Test drives: two drivers share their experiences
Kia Sorento in a showroom with doors open for a peak into the interior. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE
The 2016 X-Trail is Nissan’s crossover proposition to move seven people and cargo more economically and comfortably.
Without any doubt X-Trail is the sparring partner of the 2016 Toyota RAV4, could it also be its stiffest competition in Uganda?
The X-Trail is ruffling the feathers of the new Honda CRV, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX5 and here in Uganda the new Toyota RAV4. A few days ago Motor Care Uganda, the local Nissan dealership, granted my request to test drive a brand new 2016 Nissan X-Trail.
Looks don’t lie
As I patiently waited for the X-Trail smart key, I took a stroll around the demo unit, a brilliant white color beautifully bedecked with some ‘bling-bling’ in the form of silver painted low slung targa roof bars, chrome finished door handles and window liners.
I noticed it shares the same new Nissan ‘facial features’ –the bucket looking chrome border of the logo on the front grille.
The new look is emphasised by LED headlamps with boomerang-shaped daytime running lights.
The body is curvy, stylish and aerodynamic with no sharp edges as its boxy predecessors. Its designers must have taken a tea break while crafting the rear end; it reminds me of the 2004 Toyota Harrier.
Nonetheless the curves flow gracefully from the bonnet to the rear spoiler, like the elegant shape of a swan.
Improved aerodynamics reduce Co-efficient of Drag (COD) to 0.35, which helps to improve fuel economy.
Nissan X-Trail followed the trend of cross-over vehicles by shedding the off-roader ruggedness and ground clearance typical of previous generation.
At this point I was enchanted; armed with the smart key I could not wait any longer to prove whether this car is not just a ‘trick-less magician’.
In house comfort
The intelligent key in my pocket gave me a ‘Midas touch’ which allowed the security system to recognise me and grant ‘keyless access’ by pressing a small button on the driver’s door handle as well as a push button to start the car.
As I slide into the double-stitched leather driver’s seat, I notice the comfortable, wide and supportive seats.
The soft vinyl trim is punctuated by chrome finishes around the air vents, the steering controls and gear selector, instrument cluster and the chrome door knobs.
A wide dash board accommodates all the knobs and dials in an easy-to-reach way.
There is ample space to accommodate my 6ft height comfortably and leave legroom and shoulder room for all the passengers.
Seven seats are fitted in a 5+2 arrangement which allows you to slide and recline the middle row to allow the rear passengers comfortable access and seating. The third row comes in handy for an extended family excursion. However, during an Entebbe airport pickup or road trip to the village you may need to forego the two rear seats to allow use of the 550 litres of luggage space.
The rear trunk door automatically closes when you press a switch like in the Audi Q5 or BMW X6 crossovers.
Overcome by anticipation, I push the start button. The Advanced Drive Assist Display (ADAD) screen lights up together with the surrounding LED-lit dials and instruments.
The steering wheel controls are thoughtfully designed and positioned for easy use of the ADAD like a computer game console.
On the left side of the steering, switches give you quick access to infotainment while those on the right side allow you to manipulate the cruise control and your blue tooth connected mobile phone.
As I playfully navigate the different features on the menu I notice that this on board computer gives me up to date status information about average speed, fuel economy, caller ID and the source or names of the music I’m playing.
As I belt up and engage reverse to back out of the car park the ADAD display switches on the Around View Monitor. This feature splits the screen and puts together a 360-degree view from a live feed supplied by cameras at the front, back and sides.
Performance and handling
As I drive away I am fully aware about the on-board arsenal of passive and pro-active controls and safety shield innovations. I decide to put them all to the test after all there was a seat belt and airbags.
As I sped up the uneven bumpy stretch adjacent to Jinja Road Police station, I could feel the Active Ride Control feature eliminate the bounce by selectively applying brakes and adjusting engine torque to moderate pitching motion, which ensured a smooth ride.
As I joined upper Kololo terrace I decided to do a quick dash up Kololo Hill drive to test the 106 kilowatts power output and 200 newton metres of torque from the 2.0 litre petrol engine.
I kept my foot down on the throttle to test road holding and stability in cornering situations by driving fast through the short frequent sharp bends on Kololo Hill drive.
It did not disappoint. I maintained calm and comfortable control of the vehicle as it drove through the sharp bends thanks to Active Trace Control system – ATC.
This innovative feature on the X-Trail maintains dynamic control as you drive fast through sharp corners by automatically reading the cornering situation and braking each wheel individually.
This helps steer through the turns confidently with minimal body roll. I also did not experience over-steer or under-steer. But of course I was on tarmac.
A glance at the ADAD revealed that my performance driving had reduced my fuel economy to about 9.3 km/l.
I reached the summit of Kololo Hill drive and headed to Acacia Avenue to test how it handles in city traffic.
The cabin is reasonably sound proof as it keeps out most of the road noise. At that point I decided to relax and enjoy the car by switching on the radio while using the steering controls to search for my favourite channel and adjust the volume.
I weaved through Acacia Avenue and Kira road mid-morning traffic to join the deserted Yusuf Lule road.
ADAD reveals that a light tap on the gas pedal improves fuel economy drastically to about 12 km/l, it even tells me that my fuel on board will take me 50km.
In the mood to play more games I did another short sprint and the X-Trails’ 106 Kw of power responded well to my foot on the throttle. I managed to accelerate from 0-100 kph in about 12 seconds and brought the car to an abrupt halt when I reached the turn off to Naguru go down.
Braking controls
My hard but safe braking was thanks to the Active Engine Brake or Brake Assist, which uses the CVT gearbox and engine braking to enable emergency or abrupt stops.
The X-Trail did not skid or slip sideways during the simulation of emergency braking because of the combined effort of the Anti-lock Braking system (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC).
These passive safety innovations allow safe stopping during hard braking by using wheel speed sensors and computors to prevent wheel lock and skidding or slipping sideways due to steering, braking or acceleration.
I noticed that the bold performance is reinforced by a seamless mating of the 2.0 litre engine and 6-speed automatic gearbox with sequential shift for sporty driving.
Gears
Unlike the conventional CVT gearbox, which shifts continuously as it matches engine with gear ratios, the new CVT X-Tronic gearbox in the X-Trail shifts in steps like your conventional automatic gearbox to reduce delay in shifts.
The X-Trail performance was not exactly Formula 1 podium material, but for a small 2.0 litre petrol engine there is something to write home about.
I selected ECO mode which adjusts shift points for even better fuel economy. Turning off Yusuf Lule road, I drove towards Naguru hill via Katalima loop. The triple humps on Katalima loop were subdued by the Active Ride Control feature.
Off-road ability
As I headed up the Naguru hill summit my motive was to test the off-road ability of the X-Trail on a slippery section of the hillside. I got my spot to test the X-Trail. I parked at an incline and switched off the engine to let myself enjoy the scenic view of the hillside and Kampala.
When I started the engine, the X-Trail did not roll back down the incline thanks to the Hill Start Assist. This feature holds the X-Trail in place while on a slope for a few seconds without rolling back.
This gave me time to accelerate up the slope without panicking to use the brake and accelerator pedal.
This was the time to test the the intuitive ALL MODE 4x4 intelligent.
This system provides three driving modes, which can be selected by a rotary knob on the centre console – the two wheel drive (for economical driving), Auto (automatically adjusts torque distribution between front and rear wheels when driving or tarmacked or slippery terrain) 4WD (which permanently allocates drive to both front and rear wheels on a 50:50 ratio).
I selected the Auto mode, which enabled me to drive over the uneven hillside terrain and loose stony gravel without loss of traction. Conscious of the limited ground clearance of 209mm, I selected reasonable ditches to drive over.
Descent controls
The X-Trail’s arrival and departure angles prevent under ride or bumper damage fording over ditches such as those at your farm or building site.
This was evident as I tested the Hill descent control facility (HDC) to descend down a steep patch. HDC used the ABS brakes to control my descent while I just held the steering with foot off the accelerator and brake pedals.
It was obvious that the X-Trail would not tackle the kind of terrain that the bigger 4WD SUVs can, but it performs well on lighter off road terrain that you are likely to encounter on a rainy day. X-Trail’s off road credentials throw a good challenge to its ‘peers’.
Kia Sorento
I bet few of us have driven or been driven in a Car of the Year. The great feeling that comes with seating behind the wheel of a car whose design has won it awards.
Last month, I was invited to drive of the Kia Sorento in order to get a feel of the car.
So I headed to Old Portbell Road where the headquarters of the official distributors of Kia vehicles in Uganda including Kia Soul, the type that Pope Francis rode in while he was here.
I was received by the CEO Joseph Ssemuwemba, who says he has more than 20 years of vehicle sales experience and a marketing background.
In the showroom was a brand new maroon Kia Sorento, among a host of other cars. I could not wait to ride in this cute car. My guide seemed to read my mind, ordered for the keys and off we went.
Then, things got better. The new car smell, the weight of the doors, the curves, the feel of the leather seats, the cool air conditioner, how amazingly the car shuts out external noise, and how silently it glides over potholes and humps.
The test drive
We tested the Kia Sorento 2.2l diesel, which my host revealed to me was smaller than the Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 “but the vehicle is able to generate 147Kw of power, 47Kw more than the Mitsubishi Pajero can manage.” He had answered my question before I asked.
“This is because of the common rail direct injection on the Sorento,” he added.
Kia hired Peter Schreyer, German automobile designer widely known for his design contributions to the Audi TT.
In 2006, Car Design News called the Audi TT one of “the most influential automotive designs in recent time.”
Schreyer is now the brain that combined Kia practicality with European car refinement to give us the eye candy that is the new Kia models.
Car of the year
The Middle East had the car of the Year award ceremony and the Kia Sorento was voted by the public as the Middle East Car of the Year (Mecoty).
Now in its 4th edition, Mecoty is the biggest, most coveted award of the regional automotive industry.
It integrates a complex yet transparent nomination and scoring methodology, which is developed, tested and implemented by the most experienced “motoring minds” of the industry.
The jury select an array of vehicles and test drive them, then select the best two and present them to the public to vote.
Kia Sorento had won Car of the Year in Australia. This time it was an award from a magazine, Cars Guide, which is a very exacting jury of car professionals.
Their criteria being “real cars for real roads for real people”. Then I knew that if the Kia Sorento can be accepted and respected in Australia, it will perform well in Uganda.
In Australia, the Kia Sorento won ‘Car of the Year’ because “It ticks all of the boxes on the Cars Guide judging criteria, from the starting price to the engine, seating flexibility, the third-row air vents and the way it rides — even trumping the GLC — over our favourite strip of gnarly bitumen”
My host pulls over just at the stage behind Ministry of Internal Affairs, signals to me to take over.
I was now even more curious because all my life, I had never physically seen or driven such a car.
The most I have done is watch a review on TV, because truth be told, most Cars of the Year hardly ever make it to Africa. They are a preserve for Europe, America and, to some extent, Asia.
I get in the driver’s seat and sped off back to the show room, feeling like a VIP at the same time while my host sunk in the ‘assassination corner’ seat.
These are the other things I learned during my test drive.
Panoramic sunroof
It is the sunroof that opens all the way to the third row seats. The Sorento is a seven-seater station wagon. I was surprised by the legroom and headroom in all the three rows. Kia does not compromise on space.
Handling: I used to use the word handling to describe how much control one could exercise at the steering wheel. In the Kia Sorento, I learned that this word also means the ability to turn a corner at speeds of 180 kph and yet feel safe and stable.
It also means not having to brake as you approach a hump or pothole because the car will reduce the impact. It means performance when the car accelerates and stops even faster with its responsive brakes.
Also handling means that a slight turn of the steering wheel will get you past the corner. Now I know what effortless driving means.
Fuel economy
You will be very lucky to use 1 litre to cover 13 km. My host told me that the Kia Sorento was driven to Mweya Safari Park and back on just one tank of 70 litres. To break it down, it would cost you Shs175,000 to drive to Kasese and back.
I can now boast that I have driven a Car of the Year.
