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Renault Koleos facelift to enter market later in the year

June 24, 2011 at 9:17 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Renault

Renault has announced that its facelifted Koleos will enter the market later in the year. The primary changes to the model, which was launched in 2008, are with exterior styling elements as well as with the interior trim.

The front end of the Koleos has been revised, with the air-intakes positioned either side of the Renault logo on the current model making way for an elegant chrome grille, and the vehicle also features new, slimmer headlights as well as LED indicators on the side mirrors.

The initial version’s distinctive rear-end styling continues on as is, though a new exterior colour called Cayenne Orange has been added to the shade lineup. Mechanically, the Nissan-derived all-wheel drive transmission soldiers on, as does the two-wheel drive option.

No changes too with the three powertrain choices available in the outgoing Koleos – the 150 hp and 175 hp versions of the 2.0 litre M9R diesel and 170 hp 2.5 litre TR25 petrol engines will be used in the facelift, though in the case of the diesels, work on the vehicle, engine and gearbox has resulted in appreciable reduction in CO2 emissions.

A selection of new upholsteries and trims have come about to enhance the interior, while the dashboard and instrument lighting have evolved too, with the introduction of a modern, more stylish speedometer housing and display.

The Koleos, which has made its way to 40 markets on five continents since it was launched, will continue to be made at the Renault Samsung Motors plant in Busan, South Korea. The vehicle was introduced in Malaysia last year.

Gallery after the jump.
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Lexus LS 600h L Landaulet – one-off wedding limo

June 24, 2011 at 8:11 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Lexus


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It’s definitely unique, this one, a Lexus LS 600h L with only half a roof. It’s called the Landaulet, and the one-off vehicle – reworked with a one-piece transparent polycarbonate roof fitment – is set to serve as Prince Albert II of Monaco and Carlene Wittstock’s official royal wedding car on July 2.

The conversion work was carried out by Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet, working closely with Lexus engineers based in Brussels. The project took more than 2,000 hours to complete, with a focus on maintaining the levels of quality and preserving the performance, safety and dynamic attributes of the original car.

Reinforcing the bodyshell required extensive use of honeycomb structures, with Kevlar and carbon fibre composite materials being utilised to achieve suitable chassis stiffness and torsional rigidity, following the removal of the roof and pillars.


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With composite parts needing to be cured at very high temperatures, and litreally having to be ‘cooked’ on to the bare chassis in a specially prepared oven in this case, much of the vehicle had to be dismantled – around 20,000 mechanical parts, electric component and interior features and upholstery were stripped out.

Re-assembly was carried out under close supervision of a Lexus engineering team to ensure consistency with original vehicle specifications and performance. Prior to re-assembly, the car was finished in an elegant Midnight Blue livery, applied by hand using several coats of a bespoke, water-based paint.

The transparent roof presented a challenge in both design – as a large, single piece with no reinforcements or pillars – and in manufacturing. To build it, Lexus sought cooperation with a French company that specialises in supplying similar components to the aerospace industry in the form of helicopter windscreens and fighter jet canopies.


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The roof is a single, lightweight polycarbonate shell that is 8 mm thick and weighs just 26 kg. Fixed to the body of the Lexus through two intermediary parts, it allows a perfect view in and out of the car.

A template was made in a honeycomb structure and carbon fibre to validate the roof’s shape and structural integrity and to ensure a perfect fit with tolerances of less than a millimetre. Once the design was complete, robotic tools were used to produce the canopy and fit it to the Landaulet in a completely automated process. The final stage of the conversion, re-assembly and finishing took a team of 10 specialists working with Lexus engineers more than two weeks to complete.

On the day of the wedding the LS 600h Landaulet will be used by the royal couple to tour the principality after the marriage ceremony, after which it will be displayed at the Media Centre and later, the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco.

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Honda Beat – successor to ’90s roadster announced

June 24, 2011 at 6:03 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Honda, International News

Honda is currently developing a vehicle set to be the successor to the Beat roadster from the 90s, according to reports. The company’s president, Takanobu Ito, revealed the development during a general shareholders meeting yesterday.

The new car, Ito said, will be as light and casual as the Beat. He also hinted on the possibility that the new offering will be based on the old two-seater roadster, though whether the upcoming design will feature a rear mid-engined configuration wasn’t disclosed. No timeline for its introduction was also given.

In production from May 1991 to February 1996, the Beat was equipped with a 63 hp 656 cc three-cylinder lump with a Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control system featuring individual throttle bodies for each of the cylinders. In the close to five years it was on sale, 33,600 examples of the car were built.

Honda showcased this Honda OSM Concept back in 2008. It’s one of the closest previews to a next generation Honda Beat I suppose!

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Audi A1 1.4 TFSI introduced in Malaysia – RM180k

June 24, 2011 at 1:55 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Audi, Cars, Local News

Euromobil has officially announced the arrival of the Audi A1 in Malaysia, and the car enters the market in a single variant form, this being the 1.4 TFSI, priced at RM179,900 on-the-road, without insurance.

The four-cylinder 1.4 litre direct injection turbocharged block offers 122 hp at 5,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque, available from 1,500-4,000 rpm – it’s mated to a 7-speed S-tronic transmission. Performance specs include a 0-100 kph time of 8.9 seconds and a 203 kph top speed. There’s a power difference compared to the 1.4 litre found in the Golf and Scirocco TSI; this is because the Audi uses the single turbo 1.4, not the twincharged 1.4.

Standard features include Xenon plus headlamps, LED rear lights, front and rear fog lamps, light and rain sensors as well as automatic air conditioning. Wearing an Ambition trim level, the car comes with front sports seats dressed in Herzklopfen cloth, aa leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel and aluminium-look interior trim.

Also on, a rear roof spoiler, side and rear windows in heat-insulating glass and 16-inch cast aluminium 10-spoke design wheels, wearing 215/45 series tyres. Safety kit includes six airbags and a host of ESP-based three-letter acronyms, these being ABS, EBD, ASR (traction control) and EDL, not forgetting brake assist.

Additionally, there’s a comprehensively equipped Audi Concert audio system, with a 6.5 inch TFT colour display, 6-CD changer, SDHC memory card reader/auxiliary input and Bluetooth, MP3, AAC and WMA compatibility to be found in the mix, complete with 10 speakers and a 180-watt six-channel amp.

Optional equipment for the A1 consists of pearl effect exterior colour (RM2,500), a panoramic roof (RM4,500), a 465-watt, 14 speaker Bose surround sound system (RM4,000) and a S line package (RM15,000).

The latter includes a S line sports suspension, 17-inch 5-double-spoke alloys with 215/40 rubbers and an interior, dashboard and headlining finished in black, with jet grey seams on the seat covers. The package also bags S line front/rear bumpers, side radiator grille and a rear diffuser insert, body coloured side sill strips and plenty of S line badging (front wings, door sill trim etc). among other things.

If you want to catch the car in the metal, you can do so at the A1 showcase at the Pavilion from today until this Sunday, June 26 – there’s a special A1 Hour happening from 5.15- 6.15pm, with a dance performance, games and giveaways to be had. Penangites can visit the similar showcase at Straits Quay, which also runs from today until Sunday.

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Suzuki to build new engine plant in Indonesia

June 24, 2011 at 12:48 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Suzuki

Suzuki has unveiled plans to construct an engine plant in Indonesia, which is set to be ready by March 2012, according to the Nikkei.

When operational, the facility – which is being built at its existing production base in West Java – will have a build capacity of 100,000 engines a year. It already makes 50,000 engines a year in Indonesia, but imports the rest from Japan to fulfill the demand from its local assembly operation, which produces the Swift, SX4 and APV minivan.

Local assembly output was 75,000 vehicles in fiscal 2010, but the Japanese automaker is set to increase its annual output to 100,000 units. The new plant will obviously help boost local procurement, lower production costs and improve efficiency. The total investment for the exercise will amount to 30 billion yen (RM1.13 billion)

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MINI John Cooper Works Coupé Endurance – all set to premiere at the 24 Hours Nürburgring

June 24, 2011 at 12:10 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News, Motorsports

Joining the fray at the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife this weekend will be a new offering from MINI – the John Cooper Works Coupé Endurance is set to make its world debut at the race.

The car is powered by a specially-tuned version of the series-production MINI JCW engine – the 1.6 litre direct injection, twin-scroll turbocharged mill, mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox with electronic differential lock, offers 250 hp and 330 Nm with overboost, with a top speed in excess of 240 kph.

The John Cooper Works Coupé Endurance will be equipped with an independent race suspension from KW Suspension, with adjustable compression and rebound and an adjustable front strut brace. Also featured is a JCW Aerodynamics Package, consisting of a front spoiler, rear diffuser and adjustable rear wing to generate downforce.

The 965 kg race car will wear 17-inch racing wheels from Borbet and 215/45 R17 slicks (or alternatively, 205/620 R17 wets) from Dunlop.

Other elements include a roll cage welded to the body and a sports bucket seat with a six-point safety harness, Recaro seat and a F1-style HANS (Head And Neck Support) system. There’s also a MINI Challenge braking system with Race ABS and a specially tuned DSC dynamic control system, likewise optimised for the race track.

Additionally, in the interests of safety – and rapid pit stops – the JCW Coupé Endurance is kitted out with an integrated pneumatic jack.

Gallery after the jump.
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New Hyundai Elantra to be launched in fourth quarter 2011

June 23, 2011 at 10:25 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Hyundai, Koreans, Local News

The new Hyundai Elantra will be coming to Malaysia this year, and the estimated time of arrival is the fourth quarter of 2011, possibly in October. While the C-segment sedan was first shown to the world in South Korea a year ago, it’s only now that the fifth-generation Elantra is ready to be launched in general markets – Hyundai factories producing the car have been running at full capacity plus overtime to cope with the huge demand.

Our sources hint at two engines being offered – a 1.6L Gamma engine (Dual CVVT) and the newer 1.8-litre “Nu” engine. Both units will be paired with Hyundai’s six-speed automatic transmission with manual override. The smaller of the two units puts out 130 PS and 157 Nm of torque, decent for an NA 1.6. The Nu engine is rather new – rated at 150 PS and 178 Nm, the engine, which made its debut in the Elantra, has D-CVVT and VIS. Hyundai’s GDI and diesel engines won’t be available though – they’re not taking chances on our fuel quality.

Those drivetrains will be housed in a new body that is 4,530 mm long and 1,775 mm wide. That means it’s 25 mm longer than the old car, but with the same width. Most will swear that it’s wider though, thanks to the flowing “Wind Craft” design that rides on the brand’s “Fluidic Sculpture” direction. Sitting on a new platform, the Elantra’s wheelbase has grown by a substantial 100 mm, now matching the Honda Civic’s 2,700 mm.

We’re speculating that two trim levels will be offered – Standard and High Spec – as per Hyundai-Sime Darby’s latest offerings, the Sonata and Tucson. Range topping models could be equipped with toys such as a sunroof, keyless entry with start/stop button and six airbags.

And if you’re wondering, this model will be called the Elantra in Malaysia, as it was called before Hyundai-Sime Darby renamed the later batches of the previous gen car to Avante. This is in line with Hyundai’s naming policy for the model, which will be called Avante only in Korea. The Avante to Elantra name switch also applies to Singapore.

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2011 Range Rover 5.0 V8 Supercharged arrives in Malaysia

June 23, 2011 at 9:32 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Land Rover, Local News

Land Rover Malaysia today introduced the 2011 model year Range Rover 5.0 litre Petrol Supercharged – primary enhancements to the vehicle include Terrain Response upgrades and external styling refinements.

The range-topping 510 hp and 625 Nm supercharged LR-V8 mill – first seen last year – continues on, as does the ZF 6HP28 six-speed auto transmission. Performance figures include a 0-100 kph time of 6.2 seconds.

The 2011 model get additions to its award-winning Terrain Response system, in the form of Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control.

The HSA feature on the Range Rover is always available and not selectable. Meanwhile, GAC is designed to provide safety cover on severe gradients when the driver does not have Hill Descent Control engaged.

By pressurising the brake system, GAC slows the car to a limit determined by the throttle position when the car is descending a slope in the driver’s intended direction of travel – this includes descending the slope forwards in drive or rearwards in reverse. Otherwise, such as descending while facing up the gradient with Drive selected, the system restricts speed to 5 kph for up to 20 seconds, allowing the driver to regain proper control.

Cosmetic enhancements for the exterior come in the form of new 20-inch alloy wheels with a sparkle finish as well as a ‘Nobel’ grille mesh for the front and sides, while the cabin gets illuminated treadplates for the front doors and a harman/kardon Logic 7 hi-fi surround system, replete with 14 speakers.

Luxury being the buzzword, the vehicle comes dressed in European leather trim for headlining and door casings as well as sumptuous perforated Oxford leather seat trim and a 12-piece wood veneer set.

The good news is that the price for the 2011 version remains the same, at RM798,888 (Peninsular Malaysia) and RM802,388 (Sabah and Sarawak), on the road excluding insurance.

Gallery after the jump.
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A Juke on two wheels and a Leaf at 145 kph backwards, only at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

June 23, 2011 at 9:10 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Nissan

Nissan’s gonna try a couple of fancy tricks with two of its cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, happening next month on July 1-3.

Now the thing about regular cars is that they only have one reverse gear so they can’t go anywhere in a hurry in reverse. Electric cars don’t use regular transmissions so according to Nissan there’s no such issue for a Nissan Leaf to just flip its motor in reverse and potentially hit a top speed of 145 kph … rearwards!

Nissan will be attempting to set a record to be the fastest ever car to be driven up the famous Goodwood Hill Climb backwards.

The other car to be attempting a new feat is the Nissan Juke. Professional stunt driver Terry Grant will attempt to drive the Nissan Juke the entire course using just two wheels. He will also be the man to pilot the Leaf in reverse.

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Chevrolet Captiva to be used by cops for GPEC Asia 2011 – Naza keen to explore SUV as possible police choice

June 23, 2011 at 9:01 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, Local News

Sixty Chevrolet Captiva SUVs have been presented by Naza Quest to the Royal Malaysian Police for use as the official vehicle for the upcoming 2nd General Police & Special Equipment Exhibition and Conference (GPEC ASIA 2011). Apart from the 60 Captivas, which will be used to ferry the guests, Chevrolet will also be displaying a Cruze sedan and two Captivas decked out in full police livery at the GPEC.

The mock keys to the vehicles were presented by Naza Quest COO Datuk Maruan Mohd Said to the Acting KL Police Chief Datuk Amar Singh at a simple ceremony at the Chevrolet 3S Centre in Jalan Ampang today.

“Naza Quest is proud to be associated with GPEC Asia 2011. We are more than happy to present the Captiva to the Royal Malaysian Police to be used during the event. It serves as an important vote of confidence for Chevrolet brand and the reputation of the cars as a safe, reliable and premium choice for the discerning individual,” said Maruan.

“Chevrolet is also a preferred vehicle for United States police forces, as the high performance and versatility of the cars make them an ideal choice to carry out law enforcement duties. We are very keen to explore any such opportunities in Malaysia,” he added.

The GPEC Asia 2011 – a closed specialised trade show exclusively for members of authorities for the business with police equipment, security technology and services – will be held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre from June 27-29. Ministers, Chiefs of Police, members of Parliament and other related law enforcement officers from 14 countries are expected to attend the trade show, with exhibitors from 11 countries displaying their wares and services.

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