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More issues crop up with North American Toyotas

February 11, 2010 at 1:28 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

Toyota’s recall drama continues with potential problems with both the popular North American Camry and Corolla models. Toyota reported this week that early 2010 model year Camrys with 4-cylinder engines (2.4L model in North America) could have a power steering pressure hose of an inappropriate length. If this condition exists, a crimp on the power steering pressure hose may come in contact with the No. 7 front brake tube.

This could eventually wear a hole in the brake tube. You can probably guess what happens next – all the brake fluid leaks out and this will lead to the brakes being unassisted. You will probably still be able to brake if you slam it hard enough but since it is unassisted, stopping distances will increase significantly. Toyota reports a total of 7,300 units of 4-cylinder Toyota Camrys are affected. The recall inspection and fix will involve a Toyota dealer inspecting and if necessary adjusting the space between the brake tube and the power steering pressure hose crimp.  Based upon the inspection results, the dealership may need to replace the brake tube, at no cost to the customer.

The next issue is with the Toyota Corolla and it sounds like quite a bad experience for drivers with affected Corollas. The NHTSA has receiver over 80 complaints about the 2009-2010 model year Toyota Corolla, citing steering issues. Affected cars are apparently hard to keep inside a lane without wandering around unexpectedly. Some users have described the effect to be similiar to aquaplaning, where your steering just veers left or right by itself. Others have compared it to driving on black ice. The driver has to really use their arms to keep the vehicle straight, and this can get tiring.

The NHTSA will be investigating these complaints and if necessary we might just end up seeing yet another Toyota recall announcement. Toyota spokesperson Ed Lewis says “we have not received any official communication regarding an evaluation of Corolla. We will cooperate, of course, with any inquiry the agency has.”

I don’t really expect Malaysian Toyotas to exhibit any of these issues as we have different suppliers and our cars are right hand drive (American cars are left hand drive), which means the steering rack, hoses, and etc would probably be installed quite differently in the engine bay.

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Audi A1 premium compact car unveiled – Geneva debut on schedule!

February 10, 2010 at 6:01 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, International News

After months of releasing teaser by teaser, Audi has finally unveiled the production Audi A1 in full on the internet. For those who want to see the car in real space, it’ll be shown to public in the metal for the first time at the Geneva show at the end of this month. A baseline price has been revealed – about 16,000 Euros will be the minimum price you’ll have to fork out for this compact.

Audi claims the A1 is the first in the premium compact segment – and that’s some pretty strong words to say. Is he saying that Mercedes-Benz’s smart and BMW’s MINI brands are not premium enough? MINIs definitely have premium pricetags here in Malaysia, or is he saying that the A1 has far superior materials compared to the MINI? We’ll only find out if we get to see an actual production car.

According to the press release, customers can customize various features to their own personal tastes. Among the selections that an owner can make include colored air nozzles, LED interior lights, different colours for the roof arch and various colours for the seat covers. Audi also says the A1 offers the best audio system options in its segment – you are able to specify stuff like MMI navigation plus and even a 465 watt Bose surround sound system.

The A1 will debut with two petrol engines and two diesel engines. The petrol engines make either 86 horses and 122 horses, so they aren’t exactly going to be any threat to the Cooper S or JCW models from BMW, but that could be reserved for a model like an “S1″ or an “RS1″? The diesels are both 1.6 litre TDIs in different states of tune – 90hp and 106hp. The car comes standard with a manual but can optionally be equipped with a 7-speed Audi S-Tronic (DSG) dual clutch transmission.

Look after the jump for a full 23 page press release chock full of details as well as high res photos and a video. The video shows a German bloke explaining the design features of the A1.
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Honda M’sia cars not affected by airbag recall

February 10, 2010 at 3:58 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Local News

Wow, is this recall month or what? After the power window recall which by the way does affect some models in Malaysia, Honda is now recalling certain vehicles produced in 2001 and 2002 for a defect in the driver’s SRS airbag. Honda Malaysia has quickly issued a press statement clarifying that the airbag recall does not affect any Honda Malaysia cars.

Here’s the problem, and it’s a long story indeed. Some of the inflator propellant (the gas used to inflate the airbag) located inside the inflator of the driver’s SRS airbag was defective. As a result, when the driver’s airbag is deployed in the event of an accident, there is a possibility that an abrupt increase in the inflator’s internal pressure may rupture the casing of the inflator and cause fragments of airbag parts to scatter possibly causing injury to vehicle occupants.

Honda has identified the cause of the problem to be excessive moisture intake by the inflator propellant within the inflator. This was back in 2008 and Honda has already issued a recall for over 4,000 units in US and Canada. However further analysis revealed that there were additional incidents involving vehicles outside of the range of the original recall. Thus Honda issued a second recall on the 29th of July 2009. Units affected in the second recall are just over half a million units, including 1,532 units in Japan and over 15,000 other cars outside Japan, US and Canada.

But that’s not all – it was later identified that there is a possibility that the defect occurs when the stamping pressure during the production of the inflator propellant is not high enough. Honda concluded that adequate stamping pressure management was not performed for production of the inflator propellant using a certain stamping machine was the cause of the problem. So Honda decided to expand the recall to include all vehicles using compressed inflator propellant produced with this particular equipment. This affects a further 437,763 units.

The models affected are the Accord, Civic, Acura TL, Cr-V, Odyssey, Pilot, JDM Honda Inspire, JDM Honda Saber, and JDM Honda Lagreat. Now, even though there are no Honda Malaysia cars affected, I am pretty sure there could be a few Honda Lagreat MPVs running around Malaysia, brought in by grey importers. These owners should take note.

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New Volvo S60 revealed ahead of Geneva

February 10, 2010 at 3:12 am By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Cars, Volvo

Used to seeing concepts watered down for production, we’re happy to see Volvo sticking to their guns for the new S60. The production version of Volvo’s mid-sized exec, revealed here ahead of its Geneva debut, looks remarkably similar to the S60 Concept the Swedish brand wheeled out at the 2009 Detroit show.

Among the distinctive cues carried over is the XC60 style front end, the wavy signature line on its profile and those inverted L-shaped taillamps, but the basic shape is recognisable as an S60. Volvo says that “the sculpted hood and the short overhangs front and rear also emphasize the sports-car feel.” We’re not sure about the “sports-car feel” but this S60 does have presence. It has grown is size too; longer, wider and with a longer wheelbase, but is less than 45kg heavier than the current car.

Engine choices include a twin-scroll turbo 3.0-litre inline-six with 300 bhp and 440 Nm. Paired to a new six-speed auto (faster shifts) and Haldex AWD, this S60 T6 does 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 6.5 seconds. Of course following the common trend of ‘engine downsizing’, there will be a new 2.0-litre GDTi engine, which is good for 203 bhp and 300 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm.

Three suspension setups will be available: Base, Dynamic and Four-C Adaptive. The optional Dynamic uses stiffer springs and bushings, retuned dampers and thicker piston rods, while Four-C adaptive damping aims to provide the best of all worlds.

On the safety front, Advanced Stability Control employs a new roll angle sensor to identify any skidding tendency at a very early stage. Also debuting is Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, which can detect pedestrians who walk into the road in front of the S60, warn the driver, before automatically apply full braking power if he/she does not respond in time. This system works at speeds up to 35 km/h. This is a development of City Safety, which works the same way, but for vehicles.

Full hi-res gallery after the jump.
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UMW Toyota to fix Prius ABS software issue

February 10, 2010 at 12:16 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

Toyota Prius

The second wave of Toyota’s problems – this time focused on the Prius – began when Steve Wozniak claimed his 2010 Toyota Prius could unintentionally accelerate to about 97mph (156km/h) whenever he uses cruise control to increase his speed. He claims that he knows exactly what to do to duplicate the problem and can do it anytime.

And since in cruise control you don’t touch the pedal, it seems doubtful that it is a pedal issue. But thankfully for Steve, braking to cancel the cruise control system continues to work so it’s easy to stop. Toyota has offered to take Wozniak’s car in for a week to diagnose the problem.

Soon after that, it was reported that over 100 Prius drivers in the US and Japan have reported problems with brakes on the model. The numbers come to about 100 in US and 14 in Japan. The brakes on the Prius is a rather complicated thing – the car has to manage between actual braking using the disc brakes and braking with brake energy regeneration used to charge the batteries. 3 drivers even claim that brake issues have resulted in crashes.

Toyota Prius Interior

The response to the Prius issues have been far quicker than the accelerator pedal issue. Toyota has announced a recall and pinpointed a problem in the software that controls the ABS system in the Prius. Apparently reprogramming the ABS system will solve the problem. But there still hasn’t been anything so far about the cruise control issue that Steve Wozniak brought up.

UMW Toyota Motor just announced yesterday that it will be calling in the Prius to perform the necessary corrective measures. There are currently 60 of the affected third generation Toyota Prius in Malaysia right now roaming our roads. UMW Toyota Motor president Kuah Kock Heng says UMW Toyota technicians are currently undergoing training on how to carry out the necessary corrective measures, and they will contact Prius owners beginning this Friday – the 12th of February.

He also added that undelivered new units of the Toyota Prius will also roll out of the showrooms with the fix already applied. Look after the jump for UMW Toyota’s press release republished in verbatim.
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Porsche releases 4 videos of the 911 Turbo S

February 9, 2010 at 5:33 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Porsche, Videos

Porsche has released a collection of 4 videos to promote the new Porsche 911 Turbo S, set to make its public debut at the Geneva show later this month. The videos are quite interesting as they give a visual walkthrough of the technologies found in the Turbo S – we get to see cutaway animations of how various technologies work such as the dynamic engine mounts. A must watch for the Porsche-loving geek. Check them out after the jump.
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VW to develop its own electric drivelines

February 9, 2010 at 4:41 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Volkswagen

It looks like GM is not the only company that has decided that for mainstream electric cars to be a viable business in the future, it has to build its motors on its own. Volkswagen has also announced similiar intentions – its components group will be the system supplier for electric drive technology for the whole group. The aim is so that it can build up a competitive advantage as well as safeguard expertise. Right now, Volkswagen has joint R&D projects with Sanyo, Toshiba and BYD. Volkswagen’s electric powertrains will be built at the group’s Salzgitter plant in Germany, which currently employs over 6,000 workers. The Salzgitter plant currently manufactures engines. Volkswagen’s components arm also intends to be the supplier for an EV version of the Volkswagen up! from 2013. The first Up! will be launched next year, but will be powered by a regular combustion engine.

Source

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Renault to establish new Indian distribution alone

February 9, 2010 at 3:39 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, India, International News, Renault

Renault Fluence
Renault Fluence – a sedan version of the Megane

New entries in the price sensitive and Suzuki-dominated Indian market more often meet failure than success but it doesn’t mean if you fail once you must give up. Renault will go solo in in its second attempt to make some good headway in the Indian market, after a JV with Mahindra to sell its sole offering the Renault Logan failed to make any significant headway. Earlier this year, the 51:49 Mahindra Renault JV announced that it would be restructuring its operations, after reporting a loss of 4.9 billion Rupees in the 08/09 financial year.

“Today we would like to reaffirm our intention to be a long term player in India, by announcing our plans to set up an exclusive Distribution Network for Renault cars that will be introduced in the Indian market. We will create an extensive nationwide distribution network in the next 30 months, to ensure our customers are assured of seamless service,” said Marc Nassif, Country GM and MD of Renault India.

Renault will be launching a few new cars in India in the next 2 years, and is set to offer a “full range” within 4 years. The Logan will probably continue to be sold by the Mahindra JV. The first “Mahindra-free” cars to be launched are the Renault Fluence (lowered-cost Megane sedan shown above) and the Renault Koleos, both of which will be available in 2011. They will be produced at a Chennai facility shared with Nissan. Naturally, a small car to compete with the likes of the Hyundai i10 is in the works.

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New Proton Sedan on the way this year?

February 9, 2010 at 12:02 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Proton SedanApparently there is an internal naming contest being held where Proton and Proton subsidiary employees can take part to name a new Proton sedan. The main prize winner will get RM10,000 cash, a GPS navigation unit, a special invite to the new Proton Sedan launch and 2 passes to the KLIMS 2010.

The two passes to this year’s KLIMS motorshow (3rd to 12th December 2010) may indicate that this is a model that’ll be launched this year – are we looking at the new Waja replacement which is rumoured to be based on a Mitsubishi Lancer, or something else? The contest will run from the 10th and ends on the 25th this month. You can click the thumbnail image on the left to view the full contest poster.

A little bird has indicated that Proton will probably take a small media group to the Geneva show (end February to March) this year, so there could be something of importance being unveiled there. Remember Azlan Othman’s tweet about Proton unveiling a new design direction this year?

Source: funtasticko & Ad

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Porsche 911 Turbo S to debut at Geneva

February 8, 2010 at 9:42 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Porsche

If you want something more than a 911 Turbo, insist on turbocharged power and don’t want to go the full way to get the expensive and hardcore GT2, here’s somewhat of a middle ground for you – the Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Power for the 911 Turbo S is up by 30 horses compared to the Turbo, so it now puts out 530 horses and a peak torque of 700Nm. There’s only one transmission available – the 7-speed Porsche PDK twin clutch transmission, which puts down power to all four wheels via the Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive system.

The Turbo S comes standard with fade-resistant Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), Dynamic Bending Lights, 19-inch wheels in RS Spyder design with central locking, a three-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles, adaptive sports seats, cruise control, a CD-DVD changer and an exclusive twin-tone leather upholstery in Black with Crema or Black with Titanium Blue.

Yours for Euro 173,241 including 19 per cent VAT in Germany for the coupe and 184,546 Euro including VAT for the cabrio. Look after the jump for a few very hi-res photos – they’re a few MB each! There’s also a video if you’re interested.
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