Archive for International News

When I first read Honda’s most recent press release for the 2009 Los Angeles Autoshow, I thought they were pulling off a very belated April Fool’s joke, judging from the car’s funny name. They’re going to show a car called the Honda P-NUT.

P-NUT stands for Personal-Neo Urban Transport and it is supposed to be a design concept for a futuristic ultra-compact and aggressive-looking coupe. That is what they describe it as, but we’ll have to see what the car actually looks like to see what the boys at LA-based Honda R&D Americas Advanced Design Studio have cooked up.

Last year’s LA show concept was the Honda FC Sport design study, which also so happened to be a two-door coupe of sorts, and as hinted by its name was powered by a fuel cell stack.

The new Hyundai-Kia Motor Group Theta II GDI engine you saw earlier this week will be making its way into Kias as early as the first half of 2010 in South Korea. It will then make its way into UK models in 2011 and probably then the rest of the world.

We don’t get many normally aspirated gasoline direct injection engines here in Malaysia. So far only a handful of cars have featured non-turbo FSI engines here in Malaysia, such as the 2.2 liter JTS engines in the Alfa Romeo range here including the 159, and the Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 FSI.

BMW has stayed away from bringing in the new direct injection N53 engines and have stuck to the sweeter-sounding port injection N52 engines. Even for the 4-pots, it is the reason why our 320i still puts out only 156hp instead of the 170hp+ available overseas. Even the Lexus GS uses a conventional port injection engine instead of the D4 engine available overseas, however the LS has direct injection.

Most companies quote the issue of fuel quality when asked on why normally aspirated direct injection engines are not available here. The NAP Review says there will be a timeline formulated for the introduction of better petrol (and diesel) here in Malaysia so hopefully by that time it will be just right for GDI Hyundais and Kias to be introduced here in Malaysia.

Hmm, it looks like Hyundai’s new ‘angry crab’ look on the Santa Fe does not apply to all markets. This shot of a UK market Santa Fe from the UK press kit shows a much simpler-looking front grille that shares the same look with the Hyundai i series of cars. It’s basically a similiar grille but the three bars have been painted black, and a chrome edge has been added on top. Under the hood is the new ‘R’ diesel engine which is a 2.2 liter all-aluminium block. It makes a very good 194 horsepower with 436Nm of torque when mated to an automatic transmission (slightly less torque with a manual).

Click here to read the rest of UK market Hyundai Santa Fe facelift announced

Of all the GEMA manufacturers, the Hyundai-Kia Group has been setting the best track record in terms of extracting the most power and torque out of their engines. The current generation Sonata and Optima’s 2.0 liter GEMA engine (Hyundai calls them Theta, Mitsubishi calls them 4B11, etc) currently makes around 158 PS to 163 PS, which is probably one of the best in class when you’re talking about a regular engine with only variable valve timing and conventional port injection. The new “Passat CC-ish” Hyundai Sonata’s 2.0 liter Theta II engine makes even more power, now rated at 165 PS at 6,200rpm and 198Nm of torque at 4,600rpm.

Hyundai is now taking the bar higher with the 2.4 liter engine option for the new Sonata. The 2.4 liter Theta II with variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust now gains GDI gasoline direct injection and as a result, can produce 201 PS at 6,300rpm and 250Nm of torque at 4,250rpm. That’s some very good torque figures for a 2.4 liter engine.

Thanks to the lean burn precision that direct injection affords, compression ratio has been increased to 11.3:1. The engine also comes with a three-stake variable induction system. The variable valve timing system has also been improved, with a new drive system designed for silent operation and better durability. The block has also been reinforced, with improvements to the crank and piston design as well. For example, the piston now has a cooling jet under the piston crowd to get more oil onto the piston walls, helping reduce friction and improve economy/power.

Hyundai says conventional port fuel injection is limited in the sense that as the engine spins faster in terms of RPM, valve opening and closing times get shorter and shorter, reducing the time available for the injectors to injet fuel. A DI injector positioned inside the combustion chamber can inject fuel at pressures at up to 150 bar faster. The fuel travel path is also shorter and more direct, thus more control is available over the combustion process.

The Hyundai GDI system does injection in two phases. The first phase is called the pilot injection and ignition, which triggers the piston’s downward stroke. Then during the piston’s descent more fuel is injected and ignited. Hyundai claims this split-injection technique reduces load on the catalytic converter and helps reduce emissions. Optimal operating temperature for the cat is also achieve faster, which means better cold start emissions, a figure which Hyundai claims have improved by 25 percent.

The new 2.4 liter Theta II GDI engine will be available in the new Hyundai Sonata along with the high-powered 2.0 liter engine. No news yet when Sime Darby is bringing the new Sonata into Malaysia, but perhaps it might change people’s perception of Korean D-segment vehicles. Hyundai has also unveiled a 2.0 liter GDI Turbo engine before this.

Geely already has some grand plans for Volvo when it finally takes over the Swedish brand known for safety. It’s a twist of irony for many as Chinese car companies are rather infamous for their iffy crash safety, thanks to the widespread publicity of how badly their dirty cheap models perform in crashes.

A new Volvo factory in China built by Geely will churn out about 300,000 cars per year for the Chinese market, while other Volvo factories around the world will help bring up the total annual output to a whopping 1 million cars! Yes, you can produce all you want but will you be able to sell all the cars you produce? Apparently this is their aim, to sell a million cars a year by 2013, up from 458,323 they recorded in 2008. That’s an increase of about double.

Our very own Volvo assembly plant in Malaysia produces the S40, V50 and the 2.5T variant of the S80 for the local market. The Malaysian plant exports the S40 and the V50 for sale in Thailand. Hopefully Volvo is being rewarded in terms of various incentives appropriately by our government, otherwise there’s just no point for manufacturers to come in and do anything here if the case studies all go wrong.

The other thing that’s bugging people is of course the possibility of Volvo just going down the drain after Chinese ownership. That seems to be what happened to Ssangyong, look where it is now post-SAIC ownership? On the verge of bankruptcy, recovery plan rejected by creditors, and there is even a lawsuit going on now involving Ssangyong hybrid technology being leaked and transferred illegally to SAIC.

Despite Ssangyong being owned by SAIC, as the Ssangyong hybrid tech was developed using some Korean state grants, the tech is registered as state-owned in Korea and cannot be shared without government approval.

Will something similiar happen to Volvo? Will it be siphoned dry and then left to rot, or does Geely have an actual plan to bring Volvo to new heights? A Geely spokesperson today assured that Volvo would be keeping the rights to its technologies but did say Geely would get the right to use those technologies.

BAIC (Beijing Automotive) has unveiled in China its first self-developed electric car, the BE701. The BE701 was built by BAIC’s Beijing New Energy Automotive subsidiary.

Claimed specifications for the car so far looks pretty decent – a 200km range on a full charge, 0 to 100km/h in 15 seconds, and a top speed of 160km/h, which are quite acceptable figures for a car. Maybe not for a car that looks as grand as the BE701 but anyone could live with those sort of specifications.

The 200km range will of course keep it as a city solely for city use, but it will be more than enough for a day’s use before getting to a charge point for an overnight charge.

Beijing Automotive also announced a new clean energy vehicle development and manufacturing facility which it built for 2.28 billion yuan (RM1.13 billion). The facility will be able to churn out 50,000 EVs and 100,000 hybrid models annually.

We should have known this would happen. McLaren and Mercedes-Benz had begun slowly severing their ties, and you can see that from the introduction of the new SLS AMG and the McLaren MP4-12C. And now Mercedes-Benz’s purchase of the Brawn GP team (whom they were supplying engines to this season) will probably mean they could end their partnership with McLaren next season.

The ex-Honda Brawn GP team made history by getting both driver and constructor titles in its maiden race season. The team will now be called Mercedes GP. Mercedes-Benz has taken up a 75.1% stake in the team, while the remaining continues to be held by Ross Brawn and Nick Fry, who will remain as team principal and CEO respectively.

This will be the first time that Mercedes-Benz will have its own team since 1955. They will continue supplying engines to the McLaren team at least until the end of 2015, but I’m not too sure about having their name there. Mercedes currently owns 40% of the McLaren F1 team but McLaren will reacquire it over the next 2 years.

According to the Germans, Mercedes-Benz’s decision to increase their level of F1 involvement was thanks to recent agreements on budget cuts and the higher income share given to teams thanks to a new Concorde Agreement earlier this year.

Wanna know how much you’ll have to fork out for a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG if you’re in Europe? The car itself is sold at 149,000 Euros but you’ll actually have to pay an additional 19% VAT which brings the price up to 177,310 Euros. That’s about RM 892k, excluding the kind of crazy taxes you’ll have to pay to bring such a vehicle into Malaysia.

I’m not sure if Mercedes-Benz Malaysia will be bringing in and supporting this car but you can pretty much get anything at Naza Auto Mall if you have sufficient bank balance for it.

But here’s the thing, even at that astronomical price and with the SLS AMG being a single model car, you won’t be getting the best and most expensive SLS AMG out there. There is a whole list of expensive options that you can add to the car, including some ridiculously expensive ones like a carbon fiber engine cover going for over 4000 Euros, which makes it over RM20k. That’s nearly the price of a basic Perodua Viva here in Malaysia.

• AMG ceramic composite high-performance braking system: €9500 net/ €11,305 gross
• AMG performance suspension with a stiffer setup for optimum lateral dynamics: €1200 net/€1428 gross
• AMG light-alloy wheels in a 5-twin-spoke design, size 9.5 x 19 inches (front) and 11.0 x 20 inches (rear), tyre sizes 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear): €950 net/€1130.50 gross
• AMG forged wheels in a 10-spoke design, size 9.5 x 19 inches (front) and 11.0 x 20 inches (rear), with tyre size 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear): €2000 net/€2380 gross
• AMG performance steering wheel in leather/Alcantara: €400 net/€476 gross
• AMG sports bucket seats: €3300 net/€3927 gross
• AMG carbon-fibre engine compartment cover: €4000 net/€4760 gross
• “AMG alubeam silver” paint finish: €10,000 net/€11,900 gross
• “AMG monza grey magno” paint finish: €3250 net/€3867.50 gross
• AMG carbon-fibre trim (front stowage tray and rear stowage compartment including lid, AMG DRIVE UNIT surround, surrounds for the centre console, shiftgate and rear, trim strips for centre console and door armrests): €3500 net/€4165 gross
• AMG interior carbon package (carbon-fibre trim, trim on seat backrests and sides, door sill panels): €3500 net/€4165 gross
• Leather nappa exclusive single-/two-tone: €2500 net/€2975 gross
• Memory package with electric seat and steering column adjustment, as well as four-way lumbar support: €1225 net/€1457.75 gross
• 6-disc DVD changer: €660 net/€785.40 gross
• Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound system: €5900 net/ €7021 gross

The SLS AMG is an AMG car – there is no non-AMG ‘basic’ version out there and it’s supposed to be a halo flagship model. I understand if you have to pay a little more for in-car entertainment upgrades like the B&O system or the DVD changer but I’m wondering why things like an “AMG performance steering wheel” has to be a 400 Euro option.

I’m assuming its an upgrade from a standard steering but does that mean what you get as a standard steering is “non-AMG” or “non-performance”?

Renault’s production Zoe Z.E. EV and Kangoo EV will be produced in France (although at two different plants), but the EV version of the Renault Fluence will be produced in Bursa, Turkey in the first half of 2011.

That’s over a whole year to go, but since the Fluence is a relatively affordable Megane sedan, an affordable relatively large C-segment (Civic FD sized) electric sedan is a welcome addition in the product offerings of any country. A Malaysian debut seems quite far off in the distance at this moment though, as the Renault Fluence EV will first be launched in Israel and Denmark, and then continue to make its way to other countries.

Fluence EV buyers will get three battery charge options – your regular charge which will take hours, a rapid charge that requires an external charger, and the Quick Drop battery exchange program. With Quick Drop, you basically cycle between multiple batteries with your EV ownership. Drive it into a Quick Drop garage and the system swaps your EV’s depleted battery with a new fully charged battery in about 3 minutes. It’s a very cool solution but of course Quick Drop will probably only be offered in countries that has Quick Drop centers in place.

There has been no talk of an ASEAN debut so far. Perhaps Tan Chong can try for an electric Fluence to be assembled here in Malaysia for local consumption and export. If they price it at RM150,00.99 or something they qualify for a new manufacturing license, zero local ownership requirement, etc etc various other incentives under the new NAP review. Look after the jump for a gallery of the Fluence EV.

Click here to read the rest of Renault Fluence EV made in Turkey from 2011

Despite Americans being known to be suckers for things like a large SUV ‘hybrid’ weighing over 2 tonnes, next year’s Detroit Auto Show (set to be held mid-January 2010) will have a special 37,000 square foot section called Electric Avenue devoted entirely to electric cars. Electric Avenue will be sponsored by Dow Chemical Co, a battery supplier who has EV batteries in the works.

So far a mix of both regular nameplates in the industry as well as new EV startups (seems like getting into the electric car business is quite easy given the accessibility to ready-made components like motors and batteries) have signed up and a total of 20 different cars will be displayed. Will we see Detroit Electric there? You can be sure for Renault to be there with some of their EV cars which use the Nissan Leaf’s EV powertrain.

A JV between Dow Chemical and South Korean company Kokam Engineering recently receiveda US$161 million grant to develop these EV batteries and build them at a $665 million 800,000 square foot facility consisting of an R&D center and production plant in Michigan.