Avid Driver

Kia has come a long way. It has in fact completed a full brand transformation. Just think of cars like this magnificent piece of 1990s South Korean beauty, the original 50 shades of grey - the KIA Shuma

The old DS was a car that turned the world upside down upon it's introduction to the market back in 1955. It was the time of recovery after the second World War and the time of the space race, so every country had to develop it's image in the post-colonial world. In the 1950s Citroen was a company famed for technological advances, striking design and unconventional for the time engineering. The predecessor of the DS was the Traction Avant which was the first unibody front wheel drive mass produced car. So the old DS had quite a pedigree of innovation to live up to. When it was unveiled at the 1955 Paris Auto Show, the DS was such a success that there were over 750 orders in just the first 15 minutes rising up to 12,000 until the end of the day. You can say people quite liked the car and contemporary motoring journalists were in awe.  They compared it to fallen from the sky - it was that beautiful. And it was not only beauty that won the hearts of reviewers and potential customers, it was the technical innovations as well. Hydraulic suspension, transmission, brakes and power steering all helped achieve that "Magic carpet" ride quality that arguably is not surpassed even today. Not to mention the futuristic interior with steering column mounted shifter, "mushroom" brake pedal and the headlights that follow the road. You can begin to see what the new DS 5 has to live up to. So let's see if the new DS 5 has as much technical innovations as the original "Goddess".

Have BMW lost their minds? The company that made rear wheel drive it's most important selling point. The ultimate driving machine, as BMW refer to any of it's cars, has a simple formula: engine in the front and power to the back. It was this weight distribution and the fact that the front wheels only have to do the steering that made BMW so great to drive. The feeling you get when driving a rear wheel drive car can only be described as perfect synchronization between car and driver.  It gives you all the control your driving ability can provide and if you know your way around a steering wheel, some very impressive drifts can be achieved.  Now, however, BMW are trying to make us like their new model - the 2 Series Gran Tourer that is even more van-like than the 2 series Active Tourer.  So is the new 2 series Gran Tourer the worst BMW in the history of time?  Far from it. It is actually a car that has been missing from BMW's line up and many customers have been jumping to other manufacturers when needing a premium compact seven seater.  If you already have an M3 and the wife is constantly nagging to buy her "that spacious Mercedes B-class" the choice becomes simple. According to BMW, after the transition to FWD, the 2 series Gran Tourer still remains the most exhilarating car to drive in it's class. I haven't driven one yet to confirm but I am confident that BMW can make great handling cars. Here is a more detailed look at what the 2 Series Gran Tourer will be offering.

And here is Ken Block drifting about in it:

Four wheel drive,DSG,launch control, 400 horsepower, 0-62 in 3.9 seconds and a governed top speed of 280km/h. This is what the new Volkswagen Golf R 400 Concept brings to the table of hot hatches.
Unveiled at Auto China 2014 this Golf shows just how much Volkswagen R Gmbh, the company in charge of the VW WRC team, has learned from their rally cars. The Golf R 400 is incredibly light - only 1,420kg. This may sound a lot for a hatchback but remember this Golf has a DSG gearbox and is four wheel drive and yet it weighs the same as a front wheel drive Ford Focus.

Outside

Inside

From the original Golf Rallye, through the W12 Golf Concept to the Golf R 400 Concept - VW are well known for bonkers hatchbacks. Let's just hope that the Golf will have the most important characteristic of a hot hatch - low price.

I was driving my scooter the other day when I passed the Nissan dealer in my town when I saw IT. In bordeaux red a small little hatch stood in front of me . At first , misguided by the sporty boomerang-like taillights and the small back window , I said to
my self : "Wow, the new Micra really looks good !" But then again , when has the Micra looked good?"   At that moment I saw the better-than-a-roadcar-sort-of-an-off-roadish ground clearance and those gigantic wheels and I was astonished that this car is a new smaller than a Qashqai SUV by Nissan. It's called the  Juke. Whether it sounds like a joke to you this little hatchback-crossover-estate-4x4-thingy will take the market by storm.





With the all new Nissan 1.6 liter direct injected turbocharged engine producing 188bhp at 5,600 rpm and 177lb-ft torque from 2,000 to 5,200 rpm the little Juke runs in to Skoda Yeti 1.8 liter TSI territory. The almost diesel-like torque distribution is paired with Nissan's CVT transmission which is basically an automatic with seamless gear changes. The only problem is that you will be driving almost always at around 5,000 rpm which can be quite nervebending and little fun for those seeking the sport note in the small crossover. For those who like shifting gears i would recommend ticking the box with the 6-speed manual transmission in the options list. As always there will be an oil burner version for those who have given up all hope . The 1.5 dCi engine develops 118 bhp at 4,000 rpm and 177lb-ft at 1,850 rpm . There will also be a 1.6 liter engine with 108bhp which I think will be the best seller paired with the CVT transmission and 4x2 wheel drive .




The interior is based on the 370z steering wheel and gauges and the center column can be in the same colour as the exterior and that is quite a good idea in my opinion. Imagine your new VW Passat with the interior trim beige like the exterior . It would be boring-man's heaven! The interior features a real handbrake rather than the, useless for starting drifts, automatic ones. On the other hand an automatic parking brake would be nice for all the lady drivers not knowing how to hill start . Other features include a small navigation screen and a rather iteresting computer game like aircon screen .


The new Juke would certainly steal some of the Qashqai's buyers but more importantly it has the edge in the desigh department over the Mitsubishi ASX . The Skoda Yeti is still my favorite but with those buff wheel arches and that coupe-like silhouette
the Juke can be my next favorite small SUV. Only if Nissan fitted the small crossover with the 3.7 V6 unit from the 370z .