Archive for Cars

LATEST UPDATE: The new 8th generation 2008 Honda Accord is now in Malaysia. Click the link more information on prices, specifications and photos.

Honda unveiled a facelift to it’s Honda Accord back in September. The new Accord has a refreshed front design and a totally different rear design, because American customers were complaining about the thin horizontal tail lights which according to market surveys did not suit the car. Personally I like the old design better than this new one, but let’s have a look at the new design.

UPDATE: This new 2006 Honda Accord facelift has been launched on the 6th of July 2006 in Malaysia. Click here for an in-depth coverage.

Click here to read the rest of 2006 Honda Accord Facelift

If you surf to UMW Toyota’s Toyota Vios website, you will see that the new facelifted Toyota Vios is now available for sale. The updated prices are RM88,880.00 for the 1.5G high spec model, and RM81,033.00 for the 1.5E base model. A very minimal increase. If I’m not mistaken, the previous prices were RM87,491.74 for the 1.5G and RM79,800.00 for the 1.5E.

For more details on the new facelifted Toyota Vios, check out my previous coverage of the new facelifted Toyota Vios launch in Taiwan. I will post updates on differences between the new and old model once I obtain this information.

Toyota has just launched it’s smallest sedan car, the Toyota Belta for the Japanese market. Belta means ‘beauty’ or ‘beautiful person’, derived from the Italian word belleza. The car is 4.3 meters long and 1.7 meters wide.

Click here to read the rest of 2006 Toyota Belta

Proton has named the successor to Tengku Mahaleel. With the title of Managing Director, Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir, 43 years old this year, will take over the helm of Proton and steer it into the AFTA era. Syed Zainal is currently executive director of Perodua’s manufacturing arm.

Other management changes would be Datuk Kisai Rahmat being appointed executive director of Proton’s engineering and manufacturing division. Two other key management positions – head of sales and marketing, and head of strategy and corporate services have yet to be filled.

Click here to read the rest of Proton new head – Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir

Mohd Azril Mansor sent in these nice spyshots of a car being tested on roads of Jalan Duta to Damansara Junction taken by his camera phone. I previously blogged about this mysterious car here, and speculated it might be Perodua’s next model under testing phases, perhaps to replace the Kancil. Thanks Azril!

Click here to read the rest of Could this be a Kancil Replacement Model?

Proton’s media release department seems to favour the foreign markets more than our own local market. In a release by Proton Cars Australia, Proton says the new Satria Replacement Model three-door hatch will be released in Australia together with the Proton Savvy during the first few months of 2006.

At least now we know the SRM is coming in 2006.

It’s 5:25am, and because of a teh tarik session that went on till the wee hours of the morning, combined with the effects of caffeine, I am unable to sleep.

I think I’ll just put up a picture of this timeless beauty and see if I will doze off…

Like the Toyota Supra and the Mazda RX7, some things will always remain beautiful no matter what age you’re in. It’s hard to find such timeless designs these days. I must say the Bayerische Motoren Werke’s designers have this talent.

The E30, E34 and E39 will forever remain some of the most beautiful cars I have ever laid my eyes upon, and I hope one day I will be able to lay my hands upon too, especially the E39.

Here’s a sneak preview of the latest Toyota Camry due in 2006. This is the Japanese/American model, so it’s not 100% sure that we’ll get the exact body styling here in Malaysia as even currently the USDM/JDM and ASEAN models are different. Our Camry is less sporty.

UPDATE: The new 2006 Toyota Camry has been sighted in Malaysia. Click here.

Click here to read the rest of 2006 Toyota Camry

Proton Holdings Bhd may post a second quarter loss of RM700 million due to MV Agusta, it’s unprofitable motorcycle unit. It previously posted a first quarter loss of RM 12.4 million, and attributed those to increased allowance for bad debts.

An industry source mentioned the red ink from MV Agusta’s books has spread to Proton’s. Proton will likely have to make some hard decisions involving cutting losses, and dumping MV Agusta.

A report by the Malay Mail last week had already given us some hints on this loss cutting exercise.

Source

Reader Kenneth Irwin sent in these nice photos of his Toyota Vios Turbo in Thailand. It’s a 1.5 turbocharged manual version. Even the fact that it’s manual is something we don’t see here in Malaysia. Let’s have a look at the car.

Click here to read the rest of Toyota Vios Turbo