The new Proton BLM which will replace the age old Proton Saga is expected to be launched sometime in mid January 2008, with indicative pricing expected to be somewhere in the RM30,000 range, with perhaps a basic “BLM Lite” model that dips just under the RM30,000 mark.
The new car is based off the Proton Savvy platform but its wheelbase may and most probably will be extended to allow for greater interior room. Here is a list of spyshots of the car spotted on public roads:
New Proton BLM sighted with minimal disguise on the road! - HOT! LATEST SPYSHOT: A Proton BLM without any disguise except for its Proton badges removed has been snapped on the road - the strange thing about this particular car is it had a proper registration plate and even a road tax sticker instead of carrying trade plates!
Black and white Proton BLM spyshot - This post shows the Proton BLM from a side view. For the first time the car has also been spotted without steel wheels, so you can see an attractive 7-spoke alloy wheel design.
New Proton BLM Spyshot - The car in these shots are covered up quite heavily with tape but you can see the shape of the headlamps which seem quite Toyota Altezza-like, as well as the sporty front bumper design (looks rather like a BMW M Sport bumper actually) which feature a prominent lower air intake. The car is a shade of green, so now we know one of the colour options.
Another rear shot of the Proton BLM - This post is one of the first few spyshots of the Proton BLM. This angle makes it look very much like a sedan version of the Proton Savvy, but not much detail is revealed.
Clearer Proton BLM Side Profile Spyshots - These nice shots of a white BLM were snapped by a Lensa Malaysia photography forum member with a rather good camera, so the shots turned out pretty clear.
Is this the new Proton BLM? - This is the very first sighting of the Proton BLM on this blog - not much detail can be seen in this photo except the fact that the car is white in colour and the rear tail lamps seem to be detailed with a mix of crystal-like red and white.
For those who have sent in photos of the Proton BLM fully undisguised, I have received them and I appreciate the kindness but unfortunately I am unable to post them up. In these times where many parties take legal action against websites it is unsafe to publish the photos because the undisguised car was snapped inside a private building and not on public roads.
Reader Chris sent in these photos of several Nissan Bluebird Sylphy units spotted in Segambut. The cars have their badges taped up and bear trade plates. ETCM must be doing local road tests, which could mean a launch is imminent.
This is just a theory - the fact that the car is using steel wheels could mean a local supplier for the car’s alloy wheels is not ready for production yet - leading to my suspicion that the car will be locally assembled.
A question many would ask would be where in the price range would Tan Chong price these Sentra-replacement Nissan Bluebirds, considering the Teana which is supposed to be a Cefiro replacement has been priced too far away from the average Camry/Accord/Cefiro buyer’s reach.
UPDATE: The Nissan Sylphy has been launched in Malaysia!
Thanks to spyshots by Chinese automotive industry website Cheshi, we now find out that the “localisation” of the Proton GEN2 by Jinhua was not just limited to a left hand drive conversion and swapping badges with the Europestar badge. The Europestar GEN2 gets a completely new front fascia that looks like the poor car has jaundice, and the rear crop circle lamps get a similiar treatment.
UPDATE: Some of you may remember the spyshots of the facelifted Proton GEN2 due to be launched very soon. It too had a larger grille, although not as over the top as the Europestar version.
More images including rear light treatment are after the jump.
There are alot of Volkswagen Golf GTIs on the roads these days, probably Volkswagen Malaysia’s best selling car. It’s at that magical under RM200K mark too, although just barely at RM198,888.
While the 2.0 liter TFSI engine is sweet, and 200 PS combined with that excellent chassis is more than enough for most people, there will be those who desire more.
Enter the Volkswagen Golf R32, set to give the BMW 130i M Sport a run for its money. This is the car that Jeremy Clarkson picked in a shootout between the two, and it could be in Volkswagen Malaysia showrooms pretty soon thanks to this sighting at JPJ Putrajaya (photos thanks to jD), which is usually where alot of new CBU cars will be parked at for type approval and other procedures before they enter the market.
A launch sometime soon in time for the Christmas season perhaps?
Apparently these are leaked photos of the 2009 Nissan Murano, which is the second generation since the first generation Murano was released back in 2003. Some called it the spaceship SUV because of its futuristic looks.
Fast forwards a few years and its time for a full model change, and the new Murano still has the old Murano’s general shape, but the front grille is alot more aggressive, and overly edgy with large chrome bars. The interior is quite different, looking less like a SUV-ized 350Z interior now. UPDATE: Added a shot of the rear after the jump.
Check out a photo of the interior after the jump with larger resolution available.
We first saw the Chevrolet Captiva in near production concept form in 2004 as the Chevrolet S3X Concept. Soon it went into production in 2006 as the Chevrolet Captiva and the Daewoo Winstorm, powered by a 2.4 liter petrol (142hp@5200rpm, 220Nm@4000rpm) or a 3.2 liter V6 (225hp@6000rpm, 302Nm@3500rpm), or a GM-VM Motori 2.0 liter turbodiesel (150hp@4000rpm, 310Nm@2000rpm).
The long wheelbase of 2700mm allows the Chevrolet Captiva to fit up to 3 rows of seats for a maximum capacity of 7 seats, although the SUV is also available as a 5 seater.
After looking at the Captiva only through the internet and magazines, suddenly we see it in Putrajaya at the JPJ building thanks to reader akmal… first the new Chevrolet Aveo notchback and now this - is Hicomobil on the roll again?
These are more spyshots of the Proton Saga Replacement Model or better known as the Proton BLM, which is a codename that stands for Base Line Model. This new Proton will be the most affordable model in Proton’s stables - a three box sedan said to be based on the Proton Savvy with space for 5 and a proper boot for luggage.
Reader december who sent these shots in apologizes for them being in black and white because he shot them with his mobile phone camera that was pre-set to black and white mode. Well, I say no need for an apology mate - you’ve been generous enough to share this with us and the car is clearly visible.
Perhaps being black and white we are able to better guess the shape of the car because there is less distraction from the camouflage tape.
Earlier we learned that a new 7-seater MPV by Nissan called the Livina will be available in Edaran Tan Chong Motor showrooms by the second half of this year. We’re pretty much right smack in the middle of the second half right now, and a few badgeless Nissan Livina MPVs has already been spotted making it’s rounds around KL. Have a look at a rear shot of a dark red Nissan Livina shown above thanks to reader Steven.
The Livina should be very promising as it would offer us another monocoque car chassis-based 7-seater MPV at under RM100,000 prices. This space is currently occupied by the Naza Citra, though reportedly there is some special deal right now involving Hyundai Trajet MPVs being sold for under RM100k.
Read more on the Nissan Livina in the linked post below to find out why a monocoque-based people transporter has certain advantages over body-on-frame constructed designs like the Toyota Avanza.
[ UPDATE: The Suzuki SX4 1.6 automatic has been launched in Malaysia! Click here for more details, specifications, photos and most importantly PRICES! ]
Reader Akmal spotted this little hatchback at the JPJ Putrajaya building. Although the photo is blur - probably as a result of a phone with no autofocus - from the rear you can make out that this is a Suzuki SX4 hatchback, which probably means we will be getting a fourth Suzuki model in Malaysia soon. The SX4 will be joining the existing ranks of the Swift, Grand Vitara and the APV.
Suzuki Malaysia is lacking a sedan model so yet another hatchback seems redundant, but they could be planning to introduce both sedan and hatchback models of the Suzuki SX4 like what Tan Chong has done with the Nissan Latio. The Suzuki SX4 has also been rebadged by Fiat as the Fiat Sedici.
The Suzuki SX4 is a little B-segment hatchback and can be equipped with offroader styling, much like the Volkswagen CrossPolo. It can be equipped with all-wheel-drive. Read more on the SX4 in the related links below:
September 1, 2007 @ 12:42 am
· Filed under BMW, Cars, Spyshots
The first sightings of the BMW 3-Series Sedan facelift have appeared on the internet at E90 Post, and they reveal a new bumper design which feature a central air vent with two smaller vents flanking it that feature a little bar going across them much like what BMW has done with the E70 X5’s bumper. Ignore that little orb that’s in the central air vent - it’s not some centrally mounted foglamp of sorts. That’s just the distance sensor for the Active Cruise Control, something you can already see on current BMWs equipped with it.
On the rear, parts of the tail lamps are taped up, which could mean a redesign of sorts. I am not a fan of the current E90 tail lamps - something that resembles the current 7-Series facelift and the E92 3-Series Coupe would looks much better on the car and make it look wider as well. The hood also looks taped up, so it might be redesigned.
It looks like BMW has decided to keep the more aggressive E92 nose job exclusively for the BMW M3 Sedan, which is a pity. But I am sure you’ll be able to do some aftermarket modification magic with the M3 sedan’s front panels and headlamps onto your vanilla 3-Series Sedan.
The new Proton BLM which will replace the age old Proton Saga is expected to be launched sometime in mid January 2008, with indicative pricing expected to be somewhere in the RM30,000 range, with perhaps a basic “BLM Lite” model that dips just under the RM30,000 mark.
