Saab 9-3 Aero V6. A personal story.

There are a few disappointing things about living in Finland one of which is loosing to Sweden in ice-hockey. It's amazing how the Swedes always... any way, the other one is the car prices. The high prices on cars here is mostly down to the huge taxes we pay on them. That is why car some Finish car enthusiasts import their cars from Germany, Sweden or Estonia.

Well, my father decided that he will now buy the car he has been drooling over for the last couple of years. This meant loosing precious sleep while browsing used car-websites both local and ones advertising cars in other countries. The car he wanted for himself was a Saab 9-3 Aero V6 sport sedan with a manual gearbox. This search proved difficult since most of the V6 9-3's are estates (or sportcombi) and automatic. Preferable was also that the car would have a sunroof.

Sweden was the first place to look. Here Saabs are cheap, since there are probably a million of them, and the probability of finding a V6 manual sedan was higher. When looking at the price differences of Saabs between Finland and Sweden lets just say that the Finish market was out of the question. My father waited patiently, but hardly no V6 manual sedan showed up in the Swedish classifieds. This meant that the quick glances at websites ending in .de became stares.

As we know Germany has virtually no tax on their cars and they usually take care of them quite methodically *insert a German stereotype joke here*. The price range therefore was optimal but still manual V6 sedans were scarce. One though stood out from the rest. V6 *check* manual *check* sedan *check* sunroof *gasp check*. Every box was ticked in the options list and in the list that my father had dreamed of (and probably written down some sleepless night).

So...

In wonderful Jet Black

The velvety key

Test drive: BMW M140i xDrive

I openly admit, I´m a sucker when it comes to hot hatchbacks. I think they are probably the coolest thing you can buy on four wheels. So when this opportunity presented itself I couldn't pass it now could I.

This thought may have popped into someones head that the concept of a hot hatch has been taken too far. Maybe that is why a new term for the most powerful hot hatches mainly the A45 AMG and the RS3 has been coined, "hyper-hatch". Where the difference between a hot hatch and a hyper-hatch goes is still a bit unclear. I'd call the VW Golf R with 300 HP a hyper-hatch but the Civic Type R with 310 HP a hot hatch. After deliberating on this matter a while I realize there are more pressing issues to be discussed so we'll just gloss over that point.

Hurray for Angel eyes!

Which brings me onto something which is not a blurry line the BMW M140i. Only when it goes 250 km/h does it become very blurry indeed. The M140i is the most powerful and dynamic 1-series BMW you can buy today. Under the rather long bonnet lies a slightly renewed classic BMW 3.0 litre single turbo straight six developing the same amount of horsepower as its spiritual predecessor the 1M, 340 HP. In this small car that is plentiful.

BMW M140i xDrive in Alpine white, probably for the bilboard effect.

Talking about the exterior, I happen to like it. The predecessor to this looked in my opinion as a VW Polo which had eaten like a rich Freemason. But this looks more focused and more upmarket than ever. The long bonnet makes it look like the driver sits right in the middle of the car rather than in the front which further strengthens BMW's "ultimate driving machine" ad-phrase. The rear I'm not so sure of. It feels like BMW where so focused on making the 1-series front-end blend with the rest of their fleet of cars that they sort of forgot it was a hatchback. This is highlighted very well by the fairly small rear doors, which made even little nimble me struggle to hop in the rear.

I happen to prefer two large exhausts instead of four smaller ones.

Interior is typical BMW. Nothing has changed in 10-15 years, just more digital screens and a smoother iDrive. In the M140i however there are some nice touches such as alcantara on the steering wheel and above the glove box. Also some sprinklings of carbon fiber can be found on the door handles and the gear knob. I cannot say if it was real but it didn't feel like a nasty plastic knock-off. All in all a nice sporty place be. The seat made that abundantly clear. It was good but unnecessarily hard.

Half digital dash, with analogue speedometer and rev counter.

Usually when you heat the drivers seat with your own bottom you tend to be driving and who wouldn't with a 340 HP hatchback. The 1-series is famously rear-wheel drive but this was fitted with xDrive four-wheel drive. The xDrive is thankfully more weighted for rear-wheel drive action, which may have been taken advantage of on the snowy roads. By putting the car in Sport mode the traction control also allows to have a bit of controlled fun which is enough on public roads. For track-day goers I should report that switching it in Sport+ turns it off altogether. The car is beautifully balanced and almost feels like it pivots around your hip like a hula hoop. Steering is obviously accurate and agile and feels surprisingly connected to your finger tips despite the electronic steering assistance.

Pay attention when choosing a driving mode. In sport mode you can choose sport chassis or drivetrain setup or both.

The four-wheel drive system made it possible to unleash that magnificent straight six in these tricky conditions. The noise through the M-sport pipes is in my view better in the M140i than in the M3 or M4. Listening to the engine rev and take new flight when the (probably) award winning 8-speed ZF automatic selects a new gear is pretty special in a small car like this. The xDrive M140i has an official 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds. I will not argue that at any point.

The engine in the BMW M140i is something to experience. There may be faster cars and larger engines than this but this is a complete and full package. Over here in Finland this particular car has a price tag of over 70 000€, which is a huge amount of money for a car of this size. But after sensing that engine, handling and noise, I wouldn't judge anyone for buying this hyper-hatch.

Test Drive: Jaguar F-Pace

Let us not beat around the bush the Jaguar F-Pace is a great looking crossover SUV. Not only that but it's a great looking car. There's no disputing the fact that the first SUV in the history of Jaguar has some serious presence.

Jaguar F-Pace S 30d in Glacier White

What a bold move by Jaguar to enter a car into the small luxury crossover segment which is completely dominated by Germans. The established BMW X3 and Audi Q5 have been recently challenged by the Porsche Macan and the Mercedes GLC. And now Jaguar has entered these unexplored waters. Jaguar started reinventing itself around ten years ago with the XF, therefore it makes sense that they would leave their comfort zone and try something new with the F-Pace.

The brilliance of the exterior continues on the inside. It is a close to perfect blend of style, technology and user friendliness. You slide in your drivers seat like a hand into a fencing glove. You immediately feel at home. The commanding feature of the interior is the 10.2-inch touch-screen infotainment unit. It' s an option but it needs to be selected since the standard 8-inch unit is not going to cut it. It is easy to use as well if your familiar with the android operating system. With the upgrade you also get the 12.3-inch customizable virtual cock pit. The interior is rather dark if not fitted with the lighter aluminium trim. But I still wouldn't call it gloomy. Also the buttons for the JaguarDrive-control drive mode system, which comes as standard to all trim levels, are slightly in an unergonomical position. Remember also that the gear-selector rises up from the center console when you turn on the ignition. Best unnecessary feature ever created.

The interior of an F-Pace 20d R-sport with the upgraded infotainment

The digital dials

There are six trim levels available, Pure, Prestige, R-Sport, Business AWD, Portfolio and S. The Business is only available for the 2.0 litre all-wheel drive version and the S only for the larger 3.0 litre V6 diesel and petrol engines. The one I drove had the highest spec S trim level. With which you get large 20-inch alloys and the S-body kit which has some Satin Chrome detailed bumpers and side skirts. Even though the S is almost fully loaded you still have to pay extra for the excellent 10.2-inch infotainment and virtual cock pit. And don't forget the obligatory S-badges.

The F-pace is available with an adequate selection of engines. A basic 2.0 litre turbodiesel with either rear or all-wheel drive developing 180 PS and 430 Nm of torque. It is probably the choice of many for it's superior fuel consumption to the V6 alternatives. The supercharged petrol 3.0 litre V6 is the same unit as in the F-Type with either 340 or 380 PS. That will make this big cat go at some serious speed towards the horizon. I drove the 3.0 litre V6 turbodiesel and what an engine it is. Developing 300 PS and 700 Nm of torque it is probably the best diesel I've driven. It is responsive, refined and characterful. Words that are not often used to describe one engine. Together with the magnificent 8-speed automatic it hurls the car to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. This engine is not available with the 6-speed manual but I'm not complaining.

F-Type styled tail-lights now standard across the Jaguar range

Jaguar promises the F-Pace to be sporty. I sort of ignored that and expected it to feel as big as it is and not to feel as sporty as it looks. Goodness how wrong I was. The tall Jaaag sticks to the road like a stressed squirrel hangs on to a tree trunk. Somehow it manages to feel so low-down that you only remember how high up you are when you approach a saloon and suddenly notice you can see over it. Body roll is almost non-existent and the steering feels light and quick. Take this car to your annual skiing trip to the Alps and you will be able to haul all your equipment around while enjoying the legendary mountain roads.

Jaguar has created something very special here. After my short test drive I exited the car and quickly announced that it was the best car I've ever driven. I honestly believe that the F-Pace is all the car you'd want and need.

Front of the R-Sport trim

PS. Oh yeah, the practicality. I can confirm that three adults fit in the back rather nicely and that the boot is large enough for your dogs to join you on your Alpine adventure. If you want seven seats buy the Discovery Sport.

Test drive: Renault Mégane Sport Tourer GT

There is an immediate repulsiveness to this car and that is why call it a Sport Tourer instead of an estate. It's already trying too much and you haven't even had a proper look at it yet. Even though you could probably abbreviate it to ST, therein lies this cars problem. But we'll get to that later. I've never been a fan of these small family estates. You obviously buy it because you need or think you need space for moving furniture, dogs, aquarium tanks or what have you. But then there's the question why not buy a three year old second hand proper estate such as a Mondeo or a Passat. Don't even try to get me started on the Clio or Ibiza estates. I already have a negative attitude towards this car but it does have some redeeming qualities.

Renault Mégane Sport Tourer GT in Iron Blue

Starting with the looks. The French have managed to design a very quirky and engaging car to look at. It is beautifully proportioned and with those unique head and rear-lights it truly stands out from the bunch. It looks stylish without compromising the practicality of the thing. What looks like a lack of the d-pillar gives it an effect where it looks like glass envelops the entire top side of the car. Very

The white part of the screen is the sat-nav

sci-fi and UFO type stuff. Sort of the same can be said of the interior. The i-pad sized touch-screen and few buttons gives it a nice upmarket feel. Although I must say the center console display thing is quite confusing at first. And I can already see the material around the screen becoming peppered with finger-prints.

No doubting what car it is when the badge is that enormous.

This GT-model has all the techy stuff as standard. And as the GT-model it also has the top of the line 1.6 litre turbocharged engine developing a respectable 205 PS. This top-spec car also gives you the freedom to choose between different driving-modes. Which is something I feel every car has and somehow we should be excited about it. Anyhow, in this Mégane Sport Tourer GT stay away from the large touch screen button that says Sport. The cars 7-speed paddleshift gearbox will not now what is up and what is down. The ride which is perfectly decent for this car will be ruined. Coupled that with the body-hugging sport seats and your Renault GT will make you mental. Which makes the entire concept of the GT obsolete. It feels that the engine and gearbox do not get along all that well. The engine is happiest when overtaking in comfort mode. Here the engine works well with the gearbox and the car can make use most of the turbo grunt of which it has 280 Nm. The only enjoyable feature of the Sport button is that it enhances the rather fruity noise of that four-pot turbo.  

The rear is very unique. I also like the single exhaust.

This tech and the very apparent nature of it is very impressive but also the cars downfall. The fact that Renault has made a hot Mégane estate is very well and good but this a case of better idea than execution. There is nothing wrong in wanting the Mégane estate even though it isn't the most practical of the bunch. But there is only money lost if you buy the Sport Tourer GT.

PS. The price of this car is quite substantial, almost 40 000€ over here...