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Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 LT Test Drive Review

August 29, 2010 at 7:38 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, Local News, Test Drive Reviews

Chevrolet like Ford, is looking to downsize on costs by introducing one model globally. First in their global range of cars is the Chevrolet Cruze, which is named so in most of the countries it is sold in. The supposed successor to the Chevrolet Optra or the Lacetti (for you Top Gear fans), bears no resemblance to the Daewoo platform the car replaces. In reality, the Cruze comes to you courtesy of GM’s Delta II platform seen in the 2010 Opel Astra.

Design is courtesy of Daewoo and it looks like they have done a good job, though its not hard to get inspiration from your own model line up when it includes the Camaro SS. Nevertheless, you are treated to a front grill that makes you proud for once to own a non-American Chevrolet. The muscular face extends to the side, which is smoothened out to a more conventional look, finished off with a redesigned Optra-like posterior. Overall, it is a handsome looking thing.

Look for the full report and high-res images after the jump.
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Mitsubishi Pajero ride and drive with Hiroshi Masuoka

August 20, 2010 at 11:45 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Mitsubishi, Test Drive Reviews

The real Mitsubishi Pajero is coming back to Malaysia, and we’ve been lucky enough to experience the latest generation of the legend both from behind the wheel and being ferried off-road by Hiroshi Masuoka, a two-time Dakar Rally champion.

This ride and drive session happened at Mitsubishi’s vast Tokachi proving ground (said to be the largest in Japan), nestled deep in the middle of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. It was part of a Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia initiative introducing to us a range of exciting new models that will hit our shores this year. We aren’t at liberty to divulge too much at this moment, so let’s focus on the Pajero, the first of the new arrivals that should be launched sometime next month.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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Hyundai i10 1.25 Kappa – Test Drive Review

August 6, 2010 at 10:51 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Hyundai, Koreans, Test Drive Reviews

The Hyundai i10 is one of those talented but overlooked cars in the market. When I first tested the car back in 2008, i was truly surprised at how sophisticated it drove compared to Perodua’s Viva and Myvi. Those who have driven an Atoz before will surely not believe that this is a car in the same segment by the same manufacturer – they are aeons apart!

So it was good to revisit the i10, now with a bigger engine to remedy one of the very few issues this writer had with the car – the leisurely pick up. In comes the 1.25-litre Kappa engine, which has 11 bhp and 20 Nm more than the Epsilon 1.1-litre, which will continue to be sold by Hyundai-Sime Darby. Will this new engine make the i10 the undisputed best small car out there and earn it a bit more attention? We find out.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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BMW Z4 sDrive35is M Sport – quick test drive at AB Sungai Besi Innovation Days 2010

August 3, 2010 at 5:44 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under BMW, Cars, Test Drive Reviews

Auto Bavaria Sungai Besi recently held an Innovation Day which allowed participants to sample selected BMW vehicles. Among the vehicle available was the all-new BMW Z4 sDrive35is M Sport. Yes it has the special ‘s’ alphabet and the term M Sport in it’s designation which means it has a few extras over the Z4 sDrive35i. The add-ons are made up by aesthetics as well as mechanical upgrades.

Before we go straight to the review, lets take a quick look at the major differences. The highlight is the bump in power. The Z4 sDrive35is M Sport is motivated by the same N54B30 engine featuring a twin-turbo force induction system found in the Z4 sDrive35i. Compared to 306hp and 400Nm of torque offered by the latter, the power house in the Z4 sDrive35is gives you 340hp and 450Nm of torque. Now that translates to a bump of 34hp and 50Nm of torque. Not only that, the BMW 507-inspired car gives you additional 50Nm of torque in “is” trim which is available as an overboost. The overall increase in power is mostly thanks to an improved air intake with higher boost pressure on the turbos.

Continue reading to check out the rest of the report and to salivate over an image gallery.
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Second-generation Nissan X-Trail Test Drive Report

July 31, 2010 at 7:11 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Nissan, Test Drive Reviews

The Nissan X-Trail will be officially launched on the first week of August, but Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) organised a media preview of sorts to Port Dickson, where we brought you the new SUV’s selling price – RM149,500 OTR including insurance. As a recap, our X-Trail is imported CBU from Indonesia and is powered by a 137 bhp/198 Nm 2.0-litre engine paired to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT gearbox with six virtual ratios in its manual mode.

Yours truly got to sample the X-Trail both from the driver’s seat and as a passenger, and it’s mostly a pleasant experience. Let’s start from the back. One sits high up, and the bench is set at the perfect height and length for my legs. Although legroom isn’t as good as the Honda CR-V’s, it’s adequate if the person in front isn’t particularly long legged. In any case, there’s room under the front seats for feet to tuck in.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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All-new Porsche Cayenne – quick test drive review

July 8, 2010 at 8:27 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Porsche, Test Drive Reviews

Porsche unveiled the second generation Cayenne SUV a couple of months ago in February and recently the Zuffenhausen company which currently resides under the Volkswagen umbrella held a Porsche World Roadshow event down south in Singapore. Among various sessions held through out the event, there was a quick test drive of the latest Cayenne which also includes a hybrid variant in it’s line-up as well.

Joining the hybrid is the diesel and the gasoline versions that we are used to as well. I was invited to the event and I managed to get behind the wheels of both the Cayenne Turbo and the Cayenne Diesel. I was also given a short ride in the Cayenne Hybrid.

Look after the jump for my full driving experience.
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Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 LT Test Drive Report

July 1, 2010 at 4:12 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, General Motors, Test Drive Reviews

It’s finally here! Malaysians have been promised the Chevrolet Cruze for quite some time now, starting from mid last year. In fact, yours truly was part of a media contingent sent by GM to the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show, where we got to drive the group’s (then) latest pride and joy. Held in a public park, it was far from a proper test drive, so we were happy to go on a drive to Kuala Terengganu to confirm/debunk those first impressions.

The Cruze replaces the Chevy Optra, but has a different sort of upbringing. While the Optra was a Daewoo designed model, its successor is billed as a Global Car, with GM’s various outposts (GMDAT Korea and Opel) sharing development duties. Testing was spread across continents, with Korea being just one of the few global production hubs for the Cruze alongside China and the US. Naza subsidiary Pavilion Crest gets its supply from Korea, and the single spec Cruze 1.8 retails at RM98,767.60 OTR without insurance.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China – racecar driving experience at Sepang International Circuit

June 23, 2010 at 7:33 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Local News, Motorsports, Test Drive Reviews, Videos, Volkswagen

Last weekend was a rather exciting one for the local motorsport scene. The Super GT made a stop at Sepang, the one and only race outside the land of the rising Sun. As always, it brought along the much anticipated GT race queens and some interesting support races as well. As mentioned earlier, the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China made its debut right here in Malaysia and even had local hero Hammond Lai crowned as winner of race 1 on Saturday.

As the top eight grid positions were reversed for race 2, spectators were entertained with an uphill battle as quicker drivers were fighting their way up the field and who can forget the ‘delicious’ on-track squabble between the top two drivers. Overall it was definitely a successful stop over for the series.

Us journalists who were covering the progress of the series at Sepang were delighted to find out what Volkswagen Malaysia and Scirocco Cup China had in store for us, after Sunday’s race! Yes, as the title suggests, we were given the opportunity to try out an actual Scirocco Cup China race car on track. The event took place on Monday while the Super GT guys were packing their bags en route to Japan.

Furthermore these were the actual race cars, the cars that were raced a day before with some still carrying minor damage as result of on-track collisions. So when I was told that I will be part of this, I said bring it on! Continue reading to check out my driving experience.
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Hyundai Sonata Test Drive Report from Oman

June 23, 2010 at 1:52 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Hyundai, Koreans, Test Drive Reviews

Few years ago, some said the Koreans were coming. They were right, because the Hyundais and Kias of one generation ago weren’t good enough to have arrived – coming yes, arrived no. But if you haven’t noticed, things have changed over the past few years – Hyundai-Kia is now the fourth largest carmaker in the world, ahead of all Japanese rivals except for Toyota, and is clearly on the up.

Products like this sixth-generation Hyundai Sonata (codenamed YF) reflect the brand’s current standing. Still good value, still has that long warranty, but now with attributes that appeal not only to the value conscious. Things like quality, class leading figures and design flair were almost never spoken in the same sentence as “Hyundai”, but the YF changes this. We drive Hyundai’s eye opener in Muscat, Oman.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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Volvo S80 Turbo Testdrive Review: a Swedish alternative?

June 18, 2010 at 9:52 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Test Drive Reviews, Volvo

Volvo introduced to us the facelifted S80 last month, and took the chance to streamline the range for Malaysia. Gone is the imported 3.2-litre model, which leaves the 2.5T as the sole variant offered. Volvo now calls it the S80 Turbo, and the changes made are more than just skin deep – the engine has been improved, the interior updated and the skin metal has been given subtle changes. There are plenty of new toys too, all for an increase of only RM10,000.

At RM295,000, the locally assembled S80 Turbo once again appears very good value for money, especially when compared with size class rivals from Mercedes and BMW (Volvo names the 523i and E250 as rivals).

Volvo wants to be more mainstream than it currently is, but it’s never easy to break that Merc-BMW stranglehold on the Malaysian premium market, which standards and expectations are dictated by the German duo. We drove the facelifted S80 to Penang to check out Volvo’s interpretation of premium.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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