Archive for Test Drive Reviews

Sometime in April last year we said goodbye to the Jaguar S-Type sold by SISMA Auto and welcomed the Jaguar XF. While the old S-Type was a modern reinterpretation of the old Jaguar Mark 2 design from the 1960s, the XF can be immediately identified as some kind of downsized Aston Martin Rapide of sorts. It was first shown to the world as the Jaguar C-XF, but like all concepts it was much more fiercer and racier especially at the front with those sleek and slim headlamps that somehow got translated into the fat ones you see here on the production version.

In Malaysia, the XF takes on German rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz E 280 and the BMW 530i, as well as the Japanese Lexus GS 300. At RM 488,888, it has a much higher price than its other rivals which retail at approximately RM 453,800, RM 438,888 and RM 419,444.20 respectively for the BMW, the Benz and the Lexus (some are with insurance some without). But is the XF worth the premium? Perhaps SISMA are pricing it against the CLS instead of the E-class segment.

Read our findings after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 Test Drive Review

Along with the official launch of the Satria Neo CPS, members of the media were given the chance to test out the new Neo CPS at an empty parking lot. Although excited about testing the new spiritual successor to the Proton Satria GTI, I wasn’t too keen about driving the up-rated Neo within the confines of a rather small area. Proton had setup a pointless-looking mini race track within the compounds of the APAC parking lot and I managed to get a taste of both manual and automatic variants.

First up was the automatic version. Featuring similar cabin room as the standard Neo, the CPS variant also suffers from lack of head clearance. In my honest opinion, it was quite fun to drive the Neo CPS through tight spots, as the handling was rather sharp. At average speeds of up to 60 km/h, I only felt some easily correctable understeer at the limits of car. While negotiating those tight turns, I felt very minimal body roll, while the nicely-weighted steering wheel offered good feedback.

The sprint performance with the auto tranny was just about average. As expected, the performance of the automatic transmission during my initial test was made me to look forward to the manual Neo CPS. The manual is the only way to really enjoy this car!

The first thing I did when got myself into the manual Neo was to have a feel of the gear lever hoping for it to be nicely weighted, as opposed to being “soggy” or “lose”, and I am happy to say that my hopes were realized. A little on the hard side of things, gear change was slick and precise, which is good since this car is positioned as a performance variant. For the manual Neo CPS test, there were longer straights on the temporary track, which allowed me to feel the CPS powerplant’s good performance on high revs.

Through out the quick test drive, I also noticed that the throttle response was also up to expectation. I would like to mention about its ride quality but unfortunately the test drive was rather short, so looks like we have to wait for a longer drive. But based on the short drive, things are pointing the right direction for the Neo CPS. The handling and performance seems to suit the aggressive looks on the outside. Some might say that the body kit treatment is a little over the top, but personally, I feel its alright.

I just wish that the wheels were extended by half an inch or so, but that may affect the overall handling. I also feel that the rear exhaust box should have been hidden neatly. The way it is now makes the rear diffuser look bad. So far, my thumbs are pointing upwards for the Satria New CPS. Stick around as we will bring you the test review as soon as we get a test drive unit.

Story by Harvinder Singh, because Paul Tan cannot fit properly in the car while wearing a safety helmet, thanks to the headroom.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Satria Neo CPS: parking lot test review

The Japanese B-segment market is indeed a hot one and is dominated by the H and T badges, despite honest efforts by other manufacturers such as Suzuki to make an impact with cars such as the SX4 sedan. The City and the Vios remain the champions of the under RM80k non-national sedan market and are the target of many people who long to break out of what they feel is the curse of Proton ownership, so naturally the launch of the new Honda City this year was very eagerly awaited. The new City is blessed with good looks and now that the launch and fanfare are over, it’s time to take a good look at the car and see if it is indeed as good as it looks.

Read my full driving impressions after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2009 Honda City: first drive impressions review

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Do you have RM200,000? Great! Go out and buy a Golf GTI.

If you don’t, well, consider one of two options. Rob a bank or read more about what Shannon Teoh has to say about its smaller brother, the Polo GTI.

Read more after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Volkswagen Polo GTi 1.8T Test Drive Review

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The MINI Clubman and Clubman S are the second body variant of the second generation BMW MINI, with the first being the R56 hatchback and another upcoming one being the new convertible. We recently took a spin in the Clubman and did some of the typical lifestyle stuff – a duty that this vehicle is expected to carry out well, since its priced way over the RM200,000 mark. Read our findings after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New MINI Clubman Test Drive Review

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The E60 BMW 5-Series has come a long way since it was first unveiled to the world. You could say it gave a rude shock to those who loved the low slung elegance that the E39 portrayed. It was a no holds barred styling affair for Chris Bangle after warming himself up with the E65 7-Series launched earlier.

A few years and a facelift later, we’ve all pretty much gotten used to what the new 5-Series looks like. I still prefer the E39’s looks but in two years or so that will already be two generations old and the new F10 5-Series will be out, which will probably look like a downsized version of the F01 7-Series. That means GIANT nostrils.

I was recently acquainted with the three mainstream models of the 5-Series range here in Malaysia over the period of 2 days. Continue reading to find out more.

Click here to read the rest of The E60 BMW 5-Series Facelift Range Test Drive: BMW 523i SE, 525i Sports and 530i

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Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia recently launched an upmarket variant of its Triton pickup truck series. This new variant, designated as the Triton 3.2 brings the total models available to 4. These are the Triton Lite available in manual mode only, Triton 2.5 which is offered both in automatic and manual transmission options and the fore mentioned 3.2, available in only automatic. We’ve just finished putting the new Triton 3.2 through its paces. Read Harvinder Singh’s write-up after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mitsubishi Triton 3.2 Test Drive Report

Eager to enter the increasing market for 7-seater MPVs, Subaru first unveiled the Subaru Exiga concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and the production version was unveiled in July this year. Having a car industry that is completely based on CBU imports, Singapore gets the Subaru Exiga almost immediately thanks to the quick response of Singaporean Subaru importers and distributors Motor Image.

I don’t know how long the Exiga project has been in existence but I can’t help but feel the Exiga is the result of some Toyota DNA injected onto FHI – it seems somewhat like a quick and efficient fix to a problem. The Exiga is built on the Legacy’s platform, taking the D-segment sedan and stationwagon (Outback)’s body and increasing its size to fit 7 people. However the problem with being somewhat based on the Legacy is that it somehow automatically looks dated despite being a new model.

It seems like Subaru went a little adventurous and tried to develop a new styling language with the likes of the Version 9 Impreza and the pre-facelift Tribeca but with these new batch of models quickly rolled back to the old design language before brand perception got worse, resulting in dated looking new models.

Anyway, the result of the Exiga project is a people carrier that is rather fit to be called a Subaru. It has the two key things you’d expect from a Subaru – a horizontally opposed boxer engine and all-wheel drive. There is even a turbocharged version.

After a short drive with the normally aspirated Exiga 2.0i, I found it to handle reasonably well for such a large vehicle. It did not feel large at all and was easy to maneuver. I was immediately reminded of the current generation Honda Odyssey. Nice, an MPV that drives like a 5-seater car! I’m sure the low center gravity of the boxer engine helps alot in this department. The Exiga also has a double wishbone suspension at the rear.

The interior is a class above the likes of the Mazda5, Toyota Wish and Honda Stream in terms of space but falls short of the interior space offered by the Honda Odyssey. The windscreen in front of the driver’s point of view is wide and tall. As evident from the exterior of the car with its taller roof, the interior had plenty of headroom.

Getting into the third row via folding down and sliding forward the second row seat is an easy one-handed affair. I had no problems sitting in the third row (I cannot fit in the Stream’s third row without making the second row unusable) though.

But we’re just talking about fitting without threatening to cut off blood supply to my legs from the pressure against the back of the second row seats like AirAsia planes. The seating position was not exactly comfortable as the distance from the seat to the floor is too close so the third row is still best left to children.

My head was quite close to the ceiling (did not touch it), but apparently this is intentional. According to Subaru, the second row and third row increase in height in steps so that all three rows get a good clear vision of the view in front. But with the third row in use, there is really not much luggage room left. Perhaps enough for 2 suitcases, definitely not 7!

And despite only having air cond blowers at the front, Subaru surprisingly managed to design the airflow to hit the passengers all the way at the back through vents at the front which point to the top, which is quite commendable. This may turn off some people who expect more blowers because of the car’s near-Odyssey (which has blowers for all 3 rows) price tag regardless of whether the front blowers do their job or not.

However, the 2.0 liter normally aspirated engine with 148 PS at 6,000rpm and 191Nm of torque at 3,200rpm can only manage the weight of the Exiga with only 4 people in the car. Add three more plus luggage and it’s going to feel pretty sluggy. The lack of power is reflected in the spec sheets which indicate a top speed of 160km/h and 12.7 seconds from stand still to the 100km/h mark. The 4-speed SPORTSHIFT automatic has nothing sporty about it and is quite sluggy to downshift when power is needed.

The higher spec and more powerful turbocharged Exiga 2.0GT with the turbocharged 2.0 liter boxer engine was not available for test drive, but I reckon that would be a much more suitable powertrain for the car thanks to its 225 PS at 5,600rpm and 326Nm of torque at 4,400rpm. Being turbocharged, it would be much more tuner-friendly too. Its gearbox also has one extra cog, making a 5-speed unit. It also adds a panoramic moonroof and a black interior instead of being extremely light and beige like in the normally aspirated version.

Sadly the turbocharged model is JDM-spec and is speed limited to 180km/h – this would not be a problem in Singapore but if you want to go a little more crazy with the throttle when you travel up to Malaysia on the North-South Highway you may want to research if there’s a work-around for this on your own at a JDM accessory shop.

Look after the jump for more photos of the Subaru Exiga.

Click here to read the rest of Subaru Exiga 7-Seater MPV Test Drive Review

The new Hyundai Elantra was launched some time ago and it has the distinction of being one of the few 2.0 liter C-segment sedans priced under RM100,000 which is sure to attract a few customers in this increasingly price sensitive market. We have just finished testing this Korean car. Here is what we found out.

Read Harvinder Singh Sidhu’s review after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Hyundai Elantra X20 2.0 CVVT Test Drive Review

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We have finally got our hands on the new installment of the E70 BMW X5 “Sports Activity Vehicle” for a drive on our local roads! BMW Malaysia offers three variants of the new X5 for the local market – a 3 liter petrol, a 3 liter turbodiesel and a mouth-watering 4.8 V8 petrol version. We had a go in the model which we think would attract more attention especially when fuel consumption is on everyone’s mind today – the 3.0d oil burner.

Read the review by Harvinder Singh Sidhu after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of E70 BMW X5 3.0d Test Drive Review