SAAB 9-3 XWD

First impressions

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This Saab doesn't look any different to the 9-3 Aero we tested late in 2007, you're thinking. And you'd be right. So how come we're saying this is a first-drive? Because, beneath, it's a car of real significance, that's why. Here, readers, is the first-ever four-wheel-drive Saab. The Swedish maker has long sworn by front-wheel-drive, of course. An engineer told me that the difference between front-drive and rear-drive in snowy Sweden is that front-drive keeps people mobile. All-wheel-drive naturally is even better at this, but it's a very expensive way of doing things, particularly if you're perennially underfunded, as Saab has been for years.

But, engineers being engineers, they tinker. What, they mused, would a 9-3 be like, using the Haldex 4WD system that turns front-drive Golfs and TTs into all-drivers? The platform wasn't designed for it, but they're engineers, so solutions could be found. Find them they did. And cigar-chomping GM bosses were so impressed, they handed over responsibility for all GM's front-drive-based 4WD models to Saab. Bingo. Sufficient funds duly released, Saab's been able to give the 9-3 a late-life flourish, with its most technically interesting model in decades. The tech is first seen on the special-edition Turbo X, but the XWD is the mainstream model, arriving later in 2008.
Performance

This super-smooth engine may lack character, but it's a technological marvel. Twin turbos contrast the V6's basic lack of torque (you can feel it if you ask, well, anything of it off-boost) with fantastic shove (up 15 per cent here), while impeccably smooth-running means gunning it is like dropping into a swimming pool full of silk. Listen hard, and there's even some of the Astra VXR's Darth Vader exhaust roar. Shame the notchy, long-winded manual gearbox remains pretty poor; the auto, with tactile steering wheel paddles, is easily preferable. But the most significant change here is this: you can use this power.

VOLVO C 30

First Impressions

How cool does this Volvo C30 look? With lowered suspension, a multi-spoiler rear and large, glinting alloys, it's every inch the sporty range-topper. How surprising, then, to actually discover it's Volvo's eco car. The greenest car ever built by the Swedish company. It's the C30 DRIVe - Volvo's Prius-beater.
Instead of using hybrid technology to save fuel, it takes the Volkswagen Bluemotion approach. Improve on what you've got, rather than debut expensive new tech. Volvo's fitted longer gear ratios, low-resistance tyres and a gearchange indicator. The power steering saves a tiny amount of fuel. Different gearbox oil has even smaller, but still useful, savings.

The biggest changes are to aerodynamics, though. The underbody is now totally smooth, so it has less resistance to airflow. There's a special rear spoiler and a bespoke bumper with built-in diffuser. Even the alloy wheels are a unique 'airflow' design - all to ensure the C30 passes through air as cleanly as possible.
All this comes at little cost, relative to hybrid expense. The C30 DRIVe range starts at £15,000 - indeed, now you can't buy a standard 1.6D model in non-DRIVe guise. Volvo's made it standard across the range. Only the racy R-Design misses out on the changes - but, so stylish are the DRIVe cars, is there even a place for that version anymore?
Performance

The 1.6-litre turbodiesel is pretty much unchanged. The main differences are modifications to the electronics, so it runs smoothly at low revs. Why? Because 3rd to 5th are 'longer', meaning the engine spins fewer revs at speed. This is good for economy, but often not for response. Luckily, this engine has clean pull at low revs.
It responds well to the accelerator and never feels like it's bogging down. It's actually slightly faster to 62mph than the outgoing non-DRIVe version, too. This is because 1st and 2nd gears have been made a bit sportier, so the gaps to the higher gears are spread out better. An inherently smooth-revving engine, it's refined and pleasant to use.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

First impressions

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It was inevitable that Rolls-Royce would build a convertible version of its Phantom saloon. Historically it is a path it has followed many times before and, traditionally, the Drophead has always been reassuringly more expensive than the four-door. In this latest incarnation the Drophead is also full of drama. Based upon the 100EX show car from 2005, it’s surprising that so much of the spectacle of the design has been carried through to the production car. With lights like these, the Phantom Drophead Coupé is hardly a thing of beauty, but it has unsurpassed visual impact. Mixing new technology with traditional values, this is a car that Rolls will have no trouble in selling the 200 it plans to build each year.

Performance

Somewhere in its history, Rolls-Royce moved from being cars of sedate luxury to something altogether more vigorous. Perhaps it was the influence of Bentley, which always had a sporting edge. As, for years, the cars were fundamentally the same, Rolls-Royce got pulled along on Bentley’s coat tails. Now the two brands are spilt apart, Rolls-Royce owned by BMW and Bentley by Volkswagen, and neither can afford to lose face. The Drophead comes with the same 6.75-litre V12 that powers the saloon, coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. There’s nothing as brash as paddle shift or even a Sport function. You just move the steering wheel lever to Drive and perambulate off in near total silence.

But there’s much more to the car than this. Work the long accelerator pedal nearer the floor and with a slight lift of the nose, the Phantom simply takes off. The fact that it will reach 149mph is not really significant – a quick Astra will do that. Zero to 62 mph in a mere 5.9 seconds is pretty stunning though, for a car that weighs in nearer to three tonnes than two. And it continues to perform like this in near silence. Is it exciting? This is a very big car, 5.6 metres long and 2 metres wide. Punch it down a road which is even slightly limited in width and it certainly sends a tingle down your spine.

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

First Impressions

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The new Evo X is an amazing car but it's also an expensive one, suitably specced examples now costing £30K or more. So Mitsubishi has responded with this, the Lancer Ralliart. Based around the forthcoming five-door Sportback Lancer it's got Evo essentials like four-wheel drive and a ballistic turbo engine for a much more affordable price.
What counts as affordable though? Well, prices are yet to be fixed but expect it to cost around £21,500 when it goes on sale early next year. So we're talking Golf GTI money here, pitching the Ralliart against the Impreza WRX, Megane R26, Focus ST, Mazda3 MPS, Astra VXR and others.

And against these rivals the Ralliart has some significant advantages. Its Evo bloodline means four-wheel drive is a given. And although it runs a detuned version of the Evo's turbocharged 2.0-litre engine it's still got 237bhp and will crack 62mph in just seven seconds. But the big news is the gearbox, the Ralliart coming as standard with Mitsubishi's SST dual-clutch transmission.
That's a serious spec for this price point, considering a 227bhp Golf GTI Pirelli with a DSG gearbox would cost you £24,385. The Ralliart bathes in the reflected glory of its Evo brother too, sharing the bonnet scoops and aggressive face and pairing it with the new hatchback Lancer body. It ain't pretty but it certainly has presence.
Performance

To Mitsubishi what STI is to Subaru, Ralliart is the in-house competition and tuning department. And its name wasn't about to be used in vain. It might not be an Evo by badge but this new five-door is certainly Evo by nature and the turbocharged four-cylinder delivers its 237bhp with real vigour.
It uses a simpler turbo set up than the Evo. And although the MIVEC variable valve timing attempts to smooth the power delivery there's no hiding the forced induction character. Which is a good thing, the boost arriving in an invigorating torrent in proper, old school turbo fashion.

There's an appropriately raw edge to its power delivery too. It's just a pity it sounds so boring, with none of the Focus ST's charisma and rather less refined than the slick VW T-FSI turbo engine in the Golf GTI. If it makes you feel any better it sounds a lot better on the outside.
It does struggle with the Ralliart's hefty 1550kg kerbweight though, the four-wheel drive gubbins adding at least 200kg to the standard front-wheel drive Lancer Sportback. As such it feels rapid but perhaps not quite as ballistic as you might hope, and you really need to work the engine hard to extract it best.

MAZDA 6

First impressions

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Sick of Mazda's Zoom Zoom advertising campaign? Bad luck - you'll be hearing it everywhere as the Japanese firm pulls out all the stops to publicise the launch of its crucial new D-segment player. The sharp handling current 6 has won lots of friends and done wonders for Mazda's sales in the UK. But it looks a bit dull and the interior plastics are a bit of a let down. And with quality competition from the likes of the new Ford Mondeo and Renault Laguna, Mazda needed to up its game. Konnichiwa then to the all new 6, launched at Frankfurt last month and revealed to the press this week in an exclusive preview event.

In the crowded halls of Frankfurt the 6's debut slipped by barely noticed. But in the autumnal sunshine at the small Hungarian race circuit hired for this preview the new Mazda is a lot more striking. There are hints of Lexus in the detailing but the family resemblance to the new 2 and sporty RX-8 is also obvious. It looks good, cleaner and less fussy than the Mondeo and sharper and more distinctive than the Laguna. Interior quality and space are improved and, as with the 2, Mazda has worked hard to save weight, claiming a saving of 35kg over the current model.

The 6 will be available as a saloon, hatch or estate, the four-door coming first when the car reaches the UK early in 2008. Although it only accounts for 4% of sales in the UK the saloon is arguably the best looking variant, although all three are sharply styled with taut lines and clear Mazda DNA. And despite the common perception the 6 shares much with the Mondeo. Although Mazda is adamant this car is 100% its own work. As such the designers boast of the car's clear Japanese identity, the inspiration coming from cool industrial design and the brutal functionality of a samurai sword rather than chintzy kimono silks.
Performance

The lightness of touch means the 6 punches above its weight on the move. At launch there will be three petrol engines of 1.8, 2.0 and 2.5 litres with a 2.0-litre diesel following shortly after. If the current shape car is anything to go by this will be by far the biggest seller but for the preview it was petrol engines only. All are keen, revvy units and fundamentally the same as those in the current car, with the exception of the 2.5. Best all rounder, however, is probably the 2.0-litre, with 145bhp and 136lb ft of torque. Like all the petrol engines it is refined at low revs and a little boomy when you approach the redline.

First Drive: AMS Murtaya

First Impressions

Adrenaline describes the Murtaya as an everyday supercar, and it certainly lives up to that tagline, thanks to 911 GT3-humbling pace combined with decent practicality and reliable Subaru underpinnings. There are few cars which can match its all round capability and even fewer at the same sort of price.
The Murtaya demonstrator, based on a near-standard Impreza WRX, has been officially timed at 3.5 seconds to 60mph. From a standstill it will hit 100mph in 7.5 seconds (around the same time as a Koenigsegg CXX) and top speed ranges from 145mph to well over 170 depending on the gearing.
Performance

So it's fast, but what's truly addictive is the way in which that performance is delivered. Initially it seems modest, a little tame even, but then suddenly the turbo reaches full boost and the Murtaya is catapulted down the road at a ferociously rapid pace.
One AMS customer also has a tuned Porsche 911 GT3 and claims the Murtaya is faster. It's not hard to believe. The abrupt delivery takes some getting used to. You have to be wary of accelerating mid-corner, but once you learn to work with it, the turbocharged rush becomes highly addictive.

Chrysler Grand Voyager

First impressions

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Honestly? The very first thing we noticed about the all-new Chrysler Grand Voyager is that Chrysler has managed to make its big MPV look much more like a van. Previous generations have always had a swoopy, almost futuristic, look about them. Very distinctive, to the point where we wonder just how much of their success was down to this exterior visual appeal. Because make no mistake, the Grand Voyager has been a massive success - with over 12 million sold world wide, including over 51,000 in the UK. Despite less than brilliant Euro NCAP scores, and some poor quality interior plastics.

So, putting the looks to one side - very much subjective, after all - what else is new? Well, Chrysler says there are "more than 30 new features" for the 2008 model, including some impressive in-car entertainment options, improved safety equipment, and a new six-speed automatic gearbox that replaces the old four-speed unit. The clever Stow 'n Go seating system also makes it to the standard equipment list on all three trim levels. This enables both rear seat rows to disappear into the floor, creating an enormous, flat load area, a trick that none of the Grand Voyager's competitors can currently match.
Performance

All the cars on launch were fitted with a 2.8-litre CRD turbodiesel engine. Top spec Limited is available with a 3.8-litre V6 petrol, but since this only manages 22.2mpg combined, and is no cheaper than the equivalent diesel, it probably won't be too popular. The diesel produces 161bhp and a useful 265lb ft of torque - shrugging off the Limited version's 2175kg kerbweight with aplomb. 0-62mph takes 12.8 seconds, top speed is 115mph. Seven passengers plus luggage will slow things down though, and even empty the refinement is distinctly old school diesel. The six-speed autobox is a huge improvement, however.