Paul Tan's Automotive News» Spyshots at Paul Tan’s Automotive News

Production Nissan Micra compact car spied in China – the sketch was better!

Paul Tan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:05:17 +0000

What’s happened here is actually quite common in the auto industry – a decent looking sketch ends up translated into a not very appealing production model.

These leaked set of next generation Nissan Micra/March photos were leaked from Dongfeng Nissan production lines as the Chinese JV prepares to assemble it in China. It’s expected to run a HR16DE and a 4-speed auto/5-speed manual combo in China, but there’s probably also the HR15DE and a CVT transmission to choose from for other market needs.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Europestar develops own styling for GEN2

Paul Tan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:16:59 +0000

The sohu source seems quite certain that this is a Proton/Europestar car. One possibility that I can think of is this could be a Chinese market only car that Proton, Lotus and Europestar are working on together.

UPDATE: Thanks to all readers that pointed this out – this is a restyled Proton GEN2 for Europestar. More updates later – Source

A Brazilian automotive website has pointed to a set of photos on leading Chinese auto website auto.sohu.com that claim to feature Proton’s new Perdana-replacement sedan. The sedan is taped up but the design of the headlamp, grille, tail lamps and etc can clearly be seen. The taped up badge on the front kinda looks like Proton’s. It’s definitely not a Roewe badge as their badge is a little square-jawed at the bottom.

Remember a piece of news this blog carried back in January and then April 2009? It was mentioned that Proton was considering a new Perdana replacement based on the Rover 75 platform, amongst others. Proton have been toying with a few ideas for a Perdana replacement actually. A Mitsubishi 380 with Proton badges is a common sight in the Centre of Excellence car park and photos of that have been circulating around the internet for very long now. There was also talk of using an old Passat platform during the Volkswagen courtship days.

It’s very much just speculation for now but the Proton-Rover connection has been around for many many years, even before SAIC came into the picture by buying up the British company. Rover had originally wanted to license the Proton GEN2 to produce a new Rover 45 and in return the 75 would be used by Proton to make a new Perdana. The Rover 45 was always a ‘rebadge’ car for Rover, even before it was called the 45 (it was originally called the 400 series). The 1999 car was based on a Honda Civic and the ones before it were based on Hondas.

As for the engine under the hood of a new Rover-dana, the platform could come with a new redesigned KV6 engine, if Proton does not decide to put its own Campro Turbo engine inside. You may not know it but the KV6 is familiar to many Malaysians already, it is actually the engine used in the 2.5 liter quad cam Naza Ria. It was also used in V6 first generation Freelanders. SAIC has updated the KV6 and now calls it the Roewe KV6. It now makes 188 horses, up from the original 175 horses figure. Roewe also sells the car with a turbocharged 1.8 liter K-Series inline-4.

Source | Translation

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

F10 BMW 5-Series spyshot snapped conveniently next to a 5-Series GT for comparison

Paul Tan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:53:42 +0000

Click for enlarged high resolution image

The latest installment in the 5-Series sedan range must be very very near to launch as the test units that have been going around European roads are slowly losing their camo, perhaps in a way to tease the public about its impending launch.

The new 5-Series Gran Turismo that had already been launched can probably give us a preview of the design language that the new 5 will carry, but we can see here that there are some obvious differences between the GT model and the regular sedan.

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The bumper looks completely different with the air intake area that’s designed to look more level in terms of height as it spans from the left to right of the bumper. The kidney grilles also have a slightly different shape, and so do the headlamps which are wider and do not point upwards at the edges like the 5-Series GT’s headlamps, helping the car look wider.

Click for enlarged high resolution image

There is more camoflage on the rear though, but we can sort of judge that the rear looks like an evolution of the outgoing E60 model, with new tail lamp designs with the cool organic lightbars that the F01/F02 7-Series have.

Look after the jump for a gallery of 5 spyshots snapped on European roads.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Next generation Hyundai Sonata pix leaked!

Paul Tan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:52:12 +0000

This is supposed to be the new 2011 Hyundai Sonata and it’s probably going to be revealed soon since it looks like these shots were sneaked out during a photoshoot for its product images. The front instantly reminded me of the latest Mazda 6, except with a whole lot of more chrome going on there. It’s not easy to see how the side profile of the car looks like in these shots but I really think I’ve actually seen the new Sonata on test (or perhaps it was its Kia Optima sibling) at some proving grounds when I was in Korea for the Kia Koup preview drive earlier this year, and it’s got a very Passat CC-like coupe roofline to it – very sleek and nice. The interior seems to look good as well. The Koreans just keep getting better and better each time they try. They have to, it’s the only way forward.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Proton’s Lancer-based new Waja on test?

Paul Tan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:37:47 +0000

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Reader Muaz spotted this Mitsubishi Lancer in the Golden Triangle area. You might not take a second glance at this Lancer, until you see that it there are something wrong with its bumpers – the front is black and the rear is grey.

Once that has captured your attention, you’ll see that it has trade plates. The photo here isn’t really high resolution enough to see what number it is but it looks like some variation of B2XXXA. This could be Proton’s new Waja replacement based on the Mitsubishi Lancer on test.

The base specs seems to be the Lancer GLS, as seen from the lack of a spoiler and the use of the GLS 5-spoke wheels, which are smaller.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Proton readying Exora B-Line Manual for launch?

Paul Tan — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:26:42 +0000

Proton will be attempting to stave off Perodua’s attack with a smaller but cheaper Perodua D46T MPV combined with a more desirable Toyota-associated brand because of the original model (it will be derived from the Toyota Passo Sette) this coming November.

The D46T is no secret, we’ve already seen the exterior and interior of what the Perodua version will look like, and the Toyota Passo Sette has already been around for quite sometime for all to see. In fact, one of the Passo Sette we’ve seen on Malaysian roads on road tests may in fact be likely to be owned by Proton.

The weapon of choice will be a cheaper version of the Exora. Right now the Exora is only available in M-Line and H-Line variants, with the only differences between them being creature comforts and minor styling differences.

A cheaper Exora will be further downgraded in terms of equipment, and will likely feature a manual gearbox, which actually could be more of a blessing for the Exora, as the auto while capable of taking the vehicle up to cruising speed and keeping it there, is rather sluggy to move around at city speeds.

Reader Kenneth spotted this Exora on the Penang bridge. It has light disguises on but we all know it’s an Exora. The LED tail lamps are still there but if this is a version of the production B-Line or manual model, we can see some evidence of downspeccing in the form of steel wheels with a cover instead of proper alloy wheels.

Look after the jump for the rest of the spy photos and a video.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Undisguised AM Rapide spotted in Belgium

Paul Tan — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:13:55 +0000

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.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

F10 BMW 5-Series Saloon Interior Videotaped!

Paul Tan — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:09:31 +0000

Now this is the 5-Series that alot of you will be alot more excited about – the sedan version of the next generation BMW 5-Series codenamed the F10.

Sure the 5-Series GT may be a new-ish segment entry for both BMW and the automotive world but Malaysia is a sedan market.

The next generation 5-Series will include 3 bodytypes – sedan, estate and the already unveiled GT. This prototype videotaped by German news agency TVnews Hessen after it was stopped by German police on the autobahn because it looked suspicious – I cannot blame them, just look at the heavy disguise!

Not much detail on the headlamps either but I think we can most probably expect the front end of the 5-Series sedan to look quite similiar to the 5-Series GT.

The cameraman also managed to take a peek into the interior of the vehicle. Like the outside the interior is also heavily disguised so not much can be seen except that the new steering wheel design that debuted on the F01 as well as the black panel instrumentation will be in the F10 – notice the chrome ring around the meter panel does not extend into a full circle at the bottom – that’s where BMW’s new multi-info display is.

Our resident photo-manipulator Theophilus Chin has already presented to us his take on how the F10 Sedan might look like, with cues taken from both the F01 and the 5-Series Gran Turismo.

Look after the jump for the original video.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Honda Accord CrossTour aimed at the Venza

Paul Tan — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:36:25 +0000

Honda will not leave BMW and Toyota to play alone in the new segment that they seem to have carved out for themselves with the Toyota Venza and the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo. VWVortex forum member GoVdubSPEEDGo/M. Balisky spotted two of these lightly taped up Accord CrossTour crossovers up in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in southeastern US.

The side profile can be quite positively identified as similiar to the US/Asian market Honda Accord, with a sloping hatchback rear end and previous gen Accord Coupe-like rear lights. Acura will have its own similiar segment vehicle called the Acura ZDX.

Look after the jump for more photos.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Perodua MPV or Toyota Passo Sette spotted again!

Paul Tan — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:14:20 +0000

A Toyota Passo Sette 3-row MPV or rather the upcoming new Perodua MPV was spotted by reader Goniothalamus on his KL-Bentong journey.

The compact people mover had barely any disguise on, with only a few simple black tapes covering key identification marks such as the badges. In fact looking at the position of the badges that are covered up and the typical Japanese rear window black tinting, it could potentially just be an actual Passo Sette from Japan (compare to this photo), which means this car doesn’t necessarily belong to Perodua.

Toyota Passo Sette Interior

Perodua MD Datuk Syed Hafiz has previously indicated that the Perodua MPV (codenamed Perodua D46T for now) will be sold with a price tag of between RM57k to RM66k and a launch date has been set for somewhere in Q3 this year, which would be anywhere between July to September.

It has already been previously spotted in Malaysia from as early as April this year (check out Perodua MPV photo and video spyshot) and Perodua has also exhibited the Perodua MPV’s interior in Johor.

Look after the jump for all the spyshots.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

More low-res leaked shots of BMW 5-Series GT!

Paul Tan — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:09:32 +0000

Now that was pretty darn quick – right after french magazine L’Automobile magazine posted up a story with full undisguised albeit low-res production photos of the new BMW 5-Series GT 5-door hatchback, a full set of even more photos untainted by watermarks have surfaced on the internet!

But they are still low res of course, we’ll have to wait for the official unveiling for the full hi-res images, which should be very soon, perhaps even in a week’s time.

I still don’t really like how it looks like. The long flowy front seems suddenly interrupted by a short and stubby back. The front end is clearly inspired by the BMW Concept CS, but with all the details toned down significantly. It does share a family face with the new F01 but as I’ve always said, having oversized kidney grilles are fine really if only they are slightly rectangular instead of the F01’s square shape, and here we go, on the F10 with their slightly rectangular shape they look so much better. I can’t wait to see how the F10 sedan looks like.

There are many more photos of the interior in this set, with some showing off the car’s massive panoramic roof that will give the 4 passengers a nice open and airy feel. Yes, the car only seats 4 as there is an armrest cum storage area going through the middle of the two individual seats in the rear, which by the way are said to be reclinable!

Look after the jump for the full set of images.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

BMW 5-Series GT Production Photos Leaked!

Paul Tan — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:54:27 +0000

Don’t know how they did it but French car magazine L’Automobile Magazine managed to get these press release photos of the new BMW 5-Series GT – BMW’s very own D-segment hatchback with a Prius-like roofline and dual-mode tailgate.

As explained before in detail when the Concept 5-Series GT was unveiled, the dual-mode allows access to the storage area either via opening the whole hatch or just a small door, something like the Skoda Superb’s TwinDoor. The rear carries regular 5-Series badging (530d in this instance) but on the left side there appears to be a “GT” badge.

You will be able to see some interior photos after the jump, which continue the theme set by the new F01/F02 7-Series and even includes the Black Panel LCD to display various driver aid information below the two main speedo and RPM meter gauges.

UPDATE: Many more leaked photos here!

Continue after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

New Kia Forte sedan spotted in Shah Alam!

Paul Tan — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:12:54 +0000

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Reader acesDSI spotted this Kia Forte with JPJ plates roaming the streets of Batu 3 Shah Alam heading towards Section 20 Shah Alam. It looks like the good-looking Kia Forte is going to be launched soon, and sources in Naza say it’s most likely to be offered in CKD locally assembled form.

Although we cannot really see the badge on the car because of the resolution of the photos, the photographer said the car had Naza badges on, so maybe what we’re going to get is a Naza Forte instead of a Kia Forte.

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There are positive and negative points about that, firstly having a Naza badge on is likely to give the company more bargaining power with duties resulting in a lower price, which is ultimately beneficial for consumers if a simple badge swap (that could even be supplier by showrooms) will “fix” it. Secondly it will stop potential customers from waiting for Naza Kia to Naza-ize a Kia Forte in anticipation of further price drops.

If the Naza Forte is to become a proper bread and butter sedan for Naza Kia it has to replace the Spectra in the product range so expect it to come with a 1.6 liter engine, with larger engines reserved for the Kia Koup 2-door coupe which I tested in South Korea recently.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

First low-res photos of the BMW X6 M

Paul Tan — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:06:01 +0000

Here we have it, BMW’s most powerful M car ever, a 550 horsepower monster that should be making over 650Nm of torque. It’s also an SUV and happens to be turbocharged, has a relatively low redline of 7,000rpm (compared to the M3 and M5) and is probably mated to an automatic gearbox.

No official specs or details of this new BMW X6 M are out yet but these are an initial low resolution leaked batch of photos which found its way onto the internet. It has a very aggressive front bumper with no foglamps and plenty of large air intakes for the turbo M engine, and a quad tailpipe rear end for the exhaust gases to escape after they’ve done their job spooling up the turbine.

Like the regular X6, the X6 M has paddle shifts too but they are in the proper left to downshift right to upshift config instead of BMW’s two-way push and pull paddles that they put on the non-M cars. There’s really nothing much to say at the moment, except the X6 M is due for an officla reveal at the NYIAS next week so official details and high res photos should be released really soon.

Check out more shots of the first M SUV after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Production BMW 5-Series GT previewed in video!

Paul Tan — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:57:30 +0000

It started off as what seemed to be a fairly usual video that BMW would make about its concept cars. It revolves around an interview with the 5-Series GT’s project leader, Hans-Jurgen Branz. But there is something exciting about this latest video of the BMW 5-Series GT, previously known as the Progressive Activity Sedan.

Things start getting interesting beyond the 1 minute mark when a grey-coloured 5-Series GT appears. This one is missing some of the concept car’s details such as the chrome bits on the door handles and the funky door mirror mount. I believe this is the actual production version that is going to be released!

Watch the video with some screencaps after the jump. Unfortunately the video is in German only for the moment, so I have no clue what he’s talking!

PHOTO GALLERY: BMW Concept 5-Series GT

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

CKD Europestar RCR gets its own front-end

Paul Tan — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:39:17 +0000

Phase 2 of the Proton GEN2 export and rebadging deal with China’s Youngman group under the Europestar brand is well underway and this is the new styling that Europestar will be applying on their locally assembled GEN2, called the Europestar RCR.

The changes are mostly on the front end with new headlamps, bumper and grille and the rear gets lots of badges including a Lotus Europestar badge, a new rear bumper and a new tail lamp design. The first phase involved CBU cars and styling was identical to the GEN2 other than different badges. The Europestar RCR is also called the Europestar Jingsu.

Source

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Great Wall Wingle spotted again on test!

Paul Tan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:42:25 +0000

Here’s another shot of the Great Wall Wingle being tested in Malaysia, this time snapped in Genting by reader Mior. This time there’s a very clear front shot of the car, featuring a design that was clearly “inspired” from the Volkswagen Magellan Concept (shown left). I have no idea when this is scheduled to launch, but from what I am aware of, it uses a Bosch-developed 2.8 liter turbodiesel engine putting out 95 horsepower and 225Nm from 1,600rpm. Having it appear so often doesn’t really mean anything especially with a Chinese marque as there is a precedent somewhat set by the ChangAn CM8, which was also spotted over a year before it was actually launched. In case you’re wondering what’s with the odd name, Wingle is actually said to be a combination of Wind and Eagle.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Proton Exora in Pyrite Brown spotted in Tg Malim

Paul Tan — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:26:45 +0000

Click to view enlarged image

These shots are courtesy of reader H+Z who spotted these two Proton Exora MPVs in the new Pyrite Brown colour at the Medan Selera Tanjung Malim near the Padang MDTM parking lot, thanks man! The Exora will be built at Proton’s plant in Shah Alam but I suppose these test units went up for Tanjung Malim for some purpose or another.

There are a few shots after the jump with one that is particularly interesting – while it was hard to snap photos of the interior because of the window’s reflections, there is one clear shot of the automatic transmission gear shifter area. Looks like there’s a gate-shift but no manual override function, which isn’t really important as it’s mostly a novelty on such a car. There are actually 2 Exoras there, and according to H+Z the one with the B461A has a manual transmission while the B462A was automatic.

Look after the jump for more of H+Z’s shots!

Click to view enlarged image

Click to view enlarged image

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Lightly taped up pick-up truck in Segambut

Paul Tan — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:01:38 +0000

Reader T P L sent in these shots of a lightly taped up truck spotted in Segambut. Could it be the new facelifted Ford Ranger, or maybe a Chevy-badged Isuzu Dmax (Chevy Colorado)? These are the only few possibilities, and the side profile definitely rules the Tata Xenon out. What do you think? Check out more shots after the jump.

UPDATE: Reader chaku/maru has identified this as the Great Wall Wingle, a pick-up truck by a Chinese manufacturer. It has an Euro 3-compliant 2.8 liter direct injection turbodiesel engine that puts out a rather sedate 95 horsepower and 225Nm from 1,600rpm that was developed with the help of Bosch.

Great Wall Wingle

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Proton Exora MPV meter panel and dashboard textures in high-resolution!

Paul Tan — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:00:04 +0000

Click for an enlarged hi-res image

I have managed to source a very high resolution version of the first Proton Exora dashboard instrument panel and steering wheel teaser that Proton put up in the daily papers for you guys, thanks to a source that wishes to remain anonymous. This is probably the original image file for the ad sent to the newspapers and it reveals the full high resolution glory of the textures that Proton have put on the Proton Exora’s dashboard.

The instrumentation panel hood and upper dash seems to have a different texture from the rest of the dashboard and the center dash area where the 2-DIN head unit and air condition controls are also seem to have a sort of brushed look to it. The meter panel can also be seen in full high resolution glory, so check it out!

For other details please read our previous coverage of the Proton Exora MPV, the national carmaker’s first 7-seater 3-row MPV set for an April 2009 launch.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

LEAKED: Is this the new F10 BMW 5-series?

Paul Tan — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:39:29 +0000

If this image above is truly a leak of the front end of the F10 BMW 5-Series, then BMW is moving back to the days of the E46/E39/E38 where all its 3 sedans look pretty much like different sizes of each other. The supposed 5-Series in the photo above (that found its way onto the 5Post forums) features the new F1-inspired hood from the E90 3-Series LCI (facelift) and the large kidneys from the 7-Series, albeit less squarish but in a more appealing slightly rectangular shape. It has a very aggressive and muscular look. If this is the standard F10, can you imagine what the M5 will look like?

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

BMW X1 “spy video” at the Arctic Circle

Paul Tan — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:55:07 +0000

In the spirit of “self-published” spyshots by car manufacturers that have been surfacing lately, BMW has released a spy video of the BMW X1 donning a ridiculous camo pattern on its body having some fun in the snowy terrain of the arctic circle. This particular unit would likely have the xDrive system for sure, but word is the X1 might also come in sDrive rear-wheel drive variants. Watch the “spy video” after the jump.

VIDEO: BMW X1 at the Arctic Circle

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

New Toyota Wish gets CVT and Valvematic engine!

Paul Tan — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:01:52 +0000

The Toyota Wish is due to be replaced soon, and in light of the current economy situation and Toyota’s expected first loss in a long long time, it’s going to be built on the same platform as the outgoing with but with some improvements and a new set of engines, in Japan at least. These leaked brochure images here reveal to us how the new Wish will look like. There are a few improvements such as the A-pillars which are now thinner to improve visibility. The Japanese Wish will enjoy a new range of Dual VVT-i and Valvematic engines, the latter which first debuted on another MPV, the Toyota Noah.

The top of the line 2.0 liter Wish in Japan will get the 3ZR-FAE engine equipped with Toyota’s latest Valvematic variable valve lift technology. It produces 158 PS at 6200rpm and 196Nm of torque at 4,400rpm. The lesser engined sibling will be powered by a 1.8 liter unit producing 144 PS at 6,400rpm and 176Nm of torque at 4,400rpm. Both are mated to a Super CVT-i transmission.

There will be four variants – the 2.0Z, the 2.0G, the 1.8S and the 1.8X. The brochures also reveal that Toyota will be differentiating the different variants of the Wish with different exterior looks. For example, there are at least three different levels of prominence with the wheel arches, and the results are 3 different widths in the dimension sheets of the brochure. The “narrowest” most tame-looking Wish is only 1,695mm wide but the widest 2.0Z variant is 1,745mm wide. The Wish 1.8S in somewhere in between at 1,725mm. The red unit you see here is the 2.0Z.

The Wish was an immensely popular model in Malaysia, but for a very long time 100% of sales were enjoyed by the grey importers as it was not brought in officially by UMW Toyota. Only later did UMW bring it in but by then all the Wish owners were already Wish owners. It’s safe to say with this new Wish, UMW will be selling it right from the start. But don’t be surprised if you see the same old 2.0 liter and 4-speed automatic installed instead of the modern Valvematic and CVT transmission.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

HOT: Proton MPV 100% fully uncovered!

Paul Tan — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:49:14 +0000

Fully undisguised shots of the Proton MPV – both exterior and interior – have found their way onto the internet, and they reveal to us plenty of details on the eagerly anticipated 7-seater MPV by Proton!

What we can see is one shot of the Proton MPV in white, another in an unidentified brown-like colour (may be something else altogether because of colour balance), and 3 shots of the interior. Here are what can be observed:

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A complete revamp of the Proton steering wheel design that is curiously reminiscent of the one Honda is currently using. There is steering wheel audio controls and also a phone button which could indicate some variants of the MPV are equipped with a Bluetooth hands-free system.
Instrument panel features a two-meter design, with RPM on the left and an even-numbered speedometer on the right which tops out at 180km/h. The design of the meters are predominantly red with white text. They look like an evolution of the one in the GEN2 CPS facelift, but with modifications that somehow make them end up looking like the one found in the Isuzu D-Max, except the D-Max design is blue.
A small storage and a card holder (Touch N Go?) located below the driver’s side aircond vent
A door-open indicator in the middle of the two meters

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A redline of 7,000rpm for the RPM meter
Two digital displays below each meter. The left one shows a digital fuel meter and digital temp meter as well as various other multi-info readings. I’m not sure what the right one shows.

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The gear lever is dash-mounted much like the Honda CR-V.
Dashboard itself doesn’t seem to have any texture to it but it’s likely that this is a pre-production version, so the production version should have some texture in-line with all the recent Proton model launches.
Center dash area design from top to bottom – clock, two aircond vents, 2-DIN CD player, various buttons including hazard light, manual air conditioning knobs, recirculation and air cond button.

5-spoke alloy wheels
Bee-sting antenna at the front just after the windscreen.
Signal indicator on side mirrors
Reflector headlamps
Foglamps on the front bumper
In the photo of the white MPV you can see the rear hatch swings upwards, instead of the other method which is sideways like a fridge

The MPV looks really gorgeous from the outside especially the white one, with strong design cues from the Mitsubishi Grandis. The interior looks alright, except the air cond vents look really cheap. They’re better off reusing the ones from the Saga. There also seems to be an odd-looking spacing between the two center vents, like there was supposed to be a hazard light button there but somehow went missing.

3 more months until the launch in April!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Upcoming Peugeot 408 image leaked… or not

Paul Tan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:11:53 +0000

This image of what’s supposed to be a spyshot of the upcoming Peugeot 308 was posted by a forum-peugeot member, but the avid Photoshoppers over at CarSpyShots quickly dismissed it as a 3D rendering with noise added to make it look more realistic, as if it were snapped with a camera phone. Just look at the strange C-pillar and the rest of the car, it just doesn’t look very real. But it could be just the angle.

While other companies are scrambling to build “4-door coupes” at the top of the luxury segment, Peugeot has had one in the basic D-segment category for ages. My wishlist for the 408 would be for more interior room and for the tired 2.0 liter engine to be phased out and replaced by a turbocharged 1.6 liter, like what Peugeot did with the 308.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Proton MPV video snapped in a traffic jam along Jalan Hang Tuah in KL

Paul Tan — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:42:56 +0000

Reader Nazril snapped these two videos of the Proton MPV stuck in a jam along Jalan Hang Tuah in Kuala Lumpur. That place has been continuously jammed for a long time now, making trips to Low Yat to get a dose of gadgety goodness frustrating to say the least. Anyway a prototype vehicle stuck in a jam is a golden opportunity to get snapshots of the interior, and I’m sure many motorcyclists who rode past the MPV have already seen the interior, but as our friend here was driving a car himself, it wasn’t quite possible to grab an image of the interior.

But anyhow, these are nearly as good as watching the MPV inch along in traffic in front of your very own eyes as the camera phone lense is pointed right at the MPV for quite some time – we’ve got over 2 minutes of video. We also get to see the size of the front brake disc which is larger than usual (it fills up nearly all the space right to the edge of the wheel) for a Proton, naturally because of the higher amount of weight it has to stop in comparison to other Proton cars.

The latest news is that the Proton MPV’s launch has been postposed to April 2009, so it’s another 3+ more months worth of waiting and we’ll be able to check this baby out in the showrooms! Thanks to Nazril for these shots!

Video: Proton MPV stuck on Jalan Hang Tuah #1

Video: Proton MPV stuck on Jalan Hang Tuah #2

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

2009 Honda City Roadshow Schedule

Paul Tan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:09:23 +0000

Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd will be holding a roadshow for the new 2009 Honda City from the 14th January 2009 to the 1st of March 2009 in various locations around the Peninsular Malaysia. The following is the roadshow schedule:

14 Jan to 18 Jan	1 Utama, Damansara
13 Feb to 15 Feb	Queensbay Mall, Penang
20 Feb to 22 Feb	Sutera Mall, JB
24 Feb to 1 Mar	Kinta City, Ipoh
25 Feb to 1 Mar	Mid Valley, KL

You can check out the new Honda City in person if you’re in the area doing your shopping without having to go out of your way to a Honda showroom, and I understand there are some Honda merchandise to be given away. Too bad you won’t be able to see the red one shown above, red isn’t available in Malaysia as a colour.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

New Honda Insight hybrid details revealed early in Belgian official Honda magazine

Paul Tan — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:38:02 +0000

To think that we had assumed Honda had gotten rid of it’s i-DSI engines, with the new City being available solely with a range of 4 cylinder SOHC i-VTEC engines, but no, we were wrong! The i-DSI engine is still alive and kicking in the new Honda Insight, as these scans from Honda’s official magazine in Belgium reveal.

The Honda Insight will be powered by an Euro 5-compliant 1.3 liter (1,339cc) i-DSI i-VTEC engine that has 8 valves (2 per cylinder), Dual & Sequential Ignition (2 spark plugs per cylinder), and variable valve timing that produces 88 horsepower at 5,800rpm and 123Nm of torque at 4,600rpm.

Not quite the 1.5 liter i-DSI that we are so familiar with, the one that produces its peak torque at a nice 2,700rpm, but looks decent. The somewhat anaemic power figures are helped by the IMA electric motor which adds another 13.6hp and 103Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a CVT transmission, which has optional steering wheel paddle shifts.

Two different trim levels are available – the Insight Comfort and the Insight Elegance. The Comfort has the necessities such as automatic climate control, airbags and etc. The Elegance version adds some extra equipment such as fog lamps, cruise control, heated front seats, automatic headlamps and wipers and the previously mentioned paddle shifts.

Honda rates the new Honda Insight at a consumption of 4.4 liters per 100km on the combined cycle, and 101g/km of CO2 emissions. More details will be revealed at the official unveiling, but for now check out the brochure scans after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

LEAKED: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212) brochures with detailed specification sheets!

Paul Tan — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:28:11 +0000

A brochure of the new W212 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been scanned and let loose onto the internet, so here’s a preview of the next generation de-facto communiting choice for businessmen in Malaysia. Styling-wise, this new edition completes the E-Class design’s transformation from curvy bulk into a new sportier, edgier and more angular design. The trademark quad oval headlamps are now square-ish, much like the Lexus GS.

	W212	W211	A6	E60	Accord
Length	4,868mm	4,856mm	4,927mm	4,841mm	4,945mm
Width	1,854mm	1,822mm	1,855mm	1,846mm	1,845mm
Height	1,470mm	1,483mm	1,459mm	1,468mm	1,475mm
Wheelbase	2,870mm	2,854mm	2,843mm	2,888mm	2,800mm

Above is a size comparison chart between the new W212 and the model it replaces as well as its competitiors, the Audi A6 and the BMW 5-Series. The A6 is clearly the longest and widest of the lot while remaining lowest as well, but it does not have the longest wheelbase. The new W212 is longer, wider and lower than the W211 so it should prove to have a sportier stance as well as be more stable on the road. It’s wheelbase has also grown by 16mm.

The image at the beginning of this story is the standard model with the regular foglamps, of which design reminds you of what Brabus usually does to a Mercedes foglamp, so they’ll probably have to think of something else with this E-Class! Now this image above shows us what we saw earlier in the initial batch of leaked shots, LED daytime driving lights in place of where the foglamps are. They are arranged in some sort of L shape.

This is the version with the AMG bodykit, also featuring the LED driving lights. You can see the differences in the front bumper, it has a frowney shape to its central air intake compared to the regular E-Class bumper’s smiley air intake. The sideskirt also bulges out a little towards the rear wheel on the AMG car.

The new W212 E-Class is quite a handsome and aggressive car from the front but when you get to the rear, I don’t know about you but my first thoughts were “fail”. The integrated exhausts tailpipes are a nice touch but as this photo is the E 500, it’s not known at this point whether the base models like the new E 200 CGI will get a similiar design.

The interior is quite clearly an evolution of the W204 C-Class’s interior. The sexy curved and thin wood panels of the W211’s interior is now gone, and replaced by thick and flat pieces of wood on a dash design that has also gone all angular like the car’s exterior. I don’t know, the interior kinda looks like it was lifted from a luxury truck or SUV rather than a Mercedes-Benz, so I really prefer the old W211’s interior. Ah well, all the better for people who plan to pick up a pre-owned W211 facelift in the future.

The leaked spec sheets reveal the new engine range for the W212 E-Class. Gone is the familiar E 200 K moniker, instead replacing it is the new E 200 CGI. The brochure and spec sheets actually doesn’t really reveal what kind of forced induction the new 1.8 liter engine uses, but just looking at the torque curve will tell you that it’s a new quick-spooling turbocharger, so now we can finally bid goodbye to the Kompresser supercharger of the W210 and W211. The new E 200 CGI’s 1.8 liter turbocharged engine also has direct injection and puts out 181bhp at 5,250rpm as well as 270Nm of torque between 1,800 to 4,200rpm. This is a very decent amount and beats the hell out of the 523i’s 230Nm, plus it kicks in at a very low RPM too. 0 to 100km/h takes 8.7 seconds, while the top speed is 235km/h.

The new 1.8 liter turbocharged direct injection engine also comes in E 250 CGI guise. The V6-powered E 230 is now missing from the line-up. In E 250 CGI form, the engine produces 201hp at 5,250 and 310Nm of torque between 2,000 to 4,500rpm. 0 to 100km/h takes 7.9 seconds, while the top speed is a little higher at 245km/h. The E 250 CGI also has wider tyres in 225/55R16 size compared to the E 200 CGI’s 205/60R16 tyres.

Click for enlarged image

Other engine options include a V6 and a V8 in the E 350 CGI and the E 500 respectively. These models come with either rear wheel drive or optional 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The E 280 seems missing, but may only be gone in the originating country of this leaked brochure. The E 350 CGI’s 3.5 liter V6 puts out 288hp at 6,400rpm and an impressive 365Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, thanks to its direct injection technology. The E 350 4MATIC’s engine has different power figures – 268hp at 6,000rpm and 350Nm of torque between 2,400 to 5,000rpm, an impressively wide peak torque spread for a normally aspirated engine. The 5.5 liter V8-powered E 500 and E 500 4MATIC produce 382 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 530Nm of torque between 2,800 rpm to 4,800rpm.

There are a few oil burners to choose from, ranging from the E 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY all the way up to a E 350 CDI BlueTEC. There is also a 4MATIC version of the E 350 CDI. The inline-4 diesels in the E 200 CDI, E 200 CDI and the E 250 CDI are the new 2.1 liter OM651 diesel engine that was unveiled recently. The E 200 CDI puts out 134hp between 3,000 to 4,600rpm and 330Nm of torque between 1,600 to 2,800rpm. The E 220 CDI does 167hp between 3,000 to 4,200rpm and 400Nm of torque between 1,400 to 2,800rpm. The 201hp E 250 CDI puts out a massive 500Nm from 1,600rpm all the way to 1,800rpm.

Click for enlarged image

The sole V6 turbodiesel option is the 3.0 liter E 350 CDI engine which has three power outputs in three different variants. The E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY gets 228hp at 3,800rpm and 540Nm of torque between 1,600rpm and 2,400rpm, while the E 350 BlueTEC has less power – only 208hp at 3,400rpm but the same 540Nm of torque between 1,600 to 2,600rpm. Finally, the all-wheel drive E 350 CDI 4MATIC gets 221hp at 3,800rpm and 540Nm of torque between 1,600 to 2,400rpm. These numbers by the 3.0 V6 turbo diesel are all very close to the highest power output of the 2.1 liter twin turbocharged diesel, which is what makes the latter engine very special. What it lacks is the smooth silky refinement and sound of a V6.

Please look after the jump for a photo gallery containing the scanned brochures. It reveals a few colour options as well as the different interior colour schemes.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.

Production Honda Insight Hybrid images leaked ahead of Geneva 2009 debut

Paul Tan — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:30:58 +0000

Here we go again, low-res product photos of soon to be unveiled products always get leaked out a week or two before their official proper unveiling date, and this time it’s the new 2nd generation Honda Insight hybrid. The Insight will make its debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show in March, but here we get to see full details of the production version more than 2 months earlier. In the photo gallery after the jump you will be able to see many angles of the exterior as well as close-ups of the car’s features, but they are far from high-res though. Also shown is a close-up of the car’s digital speedometer which changes colour according to your driving pattern in order to let you know whether you are driving fuel efficiently or not. Honda calls this the Ecological Drive Assist System.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 10:55:25 +0800.