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Auto innovations 2005
Written by: Jan Tuček
The Paris Mondial de l'Automobile
auto show (25 September to 10 October) has begun in style with
the 2005 Car of the Year. Of the numerous novelties, we chose
a few stand-outs that illustrate the increasing trend towards
multiformity. While renowned automakers are opting for unusual
paths, others try to create at least a semblance of originality.
Renault Modus
The Renault Modus, a four-door, 3.79 meter-long, 1.59 meter-tall family MPV-style
car is outstanding for its attractive design and clever interior space. The original
arrangement of the rear seats allows their sliding to the rear and sufficient
resulting space for four adult travelers, and they can be slid forward and widened
to accomodate three children. The luggage space ranges from 198 liters to 274
l, and with the rear seats folded down there is room for 1,283 l. The lift-up
rear hatch of the body can be fitted with an optional cover that can be pulled
away in very cramped conditions. Passenger safety is borne out by the fact that
the Modus is the first small car ever to earn the highest rating - five stars
- in crash tests by the independent consortium Euro NCAP. The Modus comes with
1.2-l and 1.4-l gasoline engines (75 hp/55 kW and 100 hp/72 kW), as well as a
1.5 dCi turbodiesel tuned to either 65 hp/48 kW or 80 hp/60 kW, and all models
come with a five-speed manual gearbox.
Peugeot 1007
Here comes the Peugeot 1007, with its new double-O designation and unusual proportions.
The most original element of this 3.73 meter-long, 1.61 meter-tall car is its
electric doors that slide towards the rear and facilitate boarding and deboarding
in crowded parking lots, for example. Of course the sliding electric doors have
safety devices preventing the crushing of passengers' bodies or cargo. The Peugeot
1007 offers a variable interior for four travelers, and the separate rear seats
can be not only folded down but also moved along the axis of the car. According
to their positions, the luggage compartment can handle from 178 to 364 liters.
The Peugeot 1007 comes with 1.4-l and 1.6-l gasoline engines (75 hp/54 kW and
110 hp/80 kW) the latter with the "2 Tronic" automatic transmission
as standard equipment, allowing fully automatic operation or sequential shifting,
while it is optional equipment on the former. The economical 1.4-l HDi turbodiesel
(70 hp/50 kW) will be available only with a five-speed manual transmission.
Ford Focus
After six years and over four million cars sold, the second generation Ford
Focus is now on the market, a handsome, 4.34 meter-long three-door or a five-door
hatchback, and a width of 1.84 meters that puts it into competition with
the next-larger class. Compared to its predecessor, it offers a more spacious
interior and 385 l of luggage space that can be expanded to 1,245 liters
with the rear seats folded down. The chassis, with its wheelbase extended
to 2.64 meters and its widened track, features multi-element rear suspension,
and the brakes with mass-produced ABS, is supplemented by the ADAM (Advanced
Dynamic Aid Mechanical) system, which guarantees optimal braking effect in
crisis situations. Available are four-cylinder gasoline engines displacing
1.4-l, 1.6-l, and 2.0-l that put out 80 to 145 hp (59 to 107 kW), and two
TDCi turbodiesels, 1.6-l and 2.0-l, delivering 109 and 136 hp (81 and 100
kW). The more powerful turbodiesel comes with a six-speed manual transmission
as standard equipment, and the 1.6-l engines can be mated to automatic transmissions.Seat Toledo
The new Seat Toledo is an unusual combination of a single-space vehicle and a
classic sedan. The front and middle parts of the body were taken from the Altea
type, but the unusually shaped extended rear hides a larger luggage space with
a capacity of 500 liters. It boasts variably arranged rear seats, but also Bluetooth
technology for wireless mobile phone connections, thanks to which the driver
controls all of the calling and information receiving functions with buttons
on the steering wheel. The Toledo is 4.50 meters long and 1.57 meters tall, with
its attractive body hiding a chassis similar to that of the fifth-generation
Volkswagen Golf, with the ESP electronic stabilization system, TCS traction system,
and EBA braking assistance. The 1.6-l and 2.0 FSI gasoline engines turn out 102
and 150 hp (75 and 110 kW), and the 1.9-l TDI and 2.0 TDI turbodiesels are tuned
to 105 and 140 hp (77 and 103 kW). The two-liter engines come with six-speed
transmissions, manual or automatic, as standard equipment.
Citroen C4
This is really two cars: while the 4.3 meter-long, five-door C4 hatchback is
presented as a family car, the dynamically tuned C4 coupé, with its glass rear,
addresses sports-minded individualists. Both cars incorporate many avant-garde
elements, e.g., a fixed steering wheel center with integrated audio system controls
and limited speed, or the central dashboard display, the lighting intensity of
which varies according to ambient lighting conditions. The side windows of layered
glass limit noise in the passenger compartment, whose atmosphere can be made
more pleasant with an air freshener, complete with choice of fragrances. The
self-turning bi-xenon headlights and the detector of tire pressure loss are included
in the offer, along with the Afil electronic system that vibrates the seat to
alert the driver to turns without the turn signals activated (i.e., unintended
deviations from the lane lines). The Citroen C4 comes with five different gasoline
engines with displacements of 1.4-l to 2.0-l and outputs of 90 to 180 hp (66
to 130 kW) and three turbodiesels, 1.6-l and 2.0-l, that deliver 92 to 138 hp
(68 to 100 kW).
Mazda 5
Joining the crowded family MPV category is the new Mazda 5, built on the chassis
platform of the Ford Focus C-Max, with multi-element rear suspension and
a wheelbase extended to 2.75 meters. The elegant, 4.5 meter-long Mazda 5
follows up on the MX-Flexa, which was presented this spring in Geneva. It
differs from most of its competitors with its wide sliding doors on both
sides and its interior 6+1 arrangement that allows up to seven travelers,
or six, with extra luggage. A variable interior with flexible seats in three
rows is a matter of course, and there is even a mechanism that markedly facilitates
seat handling. The Mazda 5 comes with two gasoline engines and two turbodiesels,
and the top of the line is powered by a 2.3-l, four-cylinder, 170 hp (126
kW) gasoline engine.Audi A4/S4
The dynamic design and distinctive radiator grille are the outer signs of the
innovative Audi A4 and S4 line, in sedan and Avant stationwagon versions. The
interiors of all models have gone through modifications. Under the hoods there
lurk two gasoline engines - the supercharged, four-cylinder 2.0 FSI (200 hp/147
kW) and the six-cylinder, 3.2 FSI (255 hp/188 kW). Available are a 1.6-l, four-cylinder
gasoline engine (102 hp/75 kW), a 2.0-l gasoline engine (130 hp/96 kW) and a
supercharged version of the 1.8-l gasoline engine tuned to 163 hp/120 kW. Diesel
lovers can choose between four-cylinder, 1.9-l or 2.0-l TDI turbodiesels (115
and 140 hp/85 and 103 kW), or a 2.5 TDI V6 and a new 3.0 TDI (163 and 204 hp/120
and 150 kW).
According to the model selected, these latest Audis feature front-wheel-drive
or all-wheel Quattro. For sports-minded drivers, extra power is available in
the S4 and S4 Avant models, with Quattro drive and 4.2 liter, V8 gasoline engines
(344 hp/253 kW), boasting 0-100 km/h acceleration of 5.6 seconds and a top speed
of 250 km/h
BMW M5
The BMW M5 is targeted at the dream car category. It's a supersports sedan with
rear-wheel-drive, and is the first mass-produced car in the world with a ten-cylinder
engine, a 5-l V10 that turns out 507 hp (373 kW) without supercharging. This
engine delivers imposing torque of 520 Nm at 6100 rpm, with 450 Nm available
at as little as 3500 rpm, It is mated to a seven-speed SMG transmission with
the option of sequential shifting or automatic operation. The weight of the new
BMW M5 doesn't exceed 1,755 kg, so each horse carries only 3.5 kg, with an ideal
front axle/rear axle load ratio of 50:50. This rapacious sedan, with an appropriately
tuned chassis, runs on specially developed tires measuring 255/40 ZR 19 up front
and 285/35 ZR 19 in the rear. It races from 0 to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds
(and from 0 to 200 km/h in 15 seconds), and were it not electronically limited
to 250 km/h it could flirt with 330 km/h. |
