Taggarkiv: cars

KIA cee'd GT-line

Familjebil: Kia cee’d SW GT-line -16

Familjeorienterad och valuta för pengarna sammanfattar senaste Kia cee’d. Den testade* bilen var en ny (i Sverige) GT linje med en 1,6 liters fyrcylindrig dieselmotor.

Sammanfattning
En ganska normal bil för den lilla familjen. Inget att bli alltför upphetsad om förrän du kikar på fronten. Annorlunda frontspoiler med iskubs-DRL med LED-teknik ser riktigt tufft ut. Förutom det är det inte mycket annorlunda mot en vanlig cee’d.

Utseende
GT-line är ett taffligt försök att hotta upp en vanlig cee’d. Eftersom det inte finns en starkare, turbomatad, bensinmotor under huven kan du spara pengarna och köpa en vanlig cee’d istället. Men vill du låtsas som att du kör en sportigare bil, go for it!

Körglädje
Nja, relativt svag dieselmotor utan spets parat till en förutsägbar automatisk växellåda. Inte mycket att höja på ögonbrynen för.

Komfort
Lagom, inte superbra på att svälja gupp men inte dålig på något vis. Relativt högt vägljud i kupén, ett vanligt sätt spara lite pengar i produktionen.

* 2015 Sweden Car Blogger´s Awards

2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI 230 hk/ps DSG – CarTestr Review

The VW Golf GTI is an excellent driver´s car with loads of power for all kinds of traffic. Equipped with DCC the Golf is a dream to drive with force on twisty roads, where both the chassi and the gearbox will make you smile!

First impression is that this is just another VW Golf and that is not a bad thing. It’s when you start the engine that you can sense that this is not your everyday commuter´s Golf. And when you put the car in drive and floor it, hang on to the steering wheel!

vw-golf-gti-front-side

This a class leader and the VW quality is unarguable, unless we talk diesel engine emissions. This car is not a diesel, it has a petrol/gas engine that pumps out 230 hk/ps using a DSG automatic transmission, with paddles next to the steering wheel for extra fun.

When I drove this car it was in Sport mode (DCC) and there is a notable difference between the sport and normal modes. We drove on a small, twisty road and the car was glued to the ground at all times. The closest experience is a John Cooper Works tuned MINI Cooper S, you really have to be mean if you want the car to loose its grip.

The sport mode also makes the gearbox more aggressive. When you slow down it kicks into a lower gear and make all kinds of noises from the exhaust, the car is always ready to be pushed way beyond the current speed limit and way beyond what you thought a small hatchback like a Golf was capable of.

Best of all: When you are not driving like a Cartestr you can use the car in everyday driving and remain anonymous, at least until you floor it (again and again and again).

2015 MINI Cooper S – JCW Pro Tuning Kit – CarTestr Review

MINI Cooper S with more-than-stock-power in the John Cooper Works pro tuning edition is an evil car. The car is fairly light and when you combine than with a strong turbo-charged engine, superb handling, a really fast gearbox, and the twin exhaust – you are in for loads of fun.

mini-cooper-s-jcw-cockpit

First impression – Wow!
This is such an awesome looking car. This is a car that demand to be driven and when you do, you are in for a tons of fun. If you are looking for a city car, this is the car for you. If you are looking for a city car that you can race with, this is the car for you. If you want to haul lots of cargo and all your friends, you must live in a suitcase and be a loner.

This MINI Cooper S was fitted with the John Cooper Works Pro Tuning Kit (hence it has five doors, not three). What that means is that the original engine is tweaked and given an extra 19 horses. Added on top of that is a sport exhaust system that sounds amazing. You can hear this car coming a mile away (if driven hard).

This MINI was part of the 2015 Sweden Car Blogger´s Awards where it was force-driven by most participants. You just can’t stop yourself from playing with the paddles and listen to the rally car sound from the twin pipe exhaust.

2016 KIA cee’d GT-line SW – 136 hk/ps, 300 Nm, DCT – CarTestr Review

Family-oriented, good looking and value for money summarizes the latest Kia cee’d. The car tested was the new (in Sweden) GT line equipped cee’d Sportswagon with a 1.6 litre four cylinder diesel engine.

First impression – A pretty normal car for the small family. Nothing to get overly excited about until you check out the front. The cool looking DRL arrangement from the previous GT series looks really cool. But that is about it.

The GT-line is a failed attempt to make a sportier cee’d SW. When you are done staring at the cool front LEDs this is an ordinary KIA: Inside, same as before/other models. Rear exterior, same as before/other models. The GT-line badge on the trunk lid and the twin chrome pipes (one side only) is something you can pick up at any aftermarket store. But if you look beyond the new ”GT” styling this is unarguably a really good family hauler (for European roads).

The ride on both the highway and twisty country roads is comfortable and the 7-speed automatic gearbox does what you expect it to do. What the car lack in terms of performance it gains on its ability to perform as an everyday car with a decent amount of space for passengers and cargo.

Review in Swedish:

2016 BMW 118d – CarTestr Review

No surprises here. The BMW 118d is what you would expect from a BMW. Safe to drive, excellent interior quality, great handling and that premium feel.

If you are into sports cars this BMW is a boring experience. If you enjoy compact cars for commuting and city driving this BMW is nearly perfect.

bmw-118d-leather-upholstery-trim

The BMW 118d is a good looking premium compact. The car tested here was equipped with cream white leather upholstery and lovely looking fine-wood ”Fineline” interior trim. The dashboard is familiar and everything is easy to find. Nothing to complain about in the cockpit.

bmw-118d-interior-a

If you put yourself in the rear seat you´ll notice that you are not riding in a Skoda Superb. It’s tight but fit two adults with ease. You’ll also notice that you are somewhat limited if you plan to haul lots of cargo. If that is the case, perhaps a larger BMW is what you should buy.

On the road this BMW is predictable although a bit slow, 150 hk/ps is not that much. I have driven the larger BMW X4 20d and that engine combined with the 8-speed automatic gearbox is much easier to drive.

If you decide on a BMW 118d you are not doing it because you are looking for engine power, you are probably buying the BMW 118d because you want a VW Gold-sized car with a premium touch.