• 

  DRIVEN: 2014 Honda City - is it better than the Vios?

• 

  Mitsubishi Attrage tested - is 21 km/l FC possible?

• 

  DRIVEN: Volkswagen Polo 1.6 - CKD hatch reviewed

• 

  2014 Honda City - preview of Malaysian-spec model

• 

  National Automotive Policy 2014 - Full Coverage

• 

  SPYSHOTS: New Proton P2-30A Global Small Car

Latest Stories

• Apple CarPlay – new in-car OS unveiled in Geneva

  In 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Cars, International News, Technology, Videos / By Jonathan Lee / 11 March 2014 6:45 pm / 0 comment

  

  Remember iOS in the Car? You might have been wondering what happened to it, nearly a year after it was announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. Well, it’s finally here, and it has gained a new look and a new name: Apple CarPlay.

  CarPlay – included on iPhone models 5 and newer with iOS 7.1 – takes over the car’s infotainment system with a touch of a button, giving the driver direct access to their phone’s calls, messages, maps and music. CarPlay also includes support for selected third-party apps including Spotify, Beats Radio, iHeartRadio and Stitcher, with more to come.

  The system can be controlled via the car’s existing touchscreen or physical controls, but it can also be operated via Siri – activated through the car’s dedicated voice control button. Users can dictate messages, make calls, control music playback and get directions hands free.

  At the Geneva Motor Show, CarPlay was on display on the Ferrari FF and the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, where it will be offered on first. It was also demonstrated on the Volvo Concept Estate, and will be available on the next-generation XC90 – as well as some Honda and Hyundai models – later this year.

  Moving forward, Apple expects CarPlay to feature on future models from its partners, the long list of which include BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

   

  0 comments | Leave a comment?

   

• 2014 Fiat 500 – updated with new kit and fresh bits

  In 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Cars, Fiat, International News / By Anthony Lim / 11 March 2014 6:01 pm / 1 comment

  

  The Fiat 500 has been given an update for 2014, which sees the introduction of a new engine, new colours, seats, upholstery as well as a tech add-on in the form of a new TFT digital instrument screen. The range has also been expanded with a new range-topping Cult variant.

  The new mill is the 0.9 TwinAir Turbo – the unit, which features a Start&Stop system, brings the number of available engines for the updated car to five. Paired with a six-speed manual transmission as standard, output numbers are 105 hp at 5,500 rpm and 145 Nm at 2,000 rpm, with performance numbers including a 0-100 km/h time of 10 seconds and a 188 km/h top speed.

  The new colours that find their way on are Lattementa green and new three-layer white, while the S model will be offered with a striking new Italia blue. Three new alloy wheels, revised seat fabrics and a choice of leather upholstery complete the visual revisions.

  

  

  

  As for the seven-inch TFT LCD instrument display, which was developed in collaboration with Magnetti Marelli, it handles all the necessary vehicle information as well as the display of media player and telephone information. It’ll also display satnav info, if the car comes equipped with a navigation system.

  Meanwhile, the new Fiat 500 Cult model will be available in both hardtop and cabrio versions, and dresses the exterior up with new design 16-inch alloy wheels, a gloss black roof panel, chrome or gloss black side mirror covers and chrome detailing. The interior gets new leather seats as standard.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

   

  1 comment | Leave a comment?

   

• Next-gen Toyota Yaris to use Mazda 2 SkyActiv tech?

  In Cars, International News, Mazda, Toyota / By Hafriz Shah / 11 March 2014 4:47 pm / 15 comments

  

  A partnership between Toyota and Mazda to build a sub-compact (B-segment) vehicle for the North American market had been confirmed in 2012, and the latest reports now suggest that the next-generation Yaris will be built in Mazda’s new plant in Salamanca, Mexico, based on the upcoming second-generation Mazda2.

  Speaking to Automotive News, Keishi Egawa, director of the new Mazda facility, confirmed that the upcoming Toyota model will use Mazda’s high-compression, direct-injection SkyActiv petrol engine. Toyota will plan out its own sheet metal (exterior) and “some of the interior design work,” but it will use “our engine,” said Egawa.

  This is a neat role reversal for the two Japanese carmakers. Just last year, Toyota licensed the Prius’ Hybrid Synergy Drive system – battery, control system, electric motor and eCVT – for use in the Japan-only Mazda3 Hybrid (which keeps Hiroshima’s own 2.0 litre SkyActiv-G mill).

  As part of the 2012 agreement, the Mexican factory will allocate about 50,000 of its full annual capacity of 230,000 units for the Toyota model. Output for the Toyota spin-off is expected to begin in the second half of next year, a year after the new Mazda2 enters production there. Closer to home, we’re expecting the Hazumi-based Mazda2 to arrive in Malaysia by the end of 2014 too.

   

  15 comments | Leave a comment?

   

• Porsche 911 RSR improved for 2014 – optimised aero

  In 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Cars, International News, Motorsports, Porsche / By Danny Tan / 11 March 2014 3:45 pm / 0 comment

  

  In its first appearance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, the Porsche 911 RSR scooped first and second place finishes in the GT-Class. Weissach’s 991-based racer has been improved for 2014, and it started the season on a high as class victor at the Daytona 24-hour race.

  The redesigned front end and the new rear wing provides optimal aerodynamic balance and therefore greater stability in fast bends. Even more precise steering response was attained by optimising front suspension kinematics and further improvements to the car’s structural rigidity.

  “Last season, we strove constantly to develop the car further. The better weight distribution, in particular, has had a positive effect on performance. The 911 RSR is now more stable over the rear axle and gives the driver a greater sense of trust. This allows the driver to probe performance limits faster,” said driver Patrick Pilet.

  

  Also new is the air induction system for the 470 hp 4.0 litre flat-six engine, which gets a new air filter geometry that contributes towards reducing the effects of contamination on power output. The new FT3 safety fuel tank with a lowered centre of gravity enables improved filling under race conditions.

  Live telemetry that is permanently transmitted to the command station via the car’s roof antenna ensures that engineers are always well informed of all relevant vehicle data with over 200 measurement values. In addition, all data is stored on a memory card in the vehicle.

  The new 911 RSR is marked by broad flared wings and a deep cooling air channel at the front end. The new air flow system enables a centrally located radiator, which is more efficient than before.

  

  The static cornering lights that are positioned very low in the front end improve the driver’s view in bends. The reflective labels on cockpit controls, combined with anti-glare cabin lighting, improve legibility in the dark. The layout of switches on the new steering wheel was developed together with Porsche factory drivers.

  For shorter repair times, a quick-change concept for body parts was tuned for long-distance racing. The nose, front lid and rear apron are attached with quick-action clamps and can be replaced in just a few seconds.

  The updated 911 RSR will feature in endurance races together with the new Porsche 919 Hybrid, which combines two different energy recovery systems with a downsized V4 turbo engine.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

   

  0 comments | Leave a comment?

   

• Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV gets 4C’s 240 hp powertrain

  In 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo, Cars, International News / By Jonathan James Tan / 11 March 2014 2:15 pm / 4 comments

  

  Celebrating 60 years of Giulietta is the 2014 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, which turned up at the ongoing Geneva show. The highlight of the car is its direct-injected 1750 Turbo Petrol motor, inherited from the Alfa Romeo 4C.

  The aluminium-block four-cylinder engine is good for 240 hp at 6,000 rpm and 340 Nm of torque between 2,100 and 4,000 rpm (80% torque available at 1,800 rpm).

  Drive goes to the front wheels through a six-speed Alfa TCT twin-dry clutch ‘box, allowing it to do the century sprint in 6.6 seconds before topping out at 240 km/h – two-tenths of a second faster than the previous manual gearbox version.

  

  Outside, you’ll find a front grille, mirror caps, door handles and fog lamp housings finished in glossy anthracite. A QV emblem sits on the front wings, and there are tinted headlamps, a sports exhaust, 17- or 18-inch alloys, plus red four-piston Brembo brakes with bigger discs.

  Inside, you’re greeted by a black interior that contains sport seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara. You face a moulded steering wheel with leather trim and white stitching.

  The gear boot and handbrake are also covered in leather; they sport white and green stitching. Also there are aluminium pedals, a black roof, special mats and QV logos in the instrument panel.

  

  

  There’s also a QV Line pack for the standard Giulietta, specifiable on certain engine-trim pairings. This gives you pretty much all the aesthetic exterior and interior bits. So if your Giulietta doesn’t quite go, stop or sound like a QV, at least it can be made to look like one.

  To mark the launch, Alfa Romeo has announced a Giulietta QV Launch Edition. Limited to 500 units, these cars will have carbon spoilers and mirror caps, front and rear sports dams, side skirts and 18-inch five-hole telephone-dial alloys.

  The Launch Edition can be had in Alfa Red or Competizione Red, in addition to the exclusive matt Magnesio Grey livery. Also on Alfa’s Geneva stand is the 2014 MiTo QV (story updated with live pix, including interior) and the 4C Spider Design Preview.

  Live pix by Stefan Baldauf / Robert Kah

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

   

  4 comments | Leave a comment?

   

• BMW M4 DTM – 2014 challenger makes its debut

  In BMW, Cars, International News, Motorsports / By Jonathan Lee / 11 March 2014 12:55 pm / 6 comments

  

  A new year, a new set of regulations, a new M sports coupé – the wraps have come off the new BMW M4 DTM, the German company’s latest Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters contender, based on the BMW M4.

  Of course, that last bit is not really true – under the skin, all DTM cars run a spec chassis to save costs and ensure parity. Only the roof, the head- and tail lights and the grille have been carried over from the M4 to give it at least a passing resemblance to the showroom variant. Measuring 4,775 mm long, 1,950 mm wide and about 1,200 mm tall, it weighs just 1,110 kg.

  DTM cars also use similar engines – albeit built by the manufacturers themselves – so instead of the 3.0 litre twin-turbocharged straight-six of the road-going M4 there is a 4.0 litre naturally-aspirated V8, air-restricted to about 480 bhp and 500 Nm. This power is sent to the rear wheels through a standard DTM six-speed sequential gearbox, propelling the M4 DTM from 0-100 km/h in about three seconds.

  

  The car will make its track debut during official test sessions at the Hungaroring in Budapest at the end of the month, ahead of the first race of the season in Hockenheim on May 4. BMW will undoubtedly want to reclaim the DTM title it lost to Audi after winning both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships on its first season in 2012.

  Of course, 2014 also marks the year that technical regulations for the DTM and the GT500 category of the Super GT are unified. The Japanese series – which will star the Lexus RC F GT500, Nissan GT-R Nismo GT500 and Honda NSX-GT – will begin in Okuyama on April 6.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

   

  6 comments | Leave a comment?

   

• Mitsubishi Pajero Sport V6 launched in Indonesia

  In Cars, International News, Mitsubishi / By Danny Tan / 11 March 2014 11:38 am / 5 comments

  

  The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport V6 was launched in Indonesia last week. It is the sixth Pajero Sport variant in Indonesia, and the first petrol powered one. The facelifted Pajero Sport range was launched in the archipelago in October last year, the same time it was introduced here in Malaysia.

  The Pajero Sport V6 is powered by a 6B31 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine with 220 PS and 281 Nm of torque, the latter available at 4,000 rpm. The SOHC MIVEC unit is mated to an INVECS-II five-speed automatic with Sport Mode. It is available only as a 4X2 in Indonesia. For perspective, the Pajero Sport VGT, with a 2.5L diesel, makes 178 PS and 350 Nm of torque from 1,800 to 3,500 rpm.

  It looks similar to the facelifted Pajero Sport that we know, save for a new Deep Blue Mica colour, V6 3.0 emblems, body coloured wing mirrors and door handles and 17-inch alloys. Equipment highlights include HID headlamps with washers, a 2-DIN head unit with navi and reverse camera, and a sunroof.

  Priced at Rp. 481,000,000 (RM137,854), the Pajero Sport V6 is the second most expensive variant in the Indonesian range after the Rp. 514,500,000 (RM147,510) diesel-powered Pajero Sport Dakar 4X4 A/T. The Pajero Sport leads its segment in Indonesia but they won’t sell many of these petrol SUVs – the target is a modest 150 units per month.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

   

  5 comments | Leave a comment?

   

• E-Mobilia World – EEV industry experts return to KL

  In Advertorial / By Jonathan James Tan / 11 March 2014 10:47 am / Comments are Disabled

  

  Now that NAP 2014 has officiated the Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) policy, there isn’t a better time for the region’s foremost Eco, EEV and future mobility conference to take place.

  That’s right, Koelnmesse Pte Ltd is bringing back E-Mobilia World to KL this April for a repeat performance, and it promises to be more relevant than ever.

  The event will see leading players from the world’s automotive, technology, and government sectors come together to discuss key issues in the areas of sustainable mobility development, business strategy, implementation and adoption throughout the ecosystem.

  

  Expect strategic insights on how to fully exploit the markets in ASEAN, one of the fastest growing regions in the world.

  Notable speakers this year include BMW Group China R&D head Dr Rene Wies, Mazda Motor Corp executive officer and technical research centre and powertrain development head Mitsuo Hitomi, Mitsubishi Motors Corp EV business office corporate GM Tohru Hashimoto, Bosch Software Innovations Asia Pacific MD Thomas Jakob, Office for Low Emission Vehicles (UK) infrastructure delivery head Dr Eamonn Beirne, and more.

  This year’s agenda features over 14 case study-based and value-led sessions that cover topics like low-emission vehicle technology, consumer trends, urban transport, autonomous vehicles and the approaches to support growth and acceptance.

  

  Experts will engage in thought provoking discussions on the approaches to help your organisation benefit from and position itself at the forefront of the Eco and EEV industry.

  Koelnmesse Pte Ltd has developed the conference with key authorities and players throughout the region and also in collaboration with the Malaysia Automotive Institute. E-Mobilia World 2014 will take place from April 8-9 at the Grand Millennium KL hotel. Download the conference brochure.

  Over 200 senior-level participants from Malaysia and throughout the region are expected. Visit www.e-mobiliaworld.com to learn more. If you are involved in the automotive industry this is one conference you simply cannot afford to miss. Contact Prakash Ramajillu at j.prakash@koelnmesse.com.sg to register now!

   

  Comments are Disabled | Leave a comment?

   

• Alfa Romeo 4C Spider concept previews 2015 model

  In 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo, Cars, Concept Cars, International News, Videos / By Hafriz Shah / 11 March 2014 9:59 am / 2 comments

  

  Officially named the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Design Preview at Geneva, this topless stunner offers an early look at the production version of a soft-top 4C that will be introduced early next year. The top may have come off, but the aesthetic and dynamic appeals of the Italian heartthrob remain intact, says Alfa.

  Additional chassis reinforcement has added 60 kg to the sports car’s weight, but its full carbon-fibre construction means that the 4C Spider stays well below the tonne mark, coming in at just 955 kg. The use of carbon-fibre rollover bars, spoilers and windscreen frame as well as a light canvas soft-top contributes to the small weight gain.

  Performance has hardly taken a hit, if Alfa is to be believed. The 0-100 km/h sprint is done in just 4.5 seconds like the coupe, and its top speed in excess of 255 km/h is unchanged too. More importantly, the 240 hp 4C’s 40:60 front-to-rear weight distribution remains unaffected by the transformation from hard-top to Spider.

  Apart from the lack of a roof, the Spider concept also introduces a few evolutionary design changes to the 4C. Funnily enough, despite its name, the Spider loses the coupe’s opinion-dividing arachnid-like eyes, in place of a much more traditional-looking pair of glassed-in carbon-fibre headlamps. Better or worse? Tell us below.

  A new set of wheels also replaces the coupe’s telephone-dial alloys (if you’re too young to know how this relates to the telephone, Google is your friend). Last but not least is the novel dual-stage central exhaust system with titanium and carbon tailpipes by Akrapovic. The system features a wireless valve that enhances both performance and exhaust note.

  Live pix by Stefan Baldauf / Robert Kah

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

   

  2 comments | Leave a comment?

   

• SPIED: Ford Fiesta EcoBoost on the Federal Highway

  In Cars, Ford, Local News, Spyshots / By Anthony Lim / 11 March 2014 9:15 am / 29 comments

  

  It’s three at a go with this one, as the recently-spotted Ford Fusion is joined doing the transporter tango with two Fiestas – the red unit sports an EcoBoost decal on the rear door, which means it’s the 1.0 EcoBoost variant that was previewed at KLIMS13 and which is due to be officially launched next month.

  Reader Wong Mun Siong spotted the transporter on the Federal Highway heading towards PJ from Klang – all three vehicles were up North a few days ago, being displays at a Ford dealer conference, and were likely heading back towards SDAC PJ when the pix was snapped.

  The 125 PS/170 Nm Fiesta Ecoboost will be the range-topping facelifted Fiesta in Malaysia when it debuts, complementing the 1.5 Ti-VCT variant launched in September last year. No pricing has been bandied, but we’ve been informed that estimated pricing is expected to be in the RM96k to RM99k region.

  

  Standard kit for the Malaysian-spec turbocharged B299 will include auto AC, auto headlamps/wipers, keyless entry and push-button start as well as a Safety Pack and its attendant seven airbags. It will also come with the full bodykit you see in the pix (front/rear splitter, side skirts) as well as LED DRLs, integrated into the front splitter. From what we gather, it’ll be available in True Red, Panther Black and Arctic White.

  Meanwhile, the black/red side decals and offset racing stripes as well as the addition of the similar bodykit and DRLs on the white B299 example in the pix signify that a special edition is on the cards, almost certainly based around the 1.5 Sport. If the rear diffuser on both Fiestas looks familiar, it is, having been seen on the pre-facelift Fiesta XTR.

  As for the Fusion (which will debut with that name, dropping the Mondeo nameplate), it’s expected to be introduced in Malaysia towards the end of 2014, with market deployment coming about in early 2015.

   

  29 comments | Leave a comment?