The rise of the compact 7-seater MPV!
Toyota Avanza – 7 seats at an affordable price
Everyone is reporting a trend in vehicle size downsizing in efforts to reduce fuel consumption and emissions as well as reduce cost of purchase/ownership in these financially depressing times. For those who travel alone or with one or two passengers most of the time it is easy, but motorists who have to lug a whole family around its going to be hard to find something to fall back on. This is probably the reason why the 7-seater Toyota Avanza is doing extremely well in Malaysia. There’s just nothing else.
Nissan Grand Livina – good to drive thanks to its car-based chassis
The other car manufacturers are catching up though. Nissan’s more elegant answer to the Toyota Avanza is the Nissan Grand Livina – although more expensive than the Avanza it is enjoying brisk sales and currently has a waiting list. Our national carmarker Proton is also developing a new 7-seater MPV and spyshots of the Proton MPV have already been posted on this blog, so check it out. The Proton MPV is probably the most eagerly awaited of all, given the “Proton discount” that its price tag is most likely going to have, it’s probably going to offer the most space for the least amount of money out of all the new MPVs coming out next year.
The Honda Freed – it can even sit 8!
Honda has always had a few vehicles that could sit more than 5 people based on the Honda Jazz platform. You had the Honda Mobilio and Mobilio Spike which looked quite typically Japanese quirky and may not be tuned to ASEAN tastes (Suzuki suffered a similiar fate with the Suzuki APV which looked like a Juara-ish K-van), but the newly launched Honda Freed based on the Jazz platform as well looks like it could have potential in the ASEAN region.
In fact there were rumours going around a few months ago right after the Freed’s unveiling that Honda would be ASEAN-izing the Freed and setting up a production base in Indonesia for it, though these still remain rumours at the time being.
Could a 7-seater stretched Hyundai i20 platform work?
Kia is also coming up with a baby MPV codenamed the YN based on the same platform as the Kia Soul and the Hyundai i20, and if they’re smart they should seriously consider developing a 6 or 7-seater version for emerging markets! Although Korean cars have quite some way to go here in Malaysia, Kia seems to be doing quite alright when it comes to value people movers, just look at the amount of Naza Ria and Naza Citras around. It will be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March next year. A locally assembled, 7-seater version of this upcoming baby MPV could be a sales hit if the launch timing is right, but of course it will face competition from both the Proton MPV and another local competitor, likely to be the cheapest 6/7-seater in Malaysia, the upcoming Perodua MPV.
Been there, done that. Expect the new Perodua MPV to follow the formula of the Toyota Sienta, but not necessarily its looks!
The Perodua MPV will be based on a new MPV being developed by Toyota and Daihatsu at a cost of 180 million USD including expanding manufacturing capacity in Indonesia. The development and production schedule seems on track for a Q1 2009 international revealing in Indonesia next year, and Perodua’s Datuk Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar has stated in an interview early this year that a Perodua-badged version of the MPV will be launched in September 2009. But for a statement made so long ago, bear in mind it could be outdated by now and in fact it may have been pushed earlier because of the Proton MPV!
October 22, 2008 @ 11:25 pm
First, suckas
October 22, 2008 @ 11:28 pm
Okay that was childish. I used to love MPVs. Until I drove one. It’s not for drivers, these MPVs.
October 22, 2008 @ 11:32 pm
if perodua rebadge toyota sienta OK what… its perodua maaa
October 22, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
haha, i was right, the perodua mpv is based on the sienta.
but pound for pound, the grand livina is still the most value for money there is right now.
save up a litte more from the avanza, and do yourself a favour and get a livina. thats what i tell everyone.
October 22, 2008 @ 11:58 pm
TO ALL MANUFACTURER,
JUST MAKE IT LOOKS COOL PLEASE
we still can compromise abit bout headroom just to make sure the mpv looks sleeker
October 23, 2008 @ 12:05 am
wtf??? stretch myvi?
October 23, 2008 @ 1:25 am
if sienta is the new perodua MPV, then i think ppl will start to condemn perodua and praise proton..the design is very japanese in which our local ppl cannot appreciate…in which proton’s new MPV will be so much better..
October 23, 2008 @ 1:52 am
csv said,
October 22, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
——————-
yes i totally agree, we’re talking about the same page, nissan rebina rulez!
as for perodua sienta, no eyes see. sien indeed.
October 23, 2008 @ 6:34 am
Honda Freed = Long Jazz.
Honda Airwave = Long City
Toyota Sienta = Long Myvi(Passo)
October 23, 2008 @ 7:55 am
csv said,
October 22, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
but pound for pound, the grand livina is still the most value for money there is right now.
—-
I think The Kia Rondo should take that honour.
Besides why is everyone forgetting about the Kangoo? Its in the same price range, seats 6-7 and has loads of boot space due to the low floor.
Paul Tan: I drove the first gen Kangoo that TCEC is selling here and to be honest it’s still more suited to commercial applications. I found it impossible to find a good seating position and its steering is fixed – no tilt or telescopic adjustments. The suspension doesn’t soak up road irregularities very well at all and the seats are uncomfortable. I got a backache after driving from Genting back to Cheras, which is not really very far.
October 23, 2008 @ 8:11 am
may be the looks of the kangoo… make them forget what the kangoo is… hehehe
October 23, 2008 @ 8:15 am
perhaps someday… a 10 seater will be consider as compact mpv… papa, mama, 3 kids, grandpa, grandma, papa’s sister, maid…
October 23, 2008 @ 9:09 am
kia cee’d xR
hyundai i30 share d same platform wit kia ceed
being korean but wit european style
October 23, 2008 @ 9:18 am
i think citra is more likely than avanza.. see on the road.. citra more then avanza.. because why? lu pikir la sendiri..
October 23, 2008 @ 9:41 am
Other than the first 2 MPV i’ve seen running OTR. The rest I can’t recap I’ve seen those thingy. Besides, Avanza, Livina is the cheapest 7 seater in town now. Honda, Mazda and others still cost >RM100K.
October 23, 2008 @ 10:03 am
people the alando Easter is selling at 80k on the road and protong MPV should sale at 70k or 80k So which one will do you think is worth buying. china i have doubt and protong also same problem as before we learn from the past so which one. maybe i will go for mazda5 but cost 150k which mean i can buy 2 mpv one is protong and alando……so any idea
October 23, 2008 @ 10:33 am
mpv my foot, its a van. the inventor of these cars obviously have no life and should therefore jump into a tank full of excretion.
October 23, 2008 @ 10:46 am
Paul,
I do believe that’s a biased comment on your part about the Kangoo. I’ve owned the Kangoo (post-facelift) for close to a year now. I’ve driven it from Perlis, all the way to KL, and then straight to Kemaman, several times, with no complaints to the ride comfort. In fact, I’d hazard to comment that the Avanza drove a lot worse than the Kangoo, and offered just as mediocre interior trim level. And given the proper tooling, any of these cars can be changed from a 7-seater to a commercial vehicle as well.
Paul Tan says: I drove the Kangoo assisting Shannon Teoh of NST do a fuel economy shootout between supposed fuel efficient vehicles for NST Life & Times. That was my honest opinion and experience. It was a shootout between the Kangoo, the City 1.5 i-DSI and the Civic Hybrid. One petrol, one diesel and one hybrid. We drove from KL to Seremban, back up to KL, up to Genting (to prove that the Civic Hybrid would lose all of its benefits on an uphill stretch where there was no opportunity for brake energy regeneration to recharge its batteries), back down, etc.
October 23, 2008 @ 11:27 am
talking about the civic hybrid , they lowered the price from rm170k to 130k now…
October 23, 2008 @ 11:44 am
good luck to civic hybrid. me wan a livina! white one is nice, grey is too.
October 23, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
ALPINA BMW said,
October 23, 2008 @ 10:33 am
mpv my foot, its a van. the inventor of these cars obviously have no life and should therefore jump into a tank full of excretion.
——————————————————-
regardless of what you think.. the mpv is one of the largest growing segments in the emerging markets. these cars sell, because people want to buy them. Car companies are in the business of selling cars, not building them.
so i suppose its luckily for these car companies, that they dont have someone like you working for them, coz if you did, they’d probably end up not building an mpv.. which is what happened to proton.. they’ve ignored the mpv market, and ended up losing many opportunities.. but now they’ve finally woken up, but better late than never.
October 23, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
Avanza = MPV?
It don’t deserve it.
It’s a VAN!
October 23, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
no.. its a lorry.
lorry chasis what?
is it using leaf spring like lorry too? ahahaha..
or is that the unser? whatever.. all these cheapo box is an insult, we all live on earth only once and deserved better.
October 23, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
ALPINA BMW said,
October 23, 2008 @ 10:33 am
mpv my foot, its a van. the inventor of these cars obviously have no life and should therefore jump into a tank full of excretion.
You’ll only know if you have a big family.
Think man.
October 23, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
All this MPV look like van from behind, i believe that hv to cater for another row of seats. somehow some people just dumb enough to complain that is not drivers car, compared to a lorry, van, etc. I see it as an clown to the smart fellows or real drivers, or even designers. pity enough. hahaha.
October 23, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
if you see how badly chinese cars, especially MPV / SUV perform during a crash test, you will definately not buy one. Even Waja performs much better in comparison. If you watch some of the test on You Tube, the chance of survival for the driver is close to Nil.
October 23, 2008 @ 8:10 pm
Not sure I would like to be driving an MPV car…maybe just wishful thinking
October 23, 2008 @ 8:49 pm
BanyakMasukWorkshop said,
October 23, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
ALPINA BMW said,
October 23, 2008 @ 10:33 am
mpv my foot, its a van. the inventor of these cars obviously have no life and should therefore jump into a tank full of excretion.
——————————————————-
regardless of what you think.. the mpv is one of the largest growing segments in the emerging markets. these cars sell, because people want to buy them. Car companies are in the business of selling cars, not building them.
so i suppose its luckily for these car companies, that they dont have someone like you working for them, coz if you did, they’d probably end up not building an mpv.. which is what happened to proton.. they’ve ignored the mpv market, and ended up losing many opportunities.. but now they’ve finally woken up, but better late than never.
—————————————————————
no, financially, its good for the company. but for us, well for me at least i hate it.
October 24, 2008 @ 9:35 am
“Now… Everyone can MPV” …
Ok what?
October 24, 2008 @ 6:40 pm
the only mpv that is nice is the ford s-max 2.5 zetec and the vauxhall zafira vxr
October 25, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
why u guyz never mention anything about estima and wish !!!!!!!!
common la ppl !!!!
October 26, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
October 25, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
why u guyz never mention anything about estima and wish !!!!!!!!
common la ppl !!!!
—————————————————-
estima and wish for aunties who win first prize in da ma cai, only alphard and vellfire got class
October 27, 2008 @ 3:13 am
ALPINA BMW said,
October 26, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
October 25, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
why u guyz never mention anything about estima and wish !!!!!!!!
common la ppl !!!!
—————————————————-
estima and wish for aunties who win first prize in da ma cai, only alphard and vellfire got class
_____________________________________
but comparing alphard with the all-new-estima, dont u find the all-new-estima luks more classier !!!!! Alphard only often reminds me of politicians !!! not high-class people !!!
October 27, 2008 @ 8:57 pm
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
October 27, 2008 @ 3:13 am
ALPINA BMW said,
October 26, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
October 25, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
why u guyz never mention anything about estima and wish !!!!!!!!
common la ppl !!!!
—————————————————-
estima and wish for aunties who win first prize in da ma cai, only alphard and vellfire got class
_____________________________________
but comparing alphard with the all-new-estima, dont u find the all-new-estima luks more classier !!!!! Alphard only often reminds me of politicians !!! not high-class people !!!
——————————————-
politicians sit in perdana, then turn corner they like the dai sai ngan(big small eye) mercedes e-class. anwar uses mazda mpv. if you think the estima is nice(it is nice, i agree), you should look at the alphard and vellfire….god i love those business class seats
October 28, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
October 27, 2008 @ 3:13 am
ALPINA BMW said,
October 26, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Xx- Ferrari -xX said,
October 25, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
why u guyz never mention anything about estima and wish !!!!!!!!
common la ppl !!!!
—————————————————-
estima and wish for aunties who win first prize in da ma cai, only alphard and vellfire got class
_____________________________________
but comparing alphard with the all-new-estima, dont u find the all-new-estima luks more classier !!!!! Alphard only often reminds me of politicians !!! not high-class people !!!
——————————————-
politicians sit in perdana, then turn corner they like the dai sai ngan(big small eye) mercedes e-class. anwar uses mazda mpv. if you think the estima is nice(it is nice, i agree), you should look at the alphard and vellfire….god i love those business class seats
_________________________________________________________________________
well, in jb, many politicians, i mean the minor politicians, are using black colour alphard…but i dunno bout most other places yet… Well, Vellfire is better than alphard though not much difference… somehow, i prefer d new estima bcoz i luv d shape of it… alphard’s interior indeed more executive, but its juz dat estima wins me in term or itz shape ….