Recent Posts (Page 197)

  • Learn about BMW ConnectedDrive at Auto Bavaria Sg Besi this weekend

    In Cars / By / / Comments are Disabled

    Auto Bavaria Sg Besi will be having a BMW ConnectedDrive education session this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) between 9am to 6pm.

    The focus will be on the new 2011 iDrive features such as Bluetooth Audio Streaming and Blackberry E-mail Support, which have been recently added to the 320i and the 320d. F&B will be served.

    This would also probably be a good opportunity to get some good deals on the E90 if you’re interested in one since it is an end of life model.

     

  • Hyundai Veloster with heavy disguise spied in Glenmarie

    In Cars, Hyundai, Local News / By / / 111 comments

    By the looks of it, the Hyundai Veloster is in town – a car looking suspiciously like it, wearing front and rear anti-spy cladding, was spotted over the weekend in Glenmarie by reader Akmal, who has graciously sent us the photos he snapped of it.

    There are giveaways – that distinctive door line that rises sharply to the C-pillar, the striking wheels the car wears and the equally distinctive exhaust configuration.

    It’s already confirmed that the RHD variant is bound for Australia, expected to arrive in the market in late 2011, so it’s looking quite likely that Hyundai-Sime Darby will be bringing this one in, if the mule is any indication.

    More photos after the jump.
    Read more ›

     

  • Volkswagen to debut Golf GTI Edition 35 at Worthersee

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 22 comments

    The Golf GTI is 35 years old, and there will be a special edition to commemorate it. This is the VW Golf GTI Edition 35 that will be revealed at VW Group’s tuning festival at Worthersee, Austria next month. If you remember, they released an Edition 30 five years ago based on the Mk5 GTI.

    The GTI 35′s tweaked 2.0 TSI engine makes 25 horses more than the standard car, taking max power to 235 hp. No torque or acceleration figures were given, but the added power should shave a few tenths of the standard 0-100 km/h time of 6.9 seconds.

    The Edition 35 sports a revised front bumper, a new alloy wheel design plus 35 badges on the door sills. Inside, the special edition gets part-leather bucket seats with 35 badging and a golf ball gearstick.

    More pictures after the jump
    Read more ›

     

  • Volkswagen’s Chinese JV brand with FAW to be called Kaili

    In Cars, FAW, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 14 comments

    The name has been chosen, and Kaili is the name of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive’s JV brand for the Chinese market. According to reports, the first Kaili vehicle on the cards is an electric vehicle, this being based on the production plan submitted to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. No details have yet been disclosed about the EV.

    Kaili is the latest sub-brand to emerge for the Chinese market, which has seen a number of new names coming about of late – SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile recently launched its Baojun brand’s first offering, the 630 sedan, while Honda’s JV concern, Guangqi Honda Automobile, has Li Nian, of which the Everus concept compact car – riding on a Fit platform – was shown recently.

    Elsewhere, there’s the Venucia, which belongs to Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle. It’s all in line with Beijing’s call to encourage global automakers to allow their JVs to create new brands.

    Hopefully, along the way, Kaili won’t be looking to name one of its models the Minok. Now that would be a really, really bad one!

     

  • Peugeot RCZ to be launched in Malaysia next week

    In Cars, Local News, Peugeot / By / / 114 comments

    Ah, if you’ve been waiting for the Peugeot RCZ to arrive, your wait is just about over. Nasim will be launching the 2+2 coupe next week, almost to a year since our test drive report on the car came out, and the car will come in two output versions, 156 hp and 200 hp.

    What’s more, there’s a manual transmission option, in line with the resurgence for stick shifters in the market. Good news for enthusiasts.

    The 1.6 litre twin-scroll turbocharged BMW-PSA Prince mill, in 156 hp and 240 Nm form, gets plonked into the automatic variant, which comes in six-speed form, while the six-speed manual transmission is available in the 200 hp, 275 Nm version.

    The car, which sits on the same platform as the 308, features sound system technology that enhances the driving experience through different engine harmonics according to the rate of acceleration.

    The RCZ is the second of three models to be launched by Nasim this year and will be part of a roadshow at the Bangsar Shopping Centre from May 20-22, so that’s the date and place to pen down if you’re thinking of catching the car in the metal.

     

  • Alesi: Adrian Newey surprised with Lotus Renault GP R31

    In Formula 1, Lotus, Motorsports / By / / 14 comments

    Last weekend’s Turkish GP, which was won convincingly by Seb Vettel, saw both Lotus Renault GP drivers in the points – Heidfeld came in seventh and Petrov was eighth. The team got hold of Group Lotus F1 spokesman Jean Alesi to comment on the race. Here’s what the Stallone lookalike former racer had to say:

    With Heidfeld coming in 7th and Petrov in 8th both Lotus Renault GP drivers finished in the points this weekend, what’s your view on the race?

    As I’ve said before, I think it’s very clear that the car is really competitive, to have two cars finish in the top ten at this stage of the season is great. I enjoyed the race and I had a little moment of real pride when I was watching the post race coverage on RAI (Italian TV and F1 host broadcaster), they had an exclusive interview with Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey and they asked him what had surprised him most this season and he said Lotus Renault GP and the clever exhaust system. Newey is widely regarded to be at the top of his game and to have him say this about the R31 is just fantastic!

    It seemed to be a very interesting race from a strategic point of view, what did you think of LRGP’s four-stop strategy?

    I think the team played things perfectly. The tyre wear for Pirelli was really intense which made for some very entertaining racing. LRGP pitched it just right, I think they have a really good feeling for exactly what works for the cars, drivers and the tyres. To be fourth in the Constructers Championship after just four races is very promising, Heidfeld is only three points behind Felipe Massa in the Ferrari – I think that speaks volumes!

    What can we expect from the next couple of races?

    If the team continues the way they are, I can’t see why there won’t be another top ten finish in Barcelona, but where I really think the car will shine is in Monaco, the week after – the unique street circuit should suit the R31’s special characteristics really well.

     

  • Karamjit Singh to make APRC comeback at this weekend’s Rally of Queensland, driving a CUSCO Satria Neo 2WD!

    In Malaysian Makes, Motorsports, Proton, Proton Satria Neo / By / / 69 comments

    The Rally of Queensland happens in Australia this weekend, and besides the yellow works Proton Satria Neo S2000s, we will be following the progress of another Neo, driven by Karamjit Singh. Yes, the Flying Sikh is back in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) after a six-year absence. He confirmed his entry on the last day of registration.

    Karamjit, Asia’s most successful rally driver, will be competing as a privateer with Indian co-driver Vivek Ponnusamy. The multiple APRC champ and Production World Rally champ will be driving a CUSCO tuned Proton Satria Neo 2WD with private funding from close friends and family.

    After opting out of the season opening Malaysian Rally, which Proton won, Karamjit’s 2011 APRC campaign starts this weekend. He will be gunning to be the 2WD category champion. “I’m very happy to be able to rally at one of the APRC rounds this year. My aim is to be challenging for wins right from my first race,” the 49-year old said.

    But it all depends on the funds available. Karamjit is confident he will be able to attract “strategic partnerships” with government agencies as well as private companies to allow him race the entire season. For next year, Karamjit wants to make a comeback in the Group N 4WD category, if there’s enough support that comes in on time.

     

  • Land Rover Defender all-electric – quietly game for game

    In Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Land Rover / By / / 11 comments


    Click to enlarge

    Do not disturb the animals – well, that would definitely be the case if you’ve got one of these around. It’s an all-electric version of the iconic Land Rover Defender, and it’s meant for use in game parks, where minimising noise levels is as beneficial as reducing environmental pollution.

    Jaguar Land Rover South Africa launched the electric Defender as a concept vehicle at the INDABA tourism exhibition in Durban earlier this week. The vehicle, co-developed with Axeon, Europe’s leading independent developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery systems, is a Defender 110 High Capacity Pick Up with an EV powertrain in place of the standard 2.4 litre diesel engine.

    The Axeon pack has been designed to fit into the vehicle’s engine bay in order to maintain ground clearance and wading height for the purpose-built vehicle. The bespoke battery system also incorporates Axeon’s proprietary Battery Management System (BMS), which monitors the battery state as well as measures and controls key operational parameters, important factors for an EV operating in harsh conditions.


    Click to enlarge

    In testing, the range has been shown to be capable of three times a typical game drive on a single charge – in this case around 80 km, with a 20 km reserve range.

    The electric Defender has been well received by experienced LR drivers, including those from the official Land Rover Experience, and has done quite nicely in testing at the rigorous and gruelling Gerotek test facility in Pretoria. In use, the quiet operation has meant a vehicle with the ability to get closer to animals within a game park. All the better to see you with, one supposes.

     

  • Honda Malaysia building RM50m warehouse in Shah Alam

    In Honda, Local News / By / / 50 comments

    Honda Malaysia today held a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site of its new RM50 million warehouse, which is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2012. Sitting on 12.4 acres of land in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, this 28,000 sq ft warehouse will be built over three phases and will store parts for after-sales.

    “The Malaysian market has been very supportive of Honda and the opening of this new warehouse is in line with the continuous growth of the market in Malaysia. In the last three years, our sales volume has grown by approximately 12,000 units with a 1.4% increase in market share. Opening a new warehouse at a strategic location is a natural course of action as we constantly seek for ways to reduce cost and increase efficiency,” said Honda Malaysia MD and CEO Yoichiro Ueno.

    Ueno added that the location was selected as it met the key criteria of a maximum of 30 minutes distance by truck to all major highways in Klang Valley. With this, Honda Malaysia will be able to shorten the delivery process of spare parts to its dealers. Over 60% of deliveries are to the Klang Valley area.

    The warehouse is designed to maximise natural light and keep electricity costs to a minimum. Besides this, a Jack Roof will also be integrated into the design to help release hot air and improve ventilation.

     

  • CKD Volvo XC60 T5 Powershift replaces 2.0T – RM290k

    In Cars, Local News, Volvo / By / / 18 comments

    In November 2010, Volvo Car Malaysia introduced the first locally assembled XC60, the 2.0T Powershift.

    Now Volvo has replaced the 2.0T with a more powerful variant with more features, the XC60 T5 Powershift, priced at RM289,950 OTR without insurance, which is RM8,000 costlier than the 2.0T. For that, one gets more power and more kit.

    The ‘T5′ moniker may lead many to believe that it’s powered by a five-cylinder turbo, but these days the number in the name no longer denotes the cylinder count. So the XC60 T5 comes with a turbocharged four-pot from Volvo’s GTDI (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) range. It makes 240 hp and 320 Nm of torque, which is quite a jump from the 2.0T’s 203 hp/300 Nm.

    It’s also good enough to haul the XC60 from 0-100 km/h in 8.1 seconds, eight tenths faster than the 2.0T. The engine is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch Powershift gearbox.

    The equipment that the T5 gets over the 2.0T include Pedestrian Detection, Collision Warning now with Full Auto Brake, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist and a new Volvo Sensus infotainment system with a 7-inch colour screen.

    The 2.0T’s CD player is upgraded to a DVD player with a MP3 decoder here, while the Bluetooth hands-free system now comes with audio streaming. This is in addition to City Safety, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and Roll Stability Control.

     
 
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