Renault Clio Estate

Do you remember how this station wagon made its very first public appearance? It was around the last Paris Motor Show, right after the fourth Clio was showed. But while the hatchback was having its official worldwide release, the family-dedicated sibling was only glanced, in a backstage video published by Renault at that time to show more information of the new cars. Estate is now released in Europe, but it’s still worth taking a moment to observe how great turned to be this job performed by Renault.

Creating a car leads to deal with lots of conceptual decisions, way before starting to convert the design sketches into what will be manufactured. Each category demands a particular external size and has its particular competitors, so one of the biggest decision is on what subdivisions the car will compete – in other words, what variations it’ll receive. The strategy of deriving sedan, wagon, minivan, pick-up and other categories from a single car became famous around the 1980s, with cars like Opel Kadett E and Renault Mégane. Since the main idea here is to reduce costs by having cars from different categories sharing several parts, the initial examples used to change almost only the rear section. But in nowadays it’s necessary to deal with a much more competitive market, which demands each car to be as original and creative as it can possibly be, even when it’s “related” to others. That’s why even those are receiving more exclusive parts, inside and outside, achieving whole different variations. However, if sharing parts is the solution to save money, the simplest logic states that reducing those common items would result at more expensive cars. That’s why there are so many automakers working to make that sharing start from the very beginning of each project.

Besides having each time fewer platforms for more cars, another very important strategy is to project all the intended siblings from the beginning. Renault was criticized for the second-generation Clio because of the Turkish Symbol: this sedan variation had no previous planning on the hatchback’s project and also had to be cheap, which fatally resulted at a very unattractive design and bad sales outside its homeland. The third phase never had a sedan but tried to offer a station wagon for the first time, which was so well-accepted that is now succeeded by the gorgeous car of this article’s pictures. It’s clear that Clio Estate (or Grandtour, for some markets) isn’t a last-minute adaptation of the hatchback. It brings the same elegant sportiness, with smooth volumes, a very stylish front fascia and great attention to the details, such as the opulent-but-not-too-big tail lights, the same hidden back handles as in the hatchback and all the columns with black paint but the front ones: the roof ends up like it’s floating over the windows, which in turn seem all connected. This car will offer the same items as Clio, which includes R-Link infotainment system and Bass Reflex audio, but with 443L to 1.380L at the trunk. With diesel it’ll use a dCi 1.5L with 75 or 90 hp, and with gasoline a 75-hp 1.2L or the TCe Energy 1.2L with 90 hp. The prices go from € 14.300 to € 20.500.

Hyundai HB20X

Talvez você lembre da intenção principal que a Hyundai teve ao iniciar toda esta empreitada que atende pelo nome de HB20. Para alcançar uma participação de mercado pelo menos no nível de Citroën, Renault e Peugeot, por exemplo, a coreana manteve a excelente fama iniciada com os modelos mais caros mas agora a estende às categorias de volumes maiores. Em outras palavras, depois de criar um compacto exclusivo para o Brasil, quem poderia duvidar que o próximo passo seria competir entre os aventureiros urbanos?

Como era de se esperar, as imagens oficiais e a publicidade da marca dão a ideia de que este carro consegue transpor trilhas que na realidade pertencem ao naipe de legítimos jipes. Os fatos, no entanto, são que o HB20X traz alterações de monta bem menor, porque sua intenção na verdade não é tão grande assim. A Hyundai brasileira acaba de colocar em prática o que os concorrentes da novidade com certeza farão assim que os seus modelos chegarem à época das novas gerações: aproveitar as vantagens de prever estas versões desde o começo do projeto. Carros como 207 SW, Fox e a própria Palio Weekend surgiram todos antes de este gosto virar uma moda tão forte, de forma que quando ela chegou os fabricantes precisaram recorrer a adaptações. Já o HB20 é um dos primeiros a contar com tal variação de nascença, o que lhe permite resultado visual bem melhor: ele troca o excesso de apliques de plástico, por exemplo, por parachoques exclusivos. Seu ar mais agressivo se faz com aspecto mais volumoso e itens como a grade dianteira bem maior, combinando com o bom gosto dos demais acessórios como o rack de teto e as rodas de liga leve exclusivas. É nada mais que repetir em escala de menor preço o que fabricantes como Audi e BMW fazem há alguns anos com os pacotes esportivos: projetá-los em paralelo com o desenho padrão do carro permite a esses kits complementar o estilo do mesmo, em vez de bifurcar as atenções.

Além disso, a ausência de mudanças mais extremas como o estepe direcionado à tampa traseira só volta a confirmar que a Hyundai deixou os extremos para seu crossover compacto, que terá a base do HB20 mas chegará nos próximos anos. As únicas mudanças da cabine foram os bancos com dupla costura, pedaleiras em alumínio e o volante revestido em couro na versão Premium, o que tem seu lado bom e ruim: trata-se de ter mantido um interior cuja qualidade já tem ótima aceitação do público, mas simples mudanças como cores de revestimentos e de luzes teriam dado ar muito mais condizente com a proposta da versão nova. O carro sempre usa o 1.6 16v flex de 128 cv, e a versão Style (R$ 48.755) traz de série airbag duplo, ar-condicionado, computador de bordo, Bluetooth, direção hidráulica, farois de neblina, rodas de liga leve aro 15”, sistema de som multimídia (sem CD player) com comandos no volante, trio elétrico e cabine com bancos em azul e console em preto. A Premium (R$ 51.255) soma ar-condicionado mais sofisticado, banco traseiro bipartido, chave multifuncional, palhetas Aeroblade, sensores de estacionamento e crepuscular, vidros com função one-touch e a curiosa opção de trocar o sistema de som por um que traz CD/MP3 player mas perde a conexão Bluetooth, esta opção sem custo extra. É uma pena que os preços sejam salgados já usando o câmbio manual: a caixa automática de quatro marchas passa as versões respectivamente a R$ 51.955 e a R$ 54.455.

Nissan Versa Note

This automaker’s politics with its smaller-sized cars isn’t very common. Nissan decided last year that Sentra’s latest generation would be shared with the sedan’s Eastern sibling, Sylphy, in order to reduce costs. Now this strategy will be repeated with the Japanese minivan Note, which was adapted to North America as their new Versa hatchback. The thing is, this car is so different from the sedan that they should even have different names. This article will show what this new hatch-minivan will start to bring next summer.

Although this car shares platform with the sedan just like Versa’s previous generation (which was called Tiida at some countries), its own versions were clearly two variations of the same car. However, the current phase first received the sedan with much lower price, in fact reduced enough to make it compete at the subcompact level, while the hatchback that shares its name is this article’s car. Versa, in fact, looks much more like March/Micra, to the point of they sharing the very same central console. But since the North-American market would never accept a car that small, their choice was to “force” Versa’s line creation with the new car, which will certainly be sold at other markets as a medium-sized hatchback – or even minivan. Nevertheless, this car’s design can be seen as one more proof that Nissan’s idea isn’t to unify their showroom into one single design language, but some of them. So if the sedan now reminds is bigger siblings Altima and Sentra, Note sticks to being the production version of the Invitation concept car. In other words, it brings a very attractive design, without any excess of elements: the front section, for instance, takes all the attention to both the headlights and the grille, with an integrated design which gives an imponent look but also reminds very much of Honda CR-V.

Nothing of that comes as a complaint, though. Note’s design could be described as an up-to-date version of what has been seen at Nissan’s hatches and minivans since the last decade. These lines are more sophisticated than Tiida’s and Livina’s, with better-looking volumes, abandoning the excessively straight lines and creases, some aerodynamical aids, like the two strong roof creases, and using much more inspired tridimensional shapes, such as the tail lights. Entering it, the V-platform shows its advantages with a very well-planned room. Subcompacts never give priority to fancy design or top-notch material quality, but to room for five and lots of pratical solutions: this car counts on items such as 60/40 divided rear seats, whose space can be rearranged with the trunk’s: besides using the complete area, there’s an extra floorboard to create a separate space for smaller items, or finish composing a flat space when those seats are down. On the other hand, it’s very nice to see that Nissan has invested very much also at Note’s safety. Offered in four trim levels, this car can come with tire pressure monitoring system, braking system with ABS, BAS and EBD, and stability and traction controls – the S version will start from $ 13,990, but there are also S Plus, SV and SV with SL package.

But this car has other concerns, too. In order to take customers from Chevrolet Spark, Hyundai Accent or even Fiat 500, Note received a very good technology package: the multifunctional Intelligent Key opens the doors of a car which can bring keyless entry, electroluminescent dashboard, heated front seats, cruise control, GPS tracking, higher-quality internal illumination and an impressive infotainment system: the 5.8” touchscreen gives access to weather conditions, full navigation system, hands-free text messaging and media streaming over Bluetooth connection, online radio through iPhone internet, rearview monitor with the conventional reverse-gear images displayed at the screen, but also the new Around View Monitor, whose four cameras are set one at each side of the car. They work together to help parking by creating a virtual 360° image of the car, allowing to see the exact space available for each situation. Versa Note will always use a four-cylinder 16-valve 1.6L engine, with 109 hp and 107 lb-ft. It uses front-wheel-drive, double injection, continously variable valve timing and several other technologies to achieve the city and highway mileage of 31 and 40 mpg, respectively – only the entry version brings a five-speed manual transmission, while the others count on the CVT Xtronic gearbox. As usual, this car will be produced in Mexico.

Hyundai HB20 2013

Em quatro meses ele já muda para a linha 13/13. Os sistemas de som ganharam Bluetooth, com a versão Comfort 1.6 diferindo das mais caras por vir com tela menor, entrada USB no som (as outras a têm no console) e sem CD player. Seus volantes somaram as teclas de ligações, e os vidros elétricos agora são um-toque e se acionam pela chave. As luzes do painel ficaram todas em azul, vieram palhetas do limpador tipo flat-blade e novos detalhes internos cromados para Comfort Style e Premium e prateados quando com 1.0, entre outros.

Renault Captur

Almost every best-seller car was released with much more modest intentions from its brand. VW, for instance, would have never imagined that Golf and Gol would not only defeat Beetle’s respective sales records in Europe and Brazil as also overcome it so easily. But even though selling a car is getting harder and harder, it’s still easy to notice that some formulas have proven themselves true money makers. Renault surely knew the new Clio would be a huge success, so why hesitate to combine it to another golden eggs goose?

The fourth-generation Clio is being so well-received worldwide for the simple reason of offering most of what people are searching in a car today. Since this car has never been so attached to traditions, like Golf’s C pillar or C3’s round body, this project took advantage of this enormous freedom. Renault chose a very attractive new design language, and managed to create a “magnetic” car. Whether for the aggressive front elements which highlight the brand’s logo, lots of inspiration from sports cars applied to the sides and a very elegant rear or a spacious interior filled with technology, safety, comfort and very efficient engines, the fact is this car is an excellent project. So the overall reaction did nothing more than just proving once again that everyone do prefer what’s best. However, one of those formulas of the current car market is the crossover concept. The idea of offering most of each category’s advantages in a single car must be as old as the very categories because it comes from the purest common sense, but the true challenge has always been how to execute it in a customer-attractive way – Pontiac discovered the effects of doing this wrong with Aztek, by the hardest way. So when the first modern crossovers achieved worldwide success, it was a matter of time for each and every automaker to create their own ones. And since Renault had on one hand this successful Clio, and the assurance of the crossovers’ good acceptance at the other, what else could you expect them to do next?

Captur is the simple result of applying Clio’s concept to the crossover category, but this comes as the exact opposite of a complaint. While Chevrolet creates a tougher style with Trax, Ford relies at its SUV experience with EcoSport and Peugeot goes classier with 2008, this Renault becomes closer to Buick Encore’s (and its German brother Opel Mokka) proposal. There’s plenty of organic shapes and smooth volume transitions, creating a very European design filled with a very tasteful sportiness. In other words, Captur expresses itself with its own design, without relying on accessories. There are no spoilers or too many chrome details because it isn’t a sports car, but neither external protection items, roof racks or even a snorkel because it doesn’t intend to cross a river or climb a mountain. Another reflection of that is the interior, whose console is very similar to Clio’s. The beautiful dashboard brings the modern touch, while the colored seats (and the exclusive roof color) give the playful idea. In spite of the 13.5-ft length, Renault claims Captur’s room distribution is as good as in a minivan. Besides, as in every modern car, the big touchscreen anticipates the lots of electronic systems for comfort, safety and entertainment. Since this car shares Clio’s platform, it’ll surely bring most of the hatchback’s engines, all of them with very good emissions and performance numbers. This car’s official debut is expected for the next Geneva Auto Show.