2019 Rigore Caelum SG88 Prestige 260 S4 - Modern Market 3
car by @titleguy1
The fourth generation Caelum of the New York based Rigore has been introduced last year at the L.A. Auto show. The Caelum is the sports compact model of Rigore, a brand known for its quality cars aiming at the higher budget spectrum. While we are looking forward to the announced performance MT-R model, we are happy to have received the new current top trim model, the Prestige 260 S4 trim.
Aiming to be a competitor to mainly Japanese and German manufacturers in the compact premium sedan segment. With a sticker price for this particular car at $52,120.47 it certainly does not attempt to undercut the competition on the price front. For that money, you do get a well equipped sport sedan with all extra options, including modern park and driving assists, high quality sound and infotainment systems – we are the fan of the 11.0” screens –, as well as full localized climate control and heated and cooled power seats with power adjustable lumbar support.
Exterior-wise the Caelum is stylish without being immediately remarkable, with its Rigore grille and distinctive headlights being its main recognizable features. The lightweight mostly aluminium sedan is styled cleanly and aesthetically rather than it being an attention-grabbing head-turner. Our car was finished in Blue Jay Metallic paint, with well-fitting 19” Diamond Finish alloy wheels.
Under the bonnet; the very interesting Boxer-4 Rigore engine in use since 2011. Why reports indicate it might become a bit hot at times, reliability appears to be good. The 2.5 liter turbo-charged unit puts out around 260 horsepower, with a tune that clearly focusses on low engine speed cruising and efficiency.
And fuel efficient it is. The Caelum has been tested at 5,4 liter per 100km (43,5 mpg) – although a some more spirited driving, mixed with heavy traffic sections during our testing period resulted in 8,33 l/100km (28,3 mpg). This is still not bad for an all-wheel drive sedan that despite heavy use of aluminium in its construction still weighs in at almost 1,8 metric tons.
Spirited driving is something that this Caelum invites. We even have the idea that the 260 horsepower is an underestimation from Rigore. With an advertised 7,4 seconds to reach 100 km/h and 15,06 seconds for the quarter mile, our test car managed the 5,9 and 14,18 seconds, respectively. Top speed is limited electronically to 240 km/h.
All of this does not mean that the Caelum is at home on the circuit. Driving on twisty B-roads is a joy, and at sensible speeds the 260 S4 has excellent stability and responsiveness. However, push the car too far, and especially on braking the rear might well come round. Testing in controlled environment lead us to conclusion that the rear brakes are to blame here. We can only hope that this does not lead to any court cases.
We have to stress that the Rigore Caelum is a safe car at any sensible speed and circumstance, including repeated emergency braking tests – although we have not tested emergency braking on ice or snow. With modern construction methods and design, 7 airbags – and not even counting passive and active electronic safety systems – it scores very well on government crash tests.
The Caelum Prestige 260 S4 aspires to be a compact and sporty version of larger premium and luxury sedans and we feel it succeeds well. It’s many standard features and excellent engine and road feel justify the high price. The 8-speed gearbox feels comfortable both cruising economically in high gear as well as getting up higher in rev range. The rumble of the boxer engine is enjoyable, even with the high-quality interior damping. We also in particular like the turbo sound, including the blow off, which becomes noticeable over 4000 rpm.
We have enjoyed time with the Caelum. Comfortable cruising, small and nimble in the city, and a job to drive when the road gets twisty. We are not entirely convinced that this trim has a particularly wide audience to appeal to, and perhaps the smaller engined trims or the upcoming true performance variant fit better in their segment. Despite that, we can only conclude this is a great car in its own right.
The verdict:
(+) elegant design
(+) highly comfortable and very good standard equipment
(+) great driving fun
(+) fuel efficient, well-sounding, reliable and responsive engine
(+) great 8-speed gearbox
(-) steep pricing
(-) doesn’t always know whether it wants to be a premium car, a sports compact or a practical family sedan
Final score: 18/20 (if you seek something in this segment, this is your choice; only what is this segment?)
