Transmisi Cars: June 2011

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

4 stars by expert for Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

who is not familiar with the car filled with the history of the VW brand, If it's a sporty convertible you're after then look elsewhere, but the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet's appeal lies in its excellent refinement, top build quality and strong heritage. The massive choice of engines means there's something for everyone, whether your Priorities are low running costs or punchy performance, while the spacious cabin and fast folding roof broaden its appeal. The Eos and Beetle Cabriolet have been the only drop-tops in Volkswagen's for some time, but the Golf Cabriolet, revealed at this year's Geneva Motor Show, is back to bolster the range. The last time you could buy a Golf without a roof was in 2002, when the old-fashioned MkIII version was still in showrooms, so this one has been a long time coming.

From the front, it's identical to the Golf hatchback, and Volkswagen has plumped for a traditional fabric roof rather than a folding hard-top like the Eos' roof. Buyers will initially get a choice of three engines when the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet goes on sale in July: a 104bhp 1.2-litre TSI, 158bhp 1.4-litre TSI and a 104bhp 1.6-litre TDI diesel. Three more engines will follow later in the year: 120bhp 1.4-litre TSI, 207bhp 2.0 TSI and a 138bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel - so you're spoiled for choice. There's loads of space inside: even rear passengers aren't short of leg- and headroom by the usually meagre convertible standards, and refinement is superb. We tried the 1.6-litre TDI BlueMotion first, which impresses with average fuel economy of 64.2mpg and emissions of only 117g/km. The trade-off is its mediocre performance, as the diesel engine requires encouragement to get the Golf moving. The 120bhp 1.4-litre TSI unit offers the best of both worlds, with willing acceleration (0-62mph in 10.5 seconds) and 44.8mpg.

There's nothing more than a light buffeting from the wind around the windscreen pillars, which is exceptional for a cabriolet. Wind, road and engine noise are so well contained that you barely have to raise your voice when the roof is down. The only audible element is a clattering from the TDI diesel engines if you roll down the window. and for the prices haven't been confirmed but Volkswagen says the basic Golf Cabriolet will cost from between £20- and £21,000 when it goes on sale in July. Top-end models will retail for around £29,000, which is comparable with the Audi A3 Cabriolet.

4 stars rating by expert for Kia Picanto

Kia's new Picanto is a capable, attractively styled and well built sub-supermini that drives decently and should cost little to run. It is easily as good as its direct rivals, with appeal running deeper than its generous seven-year warranty. The new Picanto is a decent all-round proposition, with good looks, a neat interior, competitive space and a decent drive. It rivals cars like Ford's Ka, the Citroen C1, Renault Twingo and the Hyundai i10, but none of them can offer the Picanto's spectacular seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Two petrol engines are offered in the Picanto: either a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit, or a 1.25-litre four-cylinder. The 1.25-litre might be faster and smoother, but the 1.0-litre is sufficiently eager around town, though you occasionally need to drop a few gears on the motorway to maintain momentum.

That gearshift is accurate enough though and noise suppression in both versions is good - the three-cylinder thrum that is heard from the 1.0-litre car is actually quite appealing. Given the typical buyers in this marketplace that's a huge potential draw. That smart design is backed up with interior material quality and fit and finish that's as good as, and in many cases better than, its European rivals. Even so, it's unlikely you'll ever ache with desire to own a Picanto, but there are some pleasing styling details inside and out - the cool sculpted rear lights and the two-tone steering wheel stand out in particular.

Prices start at just £7,995 for the most basic 1.0-litre 1 model, though it's worth spending the £9,595 for the 2, which adds air conditioning, Bluetooth telephone connection, iPod integration on the stereo, all-round electric windows, electric heated and adjusted door mirrors, as well as some leather trim on the steering wheel and gear knob and a map pocket on the back of the passenger seat and thanks to the 1.0-litre car returning 67.3mpg on the official combined economy cycle, while 99g/km CO2 emissions

4 ratings by expert for Porsche Panamera S

Who is not familiar with porsche luxury cars and has a speed and performance have a shape that was already not be in doubt again, the Panamera has always Possessed a depth of talent that's pretty extraordinary in its class. Fitting a manual gearbox only adds to its appeal as a drivers' car, with the clutch pedal and slick-shifting six-speeder Engaging you in a way no fancy paddle-shifted auto Could Achieve ever. The car is still not conventionally pretty, but it's Difficult not to be deeply impressed with the Panamera S in this unusual Guise. It's how we'd specify Ours. The Panamera is a deeply impressive car in its more usual automatic guise, but the addition of a manual transmission absolutely transforms the driving experience.

It's slower - by 0.2 seconds to 62mph - but you'll not care as you'll be having way more fun than in a PDK automatic car. The gear shift itself is as beautifully crisp, with a pleasingly mechanical feel to its action. It's this that makes it so appealing, the man-machine interface so much involving and interesting. The rewards come on the open road where the Panamera has always impressed - only now you're orchestrating the action with greater detail. It's quick too, the 400bhp 4.8-litre V8 engine never lacking, while the steering offers weight and feel and the brakes are never troubled with road driving - they might grumble a bit on a track though. around £2,000 less than the automatic-equipped Panamera S you'll be able to afford the optional Sports Exhaust and have some change. Visit your Porsche dealer and they'll ask you for £77,453, which is strong money in this class.

5 Expert Rating for BMW 1 Series M Coupe

This is the work of the BMW that makes amazed and impressed. The 1 Series M Coupé (so called Because calling it the M1 Would step on the toes of the eponymous 1978 BMW supercar) is the Cheapest proper M car BMW makes. this is an extremely rapid and highly focused driving machine. Actually, it's probably the most exciting - and in reality the quickest - BMW on sale today. But do not let fool you into thinking That it's not a serious piece of kit: at 40.020 pounds without options this is hardly the working man's M car. For a start, it's brutally quick. The twin-turbo 3.0-litre engine develops 335bhp, but it's the torque figure that's most significant: 369lb.ft from just 1,500rpm. That's compared to 295lb.ft in the M3 - which is over £14,000 more expensive, by the way. The 0-62mph thing is done with in 4.9 seconds, although a BMW person we spoke to said that's a very conservative figure. He wasn't kidding. For the 1 M, BMW has taken the chassis, suspension, brakes, steering and a few other bits from the M3 - one of the best driver's cars in the world - and stuffed them under the body of a 1 Series Coupé. The 1 Series M Coupé is the antithesis of the X5 M and X6 M SUVs, focused first and foremost on being great to drive. Whether you're behind the wheel or just gawking at it from the pavement, it's one of the most exciting cars on sale today. That it also happens to be capable of anodyne four-seat transport makes it one of the most complete sports cars we've driven. Cancel that M3 order, quick. As you can see from the flared wheel arches, some modifications had to be made to accommodate the bigger car's innards. As a result, this comically wide two-door has the look of a touring car whose advertising stickers have been peeled off.