Theophilus Chin’s “Waja 2″ rendering, a Waja/Perdana replacement model - what could happen if Proton pulled a SEAT and rebadged an Audi A4.

Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir revealed a few details on what’s coming up on Proton’s roadmap in the future. The following is a quick summary of what’s hopefully going to happen if everything goes well:

• Proton is in discussions with shareholders on the issue of strategic collaborations with a partner that could complement Proton’s existing markets instead of competing directly against it. Collaboration include areas like technology, vehicle platforms, improve efficiency, etc.
• Next generation Waja and Perdana will be a partnership with other manufacturers. The Proton Waja replacement should be out by early 2010.
• A decision to be made soon on a new engine family that will replace the Campro engine by 2014, preferably a collaboration with another company for better economies of scale.
• A small capacity diesel engine for passenger cars from either PSA Peugeot Citroen or Fiat. The 1.3 liter Fiat JTD turbodiesel engine seems to be cheap enough for the diesel-powered Tata Indica Vista Quadra Jet so it could be cheap enough for Proton. It is available in various states of tune. Tata uses the 75 PS version. This engine won the 2005 International Engine of the Year award for the 1.0 liter to 1.4 liter category.
• Evaluation and testing of hybrid and electric technology for cars.
• Consolidation of dealer network to continue. Optimum value is said to be 200 outlets, while the current number stands at just under 300.
• Proton MPV launch in March 2009, targets 50k-60k global combined annual sales.
• Proton will continue to monitor and be cautious about the China partnership with Youngman. Syed Zainal says Proton is looking at how they are performing and will not hesitate to make a move if there are obstacles. Proton could appoint another dealer if it feels it is necessary, but this remains to be decided until after the Persona is launched in China. Proton cars are sold in China by Youngman under the Europestar badge.

Look after the jump for a rear 3/4 view of Theophilus Chin’s rendering.

Source

Click here to read the rest of Proton unveils details on its roadmap, new petrol and diesel engines

Toyota has revealed the pricing and specs for the production Toyota iQ in the UK market. The iQ is already available for booking now, with the first cars to be delivered to customers in January 2009.

The cheapest iQ will be the 1.0 VVT-i manual version at £9,495 (RM56,320). Two trim levels are available, the Toyota iQ (£10,495 for the auto) and the Toyota iQ2 (£10,495 for the manual, £11,495 for the CVT). The iQ has 15 inch alloy wheels, manual air conditioning controls, adjustable heated wing mirrors, an LED rear stop lamp, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, a 6-speaker audio system with MP3, WMA, CD and aux input, steering-wheel audio controls, ABS, VSC, and 9 airbags.

The higher spec iQ2 adds automatic headlamps, automatic rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and start, automatic climate control, high-gloss 15 inch alloys, smoked headlamps, and a chrome trim for the rear light cluster.

In addition, there is a choice of 3 accessory packages - the iStyle, iSports and iUrban. iStyle costs £250 and consists of chrome side sills, a rear chrome garnish and aluminium scuff plates. iSports adds a rear roof spoiler, rear skirting and a chrome tip for the exhaust pipe for £400. The iUrban package adds reverse sensors, a reversible velour/rubber boot liner and carpet mats for £350. Satnav is a £950 option while leather seats will cost you £700. If you add all of these options it can bump up the cost quite abit.

Two transmissions are available - a 5-speed manual and a Multidrive CVT. There is obviously no emphasis on performance as the Toyota press release does not mention how much power the iQ’s 1.0 VVT-i engine produces but they do quote a road tax-free 99g/km CO2 output (110g/km for the CVT) and a 65.7mpg combined cycle fuel economy.

Look after the jump for a video of the Toyota iQ.

Click here to read the rest of Toyota iQ UK prices and specification announced

Based on the average monthly fuel price so far, Datuk Shahrir Samad has indicated a probable reduction in petrol prices of up to a maximum of 12 sen by the end of October 2008. If the maximum of 12 sen reduction is achieved, this would mean RON97 fuel could cost RM2.33 per liter, down from the current RM2.45 per liter. This maximum drop is possible if crude oil prices average out below US$104 per barrel.

Our petrol price is dependent on two factors - the price of crude oil itself and the exchange rate between USD and MYR. Datuk Shahrir mentioned that at current exchange rate prices, oil per barrel has to be US$72 for a RM1.92 petrol price. If we want to enjoy a RM1.92 price with oil costing more than US$72 per barrel, our ringgit instead needs to appreciate against the US dollar.

It’s Datuk Takeo Fukui from today onwards, as the CEO of Honda Motor Co Ltd Japan will receive the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) which carries the title Datuk today at the 70th birthday of Malacca’s Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

He joined Honda in 1969 and has been working his way up the ladder ever since, up to the CEO position he is currently holding since 2003. He started off as an engineer and worked on the CVCC project, and later became chief engineer of the Honda R&D Company and later president.

The Datukship is probably because of Honda’s contribution to the economy of Malacca via it’s assembly plant in Pegoh Alor Gajah, which also exports parts such as CV joints and bumpers.

Source

The new updated Perodua Myvi SE has been launched in the Malaysian market, so let’s have a look through what’s new with this Special Edition model compared to the recently unveiled Perodua Myvi facelift.

The Perodua Myvi SE is essentially an easy way to accessorize your Perodua Myvi with all the costs of making it look different from the run of the mill Myvi factored into the hire purchase loan for you and installed straight from the factory.

What you get is a new bodykit featuring a different front bumper and a different rear bumper, a spoiler, and different 14″ alloy wheels. The new rear bumper features a diffuser-like design which looks so much better than the pre-facelift Myvi SE’s rear bumper. The taillamps are also now of a clear design and keep the LED lighting units inside while the headlamps are of a blacked out design.

On the interior you get leather upholstery on the seats as well as the steering wheel. The head unit is no longer integrated but of a 2-DIN type and comes standard with CD, MP3 and WMA capability. It can also load your music files from a USB drive, and it has Bluetooth capabilities. The instrument panel follows the facelifted Myvi’s three-gauge design but instead of being blue and white, it lights up in amber.

Interestingly the cute yellow Myvi that we saw in the spyshots is missing from the line-up of both the standard facelifted Myvi and this new Myvi SE. You do get one new colour - Tangerine Orange. Other colour options for the SE include Ivory White, Ebony Black, Glittering Siver or Pearl White. Pearl White is designated a “special metallic” colour that costs more than your normal metallic.

Basically that’s it - the enhancements are all aesthetics. The engine is still the same 1.3 liter unit producing 86 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 116Nm of torque at 3,200rpm, and the brakes are still discs at the front and drums at the rear.

The following are the prices for the new Perodua Myvi SE:

Look after the jump for more photos of the Myvi SE including all colours.

Click here to read the rest of 2008 Perodua Myvi SE - full details and prices

That ad tussle between BMW and Audi in South Africa back in 2006 is nothing compared to this latest feud, this time between Porsche and Nissan. What Porsche is doing right now is basically accusing the makers of the Nissan GT-R of cheating with the infamous 7 minutes 29 seconds lap time around the Nurburgring earlier this year.

Porsche purchased a Nissan GT-R and tried it out on the Nurburgring driven by one of Porsche’s chassis development engineers who they claim is an expert with the Nurburgring. According to Porsche, they only managed to get a lap time of 7 minutes and 54 seconds. On the same day, Porsche says the 911 Turbo managed 7 minutes and 38 seconds while the 911 GT2 managed 7 minutes and 34 seconds.

“This wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car. For us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tyres such as a semi-slick race-style tyre and not standard road tyres. The Nissan is a good car. I don’t want to make anything bad with my words. It’s a very consistent car. But this car is about 20 kilos heavier than the Turbo. For us it has been clearly the result. This technical puzzle now fits together. With the other (Nissan’s) numbers we had problems understanding it,” said Porsche’s product chief for the 911, August Achleitner.

Nissan has come out to defend itself, in a cheeky manner too! They say the tyres used during the Nissan GT-R’s 7 minute and 29 seconds lap driven by former F1 driver Toshio Suzuki are the standard Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST CTT tyres that come with the car. In fact, the company still has the very same tyres used on the run and will be happy to exhibit the tyres along with the lap footage shot by the Japanese magazine Best Motoring.

But it’s worthwhile to note that in certain regions the car also comes with Bridgestone Potenza RE070R tyres, which so happens to be the tyres fitted on the GT-R that Porsche bought. Based on this, can we conclude that the Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST CTT are better tyres than the Bridgestone Potenza RE070R?

The Japanese automaker added that it was pointless for Nissan to conduct tests using non-standard equipment as the GT-R was designed from the start to be a supercar that could be driven anywhere, anytime and by anyone so it is much more relevant and meaningful to test the car using standard production specification. In fact, the lap car was carrying an additional 50kg of equipment that was used for lap data logging and could have gone even faster without that equipment.

Nissan said Porsche’s inability to match their lap times could be because of improper run-in procedures and cheekily, “lack of driver skill”.

“We are aware that several auto makers have purchased the GT-R for their own testing and evaluation. Like all GT-R customers, we recommend that any auto maker buying a GT-R should follow the recommended run-in procedures, service schedules and maintenance to ensure the maximum performance from their car. In addition, we offer performance driving courses for prospective and current GT-R owners to help them get the best performance from their car. We would welcome the opportunity to help any auto manufacturer with understanding the full capabilities of the GT-R,” they said, probably while trying hard to suppress a snigger.

Source

Audi’s A1 Sportback Concept displayed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show picks up where the Audi metroproject quattro concept left off last year at Tokyo 2008. This time the preview to the upcoming A1 is in a 5-door guise instead of the Tokyo concept’s 3-door body.

Inside the engine bay is a 150 PS version of VW’s 1.4 liter TSI petrol engine with a nice 240Nm of torque between 1,600rpm and 4,000rpm. There is also a 27hp electric motor that can provide an additional 150Nm of twisting power whenever needed.

This motor seems to be smaller than the metroproject quattro’s unit which was capable of 40hp and 200Nm of torque. Also, in the previous concept car, the motor was positioned at the rear axle giving the car all-wheel drive but in this concept the motor is integrated into the drivetrain powering the front wheels together with the combustion engine.

When the Audi drive select is set to the default efficiency mode, the electric motor will be run selectively as the sole power source to minimize the use of the combustion engine. The brain that controls this also communicates with the onboard satnav system. For example, when you key in a journey that will take a distance of less than 50km, only the electric motor will be used.

The lithium-ion batteries that the motor draws its power from can provide enough power for up to a maximum of 100km on a full charge. The car is also a plug-in hybrid - the batteries can be recharged via plugging the car into a regular power outlet. Whenever maximum power is needed, both powerplants can function at once delivering maximum propulsion.

This is also one of the few hybrids which do not use a CVT transmission, instead sending power to the wheels via an S-Tronic dual clutch transmission with a new ESP-controlled active front differential lock.

Something else interesting is the Audi mobile device which has evolved from the mobile control unit that was found in the metroproject quattro. This time, such functionality will be available with any mobile phone that supports a special software you can download from the internet - I assume any J2ME phone would work. The phone would also need wifi support as it communicates with the car through an access point in the car.

The software will allow you to pre-plan your onboard satnav route from the phone while you are still in your home or office. But it won’t work if your office is very far away from the car park though as wifi range is not that far. You can also constantly monitor the status of your car such as whether all windows and doors are closed or not.

Look after the jump for more hi-res shots of the Audi A1 Sportback Concept.

Click here to read the rest of Audi A1 Sportback Concept at Paris 2008

Click for hi-res image

The Proton Persona CNG was launched earlier this week in Thailand and it will be available in 3 variants - the medium-line auto, medium-line manual and the high-line auto.

The Campro IAFM engine in the Persona CNG can take either regular petrol, an E20 ethanol-petrol mix as well as CNG (compressed natural gas). CNG is basically the fuel that NGV cars such as taxis use in Malaysia.

Proton targets to sell 500 units a month of the Persona CNG in Thailand. With many Malaysians considering NGV conversions right now, it would be timely to introduce the Persona CNG into the Malaysian market soon.

A car that comes with CNG fueling from the factory would be easier on the owner’s pocket as the cost of conversion is factored into the hire purchase loan, plus it is included in the manufacturer warranty.

Thai prices for the Proton Persona CNG:

Proton Persona CNG 1.6 M-LIne Manual - 549,000 Thai Baht
Proton Persona CNG 1.6 M-LIne Auto - 584,000 Thai Baht
Proton Persona CNG 1.6 H-LIne Auto - 629,000 Thai Baht

Some FAQs on the Proton Persona CNG:

Is the car’s capacity to store regular petrol affected?
No as the CNG tank is an “add on” system to the standard Persona.

Where is the fuel filler for me to refill the CNG?
It is located at the engine bay.

How do I switch from CNG to petrol?
It is quite easy and straight forward to switch between petrol and CNG by pressing on a button on the instrument panel.

Is there a gauge to see how much CNG I have left?
Yes, there are 4 LEDs to indicate CNG level.

How big is the CNG tank?
The tank is 90 liters.

Continue reading to see photos of the CNG refueller, the CNG tank in the boot and how much usable boot space is remaining as the CNG tank takes up boot space.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Persona CNG launched in Thailand!

The Honda Insight is a “dedicated hybrid vehicle” in Honda terms, which means it is a model that only comes with a hybrid powertrain, unlike the Honda Civic Hybrid which also has non-hybrid variants.

The 5-door, 5-seater car has its battery and control unit located under the cargo space. This is the latest version of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist system. A production version will be announced later and will go on sale in spring 2009 in Japan, Europe and North America. Annual sales are projected to reach 200,000 units.

We have to note that none of the promises that Honda made when they first talked about this new Insight sometime ago have been fulfilled with this concept. The Insight will apparently be cheap enough for a majority of people to consider, instead of current hybrids which are typically much more expensive than the regular versions.

The Civic Hybrid currently costs RM162,800 here in Malaysia, much more than the Civic 2.0 at RM128,800, and that is a big price difference. We will have to wait for the production Insight to be unveiled to do a price comparison and see if the Insight will really be an affordable hybrid.

BTW Honda, what happened to AVTEC? Toyota’s Valvematic has already been put into production cars in both Europe and Japan.

For now, check out hi-res photos and a few videos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Honda Insight Hybrid Concept at Paris 2008

Malaysian Peugeot distributors Nasim Sdn Bhd is having a test drive campaign for its new facelifted locally assembled Peugeot 407. Anyone can drop by the Peugeot Blue Box Glenmarie or Peugeot Bangsar on the 17th and 18th of October 2008 between 10am until 7pm to have a try at the 407.

The Peugeot 407 costs RM125,888 for the standard version and RM133,888 for the high-spec version - prices that are actually very very good for a European D-segment sedan fully loaded with high equipment levels such as 7 airbags and a good 10-speaker JBL stereo system. Read my previous story on the locally assembled Peugeot 407 for the full specs, photos and pricing.