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4-door Audi A5 Sportback gets previewed!

June 17, 2009 at 8:50 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, International News

Audi A5 Sportback

Audi have released a teaser image and a sketch of the upcoming Audi A5 Sportback, a 4-door version of the A4/A5 with a coupe-like roofline. This brings Audi’s C-segment contender bodystyle count up to a total of 5 – sedan and touring for the A4, and coupe, convertible and now this new 4-door sportsback for the A5.

The A5 Sportsback is referred to by Audi as a large hatchback. Audi’s interpretation of the 4-door coupe form is executed pretty well in my opinion, but we’ve already seen a preview of what such an Audi would look like with the Sportback concept early this year. It differs from the A4 – a roofline that is lower by 36mm, frameless doors, but the hatch looks to be conventional with no funky twindoor-like design.

Audi A5 Sportback

At launch time, 5 engines will be offered, with 3 of them oil burners. The petrol engines will be either the 2.0 TFSI putting out 211hp and 350Nm, or a 3.2 litre V6 with quattro putting out 265hp. Both have Audi valvelift. The oil burners range from a 2.0 TDI to a 2.7 TDI V6 and finally a 3.0 TDI V6 which churns out the most torque – 500Nm to complement the 240 horses it produces.

The A5 Sportback has 480 litres of storage volume and interestingly this is just 10 litres less than the A4 Avant’s 490 litres. This can be increased to 980 litres with the rear seatbacks folded down.

Look after the jump for a video of Audi Group Head of Design Wolfgang Egger explaining and sketching the Audi A5 Sportback.
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Toyota VIOS 1.5 TRD Sportivo arrives in Malaysia, replaces the Vios 1.5S!

June 17, 2009 at 12:52 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Toyota

Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo
Click for enlarged image

The new Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo is here, and it replaces the Vios 1.5S as the flagship model of the Vios range. The Vios TRD Sportivo is estimated to be priced at RM90,900.00 OTR with insurance, though apparently it’s not 100% finalised yet.

The Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo project started off as a response to customer feedback that they wanted a sportier Vios. This new variant is a development of the 1.5S, the model that it replaces. What you get is a new bodykit, Enkei alloy wheels, door visors, a new interior trim style, and an optional sports suspension kit.

TRD Sportivo is not TRD. It’s a Toyota accessory brand that’s more towards aesthetics. In fact some accessories that UMW Toyota were trying out with the Vios TRD development cars such as the air filter did not make it to this production car that will go on sale. Even the different exhaust system from the development cars did not make it to the production car. UMW Toyota says they did not want to touch those to keep the regular Vios 3 year and 100,000km warranty.

Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo
Click for enlarged image

The bodykit consists of front and rear lips, a bootlid spoiler, and side skirts, all made of polyurethane (PU) except for the bootlid spoiler which is made of ABS plastic. This particular bodykit is exclusive to the Malaysian market – it is not the same one as Thailand’s Toyota Vios GT.

On the interior you get two-tone red and black fabric on the seats and door panels, TRD Sportivo floor mats, a leather gearknob, stainless steel cruff plates with the TRD Sportivo logo on the door sills, and some carbon fiber lookalike inserts on the center console. The 15 inch alloy wheels were wrapped with Bridgestone Potenzas at the media launch, and the wheels manufactured by Enkei are said to be 10% lighter than the standard Vios 15 inch alloy wheel.

There is an optional sports suspension kit that’s not included in the standard car. This suspension kit has a sportier damping rate and also lowers the car by 10mm.

Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo
Click for enlarged image

Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo (AT) – RM90,900.00
Toyota Vios 1.5G (AT) – RM85,025.00
Toyota Vios 1.5E (AT) – RM79,425.00
Toyota Vios 1.5J (AT) – RM73,525.00
Toyota Vios 1.5J (MT) – RM69,825.00

The new TRD Sportivo is about RM2k+ more expensive than the 1.5S it replaces, which used to go for RM88,600.00 last I checked. It’s quite interesting to see the Vios span such a huge price range, with the cheapest Vios 1.5J costing over RM20k cheaper than the TRD Sportivo car. If you add the sports suspension kit, it brings the price up to RM94,050.

The new Toyota Vios TRD Sportivo is available in a few colours: Silver Metallic, Coal Black, White, Grey Mica, Bronze Metallic and the signature colour which is Medium Silver Metallic, the colour you see in the product photos published in this story.

Check out our previous story where we tried out the development cars, or look after the jump for more pix of the TRD Sportivo Vios.
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Citroen’s new 3.0 liter HDi V6 diesel more powerful, less polluting and thirsty

June 16, 2009 at 1:03 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën

Citroen C5

Car manufacturers have been revealing latest generation versions of their large displacement diesel engines one by one. We have BMW’s new N57, Volvo’s new twin turbodiesel, and another similiar unit from Jaguar.

The latest manufacturer to unveil a new turbodiesel engine is PSA Peugeot Citroen, who will be putting a new 3.0 litre HDi V6 turbodiesel in their C5 and C6. The new engine produces 240hp, up from 208hp in the outgoing 2.7 litre HDi, but is between 13 to 17 percent more fuel efficient and 12 to 15% less polluting in terms of CO2 emissions, also Euro 5 compliant. The engine also has an alternator that does brake energy recovery.

In the C5 and C6, the engine will be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. BTW I have more than one occasion spotted the Citroen C5 in Malaysia, although it has not been launched yet as far as I know. It may be due for a launch soon, if not already launched.

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2010 Kia Morning unveiled for Korean market

June 16, 2009 at 2:29 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Kia, Koreans

Kia Morning

The Kia Morning receives another update after it was first updated in 2007 since its launch. The Morning is the car’s Korean market name, in Malaysia we used to know it as the Kia Picanto, and then later the Naza Suria. In fact the Suria name was penned based on the car’s original Morning name.

The 2007 facelift still retains the new headlamps that were introduced back then, but this time there are minor changes with the front grille, and a complely new front bumper with a blacked out lower section. But wait, this is just one of the two new looks that this 2010 facelift brings!

Kia Morning

The other look is reserved for the “Special” trim level, which includes a Schreyer grille, and a different design for the front bumper. On the interior, both models get their dash and various other lighting changed from orange to red.

In its homeland of South Korea, the Morning is powered by 1.0 litre engines, either running on gasoline (72hp up from 64hp on the 2007 model), or a LPI natural gas version producing 67 horsepower. Both models have an ECO light on the dashboard to help you drive more economically by letting you know when you are driving in a fuel sipping manner.

Look after the jump for a full photo gallery of both exterior, interior and launch pix of the new 2010 Kia Morning.
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VIDEO: Kia Forte Koup TV Commercial

June 16, 2009 at 12:40 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Kia, Koreans, Videos

Kia Forte Koup

Kia has released a new TVC for its new Kia Forte Koup. The Koup still looks as good as ever, who would have ever imagined a Korean car could ever look so desirable? The Koup looked pretty darn good in silver when I test drove it in South Korea, but here in this ad it looks even better in red. Though catchy, I didn’t really understand what the ad was trying to say until the end, then it made sense to me. Two is enough, haha.

Watch the video after the jump.
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Undisguised AM Rapide spotted in Belgium

June 15, 2009 at 5:13 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Aston Martin, Cars, Spyshots

Aston Martin Rapide

This Aston Martin Rapide suspected to be very close to production was spotted in Belgium and snapped by kim of Autogespot. The car looks pretty much undisguised, and while it’s still as good-looking as all Aston Martin can be, I feel the concept car somehow looked longer and sleeker, and this production version has its proportions slightly out of whack because of those headlamps that look a little too large for the car and seem to have some kind of extra layer over it. Look after the jump for a trip back through time, revisiting the original concept Rapide through a photo gallery.
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Mitsubishi i-MiEV Production EV goes on sale!

June 15, 2009 at 4:53 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Mitsubishi, Videos

Mitsubishi i-MiEV EV

A 160km range on the Japanese 10-15 urban mode driving pattern, a 7 hour 200V charge time, 30 minutes on a 200V 3-phase quick charger, and LED headlamps and tail lamps to add a finishing touch. You’ve just read the spec sheet of the new production Mitsubishi i-MiEV EV, a production electric car that has just gone on lease by Mitsubishi for nearly 4.6 million Yen inclusive of consumption tax.

That’s nearly RM165k, and with the taxes you have here in Malaysia it could end up pretty darn pricey. But it does have a lithium ion battery, which is more advanced than the nickel-base ones that go into most hybrid and EVs these days.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV EV

The battery which consists of 88 li-ion cells connected in series is installed under the floor, and the 64 PS 180Nm electric motor which is mated to a single-gear transmission is installed under the luggage compartment. Yes, like the regular combustion engine Mitsubishi i, it uses a rear midship layout.

Mitsubishi will be preparing 1,400 cars for leasing this year, mainly to corporations and local authorities. Individual leases are expected to begin in April 2010, but order-taking will begin in July 2010. Look after the jump for a video of the i-MiEV’s test run through the Tateyama Kurobe alpine route surrounded by 3,000-meter-high mountains.
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GM to sell Saab to supercar maker Koenigsegg

June 15, 2009 at 4:19 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Koenigsegg, Saab

Saab LogoIt appears that GM’s Saab division will go to Swedish luxury supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg, if final negotiations on the subject go well. A Swedish TV station reported late last week that a Letter of Intent was signed to take purchase negotiations one step further.

This new ownership could change the kind of cars that Saab offers. Currently as part of GM it kinda tries to be some kind of volume seller because that’s just the way GM does stuff, but probably because of branding and maybe product that strategy never did work out well. GM’s parts bin never did gel well with the kind of products the Saab brand used to stand for and the modern Saab’s attempt to be more friendly to the masses did not receive a hot response.

Under the new supercar maker owner, it could evolve into a more specialized manufacturer, producing niche cars for a smaller customer base. The only question is, will young Koenigsegg have the experience to manage a company like Saab? Fortunately for both Koenigsegg and Saab, the supercar management is not just made up of its young CEO, but also includes investors. Koenigsegg will also be bringing some other investors into the Saab deal later, because frankly I don’t think a niche supercar maker like Koenigsegg is able to afford to buy up Saab on its own.

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VIDEO: Peugeot 5008 Promo Footage

June 15, 2009 at 2:12 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Peugeot, Videos

Peugeot 5008

Peugeot has released a promo video for the Peugeot 5008 7-seater MPV, based on the 308 chassis. It basically shows a family having “family time” centered around the 5008. The background music is pretty good I must say, my kind of music!

Check the video out after the jump.
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10,000 orders for the Carbon Motors E7

June 15, 2009 at 1:48 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News

Carbon E7

The Carbon Motors E7 is said to be the world’s first purpose-built law enforcement car and they’ve claims to have already received 10,000 reservations. And this is even before they’re announced how much it will be priced nad where they will build it! The first E7 is expected to roll off the production line in 2012.

Many car manufacturers prepare special police editions of their cars, such as the recently published Jaguar XF Diesel S pursuit vehicle, but the fact is all the police equipment have to be retrofitted. The E7 has all of it built-in. It has an impressive spec list – night vision, backseat monitoring, voice control, automatic license plate recognition, and a 15 inch touch screen monitor for various controls.

The powertrain is a 3.0 litre turbodiesel putting out 300 horsepower, driven through a 6-speed automatic transmission. 0 to 100km/h can be hit in 6.5 seconds.
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