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Postcards from Frankfurt
Written by: Jan Tuèek
The 2006 automotive year started
in the middle of September with the IAA auto show in Frankfurt.
From this city of skyscrapers and high finance we brought at
least a few postcards representing the most interesting automotive
news. Maybe you'll choose your next car from one of them.
Fiat Grande Punto
When naming its new compact car Fiat chose the word Grande - and
rightly so. At 4.03 meters, the new Grande Punto model is 190 mm
longer than its predecessor. Its dynamic shapes, on which the automaker's
style center worked with the Turin studio Italdesign - Giugiaro,
express the solid construction of this car, on whose success the
future of this famed Italian brand will depend to a great degree.
The Grande Punto has a front-mounted transverse engine and front-wheel
drive, and the body comes in three-door and five-door versions with
variable luggage space. For a surcharge you can have a panoramic
glass roof. Thanks to its wheelbase, extended to 2.51 meters, the
Grande Punto offers a passenger compartment whose size approaches
that of lower-mid-class cars. The broad offer of engines starts with
a gasoline four-cylinder, 1.2 and 1.4-liter, 65 and 77 hp, and a
1.3 Multijet turbodiesel tuned to 75 hp, all with five-speed transmissions.
All other versions come with six-speed transmissions. They have sixteen-valve,
1.4-l, 95 hp gasoline engines or 1.3-l (90 hp) or 1.9-l Multijet
(120 and 130 hp) turbodiesels. Both of the most powerful Grande Punto
models come with ESP electronic stabilization system chassis as standard
equipment, which otherwise costs extra.
Renault Clio
The third-generation Renault Clio, again with a front-mounted transverse
engine and front-wheel drive, looks larger and more mature than its
successful predecessors. The new car is longer, 3.99 meters, nearly
60 mm taller at 1.49 meters, and its 2.57 meter wheelbase translates
to a surprisingly spacious interior. The three-door or five-door
bodies offer variable luggage space that ranges from 288 liters to
1,038 liters (measured to the ceiling) when the back seats are folded
down. Safety is another attractive feature - in Euro NCAP tests it
received the highest possible rating, five stars. Since October the
new Renault Clio has been on sale with a wide range of engines, starting
with a four-cylinder, 1.2-l, 65 and 75 hp gasoline engine, as -well
as 1.4-l and 1.6l, 100 and 110 hp gasoline engines, with the larger
ones linked to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed
automatic. The 1.5-l dCi turbodiesels, tuned to 70, 85, and 105 hp,
are distinguished by very economical operation, with the most powerful
variant mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission. This model
has a top speed of 190 km/h with average consumption of only 4.6
liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.
Nissan Note
In the Renault-Nissan alliance, the modern-looking, 4.08 meter-long family
Nissan Note, with a front-mounted transverse engine and front-wheel drive,
is placed exactly between the similarly designed Renault Modus and Scénic.
It boasts a 2.60 meter wheelbase and variable interior space one advantage
of which is a rear seat that can be moved 160 mm longitudinally. It takes
only one hand to move it, either forwards or backwards. Depending on the
back seat's position, the luggage space ranges from 280 to 380 liters,
and under its double bottom there is a smaller space that allows more valuable
items to be hidden. The cover on this space, called a Flexi-Board, is concealed
by carpet on one side, and on the other side the surface is resistant to
dampness - so it can be turned over for storing muddy shoes, a mountain
bike, etc. When the front passenger seat is folded down items up to 2.4
meters long can be carried in the car. Under the hood, the Nissan Note
comes with 1.4-l and 1.6-l, 88 and 110 hp gasoline engines, as well as
the tried-and-true French 1.5 dCi turbodiesel tuned to 68 or 86 hp. The
cleverly designed equipment, including fold-out trays on the backs of the
front seats, reflect the car's family-oriented nature.
Honda Civic
You won't confuse this car with any other - the new 8th generation Honda
Civic stands out with a futuristic design combining rounded and sharp lines.
Its characteristic elements include in particular a glass front and extensive
rear window with a built-in spoiler. Unlike many of its competitors, the
new Civic is a bit shorter (4.25 meters) than its predecessor, but thanks
to the windshield having been shifted forward and the 65 mm wider body,
there is more room for passengers inside. Of course the comfortable interior
is variable, and as in the Jazz model the back seats can be folded back,
creating a space for large pieces of luggage in the middle of the car.
The rear seats can also be folded forward, substantially enlarging the
luggage space, from 415 to 485 liters. The Civic has a front-mounted transverse
engine and front-wheel drive and is the first car in its segment to come
exclusively with a six-speed transmission, either manual or the robotic
i-Shift. Customers can choose from three engines: 1.4-l and 1.8-l, four-cylinder,
83 and 140 hp gasoline engines and a 2.2-l, 140 hp turbodiesel that can
drive the Civic up to 205 km/h with average consumption of only 5.1 liters
per 100 km. All versions come with ABS, EBD electronic braking power distribution,
power steering, and VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist), analogous to ESP.
Peugeot 407 Coupé
The carmaker with the lion emblem traditionally sees to it that its offer
includes an attractive GT (Grand Turismo) style coupé. Now this prestigious
role is assumed by the Peugeot 407 Coupé, an elegant, 4.81 meter long four-seater.
Like the 407 sedan, the coupé has a front-mounted transverse engine and
front-wheel drive, but it has a wider wheelbase in front and in back, longer
body overhangs, and a lower center of gravity. Despite its similarities
in shape, the coupé has not even a single body part in common with the
sedan. The engine choices start with a four-cylinder, 2.2-l, 160 hp gasoline
engine with a manual six-speed transmission, and more demanding customers
can choose among V6 engines. For the first time in the 407 line, the coupé
features a V6 HDi, 2.7-l turbodiesel with two turbochargers to help it
turn out 205 hp. The coupé, equipped exclusively with a six-speed automatic
transmission has a top speed of 230 km/h with combined consumption of 8.5
liters of diesel fuel per 100 km. The top of the line has a V6, 3.0-l,
210 hp gasoline engine, which in combination with a six-speed manual gearbox
gives the sports tuned car a top speed of 243 km/h. This six-cylinder can
also be mated to a six-speed automatic. All Peugeot 407 Coupé versions
come with ABS, AFU emergency braking system, and ESP and CDS electronic
chassis stabilization systems.
Jaguar XK
The Jaguar XK, a modern, classic concept 2+2 coupé with an eight-cylinder
front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, kicks off a new era in the history
of this British sports car brand. The aggressive looking, 4.79 meter long,
1.89 meter wide, and only 1.32 meter tall car has a self-supporting body
with a bearing structure and aluminum surface panels, so its weight is
surprising low, just under 1,600 kilograms. Under its long hood there lurks
a huge heart - an atmospheric V8, 4.2-liter, 298 hp gasoline engine, mated
to a six-speed transmission that allows fully automatic operation, or true
sports driving in the Sport Manual mode, with sequential shifting using "wings" by
the steering wheel. Thanks to intelligent electronics, the properly tuned
automatic Sport Auto mode provides excellent cruising experiences. The
Jaguar XK can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds, and although its
top speed is electronically governed to 250 km/h the speedometer scale
runs up to 280 km/h. The interior is imbued with a traditional British
atmosphere, featuring real leather and fine wood, but it also has modern
electronic equipment, including a first-rate communication and navigation
system. A cabriolet is already in the works for drivers who want something
even sportier than the coupé.
Mercedes-Benz S
The new prestigious Mercedes-Benz S series, large classic concept sedans
with front-mounted engines and rear-wheel drive are headed for the highest
spheres. They come in two versions - with 3.04 and 3.16 meter wheelbases
and total lengths of 5.08 and 5.21 meters. Improvements have been made
in all directions - the bodies are more modern and the technologies are
more refined. In order to save weight, the doors, hood, trunk cover, and
front fenders are made of aluminum, while the chassis, with Airmatic air
suspension and ADS adaptive dampening system provides maximum comfort and
safety. The driver can choose between comfort and sport chassis modes,
and the brake system can be supplemented with radar that ensures safe spacing
from other cars depending on your speed. A new feature is a night vision
system with infrared rays and a special camera that transmits its images
to a screen on the dashboard noticeably earlier than classic lights can
reach them. The new S 350 model comes with a V6, 3.5-l, 272 hp gasoline
engine, and the S 500 sedan comes with a V8, 5.5-l, 388 hp engine. Both
have seven-speed automatic transmissions, and the V6, 3.0-l, 235 hp turbodiesel
will appear under the hood of the S 320 CDI model in the 1st quarter of
2006. Spring of 2006 will welcome the Mercedes-Benz S 600, with a longer
body and a V12, 5.5-l, 517 gasoline engine mated to a five-speed automatic
transmission.
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7, an imposing five-meter long, four-wheel drive car with remarkable
performance, should reign in the ever more popular SUV category. With a
3.0 meter wheelbase and an overall length of 5.08 meters, a width of 1.98
meters (with the exterior rear-view mirrors 2.18 meters) and a height of
1.74 meters, this car has a spacious, variable interior with 28 arrangement
possibilities. In its three rows of seats it can carry up to seven passengers
in a 2+3+2 arrangement, but the two third-row seats are for people under
1.60 meters tall. When arranged with five seats the back of the Audi Q7
offers a record 775 liters of luggage space, and with only two people seated
in front the space leaps to 2,035 liters. It is powered by either a V8,
4.2-l, 350 hp gasoline engine or a V6 TDI , 3.0-l, 233 hp turbodiesel with
a remarkable torque peaking at 500 N.m between 1750 and 2750 rpm. Both
engines are mated to six-speed automatic Tiptronic transmissions, from
which the torque is transferred through a Torsen differential, 40% to the
front wheels and 60% to the rear. A surcharge gets you air suspensions
with self-adjusting ground clearance - the basic level is 180 mm, in rough
terrain it increases to 205 mm, or 240 mm for larger obstacles, while on
roads it can drop to 165 mm. The Audi Q7 with the V6 turbodiesel has a
top speed of 216 km/h, while the V8 gas engine drives it to a top speed
of 248 km/h, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds. |
