Motoring: It's time to get Getz

Hyundai's latest attraction, Getz, has lots of appeal and plenty of good looks. Available in three-door and five-door models, it sets the trend in the Super-mini range of inexpensive cars, while its other features are bound to be crowdpullers

You could be forgiven for assuming the new Getz was a mini model from a European manufacturer. It has a very Euro look with echoes of VW, Seat, Fiat and Renault in its design. In reality, the Getz is from the Korean manufacturer - Hyundai, which is perhaps the most successful of the three Korean brands available in world markets. Hyundai has been, and is, going from strength to strength.

The new Getz is a good example of the category known as Super-minis and it is unashamedly being aimed at world markets with its stylish, contemporary good looks and excellent interior package. The car looks pert and dynamic with short overhangs at front and rear - the classic formula of Super-minis with ' a wheel at each corner'! This feature allows a longer than normal wheelbase within which to accommodate the cabin for the occupants. This new model is built on an all-new generation light car platform that could be used for other models from Hyundai in the future.

The Getz range of models has three 4-cylinder engines from which to choose. At the lower end is the Epsilon 1,114cc single overhead cam version with 3 valves per cylinder offering 62 bhp and torque of 9.7 kg/m - this is an economy unit for drivers who value fuel economy more than performance.

The next step up is to a 1,314 cc engine using SOHC and with three valves per cylinder producing 82 bhp and maximum torque of 11.9 kg/m.

The top-of-the-range engine is the lively 1,614 cc Alpha engine with DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder producing 105 bhp and maximum torque of 14.6 kg/m.

You can also choose which transmission you prefer between a 4-speed automatic and a 5-speed manual gearbox. The front suspension of the Getz has MacPherson-type struts and coil springs and at the rear the ride is handled by a coupled torsion beam axle. One interesting point about the suspension is the use of oil shock absorbers at the front and gas shocks at the rear of the car. The steering system is electrically powered and offers a tight turning radius of only five metres - very useful for parking in confined spaces when visiting the supermarket and shops at Deira City Centre. The braking system have discs at the front and drums at the rear and ABS is also available on some models.

So we can see at this stage we have a very good-looking new model from Hyundai with an impressive range of engines and competent mechanicals. But there is more to appeal in this clever little car.

The interior design is full of surprises, especially in the places for storing things. Hyundai call it Space Wizardry and that is an apt name for all the little storage places and cubby holes. OK, the rear seats will easily fold down and forward to provide a whopping 977 litres of space in the rear section of the car. A unique, to me, feature is a spectacles holder mounted just above the driver's door opening that Hyundai call a Roof Side Tray. Very neat and imaginative. The door pockets are large and deep. The back rests of the front seats have two useful pockets (one at the back and one on the side - why hasn't any other manufacturer thought of that one before?) and also a shopping bag hook on the back of the seat. In addition to the standard glove box there is a large open tray under the steering column and a flat space on top of the dash board. In the luggage compartment behind the rear seats there are storage spaces on each side and under the boot floor there is a large circular storage tray sitting on top of the spare wheel. This is indeed Space Wizardry!

The Getz comes in three-door and five-door models and in GL and GLS specifications and obviously certain features are common to all models whilst others are unique to the top-of-the-range models. The heated door mirrors will be useful to ensure good rearward visibility on those mornings when condensation is a nuisance. The rear windscreen is fitted with a windscreen wiper. Power windows are also available as is the optional sun roof and remote control door locking and unlocking.

The Hyundai Getz is a remarkable model and sets a new standard in the Super-mini category of inexpensive cars. It will certainly prove to be a success in the world markets where Hyundai's ambition is to become a true global player. When one considers the entry models cost just Dh23,900 and the top-of -the-range 1.6 litre models cost just Dh33,000 it would be hard to find better value for money for this type of car.


Watch out for the range of this Rover

The new Range Rover, the legendary British 4x4 manufacturer's contribution to the ever-growing 4WD and SUV leisure vehicle sectors of global markets, has proven to be more than capable of meeting the challenges of Gulf terrain - on and off-road.

Just a few months ago an engineering team from the Land Rover factory at Solihull in the heart of UK's Midlands region, came to the UAE and implemented an extensive testing programme involving the most arduous and demanding procedures. The object of this exercise was to re-confirm the new Range Rover's capabilities in extreme desert and hot weather conditions.

Many manufacturers, including Land Rover, find the UAE to be an ideal location for this type of testing, as it offers a variety of very harsh conditions for checking and refining most aspects of a vehicle's performance within relatively short distances of each other - dunes; mountains; wadis and highways.

Obviously, the new Range Rover had been severely tested during its development stages prior to production and, according to David Smith, Resident Engineer for Land Rover Middle East and Africa, this had taken place in over 25 countries in the world. Conditions in these places varied from thick black cotton soil mud in East Africa to frozen tundra wastes in the north of Canada and arid wastelands of the north American continent. The UAE testing was to ensure the finished product met and exceeded Gulf customer expectations in terms of all performance parameters, especially relating to comfort levels, on and off-road.

The new Range Rover is designed to be an 'all' 4WD vehicle - all conditions; all terrains and all environments. It unashamedly combines the attributes of a full-time four-wheel drive vehicle with the dynamics of a luxury saloon car and there is nothing utilitarian about the Range Rover.

One of the most important checks carried out related to the engine cooling system and the results led to extensive re-engineering work to enable it to cope with ambient temperatures of up to 50?C.

The testers were very happy with results from the HEVAC (heating, ventilation & airconditioning) checks. In a vehicle such as a Range Rover, the comfort of passengers is of prime concern and the new model has a special quick cool down system called 'Max AC' that automatically boosts the cool down period.

Another key engineering test was to check the traditional trade-offs between on-road and off-road driving. In desert areas with their steep dune slopes and hillocks, the vehicle was subjected to aggressive 'sand testing' pr