Automotive Engineering - May 2019 - 6

WHAT WE'RE

DRIVING

2018 Toyota Camry XSE

2019 Ford Ranger XL
STX

2020 Range
Rover Evoque

America needs more midsized pickups.
The case for the new Ford Ranger is
made by increasingly strong sales of
GM's models and the perennial fan base
of the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan
Frontier. And now Jeep's back in the
game. A growing number of U.S. pickup
fans want something more parkable and
fuel-efficient than the fullsizers.

It was an unusual beginning to a test
drive: navigating a narrow, winding gravel
path in the grounds of an English castle
with the windshield blacked out and only
an image of two front wheels and a couple of colored lines on a dashboard screen
as a guide. The point: a demonstration of
the new-generation Range Rover
Evoque's ClearSight Ground View system
that AE was first shown as an early R&D
program in 2014. Now it is in production.

I was a little late in trying this new,
eighth generation of the Camry that represents an intriguing turn for a car that
often is cast, somewhat unjustly, as the
symbol for automotive blandness.
There's "a lot" of exterior design here.
Nobody can call this car bland.

I used to rant about this to Derek
Kuzak, Ford's former head of product
development, whenever our paths
crossed. "Don't kill Ranger, not everybody
wants an F-150," I'd plead. He'd patiently
agree, while noting that "small" pickups
cost OEMs nearly as much to produce as
the big ones, with lower margins.
So the return of Ranger as a "middie," using the Ford Australia T6 platform as a foundation, is encouraging.
The Super Cab 4x2 model I tested
strikes a perfect balance in overall dimensions-plenty of cab room for two
large adults and ample cargo-hauling
volume with the 6-foot bed. On this XL
model-less than $30K with aluminum
wheels, trailer-tow package and sprayin bedliner!-buyers also can opt to delete the useless rear seat, saving $240
and gaining decent luggage space.
But the new Ranger's best attribute is
its powertrain. The 270-hp/310 lb·ft turbocharged 2.3-L four ("the Mustang engine," as I described it to curious neighbors) and 10R 10-speed automatic are
perfect mates in this truck application.
Never did I feel the need for more cylinders or output. Congrats to Ford's powertrain calibrators-and to the company
for waking up to midsize opportunities.

Another piece of new technology on
the MHEV-supported AWD Evoque is
a ClearSight Rear View Mirror with two
modes: conventional mirror or displaying an HD video image from a rear-facing, roof-mounted wide-angle (50-deg)
camera with a hydrophobic lens. If the
cabin of the Evoque is carrying a large,
high load (or three tall backseat passengers) it gives the driver an unimpeded view of the road behind. It can
be used in any conditions, but requires
acclimatization to accurately gauge distance to objects and following vehicles.
Enhanced overall refinement was a
key design and development target for
the new Evoque, so a 2.0-L diesel-
rather than one of the available gasoline engines-was selected for assessment of NVH performance. The most
powerful gasoline engine delivers 296
hp, but the diesel we tested proved
thoroughly convincing.
The car's new PTA architecture and
improved all-independent suspension
deliver excellent SUV ride and (torque
vectoring-supported) handling. And the
cabin provides all the ambience expected of a premium compact.

Also, Toyota's one of the last makers
of midsize sedans to be crowbarring a
V6 under the hood. And there's nothing
unexciting about 301 hp in a vehicle this
size, even if it all does have to get to the
pavement through the front wheels.
The midrange shove of this engine is so
stout that I sometimes wondered who
really wants-or needs-this much
punch in a family sedan.
Now riding on underpinnings derived from Toyota's widespread TNGA
architecture, the top-level XSE trim is a
smooth-sailing creature, but at least
for the speeds you can build up with
the V6, it's vividly under-damped, particularly at the front. The smoky 3.5-L
V6 is writing a few checks this otherwise solid all-around chassis isn't ready
to cash.
Meantime, the Camry's interior is a
treat. The angled-to-the-driver center
stack is gorgeously executed and the
entire HMI interface is superb: big buttons with clear functionality with soft
blue night backlighting that works perfectly and imparts a slightly retro vibe.
The XSE includes as standard the excellent 10-in. color head-up display (HUD)
that really demonstrates the potential
for HUD technology. Rear-seat room,
you ask? Expansive.
On the whole, this latest Camry feels
like it'll last for decades.

Lindsay Brooke

Stuart Birch

Bill Visnic

6 May 2019

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

Automotive Engineering - May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - May 2019