The Star: December 20, 2018

More documents

Recommendations

Info

32 Thursday December 20 2018 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi The Star fun Summertime ... Black Cat Cruises has something for everyone heading out on the water this summer, to turn your holiday into a lasting memorable experience. book online this summer & get 10%OFF using code ‘localstar’ Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise Voted #1 wildlife spotting activity by local New Zealanders, this award-winning two hour cruise departs daily from the main wharf in Akaroa at 11.00am and 1.30pm. See beautiful, rare and friendly Hector’s dolphins, plus seals, penguins and more. Check out the majestic cliffs at Scenery Nook. Swimming With Dolphins Getting up close and personal with dolphins in the wild is an experience most people can only dream about. Hector’s dolphins swim in Akaroa harbour yearround, so wait no longer! All equipment is provided, just bring your togs, a towel and of course your camera! Swim cruises depart daily. Check the website or call 0800 436 574 to book. Early bookings are essential as space is limited for this very popular activity. Listed by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 marine mammal experiences in the world Quail Island Hop on a 15-minute ferry to Quail Island from Lyttelton Harbour, B Jetty. Pack a picnic and your togs, the swimming is safe and the beach fantastic. There’s no need to book. Ferry departs Lyttelton at 10.20 am and 12.20 pm daily in December and January and returns at 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm, the choice is yours. Private Charters Do you need a special venue for a special occasion? Turn our boats in Lyttelton or Akaroa into an exciting party place with a private charter. Call us for more information on 0800 CHARTER. @blackcatcruises book online blackcat.co.nz PHONE 0800 436 574 CRUISES LYTTELTON & AKAROA
The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Thursday December 20 2018 33 Dunedin Railways is best known for its flagship journey, the Taieri Gorge Rail Trip; an excursion filled with sweeping vistas and dramatic landscapes. With increasing demand for an extended version of this popular trip, Dunedin Railways launched a suite of rail tours, tailored especially for those who enjoy the romance and adventure of luxury rail travel. Departing in Christchurch, the Southern Rail Tour is a journey steeped in Southern history, as it follows the Taieri Gorge and includes a bonus trip to Stewart Island and a visit to the Blue Penguin Colony in Oamaru. The East Coast Excursion departs from Dunedin and includes a visit Hanmer Springs, travel through the historic Weka Pass and onto the picturesque but astonishingly narrow Blenheim Riverside Railway, ending with a scenic cruise on the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sounds. If spectacular mountain ranges are more to your liking, the West Coast Excursion Your Summer Holiday Attraction guide Dunedin Railways offer luxury rail tours is highlighted by travel over Southern Alps, stops in Westport, the Buller Gorge and Punakaiki, with the option to visit the magnificent Treetops Canopy Walk. Each trip offers optional extras such as steam train travel, guided tours to heritage sites, or day walks. The tours include First Class travel on the Dunedin Silver Fern, all accommodation and the majority of meals, with knowledgeable and friendly hosts to guide guests on this unique and exciting experience. For more information on these Rail Tours, please visit dunedinrailways.co.nz or phone 03 477 4449. Southern Rail Tour (Departing Christchurch) 26 th April - 2 nd May 2019 3 rd - 9 th May 2019 West Coast Excursion (Departing Dunedin) 13 th - 18 th April 2019 East Coast Excursion (Departing Dunedin) 28 th May - 3 rd June 2019 BOOK NOW (03) 477-4449 bookings@dunedinrailways.co.nz www.dunedinrailways.co.nz Volvo’s XC40 gets many accolades • By Ross Kiddie THE NEW Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild Car of the Year award is taken very seriously by the members, and the motoring industry in general. I’ve been involved in the voting process since 1988, and have yet to see a winner that I didn’t think was worthy of the title. For 2018, Volvo’s XC40 was a worthy finalist, and as recent history has served to prove, it didn’t win the title, that went to Subaru’s Forester, but the XC40 has many other accolades to its credit, including European Car of the Year for 2018. It doesn’t surprise me that the XC40 was nominated for our award, it is all that you could want from a sport utility vehicle, and represents all of the values Volvo incorporates during the manufacturing process. Regular readers will remember my evaluation of the top-of-the-line R-Design model in these columns in July, I’ve now been fortunate enough to drive a model from the other end of the scale, the $59,900 two-wheel-drive Momentum variant, and for my money it is the pick of the bunch. Bear in mind, too, that there is also a four-wheeldrive mid-spec model (Inscription) at $67,900, while the R-Design (4WD) sits at $72,900. Putting these figures into context, you can save a lot of cash if you don’t need four-wheel-drive and don’t need all of the bells and whistles that Volvo does so well as a luxury car maker. Saying that, the entrylevel model doesn’t miss out on much, it still gets all of the safety gear that you’d expect form Volvo, along with a good level of features that favour comfort and convenience. If you are like me and don’t rate leather trim as a priority, the textile seats in the Momentum are glorious. They have vinyltype side panels with a soft cloth insert, they feel good to be in and don’t store Motoring Ross Kiddie VOLVO XC40: Three-model range. the cold on those frosty Canterbury mornings. There is perhaps one other important feature that needs to be addressed in terms of description, the Momentum model has engine power outputs lower than the R-Design. It’s the same turbocharged 2-litre, four-cylinder power plant, but instead of having • Price – Volvo XC40 T4, $59,990 • Dimensions – Length, 4425mm; width, 1863mm; height, 1652mm • Configuration – Fourcylinder, front-wheeldrive, 1969cc, 140kW, 300Nm, eight-speed automatic • Performance – 0-100km/h, 8.4sec • Fuel usage – 6.8l/100km 182kW and 350Nm, it gets figures of 140kW and 300Nm. Don’t be put off by that, I drove the Momentum for a week and there was never a point when I felt it needed more power. Sure the R-Design is angry and feisty when asked to accelerate, but the Momentum keeps pace easily and is an absolute joy to drive with relatively quick movement. It will reach 100km/h from a standstill in 8.4sec and will make 120km/h from 80km/h in 5.5sec. For the record, Volvo lists a 230km/h top speed for all XC40 variants. On the subject of figures, Volvo claims a 6.8-litre per 100km (42mpg) combined cycle fuel usage average for the Momentum. That sits well with the readout on the evaluation car. It was sitting constantly at around 8l/100km (35mpg) with a 6.2l/100km (45mpg) instantaneous usage figure at 100km/h, the engine well in the leisure zone turning over at just 1600rpm. If you take note of the points at where the power figures are developed – 1400rpm for torque almost meeting the point of peak power (4700rpm) – then you can genuinely believe there is a perfectly acceptable power delivery. The feel of turbo boost is strong and drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission is smooth and controlled. There are also four drive modes, from sport to economy, which you can utilise depending on each journey. The XC40 drives quietly and smoothly, and that is a pre-requisite of all cars from the Volvo stable. I took the test car on a loop from Motukarara to Hororata, there are several tricky corners on that route yet the XC40 is comfortable in a corner and handles with all of the characteristics of the modern-day SUV. The XC40 is relatively new to the New Zealand market and joins a highprofile SUV line-up from the Volvo stable. I can easily see why it has been seen favourably by the critics, and that exposure trickles down to the choices buyers make when they are looking for a purchase. If I was an SUV buyer then the XC40 would certainly be near the top of my list.
Page 1 and 2: Circulation 92,573 Thursday, Decemb
Page 3 and 4: The Star 3 News • By Emily O’C
Page 5 and 6: The Star Latest Christchurch news a
Page 31: The Star Latest Christchurch news a

The Star: December 20, 2018

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?