Archive for Cars

Proton filed the design of the new Proton MPV with the UK Intellectual Property Office on the 24th of October 2008 and it was approved on the 4th of November 2008. We can now see in full detail of how the new Proton MPV will look like, though it’s only the low resolution sketches that are available from the public UK IPO website. It looks pretty much similiar to the images of the model that appeared to be snapped in a Proton facility. Everything matches, including the chrome bar at the rear. The Proton MPV is scheduled to be released in early 2009.

For more spyshots and details, please visit the related links listed below.

Related Posts:
Proton MPV exclusive initial details revealed!
SPYSHOT: Proton MPV next to a Nissan Grand Livina
SPYSHOT: Proton MPV on the road
VIDEO: Not one, but TWO Proton MPVs on the PLUS highway
VIDEO: 2009 Proton MPV on the MRR2

Thanks to moha774 for the tip!

Siam Nissan Automobile launched the new Nissan Frontier Navara Calibre in Thailand yesterday in both King Cab (639,000 Thai baht) and Double Cab (715,000 Thai baht) bodies only with a 6-speed manual transmission. The Calibre is a 4X2 truck but features 4X4 styling upgrades such as a more muscular wheel arch, a raised ride height, tubular side steps, and a new rear bumper.

Under its hood is a version of the 2.5 liter YD25DDTi turbodiesel engine with a variable geometry turbocharger that has been detuned compared to the High Power version, producing 144 PS at 4,000rpm and 356Nm of torque at 2,000rpm.

Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co currently sells the Honda Civic sedan in China (as opposed to Guangzhou Honda which decided to develop a C-segment sedan from the City platform as the rights to the Civic belongs to Dongfeng) but was considering launching the hatchback version of the Honda Civic as well.

After some consideration it found that the Euro Civic’s price tag may be a deterrent to sales as its estimated to be about 26,000 yuan higher than the sedan model. The Chinese car buyers who love getting the most metal for their money (they even have a special long wheelbase version of the E60 5-Series) will find it hard to accept that a small hatchback version of the Civic costs more than a larger sedan model.

So Dongfeng has decided to develop its own Civic hatchback, which will be based on the Civic sedan platform. This means a multilink rear suspension instead of the Civic hatchback’s torsion beam.

Source

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This is an artist’s impression of the upcoming Perodua MPV that is set to be released in Q3 2009. Theophilus Chin’s rendering is based on the upcoming Toyota-Daihatsu compact MPV project that is set to be launched in Indonesia in early 2009. The Malaysian launch will come soon after.

Theophilus has given the Perodua version of the new Toyota compact MPV an aggressive front bumper inspired by the front bumper of the Daihatsu Sirion Sport. The bulging nature of the front bumper’s wheel arches are to complement the slightly bulging rear wheel arch that the Toyota version has. The grille has hints of the new Hyundai i-series grille in it while the headlamps are inspired by the JDM Toyota Camry.

And there’s of course the Perodua badge. This is probably much more accurate than the random impression posted here some time ago.

Toyota’s new compact MPV set for a 2009 debut

As a recap, here is a table comparing the dimensions of the new Toyota MPV versus some other MPVs available in our market, as well as competing MPVs from other manufacturers.

For more details on this new compact MPV, visit the related links.

Related Links:
New Toyota MPV: details of the new 3-row compact MPV that Perodua will also build!

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Two Honda Fit concepts (the car known as the Honda Jazz on our local shores) are being exhibited at the SEMA show this week. One is the 2009 Honda Fit MUGEN Concept, which is equipped with a line of new MUGEN accessories that will be available through US dealerships.

The other one is the Tjin Edition 2009 Fit project, which is done up by Gene Tjin. It’s more of a luxury pimpage, which gives it a set of 16 inch BBS RS alloy wheels and a Webasto TVS 900 aftermarket sunroof. On the interior you get some really posh looking leather seats that somehow look rather heavily padded and promises to be really comfortable. A nice Realm Audio aftermarket audio system is installed too.

If you notice, the Honda Fit looks less like a cute bulbous little thing in US. This is due to their crash test standards which usually call for larger bumpers, making the Fit look longer and more grown up than our version.

Look after the jump for more shots of the SEMA Fits.

Click here to read the rest of SEMA: Honda Fit by MUGEN and Gene Tjin

These excellent shots of the upcoming BMW Progressive Activity Sedan (BMW PAS… future Terengganu exco car replacing the new E200Ks if PAS ever regains control of Terengganu?) were shot by reader Zakwan in HohenSchwangau, about a 2 hour drive from Munich where the BMW headquarters is.

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These shots reveal not very much of the rear brakelamps, but we are able to see the sleek, compact and upwards-pointing headlamps that probably follow the theme set by the new F01 7-Series. You can expect large kidney grilles with this car as well.

The BMW PAS was originally rumoured to be called the V5, part of a new V-Series which were supposed to consist of *gasp* BMW MPVs. It definitely doesn’t look like an MPV of any sort. It’s more of a fastback version of the 5-Series. Many car manufacturers offer a third model variant to its large sedans - a fastback or a hatchback in addition to the conventional sedan and estate bodyshapes. The Mazda6 is one of them.

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Yes, that’s probably what it is, a version of the BMW 5-Series Touring with a sloping rear roofline designed to compete against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. It may not be called a 5-Series though… maybe an X4 or something. I really don’t know.

The shot above reveals a dual trapezoidal tailpipe configuration for the exhaust system. Various spyshots of the BMW PAS around the internet has revealed a couple of other tailpipe configurations as well. What we’ve seen so far is a twin-tailpipe exhaust on one side of the car which could be a baseline model or a diesel model, a quad-tailpipe version (two twin tailpipes on each side), and also a dual round tailpipe configuration on either side of the car which could belong to a variant power by the N54 3.0 liter twin turbo petrol engine. These trapezoidal tailpipes likely indicate the 4.4 liter twin turbo V8.

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The multi-spoke wheels on this test vehicle also look like one of the larger ones we’ve seen installed on this car so far, which indicates this is probably one of the top of the line variants.

The Nissan Navara was launched today and is now available for sale at all Nissan dealers. The Navara does not replace the Frontier but is positioned as a new offering above the Frontier, priced at RM103,721.90 for the sole 2.5 liter automatic model in Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak prices are both RM104,800.00. Nissan has been offering both models in alot of countries now, with the old Frontier renamed as the D22 or the NP300 but sold in limited quantities.

Look after the jump to find out more about the new Nissan Navara.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan Navara with 174 PS launched in Malaysia!

Kia is not missing out on a chance to display a pimped out Kia Borrego SUV at the 2009 SEMA Show, and while you won’t see rappers deciding to roll down the sunset strip in this vehicle, perhaps their manager’s PA’s PA or something like that will settle for this.

Those wheels are 22 inch Avarus Chrome wheels wrapped with 285/45R22 tyres, plus the ride height has also been lowered. It’s not too flashy really, sporting nothing much other than the wheels and the black and chrome treatment for the body.

Look for a full gallery of the Borrego Limited after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of SEMA: Kia Borrego Limited Concept

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Honda exhibited a Honda Factory Performance Accord Coupe at last year’s SEMA show that came with a reduced ride height, a bodykit and 19 inch wheels but that was about it. It was still rather sedate and understated, which is actually what most people would want a classy D-segment coupe to be anyway.

This year there’s a more radical ride prepared by Galpin Honda, a Honda dealer in Los Angeles. The Galpin Accord Coupe features a flashy blue paintjob with a carbon fiber hood and a GT wing at the rear, as well as a really low ride height and huge wheels.

There seems to be some form of intercooler at the front but it might just be a fake one for show as part of the front bumper, because look at the size of those tiny brakes! For some odd reason the front brakes look like they’re stock standard but the rear gets small but crossdrilled discs (look at enlarged pics for detail).

Look for two more shots of the Galpin Accord after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of SEMA: Galpin Honda Accord Coupe Concept

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This year’s Honda Civic Honda Factory Performance (HFP) Concept is an odd concoction. It’s based on the Civic Si with the powerful high-revving i-VTEC engine but has aerodynamic elements from the Honda Civic Hybrid in order to improve fuel efficiency.

The HFP Civic Si “Hybrid” features aerodynamic wheels similiar to those you find on the Civic Hybrid, a lighter HFP exhaust system and an upgraded HFP suspension. According to Honda, a similiar kit is already being used in the real world in the Super Taikyu Series race in Japan.

Look after the jump for more shots of the SEMA Civic sedan and coupe.

Click here to read the rest of SEMA: 2009 Honda Civic HFP Concept