Peugeot RCZ Review: The double-bubble Peugeot can bank on!

In the Pug of War with the Audi TT, the stunning Peugeot RCZ pulls sporty minds towards design aesthetics.

What does it take to make the drivers of the Audi TT to turn their heads? That was perhaps the very brief that Autodesk designers received at the Peugeot headquarters. It seems what they came up with has urged not only Ingolstadt but the entire world to sit up and take a second look! With the unique, even a bit weird double-bubble design, the RCZ from Peugeot reiterates the superiority of style over everything else in French Automobile Grammar.

RCZ: The power to pull the Peugeot brand-wagon

When offered the test drive, my preference to experience the manual drive first, as against the more popular automatic transmission, was just as obvious as the additional 44 bhp power available in the 200 bhp manual version.  The latter’s torque as high as 275 Nm makes the manual drive as powerful as you want a mid-range sports car to be. Despite fielding a 1.6 L engine – thanks to Peugeot’s environment-friendly agenda – you don’t have to wait for the torque to kick in. This makes the manual transmission smooth and pleasurable, and the purposeful gearshift adds to the sporty feeling of the drive.

RCZ runs up to 100 kmph swiftly enough (7.1 sec) but takes much longer to cruise past the 200 mark. But then, it’s an uncannily similar comparison here with the Audi TT 2.0 TFSI, that leaves 100 behind in less than 7 sec but crosses the 200 mark at (yawn!) 29.5 sec, in fact half a second behind the RCZ!

Active driving dynamics and N-Cap safety rating

Peugeot RCZ features a dashing spoiler across its boot that comes awake with a crunch that sounds more like a sharp and sudden revving of the turbo-booster – a signal to other drivers regarding the powerhouse that is passing by. Christened the Active Rear Spoiler, it is deployed automatically according to the vehicle speed or by the touch of a button in the central console, and is designed to optimize the flow of air and improve the down-force.

Besides the high visibility quotient of the rear windscreen, Parking Sensors with a blip make it a friendly cockpit to drive in. On the flipside are the cruise control and speed limiter stalks that are well concealed behind the steering spokes – looks great by being invisible is it at the cost of practicality?

Peugeot RCZ Automatic Transmission

Well, if you would rather barter a vial of adrenaline for the ease of everyday urban commute, the automatic transmission still doesn’t deprive you of the RCZ essence. There is a lot of style and character to the car that help keep the balance, as the absence of one-fourth of its pulling power tends to tip the scales in the wrong direction.

Above everything else, what marks the RCZ is its refreshing ability to inspire awe…

Read the whole story at http://drivemeonline.com/2011/09/13/peugeot-rcz-review-the-double-bubble-peugeot-can-bank-on/2

Ford Escape: The first taste of adventure

With its boxy design that has survived several summers, the Escape is Ford’s closest contender to the fabled 4 x 4 archetype. On and off the road, if confidence and the power to take on a challenge are the attributes expected of a purely functional 4 x 4, Ford Escape is designed to give you just that. It saves you a few precious minutes by finding an alternative escape route from a haplessly waiting lineup of traffic or by extending a Friday jaunt further by an adventurous mile.

Escape offers a long-distance ride quality that doesn’t feign to be luxurious yet stays mindful of passenger comfort even on undulating terrain. Actually, how the 4 x 4 scores brownie points is by paying attention to your philosophical rudiments, if you are a sedan-to-SUV convert. This sturdy box on wheels adheres to even the smallest commandments of your credo with a wet storage boot, space for your soiled Timberland boots and strong railings on top for bikes or backpacks. For a quick pick up and drop of cargo, the boot-lid glass can be raised and lowered independently. The 2011 model even comes equipped with a Blind Spot reading bifocal mirror – while the concept is tremendously useful when upgrading your drive from a sedan, it needs a bit of getting used to particularly during night driving.

On the transmission path from sedan to SUV, this Ford affords a quick escape into the realm of fun and adventure. Read the whole story at http://drivemeonline.com/2011/08/16/ford-escape-the-first-taste-of-adventure

Mazda 6 Ultra: Mazda’s best kept secret

Mazda’s lineup of sedans for most, stop with the Mazda 6. Their most eligible contender for the pride of place in the mid-size/executive sedan segment seem to be stuck in a blind-spot in spite of doing pretty well for itself in the showrooms. And that makes the Mazda 6 Ultra the hidden gem in the Mazda line-up.

An experience beyond Mazda 6

The Ultra is a car that makes up for every shortcoming of the Mazda 6 in the family car segment. With more space, more power and more material comfort, the Ultra is designed for those who appreciate the exuberant designs that get Mazda to stand out in the crowded and fellow-Japanese dominated world of practical and cautious car purchase. For those who look beyond the somewhat compact design of a Mazda 6 and don’t mind shelling out a few thousands more for the extra frills, Mazda 6 Ultra offers sufficient solace.

The Mazda 6 Ultra bundles an offering that truly makes it worthy of the flagship position in the Mazda lineup. The central console, for instance, is something that will instantly charm those who have crossed over the realm of ostentatious frills. Purely functional and minimalist, the convenient settings present themselves as an elegant black button panel framed by a silver lining (brushed aluminium to be precise) that differentiates the Ultra luxury from the Mazda 6. What doesn’t compliment the setting though, is the shell finish where you mostly find wooden trims in other cars of the same stature.

The Mazda 6 has it all. Great design that sets the Mazda standards. A reasonably  powerful and fuel-efficient engine that ensures a satisfying drive, and frills that translate to everyday convenience.

Upside: Impressive design. Comfortable interiors. Bose 12-speaker Music System

Flipside: Mind your head when you get in.

Read the full story on http://drivemeonline.com/2011/08/02/mazda-6-ultra-mazda%E2%80%99s-best-kept-secret/

Skoda Octavia RS: Pleasure drives to Sporty capers

How much is 200bhp? Never try to quantify the figure by driving the new Octavia RS. For, the engineers at Skoda have spent many lives tuning and fine-tuning the seemingly slight four-cylinder engine of the Octavia to generate an overwhelming dose of power from their latest 2 L turbo baby. Step on it first for a deceptively gentle thrust – soon to be thrown off guard as you push your luck a wee bit harder to unleash the 280 Nm of turbo-torque that has you roaring at 100 km/h in 7.3 sec.

Despite the meticulously timed gearshifts from the DSG transmission (Direct Shift Gearbox), the Octavia RS gives the pleasure of driving a manual car. What I liked about the RS is the way it grips the road. On its 18” alloys, it doesn’t get swept away by a sharp cornering feat or an accidental wheel spin. Sport enthusiasts who expect a hard drive aligned with smooth handling will not be disappointed. At this point, if your thoughts turn to a Golf GTI, think about this – you can lean back more in an Octavia RS with nearly ten grand left in your pocket!

Sporty in every sense, it offers a playful interlude of carefree juvenile pleasure in the humdrum of mature family life...

Read more on www.drivemeonline.com

Extended Warranty now comes as Standard!

While various automobile brands have been trying to play one-up by offering a longer Warranty and Service than their competitors, the government has just leveled the playground for all. NOW, ALL CARS SOLD IN THE UAE WILL COME WITH A MANDATORY 5-YEAR WARRANTY! This will make a car-buyer in the UAE one of the world’s most reassured automobile customers.

In the last couple of years, various car brands have been competing with each other to allure customers by throwing in an extra year of warranty or introducing free service as part of the contract. For upcoming brands, it was a handy tool to gain the confidence of cautious players and for premium brands, a reassuring gesture to deal with the perception of being expensive to maintain. While Hyundai led the trend in the former category with a 7-year warranty of sorts, Audi is one of the prominent brands that benefited in the second category. The premium icon’s 5-year service contract helped in converting hundreds of hesitant Audi fans.

Well, October 1, when the rule is supposed to come into force, is still almost 3 months away. In the meanwhile, Ramadan offers will still rely heavily on limited period warranty and service deals. The fact is that the automobile dealership in the UAE has just lost a potent differentiator for promotions post October. As for car owners, now why should anyone buy your old car from you, if buying it from a dealer can give them never-before peace-of-mind?

Read more on http://www.drivemeonline.com/ and share your views on www.facebook.com/Car.Reviews

Lexus ES 350: Don’t drive... Cruise!

If you ever wanted to buy a yacht but were worried of getting seasick, go for a Lexus ES 350 instead... 

It is true that the ES 350 can take you from zero to 100 in 7 seconds flat. It’s also true that at 268bhp, the 3.5 L V6 is powerful enough to leave behind most other luxury sedans, and even some of the sporty kind, on the six-lane. The super-sensitive steering can weave some impressive manoeuvres while changing lanes or overtaking. But chances are, you won’t remember any of those details en route, when you finally step out of your ES. The only thing that would stay in mind is the impeccable cruise to your destination. 

It is perfect silence... with a downside!

The first thing you notice in a live and running ES 350, rather what you won’t notice, is the sound of the engine. It takes a bit getting used to not looking at the rpm meter to determine if the engine is running idle. The silent cabin is perhaps the most remarkable of the many remarkable features that adorn an ES. It cuts out the road noise, absorbs the bumps and glitches and makes an average road seem like polished glass. The only thing that could give you an occasional jolt of reality is the light jerk of higher gearshifts. 

You need to step on it hard – listening hard, too – to actually appreciate the engine sound above the relatively silent air-conditioner. Now, quite unlike the inspiring burble of a BMW, one can’t say the Lexus engine does spill out music to your ears. From somewhere deep in the underbelly rises a softly contained tenor, hesitant to develop into a full-blown symphony. So it’s much better off doing what it does best - ­remain reticent and be applauded for its magnificent silence. But again, the downside of having too silent an engine is that, on a midsummer afternoon when it’s 38º C outside, you are constantly exposed to the monotonous blowing of the fan, like the desert wind itself. However, the dual-control Air-conditioning is effective enough in the scorching summer sun -­ so what’s new? It’s a Toyota after all.

 

Lexus lives in the details

The show begins even as you approach the car with the key tucked away in your pocket or handbag. The SMART keyless entry rides smooth into the keyless start as well. The idle luxury also makes itself evident in its responsive cabin ergonomics, right from the steering wheel that presents itself in your favourite position to the simple-to-navigate console buttons and sliding mid-console storage. The side-view mirror even saves the driver from straining his neck, by keeping track of the blind spot in the dotted margin of the mirror.
Whoever said that the ES was nothing but a glorified Camry never heard of the aphorism “God is in the details”. Claiming almost double the price of a Camry, the Lexus ES 350 justifies every fil of it. Its pampering attention to detail extends from the glossy wooden trims and appetisingly delicate (temperature-controlled) leather to the “everyday frills” like the navigation, the blue tooth, rear parking assist with camera, rear sun screens and an impressive sound system - just like its owner, the sound system of the Lexus is clear and composed too. Lexus bestows a lot of care on its passengers even when it comes to a stop, with guiding lights in the foot-wells as well as the side wings.

If you could bestow a mid-size luxury sedan with a “limousine” tag, this would be it! On the contrary, if you prefer the sporty kind, or have zero-tolerance for a tendency towards over-steering, Lexus was never intended to be your chosen one. Its laid-back character is so deeply ingrained that even when you decide to summon the power it hides, your Lexus ES would take a moment or two, to shrug off its gentleman’s cloak!

If you ever wanted to buy a yacht but were worried of getting seasick, go for a Lexus ES 350 instead. It costs much less and would afford you a luxury cruise along a more comfortable terrain!

MG 750 – Grandeur is back

“It doesn’t just make you feel good. MG 750 makes your every dirham feel distinguished.”

My childhood neighbour used to be visited by an Uncle who chugged along in a Morris Minor – thinking of which gives those wonderful years the innocent charm of “once upon a time”. The real charm of “once upon a time” is that it just doesn’t belong to once upon a time – it is forever. Which is what goes to the great advantage of MG Rover 75, as it makes a comeback as MG 750. 

For a car that once belonged to BMW, (a fact that its charming six-cylinder burble still reminds you of!), won accolades including the “most beautiful car” and the “Middle East Car of the Year” in 1999-2000, and was among the preferred ministerial cars of the British Government for a good part of its career, the Rover’s exit in 2005 doesn’t go down very easily. But what matters is that it’s back - as SAIC Motor Corporation’s prized trophy from its English campaign. And by the way, MG still stands for Morris Garages (just in case you thought it was “Mind-blowing Grandeur”).

MG750 is a true classic - the feline contours of a distinctive British heritage; the dashboard clock that is straight out of a 007 car chase of the sixties; the minimalist sophistication of wood-finish and leather; the refinement that satisfies the eyes and doesn’t disappoint ensuing expectations. The car in its new avatar has retained all of it except for the price tag. Now, let me not jump the gun and spoil the fun. I’ll save that for last.

The car is a retro fanatic’s dream come true, from the classic grill mesh to the double-barrelled snoot at the rear. It is powerful enough to convert the champions of China’s new economy into total retro buffs. The car does everything the good old way – regal, luxurious and elegantly stunning. From the cool sensation of the veneer and leather steering that grows on you with every turn to the soothing instrument panel that reminds you of classic pencil drawings, with their clean whites and oval dials – like a 19th century horologist’s inspiration drawings.

Once the key turns the ignition, the first thing that impresses you, and overwhelms you in the long run, is the evocative dignity of the unmistakably European growl of the V6. I haven’t heard anything like that in a long time on the roads – ever since BMW gave up its rights on Rover. It’s not the arrogant roar of an engine that will take you from 0 – infinity in yellow to green signal time. On the contrary, it is the stately guttural roll of a car that will take you steadily on snaking suburban roads just as well as six-lane highways that demand lane-manoeuvring with relaxed confidence. The MG 750 allows you to get carried away in a fluent ride – shock-free and silent, at cruising speeds. In case you wish to engage the extra power by switching to “S” mode, you will notice that the 2.5 L V6 isn’t necessarily the most powerful of its kind but is undoubtedly among the most refined.

Comfortably fitting into the Executive sedan category, the spacious cabin offers first-class comfort with plenty of legroom. The backseat and the headrests are designed in such a way as to please taller passengers. The armrest in between doubles up as an executive stowaway when the MG 750 credibly gets converted into an everyday limousine! Just a piece of advice for parents of toddlers, avoid buying restrictive child seats with ISO FIX provisions only – coz MG 750 hasn’t provided for those.

The elegant leather seats instantly make you feel comfortable but if you are one of those who would like to lean against the soft response of plush skin, you could be a tad disappointed on a long -haul. On a sweltering summer day, like the one I chose for the road run, the fact that it takes the blower at full-throttle to cool the car can be irksome, but once settled to a steady temp, the air-conditioning silently adds to the ride quality. Some of the trims have compromised in material quality, like the storage buttons or the AC vent grill, but there’s not enough evidence anywhere to justify the price at which this royal driving experience from the British heritage is now offered. (We are almost at the end of the suspense thread!)  

During my road runs, I ferried many a pleased passenger aboard the MG750. As we steered comfortably along daunting curves and menacing curbs, we played “guess the price” in its spacious cabin. The bids never dropped below a 100 K. And then, I would spill the beans with a warning not to trip over them in utter surprise. For, AED 76000 is a great price for any car that gives you classic luxury wrapped around evolved technological features like Dynamic Stability Control, ABS, EBD and you name it. It’s doubtful if there is another sedan out there that defines Value like this one. It doesn’t just make you feel good. MG 750 makes your every dirham feel distinguished.