Having established the sports activity vehicle segment (SAV) in 1999, BMW was pretty cocky that the second generation X5 would once again prove to be the act that everyone else would follow.
Distancing the new X5 from sports utility vehicles (SUVs), BMW emphasised that the new release was about superior agility and driving dynamics and, after watching a video clip of the new X5 going around Nürburgring in Germany, one can see that it is truly a road-specced vehicle.
When you look at the new X5, you will notice that it doesn’t differ much from the first incarnation. BMW says the changes were somewhat restrained as people still needed to see that it is an X5.
Nevertheless, the new X5 has a more modern look and has grown in practically every aspect. The new range comes in six- and eight-cylinder, petrol and diesel options, which all have permanent all-wheel drive.
Settle into the new X5 and you realise that the comfort factor was obviously high on the design agenda.
Electronic seats, dual-zone climatronic, electronically adjustable steering wheel and loads more combine to make you feel that you’re in for something rather special.
The first model I drove was the 4,8i, which was mind-bogglingly athletic.
The engine made the kind of noise that one would expect an M3 to make and its acceleration was very much like that of a sporty sedan.
Most impressive was its roadholding, as cruising at illegal speeds became far too comfortable.
A new shift-by-wire transmission encouraged the sort of sporty driving that made me doubt the vehicle’s offroad capability, and I had the distinct feeling that its on-road manners were probably going to be its strongest selling point.
That was until we did a little dune driving and I realised that, while not being a serious bundu-basher, it was nonetheless capable of traipsing confidently over jagged rocks and sandy dunes.
The new X5 now comes with the options of active steering, active suspension and the head-up display, which is now height adjustable.
Active steering allows for the steering to be very light in parking situations, thus increasing manoeuvrability and, at high speeds, the steering stiffens slightly.
Active suspension works in much the same way to adapt the suspension set-up in accordance with the type of surface.
The head-up display is much like the system used in fighter jets. The system projects certain information — in the case of the X5, the speed, revs and so on — on the windscreen and is only visible to the driver. Now that it is height adjustable, you can position the projection to be in your line of vision and you will unfortunately not be able to lie about not knowing how far over the speed limit you were.
The 3,0-litre turbodiesel pushes out 173kW and 520Nm, and is no slouch when compared to the top-of-the-range 4,8-litre V8 with 261kW and 475Nm.
The curious thing about both vehicles is that, while they both come with the steptronic option on the auto gearbox, you don’t need to change gears yourself as the gearbox does a fantastic job of changing gears at a leisurely pace, or just as the revs reach the red zone.
The new X5 is an attractive vehicle, is quicker than its predecessor and its handling is simply superb. These attributes (and more) combine to make it a worthy option in the increasingly competitive SAV segment.
Prices range from R547Â 000 for the 3,0-litre diesel to R662Â 000 for the 4,8-litre petrol.
Long-term updates
To say that I put everything including the kitchen sink into the Toyota Avensis D4D is no exaggeration. I’m currently renovating my house and have had to transport some fairly big items, such as kitchen sinks — and not just one, but three — in the Avensis.
The Avensis swallowed up whatever I needed to transport with ease and left enough space for passengers too.
Initially, I was disappointed that I had only managed to do 500km on one tank of diesel, but I had to remind myself that I had mostly been doing city driving and I was also testing the vehicle’s athleticism. A better reflection of fuel consumption will be available next month when I stretch the vehicle’s long-distance legs.
But, the spirited driving I did in the past month did have some advantages in that the D4D proved itself to be far quicker than I had initially thought it would be. Nimble is not a word I would have used to describe the Camry, which the Avensis is replacing, but it’s a word that aptly describes the D4D’s performance thus far. — Sukasha Singh
Model: Toyota Avensis D4D
Price: R268Â 000
Engine: 2,2-litre turbodiesel
Tech: 110kW, 310Nm
Top speed: 210kph, 0-100kph in 9,2s
Tank capacity: 60 litres
Services: 15Â 000km
Odo at start: 3Â 200km
Odo now: 3Â 701km
Fuel input: 53,4 litres
Fuel cost: R336,16
Our long-term Nissan Tiida 1,6 Acenta hatch arrived on time in mid-April, with 1Â 485km on the clock. So far, we’ve covered an additional 1Â 510km, of which 700km was long distance. Everything works as it should, and annoying rattles and squeaks just don’t exist.
The interior space of the Tiida is its biggest asset. I loaded a bookcase measuring 820mm x 900mm and a large box of motorcycle spares in the hatch, and was surprised to discover that I didn’t even need to fold the rear seats forward, I simply slid the rear seat forward.
Because the torque peaks relatively high in the rev range, the car’s overtaking acceleration in top gear at legal speeds isn’t breathtaking, but using the gearbox results in much better performance. The fuel consumption we’ve achieved has so far been very good, averaging at 8,72 litres per 100km, or 11,46km per litre, with a mix of town and city driving.
Overall, we’re impressed with the Tiida, because it feels so well built and is extremely practical. The car’s ergonomics are excellent. — Gavin Foster
Model: Nissan Tiida Acenta
Price: R162Â 900
Engine: 1,6-litre fuel-injected
Tech: 80kW, 153Nm
Top speed: 180kph, 0-100kph in 14s
Tank capacity: 52 litres
Services: 15Â 000km
Odo at start: 1Â 485km
Odo now: 2Â 995 km
Fuel input: 140 litres
Fuel cost: R917,58