2012 Nissan Dualis Diesel - five-seat guise

NISSAN Australia has confirmed it will offer a diesel engine in the Dualis range from the middle of next year, but the oil-burning powerplant will only be available on five-seat variants of the popular crossover.

The diesel option in the five-seater is likely to be alliance partner Renault’s new 1.6-litre turbocharged unit, which produces 97kW of power and 320Nm of torque while consuming a meagre 4.5 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres.

Nissan Australia managing director and CEO Dan Thompson said last week that diesel is becoming a more relevant offering in the crossover market, and also with passenger cars in general.

The sole powerplant currently available in the Dualis line-up is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol developing 102kW and 198Nm.

Combined sales of the Dualis and X-Trail to the end of September sit at 15,359 units, putting Nissan ahead of rival brands such as Subaru (whose Forester and Outback combination has yielded 13,861 sales YTD) and Mitsubishi (with Outlander and ASX capturing 10,262 buyers this year).

Left: X-Trail near Mt Hotham. Below: Dualis diesel, Juke and next-generation Petrol.

Nissan’s strong reliance on this market segment was underlined by the decision to include the X-Trail four-wheel drive in last week’s media event, which took in various trails in national park surrounding Victoria’s Mt Hotham.

The drive program re-iterated Nissan’s strategy to brand the X-Trail as being one of the tougher and more off-road-capable vehicles in the compact SUV field, even though Mr Thompson conceded that only “10-20 per cent max” of all X-Trail owners take their car on these kinds of expeditions.

The addition of the diesel five-door Dualis will be Nissan’s only activity in the booming compact SUV segment in Australia for the foreseeable future, with the funky Juke crossover remaining out of contention for the local market.

Mr Thompson said the brand’s local line-up lacked the space to accommodate such a niche product.

“Is there a market sub-Dualis?” he said. Timing on the launch of the next-generation X-Trail remains unclear, but the current model has been in production since mid-2007 and, bearing in mind a five-year model cycle, the third-generation model should appear next year, probably in pre-production form in the second half.

Sales of the larger, more luxurious next-generation model will commence with a thumping 298kW/550Nm direct-injection 5.6-litre petrol V8 serving as the sole engine option.

Mr Thompson acknowledged the importance of having a diesel option in the large four-wheel-drive segment.

Australia is believed to be the only global market to have put its hand up for a diesel Patrol, but the lion’s share of its volume comes from the Middle East and the US – markets that traditionally favour petrol.

Mr Thompson said Nissan Australia had been heavily involved in the development of the Patrol for right-hand-drive markets.

Nissan will continue to offer the current Y61 series Patrol alongside the new model in a similar arrangement to its strategy with Navara, where it sells the older D22 version alongside the larger D40 model.

2012 Fiat 500 twinair - Turbocharged 0.9-litre ‘twin’ set to replace 1.4 as new standard Fiat 500 engine

FIAT importer Ateco Automotive has reversed its decision not to import its award-winning ‘TwinAir’ engine to Australia after successfully concluding long-running price negotiations with the factory in Italy.

It will now introduce the low-emissions 875cc turbocharged two-cylinder petrol engine early next year as the only variant in the 500 light car, replacing the current 1.4-litre model.

Ateco Automotive spokesman Edward Rowe told GoAuto the company aims to sell the new single-variant 500 for the same price as the outgoing 1.4-litre model, which is priced from $24,990 (plus on-road costs).

Having told us in May that the engine would not come here because Australia – unlike many other countries, especially in Europe – offered no tax breaks for more economical vehicles, Mr Rowe said this week that “endless” price negotiations with the Italians over a period of nine months had finally come to fruition.

Ateco had already rationalised the 500 range, dropping both the diesel-powered model and the 1.2-litre petrol in September 2010, leaving only the 1.4 petrol.

The TwinAir engine was voted the 2011 International Engine of the Year in May, as well as trophies for best engine in its class, Best New Engine and Best Green Engine.

Though it has only a 0.9-litre capacity, the TwinAir provides comparable performance to the current 1.4-litre non-turbo, producing 63kW of power (compared to 74kW for the four-cylinder) and 145Nm of torque (versus 131Nm).

Fiat claims the TwinAir engine “is able to provide this remarkable combination of performance, economy and low emissions thanks to a wealth of new technology, including the latest application of the Fiat invented MultiAir electro-hydraulic valve management system, next generation turbocharger, cutting edge designs for gas flow management and technology developed by the Ferrari Formula One Team to reduce internal engine friction”.

Fiat Australia general manager Andrei Zaitzev believes the new engine will strengthen Fiat 500 sales in Australia.

“Until now we have been unable to bring TwinAir to Australia because we do not have the differential automotive tax system that enables advanced low emission/low consumption technology to be sold at market competitive prices in Europe through reduced taxation,” he said.

“However, we could not accept that Australia should be denied this remarkable technology and its ability to make an environmental contribution to our environment because of a shortcoming in our tax system.

“We have therefore negotiated hard to enable it to arrive in Australia and to do so at market-competitive prices.

“We have no doubt that this remarkable technical advance in engine design will be as warmly welcomed in Australia as it has been in Europe.”

Fiat released the retro-styled 500 in Australia in February 2008, but it has never quite lived up to launch hype, when former company boss David Stone claimed they could sell “many, many, many thousands” but for supply restraints.

Despite claiming that the first year allocation was 1000 cars, Fiat sold only 584 that year, followed by 342 units in 2009 and 344 last year.

Subaru BRZ 2013 with FB fours have dramatically different outputs

Why is the food at Outback Steakhouse mostly Cajun-style? The latter question is a bit easier to answer from the Subaru BRZ perspective. For one, Subaru has a currently breathing reputation for building sporty cars: They may sell in limited volumes, but the WRX and STI are nevertheless Subarus. And Subaru says that the engine in its BRZ, a 2.0-liter flat-four making its first public appearance in this car, will form the basis of its next turbo motor.

Cheese Fries, Please!

Then again, regardless of the boomerangs mounted on the walls and the “Chaze Frois, Plaze!” coasters, Outback Steakhouse’s Alice Springs chicken is delicious—and devastatingly unhealthy, but that’s beside the point. The BRZ is likewise delectable; our only gripe about the way it drives is a chassis that leads to understeer at the limit. When the rear end goes, even in the wet, the BRZ slides slowly and progressively. (Subaru says that Toyota’s suspension tune will vary slightly, a tad softer in the front and stiffer out back.) The brake pedal feels a little less wired than the rest of the car, but the binders wind the speedo back toward 0 in a hurry.

Feedback falls short of perfection, but only slightly; blame the electric steering if you must. The electric motor assisting the BRZ’s rack is mounted high up on the firewall, contributing to a slightly higher center of gravity but simultaneously shifting the front/rear weight balance a touch rearward.

Weight Watchers

In developing the BRZ, Subaru took an almost maniacal approach to weight and its management, keeping it low and evenly distributed between the car’s axles. The company claims that 54 percent of this car’s mass rides on the front wheels and 46 over the rear, and says that its center of gravity is right around 18 inches high. Helping keep the mass snug against Mother Earth is the FA flat-four. Compared to the FB four found in other Subies, the FA’s intake is 2.6 inches lower and the oil pan clings closer to the crankcase, allowing it to be mounted with its crankshaft centerline 2.4 inches lower. Amazingly, the engine is mounted 9.4 inches farther back in the chassis than an Impreza’s four. We’re told the weight difference between the two is negligibly in favor of the A. Placing the engine so far rearward of course helps balance the car, but it also precludes Subaru from fitting an all-wheel-drive system. Besides, Subaru desperately needs something to tie this car to the rest of its lineup, and a turbocharged STI model would be the perfect solution. We’re guessing that a turbo will be part of whatever mid-cycle updates this car sees in two or three years.

The B’s 148 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque (as installed in the Impreza) lag 52 and 6 behind the A’s 200 and 151—Subaru’s stated output—while the A’s 7400-rpm redline is 800 higher. Thank Toyota’s fuel-injection setup, which squirts both via intake ports and directly into the cylinder—the system is Big T’s lone contribution to the engine—and allows a crushing compression ratio of 12.5:1. Top speed is said to be 143 mph. A resonator pipes sound into the cabin, and above 5000 rpm, there’s enough noise inside the car that you’ll need to scream to talk. Having heard what aftermarket exhaust companies do for other Subaru flat-fours, though, we’re confident that they can coax a better voice out of this 7400-rpm screamer.

In spite of its higher output, the FA should still manage 30 mpg on the highway, according to Subaru. Underbody paneling helps keep a clean aerodynamic profile, although the company still hasn’t decided if the treatment will be standard on all U.S. cars or only on higher trim levels.

Even the Weenies are Treated Well
As mentioned, two six-speeds are available, a manual and an automatic. The clutch pedal is a touch light—and a touch light on feel—but snaps to attention right off the floor and engages smoothly, and the stubby shifter snicks between gates with ease. Heretics who buy their sports cars with automatics will at least get a good unit. There are two modes in the Subaru: Drive and Sport. In Sport mode, however, paddle commands are gospel—the way God’s lazy, automatic-driving half-brother intended.

While most of the engineering and chassis work is Subaru’s doing, the styling fell to Toyota. Only the front fascia, badges, and maybe wheels separate the BRZ from its Toyota—and Scion—sibling. The suggestion of flares on the front fenders merely alludes to the muscular (some might say exaggerated) styling of the various concept cars, but the U-shaped view from the driver’s seat over the scooped-out hood is at least unique. Visibility in all directions is much better than most sports cars.

Subie touts this as the shortest rear-drive 2+2 on the market. It also says that the car can accommodate a forward-facing child seat in the back. A rear-facing seat, on the other hand, would probably only fit if the parent riding shotgun rides shotgun in a car following behind. According to Subaru, the space was designed from the beginning to hold a set of racing tires and a toolbox in this configuration, although that claim coincided with a PowerPoint slide entitled “Unexpected Utility”; we suspect that’s probably the real story behind the tire-hauling ability. Asked to make sense of the BRZ, a Subaru representative says, “It makes sense if you sell enough of them.” Ultimately, though, a car this good doesn’t need to make sense: Its brilliance is all the explanation we need.

2013 Mitsubishi Lancer next-generation MIVEC valve control

 MITSUBISHI’S long-serving Lancer has just received a new 1.8-litre MIVEC four-cylinder petrol engine option in Japan with fuel-saving idle-stop technology and claimed fuel savings of up to 12 per cent over its equivalent-sized predecessor.

The upgrades are still up to 18 months away for Australian buyers of naturally-aspirated petrol Lancers – which are currently offered with 113kW/198Nm 2.0-litre or 125kW/226Nm 2.4-litre engines – as they will not be available until the next-generation model breaks cover in 2013.

A facelifted version of the newer ASX crossover could beat the popular small car to market, as Mitsubishi has stated the technology will be rolled out across its model ranges in stages.

Left: New 1.8-litre MIVEC engine. Below: Current Mitsubishi ASX.

Known as the 4J10 engine, the 102kW/172Nm 1798cc 1.8-litre single overhead cam 16-valve four-cylinder unit features next-generation MIVEC system that continuously regulates intake valve lift, opening duration and timing – a first for the technology in this family of engine.

It combines what was previously offered in two separate varieties of MIVECengine since 1992; one in which the system switches between different amounts of valve lift and opening durations according to engine speed, the other continuously varying the timing of valve openings.

This is achieved through a single mechanism that mechanically couples intake valve lift, opening duration and timing, allowing these three parameters to be varied simultaneously and continuously.

The upshot is more accurate valve control and reduced pumping losses by using intake valve timing to control intake volume, further reducing fuel consumption.

Plus, as this MIVEC system can be applied to single-cam valve trains, there is the added bonus of reduced engine weight and size due to fewer moving parts.

Other contributing factors to the 4J10 engine’s increased efficiency include improvements in combustion stability and piston friction.

The previous 4B10 1.8-litre twin-cam version’s MIVEC system merely varied the valve opening timing on a continuous basis.

Meanwhile, the idle-stop system further cuts consumption by automatically shutting down the engine while the vehicle is stationary. Already employed in manual versions of the Lancer, ASX and Outlander in Europe, this is its first application to the firm’s automatic CVT (continuously variable transmission).

To accommodate the idle-stop technology, Mitsubishi modified the engine management system because idle-stop needs to be integrally controlled with the engine, CVT, stability control and climate control systems in the car.

The company also fitted a more durable 12-volt battery and a DC/DC converter to avoid interruptions to the audio and navigation systems while the engine restarts.

So much for the theory; to test the new 1.8-litre engine and idle-stop in practice, Mitsubishi allowed GoAuto a few laps in a Lancer and ASX on the Okazaki test track in Japan.

In both vehicles, performance from the 4J10 1.8-litre unit seemed about on a par with the existing 2.0-litre petrol engines, although an open proving ground is not the ideal setting to assess the merits of a small capacity four-cylinder car equipped with a CVT.

Still, perhaps due to greater sound deadening, the ASX MIVEC seemed quieter and more refined there than in the lusty, if a little loud, Lancer.

More telling was the quick and seamless idle-stop system, which seemed to match the best of rival offerings. MITSUBISHI’S long-serving Lancer has just received a new 1.8-litre MIVEC four-cylinder petrol engine option in Japan with fuel-saving idle-stop technology and claimed fuel savings of up to 12 per cent over its equivalent-sized predecessor.

The upgrades are still up to 18 months away for Australian buyers of naturally-aspirated petrol Lancers – which are currently offered with 113kW/198Nm 2.0-litre or 125kW/226Nm 2.4-litre engines – as they will not be available until the next-generation model breaks cover in 2013.

Known as the 4J10 engine, the 102kW/172Nm 1798cc 1.8-litre single overhead cam 16-valve four-cylinder unit features next-generation MIVEC system that continuously regulates intake valve lift, opening duration and timing – a first for the technology in this family of engine.

It combines what was previously offered in two separate varieties of MIVEC engine since 1992; one in which the system switches between different amounts of valve lift and opening durations according to engine speed, the other continuously varying the timing of valve openings.

The upshot is more accurate valve control and reduced pumping losses by using intake valve timing to control intake volume, further reducing fuel consumption. The previous 4B10 1.8-litre twin-cam version’s MIVEC system merely varied the valve opening timing on a continuous basis.

Meanwhile, the idle-stop system further cuts consumption by automatically shutting down the engine while the vehicle is stationary. To accommodate the idle-stop technology, Mitsubishi modified the engine management system because idle-stop needs to be integrally controlled with the engine, CVT, stability control and climate control systems in the car.

So much for the theory; to test the new 1.8-litre engine and idle-stop in practice, Mitsubishi allowed GoAuto a few laps in a Lancer and ASX on the Okazaki test track in Japan.

2012 Ford EcoSport

FORD’S Australian-developed baby SUV looks to have broken cover in India, where it will be built, ahead of its global debut at next month’s New Delhi motor show.

Official teaser images of the all-new Fiesta-based mini-crossover inadvertently published on Ford’s Indian public website and published by IndianCarsBikes.in appear to confirm as legitimate images previously seen in India, China, Brazil and the United States.

Ford’s budget high-rider – which reports say will be called the EcoSport in India and China – will join a growing list of SUVs in Australian showrooms, where it will be positioned below the compact Focus-based Kuga that finally joins the Australian-made Territory here in March.

Ultimately, these three vehicles are expected to be joined by another SUV developed by Ford Australia, the rugged T6 Ranger-based, Thai-built off-roader that will reportedly be called the Endeavor, at least in some markets.

China’s auto.sohu.com – which has published images of a red EcoSport that are identical to those seen on CarAndDriver.com, as well as a silver version on AutoCarIndia.com and a white model on Brazil’s Autoesporte.com.br – says several EcoSport prototypes have been spied in China, where it will make its national debut at the 2012 Beijing motor show in April. As GoAuto reported in October, Ford has confirmed that a new compact vehicle to be revealed at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo on January 5 will be sold in Australia.

Ford Australia has declined to disclose details of the vehicle, but GoAuto understands a large part of the development has been done in Ford Australia’s Victorian engineering centres at Campbellfield and Geelong – the “go-to guys” of Ford global engineering.

As we have also reported, Ford Australia – which also designed the all-new Ranger ute built in Thailand and Ford of India’s top-selling Figo – is leading the development of a still-secret light car for China and it now appears likely that Ford’s Australian arm is engineering volume-selling small cars for the world’s two most populous nations.

The EcoSport should be more sophisticated than the five-door Figo hatchback based on the previous fifth-generation Fiesta that debuted in Europe in 2002.

The images show the EcoSport will share a number of styling features with the Fiesta – a move that would give the little SUV a family resemblance with the Thai-built Fiesta sedan and five-door hatchback already on sale in Australia.

And in keeping with its SUV identity, the sub-four-metre wagon gets a higher stance, bigger wheels, flared wheelarches and – in its final production guise – a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate, but there is no mention of all-wheel drive.

The Ford of India images show the EcoSport will be powered by a new EcoBoost direct-injection turbo-petrol engine of an unknown capacity. This could be the just-released three-cylinder 1.0-litre version that stumps up at least 75kW and 200Nm of torque, or perhaps the 110kW/240Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder variant.

While the Ford EcoSport is set to be revealed in New Delhi within a month, the Ranger-based SUV is likely to lob at the Bangkok motor show in late March ahead of a late-2012 rollout in Australia, where it will go head to head with the new Thai-made Holden Colorado 7, Nissan Pathfinder, Mitsubishi Challenger and Toyota Prado.

Ford FG Falcon MkII brings new frontal styling alongside four-cylinder EcoBoost technology

 

FORD’S game-changing EcoBoost four-cylinder engine promises to propel the Australian-made Falcon large car from zero to 100km/h in just 7.5 seconds – about one second quicker than Holden’s rival 3.0-litre V6 Commodore – when it arrives in the facelifted FG Falcon in April.

And, although no official power, performance or fuel economy figures have been revealed for the first four-cylinder Falcon in the nameplate’s five decades of local production, Ford insiders have described “almost unbelievable” real-world fuel consumption from the EcoBoost variants, which will be 60kg lighter than the 1700kg-plus six-cylinder models that continue with the venerable in-line 4.0-litre engine made in Geelong.

Ford Australia president and CEO Bob Graziano told journalists who were invited to sample – briefly – the 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection EcoBoost Falcon at Ford’s You Yangs proving ground in Victoria last week that the EcoBoost Falcon would offer customers more choice.

The exercise was designed partly to ramp up publicity ahead of the launch of the 2012 FG Mark II range that starts with the six-cylinder models in late January, but also to help allay scepticism about the ability of the imported four-cylinder engine to haul the bulky sedan with satisfactory pace.

In back-to-back sprints in development cars driven by Ford engineers and with GoAuto in the passenger seat, electronic timers recorded a best run of 7.0 seconds for the six-cylinder Falcon for the 0-100km/h dash, and then 7.5 seconds for the EcoBoost model.

The 2.0-litre turbo EcoBoost Falcon’s time was a full second quicker to 100km/h than its similarly equipped EcoBoost stablemate, the Mondeo Zetec, for which Ford claims a time of 8.5 seconds.

However, while the Mondeo’s EcoBoost engine packs 149kW of power and 300Nm of torque, the Falcon is believed to get a hi-po variant producing about 177kW and 340Nm.

The engine has been localised in a three-year program by Ford Australia engineers for its rear-drive application in the Falcon – a global first for Ford, which has already launched EcoBoost in a wide variety of Ford front-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles (as well as Volvo and Land Rover models).

Ford says that more than 80 per cent of the company’s global nameplates will be available with EcoBoost by 2013.

Ford Australia realises that the hardest part of the EcoBoost exercise will be convincing Falcon buyers that a four-cylinder engine can do the job – and probably to pay more for it.

No EcoBoost pricing has been revealed, but Ford has already announced price cuts of up to $3655 for the I6 models that go on sale late this month.

The fleet-friendly I6 XT entry model – now $37,325 – will undercut the list price of Holden’s most affordable Commodore, the 3.0-litre Omega, by $2755, leaving room for the EcoBoost variant to match or undercut the Holden model too.

The EcoBoost engine also will be available in mid-range G6 and range-topping G6E.

The EcoBoost Falcon should win bragging rights over other Australian large cars, with a probable combined fuel reading of less than 8.5 litres per 100km, based on the performance of the Mondeo Zetec, which weighs about 120kg less than the Falcon and records an official Australian combined fuel reading of 8.0L/100km and CO2 output of 187g/km on 95-RON fuel.

The 4.0-litre six-cylinder Falcon officially returns 9.9L/100km and 235g/km on 91 RON, while the most efficient Holden Commodore, the 3.0-litre V6 SIDI, manages 8.9L/100km and 210g/km, also on 91 RON.

Noticeably lighter in the nose, the EcoBoost Falcon turned into corners nimbly and punched out of them with no noticeable turbo lag.

The car absorbed the track’s numerous bumps and lumps with all the aplomb for which the FG Falcon has been renowned.

The car also rides as quietly as any Falcon, even though direct-injection four-cylinder engines are inherently noisier than well-ironed sixes. One of the noise abatement measures in the EcoBoost variant is a heavier acoustic windscreen.

Engineers found major weight savings in the powertrain, which apart from the smaller and lighter engine also includes a lighter version of the ZF six-speed transmission, which does not have to handle high levels of torque like the six-cylinder driveline.

The Mark II FG retains the old-style hydraulic-mechanical steering (the Territory has moved to fuel-saving electro-mechanical), and along with it a fair amount of steering effort and large handfuls of steering lock.

As Cars has already reported, the FG Falcon gets a fresh look across the nose – similar to that of the recently upgraded SZ Territory – and a number of other Territory-style improvements such as the eight-inch touchscreen in the dash as standard equipment on all models except the XT (on which it is optional), side curtain airbags and rear parking sensors across all models.

Audio systems have also been upgraded across the range, with systems now including a USB port.

The overall impression of the EcoBoost Falcon is that it has what it takes to win a lot of friends, just like two of Ford Australia’s other recent innovations, the diesel Territory and EcoLPI gas-powered Falcon.

2013 Mazda6 australia's mos popular

The decision to axe the Mazda6 hatch is partly due to the consolidation of the third-generation model’s production in Japan.

Currently, Mazda produces a wide-bodied mid-size sedan in the US for North American consumption as well as the smaller Mazda6 sedan sold in Australia, Japan and Europe.

 

We expect the new Mazda6 wagon to emerge at the Paris motor show next September, followed by the debut of the new Mazda6 sedan at the Detroit motor show in January 2013, before both models go on sale here later that year.