SNAPSHOT:
HONDA JAZZ
‘Jazz’ has become a byword for reliability.
The latest model is quite pricey in some
ways but with an entry level 1.2 at
R185 000 it’s definitely a hatch that
does it all. The patented Magic Seats
enable the rear seats to fold completely
flat, making this compact car extremely
practical. It’s a day-to-day superstar.handsomely capable
The Volvo XC90 is arguably Volvo’s most important car so
there was enormous pressure to get the latest generation rightall systems go!
Model: Volvo XC90 D5 Geartronic
AWD Inscription
Engine: The full range includes 2.0 litre turbo
petrols and 2.0 litre turbo diesels offering
varying power levels
Combined fuel consumption: 5.8 litres/100km
CO2: 152g/km
Luggage compartment: 314–1 947 litres
Price: R893 900TEXT CIRO DE SIENA PHOTOGRAPHS QUICKPIC.CO.ZAI
have absolutely no need for more
than two seats in my car and should
be hankering after cars such as the
Mercedes-Benz SLK – or perhaps a Porsche- yet I found myself pining for a large SUV;
specifically, a cavernous seven seater Swede
with enough load space to ferry, potentially,
the entire contents of my life. Since driving
the Volvo XC90 for a few days I have been
battling to explain why I am so impressed.
Let’s start with the driver’s seat. My
test car was fitted with a heated and
cooled seat, which was significantly more
comfortable than any lounge suite I’ve ever
owned and is another great example of
functional ergonomics.
The instruments in front of the driver
are all completely digital, which is
fairly common, but the rest of the dash
is extremely minimal, with hardly any
buttons. Volvo has kept the volume knob,
however, having determined that people
like a physical volume control. It’s correct.
Floating above that, dominating the
dashboard, is a touch screen about the
size of an iPad. It’s challenging to explain
how intuitive it is but simply swiping,
pinching and touching allows you to control
everything from the self-parking feature to
the satellite navigation, the weather app and,
of course, your phone. After a few hours with
the system I genuinely began to feel that,
very soon, all cars are going to be this way.
The second and third rows of seating are
not cramped in the slightest. The second
row slides forward and aft on individual
rails. The third row, which accommodates
people up to 1.7 metres tall, folds flat into
the boot and is easily folded back into
position. When all the seats are folded an
object of up to two metres long can be loaded
into the car. It is the definition of versatility.
Powering the car are a range of petrol
and diesel engines that offer remarkable
consumption. My model achieved 6.9 litres
per 100 kilometres on a journey, which is
what you’d expect from a small hatchback.
All of this is wrapped up in a stylish,
handsome body that subtly exudes prestige.
The Volvo XC90 is like that guy who has
three beautiful kids, a head full of hair,
barely drinks, looks dashing in a suit,
kayaks competitively on weekends and
can beat all of his colleagues at squash. It’s
really quite annoying. volvocars.com48 HL OCTOBER 2015 HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZATRENDS HIGH PERFORMANCE
find more
hot new
cars onlinew
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en
onwheels.co.za1015_HL_048_High performance_RFO.indd 48 2015/09/04 10:27 AM
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