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Past Issues

748: Nissan GT-R
It’s fast, sexy and a bargain. So what’s the catch?
744: Jaguar XF
The new sedan from Britain’s storied automaker proves that appearances are, in fact, deceiving
736: Suzuki Swift Sport
Suzuki’s bargain hatch proves big fun can come in small packages
732: Dualis & X-Trail
Nissan introduces a new SUV while its marquee model continues to play tough
728: Toyota Vanguard
Head off to the concrete jungle with a bit more vehicle than you need
724: Subaru Impreza S-GT
Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners
720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008
Get ready for some modification mayhem at Makuhari Messe
716: Dodge These!
Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan
712: Licensed to Drive
We guide you through the bureaucratic jungle
708: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance
Exotic autos from the past and present glide into Roppongi
704: Car Knows Best
Automakers are introducing technology that will let your ride decide if you’ve had one too many
700: Range Rover & Land Rover
We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces
696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Channel 007 in this latest incarnation of the marquee automaker’s “baby”
692: BMW R1200GS Adventure
The storied bike maker competes with itself to create a three-in-one masterpiece
688: Lexus LS460
The new sedan is big, fast, safe, classy—and unremarkable
684: Alfa Romeo Spider
We unleash the Italian monster on a 1,200km road trip
680: Ford Mustang
The American classic goes back to its roots
676: Citroën C6
The French automaker's latest eccentricity pushes its own boundaries
672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti
Japan-friendly K-cars pack a big punch
668: Jaguar XK
Forget James Bond—this is the UK’s sexiest export
664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
656: Alfa Romeo Brera
This gorgeous Italian coupe is both poised and sexy
652: Premium wheels
Business is good for Rolls-Royce in Japan, with an eagerly awaited convertible due out next year
648: Citroen C3 Pluriel
The quirky French automaker barrels into the 21st century
644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee
Off road and on, these 4×4s do their military heritage proud
640: BMW Z4 M Roadster
Beemer’s monster convertible provides the most fun you can have sitting down
636: Name dropping
What your car is called says something about you—and even more about automakers’ marketing departments
632: BMW Mini Cooper S
All hail the mighty Mini!
628: Mazda Roadster
Redesigned and retooled, this two-seater is now a car for enthusiasts
624: Hyundai Sonata
A rev-happy South Korean import tries to find its niche in Japan
621: Lexus IS350
Toyota brings its upmarket brand to Japan—finally
616: Volvo XC90 V8
A bit sleeker and a lot more spacious, this SUV still puts a premium on safety
612: Chrysler 300C
This black beauty recalls the golden age of motoring
608: The Big Ideas
Tokyo Motor Show 2005 was a concept car bonanza
604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005
The automotive world’s big players zoom into Japan with some high concepts in tow
597: Three brothers
We put a trio of Nissan sedans through their paces
593: Ducati 1000S DS Multistrada
The boys from Bologna deliver an Italian masterpiece for your garage
589: Mazda Demio Sport
A worthy cousin to the Atenza and RX8, this roomy sedan is happy around town and in the country
585: BMW K1200S
The boys from bavaria clothe an iron fist in a velvet glove
581: Chrysler’s Cruisers
The American auto manufacturer concentrates on the body beautiful
577: Suzuki Skywave 650LX
If you thought scooters were just for kids, think again
573: Cadillac STS 4x4
America’s flagship automaker recaptures its former glory
569: Tour de Force
Yamaha’s FJR1300A offers an unbeatable blend of poise, power and price
565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA
With stunning looks and power to spare, these two Alfas are an enthusiast's dream
560: Driving the Future
The talk of the auto industry in 2004 was hybrids, safe driving and intelligent vehicles
556: Deja vu
Blast to the past on Harley-Davidson’s Road King Custom
552: Sports sensation
Nissan's new SUV breaks out of its class
548: Lean machine
Lighter, faster, stronger and sexier—a diet works wonders for BMW’s R1200GS
544: Kings for a day
The Honda Elysion is master of all it surveys
539: Rules of the road
New traffic laws are on the horizon. Turn off your cellphone, watch where you park and don’t ride in gangs, Chris Betros warns.
537: Open roadster
William Bonds gets up-close with the elements courtesy of the Nissan Fairlady 350Z convertible.
535: Extreme makeover
Volvo sheds its stodgy-but-safe image for sleek-and-sporty with the new S40 T5. William Bonds likes what he sees.
533: Sporting chance
Mazda has brought the station wagon up to speed with its Atenza Sport Wagon 23Z. William Bonds takes one for a spin.
531: Street smarts
Automakers are taking car safety to new levels with sophisticated warning systems that almost do the driving for you, reports Chris Betros.
529: Speed zone
Just down the road from Ueno Zoo, a virtual hog heaven has everything for the motorcycling enthusiast. Steve Trautlein cruises on over.
527: Italian Stallion
The Alfa Romeo 147 carries on its maker’s reputation for hot cars with unmatched sex appeal. William Bonds gets carried away.
525: Hot wheels
A cross between a snowboard and a scooter, the Wheelman is a quirky Australian invention that's grabbing attention worldwide. Tim Colquhoun takes one for a ride.
523: Mean Machine
William Bonds gets behind the wheel of the Nissan Skyline 350GT.
521: Show stealers
Toyota stunned attendees at the recent Geneva and Melbourne auto shows with two concept cars that represent a powerful vision for the future of motoring. Tim Colquhoun reports.
519: Mighty mouse
Subaru goes boldly against the tide with its new R2 minicar. Justin Gardiner admires this latest feat of audacity and engineering.
517: Trail blazer
Nissan's top-selling 4x4 features cool touches for winter sports fans. Justin Gardiner drove the latest X-Trail to the slopes
515: Up to speed
The Formula One circus is gaining momentum as the season opener in Australia draws near. Tim Colquhoun takes a look at the latest developments.
513: Good save
Hybrid cars are the rage this year with Toyota, Honda and Subaru touting their gas-electric vehicles. Chris Betros looks at what they're offering.
512: The road ahead
Despite the lack of a full-fledged Tokyo Motor Show in 2004, domestic manufacturers have a bevy of weird and wonderful offerings in store for this year. Justin Gardiner previews the lineup.
509/10: Top of the class
Justin Gardiner finds his favorites from this year's Metropolis test drives.
507: Mom-mobiles
Japanese mothers are trading in their once ubiquitous mama-chari bicycles for a new breed of K-car. Justin Gardiner tries a couple of the most popular mini-cars.
505: Cubic's rube
Nissan has lengthened its highly successful Cube a few centimeters and added an extra row of seats. But, as Justin Gardiner finds out, the result is a bit puzzling.
503: Globe trotters
Kerstin Gackle and Volker Aldinger left their native Germany on April 1 and pointed their Yamahas toward Australia. Eight months later Justin Gardiner caught up with the couple in Tokyo.
501: Back to the future
Cutting-edge technology and futuristic vehicles highlight the 37th Tokyo Motor Show at Makuhari Messe through November 5. Justin Gardiner offers a guide.

ISSUES 499-
ISSUES 449-
ISSUES 399-
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ISSUES 299-

Cars & Bikes

Text and photos by William Bonds

Dodge These!
Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan

Avenger

Is Detroit big in Japan? One of the Big Three hopes so. After the success of the Chrysler Jeep brands, American motor giant Chrysler has decided to bring over its Dodge marque as well. Despite its reputation for muscle cars and pickups, Dodge arrives in Japan with more conservative, competitively priced models. The suits are obviously hoping that the Japanese buyer will be looking for something different, but at prices similar to domestic vehicles.

Chrysler’s recent success has come on the back of some inspired designs—the beefy 300C, the slick Crossfire and the funky, retro-inspired PT Cruiser. Producing models in right-hand drive has also helped it tap into the Japanese and UK markets. While Brits have a long-held aversion to American vehicles, Japanese have a more open view. American cars are still “exotic” to Japanese customers, but exoticism often comes with a price. The new Dodge lineup brings a number of models—the Caliber, the Nitro and the Avenger—into a bigger market and that could spell good news for Chrysler. So what’s in the bag?

Avenger

Avenger

The Avenger is a full-sized four-door sedan with a 2.7-liter, four-cylinder engine that sells for just over ¥4 million. In terms of size, it probably equates to the Jaguar S-Type (which carries a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine), although it’s unlikely that Dodge sees Jaguar as competition (or vice versa); the Jag, after all, costs ¥2 million more. But then you have to ask yourself: what is the competition? The answer is any large Japanese four-door sedan, like, say, the Nissan Teana or Toyota’s Crown Athlete. While you might suspect buyers of such cars would prefer a tried-and-tested Japanese vehicle, that kind of thinking often doesn’t apply to the auto market. Cars like the Avenger are targeted at younger people (certainly younger people than those who drive Teanas or Crowns), and Japanese models often don’t provide the image or credibility to satisfy this demographic.

The Avenger feels as solid as the competition—perhaps even a little too solid. It has a heavy feel, but unlike American cars of old, the solidity is somewhat reassuring. The ride is noticeably firm and there’s no hint of wallowing in the corners. The engine is nothing spectacular, producing a moderate 186hp (compared to 215hp that the 2.5-liter Toyota Crown puts out).

The real selling point of this and other Dodges is the exterior design. The automaker goes out of its way to make its vehicles bulge, to produce designs that get noticed. Even if the performance sometimes comes up short, people will look and think: “Hmmm, interesting car.” For ¥4 million, the Avenger is a big vehicle with good looks and a lot of space (have you noticed how many four-door sedans are cramped in the back and have lousy trunk space?). You could pay a lot more and get a lot less.

Nitro

Feel like upping the macho level another notch? Check out the Dodge Nitro. If nothing else, the names Dodge assign to their vehicles make you want to check them out. And if you think they sound like characters in a DC comic, it’s probably no coincidence: the Fantastic Four tool around in a Dodge (the “Fantasticar”) in their latest movie.

Nitro

The Nitro is a sizeable SUV based on the Jeep Cherokee, but where the Cherokee is rounded, friendly and almost cuddly, the Nitro’s exterior styling is in your face. Once again, it’s designed to catch the eye. It’s a hip-hop ride for those with only ¥3.2 million (though the range goes up to ¥4.2 million).

What you get is a sturdy 3.7-liter 4x4 with flared wheel arches, large overhung fenders and a cool set of chrome wheels. I’ve said before that I’m not a big fan of big cars like these in Tokyo, but the Nitro brought out the MTV in me, and I enjoyed the ride. That said, the Nitro drives like a big 4x4 and is a bit of a lump on the open highway (wherever that is), although it has a surprisingly tight turning radius. The trunk has an excellent sliding shelf, but that’s probably the highlight of the interior.

Caliber

Caliber

Boy, they sure messed up with this one’s name. Now, “Caliban” (a character from Shakespeare’s The Tempest) would be a cool name, but it would warrant a much cooler car.

Caliber

The Caliber is a medium-sized family runaround. It looks good but feels cheap, and the 2.0-liter engine produces very little to interest anybody who wants to move faster than a Lambretta moped. The seating is fairly basic, and the high dash makes you feel like you’re being enclosed. On the plus side, the CVT transmission makes driving very smooth, and the white dials are as funky as dials get. But you won’t get me forking out ¥2.63 million for one of these.

For my money, Dodge would have to show me their 6.1-liter rubber-burning Charger SRT8. They know what I want; watch this space…

Autofile

Friends, countrymen, soccer moms—lend us your ears! Mazda has enhanced its Premacy minivan range. The new models feature electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmissions and a redesigned instrument panel, while seven new body colors, including Golden Sand Metallic, have been added to bring the total number of available choices to 11. Prices range from ¥1.7 to ¥2.4 million. Mazda has also remodeled its Bongo Brawny van and Titan Dash truck. Improvements include standard power windows and door locks, and a passenger airbag.

Toyota recently redesigned its Ist compact hatchback. The second generation Ist, priced from ¥1.7 to ¥1.9 million, is not only a crossover hatchback developed with dynamic driving and easy operation in mind, it also has a new design that combines a compact 1.8-liter hatchback with the body of an SUV, lending the vehicle greater strength. At less than four meters long by 1.7 meters wide, with 16-inch wheels and large tires, the new Ist forms a silhouette that evokes a sense of stability and steadiness. CB

Got something to say about this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.

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