IF YOU ARE wondering what the difference between an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) and an SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) is, you are not alone. An SAV is a vehicle with the “all-roads, all-weather capabilities and the space and versatility of an SUV, with the driving enjoyment of a BMW.” It seems that the BMW X5 was the first SAV and is now in its third generation. The SAV is certainly popular as the first two generations of X5s sold an impressive 1.3 million units. The new models will be available with five TwinPower Turbo engine options – four diesels and one petrol – a standard eight-speed automatic transmission and the option of two or four-wheel drive (sDrive and xDrive). In the UK it will be offered in SE or M Sport specifications. All models are claimed to have significant CO2 emissions and better fuel economy, with equally impressive increases in power and torque. Looking at the picture here, the model retains its visual identity, which at best can be described as conservative. The xDrive intelligent four-wheel drive system is lighter than the out-going models and is now linked to a 3D xDrive display giving real-time details of body roll and pitch in the central information screen, as well as a digital compass display. The new BMW X5 goes on sale in November and will cost from £44,895 OTR as an xDrive25d SE. 

NEWS HAS ARRIVED that India’s Apollo Tyres Ltd has bought American Cooper Tires. It seems the Indian company has purchased the US manufacturer for a staggering (to us!) $2.5million. The deal to purchase the second biggest tyre manufacturer in the US should make Apollo the world’s seventh-largest tyre maker. And no, we hadn’t heard of them before either. This will give Apollo direct access to the enormous US market. It also confirms that the replacement tyre market is a very big, international, business! The company already had a strong involvement in Europe with its Vredestein and Cooper brands, with Apollo owning the manufacturing plant at Melksham in the UK (primarily a motorsport tyre producer). Interestingly, it seems Apollo is likely to become a big sport sponsor, thereby broadening the brand. However, that this is not going to be in the motorsport arena, but more likely football and golf. Coming to a Premier League team near you, perhaps?

Small, on-road 4x4s have been somewhat rare, meaning that Fiat has had that market to itself with the launch of the excellent new Panda. Now the Italian buzz-box has competition.

After success selling in Germany and Switzerland, Suzuki is introducing the 4×4 version of the Swift to the UK. This five-door model has the 1.2-litre petrol engine, and manual gearbox. The body ride height has been raised 25mm, and has been fitted with front and rear skid plates. The model gets 4×4 badging, together with black wheel arch extensions and side skirts. The new model is only 65kg heavier than its 2WD equivalent and emissions are only 10g/km higher at 126g/km. The new model is also part of a Suzuki promotion, which offers ‘VAT-free’ purchases for a limited period. This means the new 4×4 Swift is something of a bargain small SUV at £11,516 for the SZ3 and £13,116 for the higher spec SZ4. We are fans of the Fiat Panda; it will be interesting to see how this new competitor stacks up.

SINCE WE MENTIONED in the last issue the Range Rover Sport’s success in breaking the record for a Production SUV at the recent Pike’s Peak hill climb in America, it only seems fair to mention two other manufacturers; Mitsubishi and Peugeot. Mitsubishi took the honour of being the ‘Official Safety Vehicle’ at this year’s event with the 2014 model Outlander. That’s right, the model is not actually available yet. It has the company’s Super All-Wheel Control (their words, please note), which undoubtedly was tested on the climb’s unique 12.42-mile course that has an amazing 156 corners, and rises to nearly three miles above sea level. Mitsubishi was also competing in the event with a two vehicle 100 per cent electric race car the MiEV Evolution II.

Overall success went to Peugeot in the all-wheel drive racing machine, the 208 T16 Pikes Peak. This race car is powered by a version of Peugeot’s twin-turbo V6 that competes in endurance racing. Weight was the real star, however, and the machine tipped the scales at only 875lb – ironically, that’s exactly the same number as the engine develops in bhp, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1! The Peugeot was driven by World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb and he completed the climb in 8mins 13.878seconds – don’t you just love the timing going to eight thousands of a second?!

RECORD SALES FOR Kia in June is good news for all. The month means that the company now has a first half-year total, which is the best figure since 2010, and the company says ‘points the way to the continuing growth across the UK car market for the brand.’ It seems the Sportage is the leading model in the range. Paul Philpott, President and Chief Executive of Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: “June has been excellent for our dealers with very strong retail demand and I believe this shows that confidence is returning to the UK new car market. With our sales 12 per cent up over the same month last year, a first half performance has surpassed the height of scrappage scheme”. It is obviously very good to hear these results and it will be interesting to see if other motoring manufacturers announce similar findings over the coming weeks.

GIVEN THE MASSIVE global successes of the latest products, and the huge number of official awards claiming that, first the Evoque, and now the latest Range Rover is simply the best 4×4 by far, it may surprise some that the company, as a brand, still doesn’t always get top marks. Indeed, often if there was a school report, when it comes to ownership satisfaction, Land Rover products may well get the ‘could do better’ comments in the margin. This does perhaps prove that if you get a questionable reputation for things like reliability, dealer support and servicing, it takes a long while to rebuild. There’s no doubt that the latest Land Rover products are top of the league, but it’s the past experiences of many customers that are holding it back. However, things are changing it seems. The annual JD Power Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Survey has delivered some much better results for the company. The independent survey looks at 116 car models and some 28 brands, getting the opinions from over 16,000 UK car owners. The good news is that Jaguar actually took first place for brand satisfaction, but perhaps more significant is that Land Rover has risen to sixth in that list – from 12th place last year.

In the past, while the vehicles seldom get criticised for their abilities, customer satisfaction has never quite matched that high promise. This year, however, it seems things have changed and the organisers of the survey commenting that Land Rover Freelanders in particular have shown a significant rise in customer satisfaction with improved dealer service and ‘less onerous overheads’. Discovery drivers too, reported some 30 per cent fewer faults. The top SUV in the list however was not a Land Rover, but the humble Skoda Yeti. It seems that while things are improving, the school report comment this year would be ‘keep up the good work’.