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Lexus has updated its GS range with the new Lexus GS460, which launches with the luxury sedan line’s 2008 mid-life revision. The Lexus GS460 uses the LS460’s 4.6 liter V8, and features D-4S dual-port fuel injection which uses two injectors per cylinder - one on the intake port, the other in the combustion chamber itself – delivering the advantages of both direct and indirect injection to maximise power and torque throughout the revs.

The V8 also uses Dual VVT-iE, which uses a motor-driven valve timing system for the intake valves instead of the usual hydraulically controlled system. It produces 342 horsepower at 6,400rpm and 460Nm of torque at 4,100rpm. The engine is mated to the AA80E 8-speed automatic transmission also found on the LS460, which despite its larger amount of ratios, is actually more compact and lighter than the GS430’s 6-speed transmission. It is also quieter and fuel efficient. 0 to 100km/h takes 5.8 seconds, and fuel consumption is rated at 9 liters of fuel per 100km on a combined cycle.

As for the facelift’s styling updates which also apply to the rest of the GS range, there is now a chrome surround for the front grille, new door mirrors with integrated indicators and new-look door handles. The front and rear bumpers have also undergone a minor restyling exercise, with new-shape air intakes. New 17-inch (GS 300 and GS 300 SE) and 18-inch (GS 300 SE-L and GS 460) wheel designs have been introduced and the GS is available in two new colours now - Byzantine Silver and Namibian Gold.

On the inside, the steering wheel mounted audio and telephony controls have been updated, and the boot and fuel filler release buttons have been relocated outside the little pop-out module that Lexus employed to keep the dash design cleaner without too many exposed buttons.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus GS Facelift debuts with new GS460

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A group of Malaysian journalists visited the Honda R&D center in Tochigi, Japan during the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, courtesy of Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The R&D center visit was very interesting indeed, as we got to witness a real life crash test between the new 2008 Honda Accord and the new third generation Honda CR-V.

The main highlights of the R&D center visit for me were the test drives. You’ve already read about one of the cars I drove - the Honda FCX Concept, which has since entered limited production. The other car driven was the new 2008 Honda Accord, in both 2.4 liter and 3.5 liter guise.

The new 2008 Honda Accord looks nothing like an allegedly confused Hyundai in flesh. Think BMW and you’re more on the mark. The car generally looks very eye pleasing with the exception of the crease line on the side of the car - I can’t put my finger down on what’s wrong but I think the line curves in a strangle angle that doesn’t match the rest of the car’s mostly angular body. Styling is a subjective thing.

The test drive car interiors were done up in either a very aesthetically pleasing black, or beige. You sit lower in this new Accord, and the seating position is good. The car’s huge front seats are very comfortable as well and do alot to give the car’s interior a very luxurious ambiance for the driver.

At a glance, all of the in-car entertainment and climate control functions look very similiar to the previous model, but they appear squashed vertically to be more compact, and all of the controls have been pushed higher up the dashboard. This is presumably to reduce eye and hand movement when the driver needs to adjust controls while driving.

The new 2.4 liter engine puts out 177 horses, about 7 more than the Accord 2.4 facelift currently sold here in our market. It is very smooth, something that most manufacturers cannot lay claim to with their 4-cylinder engines. As our test drive was on a high speed oval, it is hard to say really how the car’s driveline would behave like on our local roads.

The Accord 3.5 liter V6 is delicious - floor it and the Accord rushes off from a stand still with urgency, but sadly if it comes to Malaysia that particular model wouldn’t just share similiar looks with a BMW - it would share a similiar price tag as well. The new 3.5 liter V6 features cylinder deactivation, and when its running on either 3 cylinder or 4 cylinder mode, a green ECO indicator will light up on the meter panel. This the only way for you to know that Variable Cylinder Management is active as the transitions between the cylinder modes are so smooth, you don’t feel anything.

Speaking of meter panels, I was disappointed that the new Accord’s meter panel doesn’t look as “grand” as its predecessor. There is just something about a huge self-illuminating speedo that lights up with crisp clarity during day or night that gives the car an upmarket feel to it, especially since the meter panel is what you’ll be looking at most of the time. The new Accord’s meter cluster consists of two prominent dials with silver rings around them - another homage to BMW?

The new 2008 Honda Accord deals with curves better than the current generation - there is not as much body roll, the steering has more weight, is faster and more responsive. Some of this enhanced driving dynamics are thanks to a lower center of gravity thanks to the 15mm lower floor and the lowering of components like the fuel tank. Again, it’s difficult to judge entirely how the car would act on a curvy B-road as the test track was a high speed oval.

Plenty of nice photos after the jump, including one of a crash test between the new 2008 Accord and the third generation Honda CR-V.

Click here to read the rest of 2008 Honda Accord Sedan Test Drive at Tochigi R&D

Typically in-car GPS navigation systems have been limited to showing instructions on a centrally mounted LCD display, and most modern systems also have voice navigation. Some car companies like BMW have started to display GPS navigation instructions on a heads-up display.

An American company called Making Virtual Solid LLC has another idea. It’s called a Virtual Cable(TM) display. It projects a 3D red virtual cable onto your field of vision, and to get to your destination all you have to do is follow the the cable. You will find some videos of how this looks like after the jump, but MVS LLC says in reality the cable is much more realistic - there’s just so much a two dimensional video can show you.

More information on the Virtual Cable(TM) is available by visiting MVS’s website. You can view three demonstration videos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of MVS Virtual Cable(TM) Display

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Proton had their second stage-by-stage build up teaser for the new Proton Saga replacement, codenamed the Proton BLM last night at Cineleisure Mutiara Damansara. I actually got there late and it was all over, so here are the photos I snapped of the end result of the 2nd night of the build-up activity.

We have already seen a new teaser chassis with a complete roof frame instead of the roofless chassis on the first night, so this 2nd “stage” of teaser might not be very new to us. Proton has added one of the car’s four doors and front fenders and the rest of the roof to the demo car. On the last night of the build up which is on the 17th, we will most probably see the car get front and rear bumpers, the rest of its doors and interior trim.

More photos after the jump, with a total of 8 in this post.

Click here to read the rest of 2nd Proton BLM Stage-by-Stage Teaser Demo

Here are more photos of the new Tata 1 Lakh Car, the Tata Nano. The photos include some of the car’s interior, which is so basic that its seats do not have reclining functions, and the instrument panel lacks an RPM meter.

The red car in this post with the unpainted black bumper is the basic version, which does not include air conditioning. As you can see, its very basic with steel wheels and etc. The yellow car is the more “luxurious” version, if the word may be stretched this far. It includes alloy wheels, climate control and other features.

View all photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of More photos of the Tata Nano

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UPDATE: New Kembara replacement Perodua SUV spotted on Malaysian roads!

Perodua managing director Datuk Syed Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar indicated in a report by The Edge that we will see the launch of the new Perodua Kembara replacement model this year. The new Kembara will logically be based on the new Daihatsu Bego/Toyota Rush, and Perodua targets modest sales of about 300 units per month as they are going to focus on the Viva instead. The Kembara will not be a high volume seller for them.

Just a recap - the Daihatsu Bego or Toyota Rush that the new Perodua Kembara replacement is expected to be based on is powered by a 1.5 liter DVVT engine, similiar to the unit in the Toyota Avanza 1.5. It has a full time all wheel drive system. It first appeared as a concept car called the Daihatsu D-Compact 4X4 Concept.

Shown above is an artist’s impression of the new Kembara previously posted here, or browse the links listed below for more information on the small SUV.

Related Posts:
2008 Perodua Kembara Artist’s Impression
Toyota Rush long wheelbase suitable for Malaysia?
New Daihatsu Terios announced in Indonesia
Daihatsu Terios wins 4X4 of the Year 2007 Award
2006 Daihatsu Be-Go

Source

Tata has unveiled its 1-Lakh Car at the 2008 Delhi Motor Show, and its officially been christened the Tata Nano. The model at the motor show was powered by a 33 horsepower 624cc two-cylinder gasoline engine mated to either a stepless CVT transmission or 4-speed manual transmission. A diesel version will soon follow. The car will initially available with the manual, with the CVT to be available later.

The 4-seater (5 if you squeeze) Tata Nano uses 5 liters of fuel per 100km and meets all Indian local crash test and emissions guidelines. It was also designed to pass international side offset and side crash tests as well as Euro 4 emissions tests. It has a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres

The two-cylinder engine, which uses Bosch’s Value Motronic fuel injection and engine management is mounted at the rear of the car together with the battery. There is a small boot at the front where a person would normally expect the engine bay to be.

The car has no power steering, but being so light I don’t think you’d really need one anyway, plus at its 1 Lakh price point you really can’t complain. It also lacks an RPM meter, with its instrument panel consisting of only a speedometer, a fuel gauge and an oil light. The car will be priced at 100,000 Indian rupees, or 1 Lakh, but customers will pay slightly more than 1 Lakh at the dealers because of taxes and other charges.

This 1 Lakh price tag is for the standard car, which does not have air conditioning. The two deluxe models will cost more. 1 Lakh Indian Rupees is roughly RM8,350.

Tata expects to sell 500,000 units of the Tata Nano, and the car will go on sale in the second half of 2008.

Previous Posts on the Tata 1-Lakh Car:
Tata 1-Lakh car to use Bosch Value Motronic ECU
Artist’s Impression: Tata Abarth 1-Lakh Car
More details on the Tata 1-Lakh Car
Tata set to launch US$2,500 car in mid-2008

The Europestar RCR was officially launched in China on the 9th of January 2008 in Beijing. Europestar is a brand of Youngman Automobile Sales Co. Ltd., and the Europestar RCR is basically a rebadged Proton GEN2.

Youngman is confident of selling the 30,000 CBU units of Proton GEN2s within the 20 month delivery period, and has appointed 40 dealers to support the launch in terms of managing its sales, service and spare parts operations for the Europestar brand in China. CKD operations will begin soon after at Youngman’s plant in Jinan, which has an annual capacity of 300,000 units.

The Europestar RCR is targeted at small business owners, middle-income salaried workers and civil servants between the ages of 25-35 who Youngman expects to find the model stylish, comfortable and yet affordable. Youngman wants to capture 20% of the hatchback market in China within 2 years.

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Proton has updated their Cineleisure Mutiara Damansara chassis with a new one that has a roof structure and some body panels. Compare this to the previous bare chassis here. Now we are able to see clearly the roofline of the car in person without disguise.

It’s not awkward like some Japanese hatch-turned-sedan cars, but I did notice that the BLM is a taller than average sedan, probably to improve the headroom in the interior.

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It’s hard to tell from photos, but you will be able to visualize the shape and size of the Proton BLM’s boot space better in person. Looks acceptable for a small car.

Three more photos available after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Updated Proton BLM Stage-by-Stage Teaser

UMW Toyota Motor has a new Managing Director - Mr Kuah Kock Heng, who was previously the Executive Director of the Groups Industrial Equipment Division, the division which handles the Toyota forklift franchise in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and also in China – Shanghai and Zhejiang Province.

“Mr Kuah has had an excellent track record in managing the Industrial Equipment Division prior to his appointment to UMW Toyota Motor. I am confident in Mr Kuahs capabilities in carrying out his new duties as the Managing Director and to lead UMW Toyota Motor to face future challenges in the competitive automotive industry,” said Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin, Group Chairman of UMW Holdings Berhad and Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd.

Mr Kuah has been with UMW for 25 years. He replaces Dato’ David Chen, who has retired from the managing director position, a position he has held since June 2004. Dato’ Chen has been credited with increasing Toyota’s market share as well as establishing the Lexus brand.