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Toyota and BMW discussing broad partnership on environmental vehicles, primarily for Europe

November 29, 2011 at 11:06 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News, Toyota

In this day and age, it’s making more sense to expand your horizons by working with others. Toyota, it seems, is certainly of this belief – word has it that the Japanese automaker is discussing a broad partnership in environmental vehicles with BMW, including procuring diesel engines, according to reports. The proposed arrangement will see BMW providing diesel engines for Toyota’s passenger vehicles sold in Europe, in all likelihood 2.0 litre versions for midsize cars. No word as to the scale of the arrangement, and when it’s due to begin, as of yet.

Meanwhile, the partnership will see BMW being able to leverage the benefits of scale for diesels, and the move is also seen helping the German automaker improve the competitiveness of its green vehicles, where it will be able to expand its lineup by working with Toyota, which is expected to share its technologies for hybrid systems and related areas if requested, the reports add.

Toyota has struggled to improve its market share with its hybrids in Europe, where roughly 60% of passenger cars are powered by diesel engines. The company’s European sales fell by 9% to about 810,000 units in 2010, and it holds only a 4% share of the market. With demand for diesel vehicles forecasted to grow, the deal would help Toyota reduce development expenses by having domestic and Polish factories make diesel engines for fewer models.

The world’s major automakers have been reluctant to form partnerships in eco-friendly vehicles as each seeks to gain a competitive edge by promoting original technologies, but with demand for green vehicles growing in line with rising crude oil prices, it has prompted automakers to join forces to slash development costs for core technologies, as well as capital investment, in order to cut vehicle prices.

If it comes through, the move will be Toyota’s second green-technology tie-up with another major automaker, following its agreement in August to develop hybrid-vehicle systems with Ford.

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Perodua Myvi – 1.3 litre model begins selling in Mauritius

November 28, 2011 at 12:10 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua

Perodua has begun selling the New Myvi 1.3 litre in Mauritius, with the first 22 units already on Mauritian shores. The car, which is available in four variants (AT and MT, in Standard and Premium versions), was launched by Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius, the Honourable Dr Ahmed Rashid Beebeejaun, last week.

Mauritius has long been an export market for the company – since 1996, Rauf Dusmohamud and Co has sold a total of 1,227 Perodua vehicles in the country, with models ranging from the Kancil, Rusa, Kenari, Kelisa and Viva to the Myvi.

Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh expect’s Perodua’s overall sales performance in Mauritius to grow by 67% to 200 units in 2012 from the 120 units expected this year.

He added that P2 is planning to increase its overall export sales to 20,000 units by 2015 from an expected 8,000 units this year.

“This plan, which is a part of our 5-year strategic road map, involves increasing the export volume to our existing markets, while at the same time exploring to new right-hand drive markets that has similar standards as Malaysia,” he said.

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Suzuki wants to divorce VW, taking the dispute to court

November 25, 2011 at 3:29 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Suzuki, Volkswagen

We saw it coming, and the sour relationship between Suzuki and VW is now going to the courts, with the Japanese bride demanding that her estranged German husband sign the divorce papers.

“Suzuki is today commencing arbitration proceedings in London with the ICC, International Court of Arbitration, in order to compel Volkswagen AG to dispose of its Suzuki shares to Suzuki or Suzuki’s designated third party,” the company said in a statement released yesterday.

“The arbitration proceedings follow Suzuki’s termination of its alliance, and Volkswagen AG’s lack of response to Suzuki’s requests for the disposition of its shares,” it added.

The Japanese small car expert declared last week that it had ended its alliance with VW, and demanded that the German giant sell back its stake in Suzuki by November 2012. Suzuki also warned that it would seek arbitration if VW refused to sell the 112.21 million shares, or 19.89%, back to Suzuki or an appointed third party.

Suzuki’s executive VP Yasuhito Harayama was previously quoted as saying: “It was made very clear when we tied up with Volkswagen that we did not want to become consolidated, and that we would remain independent. We feel we need to return to the starting point, including over the ownership ratio. The understanding that we are independent companies, and equal partners, is the absolute prerequisite in pursuing any specific cooperation.”

Besides that, Suzuki has complained that VW failed to provide promised access to green technologies, while VW is sore about the supply of diesel engines to Suzuki from Italian rival Fiat.

VW denies any wrongdoing in the marriage and dismissed Suzuki’s claims that it had violated terms of partnership. “Volkswagen categorically rejects these accusations. We are very disappointed (by Suzuki’s decision to seek arbitration). There is no legal reason to take such action,” a company spokesman told AFP.

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Volkswagen Passat Alltrack – VW does an Audi Allroad

November 24, 2011 at 11:28 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Volkswagen

The upcoming Tokyo Motor Show will see Volkswagen give this Passat Alltrack a world debut. The Alltrack is basically a raised and tougher looking Passat wagon with VW’s 4Motion AWD system, pretty much the same recipe as Audi’s Allroad wagons. The Passat Alltrack is positioned between the standard Passat Variant and the Tiguan SUV.

VW’s rationale is that there are many who use their car as a towing vehicle, or in light off-road situations, who want a versatile, sporty and roomy passenger car with rugged qualities. The Alltrack is defined by new SUV style bumpers with wheel well and side sill flares.

Compared to the standard car, it has greater off-road ramp angle (12.8 degrees), approach angle (16 degrees) and departure angle (13.6 degrees). The 165 mm ground clearance has been raised by 30 mm.

Two TSI engines (160 PS/210 PS) and two TDI units (140 PS/170 PS) are available. The more powerful engine from each camp have standard 4Motion AWD and a dual clutch DSG.

Something new here is the ‘Off-Road Driving Programme’ from VW’s SUVs. It works up to 30 km/h and electronically tailors settings for the AWD hardware including the electronic differential, ABS, torque control, hill descent and, in DSG-equipped cars, gearbox shift points to provide easier and better off-road performance.

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New Porsche 911 Cabriolet gets magnesium frame soft top

November 23, 2011 at 1:17 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Porsche

Recent 911 Cabriolets were slightly awkward looking, like hunchbacks, but fat. This is the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet based on the 991 Coupe that made its debut in September in Frankfurt. Like the tin top, the Cabrio looks leaner and more dynamic than the 997 based roadster. It’s lighter than before, too.

The big news here is that the roof is an all new design. Throwing out the multi-layered fabric item from the 997, this hood uses a fabric skinned composite panel, which provides a nicer shape and a better fit. Porsche also says that this new roof, which takes just 11 seconds to raise or stow, is more resistant to high speed buffeting. There’s also an automatic wind deflector.

The roof is laid on a magnesium frame, and the glass rear window is glued directly to the outer fabric skin. The lowering and closing process can be done at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

Powertrains are identical to the Coupe. The Cabrio’s backside houses a 3.4-litre flat six with 350 hp/380 Nm driving the rear wheels via the world’s first seven-speed manual gearbox. The Carrera S Cabriolet comes with a 3.8-litre flat six with 400 hp and 440 Nm. Porsche’s twin-clutch Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) will be a popular option, delivering better fuel consumption and acceleration than the stick shift.

Zuffenhausen says that with the longer wheelbase (stretched by 100 mm to 2,450 mm), the wider front track and the new electro-mechanical power steering, the new Cabriolets offer sportier driving characteristics, greater precision and agility.

How does it look like with a fixed roof again? View a gallery of the 911 Coupe here and some videos here.

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Tata Nano improved for 2012 – more power and economy

November 23, 2011 at 11:00 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, India, International News, Tata

The Tata Nano, famous as the world’s cheapest car, hasn’t been as hot-selling as Tata has hoped, although it has been hot enough to catch fire occasionally. Tata seeks to reverse this (sales, not fire risk) by improving the small car for 2012. More power, more economy, more features, but at the same price, is the formula used.

The 600 kg Nano’s 624 cc engine gets slight improvements – it now puts out 38 PS (was 35 PS) and 51 Nm of torque (was 48 Nm). Claimed best case fuel consumption is now 25.4 km/l from 23.6 km/l. The nano has a top speed of 105 km/h and the ability to climb 30% inclines.

There’s also a revised suspension set-up, including an anti-roll bar at the front, a “steering mechanism made even easier” plus a racier sounding exhaust note for “a more assertive road presence.” Booster-assisted brakes, already available in the CX and LX trim, have now been added to the Standard as well. There’s also the addition of bright new colours, including the likes of Neon Rush, Mojito Green and Papaya Orange.

The better news for Indians is that there will be no price increase. The Nano Standard is priced at Rs.1.40 lakhs (RM8,500), the Nano CX Rs.1.70 lakhs (RM10,300) and Rs.1.96 lakhs (RM11,870) for the top spec Nano LX, which includes kit like central locking, front power windows, body coloured bumpers, fog lamps, electronic trip meter and full wheel covers. Downpayment starts from a low Rs.15,000 (RM908) with financing tenure up to 60 months.

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India’s Premier Rio CRDI is a diesel-powered Kembara!

November 23, 2011 at 3:23 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, India, International News, Perodua

Miss the Perodua Kembara? Some might, but we reckon most don’t. Here’s something you might not know – the Kembara a.k.a. Daihatsu Terios is still on sale in India today, where it’s known as the Premier Rio. Billed as “India’s first compact SUV”, the Rio is available as a 1.2 petrol (77 PS/104 Nm) or a 1.5 turbodiesel with 65 PS and 152 Nm.

India’s car buyers have embraced diesel big time, but the Rio diesel hasn’t been selling well. That’s because the current oil burner doesn’t meet the country’s Bharat Stage IV emissions standards (we’ll just have to wait till 2014) that most big cities already use – it’s just BSIII compliant. But reports mention that from next year, the Rio will be adopting a BSIV compliant diesel engine to be more competitive.

This diesel engine is question is said to be the 1.3-litre Multijet sourced from Fiat. Indians are very familar with this license built engine, as it also powers top selling cars like the Maruti Swift and Tata Indica Vista, among other models. The proven engine puts out 75 PS and 190 Nm at 2,000 rpm, which should be very useful in small cars.

Perhaps if we had such an engine with the Kembara, we would have missed it more!

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Lexus unveils GS 250, the first ever GS to go below 3.0L

November 22, 2011 at 5:43 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Lexus

Lexus has revealed another engine option for its all new GS saloon at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition. It’s the GS 250, and we saw it coming.

Back in August, before the launch of the 5-Series fighter at Pebble Beach, it was reported that Lexus will for the first time offer an engine smaller than 3.0 litres in the GS, allowing it to better challenge German rivals, who all have sedans this size with smaller engines. It makes sense for our region, and UK is also a recipient of this variant.

The GS 250 is powered by a 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine with D-4S direct port injection and Dual VVT-i intelligent valve timing. Maximum output is 206 hp at 6,400rpm and peak torque of 253 Nm is delivered at 4,800 rpm. 0-100 km/h is done in 8.6 seconds on to a top speed of 228 km/h. Combined cycle fuel consumption is 11.2 km/l.

The performance is on a similar level with the F10 BMW 523i, which 2.5-litre straight-six puts out 204 hp and 250 Nm. It does the century sprint a tenth faster than the Lexus.

The V6 is matched to a Super ECT-i close-ratio intelligent six-speed automatic transmission, with a sequential manual shift function. The system has been tuned to deliver faster shift speeds, earlier torque converter lock-up and downshift throttle blips, complimenting a range of different drive modes available through the GS 250’s Drive Mode Select System.

More info and pics of the new GS in our previous post here.

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GALLERY: Mazda CX-5 gets Kodo looks and Skyactiv tech

November 22, 2011 at 1:10 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda

I just realised that we haven’t had a proper all round look at the new Mazda CX-5, which was unveiled in production form at Frankfurt in September, so here you go. This gallery shows Mazda’s smallest SUV inside and out, allowing us to view the new Kodo (Soul of Motion) design from all angles, as well as the sedate business-like cabin that hints at BMW.

The CX-5 has a relatively lengthy wheelbase of 2,700 mm, which is 30 mm longer than the Mitsubishi ASX’s. Mazda says that it has class-leading rear seat legroom of 997 mm, while there’s 500 litres of useable luggage space (including a sub trunk) maximised by removing protrusions. The “Karakuri” rear seats split fold 40:20:40 (which is very unique) and there’s a remote fold-down function.

We also see a 5.8-inch colour touch screen monitor on the dashboard, which contains Mazda’s new new HMI system and a navigation system based on the latest from TomTom. A Bose stereo is on the options list.

The CX-5 will come with Mazda’s revolutionary Skyactiv engines. The Skyactiv-G 2.0 petrol boasts the world highest compression ratio of 14.0:1, with its 4-2-1 exhaust system preventing knocking and providing good torque from low engine speeds. In the FWD model, the 2.0 makes 165 PS and 210 Nm, and in the AWD there’s 160 PS and 208 Nm. Mazda says that a 2.0 FWD model with 6-speed manual and i-stop will only drink 6.0 litres of fuel per 100 km combined.

There’s also a Skyactiv 2.2 diesel with the world’s lowest compression ratio for oil burners at 14.0:1 and a two-stage turbocharger. Mazda says that this high tech engine can clear Euro 6 emission standards without the need of any NOx after-treatment systems. Two variants are available, a High Power 175 PS/420 Nm version and the standard 150 PS/380 Nm unit. With a 6/MT with i-stop, this engine needs just 4.5 litres per 100 km combined.

Transmission wise, Mazda promises double-clutch performance for the auto and a “light and crisp shift feel known from the MX-5″ for the manual. Both are six speeders, which is enough, really.

The CX-5 looks good and sounds impressive, especially the Skyactiv bits. Like what you see?

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Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder – Topless RWD Fun

November 21, 2011 at 5:52 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Lamborghini

This is the latest bull from Sant’Agata Bolognese, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder. As the name suggests, this latest Gallardo variant comes with a 550 hp V10 engine, and the “-2″ stands for the two driven wheels, the rear ones. So this is a mid-engined RWD beast, the topless sister of the tin top LP550-2 Valentino Balboni.

“With the Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder, we are expanding the Lamborghini lineup with a purist model that adds yet another dimension of driving fun. This will appeal in particular to a very special group of customers that enjoy a spirited driving style and also like to experience the sheer pleasure of open-air driving. This special model with RWD is a logical expansion of our lineup of spyder models with AWD,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Lamborghini.

Lambo says that the LP550-2 Spyder is for those who “enjoys a particularly hands-on and spirited style of driving,” while assuring that the setup tuned to “ensure that the rear end remains reliable and stable at all times.” Playing angel and devil, Lambo further tells us that “controlled oversteer is not a problem, although always and only to the extent prescribed by the driver.”

Compared to the AWD Spyder, this one has a specific damper setting and adapted aerodynamics. The rear axle is fitted with a 45% locking differential. While the standard ESP program puts a priority on stability, Corsa mode allows larger drift angles and delivers a “highly intensive appreciation of the full dynamics of the LP550-2.” What colourful language!

The 1,520 kg LP550-2 does 0-100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds on to a top speed of 319 km/h, and Lambo says there’s no problem doing it (we mean top speed runs) al fresco.

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