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Auto Guangzhou: New MG3 is neatly styled inside and out

December 27, 2010 at 11:16 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Nanjing MG

Here’s another debutant at the ongoing Auto Guangzhou 2010, the MG3. Although the MG brand is now in Chinese hands, they are keen to promote the British links and heritage of the marque, which was obvious from the constant presence of Union Jacks around the stand. SAIC even brought in classic MGs for the show.

The MG3 is a B-segment supermini that’s rather neatly styled and proportioned. At 3,999 mm long, 1,728 mm wide and 1,517 mm tall, it’s about the size of a Ford Fiesta, but slightly larger in all directions. The 2,520 mm wheelbase is also very long for its class. The black roof isn’t very original but there are some neat details such as headlamp bulbs with MG logos, like the Mk4 VW Polo. The long rear lamps are a bit like the Volvo XC60′s.

The interior is quite pleasant as well. While plastics are hard, the dash design is cool in a minimalist way, and there are some iPod influences in the white trim and stereo controls. If you’re wondering what’s in the dash top cubby, it’s a mount for a portable GPS unit. The two-tone black-beige theme also works for me, and it’s quite spacious at the back, too.

There’s not much info on what’s underneath, save for the option of a 92 hp 1.3L engine and a 108 hp 1.5L unit. The show car has an AMT gearbox. The MG3 will be launched locally in March 2011.

Full live gallery after the jump.
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Auto Guangzhou: FAW Senya S80 SUV is a “CrossAvanza”

December 27, 2010 at 9:16 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Toyota

This is the Senya S80 by Chinese auto maker First Automobile Works. FAW is one of the biggest auto companies in China, having joint ventures with the likes of Volkswagen, General Motors and Toyota. Subsidiary FAW-Jilin was a JV with Daihatsu, which recently pulled out of the marriage. FAW not only retained the factory, but the Daihatsu Xenia as well, which we know as the Toyota Avanza.

Marketed as an SUV, not an MPV, the Senya S80 wears 4X4 style black cladding on the lower half of its body, along with sliver “stone guards” at both ends. The grille, headlamps (projector units with LED signals) and taillamps are also different from the Avanza. The resulting look could be pretty much like how a “Cross Avanza” would look like if there’s ever such a thing. Could be an inspiration for Avanza owners who want to try out the “4X4 look”.

Inside, there’s leather on the seats and steering with red stitching plus a 2-DIN touch screen head unit. The S80 can be had with the same 92 PS K3-VE 1.3L and 109 PS 3SZ-VE 1.5L engines as per the Avanza.

More live images after the jump.
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Grey Suzuki Kizashi sedan spotted at JPJ Putrajaya

December 26, 2010 at 3:01 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Spyshots, Suzuki

A few readers have spotted a Suzuki Kizashi in one of my favorite shades of grey at the JPJ complex in Putrajaya in the last week. Usually when we see a yet to be launched car there it could only mean that it is being homologated for a launch soon, so perhaps this will be Suzuki Malaysia Automobile’s big launch in 2011.

The Suzuki Kizashi is Suzuki’s foray into a market that is quite foreign to the company which usually makes small compact cars. The Kizashi competes with D-segment vehicles in the US, but it has a rather short-ish wheelbase of 2,700mm that only matches the C-segment Civic and Sylphy, making it one of the shortest wheelbase D-segment cars, 25mm shorter than the Mazda 6′s 2,725mm wheelbase and a good 99mm shorter than the Honda Accord’s 2,799mm.

As a result, the Kizashi’s looks end up being slightly on the stout side of things, but this is matched with a front and rear end that have strong designs – check out the shape of that bootlid! Only one engine is available overseas for now – a 2.4 litre DOHC with 185 horsepower and 230Nm of torque mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT transmission with steering wheel paddle shifters. There’s even an option for all wheel drive.

I’m very curious – how will the Kizashi be priced here in Malaysia? Look after the jump for a gallery of the spyshots as well as an official production photo gallery of the Suzuki Kizashi.

Thanks power apexg2 and Akmal Azmi for the shots!
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Great Wall Motors ASEAN CKD plans include Malaysia?

December 24, 2010 at 11:51 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, China, Great Wall


Great Wall Coolbear

Various sources on the internet point to Great Wall Motor Co having an assembly plant here in Malaysia. It seems that Malaysia has been identified as one of the countries where the Chinese carmaker wants to set up a plant, together with Vietnam and Philippines.


Great Wall Wingle

These three countries will make passenger cars, while separate Great Wall Motor Co plants in Indonesia and Thailand will make pick-up up trucks such as the Great Wall Wingle. Given that they want plants in so many countries, they’ll most likely be in partnership with local partners.


Great Wall Hover

Earlier this year we heard news of the government receiving applications from five foreign carmakers to setup assembly plants here in Malaysia. The government did not reveal which companies these were, only saying that they were European and Asian companies, which is really quite general.


Great Wall Voleex C30

Great Wall could most likely be one of the 5 companies, and MITI had better give the green light fast because although we’ve seen Great Wall cars on test in Malaysia before, the Chinese company is already selling cars in the Philippines and has already identified that it will work with local dealer Philippine National Motor to setup a plant there with an annual capacity of 10,000 units. Great Wall also already has CKD plants in Vietnam in partnership with the locals.


Great Wall Cowry

Models that Great Wall Motor seem to be focusing on exporting are the Florid, the Peri, the Wingle, the Cowry, the Coolbear and the Hover SUV. They also have the Voleex C30 and Voleex C70 sedans. The Hover SUV was recently granted a 4 star score in the Australian NCAP crash test. The only model that we’ve seen on test in Malaysia before is the Wingle.


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Mitsubishi to rebadge Suzuki SOLIO for JDM market

December 24, 2010 at 6:35 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mitsubishi, Suzuki

Suzuki and Mitsubishi have inked an agreement today on Christmas eve for the OEM supply of Suzuki’s SOLIO compact MPV for Mitsubishi to rebadge for the Japanese domestic market. Suzuki will supply Mitsubishi about 800 units of the Suzuki SOLIO a month.

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How you can personalise your Fiesta – with tattoo art!

December 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

fiesta art 1

There’s no doubt that tattoos can – most times and if done well – help turn a body into art, but away from flesh, they can also dress up something like a car and make it into a fashion statement. Over in the US, Ford is taking the trend one step further by offering car buyers a quick and inexpensive way to express themselves with tattoos for a range of its models.

Ford Custom Graphics is offering a personalisation program in the form of vinyl wrap car tats; from geometric patterns and racing stripes to whimsical imagery like splashes and swirls, with more than 200 patterns to choose from, it’s a way to make your Ford stand out in the crowd, if you so choose to do so.

fiesta art 2

Or rather, not. The company says that while the one-size-fits-all model isn’t really relevant to today’s consumers, it’s not necessarily a desire to stand out from the crowd. It’s more of a desire not to be lost in the masses, given that people are personalising everything – cell phones, computers and clothing – these days, and it’s no different with automobiles.

All the tattoos are made with 3M Scotchprint Personalised Vehicle Graphic Film, plus a clear graphic protection layer, and are professionally installed at Ford dealerships and include a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty. Original Wraps developed the tattoos and the website for Ford, and the company says that tattoos offer customers the look of custom paint at half the cost.

Custom Graphics are currently available for the Ford Mustang, F-150, Explorer and Fiesta. Because orders are processed at individual dealerships throughout the country, there is no way to track how many tattoos have been sold, but consumer response to the site has been strong with an average of 15,000 unique hits per month. As for Focus graphics, they’re expected to be online in mid-January.

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Kia KV7 Concept gullwing crossover to debut at NAIAS

December 24, 2010 at 1:54 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, International News, Kia, Koreans

kia kv7
Click to enlarge

Here’s a slightly different take on a crossover, then. Kia has released a teaser sketch of its KV7 Concept, which will make its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

The company has tagged it as a convention-challenging concept, and certainly, those rear gullwing doors do capture the attention in a big way. The vehicle’s lines are reminiscent of the Soul’s, and it does look like a – rather – stretched version of the latter.

Lots to swivel about too inside the B-pillarless design, and it looks like every seat in the house can do the about turn. Well, hopefully the driver’s won’t be able to when the vehicle is on the move! No other details have been released, so it’s that wait till Jan then.

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Hyundai completes development of its ix35 hydrogen FCEV

December 24, 2010 at 1:09 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Hyundai, International News, Koreans

hyundai ix35 fcev

Hyundai has completed the development of its third-generation ix35 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), and the vehicle will begin in-service testing next year in limited numbers, working towards a market debut in 2015.

The FCEV version of the ix35 (known as the Tucson here) is equipped with a 100 kW fuel cell system and two hydrogen storage tanks rated at 700bar, and offers a range of 650 km on a single charge, as well as a maximum speed of 160 kph.

Both the fuel cell stack and drive system’s output rating of the ix35 are identical to the previous generation Tucson FCEV, but the ix35 features a 21 kW battery for its energy storage system compared to the earlier 100 kW super capacity unit in the second-gen Tucson FCEV, which also had half the hydrogen capacity at 350bar.

The company says that the overall volume of the fuel cell system has been downsized by 20% compared to the previous system, via modularisation of bulky parts in the fuel cell system, including the fuel cell stack, balance of plant (BOP), inverter and the high voltage junction box.

Most impressively, the ix35′s working range is a 76% improvement over the previous offering, which had a 370 km range on one charge. In other numerical terms, the ix35 FCEV has a petrol equivalent fuel efficiency of 31 km per litre, a 15% improvement over the old one’s 27 km/l.

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Auto Guangzhou: Hyundai Verna hatch is for China only

December 24, 2010 at 12:46 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, China, Hyundai, International News, Koreans

The new Hyundai Verna (Accent to us) made its world debut at the Beijing show back in April, and now it’s Guangzhou’s turn to host the premiere of the hatchback version of the Verna. Hyundai says that this five-door hatch is exclusively for the Chinese market, although we don’t see why shouldn’t they sell it elsewhere too.

To go on sale in January, this Beijing built Verna is powered by 1.4 and 1.6-litre Gamma CVVT engines. The 1.4 delivers 108 PS and 135 Nm while the bigger unit produces 124 PS and 155 Nm. Chinese customers get to choose from a five-speed manual or four-speed auto. There’s a “fuel economy package” for the base engine that extends fuel economy to 16.1 km/l. This package includes a tweaked CVVT system, smart alternator/air con compressor plus motor-driven power steering.

Looking a lot like a smaller and sportier i30, the Verna hatch is shorter than the sedan by 255 mm at 4,085 mm. The wheelbase of 2,570 mm is of course unchanged, and is shorter than the C-segment i30 by 80 mm. As a recap, click here for a gallery of the sedan – notice that the hatch’s grille does without the chrome strip on the top and has a single bar, not two. The dashboard is unchanged.

Live gallery from Guangzhou and official pics after the jump. Like what you see?
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W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class gets big facelift for 2011

December 24, 2010 at 12:22 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mercedes Benz

The W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class facelift comes right on schedule, roughly mid-way through its typical 7 year lifecycle that started in early 2007. Visitors to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show next year will be able to catch the new W204 facelift for the first time in metal at the show grounds but for the rest of us, these photos will have to be suffice until Mercedes-Benz Malaysia launches the update.

The front end features an updated design including restyled headlamps, hood, and bumpers. The front end looks quite aggressive especially in the darker colours as a large amount of the front bumper has been dedicated to air intake grilles, which seem bigger vertically now as well.

The headlamps are not merely changes on the internal design – the whole shape is different and they’re now an L shape similar to those found on the SL-Class. Revisions on the tail end are not as drastic as before, but the tail lamps do get a new design and LED illumination to match the LED daytime running lights up front.


Top: new interior, Bottom: pre-facelift interior

The interior is completely different – the new C-Class gets a new dashboard that mimics that found in the W212 E-Class. The area that contains the COMAND screen now appears as an extension of the instrument cluster area, which is a very big change from the previous COMAND screen hidden behind an opening.

The multi-info display screen in the middle of the speedo is now of a higher resolution and features colour. Various buttons have also been rearranged and I’m liking the look of the new interior so far from the photos at least, much better than the pre-facelift.

There’s also much more area on the dash that Mercedes-Benz has now dedicated to showing off trim pieces, compared to the pre-facelift design which was quite bare especially in front of the passenger seat.

Look after the jump for a full hi-res gallery of the W204 facelift.
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