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Nissan Leaf – pilot program to begin in Malaysia in 2012

December 14, 2011 at 4:06 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Local News, Nissan

Word has it that the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle is coming into the country sometime in the first half of next year. Before you get too excited, it’s not a commercial launch, but rather a pilot program that Edaran Tan Chong Motor will be running for the vehicle, which recently added the Japanese Car of the Year 2011-2012 title to its award-winning list.

Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng, ETCM’s executive director, said that the pilot program is in line with Nissan’s comprehensive efforts toward the realisation of a zero-emission society. “The pilot program will involve electric vehicle awareness sharing and experimental drives to Government bodies, members of the media as well as public audiences,” he added.

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Road closures around Dataran Merdeka for Formula Drift

December 14, 2011 at 3:59 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Local News, Motorsports


Click to enlarge map

The Achilles Formula Drift Malaysia 2011 event is happening this weekend (17-18 Dec) at Dataran Merdeka with the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad building as backdrop. Malaysia is the third and final leg of the Achilles Asian Drift Series 2011.

It’s the drift event of the year, and there will be many big and familiar names competing. Defending champ Daigo Saito (Japan) will drift with the likes of Robbie Nishida (Japan), Joshua Boettcher (Australia), Kiki Sak Nana (Thailand) and Rhenadi Arinton (Indonesia), as well as locals Tan Tat Wei, Ariff Johanis, Ivan Lau and Lim Zee King, among other sideways experts.

And because of the location, organisers have announced partial and full road closures that will take place from 15-20 December, which is tomorrow till Sunday. The road closures are for them to set up safety structures at the venue. Refer to the map above and the list below:

Partial Road Closure: 14 Dec (Wednesday 10pm) to 15 Dec (Thursday 7am)
Location: Jalan Mahkamah Persekutuan

Full Road Closure: 15 Dec (Thursday 10 pm) to 19 Dec (Monday 4am)
Location: Jalan Mahkamah & Jalan Raja

Road reopens to public: 19 Dec (Monday 5am)

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Proton Exora CFE – some details on the turbo mill surface

December 14, 2011 at 1:39 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton


Click to enlarge.

It’s just around the corner now, the introduction of the turbocharged Proton Exora Bold, and stuff on the vehicle is coming out of the woodwork faster than that in a leaky boat, it seems. Photos of the supposed Prime variant surfaced a few days ago, and now, what are very much presentation sheets containing engine details have come about, source unknown.


Click to enlarge.

As bandied about earlier, the performance specs for the CFE mill are 140 PS (or 138 hp) at 5,000 rpm and 205 Nm at 2,000 to 4,000 rpm, and there’s a graph that charts the torque curve of the mill, compared to the normally-aspirated CPS engine as well as a 2.0 litre NA engine. Another sheet offers a numerical output comparison against the CPS as well as two competitors, the Nissan Grand Livina 1.8 and Toyota Innova 2.0L.


Click to enlarge.

We’ve also finally managed to confirm that the CFE term denotes Charge Fuel Efficiency, and not the Charged Fuel Enhancement and Campro Fuel Efficient touted earlier. All been very confusing, but hopefully that’s that. Oh, and looks like someone’s been looking at too much Campro, it seems – ignore the “engine camparison” typo, if you will!

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Proton Exora Prime – CFE variant photos leaked!

December 12, 2011 at 6:07 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Proton

More on Proton’s upcoming turbocharged Exora MPV – leaked photos of the Prime variant have surfaced, courtesy of Funtastico, which picked them up from the original source blog, Kizz Kazz.

This follows on the example spotted on a trailer last week, bearing a “CFE Inside” decal on the driver’s door, which should be the turbocharged 1.6 litre Campro version expected to have 138 hp and 205 Nm for output figures. The Exora Bold, as the turbo variant is to be called, will feature smoked tail lamps, rear disc brakes plus a bodykit on the new items list.

Meanwhile, the Prime is said to be the more upmarket version, and the interior features wood-grain panel trim for the centre console, as well as what looks like a Bosch 2-DIN head-unit, according to Harvinder, who says the unit looks familiar!

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Honda CR-Z well received, three new colours available

December 12, 2011 at 2:31 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Local News

The latest Honda and hybrid car in our market, the Honda CR-Z, has been very well received. Launched in early November, Honda Malaysia targeted to sell 100 units by the end of the year, but has received over 300 bookings within a month of the launch.

“Honda Malaysia is very pleased and encouraged by the overwhelming response for the all new CR-Z. We believe that the world’s first 6-speed manual transmission hybrid vehicle has broken new grounds in the automotive choices for Malaysians,” said Yoichiro Ueno, MD and CEO of Honda Malaysia said.

“In our commitment to exceed customers’ expectations, we are pleased to announce that Honda Malaysia will be bringing in three more exciting new colours to add to the CR-Z lineup and to give Honda customers more options,” Ueno san added.

The new colours are Storm Silver Metallic, Milano Red and Crystal Black Pearl, in addition to the original Premium White Pearl. The new colours are expected to arrive by early 2012 and customers can place bookings now. The CR-Z is priced at RM115,000 with a 5-year battery warranty or 140,000 km, whichever comes first. Read our launch report here.

We’re quite happy to hear this update, because the bookings were achieved solely with a manual gearbox variant, a reminder that enthusiasts who love the good old stick shift are alive and (left foot) kicking. For the rest, don’t fret, for Honda Malaysia is looking to bring in a CVT equipped CR-Z sometime in 2012.

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Khazanah selling Proton stake to DRB, says Tun Mahathir

December 12, 2011 at 12:26 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Of the parties bidding for a stake in national carmaker Proton, Khazanah Holdings will sell its 42.7% stake to DRB-Hicom, according to Proton adviser Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The ex-PM added that that Khazanah was selling because it wasn’t pumping more money into Proton, which needs funds for R&D work on new products such as hybrid cars, according to The Star.

“I worry about the buyer (DRB-Hicom) having enough money to inject into Proton. The shares it will be buying are above market price, which will make profitability difficult,” Tun said at the MIDF Investment Forum in Langkawi. “But I believe in DRB-Hicom’s capabilities,” he said, assuring that the status of Proton as a national car would remain after the ownership change.

It was previously reported that there were three parties bidding for the Government’s stake in Proton – DRB-Hicom, a management buyout led by Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh and parties linked to the Naza Group. Today’s report reveals that Khazanah had been also approached Sime Darby Motors, Hyundai-Berjaya Sdn Bhd, and UMW Holdings Bhd.

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Thai Motor Expo: Subaru XV unveiled, and we sample it!

December 11, 2011 at 3:36 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Subaru, Test Drive Reviews

We have returned from the Thailand International Motor Expo 2011, where Motor Image (MI), the Subaru distributor for our region and beyond, unveiled the Subaru XV at its stand.

This XV in question is made in Japan and will go to MI marktes such as Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Malaysia? We have a locally assembled XV to look forward to, scheduled for an October 2012 release.

If you remember, back in July this website broke the news of Subaru’s CKD plans for ASEAN, with Malaysia as the hub. We followed up by revealing the XV as the model to be locally assembled at Tan Chong Motor Assemblies in Segambut, KL. Extra details came in our exclusive interview with Motor Image boss Glenn Tan, where he revealed more about the ASEAN bound XV as well as MI’s big plans for Malaysia. Click here to read the interview.

The XV is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder horizontally-opposed Boxer engine, which is Subaru’s trademark layout. This engine, tuned for good low to mid end torque, is a new unit featuring Dual Active Valve Control System (DAVCS), 150 PS and 196 Nm.

Another USP of the brand is Symmetrical AWD, and the XV feeds drive permanently to all four wheels. The sole transmission choice is a Lineartronic CVT with manual selection. Brakes are discs all round, with the fronts ventilated. The XV’s suspension consists of front MacPherson struts and rear double wishbones.

While the XV’s shape looks similar to the Impreza hatchback’s at a glance, its front and rear styling is unique. It measures 4,450 mm long and had a 2,635 mm wheelbase, figures that are 35 mm and 15 mm longer than the Impreza hatch, respectively. The concept of the XV is not new, but this time, Subaru has dropped the “Impreza” name from the model, like how the Outback doesn’t wear the Legacy name.

We were given a preview of the XV at Motor Image Thailand’s modern Khlongkum hub, modeled after the all-in-one Toa Payoh Subaru hub in Singapore.

The drive wasn’t much to write home about, consisting of only a straight and a slalom run in the centre’s compound, but it did reveal good response and pick up, while exhibiting less body roll and weight shift than I imagined, considering the raised stance. The driver’s seat feels right for me – it goes low enough and the steering adjusts for rake, too.

The XV should prove to be a pleasant drive, but one will first need to remove any image, idea and expectation of a loud turbo Subaru. Yes, those blue monsters wearing gold shoes that roam our streets :)

The pics I took are a good preview of our CKD model, but some details are to be ignored. The point of local assembly is to lower the price, so it makes sense to stay away from the unnecessary luxuries. The sunroof you see here won’t be present, as with the full colour display above the centre stack and HIDs.

The factory stereo is likely to be replaced by a 2-DIN touch screen unit (with possible options for reverse camera/GPS) linked to the original steering audio switches. The shift paddles for the CVT will be present.


Fancy display won’t be in CKD car, but a touch screen 2-DIN HU with GPS/reverse cam might

Exterior wise, this is pretty much it, including the 225/55 R17 wheel size and the distinctive design of the alloys. The XV’s identity hinges on the tough off-roader looks, so the black body cladding and roof rails are highlights of this C-segment crossover. Tangerine Orange Pearl, as seen here, is the car’s signature colour, but less flashy hues will of course be available. I’m sure there will be requests for WR Blue!

Price wise, MI isn’t committing a figure yet, but promised that the XV will be priced competitively with C-segment SUV rivals. A lot depends on the exchange rate, and the Ringgit isn’t exactly faring very well against the Yen, unfortunately.

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Proton mobile teams set out to install compulsory rear centre lap belts for Saga LMST and Gen.2

December 10, 2011 at 2:19 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Proton

Proton has begun a month-long campaign in which it is sending out mobile teams to install the mandatory rear centre lap belt in Saga LMST and Gen.2′s manufactured between 2004 and 2008. The teams are set to visit used car outlets in the Klang Valley, and will be targeting army and police stations nationwide as well as Government offices and public universities.

Installation of the belt is free, and takes approximately 30 minutes per vehicle. The exercise is part of the company’s Rear Centre Lap Belt Campaign to ensure that Proton car owners comply with the Government ruling that will make it compulsory for vehicles to be fitted with the safety device from January 1 next year.

The Proton mobile teams, consisting of eight teams of four personnel each, have installed rear centre lap belts in more than 700 cars since December 5. The exercise complements a series of road shows and other on-the-ground programmes around the country, which began in September.

So, if you own a Saga LMST and Gen.2 and haven’t yet had the belt fitted, you can do so at any authorised Proton service centres – there’s no need to go look for the mobile teams, though if you do spot them around your ‘hood that would be quite convenient.

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E90 BMW 3-Series now with 5 years / 100,000 km thanks to extended BMW Service + Repair Inclusive package

December 9, 2011 at 9:23 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under BMW, Cars, Local News

BMW is now offering the E90 3-Series with its extended BMW Service + Repair Inclusive programme of five years or 100,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. This is an up from three years or 60,000 kilometers offered previously.

Additionally, potential customers can also choose between rebates or a 1st Year Low Repayment Plan which offers installments from as low as RM1,888 per month. This promotion is valid at all BMW authorized dealerships including Auto Bavaria Sungai Besi (03-9223 3200) which is having a Christmas special for the 3-Series.

This includes the sale of pre-registered units this weekend where attractive year-end savings will be offered. Promotion ends on 31st December 2011.

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Proton Exora with turbocharged Campro CFE spotted!

December 9, 2011 at 5:41 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Local News, Proton

Say hello to this interesting looking Proton Exora! The thing that makes it interesting is of course the “CFE INSIDE” decal that can be seen on the driver’s door. We’ve been hearing the CFE term for quite a while now and it started way back in February this year when a test was carried out in the snow.

At this point, we’ve been told by a source that CFE stands for Charged Fuel Enhancement (and not the Campro Fuel Efficient term, as believed), and it’s a 1.6 litre Campro engine fitted with a turbocharger. This engine is also said to function with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or a manual transmission, and is rumored to produce about 138 hp and 205 Nm of torque between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm.

If you look closer at the image above, you will notice smoked tail lamps and rear disc brakes. This might be the same model that was seen in June this year by reader Dg Hafidz, who said he had trouble keeping up with it on the highway. We are not sure how this Exora CFE will be positioned into the Exora line-up, but it could well be a range-topping variant of the upcoming Exora facelift.

Since Proton isn’t making any attempt to camouflage the vehicle, an official announcement could well be around the corner. Stay tuned! And, a tip of the hat to reader Yus, who snapped the photo. On another note, the Campro CFE engine should make its way into other models in Proton’s stable, such as the new Persona or Satria :)

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