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  • Proton Prevé – rendering of the P3-22A hatchback

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Proton Preve / By / / 139 comments

    At the preview drive of the just-launched Prevé earlier in the month, mention was made that the next Proton offering on the cards will be the P3-22A, which is a hatchback variant of the form. The word on the grapevine hints that the car is “ready,” though at exactly what level remains a mystery.

    Automotive manipulation guru Theophilus Chin offers a take on how things might shape up with the next one, working on the assumption that it’s a hatchback (and not a notchback). The hatch version of the Prevé is likely to have export markets set squarely in its sights – what do you think of Theo’s venture of a Prevé without a tail?

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  • Volkswagen Polo Sedan launched – RM99,888

    In Cars, Local News, Volkswagen / By / / 366 comments

    UPDATE: Studio photos added to the gallery

    It’s time to end all speculation you have about the Volkswagen Polo Sedan, because it has been launched, just over an hour ago. The first thing that’s on your mind now is the price, which you will find at the end of this post. Go ahead, scroll down, I’ll wait. Back? Good.

    The Polo Sedan is billed to be the affordable Volkswagen, and to an extent, the most affordable German car this corner of the world. It’s made in India, and plans for CKDs will depend on market demand.

    On the outside, the car comes with chrome finishing on the front grille and on the front air-dam, trunk and fog light surrounds, and there’s also height adjustable halogen headlights as well as green-tinted heat-absorbing glass. It wears 15-inch alloy wheels and comes in six colours – Candy White, Flash Red, Terra Beige, Shadow Blue, Reflex Silver and Deep Black.

    There are also chrome accents on the inside, as the Polo Sedan comes with an interior chrome package (chrome surrounds for light switches, AC vents, steering wheel accent, handbrake level knob and gearshift). As expected, there’s a fair bit of leather about, and that can be found wrapped around the steering wheel, gearshift knob, handbrake lever and gearshift boot.

    The seats are wrapped in ‘Metric’ fabric seat upholstery. Completing the salient equipment list are one-touch powered windows for all four windows, multi-function display, music player hooked to four speakers and rear doors with storage pockets.

    In terms of safety, the vehicle is outfitted with four airbags (two at the front and two at the sides), electronic Brake Pressure Distribution (EBD) and pinch-guard for all four windows. There’s also an Intelligent Crash Response System, or ICRS, that automatically unlocks your doors and turns on the hazard lights in case of accidents.

    At the heart of the Polo Sedan is a 1.6 litre MPI naturally-aspirated engine, which generates 105 PS and 153 Nm of torque. It completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 12.3 seconds and has a top speed of 183 km/h. As for fuel efficiency, the Polo Sedan does 6.5 l per 100 km. Paired with the engine is a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.

    The price that Volkswagen is asking for a Polo Sedan is RM99,888, without registration and insurance.

    The story does not end here, of course. There will be more to digest in our first-impressions drive of the Polo Sedan, coming soon.

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  • MINI introduces Hyde Park and Green Park design themes

    In Cars, International News, MINI / By / / 6 comments

    Something new from MINI, in this case new design models with exclusive colour schemes, equipment and fittings. It’s available worldwide for both the MINI and MINI Clubman body styles, in this case the MINI Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper D and Cooper SD as well as the respective Clubman variants.

    The themes are called the MINI Hyde Park and MINI Green Park, the suffixes named after the recreational areas in London. The Hyde Park features a Pepper White body colour, combined with Hot Chocolate contrasting paintwork – available for the first time – on the roof and exterior mirror caps. For the Clubman, the lower sections of the C-pillar are finished in the body colour.

    Also to be found, bonnet and side stripes in Hot Chocolate, while another highlight is indicator lenses done in transparent white – along with the direction indicators integrated in the headlights, this lends the side indicators and rear lights a markedly individual look as well.

    Meanwhile, the traditional British passion for sporting competition is expressed in the MINI Green Park. The roof and exterior mirror caps display British Racing Green paintwork, as do the bonnet stripes, and the body of this one is also in Pepper White. Again, the lower C-pillars of the GP Clubman are done in body colour.

    Inside both the Hyde Park and Green Park models, you’ll find contrast surfaces in Pepper White, reflecting a cabin design that takes its cue from the exterior. Those into these park homages can take their pick from seats in cloth/leather or leather, in black or Polar Beige, with the MINI Yours dashboard lined in leather in a black/Polar Beige combination.

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  • Mitsubishi Mirage production begins in Thailand – 15,000 orders taken for the compact hatch in the first month

    In Cars, International News, Mitsubishi / By / / 13 comments

    Full-scale production of Mitsubishi’s global compact car, the Mirage, has kicked off in Thailand – the car is being produced at Mitsubishi Motors Thailand’s third factory at the Laem Chabang Plant, which is the company’s largest plant and export hub outside of Japan.

    The car made its debut at the Bangkok Motor Show on March 27, and began selling in the Kingdom the next day, with five variants available for that market, all wearing a 1.2 litre 3A92 three-cylinder MIVEC mill offering 78 PS at 6,000 rpm and 100 Nm at 4,000 rpm.

    The Mirage has become a hot seller in Thailand since its launch less than a month ago, with more 15,000 orders taken for the little hatch. Japanese sales begin in the summer, and the car is set to be introduced in other ASEAN countries this year – can we expect it to be heading our way?

     

  • Audi to buy Ducati for 860 mil euros, making it 12 for VW

    In Audi, Bikes, Cars, Ducati, International News / By / / 16 comments

    Audi has announced that it is acquiring Ducati from Invest industrial Group, with the deal reportedly set to cost 860 million euros. The Italian motorcycle marque is set to join the Vokswagen empire as the 12th brand under its portfolio.

    It will be the third Italian brand under the VW fold – Lamborghini and Italdesign being the others, with the purchase bringing along the Italian company’s expertise on design and light engines. The transaction will be completed as quickly as possible once authorised by the competition authorities.

    The acquisition price is certainly higher than that originally bandied about earlier, but cements a move on to the two-wheeled path for the group, which VW chairman Ferdinand Piech apparently wants to pursue. It will also allow VW to take on BMW on the bike front.

    In 2011, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles and generated revenue of some 480 million euros, and employs around 1,100 staff. Its racing activities are currently focused on the Ducati official factory team in the MotoGP class of the Motorcycle World Championship and in the Superbike World Championship, supporting competitive private teams.

     

  • Steed leads charge for Great Wall Motor Company in UK

    In Cars, Great Wall, International News / By / / 4 comments

    Now here’s some news. Great Wall Motor Company is the first Chinese carmaker to sell its products in the UK, starting this month. The company’s vehicles – assembled at its new European plant – will be sold in 40 dealers, all newly appointed and hand picked.

    The vehicle that gets the honour of becoming Great Wall’s – and indeed China’s – first UK offering is the 2012 Steed pick-up truck, which we know as the Wingle. The Chinese carmaker says is ‘equally adept as a workhorse or a weekend getaway vehicle’.

    The Steed runs with a 2.0 litre, 16-valve turbocharged diesel engine that is said to give good mileage of 34.0 mpg, or about 6.9 l/100km; no other performance figures are given. The vehicle, equipped with a ‘on demand’ 4WD system, has a max payload of 1,050 kg, among other numbers.

    Great Wall’s first will come in two trim levels – the Steed S and the Steed SE. The Steed S is kitted with 16-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, remote central locking, a Thatcham-approved Category 1 alarm, electric front and rear windows, Alpine CD/radio with USB and Bluetooth, steering-wheel audio controls, air-conditioning, heated front seats and full leather interior.

    The Steed SE comes complete with everything the Steed S has, plus body-coloured hard top canopy and spoiler, chrome trimmed daytime running lights and side bars, black roof rails, load bay liner and rear parking sensors.

    Great Wall is giving a three-year/60,000-mile (or 96,560 km) mechanical warranty, a six-year anti-perforation warranty, three-year paint warranty and three-year roadside recovery and assistance package. There’s also the promise of inflation-proof servicing plans, service pick-up and drop-off, and arranging test drives in a customer’s location of choice, if it’s within 32 km of the dealership.

    Given the fact that the Brits are spoilt for choice when it comes to vehicle selection, I wonder if Great Wall has done enough to kick-start a revolution.

     

  • BNM guidelines hurting Perodua, first quarter sales down

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 113 comments

    Perodua released a statement yesterday announcing sales figures for the first quarter of the year. Unusually for the market leader, it wasn’t another record breaking quarter, but a drop in sales.

    Sales fell 11% in March to 16,000 vehicles sold, compared with 18,000 vehicles sold in the same month last year. In a quarter-to-quarter comparison, Perodua’s sales eased 2.2% to 44,700 vehicles for the first three months of this year, from 45,700 units recorded in Q1 2011.

    The company attributes this drop in sales to the new guidelines on responsible financing introduced by Bank Negara Malaysia in January, which tightened the criteria for hire purchase loans.

    “Based on the data we have compiled, the Viva is the worst hit with a 19% drop in sales in the first quarter of this year to 13,000 units from 16,000 units registered in the first three months of 2011,” Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said, adding that the current loan approval rate by banks were significantly lower than usual. He also said that BNM’s move is delaying loan approvals, while some loans were approved at a much reduced amount.

    “Due to this delay it takes an average of 20 days to know the outcome of a loan application instead of three days previously, and this is having a huge impact to not just the manufacturers but also to the entire automotive eco-system,” Aminar added.

    Combined, all these have resulted in high inventory levels at Perodua’s stockyards, which in turn has increased cost for the independent dealers, it was revealed. “We are currently compiling the data on the effects of the new guidelines to share with the relevant stakeholders and are still hopeful that a solution could be found and that the loan application process could be brought back to normal soon,” the Perodua boss said.

    Another vocal opponent of BNM’s new guidelines is the Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia (PEDA). Read their list of grouses here. Media reports have quoted the Malaysian Automotive Association as saying that the total industry volume (TIV) for Q1 2012 shrank 12.6% to 138,544 vehicles year-on-year.

     

  • Naza Kia sponsoring a Kia Sorento as hole-in-one prize for the Maxis Team Golf Tour 2012

    In Cars, Kia, Local News / By / / 1 comment

    Naza Kia is sponsoring a Kia Sorento SUV as the hole-in-one prize for the Maxis Team Golf Tour (MTGT) 2012. MTGT is a loyalty programme for Maxis postpaid customers and is one of the biggest amateur team golf events in the country.

    This year is the 12th consecutive year Maxis has held the event, which will comprise of 10 rounds at various golf courses across the country. The grand final will be held at the Stone Forest International Golf Course in Yunnan, China. The local rounds start next month while the grand final will be held n November.

    MTGT 2012 is only open to Maxis postpaid customers with valid handicaps. Two people make one team and entry fee is RM248 per person.

    Kia’s global association with golf includes the sponsorship of two-time Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) winner Michelle Wie and the Kia Classic, which is part of the LPGA Tour. Another sporting event sponsored by Kia is of course the EURO 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine. Participate in Naza Kia’s Test Drive Kia On Tour 2012 roadshow and you could be on your way to Ukraine for the Group B match between Germany and Holland.

     

  • Porsche Engineering buys Italian test track

    In Cars, International News, Porsche / By / / 21 comments

    Click to enlarge. Picture from Google Earth.

    It is a piece of land that covers more than 700 hectares, hosts a 6.2 km long handling circuit, a 12.5 km long oval circuit, and facilities for simulating different road surfaces and changeable weather conditions. And it can be seen from space.

    Welcome to the Nardo Technical Centre automotive proving ground in Apulia, southern Italy. What was once belongs to Prototipo SpA has now been bought by Porsche Engineering Group for an undisclosed amount. Porsche will officially open shop May 2012.

    Click to enlarge. Picture from Google Earth.

    The procurement of the test track will complement Porsche’s facilities in Weissach, especially in the areas of high-speed and handling. Porsche is also open to clients who want to make use of the test track for vehicle trials. The facilities also include dynamic surfaces, acoustics, workshops and off-road sections. The mild climate of the proving ground also enables Porsche to test vehicles throughout the year in three shifts around the clock, seven days a week.

    Recently, the track was used to film TopGear TV’s shootout between the Lamborghini Aventador, Noble M600 and McLaren MP4-12C.

     

  • Audi RS Q3 concept to break cover in Beijing Motor Show

    In Audi, Cars, International News / By / / 24 comments

    ‘Thrilling dynamic performance’… that’s the theme Audi is going with to the Beijing Motor Show. And to headline the event, Audi has glued together the Audi RS Q3. Essentially, it is a Q3 with all bits and bobs from the RS bag of tricks.

    For starters, the RS Q3 sits 25 mm closer to the tarmac and widened with visual details. The black honeycombed grille now gives off a 3D effect by its offset placement and framed by a brushed and polished aluminium trim. The headlights are slightly tinted and certain chrome parts are either finished in dark tones or covered by carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) panels. More CFRP are found in the redesigned bumper with the honeycomb inserts and front spoiler, the wing mirror housings and the diffuser. The colour you see in the pictures is called Ordos Blue, which Audi says is a matt blue with a slight yellow tint.

    The RS Q3 is fitted with a glass sunroof that lets light into the cool black interior. What are not inked in black are painted in blue with CFRP highlights. Three kinds of leather are featured in here – seats get Fine Nappa, steering wheel gets black Velvet leather that repels dirt well and the door trim panels are covered in blue Alcantara. In the tacho, the usual Arabic numerals are replaced with Chinese characters, no doubt to appeal to the Chinese market.

    Style is also what you get when you pop the hood. The engine compartment features a layered-carbon trim panel that covers the area around the five-cylinder engine with a red valve cover. There are two laterally arranged ventilation screens that feed air into the engine. Cylinder numbers are marked on the spark plug covers – a racing trait. Rounding up is the aluminium housing that holds the open sports air filter while the air tube is made of stainless steel.

    Which brings me to the engine; it’s a powerful one. The RS Q3 will have the 2.5 litre, gasoline direct injection, turbocharged TFSI engine. It generates 360 hp, no word on its torque. It is capable of accomplishing the century sprints in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 265 km/h.

    Paired with the engine is a seven-speed S tronic (Audi’s dual clutch, in case you didn’t know) and it sends power to all four extremities. Yes, it has quattro. The RS Q3 will wear 8.5 J x 20 alloy wheels. The front surfaces are high-gloss; the sides are sandblasted. The 255/30 rubbers will be shoehorned onto the wheels.

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