Sippin' Suzuki SX4

Buyers post 1st July are taking a longer look at diesel options in the compact family car sector and Suzuki are attracting attention with their 1.6 diesel engine in their SX4 range.



The SUV-look SX4 was first launched back in 2006, designed to appeal to those with an outdoor lifestyle and who want their car to reflect that image. To tick all their boxes, their car of choice must be roomy, stylish and solid, as well as being a good performer.

However, I also see the SX4 as a second family car, ideal for the school run and for loading up at the supermarket.

This 5-door diesel option to the SX4 sport crossover range is priced from €19,995 excluding delivery and related charges.



The list price has now reduced by €2,000 and with a C02 emission of 136 g/km, the car fits into Band B with a €150 annual road tax bill which won't break the bank.

The new 1.6 90PS DDiS engine — supplied by Peugeot who are acknowledged to be among the best diesel engine makers in the world — comes with 215 Nm of torque giving quite a lively performance.

Mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and driving through the front wheels, the combined cycle returns a frugal 5.3 L/100kms (53.3 mpg). This latest version clocks up 0-100 kms in 12.2 seconds and has a potential top speed of 175 km/h.



While lively enough, this diesel engine is also quiet, as you'd expect from its source. So there's absolutely no need to turn up the radio volume as you drive. While quite a tall car, it proved a nice tidy drive along twisty roads and was mannerly on the motorways.

Suzuki has reversed the trend of putting diesel engines into lower spec cars, so the SX4 DDiS comes only in the higher GLX specification.

Out on the road, you get the impression of driving a much bigger car. The sense inside is one of space in this five-door hatch. You'll fit five adults, just about. And the comfy seats hold you in snugly all the way up your back offering great support. Rear ones are a tad higher giving those in the back a better field of vision and come with a 60:40 split. Tumble them forward to create an almost fully flat floor and boot space of 625 litres.

Even six-footers will have no bother with head, shoulder or leg room, even in the back.

Sitting high behind the wheel, you can enjoy a good view of the road ahead. All round good visibility makes it an ideal car for city or suburban runs. I especially liked the high windscreen and the big A-pillar windows which allow you good vision out the front sides.

Dials are nice and well spaced, white on black with the 110 km/h mark at the very top while the radio has a big central volume knob, good sized individual buttons with numbers in white. There’s also the obligatory CD player and MP3 connectivity, a decent glove box and fine sized door bins.

Doors open wide and the high ground clearance also helps with getting in and out.

But one annoying thing I found was the piercing sound when you lock or unlock the car using the remote. It's a far louder bleep than in most cars.



Occupants are protected by a number of safety features including front, side and curtain airbags, plus front seat pre-tensioners. The SX4 scored four out of a maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests. In this DDiD version, the SX4 is only available in FWD.

Equipment levels are similar to the SX4 1.5 GL but adds manual air condtioning, heated door mirrors, 16-inch alloys, roof rails, front fogs and wheelarch extensions. GL models have electric power steering, front electric windows, electric door mirrors, remote control locking, air conditioning, pollen filter, radio/CD player, remote audio controls and tinted glass.

Suzuki cars are covered by a 3 year/100,000km new vehicle warranty, by Suzuki Assistance, providing 24 hour Irish and European roadside assistance, recovery and associated service for 36 months and by a 12 year perforation warranty.

Trish Whelan.

More Modus

Renault's original Modus was unfortunate in losing out in the popularity stakes to the more popular Nissan Note which was actually based on the same concept and made on the same platform.



The longer Note struck a chord with buyers both here and across Europe as it was more visually appealing and offered more luggage space.

Here, I must add that the entry level Modus review car I test drove some years back, ferried three big six-footers as well as myself from a rugby dinner, with absolute ease. And I heard no complaints from the back about room space either. Maybe they were just appreciative of having a designated driver!

The car under review is the 1.2-litre version with five speed manual transmission costing 15,650 euros. The price is Ex-Rosslare and includes VAT and VRT.

Punters can choose from either the Royale or Monaco versions, whichever suits their lifestyle, or go for an ecological 1.2 petrol or a 1.5 dCi diesel engine. The 1.5 dCi 106hp Royale II has a low C02 reading of 124 g/km as has the Monaco similar version.

Now in its mid-life upgrade, the car has undergone drastic changes which should prove more attractive to buyers. Firstly, there is now a Grand Modus. Anyone with even a smattering of French knows that, when translated, Grand means Big, or Large. And in Ireland, this is the only one which is being sold.



The new car has a 93mm longer wheelbase than the standard model, with a bigger amount of metal and glass. Now more than 4 metres long and with a bit over 0.4 cu m of luggage space with all seats in use. As the seats can move backwards or forwards, this space can be varied to suit your requirements.

In the looks department, Modus can now be described as looking 'cute' and quite cheerful. People paused to get a better look and two small children asked if they could sit in it. They loved it, bouncing up and down on the front seats and being able to see out without cushions due to the high seats and low side windows.

That amount of glass helps hugely with visibility as do the good sized side mirrors with blind spot cover. The big glass area also makes the cabin light and airy. The only downside is the amount of dark grey in the cabin only relieved by a smattering of light silver.

A-pillar windows are so big they seem part of the actual windows with just a narrow strip divide between them and so provide great side-view visibility.

Seats are comfy and hold you well. Everything on the dash is nicely placed, with the information screen in a central position, as in the Toyota Yaris. The pod is shielded against glare and gives your speed in big, bright orange digital numbers. All the information is contained in a large semi arc.

But, while the radio buttons are of a decent size, finding alternative radio stations to those already slotted in, is not intuitive. I had to consult the manual and even then it wasn't an easy thing to do. Renault have stuck with that circular control for volume etc for far too long. It's too small by far and means you have to be very precise with where your finger goes.

There are two overhead drop-down boxes situated in the centre of the roof, so they don't affect headroom. Ideal for storing away things like books, tissues or colouring markers to keep the young ones happy in the back and the youngsters will be able to use the pop-up plastic trays on the backs of the front seats.

Other storage areas include a decent glove box, good sized door bins on both front doors, a handy lidded storage area on the driver's side of the dash top, and there's the option of a smallish drawer for under the front seats.



The review car proved surprisingly capable over the course of a very long test drive period. It's a nice, smooth performer. That said, it won't set the world alight as it's not that kind of car. No, it's most likely to be the second family car used for the school run, ferrying the kids around and for shopping, as it performs well in traffic. The ride is good overall and the longer wheelbase helps here over the current version, making it almost into an MPV.

Body coloured bumpers with black protective strips help fend off scratches in the supermarket car park.

This child-friendly car comes with Isofix attachment systems in the two outer rear seats and one in the front passenger seat.

As time went by, I became very fond of the Grand Modus. It's a good transporter for four or five people or for a growing family.

Take a good, long look at it. And then a good, long drive.

Trish Whelan.

Tiguan treat

There's a big battle being fought to be the top dog in the compact SUV segment, one which is picking up the slack in the downturn of full-size vehicles of that type.



This is why in recent times there has been a plethora of new entrants, many from makers who haven't been in this particular end of the game, like Ford, Citroen, and Peugeot. This has made it more difficult for the traditional players in the segment, like Toyota with its RAV4 and Suzuki with its Grand Vitara.

Volkswagen was one of the earlier newcomers, picking up on its success with the large Touareg by bringing in a smaller version based on the Golf platform. The Tiguan has been a significant success for the brand, challenging successfully the RAV4's place as biggest seller in the segment across Europe.



It has the essential elements. The style proportions are very good in SUV terms, but in a non-aggressive design suited to the tenor of these times. Inside there is chunky seating, solid furniture and fittings, and accommodation front and rear which is more than ample for five occupants.



The surface of the dashboard and binnacle trim is soft touch but pleasingly solid to the tap. The primary instruments are familiar analogue dials with the centre information patch and lighting in the VW blue that makes for very easy reading at night.

The centre stack and its essentials are a move upwards for Volkswagen, especially the large touch-screen entertainment/communications system that also handles sat-nav when fitted. No less than eight air vents are fitted in the centre and at either ends of the dash, offering a very wide choice of heating/cooling options.

The steering wheel is chunky without being too big a handful, and the short leather-gaitered shifter very pleasant and precise to use.

The review car was the Town & Country specification, powered by a version of VW's dual-charged 1.4 petrol engines with an output of 150hp. In its various iterations, this is one of my favourite power units of the moment. And though the main seller in Tiguan here is the diesel one, it was a good opportunity to get the feel of the 1.4 in this application.

The car came with a number of high end features, including an electronically operated parking brake with a hill hold facility, and cruise control. The airconditioning was of the ordinary variety rather than full climate control.



Obviously it is a flexible car in terms of people/cargo usage, and the flipover arrangements of the rear seats are simply operated (I only mention it because it remains a matter of some mystery to me that the systems for this in some cars are still of the knuckle-scraping variety).

The Tiguan is a good drive whether on highway or twisty back road, on the latter showing very neutral handling and steering characteristics that made it an easy car to use on tricky cross-country journeys. Pleasant progress is also aided by the characteristics of the engine, which uses both turbocharging and supercharging to get high output from a small displacement. Maximum torque comes on at a mere 1,750rpm, thanks to this system, and the 0-100 km/h is doable in under 10 seconds.

Over a week of quite mixed driving, though a fair chunk of it going the distances, I got an average of 8.3 L/100km, which happened to be almost spot on to the official combined fuel consumption figure. In fairness, not wildly economic, but not over the top for the size of car either. It puts the official CO2 figure at 199 g/km.

That it is a VW and has the iconic respect which that brand enjoys right across its product range, means it will sell in respectable numbers and provide Volkswagen fans with a viable option in the mid-size sector.

Brian Byrne.

Star turn Sportback

It's been a while since Mitsubishi in Ireland had a compact family hatchback to offer in a market where maybe seven out of ten cars in the segment have that rear door.

Though when the distributors do get the Lancer Sportback into showrooms in September, they're not expecting to follow that ratio.



Indeed, the image of the Lancer in Ireland is so embedded in it being a saloon, they figure that only three out of ten buyers of the nameplate will go for the new variant.

That said, because the Lancer has become Mitsubishi Ireland's most important car in the shifting CO2 tides here, having the hatch version is going to bring a timely extra option to the brand's offerings.

The car will launch in Ireland with a 105hp 1.5 and a 143hp 1.8 in petrol and a 140hp 2.0 diesel which comes courtesy of Volkswagen. This diesel will also be introduced to the Sports Saloon which has been on sale here for some time.

Next year the 240hp Ralliart Lancer variant will be available in both Sportback and Saloon versions.



The Sportback is essentially a hatchback in form but is a little longer than the saloon, which itself rather straddles the compact family and medium family segments.

In sporting perception terms, the designers selected the Saab 900 Turbo Coupe as a model to aim for, and at a European level the Sportback will be marketed as a stylish and slightly offbeat car.

The style does have a certain distinctiveness, with a raked rear roofline and a roof level spoiler that will be standard on all versions of the Sportback. The front end has a variant of the 'jet fighter' grille that has been the theme of the new Lancer since its concept days. The company has a connection here, as parent Mitsubishi Heavy Industries makes jet fighters amongst its vast array of products.



The interior is essentially the same as the saloon, styled and finished with straightforward traditional analogue instrumentation. The steering wheel controls, and those on the dash and stack, are also familiar current Mitsubishi themes.

It's a nice driving position, and the overused 'driver's car' description is perfectly apt in this case.

The luggage capacity can be up to 1.39 cu m and there's some extra height available in the rearmost luggage area, by lowering the floor from its level position.

At the international introduction, I drove a pre-production version of the Ralliart first, and then the 1.8 petrol. Neither will be major sellers in Ireland, where the 1.5 petrol and the diesel will rule, especially in the new CO2 regime.

The Ralliart was interesting, though. It is not an 'Evo Lite', but rather a 'super Lancer', targeting the Subaru WRX and the Audi S3. It has both poke and panache enough to match these. In the hills at the back of Sitges it offered a driving experience of some verve, especially if using the standard dual-clutch automated gearbox in 'manual' mode.

The 1.8 offered had an ordinary autobox, which rather dulled the flair that I know this engine actually has.

From some date next year, Mitsubishi will be introducing its own 'clean diesel', a 1.8 which is being developed with the parent company.

Particularly with its new generation Lancer, a nameplate that was missing for several years from here, Mitsubishi is promoting its cars with a sporty ethos. The new Sportback is a good example of this strategy.

Brian Byrne.

Autumn/Winter driving tips

As autumn brings a change in the colour of leaves, motorists also need to be aware of the hazards brought about by changing road conditions, says Irish Advanced Motorists/IAM Fleet.

Fallen leaves tend to accumulate near roadside gutters and, when combined with heavier seasonal rainfall, can block roadside drains causing localised deep water and wet leaves on the road surface increase the danger of skidding for drivers and motorcyclists.

Darker mornings and early evenings also mean that it is harder to spot surface water. If the road surface is black, pockets of water are less easy to see and can cause a sharp, unexpected jolt on the steering wheel when hit.

The sun is also lower in the sky at sunrise and sunset at this time of year and motorists should be aware this can have a dangerous blinding effect, particularly around the time motorists are commuting to and from work.

The colder temperatures of autumn can also to give rise to fog. Fog is a particular problem on fast-moving roads, such as motorways but severely reduced visibility brings danger for drivers on all roads – particularly junctions and roundabouts.

Use fog lights sparingly; switch them on only when visibility is below 100 metres. Leaving them on after fog has disappeared is an offence and a danger to other motorists.

Fog can also cause moisture on the windscreen; use wipers to clear the exterior and keep the interior clean to help maintain visibility.

Motorists should set lighting and windscreen controls in their vehicle before setting off to avoid distraction while travelling.

Sharp braking can also be even more dangerous when visibility is poor. Motorists should be prepared to slow down to enable them to stop within the distance they can see to be clear and give following drivers more time to react.

Musee d'Orsay delights

Everybody knows about the Louvre; probably many also know about the Musee d’Orsay, but it doesn’t have the same international recognition, despite housing key works from some of the most important old and modern masters.

More, it is a wonderful example of how to turn an architectural masterpiece into a repositary for masterpieces of other kinds.



The actual site was formerly where a palace built before the French Revolution housed the functionaries and bosses of the royal Court of Accounts and the State Council. It was destroyed along with the whole block in the ‘Paris Commune’ in 1871.

Thirty years later the Orleans Railroad Company was given the site and built a new railway terminus that is famous for being the first in Paris with electricity. Designed by architect Victor Laloux, it was opened for the 1900 World Fair held in the French capital.

The station included 16 separate tracks, elevators for those using the multi-story building, and an integrated hotel on the grand style for customers who used the rails for long-distance travel on the south-western network.

Victor Laloux’s creation was also exactly what had been required in aesthetic terms, a building to the scale and style that fitted in with the grandeur of the section of Paris where it was located.

Paradoxically, while it was at the leading edge of the electricity revolution when it was built, less than four decades later the Gare d’Orsay lost its place as the main station of the network because the beginning electrification of the French railway system enouraged longer trains, which didn’t fit in the limitations of the platforms of the station’s Great Hall.

The station’s downgraded status as a suburban terminus didn’t even survive much beyond WW II. It was used for a variety of commercial purposes, but none of them properly reflected the scale or grand nature of the premises. Though its use as the set for part of the film of Kafka’s ‘The Trial’, produced by Orson Welles, might have come close.

And the use of the grand Salle des Fetes in the hotel by Charles de Gaulle, to announce his return to political power, was an historic moment.

The hotel itself finally closed its doors in 1973, and plans were mooted to tear the building down and put up a large modern replacement. This plot was thwarted by the intervention of the French national museum authorities, who wanted to locate there a facility dedicated to the art of the second half of the nineteenth century. The matter was also helped by the listing of the building as an historical monument.

In late 1986 it was reopened as the museum that it is today. The development used the Great Hall as the main area, with galleries and terraces on either side and on several levels. The original glass end wall with its magnificent clock remains a centerpiece.

Turning the main rail station hall into a space with the kind of human proportions so different from that needed for large puffing steam locomotives wasn’t easy. But they did it quite briliantly, partly by providing different floor levels under the vast curved roof, as well as installing a coherent stone flooring surface with a matching surface on the walls.

The magnificent ceilings in the Dining Hall and Salle des Fetes were also retained, and provide a sense of splendour that truly recalls a France proud of itself at the height of its colonial state. The Dining Hall is now the museum’s Restaurant, and the Salle is an exhibition area.

With permanent collections of the works of artists like Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Whistler, and Degas, the Musee d’Orsay is a must-visit for anyone seriously interested in the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artistic eras. Other masters whose works are on display include Delacroix, Manet, Renoir, Rodin, Seurat, Sisley, Pissarro, Gauguin, Matisse, Toulouse-Lautrec, and many, many others. In addition, there are many examples of modern artists’ works, a number of them showing homage to the old masters, and therefore in a fitting place to do so.

For this writer, the sculpture works were the most interesting, and displayed as they are in the centre section of the Great Hall, they have the light and the space to be viewed at their best.

It was a technical fault in a plane at Dublin Airport which caused us to miss our connection onwards to Singapore and therefore left a day to kill in Paris that proved to be a singular boon. If you look for it, there’s always another side to down.


Brian Byrne.

Driving Green with IAM

There are tips from Irish Advanced Motorists (IAM) on how to save fuel. Worth reading.

Ask yourself: "Do I really need to drive?": Short journeys that are generally less than two miles cause the most pollution and are inefficient in terms of fuel consumption. A straining cold engine will produce 60 per cent more pollution than a warm one. Walk or cycle where possible instead.

Plan your route: Take the most direct route and go at off-peak times if possible to save fuel and time. Sitting in congestion means you are often doing zero miles per litre. Consider car sharing, Park and Ride schemes or public transport (if available)

Have your vehicle serviced regularly: Inefficient, under-serviced engines can reduce fuel economy by 10 per cent or more. Catalytic converters are environmentally friendly - but only if they are properly maintained.

Check your tyres: Correct tyre pressures reduce wear and helps fuel economy. Under-inflated tyres need replacing more often (itself an environmental problem) as well as being dangerous. Make a point of checking them at least once a week.

Obey the speed limits: Try to ‘feather’ the throttle when you reach your cruising speed. Doing 70 km/h uses 25 per cent less fuel than 110km/h and a smoother driving style can bring significant fuel saving.

Reduce the drag factor: Remove roof racks and carriers when they’re not in use as well as unnecessary boot luggage and heavy accessories. Driving with the window open and using air conditioning increases drag and lowers fuel economy, so use the vent settings instead.

Buy green fuel: And use less of it. If you get stuck in traffic, switch off the engine. Find out if you can buy low sulphur diesel (city diesel) or cleaner petrol (low sulphur/aromatics) locally.

Use “accelerator” sense: Save fuel by planning ahead and reading the traffic in advance to gently join a queue rather than braking suddenly as you hit traffic.

Reverse when you park: The engine will be cold and at its most fuel inefficient when you start it. If you can drive away without having to reverse when the engine is cold, you will save fuel and have better visibility.

Watch your levels: If you fill your fuel tank up to the brim, you may be carrying around additional fuel which in turn means that you have more weight on board than is necessary and this will itself reduce fuel efficiency.

An Astra for the mature time

by Brian Byrne



With a third of all car sales in the first quarter of the year, the compact family segment has both maintained numbers and gained market share in an overall market that has dipped by some 9 percent.

That shows its importance to car distributors here. And explains why, even in a time when we're all being exhorted to think smaller, they're putting substantial resources into marketing them.

And it is also why Opel has decided to bring its 4-door Astra saloon to the Irish scene. It is late in the game, but this is partly because there simply wasn't a sedan variant available in these regions for its most successful car for years.

In fact, the 4-door is more a response to eastern European and Asian needs than for Western Europe, because hatchback and estate versions are by a long shot the preferred options on the more developed parts of the Continent. The sedan Astra will sell much more strongly in Russia and its former satellite countries than in France or Germany or Britain.

But we're an anomaly in this respect, as the Irish car buyer has always had a grá for a car with a boot, and the continuing success of the Toyota Corolla here when that nameplate became a sedan only is the most evident testament to that. It currently is running third behind Ford's Focus and VW's Golf, the first a mix of mainly hatches and some sedans, the latter purely hatch.

Astra is tipping along in fourth place, and having just got out of a stint in the sedan, I'm of the opinion that there could be a significant extra chunk of market here now that the 4-door has arrived.

When the current generation Astra was first launched it caused more than a ripple amongst its direct competitors. For a long time the Golf had been the perceived benchmark in the compact family hatch business. Previous Astras weren't seriously considered as anything more than sold and dependable cars.

Then came Ford's Focus and the new generation Astra, and suddenly the VW car not only had real competition in dynamic terms, it was in many estimates no longer a front runner.

Today, the consensus is that the Golf badly needs some new style and engineering if it is ever to regain its premier position. And as to whether the Focus or the Astra are the best drivers in the segment at the moment, the Ford is generally more favoured but it's really a matter of taste.



To the review car now. To my taste, admittedly one which has always preferred the style proportions of a nice saloon, this 4-door Astra is beautifully shaped. It isn't one to stop you in your tracks, indeed it has much more conservative lines than either of the hatches. But there's considerably more elegance to the lines. The rear pillars of the passenger compartment is always a test, and though the roofline does curve back there's a proper 'notch' to the back window interface with the rear deck.

The boot treatment itself is clean, even to the point of not having a visible latch -- the luggage space is accessed by holding down the 'open' button on the keyfob for a few seconds.



The opening to the boot itself is adequate rather than wide, but there's plenty of space inside, and I guess the car is built on the same rear overhang specification as is the estate.

The inside of the car is standard Astra, and that's a phrase which indicates simple dash lines of a good quality finish. The instrumentation is classic, clear, and doesn't require fancy backlighting for all information to be instantly available even on a very bright day.





The entertainment and heating controls are equally familiar and Opel-definitive by now. The only glitch is the lack of clear hot/cold areas on the temperature selection knob. Manual aircon is standard on the Design specification of the review car.

The seats in this specification are Morrocana-trimmed at the edges, and decently comfortable ... perhaps not as laterally supportive as they look.

In the back, that conservative take to the roofline shows its worth, allowing more than ample headroom even for my 6'2" and plenty of knees space. There's more rear room here than in a couple of cars from the next segment up.

This Astra came powered by the 115hp 1.6 petrol engine, the only one available just now. And I think that's a good choice as a balance between economy and performance. At 11.7 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h, this isn't a car that is designed to exhilarate. But the acceleration is adequate, and comes with a combined fuel consumption of 6.6 l/100km 0r more than 42mpg. And all this is carried out with a smoothness that is a testament both to the quality of the engine and the slickness in the way the five-speed manual box and its clutch can be used.

There's a good level of specification for your ¢25,160, including smart alloys, auto lights and wipers, fogs and plenty more.

I left back this car with the distinct feeling that it had struck the correct balance between a young family's need for the practicalities of a good hatch and the more conservative preferences of the more mature family whose children are no longer always around. In fact, I could see somebody downsizing quite happily from a Vectra or the now much larger Mondeo to the latest variant of the Astra, and not finding themselves uncomfortable.

This car didn't light my fire in any way. There was no sudden flare of flame. But there's a time in front of a real fire when it radiates a pleasant heat for a considerable time. And that is this Astra's time.

Not my kind of Club, man

by Brian Byrne



I'll be clear from the start. I like the new generation Mini, BMW's take on the car that was one of the enduring icons of the swinging sixties.

They took the theme, and moved it on, and upwards in position. And they have deserved the success they've enjoyed with the car.

In its own way it swings, and it zings. And indeed, doesn't need any reference to its original namesake to be an icon in its own right.

The Clubman version was launched towards the end of last year and for various reasons of my own I wasn't able to take a run in one until recently.

And I'll be clear from the start. I don't like it.

It is a third variant for the modern brand, after the core model and the cabrio that followed. And they are planning an SUV version for some time next year. A Mini for every taste and need is the policy, it seems.

We've seen the Clubman coming since the first concept in 2005. By and large, the production result didn't have any surprises. The idea was to emulate the Traveller, Countryman and Clubman Estate versions of the original car. It was also an attempt to offer solutions to the core model's shortcomings.

'Shortcomings' being the very apt word. For all the comfort which front occupants enjoy, the pair of seat positions in the rear offer at best minimal leg room, at worst none at all.

By making the Clubman 24cm longer, the designers provided 8cm more room in that rear seat area. This also persuaded them to make three seating positions in the rear. And the Clubman got a third side door, which opens on rear hinging, with a view to making access easier. The luggage space got bigger too. And instead of a rear hatch, a pair of vertical doors -- also reflecting the Traveller et al -- are provided.

One objective was certainly achieved. The Clubman looks distinctly different from the core Mini. But different is not always right.

Actually, the aesthetics have been compromised. The external proportions of the core Mini are about as perfect as you can get in a car. For its width and height, the length is spot on. The Clubman just looks too long.

Ah, go on ... surely this is nit-picking, and being precious? Maybe. Maybe not. It is all from one's point of view. And this one is my perspective.



Then there's that 'Clubdoor' for rear access to a space that, really, isn't significantly any more comfortable than in the standard Mini. It's on the right hand side. Perfectly positioned for countries where they drive on the left, where it will open onto the footpath. Here in Ireland, in Britain, in Japan and in Australia, it opens into the flow of traffic unless you've crossed the road to park against the traffic.

BMW say they can't make a version with the Clubdoor on the left. Something about the position of the fuel filler system. Hey, guys, you've concepted this thing for three years, how come an engineer didn't spot this? Especially as the car is built in Britain, and Britain (and Japan) are among its larger markets.

Then, too, the driver's seatbelt mounting is set into the Clubdoor, so that when entering or egressing the rear there's a distinct possibility of tripping over it. Car companies have been sued for millions for lesser situations.



Now, from the driver's viewpoint, there's another serious difficulty. Literally 'viewpoint'. Those vertical rear doors mean that you're looking out back through a pair of windows with a significant piece of doorframes metal in the middle. Depending on the distance of the car behind, there are times when it isn't visible. And at night on a winding road, any following car will be dazzling you wildly with the flicker effect of its headlights criss-crossing those centre frames.

It isn't nice.

I'm not impressed with the latest iteration of the large central speedometer/info cluster either. This isn't a Clubman specific problem, but part of the revision of the new Mini a couple of years ago. For a start, in its position it is far too big. And in spite of that, or partly even because of it, the 'floating' red edge on the review car that indicates the speed is not easily seen. If you want analogue, use a needle on the dial -- and that is available on some versions.

And hey, while I'm at it, the radio controls are a triumph of brash bling design over usability.



A total thumbs down for Clubman? Not completely. The driving position itself is great, the seats really supportive and good-looking, the shifter works beautifully as you wind the car through traffic.

The 1.6 petrol engine in the current generation Mini has been jointly developed by BMW and PSA Peugeot-Citroen and it is a honey, as well as being a quantum better than the one in the first generation. You get 120hp or 175hp depending on whether you buy the Cooper or the turbocharged Cooper S, and CO2 emissions are 132g/km and 150g/km respectively. You could also go for the 1.4 diesel with a miserly 109g/km ... but it isn't as refined a motor.

All versions come with a bunch of eco-gadgetry, including Auto Start-Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration, and a Gearshift Point Indicator ... which latter I feel is overblown in importance, as most drivers don't want the distraction of watching for a light to tell them to shift.

End of story ... I still like the Mini, a lot ... and I still don't like the Clubman, much. But it won't matter -- there's a buyer for every copy of every Mini variant made and as an icon that makes you smile, it will undoubtedly be a significant part of the success story of this BMW junior brand.

Take it easy, save fuel, money

More than 10,000 drivers have benefited from the Ford Eco-Driving programme which has been running since 2000 in Germany.



Drivers who adopt the Ford Eco-Driving style will see an average fuel saving of 25 percent and thus, a similar reduction in CO2 emissions. For the average driver this can mean a yearly saving of approximately 300 euros and a saving of 500 kilos in emissions.

Among the techniques taught to participants in the Ford Eco-Driving programme are the following:

Drive in a smooth, relaxed style, at an even speed and leave sufficient distance between you and the car in front to minimise the need for sudden braking e.g. approximately three seconds distance – that’s about 40m at 50km/h.

Change lanes early – before encountering any obstacles; that will save you from braking unnecessarily or accelerating to get into the desired lane.

Belt up, switch on ignition and set out immediately: don’t warm up the engine.

Keep the revs down: with modern engines you should be able to keep between 1500-2500rpm. This also reduces noise –- one car at 4000rpm is equivalent to 32 cars at 2000rpm.

Guide to using gears:
From 30kmh – 3rd gear
From 40 kmh - 4th gear
From 50kmh - 5th gear

At a steady 50km, you use 17 percent more fuel in 4th than in 5th. Overall advice for gear changes: “move up the gears quickly, down the gears slowly”.

In stop-start traffic:avoid sudden acceleration and braking
release foot from accelerator early, move into neutral and let car roll forward to a stop

If you’re stopped for more than 20 seconds (e.g. loading, at a level crossing or in a traffic jam etc.) you can save energy by switching off the ignition: you use the same fuel stopped for three minutes with the engine running as you do travelling for one km at 50kmh.

Most cars are on underinflated tyres – this wastes fuel. Even 0.2 bar underinflation increases rolling resistance by up to 10 percent. Check your pressures regularly.

Use air conditioning only when needed and turn off heated windscreen and rear window as soon as they are clear

Make sure your car is serviced as prescribed

Avoid short journeys – they use most fuel and cause most wear on a car.

About being understood

Lets face it, cars like BMW's M3 make no sense at all. Except that, in circumstances that permit it, they thrill the senses.



That 'permit it' is the pothole in the M3's path. There's nowhere outside its home country that there are the opportunities to legally run such cars to their potential on the open road.

And even there, the squeeze is on. The state of Bremen has just passed a law that puts a speed limit on autobahns within its boundaries.

Also, with a fuel consumption of around 14 l/100km, and that when taking it easy in the Irish context, the CO2 fascisti get to muttering and glowering as you go by. I couldn't help wondering when there will be roadblocks manned by green-and-daisy uniforms wielding 'Tut-tut' signs. With powers to take your car off you if you have exceeded a monthly CO2 footprint allowance.

But that is when, this is now. And how to trip the sensory overload when one is here and not over there? Without tripping the penalty points avalanche at the same time?

Only one way, really. Get up very early and go to a quiet road in the hills that you know very well, and which you know has little or no resident population.

Then sit for a moment behind that growling 4.0 V8. Savour a short anticipation. Chance a foreplay blip of the accelerator. Tap the switch to the right of the gearshift, the one labeled 'Power'.

Let that unsuspecting baby hare stagger safe across the road, blissful in ignorance of its squashability.

Then floor the right pedal, dropping the clutch without any attempt at finesse.

The 420 horses will try and hit an instant full tilt gallop. Those massive rubbers will scream against what would be an inevitable spin if the traction control gubbins didn't wrest control from the laws of physics and dynamics.

Gripping the leather-clad wheel, you'll get a fair indication of the fighting that's going on between the power of the engine and the strain on the suspension.

But you won't have much time to consider it. If, as was the one I had, the car has the manual six speed gearbox, there will be much demand on your driving attention, with redlines that get reached in amazingly short times, accompanied by an engine howling in orgasm and demanding immediate shifts for more.

And that's just the engine on song. There's also the road being wound under the wheels in ever faster measure, and bends that seem to have a motive power of their own, they come at you so quickly.

You can hack it or you can't. You will or you won't. The M3 for the driver is black or white. Grey is not an option. Full thrust or wimp home.

And, heck, the car would be going back tomorrow ...

BMW make nothing if they don't make great engines. And outside the Formula One circuit, this is arguably the best engine they make.



In fact, it is built using technology developed by the Munich company for the race track. Honed for minimum weight and micro-tolerence and breathed on for maximum power output, it is designed to give its best at high revs. Which means that there's still awesome pull at 8,300rpm. And a diesel-quality torque of 400Nm at a tad under 4,000rpm.

There was a time that Alfa engines sounded like this. A definite metallic tone to the song, a harmonic tribute to engineers reaching for the last millimetre of excellence. A reciprocating diva in her prime. But now BMW has taken this aspect to the next level, and no car that I have driven in recent years offers as much auditory pleasure as this M3 did.

Leaving power to one side ... well, you can't, but you know what I mean ... the sheer magnificent balance of this machine when pushing it through some of West Wicklow's less than perfect bends is a joy in itself. And it is something that simply wouldn't work without the level of power which the M3 produces, when a gentle push on the accelerator provides instant extra urge.

Like I said, the car makes no sense for the increasing mundanity of today's driving experience. But it can be an antidote to the sad driver syndrome which is an inevitable consequence of the commuter convoys.



The M3 isn't perfect. It has frustrating elements, even one or two annoying ones. Like the layout of the pedals, the strong offset to the right being typical of the 3 Series generally. That meant I stabbed at the clutch instead of the brake a couple of times, not a thing to be recommended on a high speed tour.

It was also a little over-eager on roll-off in first gear, sometimes smoothly matching power up and clutch uptake at slow speeds being a difficult chore. I ended up most of the time launching in second gear and found it much less embarrassing.

But over my few days with the car I did get close to the sense of why there are people who truly desire it.

And it isn't, I think, to show off the fact that they can afford the ultimate driving machine of the ultimate driving machines. No, it is just appreciation. The same people appreciate good port, fine whiskey, art of deft genius, and women of beauty.

All of which on their own might often make no sense either. But flower to wonder in the golden light of being understood for their own intrinsic personality.

This is something the fascisti can never understand.

Brian Byrne

On the Road to the Clouds

What kind of will power does it take to decide to eliminate your tribe? To collectively cease to have children, and if one happens to be born that it be thrown from a cliff to its death?

That's part of the tragedy of the Diaguita tribe which lived in what is today northwestern Argentina in the 15th century.



In their city of Quilmes near Cafayete, they resisted the Inca empire which spread from Peru through the Andes, though they later accepted a certain co-existence in return for technologies such as irrigation which the invaders brought. In the Inca decline, the Spanish invaders became their next enemy, and for 130 years they fought against subjugation, eventually being defeated.

As the history goes, the Diaguitans then decided on a form of collective deliberate extinction, by vowing not to have any more children. I recently stood on the outcrop above the ruins of their city from where it is said they killed any babies which happened to be born despite their extinction effort.

In the end, the population of the city had reduced by two thirds to some 2,000 people. At that point they left Quilmes, one group heading for Cordoba, the other for Buenas Aires, some 1,500 kilometres away. Many hundreds died on the way, and the settlement where the Spanish rulers effectively put them on a 'reservation' was eventually abandoned, as it had become a ghost town.

Today that settlement is also known as Quilmes, but is famous only because Argentina's best-selling beer of the same name comes from there.

Hearing that very strong story made my visit to ancient Quilmes a very thought-provoking one. Looking down over the excavated ruins spread below that outcrop, I could almost feel the sense of hopeless determination amongst a people who had once been the masters of the Calchaqui Valley.

That visit to Quilmes was a side-track to a Land Rover drive up to the highest national road in the Americas passable by car, and then only a few months of the year without using a 4WD vehicle. At some 5,000 metres the Abra del Acay is higher than Mont Blanc.



Our journey was from Cafayete to the provincial capital of Salta, by the long way around. It took us up along the course of the Calchaqui River right to the ice-capped springs on the slopes of the Nevado de Acay which are the river's source.

It was billed as 'The Road to the Clouds'. We didn't have any clouds, though, they aren't due until around the end of the year.

It was an amazing journey not just to see the capability of the Discovery 3 in its element, but to traverse an area where the people today are a mix of many races.



The trip wasn't just a history lesson in conquest, but also in winemaking and the slow development of the wine industry in this part of Argentina. It produces today wines to rival the best in the country, and the world, and we camped on the estate owned by American Donald Hess, which has the officially highest vineyards in the world, at 3,015 metres.



Getting to the Paso Abra del Acay the Land Rover way involved taking the cars offroad much of the time and travelling through the gorges and canyons carved out by the Calchaqui River.

The Terrain Response system inaugurated in Discovery 3 when it was first launched proved to be a big help in negotiating the boulder-strewn riverbed, and along the sandy sections worn out on the river's bends.

Out of the river, the journey was most of the time a very dusty affair, as even when on the main roads of the region we were generally on dirt and rubble surfaces.

These were when the radio systems used while travelling in the short convoys proved their usefulness. The lead vehicle could warn of approaching vehicles or pedestrians which otherwise would have been invisible in the dust. On the narrower sections, sometimes with scary sheer drops on one side, this also provided the opportunity to find a slightly wider stretch of road by which the opposing vehicles could pass.



The views from the Paso, when we finally reached it, were spectacular and worth all the worry. Indeed, at the top we drove offroad on a truly lunar landscape in order to breach the actual 5,000 metres level above the road. That the wind chill and the altitude had us all wrapped up like eskimos under the blazing sun didn't take from the sense of achievement.

Afterwards it was downhill all the way, with an overnight stop at the 3,800 metres mining village of San Antonio de los Cobres. It is famous for being a station on the highest railway in South America, 'The Train to the Clouds', now unfortunately, not in use. From there, we followed the line of much of the track before ending the journey in Salta, the provincial capital.

The Discovery 3 2.7 litre engines were designed to operate efficiently at up to around 3,500 metres and it was interesting to see what effects the thin air and steep gradients caused on the 'Road to the Clouds' odyssey.

There was a noticeable fall-off in power as we climbed to the higher levels. And the turbocharger would spin faster than usual trying to develop enough pressure to do its thing. But though pickup was diminished especially when trying to redevelop momentum after negotiating a slow uphill hairpin, at no stage did the cars let us down.

The biggest danger was actually for us drivers, as once above 3,000 metres we lowlanders were prone to altitude sickness. Symptoms include headaches and nausea, and the problem can lead to hallucinations and erratic judgement and even sudden unconsciousness. We were all on our guard, drinking a lot of water and moving around slowly, and though some members of the group did get sick as we descended from the Abra, fortunately there were no serious instances.

But back home, I'm not thinking about the cars so much. What I can't get out of my mind is the thought of those children thrown from the rocky outcrop over Quilmes.

I'm not judging the Diaguitans for slaughtering their babies. That's something they will have come to terms with themselves hundreds of years ago.

It's just the enormity of their decision of extinction that makes my small travels on this planet seem so relatively insignificant.

Brian Byrne