 360-degree camera system. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability is optional.

Value in Its Class

The base four-door Defender comes with its share of premium features as standard equipment, including an adaptive air suspension, a 360-degree camera system and wireless device charging. There are some downmarket features, too, like painted steel wheels and fabric seating surfaces. You could make a case that those more basic features make sense for off-roading, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Defender starts at more than $50,000. There aren’t any other mid-size luxury SUVs like it, though, and that uniqueness is part of the Defender’s appeal — whether you need its off-road capability or not.

(https://www.cars.com/articles/2020-land-rover-defender-review-tough-luxe-430665/)

Published in Land Rover

Wednesday, 13 October 2021 06:23

BMW i4 hatchback review

"BMW's first all-electric compact executive model has arrived to challenge the Tesla Model 3"

Pros

Classy interior
Great handling
300-plus mile range

Cons

Expensive
No front boot
Confusing infotainment

The BMW i4 is a vital new model for the brand because it represents the first all-electric model intended to win over buyers of its core BMW 3 Series and BMW 4 Series models. Not only that but it also locks horns with the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, and gives BMW a headstart on Mercedes in the compact executive electric car class.

Most similar in proportions to the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, the i4 gets four doors and a hatchback but still looks low and sporty. In M Sport and M50 guise, it's also fairly muscular, with jutting bumpers, deep side skirts and a rear bumper diffuser in place of tailpipes.

At launch, there's eDrive40 and M50 versions that rival the Model 3 Long Range and Performance models respectively. The first gets a single 335bhp motor and rear-wheel drive, along with an 81kWh battery. It has a range of up to 367 miles and gets from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. The high-performance M50 is the first electric BMW to get attention from BMW’s M division and gets another electric motor for the front wheels, for 537bhp. This reduces range to 316 miles but also cuts 0-62mph to 3.9 seconds.

There's also the small matter of the i4's chassis, which could be one of the main selling points for buyers. Despite the car’s weight, a low centre of gravity, wide axles and BMW's suspension engineering means it certainly handles incisively, making it one of the best electric cars for enthusiast drivers we've tried so far. The steering isn't bristling with feel but has excellent precision and a natural weight to it.

While the basic interior design is similar to the 3 and 4 Series, there's also a big upgrade for the infotainment setup, which now runs the latest iDrive 8 software. There's a new seamless curved display for the instruments and infotainment, along with advances like a 5G connection, augmented reality navigation and an improved voice assistant.

Quality is good, with plenty of upmarket materials, and the i4 is very refined, which helps on long drives. Rear space isn't quite on a par with the 4 Series Gran Coupe because the battery eats into the footwell but the i4's boot is only 10 litres smaller.

The BMW i4 is a long-awaited arrival and demonstrates what’s required to fend off arrivals from relative newcomers to the market like Tesla. The car offers great handling, superb refinement and an impressive interior combined with a competitive range and plenty of performance.

BMW is clearly taking aim at the Tesla Model 3 and the manufacturer's 81kWh battery and fifth-generation eDrive electric motors deliver the goods - on paper at least. The rear-wheel drive eDrive40 can manage an impressive range of up to 367 miles, compared with 360 miles for the Model 3 Long Range.

With an extra motor and a lot more power, the i4 M50 sees this drop to 316 miles, which is still an impressive figure. We began our test drive with 90% charge, giving an indicated range of 232 miles. After 91 miles of mixed driving, the battery dropped to 44% with 112 miles remaining.

Find a rapid 200kW DC charger and the battery can be replenished from 10-80% in 31 minutes. A home wallbox takes around 13 hours to charge the battery from empty to 100%. A home charging cable, public charging cable and BMW Charging Card for use on the public network are included with the car. The latter includes free charging for the first 12 months.

Every i4 will be exempt from VED (road tax), which will be a significant cost saving, avoiding the surcharge usually levied against cars costing more than £40,000. Business drivers will form a big part of the i4's audience - as they have for the Model 3 - thanks to its low 1% Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band during 2021/22. We expect insurance to be expensive, however, particularly for the M50 with its searing performance. i4 owners will also be able to drive into cities with low emissions zones without paying.

A lot is expected of the i4 because not only is it the manufacturer's most focused electric car to date but it's essentially a battery-powered version of its legendary 3 and 4 Series models. As a result, BMW clearly knew the car had to be good to drive.

Despite the car’s weight (over two tonnes), the weight distribution is 50:50 and the i4's battery has given it a very low centre of gravity. The axles have been widened compared with the 3 Series too. The result is that the i4 instantly feels lighter than anticipated, staying flat in corners and feeling well balanced.

The steering is a key ingredient, as it's both precise and natural enough to allow the driver to accurately place the car and build confidence in the i4. It isn't especially communicative, however, so it can be tricky to judge exactly how much grip there is at the front tyres.

So far, we've driven the M50, with 537bhp thanks to front and rear electric motors. It's enough thrust to get the i4 from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, and under full power the M50 hunkers down on its wheels and shoots forwards with startling pace. With no mechanical limited-slip differential, the car can start to lose its composure if you accelerate too aggressively out of a slow corner, so it responds better to a more relaxed approach.

While the M50 will give a BMW M4 a run for its money, at least in a straight line, most buyers will be more than satisfied with the eDrive40 model. With a single motor and rear-wheel drive, it has 335bhp and gets from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds.

The air suspension fitted in the M50 provides a smooth ride in its Comfort setting and refinement is excellent. Near-silent electric motors and an impressive lack of wind and tyre noise make the i4 a very relaxing car, even at motorway speeds.

The interior layout won't look too unfamiliar to 3 Series and 4 Series owners, and it has the same excellent build quality, with brushed metal finishes, leather and carbon fibre trim in our test car. The big change is the infotainment setup, which features a sweeping display combining a 12.3-inch instrument panel and 14.9-inch media screen, floating above the dash.

These are powered by the brand's latest iDrive 8 software, with new tech including 5G connectivity, augmented reality sat-nav and an Intelligent Personal Assistant. Its graphics are very sharp and lots of processing power means it responds quickly but we found the array of sub-menus tricky to navigate while driving.

The eDrive40 is offered in Sport and M Sport trims, with the entry-level version getting 18-inch aerodynamic wheels, black exterior trim and folding door mirrors. Inside, BMW's Live Cockpit Professional is standard, along with climate control and heated front seats. M Sport adds a sports steering wheel, a more aggressive body kit, aluminium interior trim and Alcantara Sensatec upholstery. The range-topping M50 has 19-inch alloy wheels, black leather upholstery, electrically adjusting and memory seats, privacy glass, wireless phone charging and a head-up display.

The i4 is around the same size as the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe but its all-electric nature does mean there are some differences inside. Front passengers can get nice and low, giving the car a sporty feel, but the floor-mounted battery means there isn't as much footwell space for rear passengers. Knee room still isn't too bad for taller passengers but they may find it uncomfortable for long trips.

Boot capacity impresses, with 470 litres of volume that's just 10 litres down on the 4 Series Gran Coupe. The Polestar 2 has a smaller 405-litre boot but unlike the i4 it also has a 35-litre 'frunk' under the bonnet. Both the i4 and the Polestar 2 have a hatchback opening, making it easier to load bulky items than the boot lid of the Tesla Model 3.

While BMW might not be such an obvious player in the electric car market, it has been building EVs and hybrid models for quite a number of years, including the BMW i3 which launched in 2013. The fact its eDrive electric technology is now its fifth generation should prove reassuring for buyers and we expect the car to prove extremely robust. BMW may even be hoping its EVs will give its reputation a boost, as it currently sits in 21st place out of 29 manufacturers in our Driver Power owner satisfaction survey.

The i4 is available with around 40 driver assistance features to make it safer and easier to drive and park. It's fitted with a reversing camera and Parking Assistant as standard, while the optional Driving Assistant Professional adds adaptive cruise control that can stop and start the car in heavy traffic. It can also help steer the car in its lane, reduce the likelihood of side and rear collisions and help prevent accidental speeding.

(https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/bmw/i4)

Published in BMW

Tuesday, 12 October 2021 04:38

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS450+ Electrifies Luxury

The less powerful version of the EQS offers relative value and range for a six-figure outlay.

After driving nearly every car for sale over the last 20 years, it's natural for the cars of the past to enter into your thoughts when driving something new. Humans compare experiences to gain perspective, which explains why we were daydreaming about Rolls-Royces while driving Mercedes-Benz's new electric luxury four-door, the EQS450+.

Like a Rolls-Royce Phantom, the EQS is a capsule of luxury and silence that pours itself down the road with unerring grace. Unlike a hard-to-swallow Rolls, the EQS looks like an Advil Liqui-Gel. It's a lozenge of a car with what Mercedes claims is the lowest drag coefficient—0.20—of any car on sale. That slick bod whips through the air, barely disturbing it, and leads to near silence at extra-legal highway speeds.

The 107.8-kWh battery sandwiched in the floor also helps keep road noise to a minimum. That big battery also allows the EQS450+ to go an estimated 350 miles between charges. While that range bests the other German electrics, Lucid and Tesla both have models that far surpass that number. Find a Level 3 DC hookup and the EQS can go from 10 percent charge to 80 percent in 31 minutes. On a typical Level 2 setup, the EQS take just over 11 hours to go from 10 percent to 100 percent.

Moving the electrons around in the battery is a single motor driving the rear wheels that makes 329 horsepower and 419 pound-feet of torque. It's not nearly as quick as the 516-hp EQS580, but it'll shove you into the massaging seats. After the initial thrust from a stop the acceleration tapers off, but 60 mph is yours in a claimed 5.9 seconds. In more relaxed driving, the right-now torque affords the EQS the same sort of effortless waftability that Rolls-Royce has been touting for decades.

Yet what really reminds us of the Spirit of Ecstasy is the suppleness and silence of the suspension as it glides over the tarmac. Not much of the outside permeates the EQS's cocoon. The long 126.4-inch wheelbase certainly helps attenuate bumps, but it's the tuning of the standard air-spring suspension that maintains the serenity despite our test car's 21-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear summer rubber.

Those sticky tires provide excellent grip despite the Benz's estimated 5600-pound curb weight. Press it hard into a corner and it remains flat, and the low center of gravity born of the massive battery in the floor seemingly drills the car into the center of the Earth. Steering efforts are light and don't pick up much even in Sport mode, but the easy efforts help mask the heft and size of this S-class-sized hatchback.

Four-wheel steering turns the rear wheels up to 10 degrees in opposition of the fronts at low speeds, helping to shrink the turning circle to 35.7 feet, making this very big Benz feel like an A-class. There's an ease and luxury to the whole driving experience, that is only interrupted by the brakes. Hitting the brakes in the EQS starts with energy regeneration from the motors and then blends in the stopping power of the four massive brake rotors. Stepping into the brake pedal is an initially mushy experience that doesn't slow the car much. Keep pushing and you reach a hard point where the pedal resists being moved further. Press harder and the deceleration finally hits, but it takes a lot of pedal pressure to get meaningful braking, and by then you're sailing towards that burgundy Corolla at an alarming rate.

Using those unnatural-feeling brakes can be largely avoided by pulling on the right paddle behind the steering wheel twice. Do so and you get the maximum regeneration (what Mercedes terms Recuperation) that largely eliminates the need to touch the brake pedal and allows one to speed up and slow down in traffic by using only the accelerator. That max regen mode won't bring the car to a complete stop though. The system slows the car to about 5 mph and then continues to creep ahead. There is an additional regen mode that requires you to hold the right paddle called Intelligent Recuperation. It utilizes the adaptive cruise-control radar and camera systems to optimize regeneration based on the surrounding traffic, the topography, and the twistiness of the road. When engaged, it'll bring the car to a stop provided the car in front of you has stopped. It certainly works, but it's not smart enough to stop at a stop sign or red light and will only react to whatever the car ahead is doing.

Aside from this being Mercedes's first car built on its new EV platform, the other big news is the so-called Hyperscreen. The Hyperscreen consists of three screens that are covered in a massive glass panel that spans the width of the dashboard. The three touchscreens control nearly every function in the car, from setting an interior temperature to a game of Tetris. As a new system, it takes a bit of getting used to, but after a few hours of experimentation we became comfortable with scrolling through radio stations, looking up the outside air quality, setting a destination on the native navigation system, and pairing a phone to the system. Once paired, we largely skipped Benz's system for Apple CarPlay. There is also the option of talking to the EQS. Saying "Hey, Mercedes" wakes the EQS's virtual assistant that can help with a number of controls from setting the temperature to making a phone call. It works surprisingly well, but talking to your car always seems just a little silly.

The Hyperscreen certainly looks like the future, but the instrument display in front of the driver is set high. That elevated cowl is the exact opposite of the low and simple dashboard of a Tesla Model 3 or even a Model S. The brain adjusts to it, but without an engine ahead of you, why does the cowl need to be so high?

We also questioned the lack of a frunk. A cabin air filter and some other ancillaries live under the fixed hood, but the EQS makes up for that deficiency with an absolutely massive amount of cargo space under the hatch. And, if that's not enough, the rear seats fold away.

There's also a lot of space in the rear seat—leg-crossing, stretch-out space. Sitting in the rear seat you realize that this car is a reimagining of the S-class. In addition to the S-class appointments, performance, technology, and space inside, the EQS comes with an S-class-like price. The least expensive EQS450+ starts at $103,360, moving up to the Exclusive Level adds $3400, and the appropriately named Pinnacle Level comes in at $109,560. Pricing for the more powerful EQS580 opens at $120,160, requires an additional $3400 for the Exclusive trim, and for those who want it all, the Pinnacle will wear a $126,360 window sticker. Aside from the acceleration, the smaller motor EQS450+ is the same luxurious experience as the EQS580. If you never floor it for more than a couple of seconds, you'll never feel like you should have gone with the quicker car. The EQS450+ is just as quiet, just as refined, and just and lovely as the more expensive EQS580. So, for those who don't think every car that's next to you at a red light is competition, you'll be just fine.

(https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a37917666/2022-mercedes-benz-eqs450-drive/)

Published in Mercedes

Thursday, 07 October 2021 04:01

Ford Fiesta Active review

With a strong driving experience and trendy SUV styling, the Fiesta Active has a lot to recommend it – but the standard car is cheaper

The SUV boom shows few signs of stopping any time soon, and manufacturers have tried to cash in as much as possible. Ford not only sells ‘proper’ SUVs like the Kuga, but also jacked-up Active versions of the Fiesta, Focus and Tourneo Connect (plus, previously, the KA+ city car).

The Ford Fiesta Active brings a slightly higher ride height than the standard Fiesta, not to mention roof rails and cladding around the wheel arches to make it look tougher. In pretty much all other respects, it’s the same as the standard Fiesta and features the same qualities.

About the Ford Fiesta Active

It’s another option to consider if you’re after a small SUV like the SEAT Arona, Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008 and the Citroen C3 Aircross – though it’s slightly smaller than all these models. Ford also sells two small SUVs of its own: the EcoSport and the big-selling Puma.

Good things, though, often come in small packages, and that’s true of the Fiesta Active. Because despite having a ride height that’s 18mm taller than the Fiesta on which it’s based, the Active has had its track widened by 10mm. This translates into a planted feel on the road, fun cornering and a car that’s generally true to the Fiesta’s ethos. All in all, it’s an appealing and likeable small SUV.

The Fiesta Active has two trim levels: the Active Edition and Active X Edition. If you’re familiar with the standard Fiesta range, Active Edition is based on Titanium and features sat nav and cruise control, but adds some extra (mostly aesthetic) trinkets. Active X, like Titanium X, has more equipment by way of keyless entry and a B&O sound system.

In terms of engine choice, you’re limited to three power outputs of a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. Versions with 123 or 153bhp come with mild-hybrid technology to reduce fuel consumption, and the former is also available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic alongside the standard-fit six-speed manual. On Active Edition models, you can also choose a non-hybrid 99bhp version of the engine.

Both the Ford Fiesta and SUVs are incredibly popular, so combining the two to make the Ford Fiesta Active must have seemed like a no-brainer for Ford. The company expects 15 per cent of the Fiestas it sells to be the Active variant, after all. But while some may have feared a taller Fiesta would lose the handling finesse Ford’s evergreen supermini has long been known for, in truth, the Fiesta Active is similarly enjoyable to drive.

It is, to be fair, more expensive than a standard Fiesta, but the Active gets a plusher entry-level trim, so this isn’t felt quite as keenly as it might be. There’s room for five adults (at a push) inside, while the Fiesta Active gets the same well-designed cabin and up-to-date eight-inch Sync 3 infotainment system as the standard Fiesta. As a bridge between supermini and full-on small SUV, with the impressive qualities of the Ford Fiesta thrown-in, it makes a lot of sense.

The battle car companies face when designing SUVs is that if they make a taller car, they tend to raise its centre of gravity. This, in turn, will lead to more body roll when cornering, which is an enemy of a fun driving experience – something that wouldn’t bode well with the Fiesta’s reputation.

Ford must have been well aware of this when designing the Active, so while the car has rugged plastic wheel arches, roof rails and more sturdy-looking bumpers, it actually rides just 18mm taller than the Fiesta hatch. To further minimise the impact an SUV stance might otherwise have and to compensate for the slightly taller frame, the Active’s track has been widened by 10mm.

These design elements are worth knowing, because they mean that if you’ve driven the standard Fiesta, the Active doesn’t deviate too much from that car’s impressive handling characteristics. There is a fraction more body lean when cornering, but nowhere near enough to dent the Active’s overall handling prowess. It also has an almost identical – albeit marginally higher – driving position to the Fiesta, plus the same snickety gearbox and sharp steering.

All models come with what Ford terms “rough road suspension” and a driving mode selector with Eco, Normal and Slippery settings. It’s unlikely the Fiesta Active will get you hugely far off the beaten track, but the slightly raised stance should make taking it into a field, for example, less nerve-racking than it would be in a conventional supermini. The car’s underside will also be that little bit further out of harm’s way when negotiating urban obstacles like speed humps and kerbs.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

Ford only offers the Active with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, although a 1.5-litre diesel was available early in the car’s life. The petrol currently comes in 99, 123 and 153bhp formats.

Choose one of the EcoBoost petrols and you’ll be getting an eager powerplant. The slightly gruff nature intrinsic to three-cylinder engines gives the EcoBoost a pleasing amount of character when accelerating, but once on a cruise it’s a hushed companion, and an all-round solid performer. Note the least powerful petrol isn’t available with the better-equipped trim.

Performance, naturally, varies depending on which EcoBoost configuration you choose. The 99bhp version takes 10.8 seconds to go from 0-62mph, the 123bhp version shrinks this to around 9.5 seconds, while the 153bhp engine does the same in 8.9 seconds. We’d argue the 123bhp unit is the one to go for though: it’s swift enough for most needs, and you can have fun wringing out its power, while staying on the right side of the law. A sweet-changing six-speed manual gearbox is standard across the range, with a six-speed auto offered as an option, but only with the 123bhp petrol engine.

Remember those compromises we mentioned earlier about SUVs being less agile than more established body styles? The same theory applies to economy. Add size and you reduce efficiency – partly due to extra weight, and partly due to a taller car being less aerodynamic.

Fortunately, because the Fiesta Active is only slightly larger than the Fiesta, and only weighs an extra 100kg or so, its efficiency losses are pretty minimal.

Specify your Active with the 1.0-litre petrol engine and official economy sticks around the mid-50s, with the 123 and 153bhp mild-hybrid engines returning 56-57mpg, and the 99bhp version managing 53.3mpg.

The Active stands up pretty well to the competition where economy is concerned, too. The SEAT Arona officially manages 52.3mpg with the base 94bhp petrol engine, but the 148bhp engine with an automatic gearbox offers an MPG figure in the mid-40s.

As far as road tax is concerned, you’ll pay £145 for the mild-hybrid engines and £155 for the 99bhp petrol engine once the car’s a year old. The first year’s tax is wrapped up in the cost of the car.

Insurance

Insurance for your Ford Fiesta Active should be cheap enough. The Active starts in group 10 out of 50, while the 123bhp engine sits in group 15 and you’re looking at group 17 for the 153bhp unit - regardless of the trim level you choose. Cover shouldn’t be expensive, either way, and should be slightly cheaper than it would be with the SEAT Arona, which sits in groups 8 to 18.

If cheap insurance is the goal, though, bear in mind choosing a Fiesta hatchback instead of the Active will get you more affordable cover: the Fiesta Trend sits in group 4 – though only if you specify it with the unenthusiastic 74bhp petrol engine.

Depreciation

Our experts predict the Fiesta Active will retain an average of 42.56 per cent of its value after three years and 36,000 miles, which is roughly the same as the standard, Fiesta. Our choice, the B&O Play model with the 99bhp EcoBoost engine, should hold onto 36.5 per cent of its value, while the 118bhp and 138bhp petrols will be more resistant to depreciation - though they’ll cost you more to buy in the first place.

When the new Fiesta launched in 2017, its new interior put criticism of the outgoing model’s button-heavy cabin to rest – so it’s no surprise Ford has stuck with the same layout for the Active model.

The driving position, naturally, is ever so slightly higher than it is in the standard Fiesta, but your feet and arms adopt an almost identical position, and you’d be hard pushed to tell much of a difference between the two cars from behind the wheel. This is a good thing, though, as it means the gearlever is where you instinctively reach for it and feels satisfyingly chunky, the steering wheel sits comfortably in your hands, and the pedal box can accommodate even larger feet.

Interior quality is decent enough. The Volkswagen Polo feels plusher, sure, but in general the Fiesta Active acquits itself well. Unique upholstery patterns help it stand out from the crowd. As is common in the supermini class, lower down in the dashboard there are scratchy plastics, but higher up things are more pleasant, and softer to the touch.

The range starts with the Fiesta Active Edition. This includes a leather steering wheel, keyless start, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, rear parking sensors and a range of online features through the FordPass Connect modem. For most buyers, we’d say this is the trim level to pick as it offers a generous level of standard equipment.

Top-spec Active X Edition cars add power-fold mirrors, part-leather seats, an upgraded climate control system, auto high-beam assist and a B&O sound system. Active X is a further £2,500 or so over the Active Edition though.

Individual options include an opening panoramic sunroof for £995 (note that this means you lose the roof rails), full LED headlights for £700, pop-out door-edge protectors for £100 (worth having) and a £300 winter package.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system may not be the best in the business but it still has a lot to recommend it. It features physical shortcut buttons at its left and right edges to easily bring up the radio volume, for example, while the central screen hosts large, easy-to-prod icons, and there are physical play/pause and skip buttons at the screen’s base.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included in the Sync 3 system, as is a physical knob for the volume and power – no prodding at a screen for these functions. Helpfully, there’s also a button that turns the screen off without shutting the entire system down – useful if you’re travelling at night and want to avoid screen glare while you listen to the radio.

The Fiesta Active is a pretty practical supermini-cum-SUV, but don’t go thinking it’s a commodious car

The latest Ford Fiesta has a more spacious cabin than its predecessor, and the Active continues to make the most of these gains. Although five adults will be a squash, this is true of most cars of a similar size, which tend not to be bought by drivers who regularly carry a full complement of passengers.

Legroom, headroom and passenger space

As with similarly-sized cars, those in the rear of the Fiesta Active will be forced to adopt a relatively upright seating position, and front-seat occupants will have to be considerate of how far they have their seats forward if adults are behind them.

While the Fiesta Active makes a strong fist of the space its small dimensions provide, and young families should do well with it, if you want to maximise the amount of interior space your small car offers, look into the Honda Jazz– it’s the epitome of clever packaging.

Boot

At 311 litres with the rear seats up, boot space in the Fiesta Active is identical to the Fiesta hatch. Drop the seats in the Active and luggage space grows to 1,093 litres. These figures are reasonable, if nothing to write home about. The SEAT Arona, for comparison, offers 400 litres of luggage space with the rear seats up, while the Citroen C3 Aircross has 520 litres if you slide its rear seats forward.

Towing

Ford will fit the Fiesta Active with a tow bar for £225 – though not in conjunction with the optional panoramic sunroof. So equipped, the Active will tow up to 1,000kg, and will do so most comfortably if you choose the 118bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine.

The Ford Fiesta was awarded the full five stars for safety by Euro NCAP, and this should apply to the Active variant. Adult occupant protection was rated at 87 per cent, child protection was similarly strong at 84 per cent, and safety assist was given 60 per cent.

Go for the Active X Edition model and you’ll get traffic sign recognition (helpful for sticking to the speed limit), auto-dipping headlights and fatigue detection. A £350 ‘Exclusive Pack’ adds this tech to the Active Edition, plus adaptive cruise control.

The Driver Assistance pack, meanwhile, bundles adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (which operates at speeds up to 50mph), blind-spot detection, auto park assist and a reversing camera. It’s not cheap, costing £600 or £900 depending on trim level, but this kit is worth having.

It seems a lot of Fiesta owners aren’t particularly enamoured with their cars, according to our 2021 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. Rated 68th in our list of the top 75 cars on sale, the Fiesta didn’t score that highly in any one area. The best score was for low running costs, but neither the engine or the Ford’s reliability impressed.

The results aren’t any better for the wider Ford brand, which flopped to a 25th-place finish out of 29 manufacturers.

Warranty

Ford’s three-year, 60,000-mile warranty is average for the industry, A number of other manufacturers, including Toyota, Kia and Hyundai, offer longer, more generous policies.

Servicing

Ford’s fixed-price service plans come in a number of flavours. A basic two-year plan covering one service is £260, and high-mileage drivers can opt for a two-year/two-service policy for £500. A three-year/two service policy is £530.

(https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/fiesta/active-suv)

Published in Ford

Saturday, 02 October 2021 06:16

Volkswagen Taigo review

PROS

Excellent engines shared with T-Cross
Wide model range promised
Standard digital cockpit across the range

CONS

Sloping roof means less practicality
It won't go on sale until 2022

What's a Volkswagen Taigo? It's the result of more platform gaming from the VW Group as its latest small family car bridges the gap between the Polo and T-Cross models with a Coupe-SUV bodystyle. It's a growing indicator of how seriously the German firm is treating the crossover market – with a total of six individual SUVs from the T-Cross to the Touareg.

Direct rivals aren't that numerous. Popular Coupe-SUVs such as the Toyota C-HR, Renault Arkana and (arguably) the Citroen C4 are generally in the class above. But the sleek Ford Puma is definitely going to appear on many of the same shopping lists, as is the larger Kia XCeed and Mazda CX-30.

What’s new about the Volkswagen Taigo?

The concept of the coupe-shaped SUV has largely been the preserve of more expensive models in manufacturer model ranges, but the new Taigo is Volkswagen’s first foray into this increasingly popular market segment.

It’s flatter and longer than the T-Cross it so closely based on, but has the same ground clearance. This means it’s obviously higher and roomier than a Polo, yet despite the swooping rear roofline, this five-seater is said to be able to swallow even the tallest rear-seat passengers.

The front-wheel-drive Taigo also includes IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist, which is VW's less-than-snappily name for its partially automated driving system or adaptive cruise control. There’s predictive distance control and lane merging assistance.

Volkswagen Taigo review (2022) interior view

What’s it like inside?

Volkswagen have made a big play about how emotional the Taigo’s design is. It describes the Taigo as ‘fully digital and always on’, which means you can access online streaming services in the car, in addition to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also wireless charging for smartphones and a multitude of online apps to manage your Taigo online.

There’s a choice of four different infotainment systems: Composition with a 6.5-inch display, Ready2Discover with an 8.0-inch display (comes as standard in Style and R-Line), Discover Media with an 8.0-inch display, and Discover Pro, offered in 9.2-inch format.

In addition, VW also makes a big play of the Taigo’s Digital Cockpit. The Digital Cockpit Pro allows you to fine-tune this to your heart’s content. Keeping things digital, climate control is performed via a touchscreen too. Once you’ve stopped playing with all the screens, the fundamentals are good. Though the coupe-style roof means that the Taigo can’t quite match the T-Cross for storage space (455 litres), it’ll still swallow 438 litres.

Volkswagen Taigo review (2022) boot space

What engines are available?

There are three petrol engines, two three cylinders (95 and 110hp) and one four cylinder (150hp), which marshalled via either five- or six-speed manual gearboxes or a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. We’ve yet to see fuel economy and CO2 figures for the Taigo’s engines.

What models and trims are available?

Volkswagen has rationalised its trim lines across the range for clarity, and describes the Taigo’s lineage as having a Y shape.

The aforementioned Digital Cockpit is standard to all Taigos, and the next rung up the trim level ladder, the Life, adds a front armrest with a USB-C interface, multifunction steering wheel in leather and electric foldable exterior mirrors. From here the trims diverge, with the R-Line offering a more sporty look inside and out than the more luxury-focused Style. The XDS electronic differential lock is an option on the R-Line and Style, and a towing bracket is an option on all Taigos.

For those looking to get busy with the options list, you can choose from a panoramic sliding/tilting sunroof, Digital Cockpit Pro with 10.25-inch display, ArtVelour seat covers, voice control, Black Style design package for the R-Line and the ‘beats’ sound system with 300 watts and six speakers.

When does it go on sale?

The car was scheduled for late 2021 when it was unveiled in late July, but we’ve not heard a firm date for its arrival.

(https://www.parkers.co.uk/volkswagen/taigo/review/)

Published in Volkswagen

Wednesday, 29 September 2021 04:03

2022 BMW iX xDrive50 First Drive: A Glimpse at the Future

BMW’s newest SUV previews our and its electric future.

BMW is serious about going green. Forget about concept cars; starting in 2025 all BMWs will ride on what's for now called the Neue Klasse platform, a single electric vehicle architecture to rule them all. Board member and development CTO Frank Weber called the Neue Klasse "new new" and went on to describe it as "the most radical departure BMW has ever done." Until that time, the Bavarian automotive giant is launching all sorts of EVs on various other platforms, including the i4, an electric 5 Series presumably named i5, an i7, as well as a small SUV that will most likely be called the iX1. BMW already sells an electric X3 named—you guessed it—iX3, but not here in the U.S. However, the brand's most ambitious EV to date is the new iX. I just spent a day in the X5-sized electric SUV, specifically the U.S.-bound AWD 2022 iX xDrive50. How is it? Keep reading.

From a platform point of view, the iX rides on a highly modified version of BMW's CLAR platform. CLAR underpins the majority of BMW's lineup, including the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 Series, as well as the X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7 SUVs. The Z4 and Toyota Supra, too. Perhaps a better way of explaining the iX's architecture is to say that it rides on a new high-strength steel, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, and aluminum spaceframe platform, but one that relies heavily on CLAR componentry. Like suspension pieces, for instance. This allows the iX to be built alongside its gasoline-powered siblings at BMW's massive Dingolfing factory. As for the competition, there hardly is any. Both archrivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz have yet to build electric midsize SUVs. Jaguar does have the slow selling I-Pace, though its short range knocks it from most people's short lists. The Cadillac Lyriq will be a worthy opponent once it shows up in a year or so. That leaves the nearly $100K Tesla Model X, which makes the $84,195 iX seem like a solid deal.

What Makes The IX?

Powering the xDrive50 are two motors, one per axle, that combined spin out 516 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque. Stout numbers, no doubt, though come January, the even more powerful iX M60 bows with over 600 horsepower. Those 516 ponies puts the iX just below the output the current X5 M50i gets from its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8, though the gas-powered X5 makes slightly less torque (553 lb-ft). BMW wants to show consumers there's no performance hit for choosing an EV, at least on paper. We haven't tested or weighed the iX yet, though the EV is much heavier. BMW is quoting an EU-specified curb weight of nearly 5,700 pounds.

Why so heavy? Batteries. Until something better comes along, electric cars, trucks, and SUVs will be using lithium-ion batteries, and, like bricks, they're heavy. At 105 kWh of usable capacity, the bmw ix has a fairly large battery, too. To give you some perspective, the Tesla Model S and X both have 100-kWh packs, whereas the Lucid Air uses a 113-kWh battery pack. In terms of range, before I set off with a 96 percent state of charge, the iX was telling me I had 351 miles (565 km) to go. That's a predictive range, based on several factors, such as driver (or, in my case, previous driver) behavior. BMW claims 380 miles of range on the EU cycle, and that will probably drop to around 300 miles on the EPA cycle. One thing that will upset existing EV fans more than new converts: There is no frunk. None at all. Seems like a mistake.

That Face

How about that grille? That's the new face of BMW. Hate it? Well, every human on Instagram seems to agree with you. That said—and yes, I'm obviously old, soft, blind, and on BMW's payroll—in person I thought the iX's face looked, dare I say it, good? There was something about the massive kidney grilles and the narrow, robot-like eyes that just worked. Almost like a second-generation Cylon from the Battlestar Galactica reboot. It's miles better than the grille on the new M3/M4, at any rate. Back to Instagram, the big question seemed to be, if there's no engine, why is there a grille at all? Aside from branding, the twin grilles (which are covered in self-healing skin) are cleverly stuffed with sensors, including two types of radar. As for the rest of the exterior, the hard side is nearly generic save for the floating roof. From the rear, the taillights look too skinny, and the body-colored bumper makes the iX's butt look fat.

Inside The IX

The iX's interior is an exercise in minimalism, at least for BMW. A massive, curved touchscreen dominates the cabin. In days past, BMW has angled the controls toward the driver. In an homage to days of yore, the screen (that contains the controls) bends toward the driver. The number of buttons has been reduced by 50 percent, what BMW considers the bare minimum. That said, if you look down at the lovely piece of wood that surrounds the iDrive knob, you'll see 12 buttons, not counting the controller itself (which does click down and in the X and Y axis) but including the volume wheel. The buttons that remain are logical, and there's a calmness and spaciousness to the interior that's new for the brand. However, there's also a sparseness that just doesn't scream premium luxury to me. And at nearly $85K to start, it ought to.

Technically speaking, the iX is stacked. The latest and eighth iteration of iDrive is more powerful than ever. I know this because I sat through at least three iDrive workshops while I was in Munich. Three! Just know that if you say, "Hey BMW, take a selfie," the iX takes a picture of you. No, really. However, the selfie camera is there as a security feature. Did you leave your wallet or purse on the front seat? Just open your phone and have a look. Speaking of wild tech, meet Maneuver Assistant. Long story short, Maneuver Assistant records how you park the iX—say, in a tricky spot in your garage—like a macro. The iX will then repeat the maneuver whenever you tell it to. Said maneuver can be up to 200 meters long. The iX can store up to 10 such maneuvers. Here's the coolest part: The maneuvers can then be transferred from profile to profile. Meaning you could record the move and then transfer it to your spouse/your kid's profile. That's dang nifty, no?

But How's It Drive?

First impression: Driving around Bavaria's gorgeous Berchtesgaden region that puts the verdant in verde, one is reminded why going green is so monumentally important. I want your kids to see what I just saw. Ahem. Pointed down the mountain with the iX xDrive50 in efficient mode, simply lifting off the throttle allows the iX to coast. The sensation is wonderful, as if the machine is suddenly free. I guess there's enough brake regen to hold the speed, but it feels like you're sailing. I know some EV enthusiasts (they exist, trust me) love huge levels of regen and one-pedal driving and all that, but I prefer to freefall. The iX is remarkably quiet, bordering on perhaps a bit too quiet. The BMW Group's other spaceframe products, Rolls-Royces, are in fact too quiet. What does too quiet mean? You can hear your own heart beating. The iX comes close.

One area where the bmw ix struggles is that it doesn't sound or feel particularly premium. I know I'm sitting on leather, but the interior has been simplified so much that I feel like I'm in a device, as opposed to a luxury vehicle. I would love to see the (eventual, I hope) Alpina version of the iX, one that's generously slathered in leather. The xDrive50 is slick and high-tech, but there's a Tesla-like sparseness that doesn't connect with me. Plus, the spot that's normally a drivetrain tunnel is simply empty space. Like in a cargo van. Now, maybe that was the design team's intention? Maybe they said, "Look, Tesla is dominating the EV space, and we need to be more like it." If that's the case, then BMW really has succeeded in going minimum. Some customers might even dig it. Call it the Tesla Syndrome. But for my large hunk of cash, I'd like some more wood, metal, and leather. To me, the Tesla aesthetic doesn't work here.

As for driving on curvy, fun Bavarian roads, it's fine. The iX drives at least as well as the Tesla Model X, and now that I'm thinking about it, quite similarly. That impression makes sense as both weigh about the same, have said weight located in the same spots, and make about the same power. To be clear, I'm talking about the last Model X I drove back in 2016 when the 90D version of the electric three-row SUV produced 518 horsepower from its two motors. For 2022 you now choose between 670 Long Range or 1,020 ponies in the Plaid. Like the equally heavy Tesla, the iX is betrayed by physics. This might be part of why this EV SUV doesn't necessarily feel premium. There's a minivan quality that's hard to get past. I'm not feeling the ultimate driving machine. I'm not feeling BMW as a brand in the way it tackles a road. It's quite like how I felt about the i3. Interesting car, interesting concept, but doesn't feel the way a BMW should feel when I close my eyes. The iX just feels like… an electric thing. That said, the noise the motors make (or is that coming from the speakers?) is quite cool.

Let's Talk Range

As far as range goes, I left the hotel at 96 percent charge, and 20 kilometers later the battery was still at 96 percent. I had been in Eco Pro mode most of the time and was pointing downhill. But still, that's impressive. Six km later, the battery was still reading 96 percent. Wanting to burn a little juice, I switched out of the efficient mode and into Comfort. In 4 km, it was still showing 96 percent. I was starting to think the computer was broken. Also, the range was telling me I didn't have to charge for 565 km (351 miles) and that I would arrive at my first destination in 28 km with 89 percent of the battery left. When I started, the computer said I'd make it with 88 percent remaining. The computer therefore doesn't account for downhill driving or elevation changes in the range estimates, so keep that in mind as I'm sure the opposite would be true going uphill. I made it to the first stop having consumed just 1 percent of the battery's juice. Not bad. As mentioned, the iX will probably be rated right around 300 miles of range in the U.S. Based on my driving experience, I predict BMW is going to have a Porsche Taycan situation on its hands, where the EPA rated the Turbo S version at 192 miles of range, but it's actually capable of over 250.

After my first stop, it was time for some freeway. Let me be the first to say that the bmw ix whips ass on the autobahn. This is a seriously quick EV, especially accelerating from about 75 mph to 105 mph. Let me be the billionth person to say, God bless unrestricted sections of autobahn. I took the iX up to its top speed of 124 mph (200 kph) just to check things out, and you can feel the computer shutting down the fun right when you nudge past 120 mph. However, I set the cruise at 170 kph (about 106 mph) and had a couple of realizations. The first is that moving this quickly in absolute silence (I had it in Eco Pro mode) is quite cool. There's hardly any wind noise—it's like being in a private jet. Second, the iX is aerodynamic enough (0.25 claimed Cd) that even well into the triple digits the range isn't affected too negatively. I travelled 30 km (about 19 miles) at 170 kph and used only 4 percent of the battery. Moreover, the adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist work as well as anything, save for Cadillac's impossibly good Supercruise. Once you're moving in a high-speed, straight line, the iX drives great.

Conclusion

The 2022 bmw ix previews many things coming down the automotive pike. Not only is it a glimpse into BMW's sustainable, electric, carbon-neutral future, but this type of machine—an electric carlike SUV-sized people mover—will become the dominant mode of first-world personal transportation within the decade. As a signpost pointing toward the future, I feel confident concluding that we're in good shape vis-à-vis the driving world to come. But as a BMW? I'm struggling here. For whatever reason, I want and expect all BMWs to drive better than other machines, or at least most other machines. This is probably an unreasonable expectation, but dammit, all BMWs used to have an X factor. I can still remember driving an ex's E39 540i two decades ago. The relationship went nowhere, but I got a memory that will last a lifetime. As for the all-new bmw ix when it arrives in Q1 of 2022, we Americans will have a fast, powerful, efficient, tech-laden yet minimalist SUV in a segment with few serious competitors. I just wish the iX were a bit more memorable.

(https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2022-bmw-ix-xdrive50-first-drive-review/)

Published in BMW

Tuesday, 28 September 2021 04:21

Tested: Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe Exudes Elegant Menace

In a market of flashy and ferocious performance cars, AMG's two-door E53 is subtle yet effective.

We had the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E53 over a perfect weekend, hot enough to appreciate a luxury car with a vigorous air-conditioning system and ventilated leather seats, yet breezy enough to pop up the sunroof and let the pine scent of mountain air and the smooth thrum of the inline-six engine fill the cabin. This is a no-stress car to drive in a variety of environments, cushioned and sophisticated for the city-street crawl, small enough to park, yet ready and willing to switch modes—easily, with a dial on the steering wheel—and make short work of long straights and rising twisties.

Mercedes offers the AMG-tuned E-class as a sedan, a cabriolet (for those in need of uninterrupted sun or vast rear quarter panels), or the coupe we tested here. We've always liked the E53's version of AMG performance. It's no cheapie, starting at $77,300, but it delivers elegance and power for the price. The E53 isn't as rowdy or violent as its V-8-powered brethren, but it packs an unexpected punch, and we all like a sleeper. It's slightly less a sleeper for 2021, thanks to updated front and rear fascias. The somewhat stodgy grille has been replaced with the Panamericana 12-strake shark's grin found on other AMG models. At the back, quad exhaust outlets flank the rear diffuser.

HIGHS: Understated performance, seductive inline-six engine note, beautifully styled and finished.

Take this thing out and people move over, even when you're just cruising. Nobody wants a grinning shark in their rearview mirror. If you do want to get on it a bit, the super- and turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six is more than happy to help you make the pass. With 429 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, the AMG E53 is more than capable of putting traffic behind you. Think 60 mph in four seconds flat and a quarter-mile pass in 12.5 seconds at 110 mph. It's still possible to catch the car off guard with a hasty bit of throttle application, but it's more a slow downshift from the nine-speed automatic transmission than it is reluctance on the part of the powerplant. Doesn't matter; it's momentary. And then the revs are climbing, the scenery is blurring, and the camper van that waved you by is far back in the distance.

If the E53's exterior is somewhat subtle even with the redesign, the interior is like sitting inside a collector's-edition baseball mitt. Ours was a brash combination of black and brown leather. You may have grown tired of the mossy accumulation of faux suede in modern interiors—you won't find even a tuft of it in the E53. There is one optional interior with Dinamica suede, but our $100,160 test car was broad color blocks of leather everywhere. Mercedes's art-deco metal speaker covers and turbine-engine air-conditioning vents look a little anachronistic against the more modern door panels and carbon-patterned aluminum dash trim, but the overall effect is one of quality and confidence. The design elements continue through the whole of the cabin, with the back seats treated to the same motif: Everyone gets a big chunk of brown leather to rest an arm against. It's also very comfortable, although more so in front than in the back. There's plenty of headroom back there despite the arched coupe roofline, but legroom gets tight as the front seats go back, particularly at the foot box. As in most coupes, the rear is best saved for short journeys and people you don't like, although the lack of a B-pillar does lend an old-school Chevelle-like airiness to the back seats. We also wouldn't give it high marks for ease of child-seat installation, as there's a lot of quarter-panel between you and the LATCH anchors. This is a car for commuting and date night. Leave the kids at home.

LOWS: Fussy interior controls, occasional recalcitrance from the nine-speed transmission, can top six figures with options.

The refreshed E53 gets the glitzy Mercedes MBUX infotainment system. A 12.3-inch center touchscreen merges with the digital dash in a wide sweep of glass that's impressive enough to elicit gasps from passengers who aren't used to such futuristic cockpits. It's controllable via touch, console touchpad, steering-wheel touch, and voice. The system is great—quick, clear, and compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—but we'd happily trade the haptic steering-wheel pads for old-fashioned buttons. The digital dash offers seemingly endless info and layouts, and we saw them all in rotation, thanks to accidental thumb swipes across the touch sensor every five minutes. It's a case of too many options just because you can. Similarly flashy and of dubious usefulness is the center screen's habit of displaying the view from the front-facing camera at stoplights. Thanks, Mercedes, but there's a little thing called a windshield here—we can already see what's in front. Precious seconds were lost switching it back to the CarPlay screen to see the next turn. A few more seconds will be spent fumbling to find the tiny Park button on the wee shifter lever. We can only imagine that the interior-design team at AMG consists of one designer with hands the size of dinner plates—they did the thick tree branch of a steering wheel—and another who is an actual fairy, responsible for the miniscule steering-wheel buttons and the delicate shifter stalk buried behind the big wheel.

After you've found the shifter and put it in Drive—a pinkie-out activity if ever there was one—the gentle part is over. It's not that you have to muscle the E53 around, but it lets you play rough with it. There's a tendency to say that any good-handling car feels lighter than it is. That's not the case with the E53. It feels every bit of its 4511 pounds, but it's a controllable weight, turning in smoothly while feeling planted. Comfort mode is a little soft and sluggish, but Sport feels excellent, firm enough for aggressive cornering, sharp in the steering, and upping the feline growl of the engine; we recorded an invigorating 85-decibel snarl at full throttle. Sport+ is the top option, but it makes for a less comfortable ride and mostly just ratchets up the harshness. As the 4Matic+ badge indicates, it does use the AMG-tuned version of Benz's all-wheel-drive system, which can send as much as 100 percent of the torque to the rear axle.

Shod with 20-inch run-flat Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Run Flat summer tires, our test car’s 0.87 g of skidpad grip couldn’t quite match the 0.91 g posted by a similar 2019 model we tested, and its so-so 172-foot stop from 70 mph was a few feet longer than that previous car's effort. More impressive is that the E53's performance is accompanied by a solid 32 mpg on our 75-highway test, a 4-mpg improvement over its EPA estimate.

If you're looking for a car to charm strangers and start conversations at gas stops, this isn't it. The Mercedes-AMG E53 coupe does not make friends. When we parked it in the cute hippie mountain town of Wrightwood, California, a couple of teens on bicycles immediately glared at us. "Gentrifiers," one whispered to the other. Okay, maybe not, but they thought it, and they weren't wrong. This car's appearance in a neighborhood means home prices are about to go up. It exudes the same elegant menace as the molten ball of mercury in Terminator 2, right before it morphed into a killing machine. It's intimidating on the road and when parked, which is good—a Mercedes should not endear you to people. It should make them think you're going to represent their corporate enemies in court and win. This is a winner's car. No wonder it's grinning.

(https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a37049268/2021-mercedes-amg-e53-coupe-drive/)

Published in Mercedes