Mercedes raises luxury car bar with S-Class for 2007
PHOENIX, ARIZ. — A fellow escorting an attractive woman was behind me in line at the Phoenix airport Thursday and said he noticed the tag on my suitcase, which identified me as having attended the Mercedes S-Class introduction. He was aware I wrote and talked on the radio about cars, and wanted to know what I thought of the car, because he was awaiting delivery of the first 2007 S550 coming to Minnesota.
That puts him on a particular plateau among millions of new-car buyers, because only about 25,000 people in the United States this year will buy a 2007 S-Class– the crème de la crème of Mercedes automobiles, and possibly the finest car available under $100,000 – and only one of them will obtain the first of them to reach his home state. Or, at least, his home state for that half of the time he’s not at his OTHER home state, Arizona.
He said he got a chance to drive a preview S at a dealership in Scottsdale, a Phoenix suburb, and it just whetted his appetite for the car he had already ordered from Maplewood Imports in suburban St. Paul. “I always buy an S-Class when a new model comes out, and as soon as I see the first picture in a magazine, with tape all over it to disguise it, I put in my order.Ââ€
Having spent all that day driving a new S550, I told him I didnÂ’t think heÂ’d be disappointed. Yes, there is the BMW 7, the Audi A8, and the just unveiled Lexus LS460, but when Mercedes comes out with a new S about every seven years, it is an event worthy of notice by the entire world auto industry. The 2007 model will be the ninth generation. Product manager Bernhard Glaser says: “For more than 50 years, each new S-Class has defined the benchmarks of safety, design, technology, and luxury.Ââ€
Not just for Mercedes, but for appreciative buyers who demand the best, from Minnesota to Arizona, and all points east, west, north and south. And, oh yes, they also must be ready to plunk down $86,175 for their uncompromising choice. That is actually a reduction from the price of a comparably equipped 2006 S500, and it is less than the upcoming S600, which will be $140,675, or for a corporate hot-rod S65AMG, which will follow this summer, or a 4Matic all-wheel-drive version, which will be out just in time for next fallÂ’s first snowfall.
The great thing about a Mercedes introduction is that there are always as large a fleet of engineers as cars, readily available to answer most questions before they can be asked, and to handle any follow-up questions promptly, and in their clipped, German accents. For example, Glaser rode in the back seat in one of the first S550s I was in, and showed me how to adjust the COMAND control knob on the console, and how it is better than BMW’s “i-Drive†because it has redundant hard-button controls, and can be voice-controlled at the touch of a button on the steering wheel.
“It’s like you’re having a conversation with the navigation lady,†Glaser said, referring to the pleasant voice that prompts you for upcoming maneuvers if you choose voice control for any operation, including a destination on the nav system.
The 14-way adjustable bucket seats have 15 pneumatic chambers, some of which automatically firm up the edge of your seat to hold you in place as you turn the opposite direction. Driving through a slalom course provokes an interesting sequence of hip-support, and Glaser got me to connect to one of four available pulse modes – I chose the slow but vigorous full-back massage, and the irregular undulations are stimulating, not drowsiness-inducing. The 600-watt,14-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system with its DVD player will even play your plugged-in card with a couple thousand of your own MP3 songs, and hear them through the system.
Dr. Peter Hille, the manager of the “short-range radar†development for Mercedes, took us out in waves after dinner the night before, to a darkened street where two S550s faced each other with the headlights on for what looked like a possible high-tech and high-buck game of chicken. Instead, it was a demonstration of the Night View system that is available as part of a $6,500 package for those who want to add every imaginable goody, and a few that are beyond imagination.
The night-vision device on Cadillacs and some other vehicles is very good at detecting objects far beyond the reach of the headlights by thermal imaging, so warm bodies, and things like hot engines and exhausts, appear with an eerie glow. Mercedes says the problem with thermal imaging is that things of similar temperature to the surroundings donÂ’t show up. Mercedes has gone far beyond, to infrared radar, which detects all objects. To prove it, three people next to the car shining its lights at us, as if possibly changing a tire on a roadway, were invisible to a driverÂ’s eye, but on the Night Vision screen, which takes the place of the large speedometer and immediately converts the analog speedometer to a thin bar graph at the bottom of the screen, you could see the people clearly and sharply.
A more astounding use of short-range radar is in Distronic Plus, the Star-Wars-ish Mercedes adaptive cruise control. Numerous high-level cars have adaptive cruise, which slows you automatically if the car ahead slows. Distronic Plus holds the same interval, up and down, and to a complete stop. At Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, we ran some drills to prove it. We also ran a drill on Brake Assist, proving that you could run an S500 right up ‘way too close to an object, brake gently, and too late, and then stop with a surprisingly safe margin because the car’s short-range radar read the fact that you were too close to the object, that your brake pedal force was insufficient, and it simply intensified the brake pressure that you should have summoned to stop.
Those devices also worked well in real-world highway driving, where I followed cars at a distance preset by a stalk on the steering column, and it even worked as we went around corners. It could be discontinued at the touch of the brakes. I suggested to Glaser that if you were paying more attention to following the car ahead than to your route, you could be fascinated enough to follow the car home safely – but to their home, not yours.
The backup camera that used to be ultrasonic now uses short-range radar to map out gridlines on the dash navigation screen, with the blue grid showing the carÂ’s trajectory, the red line simulating the rear bumper, and yellow gridlines to indicate the proper trajectory for backing into a parallel parking spot. You could look at the screen, get the blue grid to line up with the yellow grid, and park perfectly without ever looking out the rear window.
But enough of the fabulous features. The ordinary stuff is extraordinary on the S550 as well. On the exterior, the S is less zoomy than the mid-range E-Class, and some may even prefer the simpler C-Class. But the S has a more traditional stance, with a very sleek roofline, and it looks lower than its spacious interior might imply. ItÂ’s not mandatory that you own homes in both Minnesota and Arizona to afford one, but it might help.
The interior surrounds occupants with a prominent strip of real walnut and real leather. A thin row of fiber-optic ambient lighting welcomes occupants. The keyless entry has been refined so that you use a push-button starter without the key, and when you get out, touch the door handle anywhere and you lock all four doors. But driving remains the most magnificent part of the S-Class.
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Mercedes had earlier changed over its V6 engine design from three valves to four, and it unveils a new 5.5-liter V8 in the S550 that has chain-driven dual overhead cams running four valves per cylinder, and variable valve-timing. Those who still maintain that pushrod engines are the way to go must consider that this sophisticated powerplant actually converts to 333 cubic inches, and turns out 382 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs, with 391 foot-pounds of torque steadily peaking from 2,800-4,000 RPMs.
A seven-speed automatic transmission is simply engaged by pushing the steering-column shift lever down into “D,†and all is well. But if you want more performance, fingertip paddles on either backside of the steering wheel let you upshift or downshift any time. A switch on the console engages either C or S, for comfort, or sport, and the sport setting not only adapts to higher shifting rev points, it stiffens the suspension commensurately too.
While enlarged from its predecessor to 205 inches of length and a 124.6 inch wheelbase, and 4,270 pounds, the S has a 19.8 cubic foot trunk, but will turn, lock to lock, with 2.8 turns of the steering wheel, and will turn in a 40-foot radius.
Mercedes designed a holistic approach to safety, with Brake Assist, Distolic Plus. and Night Vision new upgrades in active accident avoidance; computer detection of an imminent and unavoidable crash that raises seat bolsters, closes windows and sunroof and tensions seatbelts as pre-safety; eight airbags surrounding all in the high-strength steel body as passive safety; and post-crash features that autodial emergency responders if the airbags deploy, while also shutting off fuel supply, turning on emergency blinkers, and even displaying markers on the windshield that indicate to safety crews where itÂ’s easiest to cut off the roof to quickly extricate occupants.
The S550 is fast, powerful, and yet poised in all conditions. On a rural two-lane, you want to pass a slow-moving pickup ahead, and you hit the gas, swerve out and back in, and you learn a new definition of “triple digit inflation,†even though the independent air suspension’s adaptive damping and level control keep the car low and flat throughout the sudden maneuver. Speed is governed at 130 miles per hour (no autobahns here, after all), and 0-60 sprints take only 5.4 seconds.
If you want more, wait for the costlier S600, which has a twin-turbocharged V12, with 510 horsepower, or the S65AMG rocket, with 604 horses. Me? IÂ’d gladly join the guy in the airport line and settle for the S550. Not only is it plenty fast, but if itÂ’s less swift than its coming brothers, it also gives you more of a comfortable margin for having a conversation with the lady from the navigation department.
Pontiac high-tech G6 coupe gets new-tech pushrod V6
When the Pontiac G6 was introduced as a 2005 model, it was truly an eye-catcher. Even though it only came as a four-door sedan, it had a harmonious convergence of lines that gave it a coupe-like appearance. My only disappointment was that such a high-tech, contemporary design came only with a dated, un-high-tech engine.
Now itÂ’s time for the 2006 models to roll out, and General Motors has struck a serious blow at hoisting its year-old G6 to a higher level. The car that replaces the venerable Grand Am is now offered as a coupe, and a convertible is following closely. The coupe takes that coupe-like shape and runs with it, resulting in a super-slick styling exercise that is easily as eye-catching as its four-door brother, and is genuinely a sporty car.
The convertible to come, by the way, is not a ragtop, but has a retractable hard roof that goes away at the push of a button – clearly preferential in the land of the wind-chill factor.
But the bigger news is that GM has worked out a method to prove that there is some merit in its two-decades of stubborn insistence that pushrod engines can compete with higher-tech overhead-cam engines. While the rest of the automotive world went to the more-expensive engineering feat of overhead-camshafts instead of pushrods, attaining advantages such as higher revving and improved fuel-efficiency with spinoffs such as variable valve-timing. GM stood almost alone in leaving the cam in the block and operating the valves with pushrods.
For the new G6, as well as the newly introduced Chevrolet Impala, General Motors has built an entirely new 3.9-liter V6 that has a vane-type method for altering the intake and exhaust camshaft timing, which allows more flexibility and efficiency of fuel-burning. The engine is the first example of a pushrod engine with variable valve-timing.
True, the G6 can now be obtained in base form with a 2.4-liter Ecotec engine, which has dual overhead cams and 167 horsepower, and a GT with a 3.5-liter V6 and 201 horses, the model I test-drove was the top GTP coupe, with the 3.9, which turns out 240 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs, and 241 foot-pounds of torque, with the torque peak occurring from 1,600-5,000 RPMs, thanks to the variable valve-timing.
The base G6 starts at right about $20,000, while loading up the top GTP moves the sticker price up closer to $28,000.
Nick Richards, assistant manager of product communications, explained the engineering behind the new 3.9 at GMÂ’s all-model introduction at GMÂ’s Milford, Mich., proving grounds a couple of weeks ago. “It has an all-new cast-iron block, with the cylinder banks at 60 degrees,†he said. “The cylinders have offset bores, so the 3.5 could be increased to 3.9. The cam-phasing varies the intake and exhaust valves electronically, and it has all sorts of features, including piston oil-squirters. The result is that we have made an all-new, lower-cost pushrod engine with the same characteristics as an overhead-cam motor.Ââ€
I drove the G6 around the banked oval at the GM test track, and was impressed. It doesnÂ’t have the sweet sound of a high-revving overhead-cammer, but it has good power and brings the G6 to life. Later I got the chance to spend a week test-driving a dark blue GTP coupe as well, and it was similarly impressive out in the real world.
There are a couple of things to look out for, however. The new 3.5 and 3.9 V6 engines are built at GMÂ’s Tonawanda, N.Y., plant, but that also means GM now makes two 3.5-liter V6es. The old-tech 3.5 is a slightly enlarged version of the 3.4-liter V6, which began life as the venerable old 2.8 a few decades back.
That means you can’t really tell the players even WITH a program. But if having two 3.5s is confusing, here’s the kicker: The 3.5 in the G6 with the GT upgrade is the “old-tech†3.5 – known by code as “LP9†– with 201 horsepower, not the trick one with variable valve-timing, which delivers 211 horsepower in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, for example.
So when it comes to selection, my suggestion is to go with the basic G6 with the high-tech Ecotec four, or bypass the GT and go right for the GTP, with the new 3.9. Only the GTP sedan and coupe have the option of a six-speed manual shifter, as well. The standard automatic is a four-speed unit, because, for some reason, GM isnÂ’t ready to release the new front-wheel-drive six-speed automatic, which was built jointly with Ford, if you can imagine that. Ford has the six-speed out already in the new Fusion sedan, Mercury Milan, and other models.
The six-speed stick makes up for the automaticÂ’s shortcomings, and the G6 comes with another asset for winter drivers — front-wheel drive.
“Front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive is a question of psychology,†said Bob Lutz, the colorful vice chairman in charge of global product development, returned to GM after spending some years with Lee Iacocca at Chrysler. “Twenty years ago, if a car didnÂ’t have front-wheel drive, you couldnÂ’t sell it; now, some people wonÂ’t buy a car if it doesnÂ’t have rear-wheel drive. The truth is, you could take 100 or 200 consumers and put them in a good, modern front-wheel-drive car, and 99 percent of them wouldnÂ’t be able to tell the difference.Ââ€
Lutz noted the traditional complaint about front-wheel drive was the tendency of torque-steer, which meant when you stepped on the gas, the torque of the engine would tug the steering wheel one way or the other. Modern engineering has solve that, however.
“Anytime there is any torque-steer now, the computer immediately shifts the torque to the other wheel,†Lutz said. “When torque-steer is totally gone, nobody will be able to tell the difference between front- and rear-wheel drive.”
Except, any drivers caught in a sleet storm would be able to detect front-drive’s advantage of pulling a car over an icy surface, where the rear-drive vehicle always has the tendency to want to have its rear wheels pass the undriven front wheels.
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As the primary spokesman for GM’s recent advancements, Lutz hit several nails squarely on the head during the all-model introduction at Milford’s proving grounds. In any discussion over the last couple of decades, nobody from GM – or any other manufacturer, for that matter – would admit to any mistakes. Lutz put it in perspective.
“Years ago, what separate General Motors from import cars was our attention to detail,†Lutz said. “Before I came back to GM, I have to say the cars had gaps that were uneven, and moldings that were not quite on straight all the time, and interiors – which used to be our strongest point – that could only be described as functional. I think with our newer cars, weÂ’ve made tremendous strides. The perceptual quality was that just about everybody was ahead of GM, but itÂ’s a gap I think weÂ’ve closed.Ââ€
Asked where he saw need for improvement, Lutz said: “I’m not satisfied yet that we’re among the best in interiors. Maybe we’re up to the lower portion of the top quartile, instead of being in the lower quadrant, but we can still improve there.
“I also think that we are behind in the silkiness of some of our engines.†Lutz went on to jab at the media for being critical of old-tech pushrod engines. “If we didn’t have pushrod engines, we’d have to build ‘em now,†he said, meaning because of their less costly construction.
“We do have some outstanding engines, and some of the best are the Northstar V8, the High-Feature [3.6] V6, and the 4-cylinder Ecotec.Ââ€
Very interesting. Lutz named, as his company’s star engines, three of them that are dual-overhead-cam, high-tech engines – the very kind that critics have long said GM needed to build.
But, getting back to the Pontiac G6, it meets LutzÂ’s high standards for excellence. The interior is very well planned, with modern layout and impressive to look at. The fit and finish shows very tight gaps and an obvious attention to detail. The front-wheel drive unit, and the six-speed stick are smooth to operate and would not be offensive to a rear-drive fan, while also being capable of chewing through snow and ice.
And, while I personally would much prefer to see that Cadillac “High-Feature†3.6-liter V6, or one of its blossoming derivatives, under the hood, the new 3.9-liter V6 is as high tech as a pushrod engine can be, with its variable valve-timing.
Hummer could crush Corollas, or invade Canada
Step on the gas pedal and the Hummer H1 lurches into action, its turbodiesel engine roaring menacingly for an instant before the big beast moves, but when it moves, it does so in a forceful and dramatic manner. As you start to turn a corner, the thought persists that you might be about to crush a Corolla, because the Hummer is so big and wide, you might not see a compact car in its path.
All that is lacking is the placement of a .50 caliber machine gun on the roof. If random use of a couple of July Fourth firecrackers were legal, you could toss them out the window and the reaction would be predictable: Hide your women and children! Pull your compacts and subcompacts off the street!
IÂ’ve driven a couple of different Hummer models recently, and the timing is perfect. What could be more fitting, on Fourth of July weekend than to be driving a Hummer H2 SUT? Before you can say flying an F-16 over your neighborhood fireworks display, or sailing an aircraft carrier up the Mississippi River, the easy answer is that the only thing more fitting to drive than an H2 on July Fourth weekend would be driving the Hummer H1.
General Motors has been working with AM General to create some variations of the military Humvee for street use. The Hummer H1 is the most direct variant, but GM has also collaborated with AM General to build a couple of mellower versions, the H2 and H3. They basically consist of Chevy Tahoe platforms and engines, with Hummer bodies. Nearly as bold, almost as outrageous, but much more compatible with street traffic.
The H2 SUT I recently test-drove is the model with a small pickup-like box on the rear, which is handy for hauling stuff. The H2 Hummer is much more reasonable to drive on the streets than the hard-core H1. The Hummer H1 is close to what our country is sending to Iraq for the troops to drive over hill, over dale, and most importantly over the sand-dune trails. No, the street version of the H1 does not have armor plating, but, based on criticism about some of the vehicles weÂ’ve been sending to Iraq, that may make it more similar.
Driving any Hummer is a better method for calculating which passers-by are left-leaning and which are right-leaning than any political poll. As you cruise along, every pedestrian and passing motorist with whom you allegedly are sharing the road have one of two reactions. About half smile, wave, give you a thumbs-up for driving such an intimidating vehicle, or yell “Nice truck.†The other half frowns or looks away with some degree of scorn, as if to say, “How could anyone drive such a thing?Ââ€
That seat-of-the-pants survey excludes young males, under, say, 15, because they all love the Hummers – any Hummers – the way young kids used to play war. And there never has been such obvious over-the-top vehicles. Over-the-top works any way you’d like, because the off-road capability of the Hummer is to go anywhere, with enormous ground clearance underneath and suspension travel that would be the envy of mountain goats.
Comparing the H1 and the H2 SUT – for Sport Utility Truck – is indeed like comparing apples to oranges, but only if either apples or oranges cost well over twice as much as the other.
The Hummer H1 has a “standard vehicle price†of $139,771, and with the Off-Road Adventure Package, which includes a 12,000-pound electric winch coiled on the front (think about that), and electrically locking axles with two-piece aluminum wheels, you lift the sticker to $146,622.
In comparison, the Hummer H2 SUT lists for $52,485, and even adding the luxury series package of chromed appearance items, a step bar to reduce the high-jump quality entry, upgraded interior package, XM Satellite radio, integrated navigation system, air suspension with compressor, and a chromed roof rack and guards for the lights, you still are only at $62,735. Only.
Driving the two vehicles is even more dramatic than the price difference.
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Basically, GM figured that the macho look of the Hummer was just fine, but the vehicleÂ’s compatibility with everyday traffic was a little much. So it basically submitted the Tahoe SUV for AM General to cover with a Hummer body, and the interior is very livable and pleasant for a family. A third row seat still leaves some cargo room, and easily folds out of the way to increase it if needed.
The H2 (and H3) get GMÂ’s 6-liter V8 engine, and in the test vehicle it 316 horsepower and 360 foot-pounds of torque. It is agile and maneuverable, much like any Tahoe, which is to say much like any full-size SUV. No, it wonÂ’t win the neighborhood autocross, but it does go anywhere a standard SUV will go. Just expect to get the liberal-conservative reaction test every time you drive it.
With the ladder frame and heavy duty suspension components, plus an electronic transfer case and electrically locking rear differential, the H2 SUT is prepared for any off-road duty you might dream up. That includes going through rugged terrain on the way to some remote fishing spot. Uncharacteristic for the Hummer image, the H2 SUT also has eight-way power driverÂ’s seat, dual zone front heat/air controls, rear audio controls, a Bose premium speaker system, power sliding sunroof, and remote lock, as well as Onstar.
In other words, the Hummer H2 SUT has most of the amenities of any premium, luxury level SUV, and as such, the price of $62,735 is pretty much in line with what luxury SUV-buyers have to spend. The SUT version has a handy pickup-like box with a locking top. Unlock the top, undo the little complex rear assembly to swing the spare tire free, then open the tailgate. It’s a lot of work, but a versatile use of space.
But if you want military, flag-waving, jingoistic parallels, move gingerly up to the H1. The standard logo for AM General shows an H1 parked at a jaunty angle, while a black-silhouetted companion vehicle is parked behind it, with someone manning a machine gun on the roof.
The 6.5-liter Duramax V8 Turbodiesel has 205 horsepower – despite the fact sheet’s suggestion it has 300 horsepower—at 3,200 RPMs. But horses matter less than torque in a diesel, and this one spews out 440 foot-pounds of torque at only 1,800 RPMs.
The H1 got about 10 miles per gallon. I got a scare because I thought I was running low on fuel at one point, and after I filled it, for $46, I realized there is a reserve tank. Actually, there are two 30-gallon tanks for your diesel fuel. Just so you can have a chance to make it home after youÂ’ve ventured out to terrorize the neighborhood.
Getting into the H1 is no small accomplishment. I found it best to throw one leg up as if high-jumping, at a trajectory that carries your foot up and into the cockpit. Then you can find an assortment of handles and lunges that can carry the rest of your body up in there to join your leading foot. One reason it’s so high is that the H1 has a 16-inch gap between any body parts and the ground – the better to clear any and all obstacles on the way to the ol’ fishing hole. The ground clearance is enhanced by the angular undercarriage, which is not only armor-plated against rocks, but tapered to allow entering at a 72-degree approach angle and departing at a 37.5-degree angle.
Once inside, you realize that the improvements to the interior for 2004 have made a big difference, both in the quality of the materials and in the features. One thing that is no different is the incredible lack of useful room inside. This is a vehicle that measures 130 inches in length, with a track (between front wheels) of 72 inches, and yet there are only four bucket seats inside, and without any chance of increasing tdhat number. When you sit in the driverÂ’s seat, the right side front seat occupant is 40 inches away, across the high intrusion of the center console. Same in the rear. It would take a contortionist to climb from the left rear seat to the right, and the chance of the driver hopping across to the right is even less feasible.
Because some of the controls and numerous switches have been added on in an attempt to make the Hummer more civilized, they arenÂ’t all in what you would call logical, ergonomic locations. On your first turn behind the wheel, for example, you will grope for a while to find the power window switches. They are on a four-switch grouping, located at about a 45-degree angle, on the western slope of that massive center console.
When you turn the key, that roar you hear tells you that the diesel under the hood means business. It doesn’t matter what the horsepower and torque numbers say, or that the curb weight of the monster is 7,500 pounds – the equivalent of three Mazda Miatas, or two of virtually any sedans – when you stomp on the gas, the big Hummer H1 moves on out. The H2, for what it’s worth, weighs in at 6,500 pounds, so it’s not as if it is the Weight Watcher’s poster vehicle either.
But the H1 surprised me. I had driven one of the first models ever offered to the public, and it filled the highway lane so thoroughly I felt nervous wondering whether any adjustment in vector would mean I was going to cross the dotted line, or put a wheel off on the shoulder. With the latest H1, I felt quite comfortable after only a few drives.
I did learn that you have to adopt an attitude when driving the H1. You are going to get the reactions anticipated – adulation or scorn, with no stops in between – so you might as well drive it boldly and with some aggressiveness. My wife, Joan, drove it across town and said she found people cutting her off every block. When I asked her, I realized she had driven hesitantly, being overly cautious, and that gave others the spirit to cut her off.
Instead, if you drive a little bit boldly, as if you don’t really want to crush those Corollas – unless one ventures into your lane – then you’ll find people will stay out of your way. Cutting a wide swath around a corner in city traffic, I felt as though other drivers might consider pulling onto the sidewalk to give me room.
When I arrived at a ballgame a little closer to starting time than I had wanted, because of traffic congestion, I simply told my teammates: “IÂ’d have made it earlier, but it took me longer because I kept having this compelling urge to invade Canada.Ââ€
(John Gilbert writes weekly reviews of new vehicles. Reach him at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Larger Jetta expands into compact/midsize segment
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — It is the stuff of automotive legend how the United States adopted the old Volkswagen Beetle, as well as the new Volkswagen Beetle. But so did the entire automotive world. In fact, they kept making the old Beetle for South America sales right up until the new one took over. Far more subtle, but possibly more significant, has been the U.S. acceptance of the Volkswagen Jetta.
The compact Jetta sedan has done OK around the rest of the world, but not as well as the hatchback Golf on which itÂ’s based. In the U.S., however, 2.2 million Jettas have been sold during its 25-year lifespan. So, what can VW do for an encore?
Just in time to celebrate both the 25th anniversary of the Jetta and the 50th anniversary of the creation of Volkswagen of America, Volkswagen is introducing a new 2005 Jetta that may be the most comprehensively changed Jetta in the carÂ’s five-generation history.
There is no resemblance between the 2004 Jetta, which is a surprise in itself. The 2004 is a neatly styled, very well-proportioned compact sedan, with an adequate rear seat, trunk, and roomy front buckets, and variations that can range from mundane to super-economical, to startlingly fun to drive. The new 2005 model. While surprisingly different, the new car retains the family value benefits of the car it replaces, and adds to those assets considerably, having grown by seven inches in length, to 179.3 inches, and by three inches to 101.5 inches in wheelbase, and by one inch, to 69.3 inches in width. The extra room pays off with a 16-cubic-foot trunk and a roomy, 60-40 split rear seat.
We were limited to the basic Jetta with automatic transmissions at our press introduction, which might have been a good idea. When there are a variety of models, itÂ’s too tempting to try to latch onto the sportiest model and drive it the most. This way, the sporty models are still to come. The base Jetta comes with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder, developing 150 horsepower at 5,000 RPMs, and 170 foot-pounds of torque at 3,750 RPMs, with 90 percent of that torque available from 900 revs on up. Those numbers represent a 30-percent improvement over the old carÂ’s 115 horsepower, and 39 percent more torque than the old four-cylinder.
I asked if the five-cylinder was a derivative from the Audi five-cylinder that used to power the Audi 90 a dozen years ago, but it is not. It has an impressive heritage, however. Audi and VW own Lamborghini, the Italian exotic sports car builder, and the first model built under AudiÂ’s auspices was the Gallardo, powered by a 5.0-liter V10 engine. The 2.5 five-cylinder engine in the Jetta is one bank of the Lamborghini V10.
A stick shift will perk up performance, presumably, because good as the automatic is, it kept us from extracting full power, which always felt adequate, but never left me thinking we were going half as swiftly as a Lamborghini. All the time we spent driving in the mountains east of San Diego, I not only was eager for a manual transmission, but for the upcoming models.
Next out will be the Jetta TDI, with a 1.9-liter turbocharged diesel that has low horsepower but high torque and fuel-economy that can reach into the 40s. After that will come the GLI model – one former designation the new Jetta won’t eliminate. That’s the sporty model, and it will come with Audi’s new and fantastic direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which has no resemblance to the outgoing VW 2.0-liter, and has shown dazzling power in the bigger Audi A4. It should make the Jetta get up and howl.
Jetta’s new grille is what VW vice president Len Hunt calls “our corporate grille,†and completely different lines that make the car look quite a bit larger. That’s another surprise. The new Jetta IS quite a bit larger. Hunt, we must recall, used to be a top executive of Audi, and now has ascended to the top job at VW of America, but his lineage might be showing. The so-called “corporate grille†of the Jetta bears a strong resemblance to the new “corporate grille†of Audi, as shown on the A6 and A4, and I wondered if it wasn’t an overall VW-Group corporate grille, but Hunt frowned and said he didn’t see the resemblance.
To me, the resemblance remains quite obvious, since both are inverted trapezoid shapes, with the wide part at the top, and a bold horizontal bar across the middle of the opening. On the Audi, that grille is large and obvious; on the Jetta, when itÂ’s made of bright chrome, itÂ’s even more obvious.
The new Jetta takes Volkswagen into new territory. The first Jetta was basically a Golf with a trunk. The car evolved, through renovations, to become a premium subcompact – maybe the premium road car of all subcompacts, and then competed against premium compacts. The new version of the Jetta will spread that competition further, challenging in both the huge premium midsize segment, against Accords, Camrys, Mazda 6es, Altimas and Legacy models. Because fluctuating sizes can blur the parameters, Volkswagen officials also have designs on taking customers away from the entry luxury class, which includes the Acura TSX, Volvo S40, and others.
In normal flat-land driving, I found the new Jetta to be quite responsive and adequately powered. While pushing it hard through some mountain ranges and valleys, the taut, predictable steering and handling was impressively precise on the twistiest switchbacks. I tried both leaving the transmission in automatic mode, as well as hand-shifting it with the Tiptronic to hold third gear for many of the tighter curves in the mountains.
Every new Jetta for the worldÂ’s market will be built in the Puebla, Mexico, plant, which is located 60 miles southeast of Mexico City, and which has undergone an $800 million transformation — $200 million of which went toward an engine assembly line, and another $200 million of which has gone to install 360 robotic devices to include such things as body-assembly welding lasers. The plant employs 13,000 workers.
A lot of attention has gone to reducing wind noise and quality control, and less noticeable but far more significant is the attention to strengthening and stiffening the platform. The new Jetta is 60 percent stiffer in static rigidity, and 30 percent improved in both dynamic rigidity and against dynamic flexing. The stiffer car makes the handling of the revised but familiar front suspension and the new fully independent four-link rear suspension feel firmly secure.
There will be four trim versions of the Jetta by summertime, and Hunt, a pleasant fellow of British heritage, said that Volkswagen had “gotten rid of the old names, like GL, and GLX…†although his celebratory tone might have been what they call “understated British humor,†because he then told us what the new models would be called. The base trim level is – are you ready for this? – the “Value†model. Next will come the “2.5†model, although the 2.5 is available in all models, and later on the Jetta also will be available in “Package 1,†and then “Package 2.Ââ€
The names might sound funny, and maybe they’re flashier in German, or in Mexico, but we wonÂ’t complain about the pricing. The “Value†starts at $17,900, pretty well equipped with the 2.5 engine, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, electromechanical steering, side-curtain airbags, and five-speed manual. Add $1,000 for a six-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual-shift feature. The “2.5†is named after the engine, although the same engine is in all four levels of the initial version, and it starts at $20,390 by adding dual-zone climate control, heated seats, rain-sensing wipers, stability control, and a six-CD changer. The “Package 1†model is $22,350, and includes sunroof, premium sound system, and 16-inch wheels instead of 15. “Package 2†starts at $25,050, and comes with leather seats, wood-trimmed interior, and 12-way power driver seat.
Not bad, for what you get. I felt that a stick shift would have made the five-cylinder feel quite a lot livelier than the automatic, and would make the base models at each level perform admirably. Safety characteristics include side-curtain and thorax airbags, crash-active head restraints, and, most prominently, the four-wheel disc brakes are 11 percent larger in the front and 23 percent larger at the rear.
The old Jetta is gone; long live the new Jetta. But get those other models out!
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews, and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Tucson shines despite drizzly Portland weather
PORTLAND, OR. — Korean automaker Hyundai has made impressive strides in the last few years, and its new Tucson compact SUV pretty well assures that it will keep moving – onward and upward, and over all sorts of terrain.
The Tucson is new from the tires up, and is more compact in size, and price, than the Santa Fe, HyundaiÂ’s first venture into anything other than cars. While aimed primarily as a versatile family hauler of five, the Tucson does appear to have some off-road capabilities. It comes in front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and the 4WD versions have a lockable differential, which is usually the key element to distinguish more serious off-roaders.
Hyundai officials say the Tucson is aimed at that elusive “younger†market, with what sounds like a pretty good motto: “Live more, yawn less, for under $20,000.†If it is a little more vibrant and more sporty, the Tucson would allow Hyundai to move the Santa Fe more upscale, which is another plan, once an all-new $1.1 billion plant opens in Alabama, where the new Sonata sedan and Santa Fe will be built for 2006.
The Tucson is slightly longer, at 170.3 inches, than a Toyota RAV4, and a few inches shorter than the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute, or the Honda CR-V. The Tucson has a 103.5-inch wheelbase, slightly longer than all of those, and claims interior room that is equal or better. With two front, two side-curtain and two seat-mounted airbags, Hyundai claims the Tucson is the lowest priced vehicle with six airbags and a stability control system.
Price is a major factor in what is sure to be the popularity of the Tucson. The GL, with front-wheel drive and a four-cylinder engine starts at $17,499, with four-wheel drive adding $1,500. The GLS comes with the 2.7-liter V6 only, and comes in at $19,900 and some change – just enough to stay under $20,000. The LX model, with leather interior and an audio upgrade added to all the GLS features, is priced at $21,249, with everything but an optional sunroof standard.
As an inexpensive alternative to minivans, station wagons, or expensive and gas-hungry larger SUVs, the Tucson is a neatly styled vehicle that performed very well on our introductory test runs through the Oregon countryside, and I like the fact that the Tucson is free of the little curves and unnecessary bulges that make the Santa Fe distinctive, but can also grow wearisome.
It seems Hyundai has a fixation on Southwestern U.S. cities for names, but when it was raining hard in Portland, and points due west out to the Pacific Ocean, when Hyundai gathered the nationÂ’s motoring journalists for the introduction of the Tucson, making me wonder why they didnÂ’t they hold the introduction in, sayÂ…Tucson? Of course, the same could be said for the Toyota Tacoma, which was introduced in Detroit; the Dodge Dakota, which was introduced in Nashville (at the Tennessee football stadium, no less, where the background for an on-field intro was a huge sign that said “TitansÂâ€); or the Chrysler Sebring, which was introduced in Seattle.
Hyundai hasnÂ’t misfired very often in recent years. The upwardly mobile company has increased total U.S. vehicle sales from 100,000 to 400,000 since 1998. In U.S. sales by an import manufacturer, Hyundai rose to rank fourth by the end of the 2003 model year with 400,221 sales, behind 1-2 leaders Toyota (1.6 million) and Honda (1.17 million), and Nissan (675,000), and ahead of Volkswagen (302,686). Globally, General Motors ranks first with 8.2 million sales, Toyota second (6.8 million), Ford third (6.7 million), Volkswagen fourth (5.0 million), DaimlerChrysler fifth (4.3 million), Peugeot/Citroen fifth (3.2 million) and Hyundai sixth (3.04 million).
Hyundai also listed JD Power and other market research statistics to show that Hyundai ranks fifth behind only Chevrolet, Toyota, Ford and Honda for brand loyalty among U.S. buyers, and ranks second behind only Suzuki’s super-inexpensive models for conquest sales – those who buy after previously buying another brand. Those, Hyundai claims, include what is called “captive resentfuls†– those who didn’t particularly want a Hyundai but couldn’t afford anything more expensive.
Those days when the 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty were required to lure customers have long since passed. Cars like the Sonata and Accent have ranked first or second in initial quality for their segments, even though Hyundai also has taken over Kia, the struggling Korean manufacturer, and upgrading everything in the Kia line. Hyundai now turns its attention to its own brands, with seven new ones planned in the next two years. The Elantra will be redone in the fall of 2006, a minivan in the spring of Â’06, the Santa Fe in early spring of Â’06, the XG luxury sedan in late 2005, the Accent in the coming summer, and the Sonata in the coming spring.
But for now, the Tucson takes center stage. The Tucson starts out on a modified Elantra platform, with four-wheel independent rear suspension, and front approach-angle clearance of 28.2 degrees, plus 7.8-inches of front axle clearance. The ability to lock the differential means you might venture off-road, although the introductory drive’s off-road excursion was a little-used gravel road with a couple of puddles – nothing worse than a lot of rural driveways you might encounter.
On the road, the Tucson felt quick and agile with the 2.7-liter V6, and the switchgear had a simple and solid-feeling touch to operate. I dislike the gimmicky oval ring around the gauges, looking almost like paying homage to Korean designs from a previous – thankfully – era of Korean cars. But I like the brushed silver outlines of the audio and heat-air controls on the center panel, and the rugged, washable rear stowage floor.
The 2.0-liter four-cylinder is a dual-overhead-camshaft unit with 140 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs and 136 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 RPMs, and it gets gas mileage ratings of 22 city/27 highway for two-wheel drive and 21/26 for four-wheel drive. The 2.7 V6 has 173 horses at 6,000 revs, and 178 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000, with fuel economy of 20/26 for front-drive and 19/24 for four-wheel drive.
Hyundai’s ESC, for electronic stability control, added to the secure feeling on the drizzle-slicked highways we took to the ocean. It works through sensors front and rear and measuring lateral and steering forces. When you head into a sharp curve, the sensors know where you are trying to go, and if the vehicle understeers – tending to continue straight rather than following the projected steering path – it brakes the inside wheel. If the vehicle oversteers – trying to turn more sharply than your steering input calls for – it brakes the outside wheel.
On our drive, out to Tillamook, then northward along the coast to Cannon Beach, the front-wheel-drive Tucson with the 2.7 performed very well. Quick turns, and flat, stable cornering, were a breeze. The four-speed automatic was controlled by a floorshifter, with a manual shift gate. When we switched to the four-wheel-drive version, the slightly heavier Tucson felt even more stable, although the FWD seemed more agile.
Switching back and forth between driver and passenger, I discovered an unusual floor on the passenger side. My size 11s didnÂ’t seem to fit flat on the floor of the passenger side, and while nobody else seemed to notice, it bothered me a bit to have my toe and heel touching without being able to rest my whole foot on the flat surface.
Hyundai has a hybrid fleet of cars currently operating its own technology on an experimental basis in Korea, and it wonÂ’t be long before something like that shows up. With the new Ford Escape Hybrid so impressive, the Tucson seems like a good possibility.
Hyundai officials say they now are setting out to differentiate more between models of Hyundai and Kia, although they may share some engines and platforms. A few weeks later, at the California Auto Show in Anaheim, Kia unveiled a new vehicle that will be the return of the Sportage. The once-tiny but neat SUV has grown more shapely, and – sure enough – it is a Tucson with a few modifications.
When you build a winner, why not make maximum use of it?
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews. He can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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