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2010 Suzuki Kizashi officially revealed! Hybrid model coming soon

July 31, 2009 at 2:03 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Suzuki

Suzuki has officially revealed the 2010 Kizashi mid-sized sedan, that is offered in both front wheel drive and all wheel drive forms. Based on the Kizashi Concept that was previewed two years ago, the mid-size sedan is treated to a large prominent grille up front with curvaceous design lines under the projector beam headlights, which is also evident at the rear end. There are two exhaust tailpipes as well, on each side. The Kizashi also sits on the ground with 18-inch alloy wheels, treated to a multi-spoke design.

Inside, you can choose between cloth or premium leather seats. With the latter, you will get three-stage heating and memory function. Both material options are finished with French seams, hard cover rears and low fatigue foam. More features include, key-less entry (with start/stop button), iPod connectivity, Bluetooth (optional) and a 425-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system (optional). There is also a three-spoke steering wheel, in front of a two-gauge (with chrome outline and light blue lighting) instrument panel, with an LCD display.

Now to what is under the hood. Before I can continue, I must say that Suzuki has neglected to mention official performance figures of the Kizashi, along with the engine output numbers as well. We do know that it is powered by a 2.4-litre DOHC inline 4-cylinder, mated to either a 6 speed manual or a CVT transmission. With the CVT, buyers will get steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.

The engine includes an aluminum block and cylinder heads, aluminum pistons with low tensile force rings, dropped-forged connecting rods, rotating on a forged steel crankshaft and a balancer shaft that delivers improved engine balance and reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

Suspension wise, the Kizashi with a rigid steel unibody features MacPherson struts in the reinforced front suspension, while the rear is treated to a multi-link setup, which is constructed with embedded aluminum to improve handling. As mentioned earlier, the Kizashi is also offered with an all wheel drive system, which is Suzuki’s first for its sedan segment. The system’s torque split remains dependent on several factors, including wheel slippage and throttle input.

Safety wise, it comes with eight airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD and a tire pressure monitoring system. You can also go home with Suzuki’s synergetic vehicle dynamic control, which allows you to have more fun with the car, with minimal intrusion from the ESP. The auto maker also revealed that it is developing a hybrid variant of the Kizashi, and that it will be added into the line-up in the future. Expect the new sedan from Suzuki to hit US showrooms by December. Continue reading to view an image gallery and to watch a half-hour long video.
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Mitsubishi Grandis updated with extra equipment!

July 30, 2009 at 9:38 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Grandis

Mitsubishi unveiled a new revision of the Mitsubishi Grandis with updated equipment when they unveiled the new facelifted Lancer 2.0 GT today. The Grandis now comes with the following extra features:

  • A bodykit – front and rear lips and side skirts
  • Door visors on all four doors
  • Scuff plates on the interior
  • Combination black leather for all 7 seats and door inserts
  • Black leather for the steering wheel and gearknob
  • 2-DIN 6.2 inch Kenwood DVD receiver with touch screen interface, USB connectivity as well as iPod and Bluetooth support

The Grandis continues to be powered by a 165 PS 2.4 litre MIVEC engine. The engine is the 4G69 which produces peak power at 6,000rpm and 217Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. This engine is mated to a 4-speed INVECS-II automatic.

The updated Mitsubishi Grandis is priced at RM160,557.80 OTR without insurance and is available in White Pearl, Black Mica, Cool Silver and Gray Mica. This is roughly a RM2k increase over the previous price when the facelifted Grandis was launched in 2007.

Look after the jump for more photos from the Grandis launch.
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Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT facelifted in Malaysia!

July 30, 2009 at 8:47 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Lancer GT Facelift

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia launched the 2009 update for the Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT today alongside an updated 2.4 litre Grandis. As previously revealed, the new Lancer features the updated front end that first made a debut on the Lancer Sportback.

It continues to be powered by the 2.0 litre 4B11 engine producing 155 PS and 199Nm of torque, mated to an INVECS-III CVT transmission with paddle shifts that allow you to swap between the CVT’s 6 predefined virtual ratios. The 2.0 GT also features ABS, EBD, dual two-stage front airbags, disc brakes all-round, Nappa leather seats that fold 60:40 at the rear, and a 6-speaker CD and MP3 sound system with steering wheel controls.

Only three colours are available – White Solid, Black Mica and Red Metallic. According to MMM, it goes for RM123,980.00 OTR with insurance. It will be in showrooms from tomorrow in the Peninsular, and from the 21st August onwards for East Malaysia.

Look after the jump for a full live photo gallery of the updated Lancer 2.0 GT. You’ll notice one car that’s slightly modified with 18 inch wheels of a darker shade, and a few stickers on the body. That’s a demo car that Mitsubishi prepared to show us how the Lancer can be “pimped up”, and they took a low-cost, subtle and tasteful route to it.
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Kia teases 3 shots of the new VG sedan

July 30, 2009 at 3:54 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Kia, Koreans

Kia VG

These are the initial batch of 3 images of the new Kia large sedan codenamed “VG”, which will replace the Opirus/Amanti. I’ve actually seen the Amanti around KL before, probably driven by some Korean expatriates. It’s somewhat like Kia’s take on the now discontinued Jaguar S-Type, meant to look large and stately. Before you argue that these kind of cars don’t fit well in Kia’s image, they are all over the roads in South Korea. The people there tend to buy Korean cars exclusively from the low end to the higher ends of the model segments.
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It’s official: Michael Schumacher returns to F1!

July 30, 2009 at 2:37 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is now back in Formula One! The 7 times world champion will be racing in Felipe Massa’s seat for the European Grand Prix in Valencia on the 23rd of August 2009 and will do so for the rest of the season until Massa is ready to be back in the driver’s seat.

This must be something big for Schumacher himself as well, as he has probably in a mental state that F1 is a chapter that is pretty much closed in his life. They say quit while you’re ahead right? The 40 year old also has to physically prepare himself for the sport now as he is not exactly in F1 driving shape since retiring from the sport in October 2006, and this calls for extensive fitness programs.

“The most important thing first: thanks God, all news concerning Felipe are positive. I wish him all the best again. I was meeting this afternoon with Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe. Though it is true that the chapter Formula 1 has been closed for me since long and completely, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation. But as the competitor I am I also very much look forward to facing this challenge. Ultimately I like challenges and this is a great challenge,” said Schumi.

I’m sure droves of fans who say they have begun to lose interest in the sport will flock back to their TV sets for the races now that there is a very interesting new contender.

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BMW to quit F1 after 2009 season

July 29, 2009 at 5:13 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Formula 1, Motorsports, Videos

BMW F1 car

New shocker in the Formula One scene – BMW has announced that it will be exiting F1 at the end of 2009, after a 3 year run in the team’s current incarnation, the BMW Sauber F1 team. In the middle of 2005, BMW acquired the Swiss team Sauber and took to the starting grid under the team’s new name.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations in the current season. Nevertheless, our ten years of Formula One experience have had a major impact on our development engineers. We have racing to thank for numerous technological innovations as well as the competitive spirit that drives us to develop mass-produced cars,” said board member Dr. Klaus Draeger.

NEW VIDEO: BMW withdraws from F1

“The main reason for this decision was not our current performance in Formula One racing or the general economic situation. It was solely the company’s strategic realignment. Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. In line with our Strategy Number ONE, we are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability. Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us. Mario Theissen has been in charge of our motor sports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this,” said chairman Dr. Norbert Reithofer.

BMW F1

Looks like the green movement killed yet another Formula One team, as similiar reasons were given by Honda when it decided to exit the sport. BMW will continue to participate in other sports like the ALMS, and of course, Formula BMW. These activities will continue to be supervised by Mario Theissen. The focus in the future will be more on programs like Efficient Dynamics.

I’m not sure what’s going to happen to the team. Perhaps someone will buy them over, and one man rumoured to possibly step in and take over the team is Peter Sauber, the man whose name is the other half of the team’s name. Whatever it is, BMW will work to find solutions for all current F1 employees, and someone else taking over is definitely one of them. Our national oil company Petronas could continue their F1 sponsorship with this new team and their new owners, if they choose to remain in the sport.

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New Honda Accord “The Perfectionist” Photography Showcase starts today at 1U!

July 29, 2009 at 4:24 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Local News
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The Honda Accord Showcase starts today at Highstreet One Utama PJ until the 2nd of August 2009. It will then be held at the Queensbay Mall Penang concourse on the 21st to 23rd August 2009 and then the next and final stop will be JB’s Sutera Mall on the 2nd of October 2009 to the 4th of October 2009.

The new Accord 2.0 VTi-L will be on display in Taffeta White along with a photography exhibition of the Accord. The exhibition combines the Accord and various successful Malaysian personas. A commemorative book with the best photographs of the Accord, the personas and their success stories will be launched there.

Definitely interesting for those who are into vehicle photography.
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Nissan exhibits EV system in a Nissan Latio

July 29, 2009 at 3:50 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Nissan

Nissan Latio

Nissan previewed its electric vehicle powertrain a few days ago and used a Nissan Latio as a demonostrator vehicle. The EV system uses an in-house developed electric motor that can produce 107 horsepower and 280Nm of torque, matched with a 24kWh laminated compact li-ion battery pack.

With the demonstrator, the battery pack is placed under the vehicle floor for better packaging – this reduces intrusions into the cabin or cargo space. It can be quite tricky to mate an electric powertrain to a normal chassis that was designed for an internal combustion engine as the requirements in terms of size, shape and other factors of an electric vehicle system can be quite different from a regular car’s. An additional frame is added to the battery pack to improve the platform’s rigidity.

Nissan Latio

Thanks to the 24kWh and a regenerative braking system, the electric Latio can go over 160km on a full charge, based on the US LA4 mode driving cycle.

Nissan will also be adding a remote control and monitoring function to its electric cars. All Nissan EVs will communicate with a central IT system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alerts can be sent to your mobile phone. With the system, users can check the car’s current charging status and current range capacity. A map can show the current available driving radius so its easier to visualize where you will be able to drive.

You can also control the air conditioner to turn on or off at predefined times, and charging can also be set to be done only within certain timeslots even though the car is plugged in so that you can take advantage from cheaper night electricity rates in some countries.
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The Humberside Police’s new IS-Force

July 29, 2009 at 2:34 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Lexus

Lexus IS-F

Specially trained offers of the Humberside Police spent a year evaluating a couple of fast cars to replace the Subarus that they’re currently using in their Roads Crime Section. They ended up picking this one – a Lexus IS-F with a 5.0 litre V8 engine that can take the car from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.

But of course this cop version won’t be able to do that as it’s got lots of extra weight from the £30,000 worth of on-board computers and communications equipment. Apparently one edge that the Lexus had over its competitors is that its driving dynamics and stability was not affected much by the extra weight.
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570 horsepower Ferrari 458 Italia makes its debut!

July 29, 2009 at 12:54 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, International News

Ferrari 458 Italia

Here you go, the all-new Ferrari that will make 360 and 430 owners whip out their checkbooks, or so Ferrari hopes.

The new Ferrari 458 Italia is powered by a new 4.5 litre V8 engine producing 570 horsepower at a mind-boggling 9,000rpm, and 540Nm of torque at 6,000rpm (over 80% of this available from 3,250rpm onwards), thanks to high-revving, a 12.5:1 compression ratio, and direct injection. The torque numbers are pretty darn high for a normally aspirated of this size, thanks to direct injection and the high compression. Ferrari pointed out that out of the 570 total horses, 5 are gained only at higher speeds thanks to a ram air effect.

Ferrari 458 Italia

Power goes to the rear wheels via a new 7-speed dual clutch F1 gearbox (no mention of a stick shift so far?). This combination of a V8, a twin clutch, and a dry weight of 1,380kg takes the car up to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, and the top speed is set at over 325km/h. For those who even bother, fuel consumption is 13.7 litres per 100km on a combined cycle and Ferrari says this is the best in its segment.

See the triple exhaust setup at the rear? It wasn’t mentioned in the press release but apparently it is said that they work in stages, with all three pipes only working from mid-rev onwards. I’m still looking for more confirmation on this.

Ferrari 458 Italia

Do I like it? No. I mean, it’s not ugly but it won’t win any beauty contests for sure. I’m sure it will be an object of lust and attention in the metal but I’m seriously not digging the overly cab forward design of this new car. It takes after the Enzo too much but ends up looking like a Pagani Zonda from the sides.

I’m not sure if the decision to make the car look overly futuristic was influenced by the fact that many are falling for Lamborghini’s cleaner, simpler, straighter and futuristic fighter jet design cues. The new 458 somehow seems to lack the class that a Ferrari is supposed to have.

Ferrari says the car’s styling is heavily influenced by aerodynamic needs. The nose features small aeroelastic winglets which help generate downforce and contributes to the 140kg of downforce generated at 200km/h.

Look after the jump for a few more photos of the new 458 Italia, and watch a teaser video of the 458 Italia accelerating from a stand-still – however it looks like, the sound and performance of that V8 overshines it all!
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