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VW briefs local and ASEAN vendors at Suppliers’ Day

November 25, 2011 at 11:22 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Volkswagen

Volkswagen’s Regional Sourcing Office recently hosted a Suppliers’ Day, which saw the attendance of more than 300 automotive suppliers from Malaysia and throughout the ASEAN region.

The purpose was to share information with the vendors on the upcoming Volkswagen local assembly operations in Malaysia, and for them to better understand VW processes such as supplier management, logistics, quality assurance and engineering.

Among those who also attended were Government officials, current and potential suppliers, officials from DRB-HICOM and Volkswagen production officials from Wolfsburg, Germany.

Tay added that with 62 production facilities throughout the world, Volkswagen is constantly looking out for production opportunities and to build and establish a bigger network of suppliers to complement the brand’s growth in key markets.

A total of 11 speakers from various organisations presented their plans and strategies, including supplier quality awareness and logistics requirement processes, during the half-day event.

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COMING SOON! Proton Saga FLX SE 1.6L with CVT leaked

November 24, 2011 at 7:33 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Spyshots


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The ultimate Proton Saga is coming soon! Thanks to reader Ali, we have scans of a Proton brochure featuring “The new Saga FLX SE 1.6L with CVT”. Proton has thrown everything at the name, and it’s a mouthful, but all we need to know is that this upcoming variant is the range topper, the SE of the current Saga FLX range, equipped with the Campro 1.6L engine and CVT gearbox.

Currently, the Saga FLX with continuous variable transmission (CVT) is only available with a 1.3L Campro (launched in July, read our test drive report here). Proton has a 1.6-litre powered Saga – the Executive 1.6L – but that one was launched before the FLX with CVT, so it comes with a four-speed torque converter automatic ‘box.


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So with this new FLX SE variant, Proton is marrying what’s good from both cars (1.6L + CVT) and sweetens it further with the usual sporty SE add ons.

Upon closer inspection, the FLX SE’s 1.6L Campro puts out 108 hp at 5,750 rpm and 150 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The current Executive 1.6L with 4AT makes 110 hp at 6,500 rpm and 148 Nm at 4,000 rpm. Nothing significant, except that peak power is made 750 rpm lower in the CVT equipped FLX SE. The variance seen here is probably due to the engine being retuned to match the CVT.


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The FLX SE is available in Fire Red (as seen here) or Solid White, and it wears a full bodykit that is painted grey to contrast with the red. This hue is repeated on the strip above the grille and the side skirts; although likely, we can’t confirm if the lower rear bumper is in the same colour. At the back, the lamp cluster is now in clear lense/silver style for maximum bling effect.

The SE comes with 15-inch eight-spoke alloy rims, the first time a Saga is leaving the factory wearing rims bigger than 14 ins. Along with that comes wider tyres – 195/50 compared to the current 185/60.


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Equipment wise, the Saga FLX SE gets leather seats, leather wrapped wheel, stereo with MP3/USB/AUX, dual airbags, ABS + EBD, steering audio buttons and driver’s seat height adjuster, among other kit. The meter panel now has a white backlight, no longer orange, and the centre console, door handles and air-con vents are trimmed in Satin Black.

Currently, the Saga Elegance 1.6L is priced at RM46,549. How much do you think this FLX SE 1.6L with CVT will cost? As a marker, automatic variants of Perodua’s Myvi SE 1.5 start from RM53,900, going all the way to RM61,700.

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WRC star Sebastien Ogier leaves Citroen for Volkswagen

November 24, 2011 at 5:30 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Citroën, Motorsports, Volkswagen

Highly rated World Rally Championship (WRC) driver Sebastien Ogier has joined Volkswagen after exiting the sport’s top team Citroen. The Frenchman, who was a strong and competitive teammate to 2011 champ and living legend Seb Loeb, will be replaced by Finn Mikko Hirvonen at Citroen.

Ogier, who left Citroen with a year remaining on his contract, is joining Volkswagen effective immediately. The 27-year-old ex Junior World Rally Championship champion will now be helping the development of the Polo R WRC for VW’s planned 2013 entry. This means that we won’t see him in action next season.

“Volkswagen is the number one in Europe and will soon be number one in the world. I’m sure that they’re going to compete with the goal of clinching the WRC title. And I’m happy to be part of this from the outset,” Ogier said.

“We are proud that such a successful and quick duo as Sebastian Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia have decided to join Volkswagen. The aim of putting a competitive Polo R WRC on the road for them as quickly as possible will additionally drive our team. We look forward to working with them and are hoping for many victories and titles in the future,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen.

VW confirmed its 2013 WRC entry and previewed the Polo R WRC back in May. Click here to view a video of it.

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Robert Kubica will not start the 2012 Formula 1 season

November 24, 2011 at 3:00 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Will he or will he not? It has been confirmed by Robert Kubica himself that he will not start the 2012 Formula 1 season with Lotus Renault GP. The Pole says that his recovery is good, but he simply needs more time before getting behind the wheel.

“Even if I’ve been working very, very hard over the course of the last few weeks, I came to the conclusion that I am not yet certain to be ready for the 2012 season. I have called the team and I have informed them of the situation. This was a difficult decision to make, but it is the most reasonable one,” Kubica said.

“I also know that LRGP need to prepare for next year, and further extending deadlines would not have been the right thing to do. On a personal level, my recovery is still very encouraging and my doctors keep being impressed. I just need more time, as I want to be 100% ready before I commit to anything driving related.

“Finally, I regret not having been able to provide more news and not having appeared in the papers, and I thank my friends of the media for understanding that this has been the best way for me to cope with what has been the most difficult period of my life,” he added.

Highly rated Kubica was involved in a rally accident in February this year, before the F1 season started. While he cheated death, the crash left him with severe cuts to his forearm and multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand.

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No CKD VW Passat launch yesterday, DRB-Hicom clarifies

November 24, 2011 at 11:53 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Volkswagen

So November 23 came and passed, and we had no news or sight of the locally-assembled Volkswagen Passat, as reported by Bernama. It could be that the national news agency reporter at the International College of Automotive (ICAM) launch misquoted the Group MD of DRB-Hicom, Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil. We would have been surprised if it was true – no press invites were sent out for a “launch.”

What actually happened yesterday was the production roll-out of the CKD Passat at the DRB-Hicom Automotive Complex in Pekan, DRB-Hicom clarified. “Volkswagen Group Malaysia has submitted the recommended retail price of CKD Passat to the government and was awaiting approval before retailing could commence,” Mohd Khamil said, adding that to date, DRB-Hicom has assembled about 70 units of the CKD Passat 1.8.

“Volkswagen Group Malaysia will make the necessary announcements pertaining to availability of the CKD Volkswagen Passat and its recommended retail price in due course,” he added.

There you go, no CKD Passat for now. What you can have now is our first impressions of the CBU Passat – click here to read.

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Volkswagen Passat Alltrack – VW does an Audi Allroad

November 24, 2011 at 11:28 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Volkswagen

The upcoming Tokyo Motor Show will see Volkswagen give this Passat Alltrack a world debut. The Alltrack is basically a raised and tougher looking Passat wagon with VW’s 4Motion AWD system, pretty much the same recipe as Audi’s Allroad wagons. The Passat Alltrack is positioned between the standard Passat Variant and the Tiguan SUV.

VW’s rationale is that there are many who use their car as a towing vehicle, or in light off-road situations, who want a versatile, sporty and roomy passenger car with rugged qualities. The Alltrack is defined by new SUV style bumpers with wheel well and side sill flares.

Compared to the standard car, it has greater off-road ramp angle (12.8 degrees), approach angle (16 degrees) and departure angle (13.6 degrees). The 165 mm ground clearance has been raised by 30 mm.

Two TSI engines (160 PS/210 PS) and two TDI units (140 PS/170 PS) are available. The more powerful engine from each camp have standard 4Motion AWD and a dual clutch DSG.

Something new here is the ‘Off-Road Driving Programme’ from VW’s SUVs. It works up to 30 km/h and electronically tailors settings for the AWD hardware including the electronic differential, ABS, torque control, hill descent and, in DSG-equipped cars, gearbox shift points to provide easier and better off-road performance.

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Free parking for hybrid cars purchased in Petaling Jaya

November 24, 2011 at 1:24 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Lexus, Local News, Toyota

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will be giving three months free parking to hybrid cars purchased in the city next year, according to a Star report. PJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said this was one of the green initiatives that MBPJ was implementing.

“Hybrid-car buyers will be given free parking passes for three months to park anywhere in Petaling Jaya. We are extending the scheme to people who are not Petaling Jaya residents, as long as they have bought their car from a car dealer in Petaling Jaya,” the mayor explained.

While it’s a welcome, albeit temporary, benefit for would be owners of the Honda Insight, CR-Z, Toyota Prius and Lexus hybrid models, I’m sure many PJ residents and workers would agree that finding a parking spot in the first place is the more painful task.

In Budget 2012, PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that incentives given to hybrid cars have been extended till 31 December 2013. The incentives in question are full import duty and excise duty exemption for hybrid and electric cars and motorcycles.

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Honda-Hot Import Nights KL 2011 happens next month in Shah Alam – promises hot girls, modded cars and Awie

November 23, 2011 at 5:11 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Local News

There will be a new car show in town, billed as a mini SEMA or Tokyo Auto Salon of sorts. It’s called Honda-Hot Import Nights Kuala Lumpur 2011, and it will happen from 17-18 December at Shah Alam’s Malawati Stadium. It’s gonna be a fully indoor event that will go on rain or shine, and the entry fee will be RM20 per day. Organisers are expecting a crowd in excess of 25,000 for both days combined.

Calling themselves the “world’s largest touring automotive lifestyle show” Hot Import Nights (HIN) was founded in 1996 in Australia by a group of uni students. It has grown since then, and Jakarta, Indonesia held its first HIN in 2001. Today, HIN is an annual event in USA, Australia, Indonesia, and if it takes off, Malaysia. Honda Malaysia is the title sponsor for the HIN KL 2011.

There will be plenty of sexy ladies and modded cars of all sorts (HIN is expecting over 100 show cars), and the cars will vie for the many trophies up for grabs. Among the titles are Too Damn Low, Best Custom Bodykit, The Killer Colour, Hottest Engine Bay, Best JDM Look, Best VIP, Hottest ICE, Cinema on Wheels and “Best” titles for various brands, from Audi to Proton. There will be three King Nominees that will fight for the main award – The King.

Also, there will be a Dynowars contest, which will have trophies (top 3) for the most powerful RWD, FWD, AWD, NA, Turbo, VTEC, 4G63 and Campro, among other categories. For the ICE fans, there are a couple of awards, too.

The judges are experienced blokes. For the modded cars, HIN has secured Randy Ly, Tommy Ha and Mitchell Mark, all ex-NCCA judges from America. The man in charge of Dynowars is Todd Lewis from Mainline Dynamometer Australia.

I’ve been to some of these events before, and there are more photographers mobbing the (lady) models than those who actually appreciate the cars, so if you belong to that category, HIN KL will be organising a Car & Model Autophotography contest. The ladies you’re shooting are also competing, but for the Miss Honda-Hot Import Nights KL 2011 title. RC and PS3 fans will have contests of their own. Finally, some international DJs are performing and there’s a concert by rocker Awie on 18 Dec.

For Honda owners, Honda Malaysia will be picking four cars to be displayed in their booth at HIN KL. If you think you have the ride to impress, email a pic of your car and details to hondahin@honda.com.my.

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New Porsche 911 Cabriolet gets magnesium frame soft top

November 23, 2011 at 1:17 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Porsche

Recent 911 Cabriolets were slightly awkward looking, like hunchbacks, but fat. This is the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet based on the 991 Coupe that made its debut in September in Frankfurt. Like the tin top, the Cabrio looks leaner and more dynamic than the 997 based roadster. It’s lighter than before, too.

The big news here is that the roof is an all new design. Throwing out the multi-layered fabric item from the 997, this hood uses a fabric skinned composite panel, which provides a nicer shape and a better fit. Porsche also says that this new roof, which takes just 11 seconds to raise or stow, is more resistant to high speed buffeting. There’s also an automatic wind deflector.

The roof is laid on a magnesium frame, and the glass rear window is glued directly to the outer fabric skin. The lowering and closing process can be done at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

Powertrains are identical to the Coupe. The Cabrio’s backside houses a 3.4-litre flat six with 350 hp/380 Nm driving the rear wheels via the world’s first seven-speed manual gearbox. The Carrera S Cabriolet comes with a 3.8-litre flat six with 400 hp and 440 Nm. Porsche’s twin-clutch Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) will be a popular option, delivering better fuel consumption and acceleration than the stick shift.

Zuffenhausen says that with the longer wheelbase (stretched by 100 mm to 2,450 mm), the wider front track and the new electro-mechanical power steering, the new Cabriolets offer sportier driving characteristics, greater precision and agility.

How does it look like with a fixed roof again? View a gallery of the 911 Coupe here and some videos here.

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VIDEO: Toyota FT-86 teased ahead of Tokyo show debut

November 23, 2011 at 11:43 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Toyota, Videos

Enthusiasts’ necks have grown long waiting for Toyota’s FT-86 sports car. Fortunately, the wait is almost coming to an end, as the final production car will debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. In the meantime, here’s a teaser video showing Toyota engineers choosing wheels and drawing grilles for their RWD machine.

We can also see clearly the D-4S four-pot boxer engine borrowed from Subaru, who of course have their own version of the car called BR-Z.

The last we’ve seen of the FT-86 was back in March at Geneva, where Toyota wheeled out the FT-86 II Concept. That black and rather sinister looking machine was supposed to be closer to the production car than the original concept car. Click here to view our previous post.

Compact body, rear driven, boxer powered, six-speed manual = I can’t wait to drive this thing!

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