2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara JLX-L V6 Review

The Suzuki Vitara is old news. Introduced in 1988, it’s in fact a contemporary of the Jeep Cherokee, the grand daddy of all SUVs. The Vitara has become known as « Grand » over the years, both figuratively and literally. As it has grown in size and gained muscle mass since the days of the first Vitara's, so too has its equipment considerably improved. However, one thing never changed: the Japanese machine has always remained a hard-core SUV, ready to tackle the deepest, darkest woods. This is one book you can judge by its cover.

Contrary to the Nissan Rogue, the Honda CR-V and the like, the Grand Vitara is a TRUE off-road machine. Its generous ground clearance and short front and rear overhangs are proof of this.

Of course, most Grand Vitara buyers will rarely venture off the beaten track.

They’ll have chosen it instead for its reasonable size, its decent towing capacity and its average overall fuel efficiency, as well as its sturdy build and spacious, versatile cabin.

In Canada, the Grand Vitara family is of a simpler nature. The four-wheel drive system with low mode and the automatic transmission are both standard equipment, effectively eliminating the rear-wheel-drive and manual models seen in the US lineup. On the other hand, who’d be interested in a pseudo off-roader like that?

4-banger or V6, that is the question
In this light, when you go for the Japanese SUV, your choice basically boils down to the type of engine. Shall we make it a 4-cylinder mill or a V6? Endowment-wise, JLX and JLX-L (the mid-range, most opulent version) variants exist for these two engines. The entry-level JX, a somewhat “lighter” version, can only be powered by the 4-cylinder number. Which is only logical, as it banks above all on affordable pricing ($27,995).

So the choice of engine should be made according to the use the Grand Vitara will be put to. If towing prowess is a priority, again, in Canada all the Grand Vitaras are similar, featuring the same towing capacity of 1,360 kg or 3,000 lb. Yikes! That’s enough to haul a trailer laden with a small boat, an ATV or a motorcycle.

The answer to the question above is found in the engines’ output. The V6 has a dual advantage over the 4-banger, churning out 230 hp instead of 166 and 213 ft-lb of torque at 3,500 rpm instead of 162 ft-lb at 4,000 rpm. Translation: the V6 has more towing grunt to offer.

Source From : http://www.auto123.com

Ford Fiesta 2010 Review

New car report; Extended Fiesta range.

Ford’s funky little Fiesta hardly seems to have been around long enough to warrant a facelift, but to complement the numerous engineering enhancements for 2011 the exterior has been given a makeover too.

Exterior modifications are kept to a minimum, with subtle changes to the lower grille, new wheel designs, body-coloured bumpers, new paint colours and some changes to interior trim materials.

But the real changes are those that are more than skin deep, with the useful technical upgrades enhancing an already very capable car.

When launched in 2009, Ford offered two Zetec models; a 1.6 litre manual and a 1.4 litre automatic. We found the 1.6 manual particularly impressive, but while the 1.4 automatic was a very good city car, we felt it struggled a little on the open road, not only due to the smaller engine capacity, but we would have preferred a five speed auto over the four speed unit Ford had opted for.

But for the latest round of enhancements, Ford has gone one better and given us two more ratios in the form of a six speed Power shift automatic, as well as upgrading the engine capacity to 1.6 liters. All manual versions retain a 5 speed ‘box.

Zetec models continue with the sporty theme, with sport suspension, a sport body kit and more bright work for the new model, with chrome accents around the front fog lights on the outside and bright highlights in the cabin.

The new Powershift automatic transmission is of the new dual clutch design we’ve raved about in other vehicles previously, and its fitment in the 2011 Fiesta gives us yet another box to tick on the positive side of the ledger for Ford.

More models to appeal to more buyers.

The Fiesta range has also been extended to include a wider model range, giving buyers a greater number of options to choose from.

In addition to the manual and automatic Zetec models, Ford has introduced a pair of lower priced petrol powered LX models, one manual and one auto, as well as a manual LX diesel, added to the previously announced range-topping ECOnetic model, also with diesel power.

As the name suggests, the Fiesta ECOnetic is the environmentally friendly, greenest model in the range, returning a claimed 3.7l/100km, making it New Zealand’s most fuel-efficient vehicle according to Ford. The ECOnetic has many of the usual array of fuel saving enhancements, including low rolling resistance tyres and a re-mapped engine management, although there’s no stop/start system as with many of the ECO competitors.

The 1.6 litre petrol engines for both manual and Powershift automatic versions produce 89kW of power and 151Nm of torque and regardless of transmission Ford quotes a fuel consumption figure of 6.1l/100km. Pricing starts at $23,990 for the LX petrol manual and $25,990 for the automatic, while the Zetec models command a $2,000 premium at $25,990 for the manual and $27,990 for the auto.

The LX 1.6 diesel manual with a 66kW/200Nm 1.6 litre power plant achieves a quoted 4.4l/100km and retails for $25,990 while the ECOnetic diesel with the same engine capacity produces 70kW/200Nm, with a retail sticker of $30,990.

Ford's global car plan realised.

Ford told us at the original Fiesta launch that their new baby was to become a truly global model, and with the introduction of the enhanced model range, most models for our market are now no longer coming from Europe, but are built at a plant in Thailand.

While every bit as good on the road as the European built Fiesta we had before, the soft touch dash top material has gone and made way for a harder plastic moulding and the spare wheel has been replaced with a Tyre Mobility Kit (TMK). Also, we're used to seeing double clutch auto's having a manual mode and paddle shifters, but no such gadgetry for the Fiesta.
A spare wheel can be ordered as an accessory item and perhaps manual shifting isn't needed in this sector, but we wonder why the Thai plant couldn’t match the nicer quality dash finish of European built car, which is still present in the  ECOnetic model which continues to be built in Europe.

The high equipment levels that impressed us back in 2009 remain, with all models fitted with Bluetooth, voice activation, USB and Aux interfaces for personal entertainment devices, steering wheel mounted audio controls, cruise control and safety features including curtain airbags and Dynamic Stability Control.  

Still the like able little car it always was, buyers now have more choice, more power in automatic models and a world class transmission.

Source From : http://www.aa.co.nz/