Archive for International News

The new Volkswagen Sharan is a welcome launch at Geneva as the Sharan that it replaces was getting pretty old in terms of looks wise, sticking out like a sore thumb in the updated Volkswagen line-up. The Sharan is a model that will be familiar to us if we’ve been following Proton developments. Long ago before the Exora was launched, Proton was in need of an MPV and a badge engineered Sharan platform MPV was one of the models along with a Perdana based on the Passat that was proposed to fill the gaps in Proton’s product line-up.

Volkswagen highlights the Sharan as being capable of 5.3 liters per 100km on the combined cycle, which Volkswagen claims is a world best in its class for fuel economy. This is achieved with the 140 PS Sharan 2.0 TDI model. This TDI model is also the only engine in the Sharan available with all wheel drive.

The rest of Volkswagen’s range of TSI and TDI engines are also available, and the optional DSG twin clutch transmission is available for soccer moms who don’t want to bother with a clutch pedal. It now also has sliding doors for the rear, replacing the car-like fold out doors that the outgoing Sharan used.

The Sharan measures 4,850mm in length, which is about 30mm longer than rivals like the Ford Galaxy, which by the way shares its beginnings with the Sharan. Its wheelbase is a long 2,920mm – 75mm longer than the outgoing Sharan. The first generation Galaxy was a joint project between Ford, Volkswagen and SEAT. It seats 7, and the seating system is referred to by Volkwagen as EasyFold. The individual seats of the second and third row can be folded down to make a flat floor for the times where you need to transport huge items. The second row can be slide forward and rearward by 160mm and can be tilted by 20 degrees.

Look after the jump for more material on the new Sharan – hi-res photos, a video and a full press release in PDF format. Volkswagen has yet to offer an MPV here in Malaysia with their wonderful turbocharged engines and DSG transmissions. There are a couple of Tourans running around Malaysian roads and there was word of the 1.4 TSI debuting some time ago in a Touran, but it looks like that has been postponed. But I think it’s only a matter of time before we get the Touran here since Volkswagen has plans to start assembling it in Indonesia. And maybe after that they can add the Sharan to the Indonesian plant product mix.

Click here to read the rest of All-new VW Sharan – bigger with sliding doors

It looks like Mercedes-Benz will be phasing out normal aspiration from its AMG cars, with the exception of the SLS AMG for now. The M156 is the V8 engine in the confusing “63 AMG” range of cars. Now I say confusing because the engine isn’t really a 6.3 liter, but a 6.2 liter since it displaces 6,208cc. It makes over 500 horsepower in various stages of tune, with the highest being 563 horses in the SLS AMG where it has been massaged and known as the M159 instead.

Replacing the M156 will be a new M157 – a 5.5 liter (5,461cc) V8 engine with twin turbochargers and direct injection, producing between 544hp up to 571hp. In 544hp tune, the engine makes a massive 800Nm between 2,000rpm to 4,500rpm (1.0 bar boost), while the 571hp version produces 900Nm (1.3 bar boost) between 2,500rpm and 3,750rpm. The engine is a bore-biased engine, with its pistons measuring 98.0mm x 90.5mm.

This engine will be showcased in Geneva installed in an S-Class mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed automatic transmission. That S-Class will be called the S 63 AMG. It will go from 0 to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds with the 544hp tune, while with 571hp tune (which AMG calls the AMG Performance Package), 0.1 seconds is shaved off that number. The AMG Performance Package will also increase the top speed limiter from 250km/h to 300km/h. I thought AMG was the performance thing for Mercedes-Benz cars but now it seems that the performance version has a performance version!

For the first time, an AMG engine will feature direct injection with spray-guided combustion and piezo-electric injectors. Other notable specifications also include a full aluminium crankcase with cast-in Silitec cylinder liners, a Bosch MED 17.7.3 ECU, four-valve technology with electromagnetically adjustable camshafts, an air/water intercooler in between the V-bank, generator management and a start/stop function as standard.

So now the ‘63 AMG’ cars are turbocharged. The other AMG engine in the ‘65 AMG’ cars is already twin-turbocharged. That monster is a 3 valve per cylinder twin spark 6 liter V12, making 604 hp at 4800-5100 rpm and a massive 1,000 N·m of torque at 2000-4000 rpm! 12 cylinders and twin spark means that engine has 24 spark plugs – a huge bill when a spark plug change is due, but probably no sweat to an owner of such a car.

Only just over 20 hours left before the new Proton Concept is unveiled to the world at the Geneva Motorshow in Switzerland. The Proton Concepts teaser website has a new photo uploaded now, showing both the SUV-styled three door version and the silver 5-door hatchback version that was first unveiled. Here’s a recap on what we know of the twin concepts so far:

• The two concepts are a creative collaboration between Proton, Lotus Engineering and design firm Italdesign Giugiaro.
• The hatchback version will have five doors and four seats that are independently adjustable and slide-able.
• The SUV-styled version has increased ground clearance, 3-doors, and it can accommodate 5 instead of just 4 thanks to the interior space saved by the omission of a B-pillar.
• The car was designed to offer interior spaciousness of a D-segment car with the exterior dimensions of an A-segment car.
• The hip point is designed to be at just the right natural and ergonomic height – you do not get down into the car like a short sedan or “climb” up into the car like an SUV.
• It is 3,550 mm in length. That is about a good half meter longer than the Toyota iQ but shorter than the Savvy.
• It uses a special chassis with a raised floor that allows installation of the combustion engine at the front and batteries in the rear
• The cars will use a Lotus Range Extender series hybrid drive. A combustion engine will be mounted at the front and will be used only to recharge lithium ion batteries. The batteries power a motor that turns the wheels.

Click here to read the rest of 20 hours to Proton Concept live unveiling!

The Volkswagen CrossGolf is basically a Golf Plus with offroader styling, much like what the CrossPolo is to a Polo. The ride height has been raised by 20mm, giving ti a ground clearance of 111mm. Over here in Malaysia we only get the standard Golf body as a Golf GTI, so what Volkswagen Malaysia has been selling is the Golf Plus, essentially a larger, higher roofed version of the Golf but still keeping within the C-segment. What you see above is the new CrossGolf which still has pretty much lots in common with the outgoing model technically but has been updated with the new Golf ‘face’.

Engine options include the wonderful 1.4 TSI engine making 160 PS and 240Nm, which is an upgrade from the 140 PS version in the previous generation CrossGolf yet saves about 0.5 liters per 100km compared to the outgoing car. The double clutch DSG gearbox is now on all engines except for the 105 PS TSI engine, and all of the DSG used are the 7-speed version except for the 140 PS TDI engine where the older and more proven wet clutch 6-speed version is used to cope with the typical diesel higher level of torque.

Of course, although with increased ride height it does not have all-wheel drive so you probably can’t consider it a bona fide off roader. If you want a real offroader based on the Golf chassis you can look at the Tiguan, which has been designed to cope with offroading, which is why the DSG has been swapped out for a regular 6-speed auto – it is has creeping ability and is said to be better at handling the kind of movement that’s required of rough trails.

Look after the jump for hi-res photos and the full release.

Click here to read the rest of Volkswagen CrossGolf gets updated ‘face’

This is the new CT 200h, Lexus’ first hatchback which also is “the first full hybrid vehicle to be launched in the premium compact segment”. Based on the LF-Ch concept, this car is meant to lower the entry point of Lexus ownership and attract younger customers to the brand. Production will start late this year.

Designed and developed with Europe in mind, this production-ready Geneva showstar sports much toned down styling from the gold coloured concept that was unveiled in Frankfurt last year. The CT 200h should be about the size of a Golf; its 2600 mm wheelbase is 20 mm longer than the VW’s. The marque’s L-finesse design philosophy and the need for maximum aerodynamic efficiency and minimum wind noise determined the final shape. There’s some interesting detailing going on, but as a whole it looks dull to these eyes; what do you think?

If the exterior design didn’t stick true to the concept, the cabin is downright disappointing after what was promised. It looks high quality, but what happened to the bit about attracting younger customers? Anyway, the driving position is set low, with a highly supportive driver’s seat, says its maker, while in Sport mode, the hybrid indicator in the binnacle functions as a tachometer and the ambient lighting turns from blue to red. Lexus’ mouse-like Remote Touch controller makes an appearance.

The hybrid system in the CT 200h combines a 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol engine with an electric motor. This Lexus is capable of running in fully electric, zero emissions EV mode for up to 2 km (only?) at speeds up to 45 km/h. Lexus says that the CT sits on a new platform with a dedicated double wishbone and trailing arm rear suspension system setup, which combines the ride comfort expected of a Lexus with superior driving involvement and handling agility.

To see what this car might have been, click here to see the LF-Ch. More pics of the CT 200h after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus reveals CT 200h hatchback ahead of Geneva

After the Cayenne image leak today and the impending arrival of the Geneva press days, it’s not unexpected that Porsche has unveiled full press information for the new second generation Porsche Cayenne today.

Porsche has trimmed the fat on this porker a little, for example the Cayenne S gets its weight down by 180kg over the outgoing model. The Cayenne platform’s wheelbase has been extended by 40mm and on the overall, the body is 48mm longer than the outgoing car. The range starts with the 3.6 liter V6 model, the cheapest entry into Cayenne ownership. Power has been upped to 300 horses, and while mated to the 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission, fuel consumption is down by 20% to 9.9 liters per 100km.

The model that spearheads the new range is apparently the Hybrid version, which is no slouch as it gets an “S” in its name. The Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid features a 333 horsepower supercharged V6 engine paired with a 34kW (47hp) electric motor. The car can run on electric power only at speeds of up to 60km/h and while cruising, the combustion engine may stay off and the car may just glide along until a maximum speed of 156km/h.

The Cayenne S Hybrid’s peak power is rated at 380hp and peak torque is a massive 580Nm at – check this out – 1,000rpm! That’s just over idle speed and you already have more (rated) torque than the Cayenne Diesel! Only a test drive will tell if these paper figures are indeed how it will feel like in real life though. The Cayenne Diesel uses a 3.0 liter V6 turbodiesel making 240hp and 550Nm of torque. It’s fuel consumption has been improved by 20%, bringing it down from 9.3 liters per 100km to only 7.4 liters per 100km.

The Cayenne S’s 4.8 liter V8 gets a 23% fuel consumption improvement – it now guzzles only 10.5 liters per 100km. The new engine makes more power at 400 horses compared to the outgoing model’s 385. The monster is of course the Cayenne Turbo, making 500 horsepower. The bumper of the Cayenne Turbo is significantly different to the rest of the range – the intake grilles are far larger in order to provide sufficient cooling. While they add a dose of aggressiveness to the car, it looks kinda overdone.

German prices including 19% VAT:
Cayenne 55,431 Euro
Cayenne Diesel 59,596 Euro
Cayenne S 72,686 Euro
Cayenne S Hybrid 78,636 Euro
Cayenne Turbo 115,526 Euro

Look after the jump for some videos, a full hi-res gallery of the new Cayenne range as well as the full press release in embedded PDF format.

Click here to read the rest of Second generation Porsche Cayenne unveiled!

Fiat’s powertrain division FPT will be introducing its two-cylinder engine at Geneva early next month. At first I thought FPT was the first to bring back the two-cylinder engine back to cars in this modern times but then I remembered that Tata did it first with the 35 horsepower Bosch-powered 2-cylinder 624cc engine in the Nano.

The TWIN-AIR 2-cylinder engine will produce 85 horsepower via turbocharging, and it is part of a new range of small engines producing from 65 horsepower to 105 horsepower. The engine’s CO2 emissions are rated at 95g/km. At Geneva, it will be installed in a Fiat 500, and a production 500 with this engine will be launched in ‘next July’ (does this mean July 2010 or 2011?). It consumes 15% less fuel and has 25% more power than an 8 valve 1.2 liter, while comparisons with a 16 valve 1.4 liter shows a savings of 30% and the same performance.

In terms of installation space, the engine is 23% shorter and 10% lighter. Fiat says because of its small size, the engine is very suitable to be coupled with a motor-assist or mild hybrid type of electric motor positioned between the engine and the transmission. This way the motor will be able to further improve economy via harvesting wasted energy through brake energy regeneration and using the same energy to help the TWIN-AIR engine through electric motor assist.

Look after the jump for Fiat’s full press release and more pix.

Click here to read the rest of FPT to showcase 2-cylinder turbo at Geneva

As we previously reported, Toyota president Akio Toyoda was summoned to Washington to attend a hearing of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 24 titled, “Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public At Risk?”, which the boss of the world’s biggest car company dutifully accepted.

For the hearing, Toyoda, grandson of the company’s founder, had to submit a written testimony and be prepared to provide a five minute opening statement and answer questions posed by Members of the Committee. He’s probably facing some serious grilling this very moment, and while we don’t know what’s going on in Congress, here are some standout excerpts from his written testimony:

“Quite frankly, I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick…Toyota’s priority has traditionally been the following: First; Safety, Second; Quality, and Third; Volume. These priorities became confused, and we were not able to stop, think, and make improvements as much as we were able to before…and our basic stance to listen to customers’ voices to make better products has weakened somewhat”

“I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name. For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well. I, more than anyone, wish for Toyota’s cars to be safe, and for our customers to feel safe when they use our vehicles”

Personally, I feel that Toyoda’s apology is heartfelt; he is not in an enviable position, having to bear the brunt of the public’s anger even though most of the “confused priorities” were in place before he took office mid last year. I was sitting in the front row of the packed press conference at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, listening to Toyoda share his dreams of bringing back fun and driving pleasure to Toyota, thinking that he’s the perfect man to lead the world’s largest car company – how many car company presidents go racing after all? But I fear that with more pressing problems on his plate, his original misson might be sidetracked. And that’s a loss to car enthusiasts across the world.

Read Toyoda-san’s written testimony after the jump

Click here to read the rest of Akio Toyoda: “Our pace of growth was too quick”

Proton and Giugiaro has put up a website over at protonconcepts.com, showing the new Proton Concept Car along with a countdown clock (about over 5 days to go) and a simple question – would you like this to be the future of Proton?

Needless to say, right now the vote count is about 99% in favor of “Yes”. at time of publishing. But it made me wonder – the website is called Proton Concepts, and that’s plural. So there must be more than one concept right?

Autocar once again has the scoop on Proton’s Geneva concept and now we know that there are actually at least two body variants. One is the silver 5-door that we’ve previously seen, and another is this maize-ish yellow 3-door version with SUV styling.

The one with the SUV styling has no B-pillar, has a thicker C-pillar and features some kind of roof mounting device. The alloy wheel design is also different. We also get to see the rear end of the concept cars for the first time. The photos appear to be Italdesign Giugiaro press material but I can’t find it anywhere else on the internet.

According to Autocar, the SUV-styled version has increased ground clearance, and it can accomodate 5 instead of just 4 thanks to the interior space saved by the omission of a B-pillar. The image above refers to Giugiaro demonstrating that the Proton Concept has the interior space of a C/D/SUV segment vehicle, without the larger luggage space of the SUV of course, we are talking about interior space.

Look after the jump for one more photo showing seat hip point.

Click here to read the rest of More Proton Geneva concept pix appear online!

Proton MD Datuk Syed Zainal had a few things to say at a dinner in Hethel today. He and Tun Dr Mahathir are actually in the UK. The ex-premiere had previously visited the Lotus Racing factory and now they are at Group Lotus, where Tun Dr M was briefed on various Lotus projects including the Lotus Range Extender Engine that will make its showcar debut in the Proton Hybrid Concept set to appear in Geneva.

Here are a few details that DSZ revealed:

• The Proton Campro Turbo engine will be available by year-end or latest by early next year, and will be a feature in all Proton’s cars (likely only the larger ones). Looks like it’s on schedule!
• The Lotus Evora will likely be launched in Malaysia by the end of March. Price is unknown yet but it’s still a question mark whether we can expect Malaysia’s tax structure to show mercy to a sports car made by a company owned by Proton. DSZ says Proton is still working with the government on this.
• He declined to reveal any details on a new global strategic partner, but mentioned that discussions not only involved Volkswagen but with Mitsubishi and Renault as well. Proton have worked with both Mitsubishi and Renault before.

Actually if you drop by the COE next to Kesas you can already see an Evora there in the parking lot and it looks pretty good in real life. It’s not pure sex on wheels like a Ferrari but it looks more like a weapon, or at least that’s the impression I got in metal.

Source: Bernama

BMW should be given some recognition award for sniffling out niches no one thought existed (or bothered to look into) with cars such as the X6 and 5-Series GT. The latter is a little puzzling for me; why a gigantic hatch when BMW already has a complete range of ‘X’ vehicles of varying sizes, the 5-Series Touring for those who need to lug around more, and the 7-Series in two wheelbase choices for those who want to lounge? Perhaps they were looking to phase out the 5er Touring?

It looks like that’s not going to happen as the wagon variant of BMW’s latest F10 5-Series will make its world debut at the Auto Mobil International (AMI) Show in Leipzig, Germany in April. By tradition, the German market chalks up the most significant sales for the 5er Touring, so it makes sense to launch it there. Furthermore, BMW has ties with the city, as its plant there builds the 1-Series and the latest X1. AMI will also see domestic debuts for the F10 Sedan, refreshed X5, and updated 3-Series Convertible.

This blog has already driven the F10 5-Series sedan at its international media launch in Portugal. Click here to read the report and view the gallery.

A Fabia “Plus” or a Fabia Sedan soon?

Skoda is planning a new model to fit between the compact Fabia hatchback (Polo based) and the Octavia sedan (Jetta, Golf based). The new vehicle has been given a codename of A Entry for now and the focus would be to price it affordably – around US$13,650. The new model will be aimed at lower income customers looking for a larger family car than what a typical Fabia-class vehicle would offer.

I am guessing that would only mean a new small sedan based on the Fabia platform, perhaps with the wheelbase lengthened a little. As it is, Volkswagen makes a sedan version of the Polo for certain emerging markets and calls it the Polo Classic.

When the new Polo was announced, a report claimed that Volkswagen was planning a larger “Polo Plus” and a “Polo Sedan” for the US market, as the Polo was just too small a car for American tastes. The Polo Plus was to have a price tag of US$13,000 to US$15,000. Skoda’s version can be a more budget oriented version of this Polo Plus/Polo Sedan, if it is priced “around” US$13,000 as the mid price point.

Source

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury marque, is a young brand in the European scene, and is currently still in the process of creating brand awareness and starting up operations. Infiniti’s current Euro range consists of its crossovers and the G family of cars, but to make proper inroads in Europe, one needs a diesel, and for a brand which counts America and the Middle East as main markets, Infiniti has none, until now.

Calling it “phase two of the quiet assault on the European luxury car market” Infiniti has developed a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, the first in the brand’s 20 year history. It will initially be available in both the EX and FX crossovers and the M large sedan, which will make its debut this year. “Although we did investigate the possibility of adapting an existing large capacity diesel for Infiniti, we quickly established that nothing on the market met our exacting requirements,” said Jim Wright, VP of Infiniti Europe.

Designated V9X, the new V6 diesel is built in France and will also be used in Renault and Nissan cars. The direct injection Euro 5 engine produces 235 bhp and class-leading torque output of 550 Nm. As a comparison, BMW’s 3.0d engine makes 245 bhp and 540 Nm. Peak torque is achieved from 1,750 rpm all the way to 2,500 rpm, while as much as 500 Nm is available from just 1,500 rpm. Infiniti says that idle speed is exceptionally low at 650 rpm “with none of the NVH usually associated with a diesel”. It will be paired to a seven-speed auto standard on both crossovers.

Interestingly, Infiniti did not use aluminium or cast iron for the engine block, but Compacted Graphite Iron. CGI is said to offer all the benefits of cast iron and more – it has higher levels of stiffness and noise absorption – but without the weight penalty. And while CGI is heavier than a pure aluminium block, Infiniti says there is no need to add stiffening ribs or extra sound deadening material so the weight gain is comparatively modest. The V9X has the lowest vibrations of all benchmarked engines, according to the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

To adapt the EX and FX to the diesel engine, they get new front subframes, different front bumper designs to enhance air flow as well as redesigned sheet metal within the engine bay to house additional radiators.

The many BMW X6 owners here in Malaysia have something new to look forward to this year – new aesthetics and performance accessories from BMW Performance available for retrofit on their cars.

The aesthetics upgrade called the BMW Performance Aerodynamics Kit features a new front bumper, side sill, and an insert for the rear bumper. Optional are a rear spoiler, rear fins finished in matte black and a front grid finished in high-gloss black. The side view is enhanced by huge 21 inch BMW Performance light-alloy wheels with a Y-spoke design done in a twin-tone finish – a glossy outside surface and Ferric Grey paintwork between the rims.

BMW claims each wheel is about 1.5kg lighter than a conventional wheel of the same size thanks to special production methods. The wheels exact size s are 10Jx21 at the front with 285/35R21 tyros and 11.5Jx21 at the rear with 325/30R21 tyres. That’s bloody wide – its front wheels are wider than my 5-er’s 265 rear wheels! Finally, you can equip a sports exhaust system which features chrome-plated tailpipes which are lighter, reduce exhaust backpressure and offer a sportier sound.

The Performance Power Kit is available for the two petrol-powered versions of the X6. The xDrive35i engine’s output is increased from 306hp/400Nm up to 326hp/450Nm, which is equivalent to the Power Kit upgrade that we’ve seen on other models that are equipped with the N54 twin turbo engine. The xDrive50i model gets its 4.4 liter V8’s twin turbo engine boosted up by 41hp and 50Nm so post-upgrade it makes 448hp and 650Nm of torque. These power increases boost 0 to 100km/h acceleration time for both models by approximately 0.2 seconds.

Click here to read the rest of BMW Performance kits for the BMW X6

Here’s a hotter version of the Citroen DS3 that the French company will debut at the Geneva show in early March, limited to just 1,000 production units. The car is rather unimaginatively called the Citroen DS3 Racing and gets its 1.6 liter BMW-PSA Prince engine boosted up to 200 horsepower, up from the original 156hp unit installed in the stock DS3. Torque gets upped to 275Nm from 240Nm.

Citroen achieved the 200 horses with remapping the turbo and ECU control, “modified and optimized powertrain components” (oh such detail) and installed a special tail pipe and exhaust muffler. To cope with the extra power, brakes have been upgraded to 4-pot calipers at the front and all four wheels get new discs, including drilled discs for the rear.

The steering has also had some updates to be more “precise” and to suit the new larger tyros. The suspension gets stiffer springs, adapted front and rear shocks to handle the increased power, front and rear track gets widened by 30mm, and the car gets lowered by 15mm. Finally, the ESP programming has been updated to suit the new components.

Click here to read the rest of Citroen DS3 Racing limited to 1000 units