Thailand’s refusal to lower it’s 20% import duties for incoming Malaysian exports down to AFTA’s 5% might result in UMW Toyota ending exports of the locally assembled Toyota Hiace van to Thailand. Due to the extra duties, UMW Toyota’s Hiace vans have had to be priced at a less competitive price in Thailand, so sales targets are much harder to meet. Thailand refuses to give Malaysia the 5% AFTA rates because it accused Malaysia to be non-compliant under the AFTA because of non-tariff barriers - the Approved Permits system! More details via additional readings below.

Related Readings:
UMW Toyota facing difficulties exporting Hiace
Rafidah says we are entitled to 5% CEPT rates
Philippines joins Thailand and Indonesia in opposing Malaysian Non-Tariff Barriers
Thailand and Malaysia negotiation on tariffs
Thailand: Malaysia non-compliant under AFTA
UMW Toyota exports Toyota Hiace to Thailand

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Volkswagen’s Touran was redesigned for the 2007 model year, and will feature nice specs like the fuel efficient and powerful 1.4 liter TSI twincharged engine as well as an easy to use Park Assist system that makes it child’s play to park the van.

The Volkswagen Touran will debut with a choice of two 1.4 TSI engines - a 140hp and a 170hp model, as well as four turbodiesel engines and an EcoFuel natural gas engine. The TSI and turbodiesel engines can be equipped with the venerable DSG gearbox. This is likely the most technologically innovative van on the market?

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New 2007 Volkswagen Touran

DaimlerChrysler Malaysia has launched the latest in it’s C-class line-up yesterday morning, the locally assembled Mercedes Benz C230 Avantgarde. Not to be confused with the C230K which runs a 1.8 liter supercharged engine, the C230 is powered by a 2.5 liter 24 valve V6 engine, making 204hp at 6,100rpm and features an amazingly flat torque curve for an normally aspirated engine - 245Nm of torque between 2,900rpm to 5,500rpm. In comparison, the C230K’s 1.8 liter inline-4 Kompressor makes 192hp at 5,800rpm, and 260Nm of torque between 3,500rpm to 4,000rpm.

This very nice torque curve is likely thanks to the engine’s infinitely variable adjustment of both intake and exhaust camshafts, this ensures optimum valve timing for all 24 valves at all times! The engine’s high power output of 204hp is thanks to the high compression ratio of 11.2:1. Other enhancements to extract more power at the mid revs include intake ducts equipped with tumble flaps - these help regulate gas flow. Under partial load, the mechanism swivels out, creating turbulence, resulting in a better air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. At high revs, the flaps sit fully recessed to ensure optimum gas flow. The engine is also equipped with a two-stage variable length intake manifold. Despite it’s high output, the engine has a combined cycle rated mileage of 9.3 to 9.6 liters per 100km.

The 0-100km/h sprint takes 8.9 seconds, and the car pushes on to a maximum speed of 238km/h. Emissions are well below Eu4 limits, thanks to two catalytic converters close to the engine, and other features such as internal exhaust gas recirculation.

The 7G-TRONIC transmission also makes it’s debut in this C-class, being available only on more high end Mercedes Benz models before this. It features 7 speeds spaced out optimumly for the engine’s torque curve. There are three shift pattern modes - S for a sporty shift pattern, C for comfortable cruising and M for manual mode.

The Avantgarde trim levels means you get options like THERMATIC climate control, windowbags, anti-theft alarm, interior motion sensor, PARKTRONIC system, multi-function steering wheel with gearshift buttons, and bi-xenon headlights. The standard C230 features 16 inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, but a sports package which costs RM20,000 offers bigger wheels at 17 inches among other extra sporty trims.

The locally assembled Mercedes Benz C230 Avantgarde will cost you RM268,888, while the version with the sports package will cost you another 20K at RM288,888. As a comparison, the force inducted C230K, also locally assembled, goes for RM279,888.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mercedes Benz C230 Avantgarde V6 launched

For those who loved the sports concept of the Naza 206 Bestari that was shown back in May 2006, especially the lovely twin halo angel eye headlamps - you’ll be pleased to know you can actually buy a production version of the car now.

Naza launched two cars today at it’s new Naza Corporation Gallery in Kampung Pandan - the Naza Sutera Sportivo and the Naza 206 Bestari Sportivo. The two cars are basically higher trim levels of the base cars, kitted out both internally and externally. The following are the features of the two Naza Sportivo models:

In my opinion, the 206 Bestari Sportivo looks stunning, and the Sutera Sportivo is so-so, but the interior of the Sutera Sportivo is really weird. Somehow the MOMO accessories don’t fit the interior of the car, and the big beige and gray bucket seats look weird, as if there’s some problems with the colour coordination (too bad I don’t actually have a photo of this, let me see if I can get one from Naza). This is all personal preference anyway. The 206 Bestari Sportivo looks similiar to the original 206 Bestari Sport Concept, but there are some changes, for example on the concept, the exhaust pipes were twin pipes, with one on the left and one on the right of the rear bumper, but on the production Sportivo version the twin tailpipes are grouped together on one side. Sports alloy wheels design is also different. I’m not too sure how good the performance and fuel consumption of the Peugeot TU3 1.4 liter engine will be dragging along big 16 inch wheels.

The Packard Bell GPS Navigation System in the 206 Bestari Sportivo is particularly interesting. It works like how you would expect a GPS system to work - has maps and gives you directions. Maps of KL and other parts of Malaysia are already preloaded into the device.

I didn’t manage to get any good photos at all, as this wasn’t an exclusive press event, so there were tonnes of other people there, it was almost impossible to get clear shots of the car without some random orange-haired aunty in the way. So pardon me for that, and enjoy whatever photos I managed to get after the post jump.

Click here to read the rest of Naza 206 Bestari Sportivo and Naza Sutera Sportivo

DRB-HICOM said today in a reply to a Bursa Malaysia query on reports of it’s interest in purchasing Proton shares that it has submitted a proposal to the government in regards to the prospect of acquiring some of the shares in Proton Holdings Bhd.

At least now we have confirmation right from the company itself that someone wants to take off a portion of the large percentage of shares Khazanah Nasional is currently holding in Proton. Other companies rumoured to be interested in shares are the Naza group and Mofaz.

Read the Bursa Malaysia announcement.

The next generation Mitsubishi Lancer sports sedan will be unveiled to the public at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, to be held on January 13-21st 2007 at the Cobo Exhibition Center. The base engine will be a 1.5 liter 110ps engine in Europe, and the line-up will include turbodiesel models, as well as the eagerly awaited Evolution X model which will feature a 2.0 liter turbocharged gasoline engine. This dispels rumours about the next Evo coming with a larger engine to rival the Impreza’s 2.5 liter unit available in certain markets - a 2.0 liter it will be!

The new Lancer sports sedan uses Mitsubishi’s Project Global platform, which shares chassis and engines with it’s partners DaimlerChrysler A.G., Hyundai, and recently PSA Peugeot Citroen. DaimlerChrysler’s new Dodge and Chrysler small sedans (example: the new Dodge Caliber) will be using the Lancer’s underpinings, while PSA Peugeot Citroen recently released SUVs based on the Outlander platform.

Related Posts:
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2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Spyshots

Mercedes Benz seems adamant at filling up every niche possible with their recent slew of alphabetical soup attacks on the car industry – the new A, B, R, as well as models with multi-alphabet designations like the new CLS, one of the very few coupes around that come with four doors. Here well be having a look at the recently launched B-class, a Mercedes Benz B170 with high spec trim to be exact. Read my report after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mercedes Benz B170 Test Drive

Here are some photos contributed by reader Sonny Yong who paid a visit to the Singapore International Motor Show 2006 currently being held in Singapore. Enjoy the photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Singapore International Motor Show 2006

Despite how the smart fortwo looks like it’s a disaster waiting to happen during accidents, smart says that it’s actually safe because of the use of a solid steel “Tridion” frame, left visible at the exterior as a major design element. While on paper it looks alright, but how does the smart fortwo perform in real life crash tests? 5th Gear decided that an experiment was long due… video after the jump!

Click here to read the rest of 5th Gear smart fortwo Crash Test

Fiat and Chery have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will result in Fiat using Chery’s ACTECO family of engines in it’s China-produced cars, with a possibility of the ACTECO engines finding it’s way in Italian models like the Bravo.

The deal involves Chery’s 1.6 liter and 1.8 liter ACTECO engines, though the ACTECO family has a wide range of displacements and configurations, from a tiny 0.8 liter to a huge 4.0 liter V8.

The ACTECO family of engines was developed by AVL, an Austrian-based automotive consulting firm. Despite the negative stigma surrounding China products, the ACTECO family of engines is actually quite modern, incorporating aluminium alloy cylinder blocks/heads and direct fuel injection, complying with Euro IV emission standards.

Pictured on the left is the ACTECO 1.8 liter DOHC turbocharged engine. With a bore of 81mm and a stroke of 87.2mm, the long stroke turbocharged engine makes 180 horsepower at 5,750rpm and a very healthy 250Nm of torque at 4,300rpm.

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Related Posts:
Chery and Fiat in talks