Volvo XC90 - Ocean Race Edition

Volvo's XC90 is Still ShipShape

Volvo has launched its sea-themed version of its XC90. The Volvo Ocean Race Edition is named after the nine-month endurance sailing event which kicked off last weekend in Alicante, Spain. As you'd expect, the car gets a host of sailing-inspired mods to set it apart from ordinary land-based XC90s.

Most noticeable is the Ocean Blue pearl paintwork, which really looks deep and luscious enough to plunge into. Small emblems on the front fenders mark the car out as a special edition - the test car's huge decals are thankfully not standard.

There's also extra chrome trim around the exterior, painted aluminium roof rails and a new alloy wheel design which Volvo says was inspired by the movement of the ocean's waves. Maybe the resemblance would be clearer when one is seasick.

All these do jazz up the XC90 slightly, although the car's styling has hardly dated since its release back in 2002 anyway.

The cabin benefits from an upholstery stitching style that apparently has its roots in sail making, some genuinely stylish aluminium trim panels and special floor mats.

Fancy detailing aside, this remains one of the most cleverly designed interiors anywhere in the car world. The comfy seats are easily configured in virtually any arrangement you'd like, and there's decent boot space even with the third row chairs in place.

Build quality is reassuringly sturdy, the car feeling well up to the task of handling 45,000 tough kilometers - the distance covered by the Ocean Race participants - and then some.

It's pretty much toddler-proof too.

Power comes from the tried-and-trusted 210bhp 2.5 turbo five-cylinder, which remains Volvo's most characterful engine by some margin. It pulls the nearly 2.1 tonne SUV along with real vigour, although those with heavy right feet will pay the price at the pumps.

Only 4,000 of these special edition XC90s are available worldwide.

Honda City 1.5 LX

Honda Has Finally Got Its Act Together for the New City 1.5 LX

Third time's the charm and so it is for Honda's compact saloon, the City. The original nodeal was a perfect robbery getaway car - not because it could outrun the cops, but because it looked so forgettable that no eyewitness would have been able to describe it.

Being recognised wasn't something its replacement had a problem with, if only for all the wrong reasons. If ever there was a car that prioritised function over form, it was the gawky looking second-generation City.

This brings us to the latest version and as you can see, it is quite a looker. Although it shares its platform with the new Jazz, the City has completely different interior and extrior styling.

A 15mm reduction in height compared to its predecessor gives the car a more planted stance on the road, while thick horizontal bars across the front grille emphasize its width. It looks modern and proportionate, even mildly sporty.

First impressions are positive - other than being dressed to impressed, its packed with enticing goodies like a powerful 120bhp engine, a five-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters, all-round disc brakes and factory-fitted 16-inch alloy wheels.

Apart from the air vent louvres and centre compartment catch which feel a bit flimsy, most of the switches and controls work with typical Honda precision. Even the steering wheel looks upmarket.

The thick cushioned front chairs apear to have been pinched from a bigger car and rear occupants haven't been left out: they get two-position reclinable seats, which is a nice luxury touch.

Once again the City's cabin is something of a packaging miracle, with much more legroom than expected in a car of this size. The boot is also massive, its 506 litre capacity surpassing something even the Lexus LS 460s. If you can't squeeze something in there, you probably don't need it.

From the driver's seat, it quickly becomes obvious how much better the new City is to drive. The steering, always a weak point in the old car, is now well-weighted and precise. No longer do you have to coax the wheel back towards the straight-ahead position after making a U-turn.

The car is also far more stable when it's being enthusiastically. Excellent damping cuts body roll through corners and the suspension easily shrugs off the best efforts of road humps to jolt passengers.

The picture isn't as rosy at low speeds, when the ride is noticeably firm and small bumps are too readily transmitted into the cabin. Things never get jarring, but this does knock the City's comfort score back a bit.

So does the engine's occasionally loud voice. By most standards, the City's power unit is a fine performer, combining punchy power delivery with impressively low fuel consumption.

But such is the reputation Honda has built for itself as a maker of great engines that the 1.5 litre i-VTEC's gritty note at high revs comes as a disappointment. Extra insulation would have helped improve perceived refinement.

This aside, the car is good fun to drive and the improved all-round visibility makes it easier to place on the road. It feels altogether more sophisticated than many of its rivals. The car plays the role of a junior Civiv convincingly enough.

Ups
Stylish
Sharp handling
Spacious cabin and boot

Downs
Firm low-speed ride
High selling price

Engine
1,497cc, 16V in-line 4

Max Power
120bhp at 6,600rpm

Max Torque
145Nm at 4,800rpm

Gearbox
5-speed automatic

Nissan Murano 2009

Nissan's New SUV Looks More Modern and Feels a Lot Sturdier

In terms of styling, substance and overall standards, the latest car looks and feels superior. First off, the car looks more contemporary, even though the general profile remains unchanged. Its front section is a big improvement, with headlamps and radiator grille bridging the bonnet and bumper to form flowing lines.

The chrome-painted grille is less plasticky and features a Nissan emblem. From afar, the ensemble resembles a breastplate.

In the rear, Nissan has done away with vertical tail lamps to opt for a more traditional arrangment. The rear windscreen is deeper now, improving visibility.

On the whole, the SUV-ness of the car is toned down and it appears more like a crossover now.

The cabin is where the car's substance gets a big lift. The cockpit is seriously upmarket, with a smart centre console and a beautifully lit instrumental panel. The crusty locally fitted navigation set in the previous car has been thrown out.

At the wheel, the car feels decidedly sturdier. The pedals are now well angled and well sprung and the steering wheel is suitably meaty. It is ideally weighted for high-speed jaunts but requires far too much work when low-speed manoeuvres are called for.

The car is slightly bigger and heavier than its predecessor. Thanks to its increased engine output and altered gear ratios, it is able to shave off 0.3 seconds off its century sprint to clock 8.4 seconds.

In real life, the car feels somewhat livelier, with generous dollops of torque going seamlessly to its wheels.

This occurs, unfortunately, at some expense of fuel economy, which has deteriorated by 10 to 15 percent. Even with its adaptive CVT gearbox, the new Murano drinks like a regular 4 X 4. That is probably its only issue though. The car is high on refinement, comfort and driveability.

On the go, it has the composure of a big sedan, with wind and road noise kept well at bay even when approaching three-digit velocity. This is impressive as this quality is not a strong suit of SUVs.

In fact, if not for a slight CVT whine which starts to intrude from 4,000 rpm, the car is as muted as upscale SUVs such as the BMW X5, Lexus RX and Audi Q7.

Its ride is superbly controlled too. Nissan has reworked its suspension system and it has worked. The car is seldom unsettled by speed humps and body roll is minimal.

The car also handles deftly. Its fatter tyres offer better grip and the electronic yaw control in its new four-wheel-drive system will shift torque from the front wheel to the rear to ensure the car corners neutrally.

If you can get past the Murano's fuel thirst, the new Murano is quite a value proposition. It has a slew of luxury amenities. These include steering-mounted cruise control, split climate control, automatic headlamps (xenon) and wipers, keyless access and ignition, and a motorised tailgate that will stop its closing sequence if it detects anything in the way.

The best feature by far is the driver's memory seat, which moves back (and lifts the steering column) to make egress more effortless.

Combine all these with the Murano's excellent road manners and commendable refinement and you will get a car that is quite tempting.

Engine
3,498cc 24 valve V6

Transmission
Continuously variable with six-speed manual mode

Power
260bhp at 6,000rpm

Torque
336Nm at 4,400rpm

Top Speed
200kmh

0-100kmh
8.4 seconds

Fuel Consumption
17.2 litres/100 km (city)

Interior Pictures of Nissan Murano 2009 Model

BMW 3 Series - 2009 BMW 335i

BMW's much-admired 3 Series Gets Updates for 2009

The new BMW 335i is a wonderfully endowed car, under the bonnet with a twin-turbo 3.0 litre six-cylinder engine that revs purringly and sings like a nightingale when worked hard. It pulls hard too, reaching 100kmp in just 5.8 seconds.

The steering may not be the chattiest around in terms of relaying feedback to the driver, but it's accurate and direct, allowing you to make the most of a chassis that always feels beautifully balanced.

The brakes have a nice bite to them, and the six-speed automatic is hardly ever caught napping, responding to throttle inputs with fast, smooth gear shifts.

The 335i simply put, is a great example of how BMW can distil all the elements of driving pleasure into a wonderfully cohesive package.

Indeed, so little is lacking in the way a 3 Series drives that not much has been done to it - this makeover is the sort that carmakers routinely give their models midway into their product cycles.

Thanks to new wheel carriers, there is a widened track (by 10mm) that is meant to improve ride quality. Unless you have a bum as sensitive as a fairytale princess', you'd be hard-pressed to tell.

Instead, the changes brought about by the revamp are mostly cosmetic, aimed at playing up the car's sporty nature.

Witness the new creases on the bonnet, which present lines that seem to evoke the slim nose sections of BMW's Formula One racing cars.

A restyled lower sill features a raised, more pronounced crease in order to visually elongate the 3 series when it's looked at from the side, while new bumpers adorn the front and rear.

The lamps have been given a different treatment too, with the front items receiving what BMW designers call "eyebrows".

These plastic inserts sit over the main projectors, bringing the 3 series visually in line with the new 7 series. They will undoubtedly spread throughout the BMW headlamp range.

LED indicators are arrayed at the corners of the headlamps, while the tail lamps have been completely redesigned to be more uniform in color, neatening up the rear of the car considerably.

Larger wing mirrors round up the exterior changes and offer wider coverage than the older ones.

Inside, cars equipped with BMW's iDrive control interface receive a new knob with additional buttons for more direct access to the system's various functions, and the LCD screen is not in 8.8 inch widescreen format.

Much of it amounts to change for change's sake, but that's not a bad thing, for it means that the sporty soul of the 3 series has been left unmolested. The 335i has always been a great car, so it might as well look the part more.

Facts for BMW 335i

Ups
Lovely, lively engine
Peerless handling
New look keeps it fresh...

Downs
...but not as fresh as some rivals
Slightly offset driving position

Engine
2,979cc, 24V in-line 6

Max Power
306bhp at 5,800rpm

Max Torque
400Nm at 1,300-5,000rpm

Gearbox
6-speed automatic

Top Speed
250kmp

0-100kmh
5.8 seconds

Interior Pictures of the New BMW 335i

BMW 750Li - The Magnificient 7 Series

BMW's new flagship is like a jumbo jet with the reflexes of a fighter plane

The BMW 7-series is the company's largest and most luxurious saloon. Of the new model range, which kicks off with the twin-turbo 3.0-litre 740Li, is 5.2 metres long, but handles like something far smaller. That is thanks to the new system dubbed the Integral Active Steering.

During low speed manoeuvres like U-turns, the rear wheels are steered in the opposite direction of those in front, slimming the car's turning circle by as much as 70cm.

On the highway, the rear wheels are gently pointed in the same direction as those in front, making high-speed lane changes more stable.

The BMW 750Li is almost ludricrously agile for its size and the Integral Active Steer system does its stuff unobstructively, leaving you to point the car where you want to go and call on the huge grip it musters to get you through corners at an indecently swift pace.

A new button on the dashboard toggles between four different driving modes from Comfort through Normal, Sport and Sport+. These weight in on the active suspension dampers, the drive-by-wire throttle response and the gearbox to conjure up distinct settings for the car, to match your own levels of aggression behind the wheel.

Throw in the 407bhp-strong performance from the flawlessly smooth, revvy engine, and you have a limo that's fun to drive.

The rear seats recline, adjust for height, and even come with individual DVD screens and a massage function. BWM says the 750Li has the most head and legroom in its class and when that class includes the likes of the Audi A8 6.0L and the Mercedes-Benz S 500L, that says a lot.

The ability to pamper its occupants is something you would expect from a series 7 BMW. But what is really surprising is that the BMW 750Li is a sporty looking car. The lines are sleek and coupe-like, with BMW's trademark double grilles sitting prominently on the nose to exude aggression.

Even the controls have been given a throrough once-over, with a driver-centric focus to their layout and a careful rethinking of their user-friendliness. The odd positioning of key controls in the last 7 series has been done away with. Stripped of its fripperies, what's left of the 7 series is a more conventional but more straightforward car with plenty of focus on delivering pleasure as straight up as possible.

BMW 750Li Facts

Ups
Class-leading agility and handling
Sports car-like performance
Supreme refinement and cabin space

Downs
Just two seats in the rear
Wind noise at high speed

Engine
4,395cc, 32V twin-turbo V8

Max Power
407bhp at 5,500-6, 400rpm

Max Torque
600Nm at 1,750-4,500rpm

Gearbox
6-speed automatic

Top Speed
250kmh (limited)

0-100 KMH
5.3 seconds

INTERIOR PICTURES OF THE BMW 750LI