Articles by Barry Green

For then, we could be shipped, in a blink, to a German autobahn with no speed limit or an Italian autostrada where few obey the 150km/h signs.At 110km/h you have only just opened the Bentley’s performance envelope of 411kW of power and 650Nm of torque.Its six-litre W12 engine with twin turbochargers is good for a 0-100km/h time of 4.8secs and a top speed of 312km/h The Continental GT indeed lives up to its name. This is a high-speed cruiser designed to traverse Europe or America in comfort.It would do an equally great job here in Australia, too, if the relatively restrictive speed limits and thirsty fuel consumption failed to faze you.How thirsty? Weighing a hefty 2385kg (about the same as two Mazda MX-5s), the big Bentley returns about 17 litres/100km. But this is of little consequence when you slide behind the wheel, for the interior is an unparalleled fusion of modern style, traditional craftsmanship and Bentley detailing.Fire up the W12 (effectively twoV6s spliced together) and not even a near 2.4 tonnes can smother the acceleration which presses you back into the plush leather seat with serious intent.But the $379,000 (new, plus costs) Continental GT is not just a car built for straight lines. On open, flowing corners, its all-wheel-drive produces grip levels that belie a car of this size. This was borne out tackling the agricultural back roads west of the city.Here was an opportunity to snick the six-speed automatic transmission into Sport and shuffle up and down the gears by flicking the steering wheelmounted shift paddles.The Bentley adjusted without complaint from grand tourer to sports car, but on tighter corners, you were instantly reminded by the law of physics that this was one big car.The GT was up to stopping without fuss, but then it does have the largest brake disc of any production car at 405mm on the front and 335mm at the rear.My only moan about the Bentley was the weight of the driver side door. Opening it on a slight incline required a hurculean effort to get out.But then, this is a car where someone would usually open the door for you. Is it not?

In this instance it's the SsangYong Kyron, a stylish, mid-sized, part-time 4WD priced from $34,490.Kyron was launched on February 3.Motor-vated by a 2.0-litre common rail turbo-diesel, this all-new addition to SsangYong's growing range will soon also come in a choice of 2.7-litre common rail turbo-diesel and 3.2-litre six cylinder petrol engines.Kyron's package includes standard 18-inch wheels, multi-link suspension, rear parking sensor with three-stage alarm, four-channel ABS brakes, dual front airbags with seat belt load limiters and pre-tensioners.There's a choice of an optional five-speed T-Tronic auto transmission (engineered by Mercedes-Benz) or standard five-speed man- ual. Our test car came with the former.The styling comes from an in-house team led by acclaimed SUV designer, Englishman Ken Greenley.Kyron's size surprised several motor noters at the launch, the concensus being that something smaller was expected.At an overall size of 4.66m (length), 1.88m (width) and 1.75m (height) and weighing in at 2.53 tonne, Kyron is no Mr Puniverse.Regardless, SsangYong claims a combined cycle of 7.7-litres per 100km.Kyron sits on a ladder frame, triple layer steel chassis with a separate subframe and rigid bodyshell.The maker says it has a towing capacity of 2300kg (braked trailer).We put the vehicle to the test, driving backroads and then off road into the mountains.With a maximum power output of 104kW at 4000rpm and 310Nm of torque between 1800 and 2750rpm, Kyron motored along okay but sounded to be working hard on some of the steeper hills.The ride, too, was noticeably harder than we have come to expect from the current crop of SUVs.However, unlike some of its competition, Kyron seemed more at home off road.In 4WD High-Range setting, Kyron made short shrift of an obstacle course, taking water, rock and log crossings in its stride.Then, with 4WD Low-Range selected, the convoy of Kyrons traversed a succession of daunting hill climbs and descents without drama.Ground clearance, understandably, was somewhat limited (at 206cm) , but isn't that true of most SUVs, biased as they are towards road use?We suspect that not too many Kyrons will get to be put through their paces off road, which is a shame given its capability.Now that we've seen what the 2.0-litre job will do, roll on big brother - the 2.7-litre common rail turbo-diesel.