BMW X6 2013

Clique para ver em alta resoluçãoObservar os lançamentos do mercado automotivo nos últimos tempos tem estimulado muita gente a proferir uma frase digna de provocar as maiores doses de agonia nos profissionais do design: “os carros estão todos iguais”. Infelizmente existem mesmo alguns exemplos que validam esta afirmação quando vistos em certos ângulos, mas os que realmente merecem atenção estão no extremo oposto. Um destes ícones mais recentes do estilo automotivo é este crossover cuja nova fase acaba de desembarcar no Brasil.

Comercializado no Brasil pela Eurobike, o mérito do X6 não vem apenas de atrair muitos olhares porque isso se obtém mesmo com carros de aparição mais comum. Sua diferença está em ser um daqueles automóveis que prendem o olhar mesmo das pessoas que não têm tanto interesse nestes produtos. É muito fácil se deter por alguns minutos observando em primeiro lugar os padrões diferentes de formas e volumes, culminando na clássica dúvida entre ele ser um utilitário ou um cupê. Essa curiosidade vem do contraste que a BMW exerceu com muito êxito, ao partir de traços imponentes e volumosos que poderiam gerar qualquer crossover atual (como o próprio irmão X5, por exemplo), mas aliá-los a uma queda de teto digna de um fastback. A outra parte deste encanto dos observadores se expressa em que passar tempo olhando o carro de um lado a outro só melhora a impressão que se teve de início. Não existe um só detalhe que pareça ter sido esquecido, ou recebido menor atenção. São vários vincos e relevos conectando uma forma à outra, criando um conjunto tão fortemente relacionado que entra no clube de exemplos como as fases atuais de Fiat Bravo e Ford Focus: com eles é melhor esperar a época de trocar o modelo por inteiro, porque executar redesenhos parciais sempre tiraria o equilíbrio do design original.

BMW X6Talvez seja esta a razão de o exterior do X6 2013 não ter trazido mudanças maiores que parachoques re-estilizados e novos farois, que não têm problemas em conseguir a intenção de atualizar o modelo para a segunda etapa do seu ciclo de vida – este crossover foi lançado mundialmente em 2009. Quem teve mudanças maiores foi o interior, cuja maior evolução foi eliminar o túnel da transmissão, o que traz o sempre desejado assoalho plano na região do banco traseiro, criando espaço muito melhor para o quinto ocupante. É este banco que também teve o seu reprodutor de DVD trocado, com a tela ganhando posição central. Isso termina de compor uma cabine recheada do nível de luxo e tecnologia típico dos carros desta categoria, cujo console central traz o mesmo padrão de estilo dos demais BMW e também as várias opções de cor, para combinar com os também diversos tons de couro dos bancos em várias possibilidades. As unidades do novo X6 que vêm ao Brasil estarão disponíveis em duas versões: começando em R$ 344.950, a xDrive35i usa o 3.0 biturbo de seis cilindros, que gera 306 cv. Quem quer ainda mais força pode levar a xDrive50i, responsável pelo 4.4 V8 que passa dos 400 cv e eleva o preço a R$ 414.950.

Read more

Land Rover Range Rover 4

Land Rover Range Rover AutobiographyInovação é uma parcela muito grande do conjunto de estratégias de qualquer empresa que tenha pelo menos um mínimo de participação no mercado, mas ainda mais importante que ela é a adaptabilidade. O ato de reconhecer que a vontade do público não só muda com muita facilidade como o faz em uma infinidade de formas. São tantas que várias vezes incluem até mesmo não mudar. Este é apenas um dos intrigantes paradoxos que vêm garantindo o inquestionável sucesso deste fascinante SUV inglês por mais de quatro décadas.

Em outras palavras, essa questão consiste no contraste de vontades vindo da maioria dos clientes com o costume de buscar as opções mais recentes de um produto desejado exercido ao mesmo tempo que preservam certas preferências por muitos anos sem a menor possibilidade de troca. O mercado de perfumes femininos, por exemplo, vende uma série de marcas e modelos mas ainda tem Chanel n° 5 entre os líderes, por várias décadas consecutivas. Situação parecida acontece com Coca-Cola, Nestlé e várias outras, em geral uma marca por segmento. É exatamente isso que mantém a demanda pelo Range Rover inabalável desde os anos 1970. Rivais vêm e vão com os conceitos mais diversos e das mais variadas marcas – incluindo a própria Land Rover, com o Evoque – mas a demanda pelo “Rolls-Royce do fora-de-estrada” permanece sem se abalar. Este aparente paradoxo se torna especialmente interessante porque na verdade é composto por outro paradoxo: se a estratégia simbolizada pelo epíteto mencionado seja seguida atualmente por uma variedade enorme de modelos, quem a criou foi o próprio Range Rover. A receita de tanto sucesso é associar a cabine digna de uma limusine a preparo mecânico suficiente para permiti-lo trafegar nos mais diversos tipos de terreno e com os climas mais adversos sem perder a elegância.

Falar em elegância pode fazer com que muita gente logo lembre dos farois e lanternas claramente inspirados nas luzes do Evoque, mas o fato é que a personalidade do irmão maior é muito mais profunda. Outro símbolo que provavelmente nunca vai mudar é a silhueta do Range Rover, mesmo que a combinação de teto com queda leve associado à traseira inclinada tenha tido seu auge na época da primeira geração. Esta parte guarda um detalhe interessante, aliás: enquanto vários hatchbacks exibem o chamado “teto flutuante” como um detalhe de estilo recente, o SUV inglês já podia trazer todas as colunas em preto desde a primeira geração, obtendo exatamente o mesmo efeito de fazê-las parecer unidas às janelas como um só elemento em preto brilhante, que ao não impedir o teto de manter a cor da carroceria faz este último parecer visualmente desconectado da mesma. Mas assim que você tiver conseguido desviar o olhar do incrível equilíbrio entre passado e presente que é o design exterior deste veículo, começa o momento de estender o fascínio ao interior. A fartura de espaço para cinco pessoas foi exaltada com o aumento de entre-eixos em relação ao antecessor, além de o revestimento em couro se oferecer nos mais variados tons para combinar com a igualmente ampla oferta de tipos de madeira, tudo para compor o ambiente que mais agradar ao abastado proprietário.

Passar à parte técnica do novo Range Rover sempre merece a menção da sua nova plataforma, que recebeu aumento na tecnologia embarcada para não só ganhar em resistência como também para uma excelente perda de peso, que em certas versões chega a 400 kg. Uma novidade ainda mais surpreendente é a evolução do sistema Terrain Response, que abandona a necessidade de o motorista alterar o modo de direção: agora é o próprio veículo que avalia a condição do terreno em que está para escolher os parâmetros mais adequados de estabilidade, suspensão e tração. Em paralelo, o interminável pacote de equipamentos inclui mimos extremos como quadro de instrumentos feito por uma tela LCD e o reprodutor de DVD para os passageiros do banco traseiro. As opções de motorização mantêm o câmbio automático ZF de oito marchas para todas as versões, que no Brasil começam com a Vogue 4.4 V8 biturbo movido a diesel, com potência de 339 cv e torque de 71,1 kgfm e preço de R$ 551.800. Ele também equipa a Vogue SE sob o preço de R$ 575.800 e a topo-de-linha Autobiography, que por sua vez fica em R$ 596.800 – este trem-de-força lhe faz acelerar de 0 a 100 km/h em 6s9 e chegar à velocidade máxima de 217 km/h. Porém, quem desejar força ainda maior pode trocar o diesel pela gasolina que move o 5.0 V8, responsável pelos 510 cv e 63,5 kgfm e pelo desempenho de 5s4 e 225 km/h, este com limite eletrônico. Esta unidade equipa as versões Vogue SE Supercharged, de R$ 583.800, e Autobiography Supercharged, de R$ 601.400.

Read more

Rolls-Royce Wraith

Rolls-Royce WraithEach one of the most important automakers became known for applying a particular aspect into every car it releases. Every car fan associates Alfa Romeo and Mitsubishi with sportiness, Audi and BMW with technology and Toyota and VW with conservatism, for instance. They could create a model to each available segment, but they would always be different interpretations of that special characteristic. So how interesting would it be if one of the most classy automakers in the world decides to project a sports car?

Rolls-Royce’s difference from most of the other brands doesn’t come from creating the fastest or the more expensive vehicles, and doesn’t even come from its cars being extremely luxurious or having restrictive prices. It actually comes from the English automaker’s unique concern on its customers receving nothing but the best from these cars, in all the possible aspects. It doesn’t worry about redesigning its cars each three years or to break sales records, but to offer the best available materials for the cabin, making the electronic systems easy and simple to use, delivering plenty of power in all driving conditions, and the ability of riding several floor types as comfortably as if the cars were floating. Not to mention the typical structural quality proved with so many previous Rolls running without problems for decades. After completing Phantom’s line some years ago, with extended-wheelbase sedan, convertible and coupé versions, it’s time to give Ghost its own family. But this couldn’t be done only by repeating the first’s variations in smaller scale, because the younger sibling came with a different purpose. Even though Ghost could still be labeled as a limousine without the smallest problem, its cheaper prices symbolize the intention of being a more “realistic” vehicle, directed to many more people and, therefore, to a completely different market from Phantom’s. That’s why the bigger brother’s variations are actually very loyal to the original concept, while the Ghost family allows bigger separations.

Rolls-Royce WraithWhile Phantom Coupé follows the true definition of “version”, Wraith turns Ghost’s underpinnings into a very elegant fastback coupe – 2-inch longer and with 7-inch shorter wheelbase than the sedan’s, with exclusive doors which dispense B-pillars. After observing the gorgeous two-colored exterior design there’s an impressive cabin, with a combination of handcrafted chrome, leather and wood details – the center parts in the latter item are specially selected in order to form the perfect chevron scheme, such as the pictures show. There’s a full infotainment system in the central console, whose glass knob helps controlling the 10.2-inch high-definition screen to customize functions such as the Spirit of Ecstasy’s position. The coolest feature, though, is the available Starlight headliner, which uses 1,340 fiber-optic points to simulate the night sky. The large hood covers Ghost’s V12 engine with exclusive settings, to give Wraith 624 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque and enable it to go from 0 to 60 mph in 4s4 and to the limited 155-mph top speed, using an eight-speed automatic transmission. The automaker’s quote of “Wraith is no GT bruiser” is reinforced with having all the many electronic systems working to make the ride as pleasant as possible, rather than quick: the Satellite Aided Transmission uses GPS to locate the car and predict the driver’s following moves, in order to always activate the most adequate gear for the moment.

Read more

Hyundai HB20S

Hyundai HB20SPor mais que hatchback e sedã sejam incontestáveis campeãs de venda entre as categorias de carro oferecidas em nosso mercado, seus espectros de atuação não coincidem demais. São os primeiros que costumam receber versões esportivas e, por outro lado, formam a maior fatia do segmento de entrada, ao passo que os três-volumes são os responsáveis por agradar quem prioriza o requinte de um modo geral. São exatamente estas “regras” que dividem a linha brasileira que a Hyundai acaba de completar.

Analisar este carro não apresenta muitas surpresas por causa do contexto que tem. A família HB20 tem projeto atual, cada veículo tem um bom conjunto técnico e todos têm produção nacional, mas este caso particular só está tendo todo o sucesso que se vê nos registros mensais de vendas porque foi lançada no momento certo. Afinal, a revolução que se fez na linha mundial da Hyundai a partir do Sonata atual já passou do início instável há tempos, e hoje vive um período de estabilidade que a montadora vem aproveitando muito bem: assim como a Apple com os eletrônicos, quase qualquer produto lançado pelos coreanos termina muito bem aceito, nem que seja em maior parte pelo design. A nova geração do Santa Fe já indica que em breve essa linguagem de estilo vai precisar de retoques, mas até agora não é necessário fugir da “receita” consagrada para obter sucesso. Reconhecer o que se deve mudar e o que não é basicamente tudo o que traduz o sucesso dos HB20, mais do que as qualidades mencionadas no início deste parágrafo. Neste caso, a ideia começou com adaptar o estilo de i30 e Elantra a um formato menor, mas também aos costumes do brasileiro: optou-se por um projeto exclusivo em vez de aproveitar o i20 europeu, e desde os seus primeiros traços já se pensaram em uma variante aventureira urbana (o HB20X), um sedã e um crossover, que chegará mais tarde.

Hyundai HB20SIsso é o que permite afirmar que o HB20S consegue ser um excelente produto sem revolucionar em nada. As imagens comprovam que a traseira deste sedã é um excelente símbolo de como a Hyundai conciliou a “Escultura fluida” a mais uma das preferências do nosso mercado: as referências aos irmãos maiores estão todas lá, mas adaptadas a elementos mais vistosos para não destoar do tamanho avantajado, que claramente foge da ideia de cupê-de-quatro-portas vista no novo Prisma para exibir um visual bem mais sóbrio. A cabine repete o ótimo padrão do compacto, com alta qualidade de materiais e iluminação azul, e os motores também serão o 1.0 12v de três cilindros e 80 cv e o 1.6 16v de 128 cv. A lista de versões começa com a Comfort Plus (1.0 por R$ 39.495 e 1.6 por R$ 44.995), que traz ar-condicionado, airbag duplo, conexão Bluetooth, direção hidráulica, sistema de som multimídia e travas e vidros elétricos. A Comfort Style (R$ 42.675 e R$ 48.175) completa o trio elétrico e soma freios com ABS e EBD e rodas de liga leve de 14”, ao passo que a Premium (R$ 50.795 apenas com o 1.6) agrega farois de máscara cromada, rodas de liga leve de 15”, sensores crepuscular e de estacionamento e volante em couro. As duas últimas podem unir o motor 1.6 ao câmbio automático, o que volta a reforçar que esta linha deixa a categoria de entrada para o hatchback: respectivamente, os preços passam para R$ 51.375 e R$ 53.995. Este modelo chega às lojas no dia 20 de abril.

Read more

Citroën DS4

Clique para ver em alta resoluçãoEmbora o mercado automotivo esteja dedicando enorme atenção aos projetos “para mercados emergentes”, o conceito oposto também vem merecendo grande destaque. Seja quando colocados no topo da gama da marca ou em sua divisão de luxo, analisar os carros de alto padrão é muito interessante por causa das propoções diferentes que dão aos aspectos que fazem parte de qualquer carro, aliados ainda aos “extras” próprios de cada um. No Brasil, o mais novo exemplar dessa estirpe é este belíssimo hatchback francês.

Grande parte das críticas que não demoram a surgir para estes modelos perde validez pelo simples fato de que analisá-los corretamente requer os padrões adequados, da mesma forma que é descabido escolher a melhor minivan por sua velocidade máxima ou o melhor esportivo pelo tamanho do seu porta-malas. A diferenciação da linha DS em meio aos rivais de cada modelo se extrai de eles não priorizarem um ou outro aspecto de maneira óbvia. Mesmo com os valores diferentes de tamanho e peso, os três conseguem atender aos perfis esportivos tão bem quanto a quem valoriza o porte dos carros de luxo ou mesmo a quem busca sobressair-se nas ruas e nos grupos de amigos. É fácil de imaginar que ter estilo atraente é fundamental para isso, mas o segredo da Citroën está nos detalhes. A dianteira da novidade apresenta uma interpretação de maior porte que a do DS3, com as atenções centralizadas na grade imponente e nos belos farois bi-xenônio. O parabrisa panorâmico termina em um teto curvo como o de um cupê, mas que aqui cobre o hatchback que de longe teve o maior sucesso na tarefa de dissimular as portas traseiras: além da típica maçaneta escondida atrás da janela traseira, você reparou que é o tamanho das janelas que mais ajuda a conseguir essa impressão? Mantê-lo foi tão importante que os vidros traseiros não têm aquela divisória mais fina: as portas abrem levando-os inteiros, e como eles são mais largos que elas, aproveitam que esta clientela não tem problemas com o uso do ar-condicionado.

Citroën DS4Todo esse estilo termina numa traseira de desenho muito bem-elaborado: lanternas de formato irregular, parachoque, vidro, tampa do porta-malas, nada parece mais chamativo ou discreto do que deveria. Quanto ao interior, se a altíssima qualidade dos materiais já era de se esperar, o olhar é atraído pela futurista iluminação azul do quadro de instrumentos, e em seguida pela opção que oferece: é possível escolher entre cinco tons de branco a azul entre telas e mostradores analógicos, permitindo que o motorista forme o contraste que preferir. Os bancos trazem massageadores e regulagem lombar elétrica, e seu revestimento em couro traz quatro opções de cor para combinar com a pintura externa: ele vem em prata, cinza ou preto metálicos, e em branco ou vermelho perolizados. Uma exclusividade do DS4 é que os avisos internos, como de pisca-alerta ligado ou de chave esquecida na ignição, são feitos em quatro opções de estilo dos sons: Classic, Crystal Symphony Jungle Fantasy ou Urban Rythmik. Essas características são a real justificativa do preço de R$ 99.990, junto com itens mais triviais como central multimídia com widescreen táctil de 7”, GPS eMyWay, sistema de som Arkamys, seis airbags, controle de estabilidade, Hill Assist, alerta de presença nos pontos cegos e sistema de ajuda à baliza. Este carro repete o motor 1.6 THP de 165 cv, acelerando de 0 a 100 km/h em 8s2 e chegando à máxima de 212 km/h, usando câmbio automático de seis marchas com opção de trocas manuais.

Read more

Ford Fusion Flex

Clique para ver em alta resoluçãoVocê lembra de quando a categoria mais luxuosa de carros a ter grande movimentação no Brasil era a dos sedãs médios? Eram nomes como Civic, Corolla e Vectra que atendiam quem queria luxo e status mas não podia levar um BMW ou Mercedes-Benz, até que os dois “times” de montadoras notaram que os sedãs grandes formavam uma lacuna equidistante. Assim, enquanto as alemãs vêm tornando seus best-sellers mais acessíveis, as outras apostam em carros como o Fusion para intensificar esse delicioso combate.

Várias vezes se comenta que o permanente desejo de oferecer o melhor modelo de cada categoria se traduz cada vez em maiores investimentos dos fabricantes não tanto nos facelifts de meia-vida, mas sim em cada atualização completa. Atender a crescente rigidez dos padrões de segurança e, especialmente, da concorrência faz um carro incorporar mais sofisticação em quase todos os sentidos, fatalmente implicando em tamanho e preço maiores com muita frequência ao ponto de deixarem seu mercado inicial livre para um novo modelo – na Europa, foi assim que o Fiesta permitiu o Ka e o Polo permitiu o Lupo, por exemplo. Como estagnar a evolução é impensável, só se resta lidar com essa eventual migração de segmentos, para tentar convertê-la a favor. No Brasil, alguns exemplos disso são o Grand Siena entre compactos e premium, Jetta entre médios e grandes e agora o Fusion, entre grandes e o primeiro nível de alto luxo. O sucesso de carros como esses inclui detalhes individuais, mas já é possível determinar um padrão: o exterior quase não se altera, deixando as maiores mudanças para a lista de itens. Já o toque final está em as versões de topo exaltarem algum valor mais subjetivo, contrapondo-se ao apelo racional das dedicadas à categoria inferior. O modelo da Fiat realça a elegância na versão Essence, o da Volkswagen a esportividade com a Highline, e o da Ford a tecnologia da Titanium.

Ford Fusion 2.5 FlexNo entanto, pensar que o Fusion de base é antiquado é um engano enorme. Os destaques de sua lista de equipamentos são ar-condicionado digital, assistente de partida em rampa, bancos de couro com ajustes elétricos e memória, câmera de ré, central multimídia Sync com comandos de voz, GPS e touchscreen de 8”, piloto automático, rodas de alumínio aro 17” e grade dianteira com controle ativo – fica aberta em baixas velocidades para otimizar o fluxo de ar e se fecha em altas, para melhorar a aerodinâmica. A parte de segurança fica com abertura das portas por código, oito airbags, controle de estabilidade e freios ABS, tudo deixando como único opcional o teto solar, por R$ 4 mil. É fácil de reparar que a nova versão retirou apenas o que esta categoria considera dispensável, como o sistema Sony de alta fidelidade e a tração integral, que aqui passa a ser dianteira. Falando no trem-de-força, outra excelente novidade é precisamente o que motiva o nome desta versão: o motor 2.5 flex estreado na Ranger foi recalibrado para o sedã, contando com bloco e cabeçote em alumínio e comando de válvulas variável para gerar potência de 167/175 cv e torque de 23,2/24,2 kgfm (gasolina/álcool). Esta força é comandada por direção elétrica com compensação ativa de vibração e deriva e câmbio automático sequencial de seis marchas com opção de trocas manuais que ignoram o peso de 1.572 kg, mas a novidade mais saborosa nem requer ligar o motor: tudo isso sai por R$ 20 mil a menos que a versão Titanium, ficando em R$ 92.990.

Read more

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 2013

Click to see in high resolutionAlmost like Nissan has done with Leaf few months ago, Hyundai has only updated this version’s powertrain, for North America. The ecologic Sonata starts at US$ 25.650 and received bigger generator, more powerful electric engine and lithium-polymer battery. These changes increased the electric power in 14 hp (reaching 46 hp), while the new battery is lighter and takes less space, resulting on a 12.1-cu-ft trunk. They also enable longer life for the all-electric mode and better final consumption, reaching 38 mpg.

Read more

Toyota Camry 2013

Click to see in high resolutionSince Ford and Honda have released all-new generations of their big sedans, and Chevrolet will really facelift Malibu, Toyota decided to defend Camry not with style changes, but improving the interior. Since the LE entry trim, the new model-year brings much better materials, softer to the touch, along with new coatings and a combining central armrest, besides smaller additions. The SE level, in turn, has improved the safety by adding blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems. There weren’t powertrain changes.

Read more

Holden Sportwagon VF

Click to see a rear pictureIt was a matter of short time. The Australian automaker decided to reveal each sibling of this family at once, and now it’s the gorgeous station wagon’s time. Sportwagon enters the VF phase with the same attractive front fascia debuted on the Calais sedan, but carrying over the side and also the rear sections, although they really didn’t need to change – it’s impressive how a well-proportioned design can make even luxury wagons look nimble, despite this one’s 13-ft length. This car is expected to arrive in June, with V-6 and V-8 engines.

Read more

Volvo S60, V60 and XC60 2014

Click to see in high resolutionFor you who read this blog’s previous article, this is the second part of the comments on Volvo’s recent group facelift. But even if you came to this one first, there’s nothing to worry about. Since this event has involved several vehicles at once, writing appropriately about them demanded some kind of division. This blog has dedicated the first article to the traditional team of this automaker’s line, while this one is dedicated to the “subversive” group. In other words, you’re going to read about the other kind of very important Volvos.

Taking a quick look on these Swedish cars over the last decades reveals this brand was never really concerned with following each moment’s design trends. They were always reliable vehicles, with comfortable and spacious cabins and unbelievable worrying with the safety, but also just sailed through from the 1950s to the 1970s pretty much oblivious to the other brands’ dedication of creating and following new design trends. In fact, they’ve only became some sort of up-to-date in the 1980s because the whole market ended up converging into the “philosophy” Volvo had never stopped to follow – long story short, Volvo’s sedans and wagons like the 700 Series only became fashionable because everyone else was starting to use very similar stylings. Looking at the 1991 460 and 850 series led to think this decade wouldn’t change that attitude very much, but it turned out it did. This decade’s cars not only were recovering from the 1970s’ oil crises as were also approaching the long-awaited new millennium, which stimulated almost every automaker to create their own interpretations of futurism for their upcoming vehicles. Volvo started resisting to follow this creative moment, and one fact is this decision prevented it from having poorly accepted projects such as 1998 Fiat Multipla or 1994 Ford Scorpio, but that time’s market expectations wouldn’t maintain this “immunity” for too long.

Volvo V60 2014Even though many of these “too futuristic” cars ended with poor sales, the overall result was the market starting to be more receptive to novelties than ever. The public started to like the idea of having different car designs, sizes and even categories, which made pioneers such as Citroën Berlingo, Renault Twingo and Volkswagen Sharan fairly successful. So Volvo finally decided to surrender, but doing it in style: it was hard to believe that the new entry line, S40 and V40, came one year before the upmarket S90. These cars were the first to make the Swedish automaker understand that sometimes even the heaviest traditions need to be revised somehow, in order to keep attracting customers. Few years later it was S80’s and S60’s time, not so “revolutionary” but still much more attractive than the replaced models. Their great acceptance by public and press motivated Volvo not only to keep updating the line as also to innovate beyond the level already established: that’s when V70 Cross Country deserves another mention. This time not for that crossover-pioneering merit, but for representing an initiative like Volvo hadn’t had in decades. After all, even with having several price ranges satisfied within the luxury class, Volvo’s reputation wasn’t too pleasant: most people became used to see these cars as rational, reliable and even sophisticated, but not enough to make worthy giving up of a German equivalent.

Volvo S60 2014And now we arrive at the “Revolvolution” moment. After only starting to think about changing, releasing the first S60 in 2000 was the first firm step towards the new-millennium Volvos. Most of the station wagons carried over the boxy rear, but the overall impression was this time they were offering the same discretion of before but in a much more up-to-date style, with several elegant details such as a three-dimensional effect to make their transverse section wider from the handles’ height down than around the windows, giving imponent “muscles” which were followed by S60 and S80’s tail lights design. So since transforming those initial plans from the 1990s into actual changes were starting to get very positive feedback from everyone, the automaker started to be less “scared” of innovating. 2003 saw the very first Volvo true SUV’s release, XC90. After that, the C70 line was redesigned for 2005, and there was even a new entry-level car: C30 was a hatchback, but with a very attractive coupe-inspired styling and taking advantage from the brand being owned by Ford at that time – the compact’s platform was shared with Ford Focus’s family. The following years had some quiet time, until it was time to give S60 a new generation. And since the previous started this entire series of changes in Volvo, the second one had big expectations from the public. The 2010 arrival ended not only satisfying but also surpassing them, by a wide margin.

Volvo XC60 2014This is the moment when we converge to this article’s car family. Family because S60’s aggressive and sporty design has been so well-accepted that motivated its own station wagon, the also gorgeous V60… and even XC60. Once again Volvo’s changes achieved big approval, because these are very impressive cars. There brought better interior quality, cutting-edge technologies and even bigger safety package, but wrapped in a boldly attractive design. That’s why they found interesting to release an urban crossover at the same platform… and today that’s why the new facelift wasn’t so “understood”. They preserve all those qualities, but removing the two-part headlights for a conventional set with wider grille is like removing that “extra”. The great part, though, is the addition of items: the infotainment system’s display brings a new technology to enable being used with gloved hands, and offers Internet connection even as a Wi-fi hotspot for inside the car. The analogic dashboard was replaced by a TFT screen with three modes: Elegance is the traditional look, Eco brings green background with fuel consumption gauge and eco meter, while Performance throws bigger tachometer and power meter, turning the lights red. The safety package received anti-blinding lights system, Cornering Light, Pedestrian Detection, cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring. Those are the only pictures so far, but we can always hope for the old boldness to return with the R-Design packages.

Read more

Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 2014

Click to see in high resolutionIf you have at least around ten years of being a car fan, this article will give you a very pleasant déjà vu. It is focused on Volvo’s multiple facelifts, but when we have so many involved cars it’s impossible not to spend some time only to think what would be the best way of dividing them into this blog’s articles. So instead of dividing in sedans, wagons and off-roads, there will be two articles. The present one will take you back to those times when Volvos were very elegant square sedans and unforgettably boxy station wagons.

Even though this rear design has made these cars worldwide famous for decades, the reason why it was adopted was purely functional: having such an abrupt end of the roof minimized the aerodynamic drag, which helped to improve both performance and consumption, since there’s less power demanded from the car to perform a given movement. That’s why this design’s pioneer in Volvo, the 140 Series, used these concepts making concessions only to the cargo capacity, which resulted in 1968 Volvo 145’s hearse-inspired styling. The following years received the 240 Series and a younger design, but, like Opel would conclude in the mid-1990s after adopting the same concept, it really required forgetting any wishes of creating design-award-winning wagons. However, if the German automaker started to abandon it in favor of more inclinated rear windshields, Volvo decided to make them its own symbol. The 700 Series showed that the 1980s would only give the Swedish cars cleaner sheetmetal, with less strips and creases, and nothing more. After all, Volvo’s cars were already been very well-received due to the classical incomparable concern with the safety, but pairing it to such a particular design choice made these cars famous and impossible to mistake when seen on the streets – which can be easily interpretated as one of the very first examples of a successful visual identity.

Volvo V70 2014Another case of Volvo’s strong application of a design language has been produced right next to the station wagons, in all these decades: the sedans. Their concern wasn’t having the best aerodynamic or optimizing the trunk space (1983s Volvo 740’s, for instance, could fit an Europallet), but being classy and elegant. Since the 1960s models, it’s interesting to observe that Volvo’s sedans used to feature each and every design element known for avoiding a sporty styling and making the car look classical. Square lines, well-divided volumes with cab rearward, long and low-deck rear, third side window after the back doors… The last line to use this rigid recipe was 850, but both sedan and wagon became most known for a surprisingly well-accepted sporty potential: the turbocharged engines helped the great handling to deliver a very interesting performance that lasted until 1996. This concept would receive some changes only with S80 and V70, which became Volvo’s latest flagship cars. Their most notorious feature was the largely renewed styling, still carrying most of the traditional concepts but in a much more modern interpretation, with more fluid lines and smoother surfaces. Therefore, after presenting this new corporate design in the early 2000s, these cars were expected only to refresh the same style for some more years, just like at the previous phase. The impressive surprise came when the decision was to follow some of the new trends, but in Volvo’s own way.

Volvo S80 2014There were even more “subversive” releases, such as C30 and XC60, but their pioneer was much more discreet, and yet much more surprising: who would expect the first modern-times Volvo to come based on V70, the current phase of Volvo’s most traditional lineage? The 1997 Cross Country version is frequently mentioned at this blog for being one of the precursors of the current crossover trend, along with Subaru Forester. But besides of the always-commented great idea of joining some of the SUV’s off-road potential to a comfortable urban station wagon, the bigger merit goes to the automaker’s attitude of trying some of the new trends, at least as an experiment. The then-called V70 XC appeared as only one more trim level, but ended so well-received that it motivated a true SUV (XC90) and, some years later, even a much more urban crossover (XC60), not to mention the right to follow V70 on its next generations. This turned out a very nice example of how heavy changes actually can give positive results. In fact, following this train of thought some more led Volvo to release a whole group of “new-age cars”, but remodelling the entire line is something every brand is doing in nowadays. What makes the Swedish automaker different is the ability to reconcile the past idiosyncrasies with excellent interpretations of the modern trends.

Volvo XC70 2014And now you’ve reached the reason why this was the chosen division for these news. This article’s trio represents the traditional Volvos, which still include several of those mentioned elements, but with modern touches like the very clear narrowing of the transverse section when going to the windows’ height, and even a slight smoothening of the wagons’ rear design. Therefore, facelifting such classical cars could only end at the very nice changes they’ll receive for 2014. Being hard to notice is just one of their good characteristics, because their purpose is to update the cars without taking away their visual harmony. The front bumper was redesigned, featuring more aggressive design and wider grille, along with LED daytime lights for XC70. All of them will also offer 19” wheels, but only S80 received minor updates to both lights. Another addition is the Sensus Connected infotainment system, which uses the central console touchscreen, like usual, but with the interesting possibility of being operated by gloved hands; everyone who has lived at least one harsh winter will be very thankful for this solution. Besides all that, this trio maintains the engine and equipment offers, which consists in the very sophisticated interiors and XC70’s particular off-road items, such as all-wheel-drive and hill-driving control.

Read more

BMW Série 6 Gran Coupé

Clique para ver em alta resoluçãoPode-se dizer que esta novidade foi antecipada pelo Inovar-Auto. Entrar no programa com projeto de fábrica no país trouxe a isenção do IPI de importados para os veículos da BMW, culminando na recente redução de preços em quase toda a linha nacional. Foi a lista deste evento que chamou atenção para ver que a Série 6 teria novidades em breve. A excelente surpresa é nós termos recebido um dos mais novos modelos da marca com menos de um ano de atraso, cujas informações você poderá conhecer neste artigo.

Prosperar no mercado de carros da atualidade é um objetivo que só tem alguma chance de se cumprir se os trabalhos para isso incluírem o ato de inovar. Seja em desenho, tamanho, equipamentos, o espectro de possibilidades sempre foi enorme, mas apenas nas últimas décadas tem sido explorado como sempre mereceu. A estratégia de procurar lacunas para preencher fez o mercado receber diversas categorias de carros que seriam inimagináveis quinze anos atrás, mas assim como criar novos conceitos nem sempre resulta em sucesso, mesmo o ato de apenas seguir um concorrente ao entrar no segmento que ele criou requer cuidados. Como a iniciativa do Mercedes-Benz CLS já foi seguida por Audi A7, Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera e até Volkswagen CC, mesmo que a BMW tivesse decidido segui-las, o atraso que teve foi compensado pelo conceito que traz o Gran Coupé. Sua dianteira mantém os traços da Série 6, mas seu pulo-do-gato está nas proporções: em vez de esticar o conceito de cupê até comportar as portas adicionais, a ideia aqui parece ter sido partir de um sedã convencional e deixá-lo muito mais casual e esportivo. Fica bastante claro que o objetivo de fazê-lo mais elegante que os rivais diretos foi cumprido, porque a esportividade do Gran Coupé ficou muito mais sutil, sem intenções explícitas como o caimento tipo fastback do A7.

BMW Série 6 Gran CoupéUm traço comum a todos os modelos da Série 6 é que a parte traseira não dispensa o terceiro volume curto, mas bem pronunciado; ver isso no Gran Coupé permite a interessante elucubração de que se a BMW não fosse uma marca de tradições tão fortes, este carro poderia ter vindo como uma nova Série 5 ou Série 7 sem deixar nada a desejar. Mas o porta-malas de 460 litros é apenas a entrada dos fundos ao próximo encanto deste carro: a luxuosa cabine, dedicada a quatro pessoas. A novidade chega ao Brasil na versão 640i, cujo pacote inclui bancos de couro com ajustes elétricos, rodas de 19”, sistema de som com sete alto-falantes e disco rígido de 12 GB e o Connected Drive, a central multimídia que usa uma touchscreen de 10,2” para acessar a lista de funções que inclui navegação GPS e uso da internet 3G de celulares. Já o pacote de segurança inclui farois com LEDs e iluminação inteligente, seis airbags e controles de tração e estabilidade – como opcionais, ele terá controle ativo de velocidade, sistema HUD, novas opções de acabamento e o kit aerodinâmico M Sports. Espera-se a versão 650i para breve, mas por enquanto já se tem a performance do 3.0 turbo de seis cilindros, que entrega potência de 320 cv e torque de 45,9 kgfm, suficientes para que ele esqueça dos 1.825 kg e acelere de 0 a 100 km/h em 5s4 e chegue à máxima limitada de 250 km/h. Custando R$ 399.950, a BMW pretende vender cinquenta unidades do 640i até o fim do ano.

Read more

Chevrolet SS

Click to see in high resolutionTaking measures to protect the environment has already become an important part of many people’s everyday. There is at least one task that can be added to any lifestyle very easily, but the problem comes when they attack what a person likes best – like making car fans drive electric or hybrid vehicles. The prevailing attitude has been to accept the ecological cars, but we’ll always have that hidden thirst for speed produced by big gasoline engines with their irresistible sounds. This sedan is GM’s latest way of quenching it.

Yes, if you integrate the team who defends efficiency and low-polluting need to be every car’s concerns, unfortunately you won’t like this one. SS is the result of Chevrolet’s wish of a performance-focused sedan, which means having not only a powerful engine but also the whole concept dedicated to this, which finds response also in the sporty design and exclusive structural characteristics such as the rear traction. GM has essentially rebadged the recently showed Holden Commodore VF to the North-American brand, just like they did in 2007 with Pontiac G8. In fact, the latter only had to be dropped due to the 2008 crisis, which made GM reorganize its entire line and cut even entire brands. Pontiac’s end couldn’t avoid taking G8, but there was always a rumor that something would be done to sell this car in North America once again. The older came from Commodore VE, but this and VF are nothing but different phases of the Australian’s same fourth and current generation – VF must’ve been projected considering SS since the beginning, because Chevy’s car was released only few days after Holden’s. It is true that those cars use an aging platform that will be completely dropped in some years, but it’s also the best solution for now. The Australian division has made a huge evolution when it comes to technology and performance, including retuned chassis and new electrical architecture.

Chevrolet SSIn other words, the covered parts were as refreshed as the exterior, which dropped the 2000s’ typical straight creases and lines for a much more elegant design, characterized by more imponent shapes and smoother volumes – to be more specific, SS is the rebadged version of Holden’s SSV version, not Calais. Chevrolet’s influence is noticed at the dual-cockpit interior, but also in the huge touchscreen’s infotainment system: MyLink is only one item of the large list which includes stitched-leather seats, Bose sound system and even automatic parking assist, with the optional power sunroof. What the attractive black, chrome and red decoration doesn’t show, though, is SS’s top-notch powertrain: the rear axle will be powered by Camaro’s LS3 6.2L V-8, delivering 415-hp power and 415-lb-ft torque, which takes it very close to the new Corvette Stingray. The six-speed automatic transmission will help SS to achieve the announced 5-second 0 to 60 mph acceleration, while the stopping will be credited to Brembo brakes (front rotors with 14” and rear with 12.8”), everything running on 19” wheels and Bridgestone tires (245/40 and 275/35, respectively). SS received the entire latest collision-prevention equipment, but the technology didn’t reached too much under the hood: there aren’t direct injection, cylinder deactivation or variable valve timing. After all, everyone’s entitled to remember once again the good old times of “there’s no substitute for cubic inches”.

Read more

Holden Commodore SSV

Click to see a front pictureThis one is for those who liked the VF Australian sedan unveiled just a couple of days ago, but would really prefer to change Calais’ black-tie to a more casual luxury. The sedan once again honors Holden’s sporty version, so that’s why there are beautiful wheels matching exclusive bumpers, which have bigger intakes and two twin exhaust pipes. The interior shares Calais’ top-notch equipment list, but coming in a black-with-silver combination only broken by the red lights. This car is expected to share Chevrolet’s V8 6.2L.

Read more

Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD

Clique para ver em alta resoluçãoVocê lembra do breve período em que a Chrysler esteve nas mãos da Mercedes-Benz? Iniciadas no final da década de 1990, as boas intenções da aliança salvaram a montadora norteamericana de graves problemas financeiros e pretendiam aumentar a competitividade mundial de ambas, mas levaram apenas a uma sucessão de problemas. Nos dias de hoje, a união com a Fiat dá cada vez mais provas de que foi uma decisão bem mais acertada. Para nós, a mais recente é esta versão do SUV que agora chega ao lançamento oficial.

Guardadas as proporções, as chamadas joint-ventures podem ser entendidas com uma breve associação ao conceito de casamento. Mais ou menos como com as pessoas, uma empresa se associa a outra quando se detectam interesses comuns, neste caso para efetivar a ideia de começar dividindo os custos para no futuro aumentar os lucros. Mas com a convivência também surgem os projetos comuns. Começam em geral com uma cedendo veículos à outra para vendê-los em outros mercados, e continua com o uso compartilhado de tecnologias e por fim plataformas – é a evolução que Ford e VW tiveram no começo dos anos 1990 no Brasil, com a Autolatina. Atualmente, a Chrysler está por concluir a separação da Mercedes-Benz, mas já se encontra desfrutando de muitos benefícios da união com os italianos. Ou seja, depois de começarem com carros como Fiat Freemont e mais tarde RAM ProMaster, hoje em dia os benefícios estão chegando também às esferas mais tradicionais. A divisão de luxo Lancia, por exemplo, já expandiu suas operações na Europa ganhando modelos da Chrysler e até vendendo outros com essa marca, em alguns países. Já na América do Norte, a família 500 marcou o retorno da Fiat tanto em hatchback como na inédita versão minivan, chamada 500L. Por outro lado, carros como a versão CRD do Grand Cherokee abandonaram o motor de origem Mercedes-Benz por um de origem italiana.

Jeep Grand CherokeeEstima-se que as primeiras unidades do CRD (anterior ao face-lift que a linha receberá para este ano) chegaram ao Brasil ainda no final do ano passado, mas só agora se faz o lançamento oficial. Ele chega pelo preço de R$ 219.900, e com o mesmo atrativo que sempre garante boas vendas aos utilitários no Brasil: evitar o consumo de um motor grande movido a gasolina mas manter o ótimo desempenho. Trata-se do V6 3.0 24v turbo fabricado pela VM Motori, empresa italiana de propriedade da Fiat. A tecnologia Multijet II atua em parceria com duplo comando de válvulas no cabeçote, bloco de ferro, virabrequim de aço forjado e turbina Garrett de geometria variável. Tudo isso lhe permite chegar a 241 cv de potência e 56 kgfm de torque, força suficiente para fazer o Grand Cherokee ignorar seus 2.347 kg e acelerar de 0 a 100 km/h em 8s2, chegando à máxima de 202 km/h. Tudo isso é comandado pelo câmbio automático sequencial de cinco marchas (com opção de trocas manuais pela alavanca) e, obviamente, tração integral. Como dita a reputação de décadas que este carro exibe com orgulho, esse potencial para enfrentar as mais puras trilhas off-road fica restrito ao lado de fora. Ver a cabine faz pensar que se entrou em um sedã de luxo, seja por causa dos belos revestimentos ou da profusão de itens de conforto e segurança, carregados de tecnologia.

Read more

Alfa Romeo 4C

Click to see in high resolutionGeneva was where the concept car’s first appearance took place, and now, two years later, Geneva will be where the production version’s arrival will take place. The current times are asking for new strategies, so Alfa Romeo will use this car as its first solid attempt to expand the sales around the whole world, just like almost every car fan has dreamed to see for decades. If there isn’t only one correct direction to achieve success, it’s undeniable that Alfa’s is the most commendable one: 4C comes as Italian as it could possibly be.

Like most of the European brands, Alfa had to reorganize its plans in order to become more profitable. Fiat, like every other car group, won’t ever give too much information about what it’s trying to do with each brand, but it’s possible to think the intention is to make both Alfa Romeo and Lancia have a full-size showroom, working from mid-size to entry-luxury price ranges but always maintaining their very heavy conceptual difference: the Alfas would be always sporty, while Lancia would take care of the classy side, leaving Maserati to the high luxury zone – it would be the only way of keeping all of them and living in peace with each other, but so far this is nothing more than speculation. The great fact for now, though, is that 4C comes with really small changes from the concept version, such as the different headlights. The customers which were waiting for new GTV and Spider unfortunately will have to keep praying, because this one brings a totally different style, which is actually closer to some English cars like Lotus Elise. In other words, the Italian coupé focuses much more at the best handling it could have than to break speed records. The design, for example, has only 13.1-feet length but 6.6-feet width, combined to a 3.9-feet height. Like Chanel and Dior (or Versace and Dolce & Gabbana, to keep it Italian), Alfa wanted its new sports car to be concentrated in a small, but very, very beautiful flask.

Alfa Romeo 4CSmaller sports cars aren’t used to be very attractive because there isn’t much space to use those opulent creases and volumes such as Enzo Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz SLS’s, but 4C turned out very well-designed. The MiTo-inspired front fascia still uses big and round headlights, but the black painting made them very elegant. Besides that, it’s nice to observe that Alfa used cleaner lines, which suit smaller cars much better than too many shapes: the lower grille seems to create only one big element, getting divided only by the cuore sportivo, which also defines two big lines that make the hood seem smaller – simply excellent. Those two lines fade after the doors, whose windows became visually connected to the windshield by black-painted A-columns, and give space to the imponent real air intakes. And going a little further we see the beautiful tiny rear, which takes the attentions to the round lights and the rear windshield, this one because of the rear-mid engine: this car uses the turbocharged 1.8L with four cylinders (that’s why it’s called 4C) debuted with Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde. It’ll generate 232-hp power and 251-lb-ft torque, leading to expect that the carbon fiber chassis’ reduced weight will help to achieve very interesting performance. 4C will use only a six-speed dual-clutch TCT automatic gearbox, but it also features the DNA selector: there will be Dynamic, Natural and All Weather modes as usual, but here along with Race, each one with different driving parameters.

Read more

Holden Commodore VF

Holden Commodore VFEven though every market has very particular preferences when it comes to cars, some result even more interesting to observe than the others. Australia and Brazil, for example, have very different cars but coincide in some aspects, such as creating their own categories (and turning them very successful) and receiving almost as many foreign projects as having domestic ones being exported. So before this sedan appears as North American Chevrolet’s new full-size, how about knowing what its homeland has just revealed?

Just like Ford with Falcon, GM’s Australian division has been selling Commodore with great numbers for many years. Holden has taken inspiration some times from Chevrolet and others from Opel, but always resulting at an excellent car which could easily be sold anywhere else – the last two generations, for example, went to Brazil as Chevrolet Omega. But if the Europeans are used to reduce the cars’ updates only to half-life facelifts and new generations, and North Americans receive several tiny updates between the bigger changes, the Australians extend a car lifecycle by creating some partial restylings each two or three years; the third Commodore, alone, had three of them in about ten years. The current phase debuted in 2006, but the bigger time lapse until its first update is probably explained by the very big initial budget spent on attending the public’s very high expectations. The codename VF, comes as a more important facelift because it might be the only one: GM is planning to create a whole new Commodore for 2016 underpinned by a whole new global platform. However, since this will take a long time to happen, for now it’s possible to to appreciate what is certainly this car’s best moment ever. The excellent first impression was guaranteed by starting with Calais, which is this car’s upmarket version. That’s Holden’s way of showing everything its sedan is capable of.

Holden Commodore VFThe external pictures start to show that Holden managed to refresh this sedan making it so attractive that could easily be mistaken for a new generation. The overall impression is that it abandoned the 2000s style trends in favor of a more European inspiration, giving away the sharp cuts and creases in exchange of smoother volumes and much more classy elements. In fact, there’s no wonder why this car has been exported as Opel Omega’s equivalent: VF really resembles Insignia, not a direct competitor but as a bigger brother, because it’s more opulent. But the many similarities are there, specially related to the implicit sportiness given by the irregularly-shaped lights and the very discreet creases. Entering the car reveals a whole new cabin, with seats, doors and console matched in a very elegant two-toned decoration. But the even better news are located at the items list: like every true luxury version, Calais can bring heads-up display, GM MyLink infotainment system, parallel and 90-degree parking assistance, electric steering and several safety systems, to prevent front and rear collisions at low speed, involuntary lane changing and to improve external visibility. Engine data wasn’t revealed so far, but it’s expected that Commodore’s biggest changes will be efficiency improvements, rather than engine changes. This new phase will also generate the other versions, such as Berlina, Omega, HSV, SSV, SV6 and Z-Series.

Read more

Toyota Tundra 2014

Click to see in high resolutionOnce again the North-Americans prove their love for pick-up trucks. The last months saw almost all of the best-selling competitors receiving important updates, either total or partial, with the other ones announcing theirs for soon. So after seeing Chevrolet, Ford, GMC and RAM’s updates and before Nissan’s, now it’s Toyota’s time to reveal its refreshed vehicle. Between all the carried-over items and the also many changes, the automaker has reinforced Tundra to keep defending its sales from this very ferocious market.

After arriving around the 1980s, the Japanese automakers took some time to adapt themselves to the North American preferences when it comes to cars. Those excessively neutral cars never achieved the biggest sales, but between this or taking their domestic cars, they made the best decision for that initial moment. Therefore, the following decade had Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan and Toyota releasing successive attempts of “fitting in”, some of them becoming successful and others not. It was, actually, a matter of discovering that success would come with projecting with specific focus on that market and later applying the Eastern idiosyncrasies, rather than the other way around. This is exactly what made Tundra’s predecessor fail, in fact: T100 was intended to be a full-size truck, but didn’t have the same level of size and powertrain of its competitors. But, once again, all this learning helped the automaker to create a much better product to succeed it. Tundra still was smaller than its competitors, but became well-accepted by many other aspects, such as the V8 engines. It was only the second generation that received the so awaited bigger size, along with better engines and a series of details that finally managed to stabilish this car’s dedication to work, like having handles and internal controls big enough to be operated with gloved hands. The current restyling only preserved this potential, and dedicated itself to only adapt Tundra to the big trucks’ latest trends.

Toyota TundraIn other words, like Silverado, Toyota’s pickup had design enhancements to became “urban-elegant”, with square lines to bring an imponent impression, along with big wheels and not so many chrome details to make it classier. The two first trims will be SR and SR5, but even focusing at work, they feature an entirely redesigned cabin, with more attractive design and a great equipment package: between standard and optional items, this car can bring ABS, Bluetooth, reverse-gear camera, stability control, 18” wheels and blind-spot monitoring, start/stop and rear cross-traffic systems. Limited adds leather coating and Platinum finishes with higher-quality leather, 20” wheels, JBL sound system with twelve speakers, GPS navigator and Entune, Toyota’s infotainment system. There’s also the 1794 Edition, which is basically a Western-themed Platinum: brown leather, faux suede detailing and the exclusive wheels and external brown painting – besides, each trim now brings an exclusive front grille design. It’s the same piece, but receiving different paintings and designs turned out a very good way to make them take the attentions separately. There will be three cab styles, all with rear or four-wheel drive. The powertrain starts with the V6 4.0L with 270 hp and 278 lb-ft and five-speed automatic gearbox, while the intermediate versions bring a V8 4.6L with 310 hp and 327 lb-ft and the upmarket trims raise power and torque to 381 hp and 401 lb-ft with a V8 5.7L, the last ones with an automatic six-speed transmission.

Read more

RAM ProMaster

RAM ProMasterFiat Group’s latest releases could be seen as a nice class of how to practice badge engineering avoiding its tricks. Like most of the decisions regarding new cars’ releases, there are so many definitions to set that the number of possibilities borders being endless… but to achieve a high-potential vehicle really requires dealing with those. So after creating Fiat Freemont as Dodge Journey’s twin in a way that brought great sales for both, now it’s time to follow the reverse path and adding this whole commercial line to RAM’s showroom.

Long story short, yes, this is a rebadged third-generation Fiat Ducato, which has been succcessfully sold in Europe for about seven years also as the French brother Peugeot Boxer. Since commercial vehicles have very different concerns, such as maximizing the payload and reducing the costs, it’s easy to understand the larger lifecycles these cars usually have. In other words, these customers see aging projects as reliable ones, rather than preferring stylish and always up-to-date designs. Ducato has sold millions worldwide due to its renowned efficiency and resistance, which couldn’t be better showed than with how easy is to see its versions at the European streets; this is an interesting sales argument for this category, rather than having the very latest technologies. This and the fact that it would be pointless to invest in structural changes to an already well-accepted project is what resulted on ProMaster arriving at the US changing only all the badges and the front bumper, to follow RAM’s corporate design. Some Dodge fans might still dislike separating the pick-up truck into a particular brand, but now it’s possible to see the Group’s point: having an exclusive brand gives the opportunity to get dedicated to the commercial vehicles without affecting Dodge’s sporty image.

RAM ProMasterIn fact, this dedication is so big that ProMaster already comes in Ducato’s entire list of options, which denotes RAM’s intention of having an important share of this category’s sales. In other words, the new van comes in two roof heights (90 and 101 inches), three wheelbase lenghts (118, 136 and 159 inches) and four cargo floor lenghts (105, 123, 146 and 160 inches), not to mention the chassis cabs. This car’s structure was projected to be efficient, and this is seen in items such as rear clamshell doors with 260° opening, full-size sliding side doors, not-too-high ride height to facilitate access and all the vehicle systems located in the front, making the rear end very easy to modify. The biggest changes came to the powertrain, in order to adapt the line to Chrysler Pentastar V6 3.6L and its 280-hp power and 258 lb-ft torque; the diesel option is brought by Fiat, though: a four-cylinder EcoDiesel turbocharged 3.0L with 174 hp and 295 lb-ft. The first engine always comes with automatic six-speed transmission, while the second always uses a six-speed automated manual gearbox, but the traction system is always front-wheel-drive. This car will hit the streets in the next summer, highlighting numbers as a payload capacity of 5,145 pounds and, according to RAM, the status of being the best in class for cargo capacity, ceiling height, fuel economy, low load floor and step-in height.

Read more

Kia Forte Hatchback 2

Click to see in high resolutionIf Hyundai’s current prestige started when Sonata introduced Fluidic Sculpture, Kia’s “image boost” also came from a very successful new design language, Tiger Nose. It’s interesting to notice that even though these sister brands always share platforms and engines, each one managed to develop its own image with complete freedom and, therefore, compose its own public. After releasing Forte sedan last year, the Koreans now show the even more attractive five-door sibling. Here you’ll read why this is such an irresistible car.

While the sister always invests at plenty of creases and folds, the path followed by Kia may be more discreet in a first sight, but the fact is it only takes a closer look to be fully appreciated. Peter Schreyer’s team created an organic style, with smooth transitions between the volumes contrasting with the stronger-shaped elements. Although the Europeans have their own medium-sized Kias (the cee’d line), Forte’s styling has heavy influences from what those markets use on their cars – Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Citroën DS4 are good examples of that. But if Kia really wants to offer high-quality products, it would be a nonsense to create this Forte sibling as nothing more than a shortened-rear sedan. There are several exclusive items at this hatchback, starting with the front fascia: the famous grille became much shorter, just to create a visual connection between the headlights, in order to make room for an impressive lower intake. The sides use exclusive rear doors whose design goes against the European cousin’s: Forte doesn’t use the third window even in cee’d’s creative shape; that two-part design actually resembles DS4 once again. And when you see this Forte passing at your side, nothing says a more stylish goodbye than those gorgeous irregularly-shaped tail lights. But this car surely has much more to offer.

Kia Forte HatchbackThe interior is entirely shared with the sedan, but this is a great fact. It means this car brings good-looking console and plenty of room for five, but with the addition of a huge equipment list: it’ll be possible to drive the new Forte with items such as heated seats and steering wheel, keyless entry, leather seats and xenon headlights, divided into a couple of trim levels: EX, for example, comes with the sedan’s 2.0L with 173-hp power and 154-lb-ft torque always using a six-speed automatic transmission – the 1.8L won’t be used here. The surprise, however, comes from SX: the upmarket trim adds 18” aluminum wheels with 225/40 tires, LED tail lights, twin exhaust tips and some style accessories, which composes the perfect sporty ambiance to the turbocharged 1.6L and its 201-hp power and 195-lb-ft torque, this one offered with the same gearbox or an optional six-speed manual. This must be the very same engine as what recently was revealed to be used in cee’d GT, which gives this Forte a very important position: at least while Kia doesn’t come up with some more special variation, Forte SX will be the Korean hot hatch for the North American market, being capable of taking very famous names such as Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen GTI with the same level of attractiveness but a little less power, just like the European brother.

Read more

Labels

hatchback (247) flex (235) automático (194) sedã (164) compacto (154) honda (145) médio (140) mercedez (138) turbo (133) mundo (126) BMW (106) sedan (102) automatizado (93) Fiat (85) chevrolet (79) v6 (75) jazz (74) Acura (71) crossover (70) daihatsu (66) Audi (58) datsun (58) premium (58) Ford (57) entrada (57) luxo médio (57) toyota (56) Holden (54) diesel (49) Ferrari (47) Volkswagen (47) minivan (47) Bentley (46) V8 (46) luxo pequeno (46) picape (42) cupê (41) luxo grande (40) perua (40) série especial (40) Renault (38) exora (38) proton (38) grande (35) Chery (34) Dodge (32) 3.0 (31) Citroën (29) Peugeot (29) turbodiesel (29) Fire Evo (27) terios (27) cabine dupla (26) sports (26) Mercedes-Benz (25) cars (25) coupes (25) Dualogic (24) Nissan (24) SUV (24) cabine simples (24) esportivo (21) CVT (18) Kia (18) Sport (18) Mitsubishi (17) conversível (17) Palio (16) cabriolet (16) Chrysler (15) S (15) Hyundai (14) convertibles (13) glx (13) híbrido (13) E.torQ (12) cabine estendida (12) station wagon (12) Adventure (11) Punto (11) Siena (11) Sporting (11) TFSI (11) fire (11) Attractive (10) Gol (10) Land Rover (10) Mini (10) Sandero (10) Uno (10) V12 (10) elx (10) expression (10) multivan (10) roadster (10) SE (9) Strada (9) Volvo (9) Essence (8) Golf (8) Idea (8) LT (8) Logan (8) Série 3 (8) AMG (7) C3 (7) Clio (7) Cooper (7) JAC (7) LTZ (7) Pajero (7) Polo (7) Trekking (7) elétrico (7) jipe (7) C4 (6) Civic (6) Classe E (6) EcoSport (6) Focus (6) GT (6) Grand (6) Linea (6) Locker (6) Mille (6) Privilège (6) SL (6) Tiida (6) Titanium (6) Weekend (6) hlx (6) Authentique (5) Captiva (5) Coupé (5) Escapade (5) Fiesta (5) Fox (5) Fusion (5) Gol G5 (5) I-Motion (5) Ka (5) LS (5) Meriva (5) Opel (5) Palio Adventure (5) Ranger (5) Suzuki (5) Symbol (5) THP (5) Vectra (5) Voyage (5) Way (5) XLT (5) comparativo (5) lx (5) prisma (5) smart (5) Agile (4) Avant (4) C4 Picasso (4) Commodore (4) Doblò (4) EL (4) Economy (4) Ecotec (4) Furgão (4) HSE (4) L200 (4) Limited (4) Livina (4) Montana (4) Quattro (4) S10 (4) Scénic (4) Sportback (4) SsangYong (4) T-Jet (4) Tiptronic (4) Triton (4) V10 (4) XL (4) celta (4) classic (4) ex (4) exl (4) fortwo (4) joy (4) maxx (4) ss (4) vhce (4) Absolute (3) Accord (3) Amarok (3) Aston Martin (3) Attraction (3) CR-V (3) Classe C (3) Corolla (3) Dacia (3) Discovery (3) Edge (3) Fit (3) Fluence (3) FreeStyle (3) Freelander (3) Frontier (3) GL (3) Gol G4 (3) HB20 (3) Hilux (3) Jeep (3) Journey (3) Lamborghini (3) Lexus (3) Plus (3) Range Rover (3) Saveiro (3) Seat (3) Sentra (3) Sonic (3) Sportage (3) Stilo (3) TSI (3) Titan (3) Top (3) X6 (3) XC60 (3) Xsara Picasso (3) boxer (3) comfort (3) comfortline (3) easytronic (3) elite (3) i30 (3) m100 (3) off-road (3) passado (3) spacefox (3) trend (3) van (3) Actyon (2) Aircross (2) Astra (2) Black Series (2) BlueEfficiency (2) BlueMotion (2) Bora (2) Bravo (2) C180 (2) C30 (2) CC (2) CLS (2) Cabrio (2) Cadillac (2) Calais (2) Campus (2) Cerato (2) City (2) Classe B (2) Classe S (2) Cobalt (2) Colina (2) Corsa (2) Countryman (2) Cross (2) DS (2) DS3 (2) Dakar (2) Defender (2) Dynamic (2) Dynamique (2) Easy (2) Ecoboost (2) Effa (2) Extreme (2) GLi (2) GT Line (2) GT-X (2) Gran Coupé (2) Grand Cherokee (2) Grand Siena (2) Grand Vitara (2) HPE (2) Hoggar (2) Itália (2) J3 (2) Jaguar (2) Jimny (2) Kangoo (2) Kompressor (2) LE (2) Leaf (2) León (2) Lifan (2) Lounge (2) MG (2) March (2) Mazda (2) McLaren (2) Mohave (2) Mégane (2) New Fiesta (2) Pallas (2) Parati (2) Partner (2) Passion (2) Pathfinder (2) Porsche (2) Prius (2) Pro_Cee'd (2) QQ (2) QuikSilver (2) R-Design (2) R-Line (2) R8 (2) RS (2) RS5 (2) Remix (2) Rolls-Royce (2) S3 (2) S60 (2) SLS (2) SR (2) SW4 (2) SXT (2) Savana (2) Sonata (2) Sorento (2) Special Edition (2) Sportway (2) Spyder (2) Subaru (2) Série 1 (2) Série 5 (2) Série 6 (2) Série 7 (2) T4 (2) T5 (2) TDI (2) TT (2) Tetrafuel (2) Tiguan (2) Tornado (2) Trail (2) Troller (2) Up (2) V60 (2) Variant (2) Vibe (2) Vivace (2) Working (2) X-Gear (2) X-Line (2) XC70 (2) XLS (2) XR (2) Xingu (2) Z4 (2) Zafira (2) elegance (2) ix35 (2) luxo compacto (2) lxl (2) midivan (2) shooting brake (2) táxi (2) xei (2) xli (2) Škoda (2) ASX (1) ATS (1) Adam (1) Advantage (1) Alfa Romeo (1) Allroad (1) Allure (1) Altis (1) Amaze (1) Ambition (1) AmoritzGT (1) Antara (1) Aquila (1) Arena (1) Auris (1) Avalon (1) Avatar (1) Aventador (1) Azera (1) B170 (1) B200 (1) Beetle (1) Black Edition (1) Blackmotion (1) Blazer (1) Blue Hybrid (1) BlueCar (1) Bolloré (1) Bongo (1) Boxster (1) Brabus (1) Brasil-França (1) Brazilian Edition (1) Brio (1) C-Elysée (1) C3 Picasso (1) C4 L (1) C5 (1) C63 (1) C8 (1) CDI (1) CLA (1) CLC (1) CLS 250 (1) CLS 350 (1) CLS 500 (1) CLS 63 (1) CRD (1) CW (1) Camaro (1) Camry (1) Can-Am (1) Captur (1) Carbon Series (1) Carens (1) Cargo (1) Carnival (1) Cascada (1) Cee'd (1) Chilli (1) Cielo (1) Cinquecento (1) Classe A (1) Clubman (1) Collection (1) Combo (1) Continental GT (1) Corvette (1) Courier (1) Creative (1) CrossFox (1) Crosstour (1) DS4 (1) DS5 (1) DX (1) Decade Edition (1) Del Rey (1) Detroit Auto Show (1) Diamond (1) Dokker (1) DoniRosset (1) Durango (1) Duratec (1) Duratorq (1) Duster (1) E350 (1) E500 (1) E63 (1) ELR (1) EcoMotion (1) Electric Drive (1) Energy (1) Eos (1) Estate (1) Etios (1) Executive (1) F-250 (1) F-Sport (1) F12berlinetta (1) FR (1) FSI (1) Face (1) Feline (1) Fittipaldi (1) Fly (1) Forester (1) Forte (1) Full (1) Fusca (1) GLK (1) GLS (1) GMC (1) GQ3 (1) GT3 (1) GTi (1) Geneva Auto Show (1) Geo (1) Get Up (1) Ghost (1) Goodwood (1) Gran Turismo (1) Grand Scénic (1) Grand Tour (1) Grandtour (1) Griffe (1) HB20S (1) HD (1) Heyue (1) Highline (1) Hybrid (1) IPI (1) IS (1) Impala (1) Infiniti (1) Interlagos (1) J2 (1) J5 (1) J6 (1) Jetta (1) John Cooper Works (1) Kids (1) Kyron (1) L (1) L200 Triton (1) LFA (1) LP670-4 (1) LP700-4 (1) LS460 (1) LS600hL (1) LXS C (1) La Luna (1) LaFerrari (1) Lancer (1) Lancer Evolution (1) Lexus LS (1) Logus (1) Los Angeles Auto Show (1) M3 (1) M6 (1) MCV (1) MG 6 (1) ML (1) ML350 (1) MP4-12C (1) Magentis (1) Malibu (1) Maserati (1) Mazda5 (1) Mazda6 (1) Millesim (1) Minibus (1) Mitsubishi MotorSports (1) Mokka (1) Mondeo (1) Movie (1) MultiAir (1) Murciélago (1) N-One (1) New Beetle (1) Note (1) Octavia (1) Omega (1) Onix (1) Origine (1) Outlander (1) P1 (1) PT Cruiser (1) Paceman (1) Palio Fire (1) Panamera (1) Paris Motor Show (1) Passat (1) Pentastar (1) Phantom (1) Picanto (1) Pick-up (1) Plutus (1) Pop (1) Power (1) Powershift (1) Premier (1) Premio (1) Presence Pack (1) Prime (1) ProMaster (1) Pulse (1) Q3 (1) Q5 (1) Q50 (1) Q7 (1) Qoros (1) Quattroporte (1) R/T (1) RAM (1) RAM 2500 (1) RAV4 (1) RCZ (1) RCZ R (1) RLX (1) RS6 (1) RS7 (1) Rallye (1) Rapid (1) Rapide S (1) Rely (1) Rodius (1) S-Line (1) S18 (1) S4 (1) S400 (1) S5 (1) S63 (1) S65 (1) S80 (1) SC (1) SEL (1) SLK (1) SLK 200 (1) SQ5 (1) SRT (1) SRV (1) SSV (1) ST (1) SW (1) SWB (1) SX4 (1) Sail (1) Salão do Automóvel (1) Santa Fe (1) Santana (1) Scala (1) Seleção (1) Si (1) Sierra (1) Silver Edition (1) Silverado (1) Sky Window (1) Solaris (1) Sonora (1) Soul (1) Space Cross (1) Spark (1) Spider (1) Spin (1) Sport Pack (1) Sprinter (1) Spyker (1) Star (1) Stavic (1) Stepway (1) Sublime (1) Sunny (1) Sunrise (1) SuperVeloce (1) Surf (1) Sylphy (1) TR4 (1) TTS (1) TagAZ (1) Tech (1) TechRoad (1) Tendance (1) Tiggo (1) Toledo (1) Touareg (1) Tourer (1) Trailblazer (1) Trax (1) Tribeca (1) Trooper (1) Tucson (1) Tundra (1) TwinAir (1) Twist (1) Unlimited (1) Ute (1) V70 (1) VCDI (1) Vanquish (1) Vantage (1) Vauxhall (1) Veneno (1) Versa (1) Viaggio (1) Viper (1) W12 (1) Wraith (1) Wrangler (1) XE (1) XFR (1) XKR (1) XL1 (1) XMOD (1) XRS (1) XS (1) XY (1) Xclusive (1) ZE (1) Zafira Tourer (1) Zoe (1) automatic (1) comercial (1) exs (1) hidrogênio (1) ice (1) kei (1) lxs (1) mhd (1) média (1) nacional (1) se-g (1) spirit (1) x1 (1) x3 (1) x5 (1) xtr (1)