Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd has updated it’s fully imported CBU Honda Odyssey to the latest facelift edition. The Odyssey has always been unique in the world of MPVs - it is much lower than other MPVs but not sacrificing space at the same time. A lower stance allows a lower center of gravity, giving the Odyssey a car-like driving experience.

On the exterior, the Honda Odyssey facelift gets new bumpers on the front and rear, and the grille gains Honda’s new floating design. The side mirrors have gained the obligatory signal lamps that seems to be making it’s way onto every car these days. The rear lamps are now lit up by LED, which are brighter and activate faster.

While the new Accord 2.4 gets 10 more horses, the Honda Odyssey’s 2.4 liter engine makes the same 160 horses at 5,500rpm as before, channeled to the front wheels via a 5-speed Sport Shift automatic transmission. Interior is also pretty much the same as the previous version, making this a minor aesthetic facelift.

The Honda Odyssey still retains it’s G-CON (G-Force Control) technology, where the car body can withstand a 55 km/h full-frontal collision; a 64 km/h front offset collision, a 55 km/h side collision, and a 50 km/h rear collision. Other safety features include ABS brakes, EBD, Brake Assist, and 10 airbags - two front, two front side, and side curtain airbags for the front to third row - that would be 2 + 2 + 6 = 10. Glad I can still count.

The new Honda Odyssey 2.4 liter i-VTEC which is a fully imported CBU retails for RM236,800 on the road, for Peninsular Malaysia. It’s available in five colours - Nighthawk Black, Grayish Mauve Metallic, Carbon Bronze, Alabaster Silver Metallic, and Premium White Pearl. More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2006 Honda Odyssey Facelift launched in Malaysia

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was seriously hurt after the dragster-style jet-powered car capable of reaching speeds of more than 482km/h he was in crashed while filming an episode of Top Gear.

The Top Gear team was trying to break the British land speed record, and the car had previously done one run that exceeded 482km/h. The team was doing one last round and he was travelling at about 482km/h when the crash happened. The car suddenly veered off to the right side and crashed, ending up upside down and dug in to the ground. Hammond is currently in a serious but stable condition, but no further information was released at request of his family.

Let’s all pray for a quick recovery.

Suzuki Motors may establish it’s presence here in Malaysia officially, as part of it’s plans to take control of the marketing and strategic direction of the Suzuki business here. This would give Suzuki control over matters like marketing strategies and pricing strategies of vehicles. Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd currently has a 3 model line-up in Malaysia - the Suzuki Swift, the Suzuki APV and the Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Following GM’s footsteps with Hicomobil, Suzuki is reported to be interested in at least a 51% controlling stake in Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd. Some may think that this looks like DRB-HICOM is losing the confidence of the principal companies, but in reality DRB-HICOM views this as inviting the principals to take a more active role in Malaysia so that the businesses can grow further.

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Previously, there was news of a potential 51% acquisition of stake in Chevrolet distributor Hicomobil by General Motors, who owns the Chevrolet marque. DRB-HICOM dispelled these rumours by saying there is no official proposal yet. It turns out that the talk was true after all - DRB-HICOM and General Motors signed a Memorandum of Understanding for proposed acquisition of 51% stake in Hicomobil, which will make the American automotive giant the majority shareholder.

The current Chevrolet line-up will also be refreshed, with the new model range to consist of the Chevrolet Aveo Sedan, Chevrolet Epica luxury sedan, and the absolutely stunning Chevrolet Captiva SUV!

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I previously mentioned that the Audi TT S-line was as far as you’re going to get with a TT that looks fast as well as goes fast, if Audi does not release an Audi TT RS. I was wrong. This is Abt Sportsline’s take on the Audi TT - tuned up to 3 different variants - the Audi TT-R, the Audi TT-Sport and the Audi TT-iS. More details after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Abt Sportsline Audi TT

Hyundai Motor Company Australia unveiled this specially tuned up Hyundai Getz FX called the GetzTC back in 2003 at the Brisbane Motor Show.

The base car is a pre-facelift Hyundai Getz FX 3-door, and this had some Astrel bodykits slapped on, together with nice 17 inch Lenso five spoke alloy wheels wrapped with low profile 215/35/R17 Silverstone tyres.

The GetzTC was fit with a sports suspension system using Koni Sport Yellow shock absorbers and Whiteline springs. You also have huge 330mm slotted disc brakes at the front with twin piston PBR calipers to fill up the space behind the big wheels, lest the stock brakes start to look like 50 cent coins. Rear drums were replaced with 280mm slotted and drilled discs.

The stock Hyundai Alpha III 1.5 liter DOHC 16 valve engine which makes 100hp in stock form was upped to about 160hp (estimate) with a bolt-on Garrett T25 ball bearing turbo and air-to-air intercooler running at 0.55 bar of boost. The engine had no internal modifications done to it, but the stock engine management has been swapped with a Autronic SMC standalone ECU. This is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, but for further performance enhancement the car uses a 215mm LC2 Accent 1.6 DOHC Flywheel with Exedy 215mm Sports Organic Clutch.

The Hyundai GetzTC is no longer in existance, as the performance parts were stripped out and the Getz was converted back to a standard stock 3-door Getz FX model and sold through Hyundai dealerships as a used Hyundai Getz. However, for Getz owners who want a similiar modification, an Australian company called Performance Styling Center has developed a similiar turbokit for the Getz.

Two more photos after the jump, as well as a dyno chart from PSC.

Click here to read the rest of GetzTC - Hyundai Getz Turbo by Hyundai Australia

Inokom will be launching it’s locally assembled version of the new facelift Hyundai Getz - to be called the Inokom Getz later this month, which will come in 1 variant - the Getz 1.4 liter DOHC. They had a media preview recently but I was not invited, so I don’t really have precise details on the car - the best I can do is talk about the features of the new facelifted Getz overseas and hope they’re also echoed in the local version. Anyway, details and more photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Inokom Getz 1.4 later this month

This is the Å koda Joyster Concept, Å koda’s vision for a new B-segment compact car that might make it into production as the new Å koda Fabia hatchback in the year 2007. The current Å koda Fabia is based on the Volkswagen Polo platform - watch out for a test drive report soon on the Fabia 1.4 hatch.

Skoda is a company that has pretty much filled up the market segment where Volkswagen used to be - as Volkswagen has moved up a notch in the market, no longer concentrating on making cheap basic cars that everyone can afford.

The Skoda Joyster Concept design study will be presented alongside other innovations from Å koda Auto at the Paris Motor Show on Thursday 28th September, 2006.

We’ve seen the Kia cee’d five-door hatchback, Kia’s C-segment competitor for the European market. Kia announced that soon after the 5-door hatch is launched, a station wagon version as well as a sporty 3-door version will be launched. This is the Kia pro_cee’d hatchback, to be shown at the Paris Motor Show later this month alongside it’s production 5-door cee’d brother.

The Kia pro_cee’d concept was developed by Kia’s team in Russelsheim under it’s design chief Gegory Guillaume. The concept comes in a colour Kia called Cashew - which is somewhat like a flat brown but with a small percentage of metal flakes to give it a little sparkle. The pro_cee’d has a roofline 25mm lower compared to the production 5-door cee’d, to give it a sportier image. Further enhancing it’s sporty image is the huge 19 inch wheels that fill up the wheel arches, wrapped with 265/30/R19 tyres.

More images after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Kia pro_cee’d Concept at Paris

While Nanjing Auto bought MG Rover back in July 2005, the forerunner to buy the Rover brand name from BMW was Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, who actually owns many of Rover’s design rights. SAIC was expected to buy the Rover brand name for US$21.7 million. It had plans to put the Rover 75 back into production in late 2007 or early 2008.

However, SAIC has to change it’s plans now, as Ford whom BMW has given first right of refusal over the Rover brand name has decided to execute it’s rights and buy the brand name from BMW - and it has no plans to resell it later. Ford feels it is essential to own the Rover brand name to protect the interests of it’s Land Rover brand, through which it gained it’s first right of refusal in the first place when it bought Land Rover from BMW in the year 2000.

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