Archive for Test Drive Reports

The Ssangyong Actyon Sports SUT is a pick-up truck that stands out among it’s competitors, and I’m not just talking about its somewhat unorthodox looks which resembles a shark with a gaping mouth, especially in white. But if you’re willing to put it’s looks aside and are interested to know more about the features and capabilities of the Ssangyong Actyon, look after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Ssangyong Actyon Sports Pick-Up Truck Test Drive

The new face lifted BMW X3 is essentially a jacked up 3-Series station wagon with BMWs xDrive all-wheel-drive system. Bear in mind, not even the latest 3-Series even - just like how BMW dipped into the E39 parts bin when designing most of the previous generation X5, the BMW X3 takes most of its stuff from the E46 BMW 330xi.

Read my full test drive review after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 BMW X3 2.5si Facelift Test Drive Review

There was a time when it was easy to tell supercars from all the rest, but then certain things happened. For one, power outputs kept on increasing while the cars got more liveable and less mental, leading to the creation of the somewhat ridiculous category of ‘hypercar, to house such varied contenders as the Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Zonda. Whats next, ‘megacar? ‘Gigacar? ‘Best-to-the-power-of-infinity-car?

It doesnt help that firms like BMW make cars like the M5, a sedan which in its current incarnation has a gargantuan 500bhp, a 0-100 km/h time of 4.7 seconds and a delimited top speed scarier than 300 km/h. So whats a supercar anymore? Auto publications inevitably compare the M5 to similarly-powered Italian thoroughbreds like the Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari F430, often with favourable results. Its much cheaper, resoundingly more practical and almost as fast, but inevitably held back by being heavier and having to accommodate all that luggage and human space.

So, youd think that it would be a sure-fire exercise in supercar-making to take the M5s magnificent engine and put it into something lower, lighter and stiffer like, say, a 6-Series, right? The BMW M6 has to be a supercar. Or does it?

Jeremy Mahadevan finds out after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of BMW M6 Test Drive on the Isle of Man

After missing the media test drive held somewhere in the East Coast of Malaysia, I finally managed to get a hold of the new 2007 Honda CR-V so I can report my findings to the ever eager and critical readers of this blog. Read my findings after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Honda CR-V Test Drive Report

A few weeks back, lucky NST journalist Shannon Teoh took the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 out for a test drive review, and I got to have a taste of the car as well as be the photographer for the test drive. I can’t say much about the car as I only got to drive it a little around Cyberjaya and back to NST in Bangsar, but it’s safe to say it was everything I expected it to be and more.

I found myself saying under my breath, “I can’t believe this is 6th gear” - and the reason for it being said under my breath was because I did not want to interrupt the moments where I was feeling that amazing amount of torque - all 400Nm of it.

That is the same amount of torque as the new E92 BMW M3. While the Evo 9 introduces MIVEC variable valve timing to the venerable 4G63 series and is supposed to smoothen out the torque curve and increase low-end power, there is still a mad surge of power and the intoxicating sound of a large turbine spinning furiously when you enter the boost range which begins a tad below 4,000rpm.

It was very hard to believe that this is a performance car, as the Lancer Evolution 9 had everything you need to be a practical family sedan - 5 seats, 4 doors, a nice big boot. What else could you ask for? However, it was hard justifying the thought of me ever buying one if I could afford it, as for a sedan that costs a tad over RM280,000, the interior sure did not feel premium.

For example, even the air conditioning was a manual knob controlled unit, and the audio system was very basic. Plus, just try maneuvering the Evo 9 in tight parking spaces. You’ll discover that for some reason the car has a really bad turning circle, ensuring that multiple three point turns will be one of your most frequent maneuvers in this car.

But then again, that’s just me. I am very particular about my car interior ambiance, and the Evo 9 is just not for me. It might be the car for you though, if you had RM284,872 to plonk down for one of the most exciting cars you can buy on Malaysian roads. BTW, there is no standard warranty for this car - a 1-year warranty is optional!

For now, have a look at more photos after the jump. You can click most of the images in this post to view an enlarged version.

Click here to read the rest of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 Short Write-up

In Malaysia, we get the Kia Rio5 5-door hatchback as the Kia Rio, offered as a CBU unit from Korea. Powered by a 1.4 liter engine, the proposition that the car offers you seems to be a small get-around designed to be small enough to be easy to park, as well as having a frugal engine that won’t hurt your wallet.

Read my test drive report after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Kia Rio 1.4 Test Drive Report

Volvo shares something in common with Audi, the fact that their stationwagon models usually garner more excitement than the sedan models, or at least that was the norm sometime in the past. Things might have changed somewhat now.

The Volvo V50, like other stationwagons in it’s class (3 Touring?) is a somewhat peculiar offering. A stationwagon usually means utility and lots of space, however C-segment vehicles are usually too compact to have the word spacious associated with them.

Read my report on the Volvo V50 T5, courtesy of Volvo Malaysia, after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Volvo V50 T5 Test Drive Report

Rolling around in a BMW 3 Touring is certainly going to get you alot of stares. After all, how many Malaysians are used to seeing station wagons around other than the popular AD Resort workhorse? Some of my peers even commented to me they didn’t know BMW made station wagons. Apparently BMW is supposed to be making sporty driver’s cars, and it seems that station wagon can’t really fit into the typical equation. Call me weird, but I actually prefer the Touring body to the Sedan’s body!

Read my full report after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of BMW 320d Touring Test Drive

In Malaysia, Lexus is a really exclusive thing. Test drives of the press fleet are limited to an exclusive list, and for the media on that list, test drives are limited to taking the car for a spin around the headquarters - none of the usual three day test drive stuff. Shannon Teoh of NST Life & Times, one of the lucky local journalists who managed to get a feel of the Lexus LS460L shares with us his experience driving the flagship Lexus.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus LS460L Short Test Drive Report

The E93 BMW 3-Series Convertible was unveiled to the public in October last year, and has since sparked many questions. How would it handle compared to the 3 Sedan and 3 Coupe, and could it maintain the sleek shape of the 3 Coupe with the inclusion of all the necessary equipment to have a hard top folding roof? BMW gave lucky motoring journalists a try at the 3 Convertible in Arizona, USA, and though I did not manage to attend the test drive event due to work, Shannon Teoh covered the event for paultan.org readers. Read his findings after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of BMW 335i Convertible Test Drive Report