All About Cars

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Honda Malaysia launches 2nd-generation Jazz

Honda Malaysia unveiled its new Jazz to the public today at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The launch was a full regalia affair, complete with models and fashion show presentation, and certainly played on the car’s “Defy Convention” tagline.

The second-generation Jazz, known as the Fit in Japan, boasts a newly developed 1.5l SOHC i-VTEC engine mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox, and figures for this one are a maximum power of 120bhp at 6,000rpm and maximum torque of 145Nm at 4,800rpm, supposedly the most powerful in its class. The vehicle is claimed to be frugal in terms of fuel consumption at around 24km/l based on the Jazz in Japan.

It’s a bigger vehicle than its predecessor – the width (1,695mm) and length (3,900mm) of the car, as well as wheelbase, has been increased, without compromising vehicle handling and performance, fuel efficiency, practicality and styling.

Outside, the shape of the five-door hatch isn’t radically changed from its predecessor; the lines are curvier and on the whole flows far more fluidly than before. Nonethless, working on the basis of the ‘if it isn’t broken’ adage, whatever changes there are are evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Inside though, there are plenty of refinements; the vehicle’s interior designers deserve credit for packing this one with all sorts of amenities and storage convenience for the occupants, 380l of it in all. Almost every nook and cranny of the cabin has storage pockets, and in what must be a record of sorts, 10 cup holders are available on this one to keep passengers fully hydrated.

Load carrying ability is big with this one, despite its size. With the three-mode folding Ultra Seat, the seating can be arranged to offer a number of flexible options - lower both rear seats and you can store up to 1,321l of volume capacity in the available space; recline the front passenger and a rear seat and you get 2.4m of usable length for long objects; and if it’s tall stuff you need to move about, fold up a rear cushion and the workable height becomes a decent 1.28m from floorboard to roof lining.

In terms of safety, you get dual SRS airbags for the driver and front passenger, plus front seatbelt with pretensioners and load limiter. The Jazz features disc brakes throughout and there’s ABS, EBD and BA (Brake Assist) to boot. Elsewhere, the suspension type is McPherson strut fronts and a H-shape torsion beam rear, and the car comes with a tilt/telescopic-adjustable steering.

Fully imported from Thailand, the Jazz is available in two variants – the Grade S and Grade V; the former is a standard version, whereas the V derivative comes equipped with Modulo accessories and extra features.

These are sportier-looking front and rear bumpers, side sill garnish, a different front grille, 16-inch alloys (the Grade S features 15-inch wheels), dual-mode paddle shifters and audio control buttons on a leather steering wheel, indicators on the retractable side view mirrors, cruise control and an exhaust finisher. And a full black interior as opposed to the Grade S’ blue black.

Additionally, a further Modulo accessories package is available for the Grade V; this is made up of a tailgate spoiler, fog lights, illuminated side step garnish, alloy pedals, interior foot light and trunk tray, and it’s yours for an additional RM3,000.

The Jazz is available in four colours – Taffeta White, Crystal Black Pearl, Alabaster Silver Metallic and Cerulean Blue metallic. Aimed at both a male and female audience in the 25 to 39-year-old age group, Honda Malaysia is targeting to sell 200 units of the Jazz monthly in the first year.

The Jazz Grade S is priced at RM104,800, while the Grade V goes for RM109,800. If you plug for the Grade V with the additional Modulo accessories package strapped on, then it’s RM112,800 (all prices on-the-road, with insurance).

For more info on the all-new Jazz, head on to www.defyconvention.com.my.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Proton is Launching a Special Edition Version of one of its sedan models.

Proton is launching a special edition version of one of its sedan models next week, offering further improvement on the variant’s features, with added comfort and luxury.

The new special edition model will feature both exterior and interior enhancements.

Interior enhancements include leather seats and trimmings, GPS, an auto cruise system, dual airbags and ABS while exterior modifications are made up of a full bodykit, a new design alloy wheel, silver matte door handles, black bezel head lamps and exclusive body colors.

The SE model will be launched on Aug 26, but you can pay a visit to any Proton showroom nationwide to find out more about the special edition vehicle.

From now to Aug 31, bookings for this one will bag you an exclusive early bird gift package.

More information on the vehicle can also be had via Proton's i.Care toll-free info line at 1-300-880 888.

Volvo Car Malaysia introduced its facelifted S40 2.4 sedan

Volvo Car Malaysia today introduced its facelifted S40 2.4 sedan. The locally-assembled 2008 model year variant features a number of rather subtle revisions, both exterior and interior-wise.

No changes to the heart of the matter, which is the 2.4l five-pot that continues to deliver 170 horsies and 230Nm of torque, nor with the five-speed auto tranny.

Outside, the front has been updated to present a sportier and more prestigious face, borrowing elements from the new S80 and V70.

There's a new front nose, which is 3mm longer than the previous version's, as well as a new grille featuring a deeper mesh pattern and chrome surround. Also new, a colour coordinated front spoiler lip, lower centre air intakes and new design fog lamps.

Also new at the front are the headlamps, which have been redesigned both in look and size. Ditto the Volvo emblem, the so-called "iron mark", which is now 50% larger.

To reduce drag and positively influence fuel consumption, the front wheel wells have been equipped with air deflectors integrated into the undercarriage of the car.

At the back, there are new LED-equipped tail lights, reworked to be smaller than before, since the lower edge has been lifted approximately 30mm. The light functions have also been arranged differently and the reflectors have been moved down to the bumper.

The rear bumper is also new, and the redesigned two-piece unit is 6mm longer than the previous version. Elsewhere, further new items include sill mouldings, boot lid handles, colour coordinated roof antenna and key remote fob. The last also features improved battery life and increased operation range.

The car also comes with new alloy wheels, in this case of the 16-inch Cordelia variety. The rear inner wheel arch housing now features the use of textile liners, to help improve on NVH levels and reduce weight.

The interior features new door inner panels, instrument cluster, a tunnel console with a roll-top jalousie and a front armrest than offers deeper, wider and longer storage space, among others.

What else? Well, there's new grain leather upholstery, revised multu-directional air vents, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a revised 'Z-operation' handbrake lever, along with matt aluminium decor rings for the four controls working the Radio/Climate unit.

Three colours are available - sapphire red, electric silver and black sapphire.

Pretty neat on the whole, and you'd think you'd have to fork out a bit more for the revisions. Well, not quite, because the neatest news is that the refreshed S40 2.4 is even cheaper than before, being priced at RM169,500 (on-the-road, without insurance) compared to RM181,500 previously. Now, wouldn't you say that's neat?

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Hyundai i10 compact hatch launched in Malaysia

With people more keen to get cars that are more fuel-efficient and burn less petrol, it would seem that Hyundai Sime-Darby’s (HSD) timing for the launch of the new Inokom i10 is perfect. Had it been launched a year ago (which would have been when the planning to bring the model to Malaysia started), it would have been regarded as ‘another small hatchback’ but today, with the claim of 20 kms/litre (with manual transmission; 17.2 kms/litre with automatic transmission) , the i10 is certainly going to draw people to the showrooms.

The i10 is one of the new-generation of models from Hyundai which have a more European flavour. Like Kia, its affiliate, Hyundai wants to make a stronger impression in the European market where it sees a better chance to challenge the Japanese.

While sharing many engineering elements with the Kia Picanto, the i10 not really a clone of the Kia model. 3565 mm long and 1595 mm wide (as long as a Perodua Viva but wider), it is essentially a city car – though long-distances would certainly be fine as well.

From all angles, the i10 is a cute little car though the headlights seem somewhat huge. While HSD is selling this model as an Inokom product, it’s a bit odd to see that there is also a Hyundai badge (just the wording) on the rear door! Like on some VW models, the latch for opening the rear door is under the flip-up Inokom logo.

Small it may be, the Hyundai engineers have been able to give it a structure that could score 4/5 stars in the independent EuroNCAP crash test, said to be the best for a car of this segment. The secret is having a lot of reinforcement in critical areas with rigid subframes as well as a ‘hoop’ concept for the pillars (encircling the structure).

HSD has ensured that the safety package it provides is comparable to the one in Europe so in spite of the low price of RM48,888, it comes with two airbags as standard plus ABS. In other words, that 4-star rating is also applicable to the model sold to Malaysians. This is not always the case with some other models where the one sold to Malaysians lacks certain safety items which had made it possible to achieve the many stars in the crash test.

Power comes from a fuel-sipping 1.1-litre (1086 cc) Epsilon 4-cylinder engine which has a long stroke. Power output is 66.8 bhp/49.1 kW at 5500 rpm and 99.1 Nm of torque at 2800 rpm. Though the compression ratio is 10:1, the engine is probably tuned to run on low octane since fuel economy is supposed to be its strong point. Certainly, in Europe, consumers would expect to be able to use low-octane petrol.

5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions are available and for the automatic transmission, the top two ratios are overdrive ratios to push rpm down as low as possible at cruising speeds for fuel-savings.

As a further contribution to fuel economy, the i10’s rack and pinion steering system has an electric motor for power assistance. Of course, its light kerb weight of around 925 kgs also helps.

The suspension is typical for cars in this segment with MacPherson struts in front and a torsion beam axle behind. 14-inch alloy wheels are standard and shod with 165/60 tyres. Incidentally, the spare tyre is a full-sized one, not a skinny space-saver, but it comes on a steel wheel.

Moving inside, the cabin has a spacious feel with the high ceiling although the window sills seem a bit high. The dashboard has the usual ‘trying to be different’ look to it that the Korean interior designers seem to be fond of but they are not as obsessed these days, it seems. The switchgear is more conventional and functional. The instrumental panel has a large speedometer (optimistically calibrated to 200 km/h) dead centre but no tachometer. For those who are not comfortable without a coolant temperature gauge, you’ll be happy to know that the i10 has one rather than just a warning light.

The centre area of the dashboard is nicely laid out with large rotating knobs for the climate control system and the shifter is situated on a sloping panel, putting it at a comfortable angle for operation. The audio system is a double-DIN type with MP3 compatibility and also a input point for portable music devices.

The rear accommodation is not too bad for a car this size though three persons may be a squeeze (but there are lap belts for the middle passenger provided). If more space for cargo is needed, the 1-piece backrest can be folded down. A nice provision is the parcel shelf which doubles as a cover to prevent people from peeking into the cargo area.

Commenting about the price of the car, Dennis Ho, COO of HSD, explained that there are some advantages when it is badged as an Inokom rather than a Hyundai due to provisions of the National Automotive Policy. He added that the RM48,888 price (for the automatic) will also apply to the locally-assembled version which will be coming in the near future; for the initial few hundred units, HSD is importing the car as a CBU.

“One thing which I want to assure customers of is that the quality of the locally-assembled version will be just as good as the CBU,” he said. To underline this point, HSD is giving an impressive 5-year/300,000 km (whichever comes first) warranty for the i10. Mr Ho’s confidence in the build quality is understandable because the Atos, which was also assembled at HSD’s plant in Kedah, used to score top marks in the JD Power & Associates Initial Quality Surveys for Malaysia almost every year.

More images after the jump.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

AWAS !!!! Port baru polis trafic utk Speed-trap

Memandangkan minyak dah naik, jgn tambah beban bayar saman pulak.

So kena jaga-jaga, sbb polis trafik sekarang semakin kreatif.

Gambar seorang abang polis buat speed-trap dalam gerai jual mangga @ Sabak Bernam

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Perodua VIVA wins Best Value-for-Money Model of the Year (Malaysia) Award

Rawang, 1 July 2008 – Perodua received another recognition when the Viva was selected as one of Frost & Sullivan’s Automotive Awards recipients, under the Best Value-for-Money category for Malaysia.

The selection of finalists was based on a variety of criteria such as brand image, purchase price, fuel consumption and efficiency, performance and maintenance costs such as spare parts and service charges.

According to Frost & Sullivan, "the Perodua Viva offered the lowest cost of ownership in the market with competitive pricing and low maintenance cost. It is the most practical car of choice in the current environment as consumers cope with the increasing cost of living."

Datuk Syed Abdull Hafiz bin Syed Abu Bakar, Managing Director of Perodua stated that “this award will no doubt be another milestone for Perodua as it shows that our products are relevant to the consumers especially in today’s economic scenario. Perodua vehicles are more than compacts that are practical; they play a more essential role in people’s everyday lives. When we build our cars, our priority lies in the people we build them for.”

The Viva is a car equipped with the latest technology, built with superior quality and offered at an affordable price range. The Viva represents Perodua’s continuing effort in improving its vehicles’ performance, styling, comfort and safety features. To date, almost 80,000 units have been registered since its launch in May 2007. Available in 3 variants – 660cc, 850cc and 1000cc, the on-the-road (OTR) price ranges from RM28,000 to RM45,000.

PERSONA IS 2008 BEST MODEL OF THE YEAR

SHAH ALAM, 26 June 2008 – PROTON’s Persona has been named Best Model of the Year for Malaysia in the 2008 Frost & Sullivan ASEAN Automotive Awards.

Launched in August last year, Persona is the fifth model fully built by PROTON and has fast become one of the best sellers in the PROTON stable.

PROTON Holdings Bhd Chairman Dato’ Mohammed Azlan Hashim said that the award is testimony to PROTON’s promise to deliver “the right car, for the right market, at the right price and at the right time”.

“This acknowledgement is a significant recognition for a car which over 45,000 Malaysians have endorsed as their car of choice. It is also an affirmation of PROTON’s commitment to produce quality value-for-money cars that meet market needs,” he added.

“We are most honored with this recognition by Frost & Sullivan as best-in-class which many have given the thumbs up for its quality, design, ride and handling as well as cabin and luggage space,” added Managing Director Dato Syed Zainal

As in the name, the Persona is an impression of beauty with advanced styling, generous interior and luggage space, practical with safe attributes and is an affordable package as a whole.

The Persona is a PROTON re-defined as it was developed with the commitment to improve every quality aspect - from design, styling and production to sales and after-sales.

The model has been enhanced with Intake Air Fuel Module (IAFM) technology giving it the evolutionary boost of further engine improvement. Since its launch, the Persona has made its way to Singapore and Brunei and will be introduced in Indonesia in July.

“We can proudly say that the Persona is now the key driver of PROTON’s export optimization for the financial year 2008/2009,” said Azlan.

With this award, the Persona now joins the ranks of models that are outstanding in the automotive industry in the ASEAN region.

The Best Model Award is part of the Frost & Sullivan Asean Automotive Awards that acknowledge outstanding performance by companies in the automotive industry in the ASEAN region. In addition to best models, the awards showcase best practices in safety systems, commercial vehicles, component, distribution, navigation and automotive finance segments.

All short-listed award recipients are evaluated based on actual market performance indicators of revenue growth, market share and growth in market share, leadership in product innovation, breadth of products and solutions, major customer acquisitions, and business and market strategy.

Syed Zainal said PROTON owed this award and tribute to all Malaysians who have stood by and supported the company, its brand and products. Without them, this could not have happened.

“Thank you to all Malaysians - Government, Customers, and the PROTON family, including the vendors, dealers, suppliers and staff. We would like to personally thank everyone for their support and confidence. Also to the PROTON family for their hard work, dedication and commitment which have significantly contributed towards this success,” he stressed.

“This award is an inspiration in motivating us to move forward and work harder to further improve ourselves by producing better products and providing excellent services to meet customer expectations,” he added.

“Moving forward, PROTON will continue to focus on quality improvement as we strive to better ourselves in every quality aspect. The need to raise PROTON’s standard of quality further and to benchmark our products with other successful vehicle manufacturers is especially important, now that we are aggressively pursuing a stronger presence in the international market,” said Dato Azlan.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Mitsubishi Galant Fortis Ralliart in Japan

Those who pay attention to the automotive industry should know that the new Mitsubishi Lancer has grown so much in size that it is known as the Mitsubishi Galant Fortis in Japan, save for the Evolution version which is still called the Lancer Evolution X. I was wondering if the warm Ralliart version will be called a Lancer or Galant Fortis, but now we know the answer as Mitsubishi Motors Japan has just announced the Mitsubishi Galant Fortis Ralliart. Read more about the Evo’s younger, less powerful but more affordable sibling after the jump.

The Galant Fortis Ralliart slashes the Evo X’s horsepower count down to 240 PS at 6,000rpm. Peak torque of 343Nm kicks in at 3,000rpm. Only the Twin Clutch SST is available, but its 5th and 6th gear ratios are different from the ratios in the Evo X’s Twin Clutch SST to optimize the highway speed gears for fuel economy rather than performance. Two shift modes are available - NORMAL or SPORT.

A full-time 4WD system remains featuring a helical front LSD, a mechanical rear LSD, an Active Center Differential which regulates the speed differential between front and rear wheels electronically to feed the optimal level of torque to each wheel, Active Stability Control which supresses wheel spin and sudden changes in vehicle behavior on slippery roads, and ABS brakes which can regulate the distribution of braking to each wheel. Brakes are 16 inch twin-pot brakes at the front, installed behind 18 inch alloy wheels wrapped with 215/45R18 tyres.

According to Mitsubishi, the Mitsubishi Galant Fortis Ralliart retails for 2,982,000 yen or about RM89,660 but this figure is excluding various costs like recycling surcharge, insurance, taxes (but inclusive of consumption tax) and registration costs. Not sure how much these additional costs are, but if anyone knows some light shed on this is appreciated.