This beauty is the result of a collaboration between BMW and Italian styling house, Pininfarina. Called the Gran Lusso Coupe, it has debuted at the very exclusive Concorso d’Eleganza Villa D’Este.

“The appeal of this collaboration with Pininfarina is that you get another, very different and special angle on facets like luxury and exclusivity,” notes Karim Habib, Head of BMW Design. “The Italian company, after all, has always been a byword for these criteria in particular, demonstrating time and again its keen sensitivity and exceptional finesse in these areas. In Pininfarina we have found the ideal partner to lend shape to this vehicle concept.”

So, while this is an undeniably stunning vehicle, there appears to be no production car spin-off in the near-future, even though a successor to the long dormant 8 Series has been mooted.

Sitting on 21-inch wheels and boasting short overhangs and very sleek lines, the typical BMW design elements have also been fine-tuned by the artists at Pininfarina. Note, for example, the new take on BMW’s traditional cat’s eye headlights. What’s under the hood? A V12 of undisclosed output.

Interestingly, although the interior at first appears to be little different to existing BMW designs, the devil is clearly in the details. All the wood elements in the cabin are sourced from a single piece of Kauri wood selected by the Italian timber experts of Riva 1920. Kauri wood has a unique grain and shifts in colour from gold to red to brown, depending on lighting and angle of view.

It has been rumoured for years that Renault may be looking at introducing a car in the spirit of “Le Car”, the popular R5 of the ’80s. Although Renault has confirmed that the Twin’Run previews the look of its future city compact, you shouldn’t get too excited just yet. For now the Twin’Run is a pure flight-of-fancy concept, with real racing car genes, including a tubular chassis and a 240 kW mid-mounted V6 from the Mégane Trophy. Suitably, Renault has decided on the Monaco GP for the launch venue…

Penned by Renault’s highly acclaimed design chief, Laurens van den Acker, the Twin’Run is both modern, with a neat wheels-at-the-corner stance, yet also rekindles the spirit of the original R5 with those squared-off headlights and compact dimensions. The “5″ on the doors refers to the R5 Turbo, the iconic wide-hipped rally car of the ’80s.

“Twin’Run embodies the mad genius Renault has been known for over the decades, to the delight of motor sports enthusiasts. No one has forgotten the R5 Turbo and the Clio V6. Twin’Run is the true heir of those racing cars that had so much appeal,” said Axel Breun, Head of Concept Car Design.

Featuring a chassis developed by the experts at Tork Engineering / Poclain Vehicules, a French firm specialising in the preparation competition cars, the Twin’Run is a real racing car. The bodywork is in glass-polyester composite that covers a multi-tube steel chassis and a mid-mounted engine. Carbon fibre is used for the front blade, roof, rear vent and wheel arches.

Powering the Twin’Run is the V4Y engine from the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which is also used for the Laguna, Espace and Latitude but also  in competition with the Mégane Trophy. Mounted longitudinally ahead of the rear axle centre-line, the 3,5-litre V6 delivers around 240 kW at 6 800 r/min and torque of 380 N.m at 4 850 r/min. The engine is mated to a SADEV six-speed sequential gearbox with limited slip differential. The twin metallic clutch is also borrowed directly from competition. Renault claims a 0-100 km/h time of 4,5 seconds and a 250 km/h top speed.

Although a reborn R5 seems increasingly likely to replace the Twingo, one can only hope that this Twin’Run concept actually previews a production car in the spirit of the original R5 Turbo, especially now that Renault appears to have given up on the Clio V6.

Despite a history that traces back to 1925, when the company started producing the Model T in Australia, Ford will cease manufacturing vehicles such as the Territory SUV and Falcon saloon in 2016.

Despite selling as many as 75 000 Falcons ten years ago, the demand for the former Australian market staple has steadily decreased to the point that the Blue Oval hasn’t even managed to scrape 20 000 sales of the Falcon in a year. Ford Australia isn’t alone in its struggles. General Motors’s subsidiary Holden has had the same issue with the Falcon-rivalling Commodore.

Critically, Ford’s Australian division is the smallest of the local manufacturers – the others being Holden and Toyota – and has suffered at the hands of the high cost of manufacturing in the country. In the last five years Ford Australia’s losses have totalled $580 million (approximately R6 billion ZAR).

According to Ford Australia CEO Bob Graziano, the cost of manufacturing Down Under is roughly twice as expensive as in Europe.

Despite the news, updates to the Falcon and Territory will go into production Down Under in 2014 thanks to funding from the Australian government. Eventually, a front and all-wheel drive global platform will replace the Falcon with some other SUV to substitute for the Territory, but those models will be imported, naturally.

The company’s Broadmeadows assembly plant and Geeling engine plant, both located in the state of Victoria, will be closed – resulting inthe loss of  1 160 jobs. Of the 3 000-strong Ford Australia workforce, only about a third of that number will be retained at the remaining R&D and product development facilities.

Ford has just info on a slight upgrade to its seven-seater SUV. The Everest has a newly designed front grille with subtle modifications to the front bumper, foglamp bezels, headlamps and door mirrors. The quarter-back windows have also been altered.

Unique to this segment is a side-hinged rear door, which allows the full-size spare to be mounted onto it. When the third seats are folded, the Everest has the claimed tallest and widest cargo area in the segment. The Everest now sports a new colour option as well, Copper Red, while the interior trim has changed from camel to a darker tone called Bassalt (black). USB and auxiliary inputs are now standard across the range. Cruise control is now standard on the Limited model. This has increased the price of the 3,0 TDCi LTD 4×4 Auto from R445 000 to R447 900. Prices for the rest of the range remain the same with three models available all powered by Ford’s Duratorq TDCi diesel engine. The 3,0-litre engine delivers 115 kW and 380 N.m of torque.

A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the XLT and is available in either 4×2 or 4×4 setups. The LTD model comes in 4×4 only and with a five-speed manual transmission. The automatic model allows you to shift from 2WD to 4WD at speeds of up to 100 km/h.

The Everest comes with a five-year/90 000km service plan and a four-year/120 000km warranty. Service intervals are at 10 000 km and free off-road training courses are offered on all 4×4 derivatives.

The hottest member of the Golf family is still in its testing phases, but if this video is anything to judge by, it seems pretty close to ready.

Reports suggest that the new Golf R will make use of a 2,0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that will produce well over the 190 kW output of the current model.

Watch the video below to see what can be expected from Volkswagen’s hottest hatch.

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For the third time the fuel-pump attendant asked me if I am sure I wanted 95-octane, unleaded for the bakkie! Even a very confident yes could not remove the puzzled look from his face. This is proof that diesel powertrains (especially turbodiesel) have completely taken over the bakkie scene. So is there any reason to still consider a petrol bakkie today?

Powertrain
The new 2,4-litre, naturally aspirated petrol unit features double-overhead camshafts (DOHC) and four valves per cylinder. It delivers 112 kW at 5 200 r/min and 233 N.m at a highish 4 000 r/min. This immediately points out the difference with a turbodiesel unit that delivers a much higher torque figure, lower down in the rev range that makes for relaxed driving. Therefore, this petrol engine needs to be revved and the five-speed gearbox stirred to achieve good performance. Even so it is no rocket and although more responsive than the KB250 D-TEQ, it will be beaten by its KB300 D-TEQ cousin in a drag race to 100 km/h. Then there is the fuel thirst issue… A weekend’s mixed-cycle driving returned an eyebrow-raising figure of 13,5-litres/100 km…

Engine refinement
Could the choice of a petrol engine up the refinement of the vehicle compared to the diesel alternatives? Well, not really, because this unit is fairly rough at higher engine speeds and does send a fair bit of vibration into the cabin. Maybe we got so used to the refined common-rail diesel systems that the difference to petrol engines is not as pronounced as ten years ago.

Ride
Isuzu is known for a good ride and this is no different with the KB240 which compares well with class-leading bakkies in the field. Long distance cruising is comfortably done and this bakkie can cross the commercial-leisure vehicle line.

Cabin
The cabin is shared with the diesel derivatives (including the diesel rev counter wrongly showing a 5 000 r/min redline) and provides a decently put together facia, although no soft plastics are anywhere to be found. The increase in size of the 6^th generation Isuzu does provide more room – especially for second row occupants. The drive position is good although a reach adjustable steering column would have been appreciated and taller drivers complained that their shins would sometimes touch the underside of the dash when depressing the clutch. Radio, CD, USB and Bluetooth are provided for as well as a manual air-con system.

Off-road
We took the vehicle to a picturesque off-road course on the mountains close to Somerset-West and the KB240 did prove itself very capable and conquered all the obstacles along the way. Good ground clearance and low-range in combination with a diff-lock helped to get the vehicle up very steep, rocky slopes with little fuss. Strange drivetrain noises were however noted but could not be pin-pointed to the diff or drive shafts, but may only be applicable to this specific test vehicle.

Summary
As we now know, the 6^th generation Isuzu is an honest and capable bakkie without being a game-changer in the highly competitive bakkie segment. Brand loyal customers that take the plunge will not be disappointed with their decision but rather consider the diesel derivatives. As long as the price between diesel and petrol stays fairly close, the diesels offer better value in terms of economy, performance and driver enjoyment.

 Fast facts:

Model: Isuzu KB240 LE DC 4×4

Engine: 2,4-litre, inline, four-cylinder

Power: 112 kW

Torque: 233 N.m

0-100 km/h: 13 seconds (est)

Fuel consumption: 10,5 litres/100 km

Top speed:  n/a

CO2 emissions: 248 g/km

Price: R380 200

* All as claimed by Isuzu

Kia has kicked off its renewed Cerato offensive with the local introduction of the brand-new saloon. The hatchback will arrive in August, followed by the two-door Koup in November.

Exterior and interior details

The Cerato has certainly come a long way since it was first introduced in 2004. Back then, it was hardly a vehicle that turned heads. Now, however, thanks to chief designer Peter Schreyer, the Cerato can be described as good-looking and desirable.

The new styling encompasses a cab-forward design, a lower roofline and chiselled lines on the doors and bonnet for a sportier, more upmarket appearance. The new Cerato is 30 mm longer (4 560 mm), 15 mm lower (1 445 mm) and 5 mm wider (1 780 mm) than the second-generation Cerato. The wheelbase has been extended by 50 mm (to 2 700 mm).

Inside, the new Korean saloon feels and looks classy with dark materials highlighted by chrome trim. The cabin feels driver-oriented with everything within easy reach. There is an airy and spacious ambience about the cabin. This could be the result of a lower cabin floor and, according to Kia, improved shoulder room.

On the road

There are two petrol engines available – a 1,6- and 2,0-litre. At the launch I was able to climb behind the wheel of the 118 kW 2,0-litre version. This particular vehicle was mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. A manual transmission is also available.

This engine felt most at home when cruising along steadily. Any quick acceleration or rapid increase in speed results in high revs and an engine that sounds as though it labours. When in full automatic mode, the gears changes aren’t as quick as I prefer, but there are paddle shifters behind the steering wheel should drivers wish to intervene and change gears at their own pace.

The ride is comfortable with the Cerato’s fully independent front suspension and coupled torsion-beam axle rear handling the very uneven KZN roads with ease. This vehicle doesn’t inspire sporty or dynamic performance, so there was no need to really test these aspects of the car. The only thing that changes the dynamics of the car is the Flexsteer system that adjusts the feel of the steering. The default mode is “normal” with “comfort” (lighter steering for easier parking) and “sport” (stiffer steering feel) also on offer.

Standard features

There are two trim configurations available. The 1,6-litre comes with EX specification, while the 2,0-litre comes with EX and SX.

Standard nice-to-haves across the range include auto-locking doors, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, rake and reach adjustment on the steering column, an MP3, USB and iPod-compatible audio system, a three-spoke leather steering wheel and electric windows all around. Unique to the SX are features such as 17-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, stability control, start/stop, hill-start assist and Flexsteer (also available on the 2,0-litre EX).

For peace of mind, safety features include ABS with EBD, dual front, side and curtain airbags, Isofix anchorages, fog lights and central locking.

Summary

The third-generation Cerato moves the Kia brand further upmarket and continues to show that the Koreans can take it to the market stalwarts. It’s not quite up there when it comes to engine refinement, but the Cerato is certainly a good alternative to the norm.

Specifications

Model: Cerato 2,0 SX AT

Price: R289 995

Engine: 1 999 dm³

Power: 118 kW@ 6 500 r/min

Torque: 194 N.m @ 4 800 r/min

0-100 km/h: 9,3 seconds

Top speed: 205 km/h

Other models:

Kia Cerato 1,6 – R219 995
Kia Cerato 1,6 AT – R229 995
Kia Cerato 2,0 – R249 995
Kia Cerato 2,0 AT – R259 995
Kia Cerato 2,0 SX – R279 995
Kia Cerato 2,0 SX AT – R289 995

Prices include a five-year/90 000 km service plan, a five-year/150000 km warranty and a three-year/unlimited roadside-assistance plan.

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