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Proton’s Pride & Joy Facelifted
Deemed as Proton’s “Pride and Joy”, the Persona had not too long ago undergone its first facelift. Already a decently handsome designed car, the facelift focused on some grouses from the first version and an update on the ECU.
Gen2 Saloon
Up front, it now shares the Gen2 CPS nose together with the ‘blackened’ headlamps. The grill is fashioned with the logo and ‘wings’ shifted below the bonnet line. Following its competitors in ‘luxurising’ their range, it features integrated signal repeaters on the side mirrors and chromed door handles. Except the Base Line, it now comes with a factory fitted body kit, fog lamps, a tiny ducktail rear spoiler and freshly designed alloy rims.
Local vs non-local cars
As i was preparing for my examinations for the coming week, i decided to take a little break by doing some online car-surfing and look through the various new models available in the Malaysian market currently as i was planning to purchase one myself next year. As i was looking through a Myvi online brochure that was readily available at the Perodua website, my wife asked me something that must have crossed many to-be car owners and car enthusiasts alike; “Which is better? A local car or an overseas brand?” Now, though i have no definite answer for that age-old question, i do have some opinion in regards to the local versus non-local car debate.
Finally, a Korean That I Would Want
Korean car designs somehow never had that ‘wow’ factor and even though they packed value, everyone treated them as the second fiddle behind the Japanese. But with the Forte, many orders were already made based on looks alone even before the launch. Not bad for a badge once treated merely as a cheaper alternative.
Exterior With Midas Touch
Sharing the same underpinnings as the Hyundai Elantra/Avante except the rear suspension setup, the Forte is the better looker. Bearing strong European lines, the design is rather clean but not boring. While the Elantra is curvy and organic, the Forte is solid and surefooted.
The front is the first of Kia’s range to wear their new profile. Some said they copied from the Civic, but I personally prefer the softer creases of the Forte over the other’s sleekness. With chiseled front fenders and pronounced wheel arches stretching beneath the A-pillars till the headlamps, the distinctive solder line is neat. On the SX model, the yummy looking 17” rubbers fills up the gaps under the wheel arches nicely. Over at the rear, my wife commented if the designer had an overdose of Transformers movies.
‘Freed’ – Honda’s latest MPV now in Malaysia!
Honda-Freed-Malaysia
What is MPV? Well, it stands for Multi Purpose Vehicle. It is a large car designed to easily ease loading of goods carried by people as well as to carry more passengers than the standard 5 seater sedans. Almost all car manufacturers of today have this an MPV range.
Now, Honda is introducing – ‘Freed’. It was introduced in 2008 whereby 150,000 units were sold after its release, and stands as the replacement for the Honda Mobilio in which the design was based on ‘Jazz/Fit’ platform. Indonesia is the second country whereby the MPV was launched on the 21st of March 2009 after Japan, and also the nation whereby the vehicle is manufactured (PT Honda Prospect Motor assembly plant) and sold in Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Indonesia, and now Malaysia.
The Mazda 2
Mazda. Better known for its sexy, low slung FD RX7, rev happy Rotary engines and functional sporty 4-seater RX8. Rarely considered as a major player, they fit snugly for a niche group of ‘underdog’ petrol heads wishing to stand out from the crowd.
The recently launched Mazda 2 is their offering in the highly contested sub-RM100K range. Available both in sedan and hatchback variants, the former is already enjoying better sales as expected from our saloon-oriented market. Nonetheless, both are deliciously designed unlike other more conservative competitors.
Versatility At Your Finger Tips
Recently during Chinese All Souls Day, I accompanied my in-laws visiting ancestry graves in Yan and Berapit. Initially planned as a 9 member, 2 cars trip, last minute changes saw just 7 people with 1 car. After some shuffling and tightening of belt buckles, we cramped into a Saga and set off.
Okay, I strongly condemned our actions for road safety. Sadly, the other only option was to drive back 15km, across the Penang Bridge for another car. Back then an MPV would have been perfect but rarely going full load would be unwise either.
SLS AMG Mercedes Benz – ‘The Tunnel Experiment’, experience it!
- SLS AMG Mercedes Benz ‘gullwing door’
The Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren has a new successor – the SLS AMG. This seemingly futuristic vehicle was recently released this April. It is the latest addition to the Mercedes Benz Family of cars and has started its nationwide road show here in Malaysia last April 10 and will last until July 11, 2010. The participating autohaus showrooms are Cycle and Carriage Bintang, Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd, NZ Wheels, MBSA Melaka, Ipoh Motors, Mofaz Kota Bahru, Lowe Motors Penang and BR Jaya Batu Pahat.
Volkswagen 5 Year Warranty
VGM (Volkswagen Group Malaysia) now offers a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty on any new models purchased. This is a brilliant move to boost sales figures as well as to provide new owners with peace of mind knowing that they can drive around for 5 years, covered by the warranty.
Paddling Forward
They are probably the first non-animal, non-motor driven mode of land transportation for human beings. The first version known was the Draisine was made of a wooden frame with a seat, a steering mechanism at the front wheel, a back wheel and the rider could only push it. With the repeating environmental call to reduce our carbon footprint, bicycle lanes and cycling events are gaining popularity.
Not too long ago, a colleague of mine asked my opinion on getting a used bike for his weekends. This got me to thinking, after all the effort our government and local councils have put into promoting cycling, could we really give it a try? Furthermore, I too have an el-cheapo mountain bike collecting dust in my porch
The Layman’s Guide to Car Jargons
As i visited a Toyota roadshow lately in my lovely home town, the oil city Miri, i came to a funny yet scary realization on how scary car jargons can be to most customers and even myself. You have salesmen spouting out stuff like DVVT, SULEV and torque to customers who stares on nodding in acknowledgement, not knowing that deep inside they are as clueless as a child in a science lab. With that said, this is by no mean the fault of the customer or the salesman but rather a lack of resource in where one can decipher the ever scary world of car jargons and acronyms. So, here are some commonly used terms in the automobile world, and even a pronunciation guide for some hard to read words.
DVVT (Daihatsu Variable Valve Timing)
DVVT is a valve timing technology manufactured by Daihatsu to be implemented in most versions of their cars and is similar to the Toyota’s VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence) technology. To break it down to a simple layman term, it’s a system that allows the adjustment of valve timing (hence the name) to allow a change for different cars and different situation. Most car users with such technology claims that it helps in saving fuel.
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