Trafikjournalen (Test: 1955 TORSHALLA POESY KOMBI)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #11 2020
REVIEW OF THETA L400 AWD

BLUE THUNDER

Expensive and not flawless - but man, what a car!

We rarely review the more extreme stuff here. The reason is that we think that for you as a consumer, how boring it even may sound, it is more interesting to read reviews of cars that are in the more affordable end of the market. But every now and then, something interesting pops up. Like the Theta L400 AWD for example. A high end sports sedan (or actually, a liftback), at $86900 AMU only a dream for most of us, a reality for a chosen few. Yet, we actually decided to take it for a spin (we weren’t exactly hard to convince here!) to show you what it is good for.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
The first thing that strikes you is how easy the car is to drive. Despite being a 505 hp beast, it is as forgiving as an econobox, as long as you treat it with sanity. It is almost completely neutral in its handling, and AWD combined with an electronic LSD and modern traction control system means that wheelspin is almost non-existant.

Of course (even if we don’t recommend it) a car like this can be treated with insanity, too. Then you will notice that it is actually very forgiving then, too. 1.02 G on the skidpad and no sudden loss of traction, it is warning you in good time.

Hitting the brakes is almost like hitting a wall. 35.5 metre stopping distance is great numbers, and fading is only somewhat noticeable when you are driving in a manner that is extremely dangerous for your drivers license.

For maneuvering in crowded spaces, like for example city traffic, it is what it is. A large car. However, the length is rather moderate compared to some of its competitors, also the visibility is good, due to have relatively large glass areas for a modern car.

A true drivers machine indeed.

VERDICT: *****

PERFORMANCE
It is indeed quick. Maybe not the fastest car on the market, but far more than enough with a 0-100 time of 4.7 seconds, and 3.09 seconds from 80-120. The quartermile is done in 12.78 seconds and it will top out at 290 km/h which is where it is electronically limited. If you need more, there is the 480 Nur-spec.

VERDICT: *****

COMFORT
Gone are the days when a high performance car meant a torture chamber. The L400 is amazingly comfortable. There is an active suspension system that despite being set up on the sporty side, actually makes the ride very pleasant too. Engine note is adequately muffled, without losing its “sporty” tone, sound insulation great, road noise very low due to, for example, very quiet tyres. Theta has resisted the temptation to go for the stickiest rubber available, but opted for a good compromise between sport and comfort instead. And why not? It’s not like the car won’t hug the road after all.

VERDICT: *****

ROOMINESS AND PRACTICALITY
Being a liftback, it has great versatility, it is easy to load and the already large cargo area can be expanded by partly or fully folding the rear seat forward. The cabin is among the roomier on the market, with place to really stretch your legs out. Also, it has five full seats - more practical than the 4 seater configuration sometimes found in this class, but at the sacrifice of comfort.

VERDICT: *****

EQUIPMENT AND INTERIOR
If you mention it, the Theta has it. Even launch control and a very advanced infotainment system that makes one wonder why you should even leave the car ever? But for this price, you also have the right to be picky.

The interior is nicely appointed, sure you can see that it is a mass produced car, not really hand stitched seats and acres of polished wood here, though still a nice place to be. Some of our staff scratched their head at the unusual centre console, though. If it looks good or not is up to you to decide. Our first thought was that it would screw up the ergonomics, but with automatic transmission and voice control, you rarely need to touch either the shift lever or the buttons on the dashboard. Other than the console, though, the interior looks relatively “normal” and maybe does not carry very much personality. For the better and the worse, personality does not always equal functionality.

VERDICT: ****

Interior-wise very usual for its class, though the console is a touch you may like or not.

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
First of all, we’re a bit confused about why Theta is sticking to their 6 speed autobox. “It is enough”, says Theta. Maybe they are right. With this kind of power, a 2 speed Powerglide from a 60s Chevy would be enough too. But when the competition has been offering 7, 8 and even 9 speed transmissions for some years, it feels like if it is lagging behind at the moment.

Better then with the engine. It is a bit unusual with the 60 degree V8, especially in a longitudinal application, but with balance shafts it still manages to run smooth. As we said before, it is relatively quiet too, and its turbocharged 505 hp gives a little kick when they wake up, but not on the limit of being unpleasant.

The all wheel drive system is biased to the rear, which seems to be the most viable option in this kind of car, and we experienced the bias as quite sane.

VERDICT: ***

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
The fit and finish is not exactly jaw dropping, but still on a high level. A luxury car like this of course has more stuff to go wrong than an econobox have, but Thetas are generally showing good reliability records. With a glued aluminium chassis you won’t see structural rust ever, but surprisingly enough, some outer panels are still steel.

VERDICT: ****

ECONOMY
Yeah. You guessed right, it is non-existant. The purchase price speaks for itself, and even if neither service costs ($1559.8 AMU) or fuel economy (10.8 litres per 100 km) are terrible for the class, compared to the rest of the market the story becomes something else. It also requires premium fuel to top it off. So, not bad for its class actually, but that doesn’t say much either.

VERDICT: 0

SAFETY
At 2.2 tonnes it is a tank. Also, there is no modern safety equipment that we can think of that is lacking in the Theta. Get a nuclear shelter if you want to be safer, is our suggestion.

VERDICT: *****

Interesting taillight design makes the car easy to identify from behind - especially at night.

FINAL VERDICT: 36/45
The Theta is of course a fantastic car. However, for its price it also should be. And we kind of question why you only get an old 6 speed auto for this kind of money, but maybe that only shows that we are becoming spoiled nowadays. Of course, there are areas where competitors are sharper, like always. But generally there is nothing that is seriously flawed with the Theta, sure, old fashioned gearbox, but on the whole a viable competitor in its class.

But we bet that most of you will never have the dilemma which car you should choose in this price range…

---

Thanks to @Lanson for the car!

[Lanson]

Awesome! Yeah the car is supposed to have a Bentley Continental GT vibe: never relenting on comfort no matter the pace.

I dreamt the THETA brand up when I was trying to visualize what luxury means if it’s not about the ego, and instead about true peace and tranquility within a car cabin. I can’t adequately demonstrate the characteristics in Automation yet, but the goals:
[hide=Summary]
*Every aspect of the car is tuned to be pleasant or soothing, or even healing where possible. - Even door chimes at Solfeggio harmonics are thought of.
*All irritating sounds and vibrations are cancelled or muted, except for emergency sounds outside
*Each THETA has a concert-grade Dolby Atmos sound system (in Automation I placed speakers at their ideal location and in ideal sizes to replicate the goal) for owners that use music to relax.
*The seats have adjustable accupressure points to relieve pain
And so on. I have an extensive list from the choice of carpet, to the use of Aluminum and steel (for resonance reasons), and all sorts of “lore” that I’ve planned for the THETA cars.

[/hide]

About the 6 speed (the engineering decision and why) [hide=Summary] The question keeps getting asked, why 6-speeds. For some reason with the way the torque curve is set up with those twin turbos, any more gears in the box made for a slower car, by a few tenths. I suppose when we get full gear ratio control in Automation one day, I could chuck in a tall final ratio. [/hide]

I appreciate the constructive criticism here and the way it was presented. You have a great way of getting the reader to feel the intent of the car. Thanks for letting me be a part of that!

[Knugcab]

Yes, and don’t get me wrong, I liked the car and it was interesting to take a look at. However, the review kind of proved to myself why I don’t really like to review cars like this (at least not way too often). They tend to be similar to review. “Everything about this car rocks!!! Oh…the economy. Yes that sucks. Anyway it gets a great grade but…yeah you can’t afford it anyway”

[Lanson]

Right, understood! Well I’ve got plenty of more economcal, more traditional cars (some with interiors) so after a bunch of others get a chance to be in your mag, I’ll submit one of my IKIGAI models which are affordable, balanced, economcal, etc.

Thanks again!

BTW specs for the L400 are in my spec database thread if anybody wants to load their cars for comparison

[kalan]

I don’t understand anything about fuel economy at all.
I think it deserves 5 stars.
I can also send my car if you interested, and if it doesn’t become a huge job for you.
It’s the same class of car and this sedan has the same fuel economy of 10.8 litres 21.8 mpg.
But overall, I agree that in many places the review was like a comment.

Automation Stat-Tracker

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #21 1985
COMPARISION TEST: SAARLAND ZANDVOORT ES vs. AXUUS SABRE SE

OLD VS NEW

The Saarland Zandvoort (green car) still looks sleek, but it’s clearly showing its age compared to the futuristic Axuus Sabre (red car).

They say that a car is never as good as the day it goes out of production. That might be true for the Saarland Zandvoort ES. It has been on the market since 1978 and the 1986 model will be the last. Over the years it has improved with things like electronic fuel injection, and for 1986 it even has recieved ABS and a new computer controlled 4 speed automatic - not bad!

On the other hand, you will still get an “old” car. New on the market for about the same price is the Axuus Sabre SE. Still, on paper it seems like it has its drawbacks - because it is probably more of a competitor to the smaller Saarland Pfarrer ES. On the other hand, since the price is a closer match to the larger Zandvoort, this comparision is interesting. Is it worth paying for getting a more modern car, and accept that you will get, like in this case, a smaller and less powerful car? Read further to get the verdict.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
If you expect the Saarland to drive like a sports car, you will be a little bit disappointed. The handling is secure, predictable, and the plowing of the very heavy front end is not as bad as one could imagine. But when it comes to cornering, it is beaten by more modern cars. Values of 0.86 G on the small skidpad and 0.81 G on the large one is by no means impressive by the standards of today. It feels obvious that this vehicle is meant to go fast forward on the Autobahn rather than being a blast on twisty back roads.

Also, RWD, a light tail and open differential might be a drawback in slippery conditions - which we have a lot of here in the country. A good set of studded snow tyres might be a wise investment.

Brakes are fair. 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS, stops in 41.3 metres from 100 km/h, not a bad value, but we have seen better. They show a slight amount of fading when driven very hard - but by no means could it be called disastrous.

Around town, the size gives it a drawback against the Axuus, but the power steering means that it is still not a struggle to, for example, parallell park in a tight spot.

Stepping from the Saarland and into the Axuus clearly shows how 8 years of car development makes a difference. The strut suspension system up front is similar to the one on the Saarland - but semi trailing arms in the rear are a benefit over the simple, coil sprung solid axle the Saarland has. It is a way more agile, way more fun car to drive. It corners better - 0.92 G on the small skidpad, 0.9 G on the large one. At slow speeds, one can feel that it is a bit more tail happy than the Saarland, but a limited slip differential and remarkably better weight distribution keeps wheelspin under control.

Like the Saarland, the Axuus uses vented discs up front but only drum brakes in the rear, which might seem a little bit old fashioned. However, it stops in only 37.4 metres from 100, an excellent value, and the brake fade is less evident than in the Saarland. Lower weight might be the key to this. ABS is standard equipment.

For city driving, the smaller size gives the Axuus an advantage too. Like the Saarland, it has power steering, thanks for that.

VERDICT: Saarland:*** / Axuus:*****

PERFORMANCE
The Saarland is heavier but has a more modern transmission, as well as a 51 hp advantage. So, which one is faster? The Saarland, by a large margin. Top speed is 217 km/h compared to 190 for the Axuus. While the Axuus needs 10.5 seconds to 100, the Saarland only needs 8.94. 80-120 in the Axuus takes 7.2 seconds while the Saarland only needs 5.52 - important seconds for safe overtaking. Quartermile is done in 16.75 seconds for the Saarland - almost a second faster than the Axuus at 17.7.

Performance wise, the Axuus haven’t got a chance against the Saarland.

VERDICT: Saarland:**** / Axuus:***

COMFORT
The Saarland Zandvoort has never been touted as a sports coupé but rather as a comfortable highway cruiser for 4. Generally, that statement is also true. The ride is by no means comparable to a luxury car, but springs and dampers are tuned for comfort and soaks up the bumps well. 70 profile tyres does indeed help too. There is four rather comfortable bucket seats (nothing like the best on the market, but still has nice support for your back), and it is fairly well insulated from road noise, and the engine runs smooth, but you can still hear an amount of exhaust noise that can be tiresome in the long run. Also, the brake pedal is a little more stiff than we would have liked.

The Axuus is far less focused on comfort. Stiff suspension and 60 profile tyres gives a harsh ride compared to the Saarland. Front seats are at least rather comfortable but the rear seat is a hard bench that will be a penalty in the long run. But it is remarkably quiet - more so than the Saarland, actually. Like the Saarland, brakes are a bit tiresome in the long run.

VERDICT: Saarland:**** / Axuus:***

ROOMINESS AND PRACTICALITY
In theory the Saarland only fits 4 but the Axuus fits 5. The difference is that while the Saarland is perfectly comfortable for 4, the Axuus is to be seen as a 2 seater for all but the short trips. The Saarland is also roomier - surprisingly roomy both for luggage and passengers for being a coupé - but that is also logical, being the larger car. The rear hatchback gives flexibility to both of the cars, and somehow compensates for the obvious drawback of having only two side doors. Sure, cars in this class is nothing you will buy for practical reasons - but it could be said that both of the cars are among the better coupés on the market in this area.

VERDICT: Saarland:** / Axuus:**

EQUIPMENT AND INTERIOR
Both cars are equipped with more gizmos than usual. Velour interior, electric windows and mirrors, leather wrapped steering wheels, power steering, central locking, anti lock brakes, alloy wheels - standard. The stereo system is a rather average tape deck in both of the cars - and the sound is rather similar too. And while none of the cars could be said to have an interior that matches the finest luxury cars on the market, they give an air of niceness and do feel well thought out in both of the cars. The Saarland has a sunroof, the Axuus has a limited slip differential - other than that, the cars could be seen as similar.

VERDICT: Saarland:**** / Axuus:***

The interior of the Saarland is clearly a product of the 70s - but still holds up today. Steering wheel is leather wrapped, but lacks the airbag of the Axuus.

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
The Saarland HICAM inline 6 cylinder is 20 years old at the moment, and one would imagine that it has fallen behind more modern competitors. And maybe it has, it is a heavy, loud cast iron lump with a primitive direct acting OHC setup. However, EFI has made it more modern in later years. In its 3 litre version it puts out 181 hp at 6000 RPM, it runs smooth, has acceptable low end grunt even if its peak torque of 260 Nm is reached at a rather high 3600 RPM. It is not ready for retirement yet.

Better then is the automatic gearbox - in fact, one of the better on the market. It is controlled by a microcomputer, has 4 gears and lockup. With autoboxes like this, it should almost be questioned why someone would want a manual.

The all new 2.5 litre V6 of the Axuus makes one wonder what “evolution” means. It could not really be seen as more modern than the Saarland inline six - in fact, it uses pushrods and a single point injection system. It lacks the low end grunt of the Saarland, but still has a rather flat and nice torque curve. Maximum power of 130 hp is reached at 5700 RPM, torque peaks at 191 Nm when you reach 3900 RPM. It runs quieter, but being a V6, far from as smooth as the inline six of the Saarland. Could we call it better than the HICAM inline 6 with its roots in 1966? No.

The gearbox is another chapter - the Axuus has an old fashioned three speed autobox, no computer control, no lockup. On par with many competitors maybe, but Saarland has shown the way here so now others just have to follow that path, or lag behind.

What’s hiding under there? In the case of the Saarland it is a 3 litre inline six, in the case of the Axuus it is a 2.5 litre V6.

VERDICT: Saarland:**** / Axuus:***

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
To put it this way - to get this much car for your money, you have to cut corners somewhere. Neither the Saarland, nor the Axuus can reach the same levels of build quality as some of the more expensive competitors. With that said, both cars still offer acceptable levels of build quality and the predicted reliability is about average. We still want to give the Axuus a slight advantage, though. It seems to be slightly better built, and is also better protected against rust.

VERDICT: Saarland:*** / Axuus:***

ECONOMY
Both cars are kind of bargains for what you get, $21100 AMU is the sticker price on both the Axuus and the Saarland. At $736.8 it is slightly cheaper to service the Axuus ($824 for the Saarland) but in none of the cases it could be seen as a disaster. However, the Axuus is thirsty. 16.2 litres per 100 km compared to 11.2 for the Saarland. Probably the more modern fuel injection and gearbox of the Saarland is the answer here, because that’s rather good fuel economy for a 6 cylinder car this size with an autobox.

VERDICT: Saarland:*** / Axuus:**

SAFETY
The Saarland had state of the art safety technology when it was launched in 1978. The more modern Axuus seems to beat it when it comes to safety equipment - for example, it has a drivers side airbag. But in reality, we want to give the edge to the Saarland here. The back seat of the Axuus is rather questionable with no headrests and only lap belts, for example. Also, the sheer size and weight of the Saarland should not be underestimated. It probably still can be seen as one of the safest cars in its class despite its age.

VERDICT: Saarland:**** / Axuus:***

FINAL VERDICT: Saarland: 31/45 - Axuus: 27/45
Is it worth paying the same amount of money to get “less car” but a more modern one? Yes. In case you value driving dynamics and modern looks above everything. If not, the Saarland still stands up more than well against the competition - in fact, we think that it could as well stand strong for some more years and it is a bit sad that production will end after this model year.

The Axuus on the other hand is by no means a bad car - it’s just that the Saarland has a slight edge over it in most of the areas. But it feels more modern, agile and nimble to drive, which is a point to consider. Other than that, being more expensive to run and having the same sticker price, most of the advantages with a smaller car are evened out there.

But in the end, it should be said that if you buy an Axuus, you get good value for your money, while the Saarland is simply a bargain.

---

Thanks to @DuceTheTruth100 for the Axuus.

Also, it should be said that the reason for doing this review is that Duce said that it was the Saarland that inspired him to doing the Axuus, so we thought that they could be fun to compare. I have tried to treat the cars as fairly as possible - but in this case, the Saarland was actually marginally better at most things - giving it a higher score. By no means do I try to bump up my own car to a higher score than it deserves.

(Also, excuse flipped RHD interior pic, lol.)

[Knugcab]

Damn, now I also saw that I forgot to change the pedal arrangement to automatic…OK, new interior pic absolutely coming in…

[DuceTheTruth100]

That was a GREAT write-up!!

I dread the fact the Sabre looks sporty but is let down by that 3spd auto. The plush rear seat had to go too lol, cost cutting at its finest.

Do you have a successor to the Saarland?

[Knugcab]

Nope, as I may have said earlier, the Zandvoort is a coupé version of the Kardinal, and the next generation Kardinal was only available in 4 door form.

[NobodyPlayz]

how to make a submission so my car gets a review

[Knugcab]

Send the car file in a private message, and I appreciate if you have any backstory, lore etc. around the car too.

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #1/2 1989
FIRST LOOK: CMG CONQUISTADOR CLASSIC TOURING COUPÉ

GREY WOLF IN LEGO CLOTHING

When cars are getting more aero shaped, is releasing a car that looks 10 years old playing it safe, or just stupid? Only time will tell.

While new winds are blowing even in Detroit, it does not seem to bother CMG. The Conquistador Classic Touring Coupé looks old already as new, and we guess that as a CMG salesman, that might require some convincing to the presumptive buyers. On the other hand, it could as well be seen as a good thing that there is an alternative, for people that still aren’t sold on the aero trend.

Unfortunately, there is more to it than the shape that is not very up to date. The 3.5 litre V6 has a decent power output of 261 hp, but a somewhat dated automatic transmission with no lockup eats quite a lot of the power, and the fuel economy is terrible for such a compact car - 19.5 litres per 100 km! The performance is surely frisky with a 0-100 time of 8.2 seconds and 229 km/h top speed - but not good enough to justify the fuel consumption. Also, the CMG still uses solid discs up front and drums in the rear - even though stopping distances are short, there is more brake fade than acceptable nowadays. It feels reasonably safe and secure on the road - up to a point, press it hard and its tail will swing out. There is nothing bad to be said about the safety equipment though - it contains everything you could ask for in a car today.

Yes, it is safe, reasonably fast and comfortable. But we feel that there is better alternatives if you’re going to shell out $26700 AMU for a car. The CMG might stay as a player in the margins in our market - but probably some people might find that it is filling a niche that’s the right one for them.

---

Thanks to @LanePratleyCaddy for the car!

[LanePratleyCaddy]

@Knugcab

Unfortunately, there is more to it than the shape that is not very up to date. The 3.5 litre V6 has a decent power output of 261 hp, but a somewhat dated automatic transmission with no lockup eats quite a lot of the power, and the fuel economy is terrible for such a compact car - 19.5 litres per 100 km! The performance is surely frisky with a 0-100 time of 8.2 seconds and 229 km/h top speed - but not good enough to justify the fuel consumption. Also, the CMG still uses solid discs up front and drums in the rear - even though stopping distances are short, there is more brake fade than acceptable nowadays. It feels reasonably safe and secure on the road - up to a point, press it hard and its tail will swing out. There is nothing bad to be said about the safety equipment though - it contains everything you could ask for in a car today.

Yes, it is safe, reasonably fast and comfortab

Thank you!

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #20 1981
REVIEW OF SUMA M313 SELECTA

POSITIVE SURPRISES - AND ONE NEGATIVE.

In the eyes of most people, the SUMA probably looks elegant and modern for a budget car, but how is it performing?

Every now and then, cars appear on the market that is real price fighters. Generally, we have rarely recommended them, because corners are usually cut in such a way that purchasing a better car that is a couple of years old is usually worth it. But without any prejudice, let’s take a look at the SUMA M313 Selecta to see how it stands up to the competition.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
The SUMA could by no means be called an exciting car to drive. The RWD sedan has a rather ancient solid axle setup, albeit coil sprung, in the rear, and McPherson struts up front. It should be said that SUMA has managed to give it rather predictable handling, it is neutral up to the point where it understeers, but skid pad ratings on its narrow long life tyres are mediocre - 0.77 on the large one, 0.83 on the small one. We also noticed that the tyres gave only mediocre grip during acceleration.

Outdated is how we could describe the brakes - it is not even discs up front. Stopping distance from 100 is a fair 42.1 metres - with cold brakes. They will soon get worse during hard driving, and what is also disappointing is the brake balance, it is easy to lock up the rear wheels before the front.

Something positive - it has power steering, albeit with a very “dead” feeling to it, but it makes the small sedan very nimble in city traffic.

VERDICT: *

PERFORMANCE
Due to the low weight, it is not too sluggish with its 75 hp. 0-100 is done in 13.7 seconds, the top speed is 167 km/h. The quartermile is done in 19.5 seconds and 80-120 in 12.9 seconds. Not very sporty, but acceptable for an economy car.

VERDICT: **

COMFORT
If you believe that a car in this class is a torture chamber, you’re wrong. Fact is that the SUMA offers acceptable levels of comfort. Spring rates seems to be relatively well chosen, it is reasonably quiet, seating comfort is acceptable. For its price, we are rather surprised, actually.

VERDICT: ***

This trunk is best suited for small luggage.

ROOMINESS AND PRACTICALITY
Will it seat 5? Yes. Is that a pleasant experience? No, but that’s just expected for a car this size. The luggage compartment is small too, and being a sedan it does not offer much in the way of flexibility. Four doors is a detail not every car in this class will offer, which of course should be seen as a bonus when it comes to practicality. Overall, if one considers the small size of the car, it doesn’t do too bad, actually.

VERDICT: **

The interior is simple, but far from dated.

EQUIPMENT AND INTERIOR
Again, for its price we feel that it is a positive surprise. The interior might look simple, but it is functional, and sort of pleasant with things like a not too shabby cloth upholstery, cup holders, molded door cards and a soft grip steering wheel. All the controls are within ease of reach. Other standard equipment includes a tape player and power steering, which is more than some other cars in this class.

VERDICT: ***

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
The engine is already 20 years old, but was fully modern when it came out, with things like an overhead camshaft layout. From 1.8 litres SUMA has managed to squeeze out 75 hp, which is a rather normal number. Absolutely not an impressive powerplant in any way, but adequate for normal driving. In our test car, it was mated to a 3 speed automatic that did its job well. Maybe the jumps between gears could feel a little bit big sometimes, but generally gearing could be classed as sane.

VERDICT: ***

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
We were not impressed by the build quality, but then, in this class we hardly are. With that said, it never felt like if it should fall apart, reliability would probably not be worse than average either, due to tried and true technology. Thanks to a galvanized structure, body rot should be kept to a minimum too.

VERDICT: ***

ECONOMY
It is hard to argue that the price is low for a new car at $11500 AMU. Service costs are also low at $540.2 AMU. However, we are disappointed with the fuel economy, 11 litres per 100 km is simply too much for such a small car, which is also why we feel that we can’t give it a top score here.

VERDICT: ****

SAFETY
The car is too small and light to get any decent level of safety to talk about. But it should be stated that the bodyshell is at least robust and solid. It doesn’t offer more safety equipment than what should be considered standard today, however. A collapsible steering column, some safety padding on hard interior surfaces, 3-point inertia reel seatbelts on the outboard positions and front headrests. It fulfills all the legal requirements, but not much more than that.

VERDICT: **

FINAL VERDICT: 23/45
Fact is, that for its price, the Suma is among the better cars on the market. It is not exciting, not luxurious, not impressive in any way, but functional. However, it is let down by its ancient braking system, which is why we still are a little bit cautious with recommending it to anyone. We bet that for just a minor increase in price, SUMA could equip this with better brakes and make it a much better car overall.

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Thanks to @Banana_Soule for the car!

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #8 1986
REVIEW OF IVERA EXECUTIVE LXT

THE SUPER SWEDE

The hatchback shape of the Executive LXT may seem a bit odd in this class. But of course, the advantages are the same as with a smaller car.

If you’re looking for something at the top of the market, but are too patriotic for british, american or german, Ivera seems like a logical choice. Their latest flagship is the Executive, especially in its top of the line LXT version. Because of that, we saw it as interesting to check out how the top of the line Ivera stands up against the international competition.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
The Ivera is not really a hot hatch, a length of 517 cm of course translates into some clumsiness. But the very crisp variable steering actually helps a lot. At slow speeds, it is almost like driving a bumper car (well, except the actual bumping then, we hope), the turning of the steering wheel is more or less effortless, but as the speed increases, the power assist gradually goes down, giving more feeling of the road and relaxed driving at highway speeds - nice!

The strong V8 and rear wheel drive means that there is some tail happy behaviour when taking off, though a viscous limited slip differential tames the rear end a little. At higher speeds, it feels stable and secure, with predictable handing, it gradually is warning you as it goes towards understeering. We recorded a value of 0.84 G at the small skidpad and 0.8 at the large one. Not really sports car handling, but could be considered adequate.

The brakes are fair. Vented discs even in the rear is rare to find even in this class, but manages to keep brake fade down to a minimum. 42.2 metres of stopping distance from 100 is a satisfying value, considering that it’s a heavy behemoth that has to be slowed down. A sofisticated ABS system is standard.

All in all, don’t expect this to be a sports car, but it actually manages to offer some driving excitement.

VERDICT: ***

Imposant front end, but will the buyers accept the weird headlight arrangement?

PERFORMANCE
The Executive with the 277 hp V8 manages to sprint to 100 km/h from standing still in 8.23 seconds, which absolutely could be seen as good performance. It tops out at a whooping 250 km/h and 80-120 is done in 4.68 seconds. The quartermile sprint takes 16.39 seconds. Big doesn’t necessarily mean sluggish!

VERDICT: ****

COMFORT
Do we even have to review this? The hydropneumatic suspension gives a fantastic ride, the seats are better than your favourite armchair at home. Tons of sound insulation means that noises are kept outside - actually, the V8 is not really whispering when heard outside the car, so a little growl is present on the inside, just enough to remind you that it is there. The Ivera is top notch when it comes to comfort, but in this class it just HAS to be if it should stay competitive.

VERDICT: *****

ROOMINESS AND PRACTICALITY
A car this size of course offers a lot of room. Five passengers still can ride in great comfort in the Ivera, unless you opt for the split rear seat available in the top of the line models. Even better comfort, but a tradeoff for practicality. The hatchback is a strange choice of body in this class - on the other hand, it gives great flexibility. So, if you need more than this, you probably have to look for a van, or a full size american station wagon.

VERDICT: *****

EQUIPMENT AND INTERIOR
If you find something that’s missing in the LXT model, you can order it. Even an automatic fire extinguisher is on the option list - something we guess is getting more popular in the armoured versions than in the regular ones. The interior is one of the better we have seen in a mass produced car, when looking at the leather- and woodwork, you should be an expert to say that “this is not hand crafted”. Then again, in this class, everything else would be a shame.

VERDICT: *****

“LXT” in this case means that this is the finest Executive you can buy.

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
The engine in the LXT model is a 5 litre V8 with one overhead camshaft per cylinder bank, and unusually enough, 4 valves per cylinder. There is lots of grunt already from standing still, torque is an impressive 416 Nm at 3600 RPM while the maximum power is 277 hp at 5300 RPM. A smooth, high tech unit that will give even the germans a run for their money. This is mated to a 4 speed automatic that is controlled by its own microcomputer, which represents the latest in transmission technology. Once again, top notch - but it better has to be.

VERDICT: *****

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
A coin has two sides. Sure, the Executive gives the impression to be built like a bank vault, and sure, the rust protection is among the best in the market. On the other hand, all the modern technology crammed in everywhere means that there is LOTS of things that can go wrong. An old truth is that if it is not there, it can not break. Well, in the Ivera, everything is there, so we are a bit hesitant to give it too high of a rating here.

VERDICT: ***

ECONOMY
In this class, we doubt that any buyers will care. The Executive is a disaster from an economical standpoint, it starts with the purchase price of $59300 AMU (though, for the LXT, there is cheaper trim levels too), then there is the fuel economy of 15.9 litres per 100 km (but it can run on regular). Service costs are actually not too disastrous for the class at $1176.1 AMU but that does not help much.

VERDICT: 0

SAFETY
It is almost impossible to say which car that is the safest on the market, but at least the Ivera is close enough. Its size and well built body makes it a tank more or less, and there is all the modern safety equipment you could think of, for example a drivers side air bag, side impact beams in the doors, rear headrests, and much more. We almost want to say that this raises the bar for the whole car market.

VERDICT: *****

FINAL VERDICT: 35/45
Yes, the Ivera is fantastic. Sweden’s finest. And if you do something as paradoxal as buying a luxury car in the top end of the market based on rational choices, this is it.

And it probably will be used for government officials, the royal house, some CEOs…but generally the Swedish market is too small for something like this. The export market is the important one, and the competition is hard. The question is if quirks like the hatchback or the conservative shape in times of aero blobs will be seen as positive or negative traits on the market.

We sure wish Ivera good luck, they really need it.

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Thanks to @TheYugo45GV for the car.
This review replaces the old 4.1 review of the Ivera Executive.

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #17 1975
REVIEW OF ROSEWOOD BOVINUS

WHEN CULTURES CLASH

The Rosewood Bovinus does not scream “USA” when you first look at it. Rosewood has avoid the temptation to go for the “Brougham” look that now is so popular, and the car has clean, almost European styling.

In the United States, the Rosewood Bovinus is seen as a reasonable, sensible family sedan, sold at a reasonable, sensible price. In fact, its dimensions means that it is classed as a “compact” over there. In Sweden, things are different. It is sized somewhere between large family cars and luxury barges, seen from an european standpoint, and combined with the V8 engine, it means that it has to fight some of the top contenders on the market. So, our mission is now to see - does it stand a chance at all?

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
No, it does not convince us. As American as it is, it is still using relatively simple technology with a solid rear axle, albeit with a somewhat sophisticated coil sprung arrangement, and not the leaf springs still used by some manufacturers. The handling characteristics are unpredictable, with the car switching between under- and oversteering in a less than desirable manner - a relatively light tail end, heavy rear axle and powerful engine does not help, we guess. In fact, the torquey V8, combined with the weight distribution and fuel saver tyres means that taking off might be hard without spinning the rear wheels.

Brake distances are at least fair - here is where the americans has been improving lately. 41.7 metres from 100 km/h is not a bad number at all, we saw no tendency for the rear wheels to lock up before the front, however, when driven hard, we noticed a tendency for the rear drum brakes to fade - during normal conditions they should be more than enough, though.

Maneuvering in city traffic could of course not be compared to a smaller car, but power steering is standard and offers an adequate compromise between road feel and driveability.

VERDICT: **

PERFORMANCE
The fire breathing muscle cars from a few years back are dead - but nobody could accuse the Rosewood for being slow. Despite the automatic transmission eating some of the power coming from the 233 hp V8, 0-100 is done in 7.99 seconds, 80-120 in 4.8 seconds, the quartermile in 16.02 seconds and it tops out at 222 km/h. More than adequate for most people indeed.

VERDICT: ****

COMFORT
Calling the Rosewood uncomfortable would be a stretch - but it really isn’t something special either. Springs are actually a bit more firm than you would expect on a car like this, which by no means equals a harsh ride, it’s just not great. Seating comfort is rather average too - but it has bucket seats up front, at least. It could not be accused for being noisy either - we would say that it is about average on that level.

VERDICT: ***

From this angle, you could almost spot some similarities with a well known German brand, but what it does not have is the trunk space of that German.

ROOMINESS AND PRACTICALITY
The Rosewood is roomy for its passengers, which is expected for a car this size, it seats 5 without any problems. The trunk space, however, is another chapter, it is more comparable to many small cars, and with a maximum payload of 300 kg, the luggage better has to be light too.

VERDICT: ***

EQUIPMENT AND INTERIOR
As we stated earlier, this is no luxury car. You get power steering and a radio with 8 track player as the only gizmos over what could be considered standard today. Driver’s ergonomics are OK, maybe the steering wheel is placed a bit low for some drivers, decreasing the kneeroom and making for a somewhat tiresome driving position, but that’s fairly individual. It has modern steering wheel stalks for most controls instead of buttons scattered all over the dash, and the fit and finish are up to modern standards, with a molded plastic dash that is colour keyed to the rest, and cloth upholstery that seems to be of a reasonable quality.

VERDICT: ***

The recessed heater controls may be fiddly, especially when wearing gloves in the wintertime, but generally both design and finish on the inside are up to modern standards.

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
A 6.3 litre V8 is highly questionable now after the oil crisis, but sure, it gives the car frisky performance. Other than that, there is nothing exciting about it. It does its job, without too many drawbacks, and the torque curve is nice and flat, but that’s only expected.

What’s a positive surprise, though, is the 4 speed automatic transmission when most competitors have 3. It works well and the gearing seems to suit the car.

VERDICT: ***

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
Simple technology means that the Rosewood will probably hold up, and we didn’t see too much of sloppy workmanship in the car. It is by no means a bank vault, but seems to be reasonably well built. A galvanized ladder chassis will probably keep structural rust away for the whole lifecycle of the car, too.

VERDICT: ****

ECONOMY
At $17200 it is fairly cheap for what you get, but of course the large V8 takes its toll when it comes to fuel economy, 17.8 litres per 100 km. At least it runs on cheap regular fuel. Service costs are about average, $791.6 AMU. Sort of a mixed bag here, really, but it does not have to be a disaster if you don’t do too many miles per year.

VERDICT: **

SAFETY
The size of the car, combined with the american safety regulations being rather strict, means that there is a decent level of safety. Don’t expect much more than that, though. It is missing some of the latest safety equipment and has nothing more than you expect from a car today, and the primitive ladder chassis means that the crumple zones probably are less than optimal.

VERDICT: ***

FINAL VERDICT: 27/45
The Rosewood is a rather average car, and our question is, who needs this one? In the US, it still makes perfect sense, but as we said, a V8 car this size is considered a luxury in our market. Then it needs to be better than this. Which would also mean more expensive. On the other hand, most people on a tight budget will not consider the Rosewood anyway.

But if you want a decently roomy family sedan, don’t want to pay more than necessary and values performance above everything else, then…sure.

We’re just not sure how many of you that actually exists.

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Thanks to @SheikhMansour for the car!

[interior]

Is there a waiting list for submissions?

[Knugcab]

Not really. It might be if I get too many of them.

By the way, not a requirement, but still a suggestion:
The Swedish plates that now is available as a mod is way too modern for everything except the very latest cars. I would appreciate if (at least pre-2018) cars sent in would have an euro sized plate with a plain white colour as the material, which makes it easy for me to make somewhat realistic Swedish plates for that model year, to get the most authentic pictures. Thanks!

[Knugcab]

REPRINT OF #19 2020
REVIEW OF MARA XENIA 1.2 LX

RESPECTING ITS HERITAGE

We’re careful at judging cars by their looks, but most people will probably not see the plain and somewhat blobby Mara as the winner of any beauty contests. On the other hand, why should it be?

For people that values bang-for-the-buck over brand snobbery, Mara has been the choice for many years. The Archanan company simply have nailed the right formula in how to save on the less necessary stuff to still make a competent package, for a surprisingly cheap price, time after time. The Xenia is the latest of models in a lineage that started with the classic Irena in the 60s. It is far from new, though, as you may know the model has been on the market for six years now, and was facelifted two years ago. Since it could be interesting to see if it still holds up, and gives you the traditional Mara experience of getting lots of car for your money, we decided to take a Xenia in its 1.2 litre hatchback form for a spin.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
The Xenia has decently safe handling, and won’t surprise you as a driver. It may start plowing with the front end on its skinny Archanan budget tyres relatively easy, but that’s predictable, and often easily solved with stepping off the gas. With that said, “exciting” is far from the word that should be used about its dynamics, and there is a fair amount of body roll. We’re not impressed by the brakes that shows some fading, but stopping distances are adequately short at exactly 40 metres from 100 km. Part of its less exciting behaviour is probably the primitive chassis technology. A torsion beam rear axle combined with struts up front, and not even disc brakes all around. But in this price class it could be seen as adequate.

The compact outer dimensions suggests that it is more a joy in crowded city traffic than on a windy mountain road. Partly true and only slightly questionable because of the all around vision that is a bit hampered like most cars with this bodyshape, and the fact that getting anything else than a manual still costs extra. But the electric power steering is light even if the feedback from the road is limited.

VERDICT: **

Drive too fast through a corner and this happens. Looks dramatic but it should be kept in mind that the Mara is at its limits and with the ESC turned off here.

PERFORMANCE
By the standards of today, the Mara is a bit sluggish indeed, though not dangerously slow. 0-100 takes 13.1 seconds, the 80-120 sprint taking 10.4 seconds means that overtaking needs some planning, while the top speed is 196 km/h. Quartermile is done in 19.02 seconds. Far from a rocket, but that was not expected at this price either.

VERDICT: **

COMFORT
Not much to mention here. The Mara is small, on a rather short wheelbase, and the suspension is a bit firm (but not harsh). Seating comfort is fair, but not more than that, and both the engine- and road noise is at average levels. Once again, this shows that it can be hard to find the right compromise between comfort and handling with a torsion beam axle on a FWD car. But then again, the Mara is far from a torture chamber.

VERDICT: **

ROOMINESS AND PRACTICALITY
For its size, the 5 door version of the Mara is incredibly roomy both for passengers and luggage. Also, the liftback bodystyle means that the car is flexible. Need more practicality still? Buy the wagon. Can do with a little less? Buy the smaller 3 door version. We appreciate the choice but also we see the 5 door as a great compromise.

VERDICT: ****

EQUIPMENT AND INTERIOR

The interior of the Mara is minimalistic and mostly upholstered in black vinyl/plastic and black cloth (of reasonable quality). Some people complained that the steering wheel was too far from the seat, in relation to the pedals, which should be kept in mind, since it is highly individual if it will work for you or not. But overall it looks decent, especially for a budget car. It does not offer much in the way of gizmos, though. At least it has a bluetooth/CD stereo with a not too tinny sound. Seeing steel wheels on a car today is almost getting rare, but hey, they are round and you can mount tyres on them, so what’s wrong?

VERDICT: **

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
We were honestly a bit surprised to see a turbo on the 1.2 litre engine, considering that it only cranks out 80 hp. Sure, it is tuned for effiency but we still question if the extra complexity of a turbocharged engine was really necessary in this case. But it should be said that it also means that the flexibility is great, it has lots of torque in the whole rev range. It’s also quiet - but a bit harsh and unrefined as the 3-cylinder it is. It also has clean emissions.

The gearbox is a 5 speed manual, and well…it is what it is. Maybe a 6 speed would have allowed for both more overdrive and a closer gearing with this little engine - but we can think of worse ways of cutting corners.

VERDICT: **

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
At a first glance, you might not recognize the Mara as some kind of quality car. But fact is, the car has been out for some years now, and the verdict from the owners? Excellent, never any problems! The safety inspection says the same thing, Xenias often pass them with flying colours. Rust? Yeah, not as excellent there, but it is mainly found on early examples with high mileage and lacking care. We could not think of many cars in any price class that offers such a trouble free experience.

VERDICT: *****

ECONOMY
$19900 AMU for a car today - excellent. At 5.6 litres per 100 km, the fuel economy is decent too, and at $619.1 AMU, servicing is unbelievably cheap. If there is a cheaper way to get into a new car than this, we want to see it.

VERDICT: *****

SAFETY
The Mara will never come out as a champion in an Euro-NCAP test since it lacks a lot of the latest gizmos. With that said, for most people it will probably be an alternative to an older car that doesn’t have them either. On top of that, being a small and light car in an era of SUVs is probably not doing it any favours safety wise. With that said, it has most of the passive safety systems one might expect today, like 8 airbags and seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters on all places. So, if you’re confident that you can steer and brake yourself, it’s probably not too bad. Unless your opponent carries an “Innis” or “Deer & Hunt” badge.

VERDICT: **

FINAL VERDICT: 25/45
This would have been seen as a great car in the 90s, fact is that it feels a lot like a throwback to the 90s, for the better and for the worse. On the other hand, people were driving back then, too, without too much struggle. Competitiors are sharper at everything, sure, but at what cost?

Once again, Mara proves that they can build decent cars for almost hilariously low prices. But maybe the cars are lagging a little bit more behind now than the Irena or Zvizda were back in the days. That might of course be understandable, considering all the bells and whistles in the cars of today.

But we would like to see what other car that would be better than this for an equally low price. We bet that won’t happen anytime soon.

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Thanks to @AndiD for the car!

[AndiD]

Many thanks - and just in time for the Xenia’s rallying cousin to come second place in its debut: Tom Henks Racing Series [Season 1 - Round 1, first race results] - #37 by TheTom

Same shell (but 3-door), and same engine block!