Proton Prevé to be launched tonight – check back here later at night for the full details about the P3-21A!

April 16, 2012 at 10:06 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Proton Preve

The Proton Prevé is set to be officially launched by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, later tonight. We’ll be there to cover the event, and will be bringing you all the details about the car when it’s formally introduced, so do check back tonight.

We’ve already previewed the Prevé in both its 1.6 litre turbocharged CFE and normally-aspirated IAFM+ forms through a test drive session a couple of weeks ago, but you’ll finally get to know everything about the car tonight, from price to the entire features and kit to be found on it. Stay tuned for more!

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Dacia Lodgy – seven-seater touts space on the cheap

April 13, 2012 at 7:26 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Dacia, International News

Renault subsidiary Dacia has announced the arrival of the Lodgy, a seven-seater MPV that slots into the fold touting space and affordability as its trump cards. The people carrier, the seventh model in the company’s lineup, is also destined for shores beyond Europe and the EuroMed region – it’s slated for introduction in markets across the globe where the Renault group’s Entry/M0 range is sold.

The 4.5 metre-long vehicle – which will be made in Tangiers, Morocco – can be specified with either five or seven seats. The seven-seat variant comes with a removable third-row 60/40-split bench seat for two passengers, with the rearmost space offering best-in-class knee room (144mm) and head room (866mm).

Volume-wise, with five seats in place, the boot volume is 827 litres, extending to 2,617 litres with the rear bench seat removed, pretty cavernous. Going the seven-seat route brings the cargo space down to 207 litres with all the seats deployed, and 634 litres with the rear bench – which weighs in at only 18 kg – stored in a folded position.

At point of launch, two engines are available for the Lodgy, a petrol 1.6 MPI 85 and a diesel 1.5 dCi, the latter in a choice of two power outputs (90 or 110 hp) The new turbocharged 1.2 TCe 115, first seen under the bonnet of Renault Mégane and Scénic, is set to be added to the list. The engines will be mated to a five-speed manual transmission, with the 1.5 dCi 110 set to get a six-speed manual.

Despite the tip towards the entry-level scheme of things, the Lodgy will be relatively well equipped – kit includes an in-dash multimedia system with touchscreen display, speed limiter, rear parking sensors as well as AC/heater unit air channels to every row of seats.

There’s also ABS, EBD and BA as standard, with ESC available as an option, and the Lodgy comes with equipped with four airbags, these being front and lateral head/thorax units. French buyers will get to take their pick of the new ‘un from four equipment level specifications, with prices starting from 9,900 euros (RM39,900).

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Citroën Numéro 9 concept car to be unveiled in Beijing

April 13, 2012 at 5:14 pm By Chris Ng Filed Under Cars, Citroën, International News

It looks like Citroën will be very busy during the Beijing Motor Show because the French carmaker will be introducing the DS line to the Chinese. And to highlight the occasion, Citroën will be unveiling their latest DS concept, Numéro 9.

Penned in Paris, the Numéro 9 is Citroën’s interpretation of the shooting brake body style, which is basically a love child between a coupé and an estate. And since it is part of the DS line, Numéro 9 gets all of the radical styling like the floating roof and signature grille as well as proportions purposely designed to contribute to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency, which is rated at a CdA of 0.61.

The dimensions for the Numéro 9 are 1270 mm tall, 1,940 mm wide, 1,270 mm tall and a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Plenty of space for the passengers. The sheet metal features subtle hints of violet on deep-black bodywork. The finishing is called ‘Whisper’, which Citroën says is a perfect match for the warmer ‘Californian’ chrome finish. The Numéro 9 uses the ‘Créative Technologie’ that endows the car with a combination of comfort, safety and respect for the environment.

The powertrain consists of a conventional petrol or diesel engine (depending on the market) with an electric motor that drives the rear axle. The motor develops 70hp and 200Nm of torque and is powered by lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged in just 3.5 hours from a standard home socket. Citroën will display the Numéro 9 with the 1.6 THP petrol engine that generates 225 hp and 275 Nm of torque.

According to Citroën, the plug-in hybrid car has a range of 50 km in all-electric mode and uses both sources of energy to move in typical city conditions. It also puts the combustion engine on standby when it is not needed. On highways, the combustion engine works full time to deliver performance. There’s also a ‘boost’ function that adds the power of the electric motor to give the more power, up to 295 hp. It takes Numéro 9 5.4 seconds to complete the century sprint and 25.3 seconds to travel 1,000 metre from standing.

As for grip, the car switches to four-wheel drive mode; the electric motor helps the rear with the combustion engine powering the front. The driver can manually select 4WD mode if conditions get too difficult. Suspension system uses a hydraulic active setup.

I guess we’ll have to wait for more information that will come when the car is fully unveiled.

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Nissan NV200 Taxi – New York City’s Taxi of Tomorrow

April 13, 2012 at 4:53 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Nissan

The iconic Ford Crown Victoria New York yellow cabs are on their way out, to be replaced a Nissan van beginning in late 2013. The 2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi recently made its global debut at a special event in SoHo. The Taxi of Tomorrow then made its way to the New York International Auto Show, which is still ongoing at the Jacob Javits Center.

If you remember, Nissan won NYC’s Taxi of Tomorrow competition, which gives it exclusive rights to provide the replacement for the over 13,000 yellow cabs that criss cross the Big Apple.

It was a rigorous, two-year selection process by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Design Trust for Public Space and Smart Design also engaged with Nissan/TLC in the cab’s design.

“The Nissan NV200 unveiled today will be the safest, most comfortable and most convenient taxi the City has ever had. New York City cabs have always been iconic, and now they will set a new standard. The 600,000 passengers who use taxis to get around every day deserve the cutting-edge technology and top-of-the-line safety features that this model delivers,” said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder powered NV200 Taxi has ample room for four passengers and their luggage, and is obviously a big improvement over the Crown Vic. Access is via sliding doors, aided by an entry step and grab handles. The rear air con is independently controlled and the headliner is infused with active carbon to neutralise odour. The leather-like seat fabric is breathable, antimicrobial, durable and easy-to-clean.

New Yorkers will also enjoy overhead reading lights and floor lighting to help locate belongings. A mobile charging station for passengers, including a 12-volt electrical outlet and two USB ports will be extremely useful for the exec on the go. Safety is not forgotten with front and rear-seat occupant curtain airbags.

But the part that interests me most as a potential tourist will be the NV200′s transparent roof panel, especially nice in a skyscraper dominated city like New York. One day, one day…

The Nissan NV200 is available solely as a panel van in Malaysia. Click here for our previous post on it.

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Prototype EV battery explodes at a GM research lab

April 13, 2012 at 4:49 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, General Motors, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

We sometimes tend to forget that batteries tend to be potentially volatile things – they can, if stressed beyond reasonable measure, go south, like catch fire and blow up.

That’s what happened to a prototype EV battery at GM’s Technical Center battery research lab a couple of days ago – it blew up, leaving plenty of damage but only one person requiring minor treatment for concussion and some checmical burns.

According to reports, a small fire had started due to “extreme testing of a prototype battery,” and the resultant explosion of the battery caused significant structural damage in the area used to test lithium-ion batteries.

GM did not state the kind of battery that exploded, but did say that it was an A123 Systems unit, and that it was undergoing tests that were meant to stress the battery. The automaker was quick to add that the battery was not Chevrolet Volt-related, in a bid to protect the car from more negative publicity than it has had already, with regards to battery-related safety.

In May last year, a Volt caught fire after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) side-impact crash test was carried out on the vehicle, which prompted an investigation on the safety of lithium-ion batteries used for EVs. Last November, a further three Volts were tested by the NHTSA, and two out of three either sparked or caught fire while the third remained normal, the reports add.

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China overtakes USA as BMW Group’s biggest market

April 13, 2012 at 2:21 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News

China is a goldmine for almost every luxury brand out there, from Louis Vuitton to Ferrari. Now, the world’s largest auto market has overtaken the United States as the BMW Group’s largest market, according to figures released by the Munich-based company.

In the first quarter of this year, the BMW Group, which produces BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles, sold 80,014 vehicles in China, an increase of 37% from the same period last year. By contrast, the group sold 75,729 units during the same period in America, up 17% year-on-year. BMW’s domestic market is third, up 2% to 66,222 units.

Expect to see more upward movement, as BMW has just launched the long wheelbase version of its F30 3-Series for China. The Shenyang-made Three has a 110 mm longer wheelbase to cater to Chinese premium buyers, who generally prefer big cabins.

This news comes as no surprise, since China is already the largest market for BMW’s premium segment rival Audi. Mercedes-Benz, the other German heavyweight, counts the Middle Kingdom as its third largest market after USA and Germany.

Japanese premium brands such as Lexus, Infiniti and Acura are way behind the Germans in China, as they don’t produce locally and lack brand cachet. Some are trying to address the situation – for instance, Nissan’s Infiniti is looking to sell 100,000 units in China by 2016, five times the amount it managed last year.

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Assemble your own Toyota 86. Take a photo. Win prize

April 13, 2012 at 2:06 pm By Chris Ng Filed Under Cars, International News, Local News, Toyota

Now that we’ve got your attention, yes you can get your own Toyota 86 without the six-figure price tag. You see, owning one does require some effort and deft fingers on your part. But it will all be worth it.

Gazoo Racing has so very kindly designed a template that allows you to build your own Toyota 86.All you need to do is to download the template and follow the instructions given. By the way, it is all in Japanese but the steps are clearly laid. We think you can handle it.

And we’d love to see your craftwork. So, take a photo of your completed Toyota 86 and post it on our Facebook page. The most creative picture will get a prize. What prize? Let’s keep it a surprise. Make sure you submit the photos by April 30, 2012 at 11.59pm. Get cracking.

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Subaru BRZ – domestic deliveries delayed to Jan 2013

April 13, 2012 at 12:13 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Subaru

Well, it’s all hot like burning where Subaru’s BRZ is concerned. The Nikkei reports that its maker, Fuji Heavy Industries, swamped with orders and unable to keep up with production, is set to push back Japanese market deliveries of the vehicle to January 2013.

Production of the BRZ, developed with Toyota and twin sister to the latter’s GT 86, began last month on March 16 at Subaru’s Gunma factory in Ota-city, Japan, where the GT 86 is also being built.

The car went on sale in Japan on March 28, and delaying shipments to next year after just two weeks or so being on the market is an extremely rare situation for sports cars, which draw limited demand, the report adds.

Orders for the BRZ are now about four times as much as what Fuji Heavy had expected. The car made its ASEAN debut in Singapore earlier this month, where Danny managed to get up close and personal with it, albeit all too briefly for his liking. The Toyota 86 is set to make its way here soon too, what with pricing announced and order books opened – at this rate, Japanese 86 buyers might be set to face delivery shortages too!

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JPJ to open bid for personalised number plates next year

April 13, 2012 at 11:02 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News

Don’t see the big deal in ‘WWW’ number plates? Reports emerged earlier this week saying that vehicle owners will be allowed to bid for personalised vehicle registration numbers (NPP) from 2013. Cars, bikes, lorries and buses are eligible, but not taxis. There’s clearly a demand for such things, so it makes sense for JPJ to increase their revenue.

“The NPP is one of the new initiatives by the JPJ to members of the public. We will be able to introduce it once our computer system is upgraded and new security features are incorporated,” said JPJ director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan. JPJ was allocated RM282 million to upgrade its system as part of the Government Transformation Programme.

Solah explained that the bidding exercise will be divided into two categories, namely exclusive and non-exclusive. A non-exclusive NPP can belong to more than one individual while an exclusive one is the property of one person. The non-exclusive NPPs will be cheaper and offered via a tender exercise. For exclusive NPPs, JPJ will determine the cost to the bidder.

“The bidder will then have the right for the NPP from numbers 1 to 9999,” he said, adding that the JPJ had yet to finalise the cost for the NPPs. Also not yet finalised is the the number of characters that would be allowed for such registration plates.

Current vehicle owners can bid too, but they will need to buy a new vehicle to place their existing number on. Finally, our cars can wear their names with pride. In my dreams, I have a cili padi called Megan. What’s yours?

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Two Honda concepts teased ahead of Beijing Motor Show

April 13, 2012 at 10:02 am By Chris Ng Filed Under Cars, Honda, International News

Take a look at the two pictures you see here. The line drawings are from Honda and it is supposed to depict the two concept cars that will be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show later this month. Incidentally, it is not only the concepts will be introduced but the CR-Z, Insight and Fit Hybrid will also get their debut in the Chinese market.

Honda did not release meaty information about the car other than the concepts will have a ‘focus on Chinese customers’. The first concept obviously has the typical lines of a people mover, the rear end reminds of the Honda Odyssey, so this could be a seven-seater MPV.

The other could either be a sporty model, a coupe perhaps? It is definitely not the Integra, which is now a motorcycle. And it is definitely not the NSX Concept; it will be shown together with the RDX and the ILX in the Acura booth. So, are we seeing the first lines of the Prelude? Or could this be another version of the Accord Coupe Concept as guessed by caradvice.com.au? It’s anyone’s guess at this point.

We will definitely get more information as we creep closer to the start of the Beijing Motor Show. In the mean time, your thoughts please.

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