"Car on the pier"

Several of the autumn's novelties were to be seen at Aker Brygge at the weekend. At such an exhibition you get to see the cars in real life, open the doors, sit for a test drive, order a test drive, kick the tires and take photographs - as I did. I have concentrated on new models. Some I got to see for the very first time. These were:

• Maserati Levante
• Alfa Romeo Giulia
• DS Divine
• Fiat 500 (facelift)
• Ford Kuga (facelift)
• Hyundai Ioniq
• Kia Niro
• Peugeot 2008 (facelift)
• Tesla Model X

 

Maserati Levante

The Maserati Levante is a car you don't see every day. I found it at the end of the display row - a Levante S. The price tag was 1,7 million, or thereabouts. You get a great drive unit 3 liter petrol biturbo that produces 430 HP, 8-speed automatic, air suspension, adaptive chassis, to name a few. In terms of price, we are in Porsche Cayenne country, and there is no doubt that it is the Cayenne that is the main competitor. I think the Cayenne wears its age shamelessly well after the changes made for the 2015 model year. I'm a bit ambivalent about the appearance of the Levant. I think the rear part seems a bit shapeless. Maserati could have made a diffuser that highlighted the 4 exhausts better and made the car look as aggressive from the rear as it is from the front.

 

 

Alfa Romeo Giulia

I don't know how many new Giulias FCA Norway has been able to procure for the country. Maybe it's just this one. Anyway, I thought it was an odd introductory color. Rosso Monza can be said to be a kind of racing red. It's hardly a color I would choose myself, but when I study the pictures, I think that the color might not be so stupid. It just takes a little getting used to.

Prices start at NOK 388 for the standard version with a 800 liter 2,2 HP diesel. With equipment level Super and 150 liter diesel with 2,2 HP, you have to put NOK 180 on the table, but you should also consider adding a couple of equipment packages. The car on display, a Guilia Super with 418 HP, fully equipped, cost NOK 800. From what I could pick up from the conversations around the car, it should be fantastic to drive and give a very direct response.

As I sat in, I noticed that the interior was stylish and free of "glam". I found a great driving position, - and I have no doubt that this is a fun car to drive. If I could drive just one of the cars at this exhibition, I think I would choose the Alfa.

The car at Aker Brygge was a 2,2 JTD diesel. Why diesel? What about Alfa's great petrol V6? I'm afraid we won't be seeing - and hearing - that many of them. A drive unit like that sends the price well over a million, unfortunately.

 

 

DS Divine

Citroën exhibited the concept car DS Divine, which will show what we can expect from DS in the future. My perception of DS is that they make beautifully designed cars based on proven technology from the PSA group. I like the front of the Divine, but am not particularly excited about the unfinished interior with square steering wheel and new seats. Nor the mosaic feature that covers the rear window and roof, and which is supposed to open at speed. My advice to French DS is to take it easy on the bends. The world isn't ready for a square steering wheel...not yet.

 

Fiat 500 for sale

You'll have to look closely to spot the changes on the new Fiat 500. Fortunately, Fiat has chosen to keep the original concept and not succumb to the temptation to upscale, as MINI has done. After seeing the great attention the Fiat 500 received at Aker Brygge, I am sure that the little 500 will continue to be on the road for many years to come.

 

 

Ford Kuga

The new Kuga was perhaps not the biggest attraction at Aker Brygge this Saturday. The most noticeable change is that the Kuga now has the same front end as the larger Edge. I never liked the old front with a narrow grill at the top and a larger grill at the bottom. The new Kuga also has a new tailgate with slightly more profiles. Inside the car, it is difficult to see any changes for someone who does not drive a Kuga on a daily basis. There is a new steering wheel, and some control panels have been changed, as well as an upgrade of the infotainment system. Speaking of the steering wheel, I think the steering wheel in the new Kuga was strikingly similar to the steering wheel on the new Discovery. Maybe a collaboration between Ford and Land Rover still exists?

 

 

Hyundai Ioniq

The Ioniq can optionally be delivered with either pure electric operation, a regular hybrid or a rechargeable hybrid. As a rechargeable hybrid, it costs NOK 264, or just over NOK 950 with equipment package. The Ioniq is a car that will primarily compete against the Toyota Auris hybrid, - but also the Volkswagen Golf GTE and e-Golf. The electric car version of the Ioniq will cost NOK 300.

I like the look of the Ioniq, but I don't understand why it was necessary to develop a completely new car model instead of using the existing i30 as the host for the new powertrains. I think the i30 hybrid and i30 electric would have had better opportunities on the market than the Ioniq. It reminds me of the Honda Insight , which with its extremely aerodynamic shape did not become the success that everyone had thought. Now Toyota has certainly had great success with the Prius, although I think the Prius will eventually lose market share to the Auris hybrid. I still think the Ioniq looks better than both the Prius and the Insight, - but I wouldn't be surprised if an i30 hybrid appears in the near future.

 

Kia Niro

The KIA Niro is based on the same platform as the Hyundai Ioniq, but in a more attractive shape than the Ioniq - at least for families with small children. A crossover design with a higher seating position and extended trunk could prove to be an easier sell than Hyundai's Ioniq. The KIA Soul has done well as an electric car, and I predict the Niro will be popular, even if it lacks the Soul's youthful style.

 

 

Peugeot 2008

The Peugeot 2008 has been a hit as a family car in its home country of France, and now it's here with a facelift. They call it an SUV, but it's just a tall 208 with off-road effects. 2008 is only delivered with front-wheel drive. I think the biggest advantage is the price. In the Active equipment level, it costs from NOK 217 with the smallest 000-cylinder PureTech engine of 3 HP, and NOK 82 with the 227 HP version of the same engine. Of course you have to add some equipment, but in any case this is a lot of car for the money.

 

Tesla Model X

I have no problem naming the Tesla Model X as the clear crowd favorite – the one that made “everyone” flock to Aker Brygge. As soon as one family had gotten out of the car, another family jumped in. Big and small were practically sitting on each other’s laps. It was clear that many had one goal in mind – namely to see and test drive the new, big Tesla. I can’t say that I thought the car was particularly elegant, standing there with all the doors and hatches open. But you just have to get used to the big gull-wing doors, I guess, judging by the public’s interest.