months ago, we were in Austria driving a fast SUV featuring coupe like styling. I know what you’re thinking but it wasn’t wearing a BMW badge. Can’t blame you. After all, the inventor of this rather unique body style is the Munich-based carmaker. Back in 2008, when the X6 was launched, the world hadn’t seen anything like it. In fact even today, I can’t think of any other car that resembles the BMW X6. Well, the one we drove in Austria is an exception but that also means it’s taken the competition almost eight years to come up with an X6 rival. BMW, meanwhile, were busy developing the next generation model. It’s ready now and after an international release earlier this year, makes its way now to India.

Design and styling

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (12)
The X6’s aggressive front end is further accentuated by the M Sport bumper and wide kidney grille

The coupe SUV design hybrid is what makes the X6 stand out from the crowd. The new generation model seems to have combined these two body styles to better effect. The masculine presence of an SUV is still there but has been toned down compared to the previous model while the coupe highlights have been further accentuated. The nose is also longer and looks a lot more aggressive this time, thanks to the new BMW family face. The headlamps and kidney grille are wider and it does give the X6 some more presence. India gets the M Sport variant – this model offers a styling kit that elevates the design further by adding a sportier front bumper with larger air intakes, side skirts and a diffuser insert for the rear bumper. The coupe silhouette is more appealing this time and there are additional definition lines on the sides.

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (11)
It also runs large 19-inch M Style wheels with mixed size tyres. The X6 you see here is running optional 20-inch wheels shod with ridiculously wide hypercar like 315-section rear tyres. The high bootlid stays but the tail lamps are a lot more prominent as they are wider and sleeker than before. This along with the dual exhausts and contrasting gloss black inserts in the bumper add to the aggressive and strong character. Overall, the design isn’t a revolutionary change, but one that has been predictable and gradual.

Interior and space

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (1)
The X6 is based on the X5 and shares a lot of parts with the recently launched SUV. The interior appears fresh and at the same time, very much BMW. I love that steering because it comes straight off the M sedans. The split dashboard design houses the controls in the lower section. This area does look familiar but the upper part is rather fresh and premium. The wide fixed display looks like someone stuffed an iPad halfway into the dash. The hi-res screen displays a lot of information and features the latest version of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system. A full digital instrument cluster is also available and offers various viewing themes based on the driving mode. The animations are subtle and the screen is bright even during the day.

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (6)

Just like the X5, the new X6 also gets nice ambient lighting that looks the part when the sun goes down. There’s also the well-detailed and high quality rippled wood trim on the dash and door pads. The second row is now a lot more spacious while the seats offer better comfort. Unlike the older X6, the dropping roofline doesn’t eat into headroom. There’s actually ample room even for tall passengers. Boot space has increased too, thanks to better space management and a slightly larger footprint. Surprisingly, under the boot, you’ll find a space saver. Yes, a spare tyre in a BMW!



Engine and performance

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (7)
3.0-litre straight-six produces 313PS and 630Nm

The India spec X6 comes with just one engine spec but no one’s complaining. The new 3.0-litre straight-six diesel features multi-stage turbocharging. It’s the same unit seen in the X5 but it produces a higher 313PS of max power (up by 55PS) and a whopping 630Nm available at just 1,500rpm. Like most new BMW engines, this unit revs higher than its rivals. The motor isn’t the most refined but the slightly disturbed feel and clearly audible note will definitely appeal to a lot of dieselheads. The sheer torque combined with a quick shifting 8-speed automatic transmission propels this heavyweight from standstill to 100kmph in just 6.0 seconds! There’s also a standard launch control feature that we were not able to test. It may perhaps help shave off a few more precious milliseconds. The engine even manages to be quite efficient. On the highway, the X6 returned 14.2kmpl while in town, the number was an equally good 9.4kmpl. Overall efficiency translating to an impressive 10.6kmpl.

Ride and handling

BMW has focused in making the X6 even more involving to drive than before and it’s quite obvious when behind the wheel. Chassis technology is evolving and it only makes sense to make full use of it. Torsional stiffness has been claimed to improve when compared to the predecessor. The use of thermoplastics in the side panels, aluminum in the bonnet and magnesium in the instrument panel support help reduce the overall weight. This way, despite the larger footprint, the X6 is now 40 kilos lighter than before. The mix of materials has also helped achieve a 50:50 weight distribution.

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (8)
The electric steering is light and quick but could have offered more feedback. This is also the case with the X5 and most new electric systems. However, chassis control, thanks to the adaptive suspension, is commendable. Body roll is surprisingly controlled and the X6 actually corners enthusiastically. Full time all-wheel drive with torque vectoring assures great levels of grip – great for a vehicle of this size and height. It’s not the last word when it comes to dynamics but the X6 does put a smile on your face when driven around corners. In terms of handling, it even has the potential to rival quite a few luxury cars. The brakes offer good bite and are progressive, making it a confident machine to drive through a ghat section or racetrack. Like most prospective buyers, we didn’t bother to take the X6 off-road. Besides, the optional 20-inch wheels and low profile tyres meant we preferred not to.

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (10)
Like most new generation BMWs, ride quality has significantly improved compared to its predecessor. On smooth roads and at high speeds, the ride is enjoyable with predictable damping and you’re rewarded with a nice and pliant ride. But drive through sharp bumps (which are abundant on our roads) or undulations in the tarmac and the ride becomes uneasy and stiff. The culprits here are the optional 20-inch wheels. Such low profile tyres, that too run flats, ruin an otherwise decent ride. The standard 19-inch wheels are the smart choice and they should significantly improve ride quality, especially with the dampers set to the soft setting.

Verdict

The BMW X6 in India is only available in one variant and is loaded with a long list of comfort and safety features. Some of the equipment include a Harman Kardon stereo featuring 16 speakers with most connectivity options. There’s also navigation with 3D maps. One can also choose between four interior and eight upholstery trims. There are optional features too, including night vision and viewing screens for the rear passengers.

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (4)
LED headlamps and tail lamps are offered as standard

2015 BMW X6 M Sport (3)
Instrument cluster may look like an analogue unit but is actually a digital display

But it’s not just the standard features that make the new X6 special. It’s an improved car in all departments and that makes it very desirable. However, at Rs 1.15 crore ex-Maharshtra, the price for the BMW X6 M Sport seems a bit of an excess when compared to its predecessor. After all, it’s the only SUV coupe in the market (cough-Stuttgart-cough).

BMW X6 2015 xDrive40d M Sport road test

ar as MPVs go, they are objects of pure functionality, not beauty. And one of the most well known MPVs that completely embodied those virtues of practicality was the Renault Espace. Often and probably dubiously touted as the first MPV ever, Renault’s Espace, I would say, was the first to flame customer interest in MPVs. From a dull start in 1984, it went on to become a bestseller, establishing an identity and popularity for practical no-nonsense multi purpose vehicles. But it looked like something a grade 3 student would have sketched during maths period. So it was at the very least the first brick, on wheels!

Renault Espace_front
But take a look at it now, the fifth generation Espace based on Renault’s new CMF (Common Module Family) platform was first unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2014. In what can only be called creative genius, the Espace is to the MPV segment what the little black dress is to any woman, a must have. And the man responsible for this expression is Christophe Dupont, executive MD of Renault Design Asia. Christophe isn’t a very well known man but what he does know very well, is a thing or two about style and the aura it needs to spread.

Renault Espace_back
The Espace reveals several new dimensions to the world of MPVs – elegance, beauty, richness, and strength – dimensions that were once totally alien to the segment. Its as attractive as a Rs 100 note on the floor, unwittingly you pick it up and pocket it. Likewise you simply glance at the Espace and are drawn to its cabin, simply to understand if Renault is capable of extending the beauty of its exteriors to its interiors. And it’s not disappointing, the good looks of the exteriors are carried over inside the Espace in the same tenor – elegant, strong, rich and with lots of character. It’s also a simple cabin with an uncluttered dashboard dominated by a large centre console that instantly reminds you of what Volvo is doing to their cabins. Pride of place goes to the large multi function touchscreen embedded flawlessly in that console. An elegantly sculpted gear shifter gets second glance after which your eye continues to linger over the steering wheel, the LCD panelled instrument console behind it and the thickly padded seats covered in Nappa leather.
It’s a marvellously functional cabin too. Things in here don’t just look good, they behave as properly as a graduate of a top flight finishing school. Features that allow you to fold down any desired seat within the cabin by using a function on the touchscreen or the 12-speaker Bose surround system or the Multi-Sense system – all of these elevate the luxury experience to a new plane. Whoever said MPVs were dull, boring things?

Renault Espace_dashboard
It would take a keen eye, however, to break the attraction of that interior and realise that Renault does still needs to work on the material quality. It’s all leather and chrome but the plastic bits do look and feel, plastic. The variant I drove was the top of the range Initiale Paris trim. Handsome appointments, inside and outside, mark it out instantly as the most premium of the Espace family and it costs a hefty premium over the rest too. But it does come with seriously impressive kit, not to mention the exclusive services. This includes a dedicated call centre or concierge service, a reserved area in Renault showrooms and extra services, all intended to pamper.

Renault Espace_rear seat
The options, however, aren’t going to drive sales figures – those would come from the actual on road experience. The Espace in my hands came with a 1.6-litre diesel that’s good for a 162PS with 380Nm of max torque. The power output feels a bit low and while delivery is linear it’s not urgent or punchy. This is despite a 250kg reduction in overall weight over the previous generation Espace that comes from using lighter materials like aluminium, Noryl plastics and thermoplastics in various areas. Nicely enough, this particular engine comes with a twin turbo system, one for low revs and the second for high revs and to further support the linearity, it’s mated to a twin clutch 6-speed automatic that shifts-by-wire. What you therefore get is that floating console inside the cabin but more importantly a refined drivetrain that will not rush you to your destination, but take you there comfortably.

Renault Espace_gear box
Other engine options are a 1.6-litre diesel that is detuned to churn out 132PS with 320Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. There is also a naturally aspirated petrol included in the lineup which makes a sweet 203PS with 260Nm of torque.

Renault Espace_boot space
The flagship 1.6-litre 162PS drivetrain is mated to Renault’s four-wheel steer system called 4Control. It adds a little more confidence to the entire driving experience by providing better high speed precision in highway conditions or a higher degree of manoeuvrability in urban areas. Where dynamic control is concerned, however, you just don’t hustle this vehicle around like you would attempt with most others. Despite the wide footprint and a remarkably firm chassis and suspension setup, there is a fair bit of body roll that can get a bit unsettling in corners. I drove the car at one of Renault’s test circuits near Paris and while it felt confident, it wasn’t entirely enjoyable.

Renault Espace_front
Overall this is a sublime MPV, one that stands out for its design, style, comfort and convenience above all else. Yes, there may be better MPVs in the market and most of them with better dynamics and engine performance. That is, however, not the end of the market Renault is targeting. At nearly Rs 24 lakh in France (€34,000 plus or $40,000 plus), this is a steeply priced MPV and one that is definitely not going to sail to our shores anytime soon. That and the fact that Renault has no immediate plans to make right hand drive versions of the Espace means we won’t be getting one anytime soon. Pity!

Isuzu India will be launching an automatic variant of the MU-7 SUV. The 7-seater MU-7 currently comes with a 5-speed manual transmission, which is paired to a 3.0-litre four-cylinder, turbo-charged diesel engine. This engine develops out 163 PS of power at 3600 rpm and 360 Nm of torque between 1800-2800 rpm, and it’s likely that Isuzu India will plonk the same unit under the vast bonnet of the upcoming automatic variant. Isuzu-MU7-Front Other mechanical bits such as the suspension, brakes, and tyres will possibly remain the same as found on the manual variant. Despite its enormous size, Isuzu India still hasn’t equipped the manual MU-7 with a four-wheel drive system. It isn’t confirmed yet if the Japanese carmaker will provide a 4WD system on the upcoming automatic variant of this body-on-frame SUV. Isuzu MU-7 dashboard_main Buyers opting for the “Hi-Pack” get features such as a 2-DIN Audio DVD system with Touch screen, Bluetooth, USB and Aux-in, rear-view camera, remote keyless entry, 16-inch alloy wheels, rooftop display unit, leather upholstery, side step and chrome exhaust finisher. On the safety side of things, The Isuzu MU-7 gets ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution, and dual front airbags. Isuzu India currently offers the MU-7 in BS-III and BS-IV guises, of which, the greener version starts off at appx. INR 22 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). We reckon the automatic variant to cost around 1 lakh rupees more. The exact date of launch of the automatic variant of the Isuzu MU-7 is yet to be announced. However, keep an eye on this space for further developments regarding the upcoming MU-7 automatic.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India has launched a new collection of branded goods under the name 2015 Lifestyle Collection. JLR’s new collection boasts of clothing, gifts, accessories and luggage items for both men and women . The luxury marque’s design team has specifically designed and developed all the items in-house. The carmaker hopes to lure JLR customers and enthusiasts with their new 2015 collection.

The 2015 Jaguar Collection includes the Heritage’57 and an all-new Lifestyle Collection. The former collection has been designed to pay homage to one of the most successful periods in Jaguar’s racing history and is inspired by the winning No.3 car. This special collection includes T-Shirts, holdall, men’s drivers jacket, zip-through jacket, paddock shirt, caps, scarves for men and women, key-ring etc. Other Jaguar accessories are wallets, cufflinks, sunglasses, card-holders, leather briefcase, iPad holder, iPhone cover, etc. There’s also special gift items such as scale models of Jaguar cars, mugs, iPhone cases, USB pendrives, pen, notebooks, keyrings, and umbrellas amongst other items.

Land Rover Branded Goods

The 2015 Land Rover Collection, according to the company, has been designed to add a dash of off-road spirit and adventure to the wardrobe. Land Rover is also offering a Kid’s Collection and these comprise of the iconic Adventure Bear, T-shirts for boys and girls, baseball caps and toy models. Clothing apparels for the grown ups include t-shirts, caps and scarves. Just like with Jaguar’s range of products, Land Rover’s lineup of accessories and gift items are identical. Items such as wallets, cufflinks, card-holders, leather briefcase, iPad and iPhone cases etc finish off the accessories department, while Land Rover scale models, mugs, USB pendrives, pen, notebooks, keyrings and umbrellas wrap up the gift section of goods.

Detailed pricing of each item provided in the gallery below. Click on the images to expand.

Jaguar Land Rover has appointed Pride Motors as its new dealer in Hyderabad. Pride Motors, Hyderabad, will offer the entire range of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles through the facility located at Rd No.36, Jubilee Hills and a fully equipped workshop at Serilingampally, Botanical Garden Road, Kondapur.

Rohit Suri, President, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd (JLRIL) says that Pride Motors will provide Jaguar Land Rover customers with ultimate premium services and class-defining ownership experience that one expects from the Brands.

Land Rover Branded Goods

The Jaguar range in India includes F–TYPE (starting at INR 126 Lacs in CBU form) and locally manufactured XF (starting at INR 47.15 Lacs) and XJ (starting at INR 96.05 Lacs). The Land Rover range in India includes the flagship Range Rover (starting at INR 182 Lacs in CBU form), Range Rover Sport (starting at INR 116 Lacs in CBU form) and Discovery 4 (starting at INR 111 Lacs in CBU form) and locally manufactured Range Rover Evoque (starting at INR 48.73 Lacs) and Freelander 2 (starting at INR 41.82 Lacs).

Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles are available in India through 22 authorised outlets in Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi (at Janpath & Mathura Road), Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Karnal, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Raipur.

Tata Motors Group, that includes its posh arm – Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has recorded global sales of 76,602 units in June 2015. According to Tata Motors, these sales figures haven’t dipped when compared to their sales figures of June 2014. Cumulative wholesales for this fiscal for the Group stood at 233,487 units, which is higher by 2 percent over the last fiscal.

2016 Jaguar XJ (5)

June 2015 sales of Tata Motors’ Daewoo range and commercial vehicles stood at 31,083 units, which is identical to the Group’s sales figure of June 2014. As for the cumulative sales figure of Tata Motors’ commercial division, it remained flat at 86,766 units this fiscal. Global wholesales of all passenger vehicles in June 2015 at 45,519 units grew by 3 percent, compared to June 2014. Cumulative passenger vehicles wholesales for this fiscal were 146,721 units, a growth of 4 percent over last fiscal. Tata Motors’ recorded passenger vehicles sales in June 2015 were at 10,611 units, higher by 29 percent over June 2014. Cumulative sales for the fiscal were at 32,269 units are higher by 27 percent compared to the previous fiscal.

Land-Rover-Holland-and-Holland-Special-1

Jaguar Land Rover’s worldwide sales were 34,908 units, which includes Chery Automobiles’ and JLR’s (CJLR) sales. CJLR is a joint venture between JLR and Chery Automobiles and is an unconsolidated subsidiary for JLR. Sales of Jaguar vehicles for June 2015 were recorded to be 7,087 units, and cumulative sales for the period stood at 21,202 units. Sales of Land Rover vehicles for the month were 27,821 units, and cumulative sales stood at 93,250 units. Finally, cumulative sales for Jaguar Land Rover for the fiscal stood at 114,452 vehicles.

Earlier this year we sampled the 2014 Ducati Monster 1200 S and found it to be the best Monster yet. The water-cooled Testastretta 11 engine, Brembo brakes and Ohlins suspension made for a package that blew our Italian loafers off. Now I’m in the home of Ducati (Bolonga, Italy) to take a spin on the logical next chapter in the Monster story – the 2015 Monster 821. The spec sheet isn’t quite as lofty as the 1200 but there is plenty to like about the 821. In fact, the Monster 821 is my favorite naked Ducati thus far.

Ducati followed the formula used for the larger 1200cc Monster, fitting a liquid-cooled engine, a longer wheelbase and a more comfortable perch for both rider and passenger. While the biggest Monster targets more experienced riders, Ducati claims the intended customer for the 821 is existing Monsteristi, brand-switchers and new riders. Women fit the demo for the Monster 821 as well. After a day on the bike I would say that this new mid-sized Monster is a great fit for just about anyone.


Starting with the chassis, the 821 gets a small trellis frame that bolts to the cylinder heads of the Testastretta. Ducati’s numbers show the new chassis is 99% stiffer than the outgoing Monster 796’s unit while being 2.71 pounds lighter. The steel trellis subframe is also 2.43 pounds less than the 796’s rear frame. Even so, the 821’s wet weight of 453 pounds is 38 pounds above the 796. Some of that additional weight comes from the additional 1.02 gallons of fuel capacity. The rest we assume is the radiator, cooling system components and the physically larger engine.

Although every dimension of the 821 is larger it feels light and small, especially once underway. Handling in the city is nimble and fleet-footed, changing direction with an ease and quickness that the larger 1200 just can’t match.

During the first half of our day on the 821, the rain kept our speeds and aggression in check, and the only impression I was able to get was how light the medium Monster felt. Not really a complete review. Luckily later in the day the skies cleared, the pavement dried up and I was able to flog the 821. Turn-in is light, tipping in with a just a little body English and the rest of the corner is just as good – as long as the road is smooth.


The non-adjustable 43mm Kayaba front fork and Sachs cantilever rear shock are sprung softly and damped to match. In the city the ride is comfortable, but when hustling through bumpy corners the chassis can become upset. This makes it more difficult to hold a line at breakneck speed, but at 85 to 90% speed it is perfectly acceptable. While this may seem like a serious dig on the 821, I still feel the 821 is easier to handle at almost any speed than the larger Monster. It made me grin ear to ear even when it was bucking around in the rough sections of pavement.

Ducati followed the formula used for the larger 1200cc Monster fitting a liquid-cooled Testastretta engine to the Monster 821.
Toggling through the riding modes is simple on the Monsters LCD dash but making changes to traction control and ABS settings is more cumbersome than the TFT displays on the Monster 1200.
Crack the throttle to the stop in Sport mode in first and second gear and the front wheel will rise but without the snap of larger displacement naked bikes.
(Above) Ducati followed the formula used for the larger 1200cc Monster, fitting a liquid-cooled Testastretta engine to the Monster 821. (Middle) Toggling through the riding modes is simple on the Monster’s LCD dash, but making changes to traction control and ABS settings is more cumbersome than the TFT displays on the Monster 1200. (Below) Crack the throttle to the stop in Sport mode in first and second gear and the front wheel will rise, but without the snap of larger displacement naked bikes.
The 821.1cc, 112-horsepower Testastretta 11 is lively yet easy to handle. Crack the throttle to the stop in Sport mode in first and second gear and the front wheel will rise, but without the snap of larger displacement naked bikes. The engine torques off the bottom with a satisfying grunt that is also very easy to reign in. The mid-range is healthy while the top-end tapers off as you reach the 11,000 rpm limit.

In Touring the power is slightly tempered with a less sharp throttle response. The Ducati Safety Pack’s traction control is also raised to level 4 from the Sport setting of 2. ABS is also increased from Level 1 (which will allow to the rear wheel to lift) to Level 2, which prevents the rear wheel from lifting too high. The third riding mode, Urban, is docile with 75hp, Level 6 traction control and Level 3 ABS. This setting worked well on the rain-slick roads in the mountains above Bologna. The engine character of the 821 is just sporty enough to entertain the most hardcore riders but also less-threatening to new or less experienced riders. Very few powerplants span such a wide range.

Toggling through the riding modes is simple on the Monster’s LCD dash, but making changes to traction control and ABS settings is more cumbersome than the TFT displays on the Monster 1200, Panigale and Diavel. Once you figure out the system, it is fairly straightforward but still more tedious.

The seating position of the Monster 821 is fairly upright with just a slight bend forward to the bars, which have been moved back 40mm and up 40mm for a more relaxed reach. The new seat mirrors the 1200’s unit with more padding and an adjustable height of 30.9” to 31.9” that makes for an easy reach to the pavement. Everything feels solid and placed perfectly for all day comfort. The only criticisms of the rider area would be that the rubber footpegs become unnervingly slick when wet and a slit in the rear fender allows for water to fling all over the rider’s back.

Braking performance from the M83 Monbloc front calipers and radial mount master cylinder is less refined that we have come to expect from Ducati. The initial lever movement would vary from soft and mushy to grabby depending on the speed of your trigger finger. Once you adapted to the lever the power was there to stop you with authority and never let me down. The rear brake offers a mushy feel as well.

So why with its flaws would I say the Monster 821 is the best example yet? At $11,495 the 821 is more affordable while still offering up plenty of power, a nimble chassis and all-day long comfort. Yes, the suspension may be a touch soft and the brakes may not be as stellar as the Monster 1200’s, but for the price you can’t beat the fun-per-dollar ratio from the 821. Not to mention, it is easier to ride 95% of the time. It’s everything Monsters have been from the start – a sum much greater than its less exotic parts that puts a smile on your face every time you crack the throttle.


2015 Ducati Monster 821 First Ride

I've done bad things. I have committed crimes beyond incessant speeding. I have stolen. I have lied. I have cheated. I may have forgotten to put any of it on my résumé. But I haven't transgressed enough to earn a new S8. This is a villainous luxury car, one so wicked that merely hopping behind the wheel should make you a person of interest to Interpol.

Yes, for the 2013 model year, Audi has recast the S8 as a sedan mastermind, dumping the old model's 450-hp V-10 like a disloyal henchman. The replacement 4.0-liter V-8 is the twin-turbocharged and features cylinder deactivation that allows it to run as a V-4, just like in the A8. But here it's making 520 horses and 481 pound-feet of torque. That's 100 more horsepower and an additional 75 pound-feet compared with the A8, thanks to more boost (15.9 psi versus 12.3), revised valve timing, and more efficient intake plumbing.

This violent V-8 makes Audi's plot to take over the world likely to happen more swiftly. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, needs just 8.5 seconds to reach 100, and tricks through the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds at 118 mph. Never mind that the S8 is a 4620-pound car that comfortably seats five. It drives a class or two smaller, as if it's been hit with a shrink ray. At times you would swear it's an A4, except for the better steering feel and an exhaust note as heavy as a San Quentin life sentence.


Despite the S8's hyper performance, half the appeal is in its ability to induce amnesia in witnesses. The S8 never has been flashy, and this new model retains the A8's subtlety, drawn to resemble nothing more shapely than a cudgel. Even its interior doesn't offer much to distinguish the S8 from the regular A8, save for standard carbon-fiber and aluminum trim. The latter serves as a reminder of the aluminum-intensive space frame that Audi pioneered in 1994 and that the A8 range, with redesigns, continues to use today.

All that metal (even the speaker grilles on the $6300 Bang & Olufsen audio system are aluminum) led to this stray thought under heavy braking: "If I ball this thing up, they can hose me out and recycle the rest into Pepsi cans." Fortunately, the brakes bite like four vampires, stopping the car from 70 mph in just 156 feet. The S8 shares its anchor hardware from the long-wheelbase A8 W12, with 15.7-inch discs in the front and 14.0-inchers in the rear. A big brake pedal (trimmed in aluminum, of course) imparts an even, progressive feel, with the first quarter of its travel sufficient for stopping without alarming passengers. The rest of its arc forces the six-piston front calipers closed with the sort of seatbelt-straining force that makes your neck hurt.

The S8's forward weight bias and all-wheel drive yield ample understeer at the cornering limit. With its standard 21-inch wheels set in Continental ContiSportContact 5P rubber, we measured 0.90 g on the skidpad. On the freeway, nothing upsets the big car, though rolling hills can cause it to feel a bit more like its true size. The impressive handling comes via an air-suspension system with four settings. Further adjustability in the steering, throttle and transmission ensure Audi Drive Select has option overkill.

Dial them all to "comfort," and the car just drives like an A8, with light steering effort and a lazy throttle. "Automatic" allows for a bit of initial softness before firming things up if you start turning and burning. The "individual" mode allows you to pick different settings for every option, though that's unnecessary. Sticking with "dynamic" across the board works so well that you can set it and forget it. Similarly, the eight-speed ZF automatic can be shifted with steering-wheel-mounted paddles, but they become superfluous once you drop the shift lever into sport and the transmission perks up.


But why pay the extra money for the S8 if you can, through the car's many selectable modes, turn it back into the A8? Perhaps it's not because there's demand for such distractions, but because Audi's engineers are simply fascinated with complexity. Once upon a time, BMW's M cars came with steel springs and no push buttons, and we loved them for it. You paid one big price for the superlative tune. End of discussion.

The S8's $110,895 base sticker is $29,100 more than a V-8 powered A8. Purchase decisions in this class rarely hinge on price, but the S8 starts at tens of thousands less than a BMW Alpina B7 or a Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, cars it outguns both in raw performance and behind-the-wheel enjoyment. Whether driving it like it's the chase car in Ronin or cutting a low profile, the S8 has a mechanical arsenal that allows it to run with almost anything on the road. There's no four-door more nefarious.

Your typical new-car launch consists of a dozen or so juvenile-minded writers driving cars they don’t own, burning fuel they didn’t pay for, on roads that have in part been selected for their limited police presence. It’s a suitable arrangement for evaluating a car’s major attributes: acceleration, handling, ride quality, interior quietness, and so on—everything except fuel economy. But when efficiency is a vehicle’s top selling point, as it is with the 2014 diesel-powered Audi Q5, automakers do their best to rein in the aggression and keep that message top of mind.

When we first drove its new Q5 TDI late this summer, Audi pulled out an old industry standby created just for this occasion: a fuel-economy challenge, with prizes for the winners. With trinkets on the line—a T-shirt, a keychain, a day-old doughnut; it doesn’t really matter—journalists instinctively sort themselves into one of two camps. The first includes the handful who treat the contest as if they were invited to take a half-court shot for a million bucks, and we fall into the other, shrugging off the game and driving the car as we would any other. (Our technical director, Don Sherman, falls into neither category, preferring to take advantage of every loophole in the rules simply for the satisfaction of stomping the competition into a fine powder.)


It goes without saying, then, that we dipped often and deeply into the turbo-diesel’s 240 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque on our drive in Washington, D.C.—and did the same when we recently had an example at our office for real-world testing. With Quattro all-wheel drive keeping wheelspin at bay, the Q5 TDI pulls away from the line on a surge of low-rpm twist good for a 0-to-60 time of 5.8 seconds. For reference, a gas-fired Q5 2.0T we tested for a recent comparo hit 60 in 6.9. In both TDI drive locales, we explored part-throttle passing and accelerator response, probing the limits of where the car calls for a downshift. In many cases, the 3.0-liter V-6 needs only the next lower gear when most gas-powered cars would call for a two- or three-cog downshift. Not that the ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic would mind working harder. The industry-standard conventional automatic in quick shifts and smoothness, it’s as adept at juggling ratios here as it is in countless gas-fed BMWs, Audis, and others. The engine and the transmission are perfectly in sync, delivering assertive thrust that makes the Q5 TDI ideal for slicing through traffic quagmires.

Inside, the TDI sports the same four-spoke steering wheel and revised infotainment controls that were included with last year’s Q5 face lift. The cabin boasts excellent materials, intuitive ergonomics, and great outward visibility, yet the interior styling feels a bit sterile, even by Audi’s ascetic design standard. Shut off the stereo and the HVAC fan, and channel all your concentration into listening for ticking injectors and clattering combustion. You will come up empty-eared. Compared with a gasoline Q5, the TDI radiates a slightly louder but still inoffensive thrum at idle. It’s easier to identify this Q5 as a diesel when the stop-start system restarts the engine with a more pronounced shudder than in its stablemates.


Audi’s Q5 is aimed at the crossover-buying masses, not at enthusiasts. To our tastes, the regular Q5 rolls too much in corners and distances the driver with effortless steering. Yet that wasn’t enough to stop us from finding a rhythm on sinuous Maryland back roads where the Goodyear rubber compensated with exceptional grip, which we were able to quantify in our Ann Arbor example at 0.86 g. Near D.C., we momentarily forgot the Q5’s tall ride height and diesel under the hood and enjoyed snaking through S-bends just below the threshold where the tires start to sing. (The SQ5 aims to bridge the gap between commuter and enthusiast, and the model is even available with a diesel in Europe. Ours will have a 354-hp supercharged gas V-6.)

About that summertime efficiency challenge: We were caught off guard when Audi’s press boss announced that our 35.6-mpg average, weighted with our average speed, won the fuel-economy challenge. Especially because we didn’t do anything to help—it was our driving partner who drove his leg of the route at a playing-to-win pace. (Our prize? A Clean Diesel T-shirt, which now sits among the pile of items we randomly mail to our Backfires members.) We were even more surprised that we had exceeded the EPA’s estimated 24 mpg city and 31 highway fuel-economy ratings by a significant margin. Without someone to balance out our frenetic pace—or an Audi-prescribed route—our test Q5 yielded 27 mpg over 1000 miles in and around Detroit recently. We’d still call the efficiency impressive, given how hard we are on accelerator pedals around here, and the two mileage numbers plus our performance data speak to this crossover’s dual nature—fun and relatively fleet on one hand, fuel efficient on the other. Combine that with the Q5 TDI’s civilized, torquey overall demeanor, and this diesel deserves to be taken seriously.

When we first saw pictures of the face-lifted 2016 Audi A6, we weren't immediately thrilled. One of the brand's more conservative designs looked to have received a lukewarm makeover to the styling it has worn since the current generation arrived as a 2012 model. Yes, the A6’s flowing lines are popular with customers, but to our eyes they always lacked tension, falling just short of Audi’s standards. There was little elegance in the details; its LED headlights were somewhat crude, the overbite of the taillights downright strange.

Audi has cleaned up these details, added rectangular exhaust outlets, and left the rest alone. Now having seen the revised car in person, we are pleasantly surprised. The inner workings of the headlights are subtly handsome, the lower front air intakes look better resolved, and the taillights are more tidily integrated. Audi also added several new, more appealing wheel styles. Without touching the sheetmetal, the designers made a somewhat stale shape more elegant. More importantly, this midterm update goes deeper, improving one of our favorite sedans (it has notched three 10Best appearances and two recent comparison-test victories) in significant ways.

Our first drive in Germany showed that, dynamically, the A6 remains much as it was, a finely hewn road machine that can reward a driver on his favorite back lanes or carry company out for a night on the town in style and comfort. It’s the powertrain upgrades that raise the car’s game to match the crisper appearance.


Hotter Cooking With Gas
As before, the A6 will offer three engine choices in the United States: a 2.0-liter turbo four-banger, a 3.0-liter V-6 TDI, and a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6. The TDI, introduced to this market for 2014, is the only one that carries over unchanged; the 240-hp oil-burner continues to drive all wheels through an eight-speed, torque-converter-style automatic. This stout TDI with its robust 428 lb-ft of torque is the powertrain of choice for those who wish to enjoy hybridlike efficiency without the extra weight and complexity. (An A6 hybrid, never exported to the U.S., has just been killed off due to extremely poor sales.)

The entry-level 2.0-liter model receives a major hardware upgrade. Formerly rated at 220 horsepower and initially made available as a front-driver only, it came with a CVT dubbed “Multitronic.” Now, it gets a boost to 252 horsepower and the addition of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for front-drive models. We wholeheartedly applaud this move; we'll take the crisp shifts of a dual-clutch ’box or even a proper automatic over a CVT's rubber-band effect any day. The power gain also benefits buyers who choose the Quattro all-wheel-drive option, in which case the 2.0T hitches to an eight-speed automatic as it has since Audi added it to the range in 2012.


While the four now offers sufficient power for most settings this side of a racetrack, the silky 3.0-liter V-6 is more fun. This powerplant gains 20 horsepower and is now up to 330. It drives all wheels and employs the same eight-speed automatic as the TDI. The supercharger provides instant boost but is so quiet that its presence is virtually undetectable, except for it generating thrust all out of proportion to what you’d expect. We think that Jaguar—one of the few other carmakers that still swear by superchargers—might wish to take a lesson from Audi's book of quality, comfort, and noise control.

First-Class Accomodations
Even Jaguar—in addition to any other automaker—would be well advised to examine the A6's interior. It remains one of the finest and best-executed cabins in the industry. The similarity to the A7's dashboard (with which it shares the majority of parts) is cleverly masked by the different décor. We have only one significant gripe with this interior: The clumsy dash-top integration of the optional head-up system looks atrocious. We’re assured that the tumorlike lump will be fixed for future model generations, but it should have been done right the first time.

While we’re at it, may we ask Audi to own up to another mistake? Please bring back the Avant wagon model to the States. Especially the RS6 Avant, the mid-size wagon with 560 horsepower and a 190-mph top speed. Audi already sends us the drivetrain in the RS7, so let’s have none of those parts-supply or federalization excuses. Just do it. Meanwhile, good job on the basic sedans. It was time.