Archive for Cars

UPDATE: 2010 Toyota Vios facelift launched in Thailand!

UMW Toyota has put up a teaser announcing the coming launch of the facelifted Toyota Vios with the updated grille, tail lamps and etc that we saw earlier.

As expected, UMW Toyota has jacked up the prices of all models. Even the cheapest manual 1.5J has had a price hike, bringing the price now to over RM70k when previously it was priced just under RM70k. Of course, these price hikes could be accompanied with equipment list changes.

The price hike brings the top of the range Vios extremely close to the top of the range Kia Forte 2.0 SX – there’s a price difference of only RM1,000 and the Forte is a C-segment 2.0 liter sedan with a GEMA engine similiar to the one used in the Lancer, while the Vios is a 1.5 liter B-segment. On paper, the only thing the Vios has up on the Forte is a 3-year warranty (and double mileage) versus 2-years for the Kia.

The Ford Focus RS is one hot looking hot hatch and Ford of Switzerland has raised the temperature further with this special version called “WRC Edition”. It will be produced in a limited run of 50 units to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Ford’s RS division.

The WRC Edition, which pays tribute to the legendary Escort RS1600 that was launched in 1970, was designed with the help of Swiss fans who participated in a design competition. The winning design’s base is a “Frozen White” paint finish contrasted by black and green stickers and stripes as well as the 19-inch OZ Superturismo GT multispoke alloys in black. As with all special editions, there’s a plaque and this one bears the signatures of Ford WRC drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen.

No changes under the bonnet, so the 305 bhp 2.5-litre turbocharged inline-five sprints to 100 km/h in under 6 seconds and on to a top speed of 263 km/h. It is priced at 55,900 francs or about 37,950 euros. Check out some of the proposals that didn’t make it after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Ford Focus WRC Edition – 50 units in Switzerland

Honda seems to be very into video as a promotional tool. First they had Drive Every Drop, which was pretty much like a travel show. When a host landed in each country or state, he checked the local scene around in a Honda of course.

Now comes Live Every Litre – even the name sounds quite alike to Drive Every Drop. It’s also a show, but the concept is completely different. With Live Every Litre, Honda will put real participants behind the wheel of a Honda CR-Z, and cameras mounted around the car will record the participants’ journey and/or challenges across Europe.

VIDEO: Live Every Litre ‘Trailer’

Participants can do whatever they want. Honda gave a few examples in their press release – “propose to their girlfriend in Paris, take their band to play a charity gig, trace their ancestry to find a long lost relative, drive on a road they’ve always dreamed off.” Reactions, emotions, and experiences will be captured by the cameras.

All the footage will then be edited into a documentary-like film by Swiss filmmaker Claudio Von Planta and his team.

If you want to participate, you can logon to Live Every Litre’s website. I think it’s only fair to assume that you have to actually be in Europe to enter. As of today, you have 43 days left to apply, and they will begin filming in May.

Carlsson calls this a ’self-developed’ automobile, but one look and you’ll know it still has a lot of Mercedes-Benz underpinnings. It’s probably a rebodied SL, which Carlsson calls the new Carlsson C25, which will debut at Geneva 2010 this March.

The 6.0 liter twin-turbocharged V12 under the hood of the C25 makes 753 horsepower and an insane 1,150Nm of torque, which will take it from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds. And 1,150Nm is just the limited figure (likely to preserve the mechanical sanity of drivetrain components) – fully unlocked it has a 1,320Nm peak at 3,750rpm.

Seriously, even in normally aspirated form a 6.0 liter engine would be putting out something close to 600Nm which is already going to give you a huge kick in the butt when you put the pedal to the metal. It’s one of my dreams (and probably any motorheads dreams) to experience acceleration from torque in excess of 1,000Nm one day!

The C25 was designed as a ‘Super GT’. It will go into production, but only 25 units will be made. There’s actually something very interesting about how these 25 units will be distributed. Each owner is promised that he’ll be the only C25 owner in his country! Once you buy a C25 in the USA, no one else can order a C25 and register it in that country. This means it will be offered in a maximum of 25 countries.

Not sure what’s preventing some rich guy from ordering one in some weird country somewhere and importing it to his original country though. Anyone wanna bet if there’ll be one in Malaysia?

Click here to read the rest of Carlsson C25 ‘Super GT’ set for Geneva debut

Ex-BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld will be the test and reserve driver for Mercedes GP Petronas this year, after failing to find a permanent race seat for 2010.

The German was linked with a drive at Mercedes before Silver Arrows opted for the returning Michael Schumacher. When that happened, “Quick Nick” was reported to be in talks with Renault and Lotus but none materialised.

“I am very pleased to be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team. It’s the team which has attracted the most interest in the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over 50 years

“While I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year,” Heidfeld said.

With Heidfeld on board, Mercedes GP Petronas now has three German drivers!

The Geneva Motor Show is fast approaching, and there will be many previews before the press unveilings start on 2nd March. Here’s one from Volkswagen’s Spanish brand SEAT, which will debut this Ibiza ST in Switzerland. An extension of the Ibiza supermini family, the Ibiza ST (Sport Tourer) will have six engines shared with its VW Group cousins, four of them TSI/TDI units with direct injection and turbocharging. DSG is an option and there will be three trim lines – Reference, Style and Sport.

The Ibiza ST features SEAT’s unique design language with its “arrow design”. With a length of 4.23 metres, this compact wagon is 18 centimeters longer than the Ibiza hatch, with 430 litres luggage volume before folding the split rear seats. SEAT makes a lot of noise about the quality of the interior, which is claimed to be functional, practical to use, and meticulously crafted, with high quality materials and tight tolerances.

Gallery is after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Seat Ibiza ST all set for Geneva launch

We’ve just saw the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Mazda MX-5 and here’s another “edition” car, this time it’s Nissan with the 370Z Black Edition that marks the 40th anniversary of the Z-car. Available from April as a coupé only, and in a limited run of just 370 units in Europe, it comes in two metallic shades: black and quartz. Both paints use Nissan’s pioneering Scratch Shield technology which “heals” the finish in the case of stone chip damage.

You can spot a Black Edition by its dark grey 19” aluminium forged RAYS wheels, red brake callipers and 40th Anniversary emblem at the rear. Inside, there’s red leather and suede on the seats and door trim, with embossed 40th Anniversary logo on the chairs. To match that, the leather steering, centre console and knee pads come withe red stitching. Nissan’s Connect Premium combined touch-screen satellite navigation and audio system with USB connectivity (9.3GB hard disk) tops it all off.

No change under the skin. The 370Z is powered by a 324 bhp 3.7-litre V6 capable of 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds (5.6 seconds for the automatic version) and is Euro 5 compliant. Edaran Tan Chong sells the standard 370Z in Malaysia at RM370,000. Interestingly, our car is quoted to have 328 bhp – perhaps Nissan had to sacrifice a few horses to meet Euro 5 standards.

More pictures after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan 370Z Black Edition – only cosmetics

If you don’t know the name BYD, perhaps you might have seen some of their cars on this blog or car magazines. I was shocked speechless at the Shanghai Motor Show to see a Mercedes CLK front merged with a Renault Megane CC rear! Or how about the famous Altis front-City rear F3 sedan, or even the cloned Toyota Aygo?

Well, there’s a possibility of these cars coming to our shores as BYD Auto (Build Your Dreams) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Berjaya Corp Bhd to explore the possibility of building the F0 1.0-litre small car for ASEAN. F0 is the Aygo lookalike currently retailing for US$5,000 to US$7,000 in China.

The terms of the agreement includes a feasibility study on the conversion of the left-hand drive F0 to a right-hand drive version together with related research and development as well as having Berjaya as the distributor of the vehicle. Both parties would also cooperate in setting up a manufacturing plant near Rawang where Berjaya has set aside a 100-acre site.

But first, Berjaya needs a new manufacturing license as under the current National Automotive Policy, the Government has frozen licenses for the manufacture of petroleum-based vehicles under 1.8 litres. Berjaya executive director Datuk Francis Lee said there was “a strong case” for the Government to approve the manufacturing license as the deal would be the first step towards making Malaysia the regional hub for BYD’s right hand drive cars.

Shenzhen-based BYD is an auto and battery manufacturer that’s relatively advanced in the development of hybrid and electric vehicles. It was the fourth-largest automaker by sales volume in China last year with more than 450,000 units sold, and targets to touch 800,000 units this year. Berjaya’s Lee added the future plant would be initially for petroleum-based vehicles but would be expanded to include BYD’s new-energy vehicles at a later stage.

Source

At times, it’s good to lighten up a little, take our mind off government policies, impending fuel price hikes and overpriced cars, that’s why we’re sharing this with you. Citroën has been the “official car” for Arsenal Football Club since 2008, and the French car company recently placed new luxury pitch-side seats at the North London club’s Emirates Stadium.

I always wondered why footballers would want to watch their teammates in tight Recaros, but these red Citroën seats with the Arsenal crest actually look really plush – I wouldn’t mind them in my living room (by now you must have guessed which team I support). Designed by Loughborough UK based Auto-kit International, the 40 seats are wrapped with top-quality leather. Gunners boss Arsène Wenger said: “We are delighted with the new Citroën dugout seats, which are a real improvement and very much in keeping with the overall stadium design.”

Seen here are Thomas Vermaelen, Manuel Almunia, Craig Eastmond and Eduardo. Perhaps they should spend less time on PSPs and train harder for this Sunday’s must-win match against Chelsea! A closer look at the new chairs after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Plush new Citroën seats for the Gunners!

Although not all of us own iPhones, it’s still somewhat more accesible than the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, otherwise known as “the new Gullwing”. Why do we put these two cool products together? Because moving an iPhone around will be the closest most of us will get to driving the SLS AMG, as Stuttgart has launched a new iPhone application called SLS AMG (a highly creative name we must add).

The SLS AMG app has been “designed to give players a taste of the new super sports car via 360° gameplay featuring the iPhone’s innovative accelerometer technology” says Mercedes. Players can either play alone or pit their skills in races against other players from all over the world. The app is free.

Proving that Mercedes is taking games very seriously, the three-pointed star has also managed to place their hero car on the cover of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation 3. The gullwing will create history as the first German car to star on a cover of the hit racing simulator series.

The Renault Nissan Alliance, which now counts Russia’s AvtoVaz Lada brand as part of its group, captured 9.8% of the global auto market in 2009, an increase from 2008’s 9.4%. This result was achieved in a global market that contracted 4.5% last year, and desipte the decline in volumes for Renault (-3.1%) and Nissan (-9.4%). Renault and Nissan sold 2,309,188 and 3,358,413 vehicles respectively, while Lada accounted for 417,457 units.

In Western Europe, Renault reclaimed third spot, mainly due to new additions Megane and Twingo. In its home market, Renault sales increased by 7.3% and it retains the title of France’s best selling brand with a 23.5% market share. The brand also grew in Korea through subsidiary Renault-Samsung Motors.

Nissan meanwhile closed the year with total sales of 3,358,413 units or a market share of 5.4%. In China, now Nissan’s second largest global market after the US, passenger car sales increased 38.7% to 755,518 units. Sales were led by the Teana flagship model (108,504) followed by the Sylphy (96,174).

The new Teana should be launched in Malaysia this year as Nissan’s challenger to the Accord and Camry. In Thailand and Singapore, the D-segment contender can be had with two engines; the MR20DE 2.0-litre (as found in the Sylphy) and a 2.5-litre V6 with 180 bhp and 228 Nm, figures that are slightly higher than the Accord 2.4.

Nissan (Jatco) makes some of the best CVT gearboxes around and the Teana will get that instead of a torque converter automatic. Prices are bound to be much more competitive than the previous model, which only sold by the handful due to a scary sticker price.

The 599XX is one of of the most extreme cars Ferrari makes, along with fellow XX model FXX. Making its debut at last year’s Geneva show, the 599XX is made for track but not official competition use, which means it’s unrestricted either by homologation limitations or regulatory restrictions. This 700 bhp Prancing Horse is, in Ferrari’s own words “a genuine technological laboratory” which “incorporates the very best of Ferrari technology”.

The 599XX has finally made its track debut, driven by none other than the Scuderia’s F1 driver Felipe Massa. The Brazilian driver met 599XX customers and members of Ferrari’s Corse Clienti programme (private owners who race Ferraris) at the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia , leading seven cars around the circuit. After several laps Felipe said: “I really enjoyed testing this car, I think it’s extremely powerful and has an exceptional stability. Considering that it has been planned for the track it’s really easy to drive.”

Ferrari will organise customer events on race tracks in America, Europe and Asia featuring the 599XX. My guess is that the Asia leg will be in Shanghai to coincide with the F1 race. I was at an A1GP race in Shanghai when Ferrari held such an event featuring the FXX, which sounded absolutely ballistic! More pictures after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Felipe Massa stars in Ferrari 599XX shakedown

Peugeot has dominated the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the past three years with its 207 S2000 rally car, and most recently British driver Kris Meeke wrapped up the 2009 season in style, taking for himself the 2009 IRC drivers’ title. To commemorate the victory (and to sell more cars) Peugeot UK has created the Special Edition 207 S16, which is limited to 250 examples.

Based on the three-door 207 Sport 1.6 VTi, the S16 adds on full 207 RC Cup bodykit comprising front and rear spoilers, side skirts and a “pseudo rear diffuser”, 17″ Hockenheim alloys, SP Sports mesh grille, dark tinted rear windows from the 207 GTi, a special interior badge signed by Kris Meeke and of course – vinyl rally graphics which mimic Meeke’s IRC winning 207 S2000. The decals blends elements from the Union Jack and Peugeot’s lion; thankfully they did not cover the bonnet with the flag as well, as the race car does. Not all will like it, so they can have their S16 in pure Bianca White.

Top speed of 200 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 10.7 seconds isn’t really SS winning speed but hey, at least you’ll feel like a champ behind the wheel!

One more image after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Peugeot 207 S16 celebrates IRC domination

The Kia Ray concept car will make its debut at next week’s Chicago motor show. Previously we’ve seen a design sketch that showed a low-roof coupe style four-door body. That image, which shows the rear of the Ray, also revealed a glass roof and prominent wheel arches. Now we can see the front design – no grille, long headlamps that stretch into the front fender and very little front overhang.

Styled at the Kia Design Centre in the US, the Ray is a plug-in hybrid that also shows off “Kia’s evolving design direction”. Since we like how the current crop of Kias look, it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll evolve.

We already saw how the new Kia Sportage looks like in clear view thanks to EU patent applications mid last month, but here are the first official teaser photos from Kia, which they posted on their Kia Buzz blog.

Both an orange and a silver car is pictured. The teaser actually includes both the North American spec and the Europe spec. The North American spec is the one with amber signal lamps as required by their laws (pictured above) while the Europe spec has fully clear lenses. Looks pretty good, like a smaller and stouter version of the Sorento!

The new Sportage will be longer, lower and wider than the previous generation model. It will also have a longer wheelbase which will likely translate to a roomier interior and a plusher ride. It will premiere at the Geneva show in March.

Look after the jump for the full pix.

Click here to read the rest of First official pix of new Kia Sportage