VOLVO S 60 Cross Country



VOLVO S 60

 

VOLVO’S Cross Country line has been a hit that automakers dream of. Raising the height, adding all-wheel drive and dressing it in Fjallraven-like cladding gave their wagons the likability of s’mores.

Now the Cross Country is available as a sedan. The S60 Cross Country isn’t a new concept. Subaru killed its sedan version of the Outback years ago and, generally, automakers abandon a segment for a reason. Volvo hedges its bet by limiting production to 500 copies, all in Osmium Grey paint so owners will be uniquely following the same path.

Moving away from the usual crossover box appears to be the next direction for crossovers. BMW started it with the X6; Mercedes is soon to follow. In my week with Volvo’s curiosity, it attracted as many compliments as it did mud puddles.



VOLVO S 60

Think twice about skipping the Cross Country wagon. My trunk measurement metric with bath tissue from a wholesaler might draw chuckles, but it revealed a serious shortcoming. The S60 stops at three bundles of tissue paper, whereas the V60 wagon takes in six. Uff da, as the Scandinavians say.

Strengths? It sprints from rest to 60 in under seven seconds. The turbocharged 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine (yes, five) packs 250 horses and 266 pound-feet of torque on standard-grade gas with the turbo “overboosting” for the first 10 seconds when floored. Power is divided among all four wheels (more accurately, only those with grip). The transmission has 6 speeds in its toolbox.

Raised by 2.6 inches, the Cross Country doesn’t conquer corners like standard S60s. Between supremely comfortable seats and a compliant ride, it’s a terrific car for, dare I say, cross-country driving.

The sedan is E.P.A.-rated at 20 city and 28 highway; my heavy right foot wrung 22 miles per gallon out of it. Since it’s a Volvo, there are too many safety features to cover, but know that the City Safety system automatically brakes for cars and pedestrians, and in some cases bicyclists (a test nobody volunteered for).

I’ve successfully driven the V60 Cross Country wagons on fairly rough terrain. It’s no Jeep Wrangler, but moderate snow, deeply rutted forest service roads and muddy stretches are a piece of cake. Most owners will never tax the all-wheel-drive system. Ever.

The interior is pleasant with substantial metal trim seemingly forged by Thor’s hammer. Audi and Mercedes may tailor a more impressive cabin, but they don’t offer a raised-up sedan. The gauge cluster is configurable three different ways. Pockets in the front of the seat cushion are brilliant.

If only Volvo’s new Sensus user interface could be wedged into the S60. A small multifunction knob does the heavy lifting, and voice commands aren’t much better. A bright note: Pictographic climate controls are top shelf.

Stretching out in the back seat is not an option in the Cross Country, though average-size adults will find foot and legroom fine. Cushions are contoured, supportive and heated. It has belts for three, but keep it to two to keep the peace.

Prices start at $44,640; as tested, it’s $47,500. The S60 is available in front- and all-wheel-drive versions without Cross Country treatment. But, for those who insist on traversing tougher terrain in a four-door, Volvo raises to new heights the ability to get a sedan filthy

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Lexus change image with the RC F

lexus

When talk turns to high performance in cars, Lexus seldom springs to mind. Yes, it has built the passionate IS F sedan. Who wouldn’t want an LFA supercar? Still, Lexus hasn’t attracted the kind of attention that BMW M, Cadillac V and Mercedes AMG cars have.

Fortunately for everyone’s inner Speed Racer, Toyota President Akio Toyoda is demanding more passion from his luxury division. And lo, the engineers have delivered the RC F. With plenty of oomph from its 5-liter V8 engine, rear-wheel drive, all wrapped in a two-door coupe, the RC F ventures into territory defined by the Camaro SS and Mustang GT. To find 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque throbbing under the aluminum hood of a Lexus is heartening.

There is a certain truth in advertising to the car: RC stands for radical coupe. Lines dodge and slice over the unique fascias and aluminum fenders. It will not be mistaken for your aunt’s ES 350.

lexus

 

Cars often share an architecture; RC is hewn from three of them. The front structure springs from the GS, the midfloor pan is courtesy of the IS convertible, and the rear is from the IS sedan. The F model adds chassis bracing, welds and adhesives for structural stoutness.

Lexus claims a 4.4-second sprint from 0 to 60. In Sport Plus drive mode, a resonator and speaker usher in more mechanical symphonics. Even in Eco mode, there is more road noise and less isolation from the pavement than expected from Lexus. Road warriors will appreciate the F’s communicative electric power steering but may lament the lack of a manual gearbox. An 8-speed automatic is impressive — and mandatory.

RC F’s performance is daydream fodder. Reality’s cold water reminds drivers that it’s tough to employ the full heroic power and handling of cars in this class on public roads (safely, anyway). On a track, the RC F has a disadvantage. Weighing 258 pounds more than the Cadillac ATS-V and 373 pounds more than the BMW M4, the Lexus is a sumo in Spanx. No, the V8 does not make up for the heft; the turbo sixes in the Cadillac and BMW best the RC F’s torque. And subjectively, those competitors have more of that hard-to-quantify driving magic in their bones.

The cockpit is intimate, though some will call it snug. It was also inky black in the tested car, even trimmed with contrasting stitching and carbon fiber. Deeply bolstered seats embrace a wide range of drivers. The upholstery is placed into a mold and then filled with foam for a perfect finish.

Lexus has replaced its odd user interface controller with a trackpad, but I’m still not a fan. On the plus side, modern technology includes blind spot warning and an auto-braking system.

Two 5-foot-9 humans will find the back-seat space a custom fit. Cross-country treks are ill advised. The back seat is outfitted as if Lexus expected to people to ride there regularly, with sculpted chairs that support as securely as those in front. The trunk is a good size, too. There are no folding seat backs or spare tire, but there’s a ski pass-though.

The letter F may remind some of us of our high school grades, but here it stands for Fuji Speedway, where Toyota does much of its high performance testing. RC is meant to lift Lexus from its safe beige reputation. In both power and design, RC F is anything but dull.

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Honda Jazz GLi 5-dr hatch

HONDA is the economy car expert par excellence, as the original Civic demonstrated to devastating effect back in the mid 1970s.

Similarly, the 2002 Jazz showed the others how to build and present a light car, without making the owner feel as if they have skimped on quality.

Now there is a new-generation version, with more power, safety, space, refinement, and strength, bundled up in an attractive and extremely easy-to-live-with package.

We spend a long time in the cheapest version – the manual GLi – to see if Honda is still at the top of its game.

Model release date: August 2008NOTHING short of a revolution, the original Jazz was a breath of fresh air with its incredibly spacious and stylish interior, crisp styling, and excellent fuel economy – particularly in base GLi guise.

A 61kW/119Nm 1.3-litre SOHC 16V four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to either a nifty little five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT Continuously Variable Transmission.

Unfortunately, for keen drivers, there was little appeal in the vague steering and busy ride.

However, equipment levels were generous for an entry-level model, and included ABS anti-lock brakes, dual front airbags, power windows, air-conditioning and central locking.

A facelift was introduced in late 2004, while production switched from Japan to Thailand for all Jazzes from early 2006.

Your monthly motoring magazine; sometimes irreverent, always creative and not afraid to have a good time.

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Toyota Yaris YRS 3-dr hatch

HAVING just got our heads around Toyota’s light car being called the Echo, we are now being asked to shelve that and embrace the Yaris.

Never mind.

The new baby Toyota is clearly a redesigned Echo with a new badge.

Which is fine, because the Echo was always an impressively packaged, well-built and capable light car with a greater sense of substance than some of its peers.

The Yaris is slightly bigger, quite a bit heavier and potentially safer than Echo – provided you pay for it - and drives a tad better too.

If only the VVT engine – in manual-transmission form – were a little more driver-friendly.

It suffers the worst case of electronic flywheel we’ve seen in years.

Model release date: February 2006Toyota effectively replaced its popular Starlet with the oddly-named Echo back in October 1999.

Available in three and five-door hatch guises (with a 63kW/122Nm 1.3-litre four) plus a four-door sedan (80kW/142Nm 1.5), the Echo range was expanded by manual-only Sportivo versions of both hatches in March 2001 (offering an 80kW/145Nm 1.5).

Echo received a mild facelift at the same time. 

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Ford Fiesta hatch range

THE "most significant global new Ford since the Model T", as Ford Australia president Marin Burela describes the all-new Fiesta, has a massive job ahead if it is to secure more light-car buyers that ever while lifting the beleaguered US company up from its boot straps.

Luckily, then, the 2009 WS-series Fiesta is more than ready for the task, with a level of competence that elevates the German-built hatchback to the status of world’s best supermini.

Ladies, gentlemen, kids and geeks, in the multimedia vernacular to which the new Fiesta so ably subscribes, this ain’t no model T...

it’s a model for U.

Model release date: January 2009Ford's facelift of its third-generation front-wheel drive Fiesta – in three or five-door hatchback guises – continued to be sourced from Germany.

It featured the same 74kW/146Nm 1.6-litre twin-cam four-cylinder petrol engine, regardless of whether it was mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.

Driving pleasure and a strong, solid feel were WQ attributes, but Ford chose to improve the former with the introduction of the XR4 version in mid-2007.

Built and tuned by Ford’s ST technologies department in Europe, it included a 110kW/190Nm 2.0-litre engine from the larger Focus, mated solely to a five-speed manual.

The base model was the LX, followed by the Zetec in three-door (and from December 2006) five-door shapes, as well as the five-door-only Ghia. 

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New Ford Mustang Customizer Website Lets Enthusiasts Dream Up and Share Their Ultimate Pony Car

New Ford Mustang Customizer website allows enthusiasts to create their very own Mustang, selecting colors, accessories and decals to complement the classic designThe website lets enthusiasts customize a Mustang V6, GT, Boss 302 or Shelby GT500 with three different backgrounds, five different angles and hundreds of accessories from which to chooseAdditionally, users can connect to the site via Facebook with a tool that lets them share and store all of the Mustangs they have created. They can even use “battle mode” to ask people to vote for their Mustang
DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 15, 2011 – Ford is putting design in the hands of enthusiasts with a new customizer website that features the 2012 Mustang.
Ford launched the site at www.ford.com/cars/mustang to let Mustang enthusiasts take advantage of the classic design with limitless possibilities.
“This site lets Mustang fans customize cars to their heart’s content,” said Brian McClary, Ford social and emerging media specialist. “It’s a simple-to-use layout that lets users take the base design of Mustang and run with it.”
Users can choose to customize a Mustang V6, GT, Boss 302 or Shelby GT500. Their custom touch is blended with three different backgrounds – a dragway, cityscape or drive-in restaurant – along with five different angles from which to check out the design.
Accessories include body kits, wheels, decals, grilles and decklids, along with parts from Ford Racing Performance Parts and Ford Vehicle Personalization. Within minutes, several different looks can easily be created and saved as desktop wallpaper.
“Customers love to make Mustang their own, one that suits their taste; this is the perfect way to let them test out their design and imagine what’s possible,” said Jim Owens, Mustang marketing manager. “The interactive aspect also adds a whole new dimension and lets more people get in on the fun.”
The site also incorporates social media, as users can log in through their Facebook account and save and share all of the Mustangs they have created. A “battle mode” through Facebook lets users go head-to-head to see who has the best-looking car.
By posting their Mustang to their Facebook wall, users can accumulate votes that will be tallied on a leaderboard for others to check out. They can even identify a nemesis to go after in battle.
For those intent on making their custom car a reality, a downloadable PDF facility offers a detailed list of all the real parts used to create that particular virtual Mustang. The PDF is separated into three categories – Ford, aftermarket and concept accessories – and includes links to the applicable websites, making it easy for customers to start a conversation with their local Ford dealer.
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
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