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My Proton Makeover – work in progress pics of the Wira

December 9, 2011 at 3:18 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Proton

Work has been progressing steadily on Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 17-year-old Proton Wira, which is the second vehicle chosen to undergo the ‘My Proton Makeover’ treatment, and on December 14, he’s set to get his beloved ride back, all dressed up and ready to go.

We were invited to have a look at the car yesterday, with things moving into the final stages of the rebuild. The original white of the car has been replaced with a metallic blue shade, which Proton motorsports division head honcho Tengku Djan Ley says was chosen to best complement the silver wheels set to be tricked out for the car.

New to the car will be a rear wing, which it never had, and the front bumper now gets a lip, highlighted in silver. The car will also go back to Sashideran as a lowered ride, courtesy of a new APM suspension specified by the R3 boys.

Inside, the original brown interior has been replaced with a black theme, with blue highlights. Leather is the choice of wrap, and is to be found on the seats and door cards, and the stuff covers the dashboard as well, all replete with blue stitching.

The centre console trim hasn’t yet been painted, but is set to be blue, like the Satria GTI gearshift console cover that finds its way onto the car. Elsewhere, the roof lining also goes the black route, with an Alcantara-esque feel at that.

Mechanically, Djan says that they’re toying with the idea of changing the 1.5′s rear drums to discs, which might or might not happen, but otherwise, most of the mechanical work is pretty much complete – engine rebuilt and everything remounted. Sashideran, who was also present yesterday, looked thrilled, and is eager to get his “darling Wira” back. Next week, then!

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Toyota Avanza – brochure’s out on the upcoming facelift

December 9, 2011 at 2:15 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Toyota


Click to enlarge.

The facelifted Toyota Avanza should be in the showrooms soon enough – the UMW Toyota website already teases that it’s “coming soon,” with pricing and all, which we ran a story on earlier in the week.

Now, the brochure on the seven-seater is out; reader Ray picked up a copy in a Penang showroom and has duly scanned the front overview and specs list, offering a view of the MPV with the . Nothing much that our previous story hasn’t covered, but here’s the recap.


Click to enlarge.

Four versions will be available, three 103 PS 1.5 litre auto variants (the S, G and E) and a single 91 PS 1.3 litre manual E grade version. The top-of-the-line S gets a “sports” front/rear bumpers and side skirts as well as a unique radiator grille, and all the 1.5 litre models feature a 2-DIN, six-speaker audio system, while the 1.3 has a four-speaker, single-DIN one.

There’s ABS and EBD on the S and G versions, which also get dual front airbags – the 1.5 E makes do with one (driver’s), while the 1.3 E has none. Pricing, as mentioned in our earlier piece, start from RM63,864 for the 1.3E right up to the RM78,864 for the range-topping 1.5 S.

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Refreshened Mitsubishi Pajero introduced in Malaysia

December 9, 2011 at 12:08 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mitsubishi

The fourth-generation Pampas cat, replete with minor nip and tuck job, has made its way here – Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has introduced the upgraded Pajero. The biggie now comes with a redesigned front grille and bumper, new skid plate, a restyled roof rail and a new 18-inch alloy wheel design for revised external cues.

Inside, the dashboard now features red illumination to sport things up a bit, and to make it easier to park and reverse the beast into place, there’s a rear view camera system – which has a monitor incorporated into the auto dimming mirror – to help things along. Also introduced on the 250 PS 3.8 litre V6-shod vehicle is the Brake Overide System, which cuts engine power in case of simultaneous application of both accelerator and brake pedal.

All other creature comforts and mod cons remain, including leather seats, powered front seats, automatic climate control, rear air-conditioning with independent control, auto levelling HID headlamps, and a 12-speaker, 860 watt Rockford Acoustic surround system.

The Pajero, which is available in four colours – Warm White Mica, Black Mica, Cool Silver Metallic and Quartz Brown Metallic – goes for RM298,980 on-the-road, inclusive of insurance.

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BREAKING: Subaru BRZ coming to Malaysia next year!

December 8, 2011 at 5:00 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Subaru

We’re in Bangkok now for the year ending Thailand International Motor Expo, and yours truly picked up a pleasant surprise. No, the show girls did not offer to follow me home, but Motor Image is set to bring the just launched Subaru BRZ to Malaysia! Unveiled at the ongoing Tokyo Motor Show, the BRZ is Subaru’s version of the Toyota GT 86, which it helped develop.

The BRZ is mechanically similar to the new hachi-roku but sports minor styling differences. It is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine with 200 hp and 205 Nm of torque, with drive going exclusively to the rear wheels. A six-speed manual is the natural choice of gearbox, but there’s an auto box for those who can’t DIY.

Estimated date of arrival? According to Glenn Tan, Executive Director of Tan Chong International and head of Motor Image, they will be trying hard for the second or third quarter of 2012, with a possible launch time that coincides with the Super GT race (the BRZ will be competing next season in the GT300 category). Trying hard because worldwide demand for the BRZ is expected to be great and there are many higher priority markets to satisfy.

Click here for a full live gallery of the Subaru BRZ from Tokyo.

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DRB-Hicom’s bid for Proton – does it include the introduction of Volkswagen at some point in the future?

December 8, 2011 at 2:44 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Well, the wheels on this one are set to keep on turning. The talk is of course about the three-way bid that’s reputably shaping up for a controlling stake in Proton, with the players being DRB-Hicom, Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh and parties linked to the Naza Group. Each party has apparently submitted a bid to Khazanah Holdings, which has a 42.7% stake in Proton, to seek control of the national carmaker.

Each will undoubtedly have its own game plan, and supposedly, DRB-Hicom’s is thought to include the presence of Volkswagen at some point in the future. The Star reports that a reliable source says that if DRB is successful, it will at a later stage introduce some of its equity to VW, with the view that both parties are to share control and management in Proton.

The report adds that this line of thought could make the bid more desirable, given that the carmaker wouldn’t be under the direct control of a foreign party, which was likely one of the reasons why the negotiations with Volkswagen four years ago never went to ink. VW is keeping mum on the whole affair, it seems, and so is DRB-Hicom, for now.

Not that it’s all done and dusted, of course. Another source with intimate knowledge of proceedings said Khazanah had yet to make a decision on things, and that a round of meetings are set to take place this week between key stakeholders regarding the matter – there’s every possibility that the sale of the stake in Proton might be called off temporarily, at that.

And so it continues to roll.

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MAA Vehicle Sales Data for October 2011

December 8, 2011 at 12:08 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Feature Stories, MAA Vehicle Sales Data

So, here it is again, the numbers for vehicle sales in the country for the month of October, as well as the YTD total. Our apologies for missing the September run (in November!), but it turned out to be a very hectic month, and the time needed (trust me, it’s not a quick job!) to crunch the numbers wasn’t to be found. You can nonetheless follow the figure flow from the August installment, since this one collates September’s figures in it.

The data, courtesy of the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), lists the sales figures from each brand and each model sold in Malaysia, as submitted to MAA by the manufacturers.

The table includes features such as the ability to sort alphabetically as well as by number of units sold. Just click the column headers to sort. There’s also a little search field at the top right of the table, so you can filter the list down to the specific model/brand you want. Bear in mind that the figures are only from official distributors, and grey imports are not included.

ModelSeptember 2011October 2011Year To Date
Audi A19123
Audi A41044294
Audi A54226
Audi A68740
Audi A7134
Audi A8L1445
Audi Q51615202
Audi Q71427
Audi R8 V10003
Audi TT2227
BMW 118i0210
BMW 3-Series Sedan1281221513
BMW 3-Series Coupe4649
BMW 3-Series Convertible106
BMW 5-Series F101521931723
BMW 5-Series GT1012
BMW 7-Series1118150
BMW M3 Coupe003
BMW X16431355
BMW X3181889
BMW X5 M001
BMW X5336100
BMW X651243
BMW Z40013
Chery A1600012
Chery A5200011
Chery Eastar1421982251
Chery QQ7023
Chery Tiggo712117
Chevrolet Camaro001
Chevrolet Captiva1328256
Chevrolet Cruze4272717
Ford Escape2412134
Ford Everest6133
Ford Fiesta3964363753
Ford Focus4419225
Ford Mondeo62256
Ford S-MAX32629
Ford Ranger1792101900
Honda Stream 1.84120569
Honda Accord5155094058
Honda City125860410470
Honda Civic6466876121
Honda Civic Type-R5554
Honda CR-V3493454007
Honda Freed4221513
Honda Insight2912864085
Honda Jazz5252457
Hyundai Accent9677308
Hyundai Elantra X2000154
Hyundai i301120
Hyundai Sonata1551742605
Hyundai Starex110100854
Hyundai Tucson1061671757
Hyundai Getz3178
Hyundai i102261602115
Hyundai Santa Fe5363680
Isuzu D-MAX4864864871
Kia Pregio541290
Kia Sorento XM5121705
Kia Sportage SL155309
Land Rover 11091467
Land Rover Discovery2832
Land Rover Freelander1132
Lexus CT 200h151119763
Lexus GS 3003115
Lexus LS 460L3112
Lexus LS 600h012
Lexus IS 2500318
Lexus RX4740351
Mercedes-Benz B-Class3755558
Mercedes-Benz C-Class2021841823
Mercedes-Benz E-Class1901801857
Mercedes-Benz M-Class8243
Mercedes-Benz R-Class8041
Mercedes-Benz S-Class1520210
Mahindra Scorpio Mhawk2010
Mazda 51622267
Mazda BT50 Fighter2424259
Mazda CX7109180
Mazda CX94892
Mazda MX5007
Mazda 21601831591
Mazda 31671691555
Mazda 65551516
Mazda 85136355
Mini Cooper1212133
Mini Cooper Countryman16782
Mitsubishi Triton5717046974
Mitsubishi ASX6071810
Mitsubishi Grandis3324395
Mitsubishi Lancer3239443
Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback2829236
Mitsubishi Pajero1145
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport721721239
Naza Citra1311361575
Naza Rondo3141332
Naza Forte3255284783
Naza Forte Koup0849
Naza Forza5388
Naza Picanto84926
Naza Sorento3384
Nissan 370Z0110
Nissan Frontier9169568
Nissan Grand Livina80482410620
Nissan Livina X-Gear536309845
Nissan Latio8499701
Nissan Murano1030
Nissan Navara1631283122
Nissan Sentra5468963
Nissan Serena3227297
Nissan Sylphy1391232385
Nissan Teana3893363876
Nissan Urvan1301591447
Nissan X-Trail (2011)3627505
Nissan X-Trail3567381
Perodua Alza2762343830398
Perodua Myvi59411036465783
Perodua Viva4467483649636
Peugeot 207 Sedan861271282
Peugeot 3008674712
Peugeot 3081261051732
Peugeot 407810248
Peugeot 50083333401
Peugeot RCZ3321143
Porsche Boxster024
Porsche Cayman0324
Porsche Cayenne2531247
Porsche Panamera9771
Porsche 9111315
Proton Exora1438168918165
Proton GEN264658
Proton Inspira5025758028
Proton Persona3085368840666
Proton Saga5474585363615
Proton Satria Neo2201773367
Proton Savvy54442
Proton Waja341602159
Range Rover6119
Range Rover Sport10327
Renault Koleos019
Renault Megane RS2500049
Ssangyong Stavic813162
Ssangyong Actyon4033
Ssangyong Actyon Sport0213
Subaru Forester007
Suzuki Alto6957880
Suzuki Grand Vitara1221320
Suzuki Swift2174463962
Suzuki Kizashi006
Suzuki SX46550707
Toyota Avanza6586616660
Toyota Camry6487216679
Toyota Corolla Altis3845935178
Toyota Fortuner492221376
Toyota Hiace1311221550
Toyota Hilux1487277618015
Toyota Innova1943573735
Toyota Prius1521871640
Toyota Rush1412111988
Toyota Vios2482297225485
Toyota Yaris005
Volkswagen Eos1171
Volkswagen Golf TSI3373371633
Volkswagen Golf GTI2828712
Volkswagen Passat CC5555580
Volkswagen Polo GTI5515
Volkswagen Polo TSI1981981298
Volkswagen Scirocco TSI2828237
Volkswagen Scirocco 2.08897
Volkswagen Tiguan2269
Volkswagen Touareg7780
Volvo S401613166
Volvo S604421104
Volvo S8010105
Volvo V500233
Volvo XC60713209
Volvo XC905660

As always, discussion on the matter is welcome.

Source: MALAYSIAN AUTOMOTIVE ASSOCIATION

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Dodge Dart – a reinterpretation of the Giuletta as sedan

December 7, 2011 at 4:21 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Dodge, International News


Click to enlarge.

It’s called the Dodge Dart, and this one is set to be Chrysler’s first vehicle that’s based on Fiat architecture. The current Dart will be the second vehicle to bear the name, the first one being from nearly five decades ago, when it arrived on the scene in 1963.

Aside from the name, there’s nothing historical about the new one, which is a four-door sedan set to make its world debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.


Click to enlarge.

It’s adapted from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, but given the rework – with a lengthened and widened platform heading the list – to offer more space for American buyers. A choice of three AR engines will be available, these being a new Tigershark 16 valve 2.0 litre, a 1.4 litre MultiAir Intercooled Turbo and a Tigershark 2.4 litre MultiAir four cylinder mill, along with three transmission choices.

The company isn’t showing off the whole car yet, but teases it through a couple of partials, saying that the vehicle – which will be made in the US at Chrysler’s Belvidere plat in Illinois – will wear 18-inch wheels, projector headlamps, accentuated fenders and signature Dodge full-width LED ‘racetrack’ tail lamps, among other design cues.

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Nissan Leaf is 2011-2012 Japanese Car of the Year

December 7, 2011 at 1:05 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Nissan

The Nissan Leaf has added another feather to its cap – the EV has been named as the Japanese Car of the Year for 2011-2012. The announcement was made at the Tokyo Motor Show, and this is the first time in the award’s 32-year history that an electric vehicle has won.

The win makes it a hat-trick of COTY titles for the Leaf, which has also taken the 2011 European Car of the Year and the 2011 World Car of the Year accolades. The last Nissan to bag both the European and Japanese Car of the Year titles was the Micra (or March), back in 1993.

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Jatco introduces CVT8 and CVT8 Hybrid transmissions

December 7, 2011 at 12:33 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under International News, Technology

Jatco has announced a new continuously variable transmission for midsize and large front-wheel drive vehicles, offering an improvement of 10% in fuel economy compared to earlier models.

Designed for application with 2.0 to 3.5 litre engined vehicles, the CVT 8 features a ratio spread of 7.0:1, which is around 15% higher than current models. Friction is 40% down for the unit, which features Adaptive Shift Control as part of the kit.

The new ratio has been obtained by combining smaller shaft diameter pulleys with a new and differently shaped belt, which is flatter, and the range of ratios between the two pulleys has been expanded with only minimally increased axial distance.

Elsewhere, a more compact oil pump, the use of specially formulated low viscosity oil and an interface increase between the pulleys and the belt – to reduce neccessary oil pressure – as well as modification to 60% of the component parts have translated to the lowered friction.

The CVT8 is to be introduced next year, debuting in vehicles in North America, and will be built in both Mexico and Japan. The company has also announced the CVT8 Hybrid, developed in conjuction with Nissan. The system incorporates an electric motor and two clutches into the unit, offering a compact, versatile powertrain that does not require a specially designed body. Nissan plans to release a new hybrid vehicle with this system in the US in 2013.

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Three-way fight for Proton stake shaping up – DRB-Hicom, Naza and Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi involved?

December 6, 2011 at 7:18 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

The marketplace is buzzing with news of a three-way tussle for a stake in Proton that’s currently owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The three parties are said to be DRB-Hicom, which is controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary, parties linked to the Naza Group and a management buyout lead by Proton Chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh. All three parties have been previously linked with the national carmaker.

Currently, Khazanah has a 42.7% stake in Proton, and should a party succeed in buying over the Government’s stake, it will trigger a general offer. Business Times quotes a source involved in the bidding process as saying that the bids were in the range of between RM6 and RM7 per share. The same source added that “whoever is buying Proton is getting the company on the cheap” based on Proton’s March 2011 book value per share of RM9.84.

This development is drawing in the speculators, and Proton’s share price went up by another 89 sen yesterday to close at RM4.50, with over 20 million shares changing hands. DRB-Hicom, thought to be the front runner in the bid, also saw its shares rise. The counter gained 20 sen to end the day at RM2.20, the highest point since August. DRB-Hicom is of course the company that is assembling Volkswagen cars at its Pekan plant.

Proton’s share price might still rise, since OSK Holdings Bhd and RHB Capital Bhd have upgraded the stock to a “buy” with a fair value of RM5 per share. It will be interesting to know more about the plans each of the bidders have for Proton. Nothing is out at the moment, but we will keep tabs on this.

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