Table of contents for October 2016 in Torque

Hyundai has introduced its all-new i30, the brand’s latest player in the Golf segment. Like its predecessors, this five-door hatchback is designed and built in Europe. But it looks much sharper than before, and offers more space and practicality than the previous model. Its boot capacity, for instance, exceeds that of the benchmark Volkswagen Golf’s. Practicality aside, the i30 also offers greater security as it has the most active-safety features of any Hyundai model to date. Apart from Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Keeping Assist, the i30 is the first Hyundai model that can be specified with Driver Attention Alert, which helps detect driver fatigue. The new i30 will also be the first Hyundai model available with the new turbocharged 1.4-litre 4-cylinder engine that produces 140bhp and 242Nm. When paired…

Electrically adjustable seats can conform to your body, but Lexus’ Kinetic Seat Concept might be the first to be able to mould itself to your body’s contours. Instead of foam, the Kinetic Seat uses “webs” constructed from synthetic spider silk. Like actual spider webs, the material is strong but flexible. The strength and flexibility allow the cushion and backrest to move as they react to external forces and the occupant’s weight. In theory, this would enable a person’s chest and pelvis to rotate in opposite directions, thereby helping to stabilise his head while the vehicle is in motion.…

“ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, ACTIVE STABILITY CONTROL AND SEVEN AIRBAGS WILL HELP KEEP YOUR LOVED ONES SECURE.” It’s got snazzy styling. The Outlander is designed around the Dynamic Shield concept, which expresses the car’s ability to embrace and protect its passengers. This design also enhances the Outlander’s already dynamic road presence. It’s a very spacious seven-seater. There’s plenty of headroom and legroom in the second row, and unlike other seven-seater SUVs, the Outlander’s third-row seats are actually roomy. In fact, the third-row seats even have adjustable recline angles, which offer passengers here additional comfort. It packs plenty of power. A seven-seater SUV needs lots of muscle to move, especially when it’s fully loaded. With a 2.4-litre inline-4 producing 167ps and 222Nm, there’s enough performance in reserve – even if your entire family and…

BUYERS shopping for a five-door European hatchback are spoilt for choice, because apart from the usual French and German models, there is a British one, too. The MINI 5-Door finally gives the British marque a contender in this segment. Apart from having more space and a roomier boot compared to the 3-Door variant, MINI says that the 5-Door offers just as much driving excitement as its 3-Door sibling. Looking more exciting than its lesser siblings is the 150bhp Volkswagen Golf, which comes standard with the R-Line package. Said package not only includes trim-specific body components, but much larger wheels, too. The newest competitor in this segment is the Opel Astra, which has improved build quality, better performance and more room than its predecessor. Which of these spirited hatchbacks will prove…

THE very first BMW M3 (E30) wrote the book on sheer driving pleasure in the shape of an everyday car. It remains an icon in automotive history. BMW’s quest for supremacy, however, meant that as time went by, the M3 grew bigger and faster, until it finally left a space below it for a smaller, more playful machine. One such machine is the limited production 1 Series M Coupe, which received critical acclaim when it was launched in 2011. The M2, which arrives four years later, succeeds the 1 Series M Coupe. More importantly, it carries the promise of being the E30’s spiritual successor. The M2’s pedigree couldn’t be finer, and enthusiasts’ expectations couldn’t be weightier. I must confess that I am a Bimmer fan. Growing up, my favourite reads…

TORQUE readers put their car knowledge to the test once again at Torque On The Move (TOTM), Torque’s annual automotive telematch, which began at Tree Lizard restaurant in Dempsey Hill. This year, apart from deciphering riddles to figure out the location of the four compulsory Torque junctions, teams could also score bonus points by explaining how they solved each riddle. At the HEVSHOP junction, teams sat through a presentation about hybrid cars before taking a quiz, which required them to decide whether the statements read to them were facts or myths. What added to this challenge’s difficulty was the time limit for each question, which meant participants had to quickly recall what they had just learnt. “EVEN THE LOCATION CLUES PROVED TO BE A REAL HEADACHE.” Each team’s physical…

The Kia Rio may be the brand’s best-selling car globally, but the model does not enjoy the same success in Singapore. The Rio’s popularity here may start rising, though, once local buyers see this all-new model, which is roomier, safer and more ergonomic than before. The dashboard, for example, is now angled towards the driver, while the C-pillars have been made 87mm slimmer to improve rearward visibility and mitigate blind spots. Also helping the driver avoid accidents are optional technologies such as Lane Departure Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian recognition – the first car in its segment that can be so equipped. If official Kia agent Cycle & Carriage does decide to bring in the new Rio, it should opt for variants equipped with the turbocharged 1-litre 3-cylinder…

Edgy and ecoconscious fashionistas may soon be able to shop for clothes made from carbon fibre. Twin sisters Danielle and Annette Felder, the duo behind the Felder Felder label, are showing the possibility with their Carbon Dress, 97 percent of which is made from the exotic automotive material. The dress was inspired by BMW’s i models, and its carbon fibre came from the manufacturer’s electric vehicle programme. If this trend takes off, boyracers may want shirts made from the material, too.…

Like most people who work in the IT field, Jackie Lee knows and loves his gadgets. The 40-year-old, who has a degree in electrical engineering, founded Hardware Zone and is currently the chairman and group CEO of clickTRUE, a company that specialises in pay per performance online advertising. If there was ever a limousine suited to a techie like Jackie, it would be the BMW 7 Series. Jackie took the 750Li for a drive, and had lots to say about the car’s technology and abilities. Performance-wise, what did you like most about the car? The turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 is very responsive. I am really impressed that this large car accelerates from a standstill to 100km/h in under five seconds. Overtaking and turning other drivers’ heads are a breeze. What did…

In the same way Korea’s pop culture exports are enjoying worldwide appeal for their flawless appearances and catchy tunes, it’s no exaggeration to say that the new Hyundai Elantra sedan has taken a leaf out of that playbook. CHARMING LOOKS There are three variants to choose from – Auto, S and Elite. All feature the signature “shark’s mouth” hexagonal grille and front-wheel air curtains that optimise aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. The premium Elantra Elite boasts modern lighting signatures that include, for the first time, LED daytime running lights that accentuates its contemporary and sporty appearance. So it’s no surprise that the Elantra had received the prestigious 2016 iF Design Award in January this year. PREMIUM FEATURES More than just a pretty face, the Elantra has a more rigid chassis that…

Rail was a major mode of transport in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To ensure that rail services ran efficiently, punctuality was key. With this in mind, a precise and top-quality timepiece became an essential piece of equipment. It wasn’t long before the watchmaking expertise of Longines gained momentum and popularity amongst railway companies all over the world. Railway employees, from China to Chile to Canada, all relied on the synchronised timepieces from Longines to prevent railway accidents and minimise travel delays. A PRECISION TIMEPIECE, REVIVED This rich history in watchmaking and transportation proved to be the inspiration for the 2016 Longines RailRoad from the Heritage collection. Like the other classic, vintage-inspired timepieces from the collection, this watch takes a page from a model developed in the 1960s…

IT is hard to believe that the Aston Martin DB9 has been around for 12 years. Twelve years is an eternity in the motoring world. But the DB9 doesn’t look like it has aged a day. Its lines are still beautiful, and the car remains as desirable as ever. But if you’ve been aching to acquire a DB9, you will only be able to land a used model, because Aston Martin has halted its production to make way for the DB11. If you’re wondering why the DB9’s successor isn’t called the DB10, it’s because the latter only exists on the silver screen. It was driven by fictional secret agent James Bond in Spectre. Like the DB9, the DB11 is crafted to impress. It has many gorgeous lines. But it’s also…

“MY CONTINENTAL COLLEAGUES CONSIST OF SINGAPOREANS MALAYSIANS, KOREANS, INDIANS, FILIPINOS, CHINESE, GERMANS, BURMESE, JAPANESE, THAIS AND MORE!” MARILYN Yong, a software manager at Continental Automotive Singapore, has been with the company for 10 years. She graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, majoring in Communication. Her pre-university school days were spent in Raffl es Junior College and Raffl es Girls’ School. Before she joined Continental in 2006, she was a software engineer developing PDA phones. Marilyn is currently in Continental’s ID business unit (Instrumentation & Driver HMI), which specialises in instrument clusters, climate control panels, secondary displays and related on-board devices. Instrument clusters in her case refer to the dashboard components that indicate vehicle information such as speed, fuel level and warnings. Her…

FAMILY AFFAIRS DESMOND ANG If you already own a decent family car, and you’re interested in cars, you would want motoring magazines to provide different, “non-family” content for your leisure reading. Why would anyone read up more on family cars when he already has a family car? But don’t get me wrong. Every mag has its own readers and supporters, and no single title can fulfill every reader’s need. The thing I like about Torque is that it covers a lot of “affordable” cars that people are actually looking to buy. Personally, I like your Group Test section the most. Torque Thanks for your refreshing take on the (many) family cars featured by this magazine. SOLID OLD VOLVO CHEE WENG TANG The 240 GLE…

Porsche has unveiled its Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, which is the faster, more powerful and more efficient successor to the Panamera S E-Hybrid. The newcomer’s combined output is 462bhp and 700Nm, or 46bhp and 110Nm more than the old one. With the added traction of all-wheel-drive, the improved Panamera demolishes the century sprint in 4.6 seconds, or 0.9 of a second quicker than its rear-wheel-drive predecessor. The car’s performance is also enhanced by its 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which is quicker than the S E-Hybrid’s 8-speed torque converter automatic. Furthermore, the added boost from the electric motor is now always available. In the old Panamera S E-Hybrid, the throttle pedal must be pressed 80 percent of the way before the boost kicks in. The new Porsche is also more frugal, managing a…

The DB10 might be Aston Martin’s ultimate movie prop for James Bond, agent 007 on Her Majesty’s secret service. Ten units of the bespoke sports car were specially built for Spectre, of which eight were used in the filming of the 2015 Bond blockbuster. The DB10 has a 4.7-litre V8, a 6-speed manual gearbox, a carbon fibre exterior and Daniel Craig behind the wheel. Away from the silver screen and international espionage, Aston Martin has introduced another number aimed at rich men who have a licence to drive instead of a licence to kill – DB11 (pg 54). AND ALSO • OPEL ASTRA vs VOLKSWAGEN GOLF vs MINI COOPER 5-DOOR • TOYOTA RAV4 vs SUBARU FORESTER • PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER S • HONDA CIVIC 1.6 • BMW M2 COUPE &…

IF you’re the sort of person whose weekends are filled with football games (on a real field, not on a PlayStation) and unbeaten trails, then you may be considering a sports utility vehicle (SUV) to suit your active lifestyle. There are plenty of choices available if you’re looking for such a car, and the Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 featured here would certainly satisfy your requirements. These two Japanese models offer loads of practicality together with a decent dose of ruggedness. Both have also been recently facelifted to keep them fresh and help them stand out in a very competitive segment. Following a nip-and-tuck, the RAV4 now has a sharper-looking front end. It has a more streamlined grille and headlamp design, as well as a reshaped bumper to give it…

(All prices exclude labour and are before GST.)…

MITSUBISHI MIRAGE PRICE ON APPLICATION Although the Mirage is essentially the hatchback version of the Attrage, the former is more attractive than the latter, with a sleeker nose and more pert rear end. The Mirage is also more practical than its sibling, offering up to 910 litres (seats folded) of boot space, or more than double the Attrage’s capacity. RIVAL HYUNDAI ACCENT GENESIS G80 PRICE ON APPLICATION This executive saloon is an updated Hyundai Genesis, and the first model from the carmaker’s new Genesis luxury division. The car’s styling revisions are minor, but it continues to offer more space, practicality and standard features than its competitors. Engine choices include a 3.8-litre V6 and 5-litre V8, with the former more likely to be sold here. RIVAL LEXUS GS INFINITI Q30 $137,800…