Autoworld Blog

Burns better for more miles and it keeps engines cleaner

Leading energy company Shell is known for their racing diesel fuel so they are keen to demonstrate what they have learnt on the tracks to the average motorist and the result is their diesel with economy formula.

Additives an detergents help the fuel to mist better for combustion and keeps the engine cleaner for longer.

According to Shell boss, Datuk Mokhzani Abdul Wahab, the fuel is sold at the same price as the old fuel because the company is able to absorb the extra cost of the new formulation. They don’t want to further burden the people as fuel prices were recently increased.

I think Shell should be commended for their effort but I also would like to see the Government legislating better quality diesel fuels for passenger car - they can let the price of these cleaner diesels float higher than the dirtier commercial vehicle grade diesels. It is time we take advantage of the fuel economy advantages of diesel, especially at a time when conservation of energy is on everyone’s mind.

Hyundai Grand Starex 2.5 Turbo Diesel

The Starex is a big vehicle, it packs 11 seats. That pretty much says it all.

Anything that packs 12 seats is not going to set the market on fire, very few families need such a large transporter but for those that require the capacity, thre is really nothing else that comes close to the Starex, not at the Rm138,888 asking price anyway.

The Starex is also very good for the tour industry, especially for operators that specialise in small family groups that are willing to pay extra for privacy and personal treatment.

The best thing about the spacious cabin is that it is pretty much ready to go since it is fitted with leather upholstery and comes with a decent in car entertainment system that includes a double DIN player that accepts everything including MP3 and WMA formats. The only addition that you may want to make is a good window tint to keep heat and UV out of the cabin.

The roof mounted aerial tends to scrape low ceilings in multi-storey car parks so you may want to opt for the shorter version.

Movies are displayed on the roof mounted screen and it is big enough to make images visible even to those in the last row of seats.

The seats themselves are large and comfortable, at least eight of them are, while the three jump seats that are positioned between the two cushier seats are also larger than usual, no one would really complain if they have to sit on the jump seat, really.

Passage to the last tow rows of seats is made possible by sliding the first row of rear seats to the forward most position and tipping the seatback forward and if you need to go the the last row, then passengers will have to fold up the second row jump seat. The passage can be a bit tight but that is the price to pay for those large, well padded seats.

Access to the rear cabin is through a pair of large sliding doors, one on each side.

I also like the ambient lighting that offers different colours to suit different moods. You get a choice of orange, blue, green, red, yellow, purple and light green. In the picture above we have selected the green ambient lighting.

The cabin is generally well kitted out with storage areas and cup or bottle holders for the convenience of everyone. the cupholder count is eight, one each for the main seats and none for the jumpseats.

This is really not a major problem as it is rare that everyoen would need a place to put their drinks at the same time.

In terms of luggage space, you have the option of just using eight of the seats and have ample room for your bags or pack all 11 seats and some passengers will have to carry their luggage on their laps.

While it is well and fine to cater to the passengers, it is also important that the driver is comfortable because he is the one responsible for ensuring that everyone arrives safely.

The ergonomics is generally good as all major controls are logically laid out and falls within easy reach of the driver. The driving position is comfortable, you sit high above the floor facing a steering wheel that has been raked like a car’s so it does not feel like you are driving a bus.

Forward visibility is excellent while rear vision can be a bit tricky especially if you need to judge the rer end when parking, thankfully the Starex comes with a rear camera. However the camera’s position near the top of the tailgate is a bit compromised as you cannot see the bumper.

Once the image of the obstacle reaches the end of the screen ti means that you still have about two feet to go.

The 2.5-litre four-cylinder diesel is energetic, it will pull the Starex to a quite startling speeds within a short time. In factit is quite a challenge to keep within the speed limit as the engine is so eager. However you should try to keep it cool because at higher speeds, when the turbocharger is on song, the engine will really drink.

We kept to the speed limit on our drive to Alor Setar in the Starex and it returned around 650 kilometres from 67 litres. This is a fairly good fuel consumption figure for an apartment on wheels.

Slipping SUV sales hurting carmakers - SUVs enjoy some of the industry’s best margins  

Toyota is posting a profit warning after seeing North American and European sales slip dramatically on the slippery back of rising oil prices.

According to the world’s largest automaker, their profit shrank by 28 per cent in the first quarter to USD3.2 billion  while their operating income fell by 38.9 per cent.

They cited two main reasons for the drop in profit, the first is rising materials cost while the second contributing factor was the shift in consumer preference from large and profitable SUVs to smaller and more economical cars that gives carmakers a lot slimmer profit margins.

Yaris and Altis (above) are in high demand, they can’t make enought of it

“Currently we can’t satisfy the order backlog for Yaris and Corolla,” Ijichi said. “Because of short supplies of batteries we’re not able to satisfy demand for Prius,” said Mitsuo Kinoshita, executive vice president at Toyota.

Toyota’s revenue fell 4.7 percent to $57 billion. U.S. sales fell 4 percent to 729,000 during the first 3 months of 2008.

With oil prices still well above the USD100 per barrel mark, the market for fuel hungry SUVs will remain fragile and if the 1970s fuel scare is anything to go by, it is only likley to recover within two years, at the earliest.

Speculators are causing everyone a lot of pain right now, most economists expect them to start looseing their grip within a year and allow oil to find it’s natural level

 The Malaysian automotive market also registered a slight drop in sales in June and the trend is not likely to reverse for the next few months although the market is hopeful that the Government will make a downward adjustment on fuel prices if the monthly average dips below USD125 per barrel.

Oil price stood at USD114.94 as the market closed on Friday. Average June price was USD126.33. Oil peaked just above USD140 per barrel in that month.

Most industry observers and economists believe that the current high oil price is the result of speculation and that the level will fall below USD100 within one year, probably to between USD60 and USD80 per barrel.

Oil prices on the global market dips below USD125 per barrel

Well, that is a spot of good news but at this point the mater is merely a point of discussion in cabinet so we do not know for sure if it is going to happen, but hope is eternal…

Not everyone is suffering from the fuel price hike and inflation.

The Honda Accord, which attracted 5,000 bookings in the first month still has a 3000 car backlog and will likely surpass the 7,200 unit sales target for the first full year. With production running at around 600 units a month the backlog will take around five months to clear.

Honda has another reason to feel upbeat, they are looking to launch the all new Jazz in the near future and this is a very popular model that has received good reviews in Japan.

In the first half of the year, Honda clocked 16,769 sales , against 14,177 units sold during the same period last year, representing an 18% increase. During this period, Honda’s market share was 6% (TIV).

I agree with Honda Malaysia boss Atsushi Fujimoto that the strong sales are the result of their excellent reputation for fuel economy, after all everyone is looking to reduce their living cost.

I expect rival Toyota to also do well this year as will Perodua and their range of petrol sippers.

Companies which cannot offer good fuel economy will bear the brunt of the fuel inflation.

Below is the full Press Release

Honda Malaysia Increases Sales Target
In View of Positive H1
Optimistic of meeting increased target despite challenging market outlook

Petaling Jaya, 31 July 2008 - Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. today announced the company’s decision to adjust the sales target set for the year 2008 from 33,000 units to 35,000 units, in view of the positive performance it has accorded in the first half of the year. The total number of units sold during the first six months stood at 16,769, against 14,177 units sold during the same period last year, representing an 18% increase. During this period, Honda’s market share was 6% (TIV).

Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Atsushi Fujimoto expressed confidence in meeting the increased target despite a challenging outlook for the second half based on Honda Malaysia’s earlier forecast of 520,000 TIV for the year.

Honda Malaysia attributed the good first half performance to the successful introduction of All-New Accord in April, and the continuing positive contributions from the City, Civic and CR-V models. The Accord, which recorded a robust booking of more than 5,000 units in its first month, currently has a booking backlog of close to 3,000 units and is well on its way to exceed its set target of 7,200 units for the full year.

Mr. Fujimoto remarked that the fuel price hike in the first half of 2008 can work towards Honda’s advantage. “Currently, consumers are looking for cars that offer fuel efficient technology — a feature that is well-associated with Honda cars. As such, we believe Honda is in a strong position to cater to consumers’ current needs; and in view of this, we are optimistic that we will meet our increased target for the year.”
Corresponding to the increased sales target as well as growing demand for Honda passenger cars, Honda Malaysia will be increasing its local car assembly production from 30,000 to 35,000 units. In comparison to the total units assembled in 2007, the production would have expanded by 10,000 units from 25,000 units last year.

Honda Malaysia received several recognitions for its brand, products and after-sales services earlier this year. Honda was named the Reader’s Digest Asia Gold Trusted Brand Award in the car category in Malaysia. This is the 10th consecutive year that Honda in Malaysia was awarded this standing, recognised as one of the most representative and objective branding surveys in Asia. Honda also had the honour of being conferred the Brand Laureate Award 2007/08 in the Product Branding Category, recognised as the Best Brand in Automobile. Interestingly, Honda Malaysia emerged as a top winner among 33 automotive companies in the inaugural Asian Auto – Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) Auto Industry Awards 2008 held recently in July. Specifically, Honda Malaysia bagged 3 glorious awards: the Best Handling MPV with the Stream; Best Local Assembly Luxury Sedan for the All-New Accord 2.4; and the Best After-Sales Experience among all car companies.

In terms of its corporate social responsibilities, the Honda Dream Fund programme in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Malaysia, entered into its second year with the focus of reaching out to indigenous youths in the country. A visit to the indigenous communities in Sabah, Sarawak and Perak was held earlier this year to identify deserving young people to benefit from the fund. 20 students were selected of which 12 of them are from the indigenous group. These students will receive full and non-binding scholarships annually to pursue higher education or skills training under the fund.

Continuing its mission to increase awareness and build understanding on environment conservation and extinction amongst primary school students here, Honda Malaysia initiated the “Environment and I” contest in May 2008 under its “Save the Sumatran Rhino” annual corporate social responsibility programme. The contest aimed to motivate primary school students to care for the environment and reflect it through an essay matched with an appropriate photo. In total, 620 contest entries were received from young students nationwide. Additionally, the educational thrust under the programme was extended to schools in Penang through environment conservation talks.

In the arena of motorsports, Honda continued to share its excitement and passion for motorsports with Malaysians through F1 in March and the Super GT in June.

Honda Malaysia took its commitment to make driving safe for customers further by extending the Honda Safety Driving Courses to customers, which saw the participation close to 300 drivers in the first half this year.

Despite challenging market situation ahead for automobile industry players, Honda Malaysia has set its mind and is determined on meeting the increased target of 35,000 units. To this end, the company will be introducing more new products for the second half of this year, starting with the second generation Jazz in August.

To cater to increasing demand for sales and after-sales services, Honda Malaysia has already made plans to expand its dealership network nationwide. As such, more Honda 3S Center will open in the states of Pahang, Penang, Perak, Johor, and Sarawak in the next five months.

Rising to Honda’s challenging spirit, the Honda Malaysia Racing Team (HMRT) aims to win the Merdeka Milennium Endurance (MME) 2008 Class-A Championship Title for the sixth consecutive year and the Overall Championship Title.

Finally, watch out for ASIMO, who is coming to Malaysia! Catch the newly improved ASIMO as he can now run!

Citroen is one of those brands where potential buyers always balk at because they think the maintenance cost is way high, higher than a Government-owned Perdana V6 even. Well probably not but you get my drift.

When Brookland Motors was given the franchise they wanted to make sure that owners dont grimace (too much) when they are presented with the workshop bill so they run discounts on different parts through out the year, during the Merdeka month they want to help customers slow down their spending by giving 20% discounts on brake pads.

The other parts enjoying discounts include Oil Filter, Air Filter, Spark Plug, Air-cond Filter, Fuel Filter and Wiper blades.

This offer covers the C2, C3, C4, C5, C8, Xsara Picasso, Berlingo, Evasion.

I suppose every little bit helps. If you want to take advantage of this promo, which starts on Aug 1 and ends Sept 30, do call the outlet nearest to you

Full list of outlets are as below

1) Kuala Lumpur : No 11 Jalan Satu, Off Jalan Cha Sow Lin 55200 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone : 03-9223 3636

2) Johor : No 8 Jalan Mutiara 3, Taman Perindustrion Plentong, 81750 Johor Bahru, Johor
Telephone : 07-352 0052

3) Penang :1679-G1, Highway Auto City, North South Highway, Juru Interchange 13600 Prai, Penang
Telephone : 04-502 3633

4) Sabah : Lo 2 Taman Warisan Indah, Mile 7, Jalan Tuaran Inanam, 88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Telephone : 088-386 362

Despite difficult market conditions, mainly due to the inflationary effect of the oil bubble, VW managed to improve on its first half sales, bumping it up by more than five per cent.Then again the group is known for their small and economical cars and their TDI and TFSI direct injection diesel and petrol technologies are considered as the leading edge of mass market engines.

Also consider the fact that Toyota is pushing Prius production and promising 70 per cent more the model by next year and they are ramping up battery production.

Below is the full Press Release

VOLKSWAGEN GROUP DELIVERS 3.27 MILLION VEHICLES WORLDWIDE IN FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2008

Delivery record despite deteriorating economic conditions in auto sector

Wolfsburg, 21 July 2008 - The Volkswagen Group delivered 3.27 million vehicles worldwide (+5.8 percent) from January to June 2008, the highest figure ever for the first six months of a year. Group worldwide deliveries in June also reached a new record: compared with the same period last year, the number of vehicles delivered rose by 2.4 percent to 573,000. As a result, the development of deliveries by the Group both for the period January to June and for the month of June was significantly better than developments on the overall market (+1 percent from January to June and -5.1 percent in June).

In China, the Group delivered 531,600 vehicles (+23.2 percent), thus topping the half a million mark for the first time in the first half of a year. The Group also achieved strong growth from January to June in Brazil, where deliveries rose by 21.8 percent to 316,000, and in Central and Eastern Europe (+18.7 percent to 282,000). The Group’s highest percentage growth in the first six months of 2008 came from India (+69.2 percent to 10,400 vehicles), Russia (+63.3 percent to 59,000 vehicles) and Ukraine (+46.9 percent to 25,900 vehicles).

In Europe, the Group delivered 1.84 million vehicles (+1.3 percent) from January to June, of which 534,000 (+3.7 percent) were delivered in Germany. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), where the market remained generally weak, the Group delivered 1.07 million vehicles (-3.6 percent).

“With our customer-oriented model diversity and a focused growth strategy we have achieved a marked increaseZitat Detlef Wittig: in our worldwide deliveries even though negative factors are accumulating,” Detlef Wittig, Executive Vice President, Group Sales and Marketing, commented. “The storm clouds are clearly gathering over the world’s automobile markets. Nevertheless, thanks to the strength of our brands and our model range, our development in June and throughout the first six months of 2008 has clearly been better than general market trends and we have grown our market shares worldwide.”

Volkswagen Passenger Cars, the Group’s highest volume brand, delivered 1.9 million vehicles (+5.8 percent) worldwide in the first half of the year. Audi delivered 516,000 vehicles (+1.4 percent) and Skoda delivered 367,000 vehicles (+17.9 percent). Seat sold 206,000 vehicles (-7.5 percent), Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 264,000 vehicles (+12.9 percent). Bentley delivered 4,700 vehicles to customers, Lamborghini 1,300 and Bugatti 35.

Proton has issued another statement regarding the high maintenance cost of the Proton Perdana Executives owned by the Terengganu state Government, it seems that the average one-year maintenance cost of the cars is around RM2,300, which is way lower than the figure of nearly Rm18,000 quoted by the State Govt.

Why is that? Why didn’t they use the authorised Proton Service centre? Obviously not because they want to save money….

PROTON’S STATEMENT ON PERDANA V6 MAINTENANCE COST

In response to the claims made regarding the high cost of maintenance of the Proton Perdana, PROTON reiterates its stand that the cost of maintenance of this model is reasonable, based on its records collated from its authorized service dealers and branches.

The average maintenance cost of each Proton Perdana belonging to the Terengganu State Government sent to PROTON is RM542.00 per annum, based on the records of the 35 cars serviced at PROTON’s authorized serviced dealers.

Generally, the typical mileage of a car under normal usage is between 20,000 km to 30,000 km per year. Based on this, the average total maintenance cost during this period is estimated to be RM2,300.00 and this cost will increase with heavier usage.

As highlighted in the recent newspaper reports, PROTON wish to reiterate that there are risks involved in terms of parts, performance, cost and quality of work when the vehicles are not serviced at authorized service centers, especially when these vehicles clock high mileage.

Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, Managing Director of PROTON Holdings Berhad today stressed that PROTON treats this matter seriously and is currently reviewing all its service data and records involving all PROTON vehicles delivered to the government, primarily the Perdana.

“We are more than willing to provide all necessary assistance to the State Governments if they require clarification on issues relating to the Perdana, or any other PROTON vehicles bought by them”, said Syed Zainal.

Just wondering what you guys think, especially now that the Pakatan Rakyat -controlled Selangor state Government is considering the Toyota Camry for their Exco use….

I think Proton had better rush the Perdana replacement, get it out before the MPV….after all it is a rebadging exercise isn’t it?

Please tell us what you think in the comments

The SX4 Sedan is the model that will bring them out of the niche market and into the mainstream.

SMA targets 500 units sales for the rest of 2008 

Suzuki is a major Japanese automotive nameplate but like Subaru, it is decidedly a niche manufacturer with a very strong if small fan base.

Unfortunately for them, in the automotive industry BIG is beautiful, unless your name is Porsche or Ferrari.

Apart from Europe where the market heavily prefers the practicality of hatchbacks, the rest of the world is still pretty much a sedan market, especially in developing economies so it is crucial that Suzuki’s sedan can hit the sweet spot with buyers.

The Swift was the revival model that put Suzuki back on the map and the SX4 has proven to be a very popular hatchback in Europe, earning much praise and EUROS.

The Swift is too small to be turned into a sedan and the design is so unique and perfectly tailored as a hatchback that turning it into a Sedan would still leave them with a car that is too small for many markets.

The SX4, with its unique hatchback/MPV crossover architecture offers more potential, cabin space and practicality so they went on and tacked a boot to the car.

The donor hatchback won praise in many markets for tis interesting and fresh approach to practicality and now Suzuki is taking all those good qualities and have given them the added burden on becoming an attractive mass market model. This is the car that developing markets have asked for but has Suzuki interpreted their demands correctly?

Until we have had some driving time with the car, our evaluation will be based on physical inspection of the vehicle and where better to start than by dissecting the design.

Clearly the original hatchback design is more coherent and pleasing to the eyes. The tall roof and thick flanks have been translated into a sedan that looks a lot smaller than it actually is. This is all down to proportions.

Steep bonnet, tall roof and short boot; these are the proportions of a small sedan, not one that can swallow Honda Civics for breakfast. If Ning Baizura was not standing next to the car to provide perspective, most people would think that the SX4 sedan is about the size of the Proton Saga. It is way bigger than that.

Take a close look at that truncated boot. It looks like it could be small but if you remember that the SX4 is a very tall car, then you will realise that the boot is quite deep and cavernous. It is not the prettiest rear end but given the SX4’s original proportions, the engineers could not have made the boot any longer, otherwise it would simply be too big and the car too long for its class.

As it is the SX4 sedan has 515 litres of boot space, the largest in its class.

Suzuki Malaysia Automobiles, the importer and distributor of the brand is clearly excited about the prospects of the SX4 and they made clear their hopes for the car during the launch.

Managing Director, Ibrahim Maidin spared no time to tel the Press that this is the company’s most important 2008 launch and he was nto overstating things.

They know that Malaysian buyers love space and would think highly of the impressively wide and tall cabin of the SX4 sedan and also the huge boot. he knows that this is Suzuki’s best chance at capturing the Japanese make sedan market that is currently dominated by Honda and Toyota with Nissan trailing them quite far behind.

This model has a genuine chance of becoming Toyota and Honda’s party spoiler and to make sure that it is an attractive option, Suzuki is pricing this spacious 1.6-litre car at a mouth watering Rm88,888.00.

It may not be cheaper than the Toyota Vios or Honda Civic but the SX4 sedan is fully imported from Japan and it has a slightly bigger engie than the competitors, that has to count for something.

Ibrahim and Suzuki’s Japanese reps have every reason to smile, this model is a true contender to the family sedan crown this year.

The biggest and darkest cloud that hangs over the SX4 sedan is the Suzuki brand itself. It is still perceived by many as producers of small cars, compact Sports Utility Vehicles and microvans. Suzuki is not a sedan badge.

The extended video presentation at the start of the launch is an indication of Suzuki’s confidence in the brand, it played heavily on tradition and excitement that Suzuki has always stood for. Whether the Malaysian public will be convinced is quite another matter but at least they are puttign sufficient emphasis on the brand’s soul in their marketing push.

Whether the booted SX4 will get the boot or open arms is still too early to tell, especially since it is launched in the middle of one of the unpredictable global economic uncertainty which would have spooked many buyers from purchasing a new car.

The SX4 Sedan is a potential star in the local automotive market if you just look at the practical aspects of the car but as Ning Baizura and all other top singers have proven, you need to pack all that substance in an attractive packaging and here the SX4 may face a bit of a challenge. I say a bit because there is a Japanese family saloon that people used to laugh at and poke fun at for its upturned-boat look but is now sellign very well, thanks to persistent marketing and a strong brand.

Executive Advisor of Sales & marketing, Kenjiro Matsumoto focused on the practicality and ease of use of the SX4 sedan and he tied all those features to the “Way of Life” tagline that the company has adopted as a way of pitching itself as the model of choice for those who are independent minded and appreciate the SX4 versatility as it serves their own varied lifestyle.

From the front, the SX4 sedan looks like the hatchback, which in turn looks like the Swift’s bigger brother and thanks to the revised bumper and front spoiler design it is actually quite sporty and youthful.

Without driving the car, I think that the SX4 has huge potential but if this car is to really take Suzuki into the mainstream, SMA will have to locally assemble it and pitch it at nothing more than RM80,000. Then it would fly out of showrooms.