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Peugeot Hoggar reminds us of the Proton Arena!

March 13, 2010 at 6:04 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Peugeot

Remember Proton’s Wira based Arena “pick-up truck”? I still see some pasar malam traders putting the Arena to good use and it has carved out a niche for itself in Australia, where it’s called Jumbuck. Here’s one car with a similar concept from Peugeot, and it’s called the Hoggar.

The Hoggar is made for the South American market, and is based on the domestic 207. However, the 207 in question is not the same car that competes in Europe’s supermini class, but a 206 with a changed cabin and redesigned to look like the “big mouthed” 207. The Hoggar has a payload of about 742 kg.

Peugeot’s small pick-up will be launched in Brazil in May and will come with two engine options: a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre, both with flex-fuel technology. Flex-fuel cars can run on gasoline, ethanol or a mixture of the two. In Brazil, ethanol made mostly from sugar cane makes up 25% of the E25 fuel that’s sold in pumps. By the way, what happened to Malaysia’s biodiesel plans? Anybody in the know?

Rear shot and larger images after the jump.
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Ford Fiesta in M’sia – preliminary specs unveiled!

March 12, 2010 at 6:38 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, Local News

Ford Fiesta

If you’ve not seen Ford’s B-segment contender in the metal before, a nice red-coloured hatchback body example is currently on display in Blue Concourse, Sunway Pyramid new wing this weekend starting from today. Sime Darby Auto ConneXion has also unveiled the preliminary specifications for the Fiesta 1.6 litre Sport model:

  • 1.6 litre Ti-VCT engine producing 120 PS at 6,500rpm and 152Nm of torque at 4,500rpm.
  • 6-speed automatic Ford Powershift twin clutch transmission
  • Dual SRS airbags
  • Electronic Stability Programme with Traction Control (ESP)
  • ABS brakes with EBD
  • Sports suspension
  • 16 inch alloy wheels
  • Foglamps, rear spoiler, both sedan and hatchback bodies
  • Electric Power Steering
  • Audio system with USB connectivity
  • Fabric seats

The specs list sounds really impressive, as most B-segment cars don’t even have ESP stability control as an option worldwide! The Fiesta’s available option list has benefited from it being a mainstream player in Europe, where safety features such as a good amount of airbags as well as stability control are a must have to gain public acceptance. But in the end it’s up to the Sime Darby product planners to tick the relevant boxes and it looks like they did! It’s very good to hear that finally a mainstream B-segment vehicle will be available here with ESP.

The preview leaflet that’s being handed out during the Fiesta preview at Sunway Pyramid (you can find a copy after the jump) also indicates the availabiity of a 1.4 litre Duratec with a 5-speed manual, but no specs available for that model. What I’m most curious about is how much the new Fiesta models will be priced at, and how will it compare both price and specifications wise with its ‘sibling’, the Mazda 2.

With the 6-speed Powershift twin clutch transmission, the Fiesta already has an edge over the Mazda 2 which makes do with a regular automatic transmission. The Fiesta’s engines are also larger and more powerful than the Mazda 2′s – we’re taking about a 1.4 and a 1.6 for the Fiesta versus a 1.3 and a 1.5 for the Mazda 2.

It’s definitely a very exciting year for the Ford brand in Malaysia, which will soon have a fresh and new line-up consisting of cars like this new Fiesta, both diesel-powered and regular petrol Focus, the Ford Mondeo and the Ford S-MAX MPV!
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US customers “come back” to Toyota in March

March 12, 2010 at 3:52 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

Toyota has built up a well earned reputation for quality and reliability over the years, and while the current recalls and safety issues it’s facing might have dented the rep, there remains many happy and loyal customers in the US who aren’t swayed by the vicious, political mileage seeking elected reps, media outlets that are always sniffing around for a good story and suspicious new cases of unstoppable cars cropping up at a fast rate.

Toyota sales for the first two months of 2010 has been understandably down (by 10% in February) but 0% financing, subsidised leases and free maintenance incentives introduced for March has proven to be effective. For the first eight days of this month, North American sales surged about 50%, the Associated Press reported. Analysts forecast a 30% bounce for the full month as initial excitement tapers off.

“Incentives work best in the early going, but they start to peter out as the month goes along,” Edmunds senior analyst Jessica Caldwell said. “That’s why it’s important for Toyota to find something else in the months ahead.”

George Magliano, director of North American auto research for IHS Global Insight in New York, said Toyota quickly attracted loyalists who had deferred buying until an incentive was offered. But the offers won’t help for long, he said. “This will boost sales a little bit, but it’s not going to continue beyond this month. They’re still wrestling with the recalls and new reports of problems.”

But when heads are down, any form of encouragement is valuable, and Toyota will be heartened by this development.

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VÄTH V58 – Crazy output for Merc’s baby roadster

March 12, 2010 at 2:40 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mercedes Benz

Have you heard of VÄTH before? I haven’t, but you’ll definately hear its latest creation when it zooms by. As if the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG’s 355 bhp and 510 Nm isn’t enough for such a small roadster, the Hösbach based tuner has enlarged the capacity of the V8 to 5.8-litres (hence the V58 name) and plonked in a supercharger! The end result is an insane 565 bhp and 770 Nm of torque.

Upgrades include sports pistons, sports distribution shafts, exhaust manifolds, high-grade steel catalysts, sports exhaust silencers, polished cylinder heads, a sports air filter and a long-stroke crankshaft. Together with ECU tuning, the V58′s new top speed is 310 km/h. At 30,785 euros, it’s not cheap though. A locking differential a “home-produced and patented” fuel cooler is optional.

This SLK sits on a user adjustable sports suspension which lowers the car from 20 mm to 65 mm, while the brake upgrade kit brings six-piston calipers with 378 mm discs. 19-inch wheels with 235/35 front tyres and 275/30 rears complete the package.

The exterior mods don’t look too over the top, although the removal of the big three pointed star leaves an empty round hole, and the LED strips sit uncomfortably near to the foglamps, looking very much like an afterthought. The V58′s lower body gets carbon add ons including a rear diffuser. Unsurprisingly, more carbon appears in the cabin.

More pictures after the jump.
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Mitsubishi joins recall party in the USA

March 12, 2010 at 1:54 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mitsubishi

Better safer than sorry. In the wake of safety issues affecting auto makers, with the most high profile one being Toyota, other manufacturers are not waiting for something to happen before issuing a recall. The latest to join the party is Mitsubishi, involving the 2004 Endeavor SUV and 2010 Galant sedan in the US market. These cars could have corrosion issues that can cause flammable fluids to leak. This recall affects about 56,113 Endeavors and 2,307 Galants across America.

For the SUV, the issue is salt, road salt used to “de-ice” roads in winter to be precise. The road salt, when mixed with other debris, can become trapped between the Endeavor’s fuel filler pipe and reinforcing bracket, leading to possible corrosion and a fuel leak.

For the Galant, the oil cooler pipe for the automatic gearbox on some vehicles may have insufficient corrosion-preventing plating. Rust can lead to a hole where ATF fluid can leak out. The recall exercise starts in March for the Galant and July for the Endeavor, and will not cost owners a cent, of course.

Local owners need not demand Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia to explain – both models aren’t sold here and while we have plenty of potholes, our roads are not full of salt.

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Jarno Trulli: It’s not satisfying being 4 seconds off!

March 12, 2010 at 11:10 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Lotus

I was browsing through the papers when I stumbled on an article about the return of the Formula 1 season in yesterday’s business section of The Star (12 March). In the piece, the writer expressed his hopes that Malaysian owned Lotus Racing “may just spoil it for the big boys”. He also mentioned “podium finish” and “national anthem” in the following paragraph. Well, let’s hope that Malaysians tuning in this weekend won’t have the same expectations, because they will be sorely disappointed. Take this not from us, but Lotus T127 pilot Jarno Trulli.

The Italian, in an interview with Autosport, shared about the ups, downs and burdens driving for Lotus. When asked if there’s any possible strategic move to get ahead of the established teams given the lack of outright pace, Trulli answered: “No. We will be four seconds off the top, and we will be three seconds off the last car from the top group which is too much. The aim is to finish the race with both cars and to get experience.”

When quizzed whether Lotus is “expecting” to finish the race or merely “hoping” to do so, he chose the former. “We are expecting to finish the race. But in Formula 1 even top teams can stop because of little gremlins and a team like ours has more chance to stop especially as at the moment we haven’t had the chance to design every little bit on the car. This is our biggest issue. We are looking to change it, but at the moment the team is not running fully in every area. We are working on many things, but we have to take things step by step”.

The ex-Toyota driver also gave insight on the differences between driving for an established team and a start up, explaining that he’s happy with the high level of driver influence on the technical direction of the car as opposed to merely turning up to drive. “I jump in the car, say this is right, this is wrong and then in one day we gain a second. It is kind of satisfying to work in this way, even though it is not satisfying being four seconds off”.

I enjoyed reading the interview as Trulli came off as honest, as opposed to merely repeating the official PR script. Read it in full by heading to the source link below!

Source

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Perodua steps up purchase of local parts, Myvi to undergo another facelift this year?

March 12, 2010 at 3:38 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua

Perodua aims to increase its purchase of local parts to RM4 billion this year, as the market leader anticipates higher sales for 2010. The company purchased RM3 billion worth of parts in 2008 and 2009. More than 130 local vendors and suppliers will benefit from this development, revealed Perodua chairman, Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin. “We are projecting sales of 176,000 units this year from 166,700 units in 2009,” he said.

Bernama reports that the Rawang based company has invested RM97 million on facilities for R&D and more than RM1.5 billion on model development over the past 13 years. It added that Perodua’s strategic partnership with Daihatsu has allowed the local firm to tap into the “technologically advanced facilities and manpower expertise of Daihatsu”.

Perodua also has plans to expand across ASEAN. “Thailand offers huge opportunity while we plan to increase current exports to Singapore and Brunei,” Asmat said. Besides those nations, other export markets include United Kingdom, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Fiji. Perodua also exported components worth RM27.3 million to Japan, Indonesia and Pakistan last year.

At the same press conference held in conjunction with the visit of Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir to its plant, MD of Perodua, Aminar Rashid Salleh was quoted as saying that “the Myvi will undergo a facelift this year”. Another facelift? The current Myvi was refreshed back in August 2008, three years after Perodua launched the car in Malaysia. Perhaps the boss was trying to mean a “new Myvi” based on the second-generation Toyota Passo that made its domestic debut last month? That seems more likely, but we’ll see!

Source

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Geely secures financing for Volvo purchase, scouting for Chinese production base

March 12, 2010 at 1:57 am By Danny Tan Filed Under China, Geely, Volvo

Chinese automaker Geely has managed to find USD 2.1 billion worth of financing and will seal an agreement with Ford for the acquisition of Volvo Car Corporation by the end of this month, according to reports. The capital was raised from unidentified financial institutions and local governments.

An AFP report said that Geely does not plan to move Volvo production of to China. Trade unions in Sweden are fearing job cuts at Volvo Cars, which has 16,000 staff on its payroll in the high cost Scandinavian country and 8,000 more across the globe.

At the same time, news sources from Hong Kong (where Geely is listed) say that the Hangzhou based company is selecting locations in China for Volvo production, with Beijing and Tianjin vying for the project. The reports add that Geely will set up a plant in China with a production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles annually, nearly doubling Volvo’s global output. This move is aimed to steer Volvo into profitability before 2011 through China’s lower manufacturing and labour costs. If this plan works, the fears of the well paid fatihfuls back in Gothenburg is very likely to turn into reality.

Source

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Two Brothers JUICE BOX™ Fuel Controller for Honda CBR1000 RR from Naza

March 12, 2010 at 12:10 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Bikes, Naza Bikes

Naza is now offering the Two Brothers Racing Kit for the Honda CBR1000 RR, which includes a Carbon Fibre exhaust system and a JUICE BOX™ Fuel Controller.

The fuel controller allows you to fiddle around with your CBR1000 RR’s fuel injection system. Consisting of integrated buttons and an LED display, it uses carburetor tuning logic for easy to understand fuel adjustments.

The control unit plugs are directly linked into the OEM wiring harness between the stock ECU and fuel injectors providing precise control of the engine’s fuel management system.

The system allows addition of fuel required with engine modifications without upsetting the stock fuel map. Everything can be done on the controller itself without external additional programming computers.

As for the exhaust system, that itself is said to provide a 2 horsepower increase – dyno-tested. The kit consisting of these two items are valued at RM3,564 but are part of the package when you buy a CBR1000 RR from Naza.

The CBR1000 RR that are fitted with these Two Brothers Racing exhaust system is differentiated with its colours of maroon and yellow.  

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Mitsubishi’s Ralliart division winds down operations

March 11, 2010 at 4:10 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under International News, Mitsubishi, Motorsports

Mitsubishi’s Ralliart is one of the more famous performance divisions, thanks to the brand’s rally winning exploits and the Lancer Evolution series’ cult following.

So it’s sad news to hear that Ralliart is the latest to succumb to the changed environment the automotive world had to face ever since the global financial crisis hit. It is winding down operations.

Mitsubishi’s quit the WRC in 2005, and more recently abandoned its Dakar Rally exploits last year, including all rally raid events. Mitsubishi is the most successful manufacturer in the Dakar, with 12 wins in 26 appearances, including a record seven back-to-back victories from 2001 to 2007. With this latest development, Ralliart will no longer lend support to motorsport customers and privateers. Also put to a stop is the planning, development and selling of Ralliart products.

“The business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc, would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010,” according to Ralliart Inc’s president Masao Taguchi, in a “farewell letter” to customers, which you can read for yourself after the jump.
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