@ramthecowy Just a bit! Never knew this market was so popular
@Darkshine5 I’d definitley say that’s a competitor even with the slightly lower power
@ramthecowy Just a bit! Never knew this market was so popular
@Darkshine5 I’d definitley say that’s a competitor even with the slightly lower power
Nah, if I wanted to combat the power figures, I’d have pointed to our 2009 range. I just built a car that Storm Shadow enthusiasts will be pleased to have. And yes, the hybrids will return in the Shadow, probably some time in the new year.
There’s the mark of a truly passionate car company. No managerial, sales-per-quarter, “market popularity” nonesense, just people who love cars making cars for car enthusiasts.
Does that mean I need to build a faster, more eco, luxury pickup now?
@squidhead A more faster, more eco, more luxury, more powerful, more better nurburgring time, more better affordable, more better better car
#New hot version of the Merna with AWD to be released soon
An official statement from Erin this afternoon confirmed that a new ‘X-tuned’ version of their family hatchback was on the way, and that a full reveal would be coming shortly.
Called the ‘X-AllDrive’, it will sit alongside the current X-Eco, offering more “more power and better performance” than its sibling, and will be all wheel drive. It will be the first time Erin has built an all wheel drive hot hatch since the 1994 Merna XR.
While little detail was given away at the press conference, a spokeswoman revealed that we could expect 0-60 times in the 5 second region, a top speed of over 150 mph and a sub 1400kg curb weight.
She said “While the X-Eco was designed to offer hothatch performance with high fuel economy and excellent practicality, the X-AllDrive will be a far sharper, more traditional affair, exchanging comfort for performance”.
Inevitably, the question of whether it was being made to compete with the C2000R came up, to which the response was: “No”.
It seems that the X-AllDrive is aiming to target other, slightly less extreme vehicles in the market, with likely rivals including the Maesima Prova ST-R range, Zavir Luna Sportivo, Montes Urban RS, variants of the Komodo Phyton, Dimension Rift SSP and sports trims of the Adenine Cadence. To say the least, it’s a crowded market, which means Erin’s latest contribution to the confused world of the hot-hatch will have to stand out.
We can expect the X-AllDrive to appear at the Detroit Auto Show, along with the upcoming Visto Mk 5.
- Splendid Auto Monthly, January 6th 2017
go away, BMW
also, you forgot my car
Ah, I can explain, I would have put it on there but it’s quite a bit more powerful and faster than my car at the moment, and I’m not wading into that sector of the market (as explained above )
And if BMW want to complain, Erin have owned that patent since 1984
#2017 Erin Merna X-AllDrive
Last year, we had the X-Eco, where Erin aimed to make the hot-hatch more practical, more efficient and easier to own. That was a lot of fun. And now, it’s time show just what the hot-hatch can do.
Overview
The Merna X-AllDrive is the first all wheel drive hot-hatch from Erin for over 20 years. Sharp driving characteristics, superb performance and all the grippiness of AWD - this is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and invigorating cars the X Department has produced in years.
Off the bat, it should be noted that there have been a number of styling tweaks made to the Merna here - these will eventually be found across the range when we facelift the car later on this year.
Power
Under the bonnet, a turbocharged version of the Pureron 2.0l i4 can be found, an ever so slight throwback to the 2.0l i4’s found on older versions of tuned Mernas. This engine is usually found on the Tauga and Berlose, but here it’s been tuned to produce 292 hp and 233 ft-lb of torque. Full performance intake, individual throttle bodies, power-biased CPU mapping and a performance exhaust make this a perfect engine for such a focused car.
Turbos kick in at 2800 RPM and it’ll rev all the way up to 8000 rpm, meaning plenty of punch when you want it, fairly limited turbo lag and a wide powerband to play around with.
Delivering all this to the wheels is 6 speed manual gearbox, linked to a twin-LSD setup (geared LSDs specifically) that splits the power 55/45 F/R. It’s a proper, tactile transmission system that is a joy to use and provides plenty of feedback.
Wheels and suspension
245F/245R 18" wheels keep this thing planted, using custom sports tires, and vented disc brakes can be found all round. Suspension wise, this car is all-analogue. A lot of consideration was made for as to whether include an active setup similar to the one on the X-Eco, but we wanted to properly differentiate these two cars. It makes this thing harder to drive, but that’s the whole point.
To say least, this car is sharp. It’s not made for casual users, this is for a driving enthusiast who gets a thrill out of driving a car right on the edge. The benefit of this sharp setup of course is that the reward for driving it well is very high - learn to work this thing and we guarantee you’ll have fun.
Performance
0-60 is dealt with in 4.9 seconds, top speed 158 mph. Not an outright speed machine like the Tauga X or Scalet X, but superb through the corners thanks to that old school suspension. Where this car shines is through the corners and on the track. At the end of the day, this is still a road car, but it pushes the boundary of what a road car can be very far indeed.
Semi-clad undertray and an aero-body kit help to ensure high speed stability and grip, along with the added grip bonus of having AWD. There’s no denying you can push this car hard, and it will hold on.
Interior and Features
All this performance has to come at some-what of a cost, namely comfort. A specialised lightweight interior has been designed for this car, and we’ve removed a seat. You still get air conditioning and TapTouch™ (on a 7" display), but don’t expect much comfort here. It’s certainly not unbearable, but stick to the X-Eco if you’re planning on dailying this car.
Full Specs
###Price: from $27860 (40% markup)
That is a sharp-looking thing indeed - are those titanium connecting rods? If so, I can accept that you were desperate to reduce weight at any cost and extend the redline as much as possible.
Nah, no titanium on there. Just the base Aluminium-Steel body/chassis combo and standard weight reduction
Hey look it’s an Erin I can afford
I still couldn’t afford it…
@Deskyx Well we do our best to appeal to a broad range of buyers
@Starfish94 There’s always the X-Eco, prices start at just £21k for that!
Hate to be a smart-arse… oh, who am I kidding?
$27,860 (assuming it’s USD) for an X-AllDrive vs £21,000 for an X-Eco isn’t that much of a difference.
@stm316 Ah, yet again my use of the £/$ sign has confused people They essentially mean the same thing, so for me, £21000 = $21000. It’s like an alternative fact
it’s been a long ass moment so far, hurry up Erin
Special… And I see a small car there… Visto X?
#2017 Erin Visto (Mk 5)
Erin’s back in the supermini game. Rivals, watch out
If this car were a song, it’d be Khmlwugh by Homeshake
##Overview
What began 24 years ago as a quirky, smaller companion to Merna has now become one Erin’s most popular vehicles, though its new iteration has been long overdue. At last, the Mk 5 is now here, and it’s better than ever before.
For the first time ever, Erin has brought its aluminum body construction technique to its supermini, whilst maintaining affordability and greatly improving various factors such as efficiency and driving feel. Innovation is also found in its suicide-door(ed) 5 Door variant and sleek 3 door Coupe variant, designed independently of one another to create a bit of uniqueness in this otherwise rather formulaic sector of the market.
The Visto is all about combining great styling, excellent stats and clever innovation into semi-premium package.
Since the late 1990s, Erin has been pioneering the use of aluminium on its cars, more specifically the use of aluminium on its cheaper vehicles. We brought it to the Mk 8 Merna in 2014, and now it’s finally here on the Mk 5 Visto.
Thanks to the weight saving, the new Visto has greatly improved efficiency and handling over previous models, yet is still very safe thanks to clever reinforced chassis construction that also ensures the car is still rigid too.
Visto Vox Coupe in Performance Orange
Why make such a fuss over body styles? It’s not like any other company does the same thing.
Well, it’s because, for the first time with the Visto, we’ve split the design process for the Coupe and 5 Door variants of the car, in much the same way we split the Sedan and Coupe versions up when designing new versions of the Tauga.
It allows for us to essentially create two different vehicles of the same car - the Coupe version, for those looking for a sleek, stylish supermini, and the 5 Door, for those want that extra practicality thanks to the rear suicide doors.
Above: Visto Vox Coupe in Performance Orange // Below: Visto S 5 Door in Muted Olive Green
The latest Pureon engines are found in the Visto range, combining good performance and great usability with excellent efficiency and low running costs.
For 2017 model years, the Visto can be optioned with:[ul]
Pureon 1.2l TDi TwinC engine
TapTouch™ is finally here on the Visto, bringing a custom designed, Android powered infotainment system into the car. It works alongside your smartphone and is all controlled via a gorgeous 8" touchscreen display, and even comes with Gecko™ voice control.
It’s not just tech that makes the interior clever either: fold flat seats rear seats create a massive, seamless carrying space; cup holders for all seats come as standard; storage spaces all around the interior that are cleverly suited to your needs, such as a sunglasses holder or a space for a map; dual-zone climate control and heated seats as standard on the Vox trim; and, perhaps the most important feature of all, a rear windscreen that isn’t the size of a letterbox, which actually means you can see out of the back.
Top down view of Visto 5 Door variant showing suicide door
To celebrate the launch of the new Visto, Centro Stile Betta were contracted to produce a special, limited production version of the car. The glitzy, fine detailing synonymous of work from the CSB meets Erin’s distinctive 2nd Gen 2010s design style in brilliant fashion on this car with styling that perfectly suits the mix of angular and curved lines found on the Visto.
Powered by a 158 hp turbocharged i4 from Betta cars, the CSB Edition is not just incredible to behold, but also incredible to drive. It really makes the most of the lightweight body and certainly compliments the sporty looks of the car.
The Visto CSB Edition will be made to order with custom interior and colour options, limited to a production run of 3500 examples.
##Stats, Trims and Prices
Prices are in Pounds/£ but are the same as AMU/$, because British
[quote]S 1.0l/1.2l - Coupe from £11595, 5 Door from £11845
Basic interior, 15" steel wheels, standard sound system, air con, 8" TapTouch™ infotainment, traction control, ABS
[quote]Lex 1.0l/1.2l/1.4l - Coupe from £13195, 5 Door from £13495
Standard interior, choice of front and rear bumper designs, 15"/16" alloy wheels, standard sound system, air con, 8" TapTouch™ infotainment, traction control, ABS
[quote]Vox 1.0l/1.2l/1.4l - Coupe from £15195, 5 Door from £15545
Faux-leather interior, choice of front and rear bumper designs, 15"/16" alloy wheels, premium sound system, dual zone climate control, 8" TapTouch™ infotainment, traction control, cruise control, ABS, collision mitigation system
Engine Stats
Pureon 1.0l TDi Eco - 1004cc SOHC 16v i4 Turbo Direct Injection VVT/L
87hp @ 7100rpm, 85 ft-lb @ 4600rpm, Reliability: 73.3, Smoothness: 66.4
Pureon 1.2l TDi - 1201cc DOHC 16v i4 Turbo Direct Injection VVT/L
95hp @ 6600rpm, 100 ft-lb @ 2400rpm, Reliability: 80.1, Smoothness: 69.7
Pureon 1.4l Di - 1403cc DOHC 16v i4 N/A Direct Injection VVT/L
118hp @ 7700rpm, 105 ft-lb @ 4400rpm, Reliability: 77.9, Smoothness: 67.6
The Visto Mk5 goes on sale at the end of March 2017.
A hot-hatch X Tuned version is expected sometime this year.
So there we have it! Erin’s back in the supermini game. Comments, thoughts, critiques and criticisms are all most welcome and encouraged.
Big thanks to @TheMiltos21 and the team at Centro Stile Betta for desinging the stunning CSB Special edition, I’d thoroughly recommend them to anyone wanting a concept or entire car that just oozes boldness and flair.
Erin can also announce that a special one-make racing series called the Erin[color=turquoise]Sport[/color] Visto Cup is on its way, details of which will be announce closer to the time.