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Toyota Prius Toyota
became the first car maker to put "Hybrid car" in production by launching
Prius in December 1997. At first, it is only for sale in Japan in a small
volume, but strong reaction may lead to its appearance in foreign markets,
especially is environmental conscious
California.
Prius uses
a compact hybrid power unit, in which the straight four 1.5 litres engine
is mated inline with the d.c. motor and driving the front wheel. The
petrol engine is of Toyota's latest lean burn technology, which provides
remarkable emission and fuel consumption even without the aid of the
electric motor. A complex planetary transmission offers smooth transition
between the engine and the motor. 40 pieces of Ni-MH batteries store the
energy for motor use, they alone may not provide enough range, but during
normal use they will be frequently charged up by the energy generated by
braking so that the car can travel no shorter than conventional petrol
cars.
Compare
with fully electric cars like GM EV1 and Honda EV Plus, Prius has the
advantage of long range and no-charging time needed, that makes it far
more practical. Compare with petrol cars, it is slower due to the
additional weight of the batteries and electric motor, but it burns a
friction fuel and offers superior emission just next to electric cars,
that seems to be very attractive in the
future.
Besides
the power unit, Prius offers as much interior space as Corona despite of
the Corolla-size external dimensions, thanks to the long wheelbase and
short overhangs. Dashboard and central console is futuristically styled.
Satellite navigation is provided in domestic market. It is the most
practical green car until now.
Toyota Avensis This is not a great way to
introduce the new Avensis, but I am really tired of such Toyotas after
watching cars for many years. Toyota, in some way like GM, cares too much
about customer surveys thus its mainstream cars are usually lack of a
clear design and engineering philosophy. But the most disappointing is
that they still do the styling wrong. By all standards, Avensis is an ugly
design. It looks bulky, dull and boring. Its body language tells you that
the driver inside must be Mr. Average.
The Avensis was engineered
mostly in Japan base on the Allion / Corona Premio architecture (the duo
was launched about a year before the Avensis). However, it has the rear
suspensions upgraded to the Celica’s double-wishbones setup and the ride
and handling was sorted out on European roads (by Lotus, if Toyota didn’t
tell you). Yes, I almost forget to tell you that the Avensis is built in
UK and supplies only the European market, therefore care has been taken to
make sure it handles and rides like a European car. The chassis is about
in the same size as rivals, with a 2700mm wheelbase and tall roof to
achieve a roomy cabin. The engines include a 1.6 VVT-i, a 1.8VVT-i, a
direct-injection 2.0D-4 petrol and a 2.0D4-D common-rail turbo diesel.
Cheaper models employ electric power steering while the top petrol and
diesel model use conventional hydraulic assistance to ensure better road
feel.
In terms of performance, the
Avensis is rather disappointing. Autocar conducted a group test against
Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6, Honda Accord and Renault Laguna and found the
Avensis was the slowest. Despite of variable valve timing and direct
injection technology, despite of 147 horsepower, the 2.0D4 engine fails to
provide sparkling performance. Moreover, the engine sounds coarse and
noisy under stress, which is disappointing by the engineering standard of
Toyota.
In terms of ride and handling,
the new Avensis is competent but never outstanding. It feels more like a
European car than even some European rivals, such as Renault Laguna and
Volkswagen Passat. The hydraulic steering in top models is responsive and
provides crisp turn-in, if not specially good communication. As the
suspension is set firmer than Japanese norm, Avensis has its body control
very well in most circumstances. However, "most circumstances" does not
include extreme conditions. If you rush into corners, weight transfer at
the tail will build up suddenly and destroy your confidence. In short,
Avensis is not as good a driver's car as Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6 and European
Honda Accord.
The best thing is probably the
cabin. It employs Volkswagen-grade soft-touch plastic and is screwed
together as solidly as Lexus. The center console is surfaced with real
metal, not metal-effect plastic. The cabin is roomy, although rear
accommodation is ultimately not as big as Mondeo. 520 litres of luggage
room is simply class-leading. However, the cabin is short of styling and
character, just like the car itself. Mr. Average might like it, but we
don't. Toyota Allion and Premio Toyota
launched the Allion and its twins sister Premio in December 2001. Both are
bounded in the domestic market thus are less well known overseas. They are
basically the same car, just with different packaging. The Premio still
goes the conservative route while the Allion (means "all in one", oddly)
looks more sporting.
The Allion is smaller than the
Avensis to which it derived. To meet the lower taxation class, its width
is limited to 1.7 meters, virtually the same as the smaller Corolla. In
fact, the Allion is merely longer than the Corolla and have a 100mm longer
wheelbase. It even shares the same semi-independent torsion-beam axle rear
suspension with the Corolla. In contrast, its European cousin, Avensis,
employs a more expensive double-wishbone suspension instead. The same goes
for other derivatives, Avensis Verso (the MPV), Caldina (the sport estate)
and the next generation Vista sedan - all uses the higher-spec suspension.
That’s why I name Avensis as the representative of this platform although
Allion was launched earlier.
3 engines are available to
Allion: 1.5-litre (109hp), 1.8-litre (132hp) and 2.0-litre (152hp). All
have VVT-i and the 2.0-litre also has D-4 direct-injection. No manual
gearbox for domestic version. The top model is equipped with CVT while the
other two have 4-speed automatic. Toyota Caldina The new Caldina is derived
from the Avensis platform, with the same 2700mm wheelbase. However, if we
consider only the hottest model Caldina GT-4 - the most interesting model
to me, we can find it owes very much to the last generation Caldina GT-T.
Basically, the engine and 4-wheel-drive system are carried over from the
old car, which in turn took the mechanicals from the mighty Celica
GT-4.
However, compare with the old
car there are still a lot of new items. Most notably is the sharper and
handsomer new look, the much higher quality interior and the introduction
of double-wishbone rear suspensions from the current
Celica.
Lesser models are powered by a
152hp 2-litre 16V engine (which has no relationship with the turbo engine)
with direct injection, or a 132hp 1.8-litre 16V engine, both with VVT-i.
The 1.8 unit is for FWD only. Toyota Camry This
fourth generation car is said to have a new platform, however, you will
find the Highlander SUV and sister car ES300 have already stolen its
debut. Expect Avalon / Pronard, Solara coupe and Sienna MPV to join this
platform as well. Yes, it might be new, but by no means revolutionary.
Most disappointing is that it still rides on MacPherson struts at each
corner, while most rivals (bar the GM ancient designs) are already
employing multi-link. However, improvements to chassis rigidity and
suspension calibration do enhance handling and refinement - maybe most on
the latter. NVH level is lowered, ride is supple, making the Camry a
smooth, quiet and refined family sedan as it once renowned
for.
In
comparison, the 3-litre V6 is rather disappointing. Without VVT-i, output
remains unchanged at 192hp and 209 lbft, which has long been overtaken by
rivals. Although refinement is good, its extra weight over the nose make
it less nimble to handle than the four-pot, while advantage in performance
is not big. So the 2.4 is still my choice.
Nevertheless, I guess Toyota cares little about that. The
successful history of Camry (American best selling car from 1997 to 2000)
proves that American care most about space and comfort. The new Camry has
plenty of them. No matter whether I like it, it will be another sale
success. Lexus ES300 / Toyota Windom It seems
that most improvements were done to enhance refinement and quietness, most
notably is by strengthening chassis, upgrading engine-mount and increasing
sound-deadening materials. In this respect, the ES300 still lives up to
Lexus' standard, but no longer feels as outstanding as its predecessor a
few years ago. That said, competitors have closed the gap or some even
surpassed it. In terms of ride quality, the old suspension shows its limit
here, offering a floaty ride over undulation. Optional 4-stage adaptive
damping actually improves ride and injects more driver appeal at the
stiffest setting, but the latter is just relative to the standard car.
When come to handling, ES' shortness becomes clear: it rolls, pitches and
understeers (remember, it is front-drive). It feels nose-heavy. Its
steering is light and lack of feedback. Facing 3-series, C-class, A4 and
X-Type, it is hopelessly uninspiring and hopelessly slow on twisty
roads.
Slow is
also because of an old engine. The compulsory 3.0 V6 (with VVT-i, unlike
Camry) is simply unchanged from the old one, producing the same 210hp and
220 lbft. It is as smooth and quiet as before, but neither charismatic nor
characterful. Though mating to a new 5-speed automatic instead of 4, the
increased weight of 30kg cancel any performance gain. The 5-speeder isn't
world-class, blame to sluggish downshift response. And where is Tiptronic
mode ? forget it. Lazy drivers don't need that. Keen drivers don't drive
the ES.
Inside is
much better. There is more space than its RWD or 4WD rivals. Light-color
soft leather contributes to a warm-feeling environment. Instruments are
clear and economical, but the plastics used is not
first-class.
Among
Lexus' line-up, this one is the most non-Lexus. It does not feel as
prestige as LS, nor as exciting to drive as IS and GS. After all, it is
still a pseudo prestige car built on Camry. Small investment doesn't worth
good sales. Toyota Avalon / Pronard Avalon offers 5 or 6 seats
configurations. In 6-seater form, front bench seat is used to accommodate
3 persons, and column shifter is used instead of conventional console
shifter. Undoubtedly, there are a lot of space for all occupants, because
the wheelbase is stretched by 50 mm from Camry, while width is up 35 mm,
height grows 40 mm. However, unlike its American opponents, Avalon is
"just" 4.9 meters long, thus its roominess is implemented by efficient use
of space rather than adding sheet metal.
Like other full-size sedans,
the suspension setting is very soft, hence there is apparent body roll in
tight corner. Even so, the Avalon is still better to handle than its
rivals. Toyota Camry Solara Solara is
the coupe version of Camry. Being built exclusively in Kentucky of USA
alongside the Camry, it differs from the sedan by just packaging and
tuning. It was styled by Toyota's California studio, hence looking sexier
than the Japanese-designed Camry. Nevertheless, there is strong traces of
Pininfarina's Alfa GTV in its side profile, harming its originality.
Besides, the sedan proportion (long wheelbase, long tail) doesn't do it
justice. It should have been more sporty, but sadly, Toyota would rather
save money and time by building it directly on the Camry
floorpan.
Now fun time.... maybe not so
fun. Although Toyota claimed to inject more sporting character into the
new Solara than the last generation, the scale of improvement is actually
too small. It does have stiffer suspension setup than the sedan. It does
employ a tower brace over the front suspension to stiffen the chassis. It
does have better sorted damping than the last generation. However, compare
with European coupes it still cares too much about female buyers. With
relatively soft suspension setup and a bulky size, the Solara fails to
control roll and pitch as good as European coupes. This also leads to
severe understeer at tight corners. Furthermore, the steering is too light
and too numb to give you any confidence. Some German cars are more capable
than inspiring. This Toyota is neither capable nor inspiring. It is just a
sedan in a coupe's clothes. Mechanically, Verossa is a
repackaged Mark II as they share virtually the same dimensions and all
mechanical components. However, Progres and Brevis are also its sisters,
just have shorter overhangs and different choice of engines from the same
gene pool. To lesser extent, all of them can also link to the smaller
Altezza (Lexus IS). Strangely, all these cars bar Altezza are bounded in
domestic market thus cannot avoid internal
competition.
What differs the Verossa from
Mark II is not performance or comfort. It is the subjective dynamic image
delivered by the styling. So, I have no more say about
it. But the latest Crown is no
longer that conservative. It has been styled, tuned and trimmed to please
driver as well as passenger. To be honest, it is still not as driver-bias
as Lexus GS, but the improvement made is substantial enough to let you
forget any pervious Crowns. For the first time, I found the Crown looks
quite nice. Nice, if not handsome. Doesn’t it look like a Lexus
LS400?
There are 3 versions of Crown
- Majesta, Royal and Athlete. The Athlete is the most sporty, with
stiffest suspension setup. Majesta is most luxurious, powered by a 280 hp
V8. It also has longer wheelbase. Royal runs middle of the road and is
usually the best seller among them. No matter which version, handling is
far beyond imagination. Gone is the traditional soft suspension setup,
which is replaced with firmer springing and damping. As a result, steering
response and body control are greatly improved. Although it is still
regarded as comfort-bias by European standard, it is already more
driver-bias than other domestic rivals, including Nissan Gloria. In
particular, it rolls less and steer with more feel than the
Nissan.
Toyota Altezza / Lexus IS200 If you are European or
American, you need to do 100% to win people's heart. If you are Asian, you
need to achieve 120% of what the European done in order to win their
respect. That's what Toyota's engineers thought. Therefore, from the
beginning they chose the most ideal mechanical configuration for their
3-Series challenger : rear-wheel-drive and all double wishbones
suspensions.
They know their suspension
tuning used to be criticized by the Western media as too soft, steering
used to be criticized as too light and lifeless, so they spent extra time
to test and tune the car in Germany. After that, they decided to equip the
car with sports car-style 17 inches wheels with 45% aspect ratio, a first
in this class of car. Besides, 6 speed manual and 5 speed adaptive
automatic were employed for enhancing driving
pleasure.
In terms of engine, they
thought they have nothing to worry about. From the existing range, they
picked up Celica and MR2's 2-litres four, upgraded with double VVT-i (at
both inlet and exhaust valves) and titanium valves. Accompany with 11.5 :
1 high compression ratio, this high-revving unit output 210ps at 7600rpm
and 160lbft at 6400rpm.
So, this becomes the Altezza,
the Japanese Car of the Year 1999. According to the local magazines which
have tested it, Altezza has the handling to overshadow the latest BMW
3-Series E46. Steering is neutral and sensitive, body control and grip are
extremely good.
Supra has good handling and
performance, but it was criticized as lack of character. Altezza avoid
this by deliberately making a beautiful exhaust note.
However, comparing with BMW
323i, 328i and Alfa 156 V6, Altezza's inline-4 feels lack of power. Forget
the 210ps rating, the lack of capacity result in the lack of torque and a
relatively peaky torque curve. Road testers felt unable to exploit the
potential of the chassis.
Altezza / IS200 is rather
small compare with the 3-Series. It is 71mm shorter, 19mm narrower and 5mm
lower. Wheelbase is 55mm shorter. Although the rectangular shape seems to
benefit interior room, it isn't. 6 feet high rear passengers will find
their heads touching the roof as in the 3 Series. However, rear leg room
is marginally better.
Toyota's stylists
intentionally create a very aggressive interior. Undoubtedly, the
highlight is 4-in-one chronograhic dial, which is probably inspired by
Casio's G-shock watch. What a pity the packaging is awful. You'll see
cheaper grade of plastic than rivals and sub-standard build quality for a
Lexus. The seats looks unattractive and feels not very comfortable, mostly
because of lacking lumbar adjustment and short in the squab. Steering
wheel is not adjustable in reach thus deteriorate the otherwise good
driving position.
The exterior looks even worse.
This is the ugliest car I have seen in the whole 1998. Although recently I
see this car twice a day averagely, I still can't accept its
look.
Lexus
IS200A cheaper
version was developed for both domestic and overseas market. For overseas
market, it is badged as Lexus IS200. It is powered by a 2-litre straight 6
modified from the Mark II sedan, with inlet-bounded VVT-i. Lower
compression ratio (10.0:1) suits the inferior fuel in overseas. Its output
is very much lower : 153hp, although the 144lbft / 4400rpm makes
acceleration less different.
It is not provided with the 5
speed automatic. People who need auto have to put up with the slow 4A.
However, IS200 has a flat undertray to improve the coefficient of drag
from 0.29 to 0.28. It should benefit high speed cruising on Germany's
autobahn.
Road test
impression
2 UK publications tested the
IS200 and reported great impression. Both describe it handles very good on
smooth surface. Steering feels very communicative in action, quick and
more accurate than 3-Series. Nevertheless, power steering offers an
abundance of assistance during parking. The chassis and well tuned
suspensions feels alive in bends, body control precisely and tightly
thanks to the grippy 215 tyres. However, when arriving limit, steering
feel fade out as the camber change (due to body roll) makes the thin, 45%
aspect ratio tyres riding on their outside edge. In this respect, BMW 3
Series and Alfa 156 deal better with cornering limit.
In terms of ride, Lexus IS200
is a little bit bias towards hard for some people but just perfect for
keen drivers. Even our civilised local magazines regard its ride comfort
as acceptable.
As predicted, performance is
the weakest sector of the baby Lexus, at least until the arrival of IS300.
Against the clock, it took a full 9 seconds to complete 0-60mph. 0-100mph
of 25.8sec is no better. Not just the figures prove that, in fact the
driver always feel the engine lack of flexibility and punch to keep up
with BMW 323i (0-60 in 7.6sec) and even Alfa 156 2.0TS (8.1sec). It just
edge out the four cylinder 318i.
Luckily, the short-throw,
close-ratio 6-speed manual gearbox keeps the driver involving. The lovely
exhaust noise also enhance excitement.
On a typical rough B-road,
IS200 started to show its shortness in damping and body control, also
shows some high speed float. Steering feel deteriorates as speed
increases. Now I know why the European IS200 has added with the flat
undertray : because the engineers experienced high speed stability problem
during its test in Germany. They thought they've solved the problem by the
addition of flat bottom thus the reduction of lift, but on rough British
roads it is another matter. Lexus IS300 In terms of eagerness, sound
quality or refinement, unless the new BMW 3.0 is worse than the 2.8 (very
unlikely), it won’t have problem to beat the Lexus counterpart. In fact,
BMW’s 2.5 and 2.8 have been one of the Ward’s 10 best engines since their
debut, while Lexus’s straight six never won this title. The differences
are small, but enough to distinguish.
The IS200 was already praised
as a good driver’s car, better than any Japanese sedan ever achieved.
However, giving the bigger engine burdening the nose, handling is
inevitably compromised a bit. Although Lexus claimed the center of engine
is located 55 mm behind the front axle, this also implies that nearly half
of the engine is hanging in front of the axle. Most important, unlike BMW,
it has heavy cast iron block. Toyota has yet to develop an all-alloy
in-line six.
According to early road test
impression, extra weight at the front results in poorer handling. At
modest drive, it behaves as sporty and communicative as the IS200. Under
pressure, the IS300 has quite a lot of understeer.
In contrast, the marvellous
3-series never has such problems. Basically, there is no difference in
handling can be felt among 318i, 323i and 328i. What separate them is just
the wheel and tyre, which give the pricier models a positive edge.
Therefore we can predict the 330i will handle better than
IS300.
Lexus loses another battle in
the drive train. Unlike BMW, it doesn’t offer a manual transmission for
the IS300, at least for the first year. It’s a big disappointment, as the
IS200’s 6-speed manual shift so sweet. There’s rumours saying the IS200’s
unit cannot handle the extra torque from the new engine. So far, the most
demanding application of that gearbox is used in Nissan Silvia turbo,
which handles 203 lbft of torque, still not matching the IS300’s 218 lbft.
Another feasible gearbox is Supra’s 6-speeder, which always mate to this
2JZ-GE engine. However, a Japanese tuner has already proved that it
doesn’t fit neatly into the Altezza (that is, Japanese IS200). It requires
the shifter lever to be relocated several centimetres rearward. Moreover,
it doesn’t shift as slick as the IS200’s.
Toyota is now trying to fix
that, so in the first year only a 5-speed automatic will be offered. It is
already optional in Altezza and standard in GS400, with E-shift manual
override via the buttons on the spokes of steering wheel. Nice auto, but
it’s hard to convince that a driver’s car shift by itself. Performance is
also harmed - Lexus claimed a top speed of 143 mph and 0-60 mph in 7.1
seconds, no match with BMW’s claim for the 330i, that is, 155 mph and 0-62
in 6.5 sec.
Weight also plays an important
role in performance. At 1483 kg, the IS300 has lost any advantage over
BMW.
Oddly, American Lexus offer
205/55R16 tyres as standard for the most powerful IS, with 215/45ZR17 as
option. European IS300 will offer the 17-in as standard, just like the
IS200.
As usual, there is price
advantage for the Lexus. I expect 5-10% over the BMW 330i with equivalent
equipment. That doesn’t mean Toyota can make the IS cheaper, it is just
BMW can enjoy higher profit margin because it is still the
benchmark. Toyota Progres Engines come from Mk II and
Supra etc., model NC250 gets a 2.5 litres VVT-i straight six, rated at
200ps and 185lbft. NC300 is powered by Supra's 3.0 litres VVT-i straight
six, capable of 215hp and 217lbft. Rumour said the 2.5 unit may eventually
share with IS200 in order to compete with BMW 323i.
Toyota Brevis Brevis rides on the same
rear-drive platform as Lexus IS, with wheelbase extended to 2780 mm to
better all its European rivals. In terms of size and weight, it stand
between a BMW 3-series and 5-series, so cabin space is plenty. However,
dynamically speaking it can hardly match the European rivals (that role is
left for Lexus to fulfill), although rides on double-wishbones
suspensions. Suspension is set softer than the Lexus, steering is less
direct, and its 1550 kg kerb weight also hurt handling
agility.
There are two choices of power
plant: 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre straight-six, pumping out 200 hp and 220 hp
respectively. Both are equipped with VVT-i and D-4 direct injection. In
contrast, there is only 1 transmission available - 5-speed ECT automatic
without Tiptronic-style manual override, the same one as
IS300.
Of course, Brevis is bounded
in domestic market. Toyota Aristo / Lexus GS Aristo is better known as
Lexus GS300 / 430 for overseas market. You might remember, the first
generation Aristo / GS had a sporty styling penned by Italdesign but it
didn’t drove like that. In contrast, the new car looks less pretty, a bit
too fat, and the irregular-shaped headlights seem odd, but underneath the
skin is a competent chassis and powertrain combination. As usual, Toyota
gave it the best components - double wishbones suspension all round,
rear-wheel drive, front and rear subframes - but most crucial is the
chassis setup, which distinguish the new GS from its predecessor or Crown.
However, let us first start from the heart ...
Having experience about Supra,
you don’t need more description about GS300’s engine. In fact, Toyota uses
this 2997 c.c. straight six (with dohc, 24 valves and VVT-i variable valve
timing) throughout all its rear-drive big cars, such as Mark II, Crown and
Supra. Powerful, responsive and smooth are its basic instinct, letting it
to rival BMW’s 2.8 well. If you want more power, Aristo provides two
additional turbochargers and boost output to the domestic boundary of 280
hp, with 334 lbft to match. In other words, that’s the same heart of Supra
turbo. However, best among them is GS430’s 4.3-litre V8, also aided by
VVT-i. It pumps out 300 silky smooth horsepower without any hesitation.
More powerful than BMW’s 4.4 V8, yet refiner. Perfect.
Working in companion with the
fine engines is a 5-speed adaptive automatic. For GS430, it offers E-shift
Tiptronic-style manual override with finger-operated button on steering
wheel spokes.
The V8 gives GS430
fire-breathing performance: it takes just 6.0 seconds for 0-60 mph
acceleration. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph like its
German rivals. In contrast, GS300 is just average by class standard.
Autocar magazine found it took 8.5 sec for 0-60 and the kerb weight is 140
kg in excess of a BMW 528i. Admittedly, the GS300 paid little attention to
weight saving - the straight six still uses cast iron block (the V8 is
aluminium alloy). There’s no aluminium used in suspension as well, unlike
BMW and Audi.
Lack of aluminium suspension
also distinguish its ride quality from the BMW benchmark. Generally
speaking, Lexus GS is tuned softer than its German rivals. Even with the
UK-only Sport suspension package (with 17-inch wheels), although it runs
very close to the 5-series, it is still noticeable the BMW has an edge in
body control, steering feel and ride quality. The low-profile tyres ride
and damp pretty well at speed, but does not overcome low speed bump as
good as 5-series. 17-inch wheels are also optional for the GS430, although
the suspension is no stiffer than the standard setup. American journalists
also agreed the BMW 540i handles and rides better. In particular, the
standard suspension lead to more roll and pitch, without the confidence
experienced in BMW and Audi. European version GS430 fitted with Sport
suspension package has quite poor ride on bumpy road, which is hardly
forgivable for a Lexus, while body control and steering are both worse
than GS300, thanks to the extra weight of V8.
That said, the GS is less
sportier than 5-series and A6 (V8 only), but its driver appeal as well as
refinement are well ahead of any front-drive A6, Jaguar S-Type and Lincoln
LS. What about Mercedes E-class? it’s good, but too expensive to be direct
competitors. Talking about price, the GS300 isn't cheap in Euorpe,
therefore Lexus found it difficult to shift more than 3,000 cars there
annually.
While handling and ride
matches the German, interior trimming is not. There is purposeful styling
for dashboard, such as 3 separate backlit gauges. There are a lot of
equipment as well, plus full leather trim. The problem is lack of classy
feeling. The plastic feels cheap. The placement and styling of ventilation
lack of attention to detail. Fit and finish is also under question. It
feels more American than European, not even matching Lexus’ own SC
coupe.
However, the GS is still a
satisfying executive sedan offering remarkable refinement, comfort and
European-style handling. GS400 is especially good for high speed
cross-country journey. It’s fast and relaxing.
Lexus LS430 Finally,
Toyota showed the new Lexus LS430 in the Jan 2000, Detroit Motor Show.
That’s more than a decade after the original LS400
launched.
The LS430, indicated by its
name, has a bigger, 4.3-litre V8. The increase of displacement does not
provide more horsepower than the previous 290hp, but it boost more torque
- 320 lbft, or an increment of nearly 30 lbft, thus compensating the
slight weight increment. 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds is by all means a very
quick luxurious sedan.
The body is no longer or wider
but boost 55 mm height and 76 mm wheelbase. That guarantee a huge cabin
without increasing weight significantly. As Toyota sees aerodynamic as an
important mean to reduce wind noise, it smoothened the body to achieve a
class-leading drag coefficient of 0.25, which shares world record with
Honda Insight and Audi A2 "3-litre". At lower speed, the Cd is actually
0.26 because it rides on adaptive air suspension which lower ride height
at high speed. The system is believed to be taken from the Japanese
top-of-the-range Crown.
Once again, refinement is
untouchable. The S-class might ride as comfortable (also thanks to air
suspension) but the Lexus wins convincingly in quietness and smoothness.
The V8 remains almost silent at full throttle. Wind noise is obvious by
its absence. The 5-speed automatic box shifts so smooth. Its clever
program links with electronic throttle to deliver the smoothest gearshift
ever experienced - it cuts engine torque to smooth gear change; whenever
going uphill it increase torque to avoid downshift; whenever going down
hill or under braking it automatically downshift to take advantage of
"engine braking". 10 years on, European rivals still cannot match its high
level of refinement.
On the contrary, the LS430 has
narrowed the gap of dynamics. It has taken a big step forward from the
LS400. The steering is now reasonably communicative and is quite accurate.
The suspensions with stiffer springs, thicker anti-roll bar and new
dampers reduce body roll and contribute to sharper cornering. Therefore it
feels far more agile than before.
Ultimately there is still
something separate it from the likes of 7-series and S-class. The fact is,
the German duo still steer with a bit more sharpness and approach
cornering limit with more confidence. The Lexus, in contrast, display more
roll and understeer at limit. However, considering Lexus is designed to be
first priority in comfort, its dynamics is already remarkably
good.
In short, the new LS has
improved a lot in handling and retain its leading position in refinement.
Is that enough ? I’m afraid not. All the improvements are just
predictable. It won’t surprise you like 10 years ago. What the automotive
world needed is a Japanese-quality luxurious car with character and
innovation, both are not Lexus’ strength.
LS430 versus Mercedes S430 Styling:
no doubt the sleek S-class looks more handsome and
original.
Performance: the Lexus is quicker to 60 mph from rest, but the
S430’s flat torque curve enables quicker mid-range acceleration. Both are
lively enough.
Noise:
Lexus V8 is quieter most of the time although the Mercedes V8 matches it
at high rev. However, Mercedes' sound-deadening is more effective to
isolate wind and tyre noise.
Smoothness: both V8 are very smooth, but Lexus’ transmission
shifts more seamless.
Handling:
S-class outperform its rival here convincingly. It feels more nimble to
corner, with more grip, more Room:
Mercedes has more legroom up front but the Lexus is bigger at the back for
all dimensions, proving it is more passenger-bias.
Toyota MR-S
Mr. Nakagawa is responsible for the
development of both Celica and MR-S. While the recently launched Celica is
well received by the public, he seems to be more nervous about the MR-S.
He spent a lot of time to explain the new car to the press, stressed that
his mission was to bring back the agility that made the first generation
car so good.
He is
right. The second generation MR2 was originally praised for being
powerful. In normally aspirated form it produced 165hp (then rose to
173hp); Turbocharged version’s 225hp even earned it a name of
"mini-Ferrari". But the public’s enthusiasm quickly calmed down. People
started to complain about its grown up size and weight of around 1200kg.
Criticised its downgraded steering feel and cornering agility. Last year,
decline sales figure forced it withdrew from all markets except
Japan.
If you are
old enough, you might remember how exciting the first generation MR2 was.
It opened the eyes of European journalists, letting them to see the rising
sun’s ability to create exciting sports cars. The 16-valves engine was
powerful and years advancer than European. The mid-engined chassis
balanced and felt so good, with brisk performance to match. That was 1985.
14 years later, the third generation car is going back to the
basis.
The name
of the Mk3 might arise some confusion. In home market, it calls "MR-S"
rather than MR2, the latter is used in elsewhere. The "S" stands for
Spyder, in other words, Convertible.
In terms
of styling, the MR-S is another example demonstrating the incompetence of
the Japanese studio. Despite of the deliberate imitation on Porsche
Boxster (look at the front and rear lights !), its angular profile and
poor execution of details make it uncomfortable to look at. Next time
please ask the California studio (which styled Celica) or Brussel studio
(which penned Yaris) for help.
.... until
you fire the engine. The 1794 c.c. all-alloy 16-valver is equipped with
VVT-i like all other new engines from Toyota. The reduction of 200c.c.
drops power and torque to 140hp and 127 lbft respectively, but drivability
is not deteriorated. Nakagawa believes 1.8-litre is the best optimized
size for a four cylinder. It enables smaller radiator, smaller brakes,
narrower tyres .... in short, a lighter and more nimble
car.
Kerb
weight is just 975kg, exactly identical to the Mk1 MR2. This is a
remarkable achievement, considering the crash protection requirement for
2000 is far stricter than those of the 80s, and then the new car has more
powerful engine and a soft top. 14 years ago, it might not be the lightest
(cars such as Bertone X1/9 and Honda CRX might be lighter). Today, it is
some 100kg below the competitors.
In terms
of sheer handling, the little Toyota is unmatchable in its price range,
not even the ever-green Miata. But the latter has prettier styling and a
sense of originality. The MR-S, like the first 2 generations, are more
likely to be the choice for boy racers, who don't like art and philosophy.
Nevertheless, with the addition of convertible, the MR-S should appear to
the larger crowd. Firstly,
to keep the rear tyres firmly glue on the road, they are enlarged from 15
to 16-inch in diameter and widened from 205/50 to 215/45. Moreover, a
mechanical LSD (limited-slip differential) is added to the rear axle,
regulating wheelspin. As a result, road testers found the revised MR-S
becomes much more sure-footed at the limit.
The second
major change is upgrading the gearbox - no matter the manual or the SMT
sequential manual - to 6-speed. The box is taken from Celica. It makes
better use of the limited torque of the 1.8-litre engine thus improves
performance slightly.
The look
and interior of MR-S was never outstanding. After 2 years, it starts
looking outdated. What a pity the revision do so little in these
area. Toyota Celica Undoubtedly, the latest Celica has two things to make headline :
first, a striking look ; second, the new VVTL-i. Sadly, both are not the
efforts of Toyota itself. Across the Pacific, the American stylists of
Toyota’s California studio designed an aggressive body mirroring Ford’s
New Edge. The triangular headlights, a tiny nose intake and the scoop over
the bonnet are the main features at the front, while a sharp shoulder edge
dominates the rear half of the side. A rear wing is the signature of the
180hp version thus it is a must for
enthusiasts.
Underneath
the striking look, the new Celica is actually rather conservative.
Everything play safe : front-wheel drive remains unchanged, no GT-4
anymore, no V6, no turbo ... that means the car is not going to be as
exciting as Nissan Silvia, our current favourite. Why not build the car on
the Altezza (IS200) chassis ? I’m sure it would be fantastic to handle.
Why not gave it a chronographic gauge ?
The second
selling point is the VVTL-i equipped 2ZZ-GE power plant, that is, an all
new aluminium four cylinder developed with the help from Yamaha.
Displacing 1796c.c., it breaks the tradition since the third generation
that 2-litre engines must be used. It is smaller yet it has an aluminium
alloy block. The result is of course great weight saving, which lightens
the front wheels and improve handling. Yamaha has been known as an engine
expert in Japan and works as a consultant to other car makers. Its
experience was acquired from racing motorcycle (an arch-rival of Honda)
and once the Formula one engine program (not really Honda’s arch-rival).
Its famous creations range from both generations of Ford Taurus SHO
engines and the European Ford’s Zetec engine. Toyota’s first sports car,
2000GT of 1967, was also assembled by Yamaha.
Like many
high tech aluminium engine, the 2ZZ-GE gets Nikasil treatment instead of
using cast iron liner as a means to reduce friction and wear. Yamaha is
one of the few experts in the world having the Nikasil treatment
facilities (Ford’s Zetec is treated there), thus Toyota is eager to ask it
to assemble the 2ZZ-GE engine. Its work does not stop there. Base on
Toyota’s VVT-i variable valve timing system, Yamaha developed the VVTL-i
which also incorporates variable lift control. You must know that variable
lift is so important to top end power. Without it the new engine can never
reaches a maximum power of 180hp at 7600rpm. Basically, the mechanism is a
combination of the continuously phase-shifting variable timing (VVT-i) and
a 2-stage cam-changing variable lift like Honda’s VTEC, but the
implementation differs a bit from Honda thus avoid violating the rival’s
patent. Once exceeding 6,000rpm, the high speed cams take over and the
engine can rev for another 2 thousand rev.
On the
road, the 180hp Celica is pleasantly fast, despite of its reduced
displacement. Benefited by weight saving (the kerb weight is 1190kg) and a
close-ratio 6-speed manual, 0-60mph was timed in 6.8 sec by Road &
Track (Motor Trend even did that in 6.6 sec), 0-100mph was reached in 18.2
sec, very impressive. Nevertheless, don’t expect it to match the lightning
Silvia turbo or Fiat Coupe turbo, they do 0-100 in 14.2 sec and 14.5 sec
respectively.
If speed
is not the most important, the Celica should restore some ground with its
fine handling and ride. There is no trick in the conventional front
MacPherson struts and rear double wishbones, but the combination of
well-tuned spring / damper and lightweight engine lifts its performance.
Ride quality couldn’t be better for a coupe. Steering is surprisingly
quick and accurate, with plenty of feedback. As a FF its understeer is
well suppressed, although someone may ask for the ultimate fun as
experienced in a rear-drive Silvia or even the Altezza sedan. However, the
Celica’s balance, body roll, grip and brake are all no inferior to those
FR opponents.
The 180hp
engine for the GT-S model is revvy yet sufficiently torquey once you’re in
open road. Although its peak torque of 133 lbft arrives at sky-high
6,800rpm, the torque curve is very flat across the whole rev range.
However, I can’t help thinking that an addition of 200c.c. would have been
better coping with the competitors. The next thing I dream is a turbo,
perhaps from TRD. No way, I’m afraid only a new GT-4 could cope with
that.
Budget choice is also a
1.8-litre four, with the normal VVT-i instead of VVTL-i and output just
140hp and 125lbft. Please note that it is not a detuned version of the
180hp unit because it is developed by Toyota itself. Not only has cast
iron liners instead of Nikasil coating, its cylinder bore / stroke
dimension of 79.0 / 91.5mm also differs from the Yamaha engine’s 82.0 /
85.0mm. As reflected by its name, IZZ-FE, it is the one shared with the
new MR2 (MR-S). The basic engine has been reported as well short of power.
Both engines have the same 6-speed manual, which requires a strong hand.
An optional 4-speed E-shift automatic is well out of pace and
grace.
Summing
all up, the new Celica is far better than the last 2 generations, no
matter in styling, performance and handling. On the down side, it does not
have some fundamental breakthroughs to make it a class winner. It appears
well to the majority, but might not be enough to set us on
fire. Toyota Soarer / Lexus SC430 The point
is clearer if you compare the new SC with the old one. While the former
looks odd, the latter is still handsome after 9 years (born 1992) even
though without much restyle. The same feeling extends to interior. Better
material used aside, the new styling is quite inconsistent - sometimes you
see a straight-and-cool center console housing a sound system with brush
alloy face, sometimes you see some light-color wood decorated in the
dashboard in an American-traditional shape, at the same time you face 3
cute dials as found in some funny cars. Too much character means no
character.
While
subjective sense is cruel to Lexus, as always, in objective sense it is
hard to fault. The new car has a much sportier dimension than the old one
- a massive 384 mm shorter, 24 mm wider, same height and have a wheelbase
71 mm shorter. The positive outcome is much improved driver appeal, also
thanks to the all-double-wishbones suspensions donated by GS sedan. The
bad news is a pair of laughable "plus 2" rear seats. You would be generous
to call them "dog seats". How small ? it might accommodate handicapped
passengers without legs. And I doubt if the boot, with the roof stored,
can accommodate a folded wheelchair.
Back to
cool mechanical spec and you’ll see the platform is actually a shortened
GS430, with the same creamy yet powerful 300-horsepower V8 and
silky-smooth yet clever 5-speed automatic, though there is no
Tiptronic-style E-shift. Few care, as the chassis still favour comfort
rather than handling although the old car was even more so. Lexus claimed
the body shell is stiffer than Jaguar XK8 Convertible but R&T’s
testers found the opposite, that’s probably because the Lexus rides on
softer suspension setting. They also felt the Jaguar more agile to change
direction while the Lexus felt bulkier and heavier. Steering is accurate
and vibration-free but could be a little numb. Unsurprisingly, the
positive side is smooth ride.
In this
respect, the Lexus follows tightly its traditional values of placing
refinement in first priority. That’s a bit sad after seeing the new
direction set by IS. Being a 300-horsepower coupe pricing near Jaguar XK8
and Mercedes CLK430 Conv., it’s driver appeal is inevitably letting us
down. Perhaps the car concentrates too much on American market - some
two-third of the 15,000 cars produced annually will destine there - and
fail to care the rest of the world, especially Europe. Ah ha, you know,
the old SC coupe was bounded in the America and
Japan.
Watch out
next year’s long-awaited (for 13 years) new Mercedes SL, with similar roof
and superior handling yet no compromise in ride comfort, I believe the
tri-star can sell double number of cars compare with the Lexus yet manage
to earn double profit margin per car. Believe or not
!
After all,
the new SC coupe is less desirable than the original appeared in 1992. I
think it cannot last as long. |