Posts Tagged ‘utility vehicle’

Some parties you just don’t want to miss. So when Land Rover called with a last-minute invitation to see the red-hot new Range Rover Evoque in person, I eagerly cleared my calendar.

Held at the beautiful Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the event was a debutante ball to introduce the striking and seductive Evoque to San Francisco’s most elite trendsetters.

As we reported a few months ago, Land Rover is trying something new with the Evoque. This is a Range Rover for a new era and has a much greater focus on efficiency, technology, and design. If the reaction from these Bay Area hipsters is positive, the company can likely look forward to sales success when the Evoque hits the road this fall.

“The people we appeal to have an entrepreneurial spirit and are very discriminating about the products they buy,” explained Andrew Polsinelli, Land Rover’s general manager of product planning. “You can’t define a Range Rover customer by their demographics,” he continued. “It’s much more about a mindset.”

Polsinelli says that Range Rover customers are looking to make a statement and he believes that the Evoque – daring, luxurious, capable, and environmentally sensitive – is the right statement for today’s market.

Finbar McFall, Land Rover’s head of marketing for North America, confirmed that this is the direction the company is headed: intelligent design that doesn’t require the customer to sacrifice luxury or performance.

Case in point: McFall boasts that the Evoque’s turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and lightweight construction will allow it to rocket to 60 miles per hour as fast as today’s V8-powered Range Rover Sport.

Judging by the enormously positive response at the party, I’d say that Land Rover is right on the money. The crowd swarmed the white show car as soon as the cover was lifted, with a long line forming at each door.

Waiting my own turn to step inside, I heard some attendees whisper concerns about the snug size. Fortunately, the Evoque’s cabin proved surprisingly roomy. Several NBA-sized guys were able to sit up front comfortably with head and legroom to spare.

The rear seats are cozy but livable, offering enough space for adults to relax and stretch out a bit. I met several moms and dads who were eager to ditch much larger SUVs in favor of the tidy Evoque. After close inspection, they assured me that the back seat was kid-friendly and that the cargo hold large enough for a diaper bag, stroller, and other vital parent gear.

Whoever is in the back seat will no doubt enjoy the gorgeous glass roof, which offers uninterrupted views of the sky. High-strength boron steel in the surrounding structure allows Land Rover to skip unsightly cross-braces without compromising safety.

One of the Evoque’s most controversial elements, the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, drew solemn nods of approval from the green-leaning crowd. Several people I spoke with expected to find a V8 engine under the bonnet and were pleasantly surprised by the company’s fuel-efficient choice. “I’m just waiting for gas prices to go back up,” explained one venture capitalist. “This seems like a very smart move.”

Based on the warm welcome from this hard-to-impress San Francisco crowd, it’s clear that Land Rover has much to look forward to when the Evoque comes to market in late 2011. Just make sure you’re not late to the party or you may find yourself stuck waiting in line.

Since its launch for the 2010 model year, the Cadillac SRX has taken the midsize luxury crossover market by storm. GM boasts that the SRX outsold the Audi Q7, Mercedes M-Class, BMW X5, and Acura MDX during the first half of this year and that its projected 36-month resale value now sits 17 points higher than last year’s model.

With its chiseled good looks and abundance of hi-tech features, it’s easy to see why Cadillac has a hit on their hands.

The SRX takes after Cadillac’s striking second-generation CTS sedan, with crisp lines and a powerful stance that makes it look eager to pounce. The design is taut and muscular and dynamic. Catch a glimpse of the SRX lit up across a deserted parking lot at night and your pulse will quicken with anticipation. When’s the last time a luxury crossover did that for you?

For better or for worse, Cadillac’s direction for the SRX is 180 degrees from the segment’s perennial sales champion, the Lexus RX. Where the SRX looks hard-edged and aggressive, the RX is soft-spoken and delicate.

The difference continue inside, as well. The SRX again draws inspiration from its CTS sibling with an angular center stack that’s framed by metallic trim. The dash is covered in synthetic leather and held together with upscale French stitching that can also be found on the door pulls, seats, and steering wheel. It’s a nice touch that adds a feeling of craftsmanship, even if it is a bit overdone in places.

Fit and finish in the car I drove was very good but still not quite in the same league as the Lexus. Some of the plastics felt tinny and not all of the seams along the dash were perfectly uniform. Still, these are nitpicks on an otherwise excellent design.

Adding a bit of theater is an optional navigation system with a crisp LCD screen that motors into view only when needed. When not in use for directions or the optional rearview camera, it slides back down halfway and becomes a conventional readout for audio and HVAC.

Parked in the center of the speedometer is a beautiful LCD display that displays trip computer functions like fuel economy, tire pressure, and even the speed limit of the road you’re traveling on. Set a destination on the navigation system and the display will show the next turn on your route so that your eyes don’t have to wander far. It’s a gorgeous piece of kit that’s well integrated and very handy.

Crossover vehicles are hugely popular as family cars and Cadillac wisely added a few family-friendly features. The optional rear seat entertainment system, for example, features two screens that can run independent video sources in case Johnny wants to watch a movie while Susie plugs in a video game console.

Your kids won’t mind the back seat but taller adults may. Headroom is tight due to the sporty roofline and space-stealing UltraView panoramic sunroof. That sunroof affords a lovely view for everyone, but because it comes standard on all but the base model SRX, shoppers should consider how often they’ll be transporting tall adults in the rear seat.

Speaking of height, Moms and Dads will no doubt love the power rear cargo door, which makes loading and unloading a one-touch affair and can be programmed to open part-way. This selectable height setting can really come in handy if your garage has low-hanging pipes or storage racks that might otherwise wreck a nice paint job.

As you’d expect of a Cadillac, the SRX comes loaded to the gills with safety features. Anti-lock brakes, traction control, and electronic stability control are all standard – as are front, side, and side-curtain air bags. The SRX was also named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an award that requires top scores in four different types of crashes.

Out on the road, the Cadillac’s standard 3.0-liter V6 engine produces a competitive 265-horsepower but only 223 lb-ft of torque, meaning that you have to rev the engine a bit to really get moving. The 6-speed automatic transmission proves an unwilling partner, though, stubbornly refusing to downshift as it tries to preserve fuel economy. Acceleration is fine for most situations but I found the sluggish transmission frustrating when trying to slice my way through heavy LA traffic.

The conservative transmission tuning is a shame because the SRX rides on an athletic chassis that really comes alive when you pick up the pace. If anything, this playful spirit is what sets the edgy Cadillac most apart from the soft and isolated Lexus.

There’s an optional turbocharged V6 engine that boosts horsepower to 300 and torque to 295 but it requires a substantial amount of optional equipment and results in a sticker price that’s about $15,000 over the base SRX. Fuel economy also drops to an abysmal 15 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. Considering that most other competitors can meet or exceed the turbocharged Cadillac’s performance with their base engines, the upgrade hardly seems worth it.

Standard on the turbo models and optional with the standard V6 is a new all-wheel drive system that is among the most sophisticated in the segment. It collects 200 readings per second from twenty sensors and routes power among the wheels with surgical precision. A fancy electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle shuffles power side-to-side as you corner.

The net effect is an almost surreal feeling of agility and control. This Caddy loves to dance and the all-wheel drive system’s boost to roadholding and traction makes it well worth the $2,500 that it adds to the bottom line.

Even with options like the all-wheel drive system, rearview camera, navigation, and UltraView sunroof; the Cadillac SRX is priced competitively for the segment. Base models with the standard V6 and front-wheel drive start at $33,830 though most buyers will find themselves in the low-$40k range, right in the heart of Lexus RX territory.

By standing so close to the Lexus in terms of price, Cadillac is inviting comparisons. You’ll need to decide if you want soft and civilized or edgy and fun. And though you’ll have to sacrifice some speed and refinement to get it, the Cadillac SRX is a compelling choice for buyers who want an edgier alternative to the luxury crossover status quo.

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Photos courtesy GM

The new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the perfect car to overcome these rocky times.

And as the first all-new product to emerge after Chrysler’s bankruptcy last year, this grandest of Jeeps certainly has a lot riding on it. With 70 years of serious off-road heritage and 12 billion dollars of bailout money at stake, Chrysler is counting on this new model to show the world what its new organization is capable of.

Fortunately, there’s a whole lot to like about the new Grand Cherokee.

Jeep’s new flagship has clever technology, amazing capability, and considerably higher quality than its predecessor. Most importantly, this upscale off-roader is a great value. Chrysler claims to have added $2,000 to $6,000 in features to each trim level while simultaneously holding the line on price. Impressive.

Conspicuous consumption is out these days and the Grand Cherokee’s handsome styling says that it’s about function, not flash. The stern face and deep sculpting on the doors are tasteful and restrained. This is how SUVs should look: muscular, confident, solemn.

You won’t be disappointed inside, either. The Grand Cherokee’s new interior impresses with soft plastics, quality leather, and a clean design. There’s also Bluetooth, navigation, voice recognition, adaptive cruise control, satellite television with up to 20 channels, and a mobile wi-fi internet service available for technophiles.

As you’d expect from a Grand Cherokee, off-road technology abounds. Twist the knob on the (optional) Selec-Terrain system and its advanced software will raise the Quadra-Lift air suspension and tweak the operation of the Quadra-Drive II for maximum traction. This Jeep just plain gets the job done.

Grunt comes courtesy of Chrysler’s brand new 290-horsepower “Phoenix” V6 engine, which is surprisingly efficient at 16 MPG in the city and 22-23 MPG on the highway. An optional HEMI V8 engine with 360-horsepower is available and boosts towing capacity from 5,000 to 7,400 pounds.

With it’s reasonable price, graceful appointments, and hefty towing capacity, the Grand Cherokee compares favorably against truck-based competitors like the Nissan Pathfinder.  Stack it up to car-based crossovers, like the Ford Edge or Toyota Venza, though, and it gets more complicated.

Do you need the Jeep’s 7,400-pound towing capacity? Are you willing to lose an MPG or two? Do you prefer the quiet, confident type?

Once upon a time the Jeep Grand Cherokee sold in dizzying numbers because it broadcast adventure and promised an escape from the ordinary. This time, I think Jeep’s flagship will sell because it delivers the kind of confidence and roll-up-your-sleeves determination that our country needs right now.

That’s my take.

Love it? Check out Grand Cherokee pricing and reviews on Honk.

Hate it?  Tell me why with a review of your own.