Official Press Release from BMW Malaysia

This Christmas, BMW is spreading JOY with Christmas@BMW, an ‘Open House’ event at all its dealerships in the country.

Held over the weekend of the 5th and the 6th of December 2009 from 10:00am to 6:00pm, the event will see BMW give away an iPod Touch (8Gb) with BMW USB Connectors with the purchase of a BMW 3 Series; a portable DVD tablet with the purchase of a BMW 5 Series as well as additional offers for the BMW X5 xDrive30i whilst stocks last.

Also up for grabs for early birds to the dealerships will be special showroom surprises in the form of lifestyle and merchandise vouchers from BMW, Sauber BMW F1 Team sunshades as well as limited edition BMW notebooks which will be decorated on a 9ft Christmas Tree in all BMW dealerships.

Aside from the wide range of BMW cars to test drive, visitors can also expect a day of fun-filled activites for the whole family with activities such as Door Hanger designing and colouring activity as well as Christmas Card making competitions.

All dealerships will also be serving a sumptuous Christmas meal spread.

Geoffrey Briscoe, Managing Director, BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd, in speaking about the Christmas@BMW event said, “To us at BMW, Christmas is a special time for giving and sharing amongst our family members and loved ones. This is exactly what we are doing with our Christmas@BMW dealership events – giving and sharing with our customers!”

He added that the end of the year which is the holiday season is also the time when most people will be paying particular attention to their cars as it is the season for travel.

“At this time of the year, when car checks are particularly important before long travels, what other better way could someone spend their time checking their BMWs than to spend it with friendly, familiar faces from their BMW dealership.” said Briscoe.

See also:

Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Showroom Experience: The Joy Factory @ Auto Bavaria Glenmarie
Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Showroom Experience: The Joy Factory @ Auto Bavaria Sg Besi
Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> BMW Performance Drive
Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Showroom Experience: A Tale of Two Showrooms
Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Brief Test Drive: E90 BMW 323i

As you all know, from other sources as well as our write-up on the Emzine, that Honda has recently released a variant of the Accord – the 2.0 VTi-L. Starting 29 July (that’s tomorrow), Honda will be organizing a series of roadshows nationwide as the 2.0 VTi-L tours the country.

There will be three legs of the roadshow, with the first leg at the One Utama shopping complex in Petaling Jaya taking place from 29 July to 2 Aug 2009. It then goes to Penang’s Queensbay Mall on 21 – 23 Aug 2009 before its final stop at Sutera Mall, JB on 2 – 4 Oct 2009. On display will be an actual unit the new 2.0 VTi-L in the new Taffeta White colour, visitors will also get to admire the styling cues of the Accord from a perspective of fine art photography.

View the 2.0 VTi-L in person, and also in fine art photography.

Besides being able to get up close with the new 2.0 VTi-L, visitors to the roadshows will also get to test drive the entire range of the Honda Accord. Perhaps some of you can then have your own take on our recent comparison of the Accord 2.0 VTi and 2.4 VTi-L.

Test drive the existing range of the Accord: 2.0 VTi, 2.4 VTi-L…

… or try the 3.5 V6!

KON

Having seen them launch new versions of the Focus, Ranger and Escape all in the space of four months, we know how aggressively Auto ConneXion is pushing the Ford brand in Malaysia. Their latest marketing stunt is tied in conjunction with the Royal Selangor Club’s 125th Anniversary celebrations in the form of a test drive event held at the said club’s premises in Jalan Raja, KL this weekend on 20 – 21 June 2009.

Ford Focus

All three of the aforementioned new models will be available for test drive over the two days. Folks who test drive any one of the Focus, Ranger and Escape and will receive a special gift (while stocks last), while those who take things one step further with a firm purchase on the day stands to receive a cash rebate worth RM1,250.

Ford Ranger

Auto ConneXion will contribute part of the proceeds from sales made during this event to the Royal Selangor Club’s motorsport arm, for whom AC is the main sponsor. Head on over to the Royal Selangor Club to test drive the entire Ford lineup this weekend!

Ford Escape

For more information, please call the Auto ConneXion Voice hotline at 1 800 88 3181.

Sometime back, I briefly test drove the E60 BMW 523i. That car was powered by another one of the Bavarians’ famous straight-six powerplants – the 2,497cc N52B25 producing 190bhp @ 5,900rpm and 230Nm @ 3,250rpm. Here’s my verdict: it was bad. BMW seperated the 523i from the 525i by a good RM30k (it was RM60k at one point) in pricing, and they made sure you felt it.

The 525i was powered by the same engine, but you wouldn’t have guessed it. Where the 523i was slow off the mark and sluggish overall, the 525i proved far more responsive and far more willing to rev. The secret to that lay in the ECU mapping where in the 525i the same engine was tuned for 218bhp @ 6,500rpm and 250Nm @ 2,700rpm. RM30k worth of programming - BMW’s product planning was both brilliant and infuriating in equal measure.

This specification and pricing strategy has now been implemented in the 3-series, with the latest facelift introducing a 323i model priced a similar distance below the 325i. Like in the 523i, the 323i, priced at RM276k, is powered by the 190bhp version of the N52. Unlike on the 523i however, 190bhp is actually good enough for the 3-series.

A couple of weeks back, I took the car from the premises of Sapura Auto to the Ampang Elevated Highway and back. On the straights, the 323i was more than happy to respond to shoves on the gas pedal. Acceleration was strong, but it won’t pin you onto the seats. On long sweeping bends, the 323i maintained great composure – tracking to the lane as if on rails.

Compared to the RM310k 325i, the 323i does not lag too far behind in terms of overall performance. Being softer sprung, it’s also the easier car to live with on a day-to-day basis, having lost little of its handling prowess. In terms of equipment, the specs sheet of both cars are more or less identical – with differences mainly being all the little M-badged trims and finishes.

The functional equipments are identical to its pricier sibling, and this includes a new iDrive system that features a vastly improved controller, a dashboard-mounted 8.8″ high-definition colour monitor and its own hard-disk. It’s built in with a satnav system that displays actual 3D maps of Malaysia.

It’s most fortunate that the detuned state of the N52 engine in no way handicapped the 323i as it did the 523i. In every respect, the 323i is a very well-balanced car which would provide its owner miles of driving satisfaction. In terms of value for money, this is the pick of the 3-series bunch in Malaysia’s lineup.

Specifications

Engine: 2,497cc, inline-6, double VANOS, and Valvetronic.
Max Power: 190bhp @ 5,900rpm
Max Torque: 230Nm @ 3,250rpm
Transmission: 6-speed Steptronic auto
Top Speed: 231kph
0-100kph: 8.7s
Fuel Consumption: 8.8l / 100km

(+): As comprehensively equipped as the 325i, and almost just as good to drive.
(-): That the same engine in the 325i produces more.

Verdict: In Malaysia, this is the best value for money 3-series to buy.

BMW 323i – Yours for RM276k

Little changed upfront.

I drive a Proton Waja Campro 1.6E manual. I rather like it. I like how it corners, I like it’s high speed composure, I like the precise gear change, and all those other little things Lotus has tuned into its handling. That stupid Campro torque dip aside, it’s a good drive. And since the built quality of the Waja has had visible improvement over the past 8 years, it’s not too bad living with one on a day-to-day basis - until you meet a really tight corner.

The Waja’s turning circle can be described as atrocious, and couple that with poor all-round visibility, it’s a pain to drive one in tight spaces. As such, whenever I have negotiate the backalleys of KL, or brave through the jams of Jalan Pudu, my mind goes back to my previous ride, which was a Proton Iswara 1.5 automatic. I’ll be frank here, when I first started driving the car, I hated it. In fact, I felt miserable driving it.

The big problem with this car, as we all know, is its antiquated 3-speed automatic transmission. The torque converter sapped so much power out of the 1.5-litre engine, it made the car feel heavy and immovable. Every overtaking maneuver had to be performed on second gear, or I would never have stood a chance. Same story with corners, in ‘D’, you simply won’t get enough traction to power out of the apex.

I was never in any danger of getting speeding tickets with this car, because I won’t be able to get close enough to the speed limit anyway, let alone breach it. Even in the off day that I do get the speedo close enough to the magical number of 110, because there is no overdrive ratio, the engine noise would be so loud, I would be forced to ease off before long.

The Iswara followed me to Penang for a working stint of three-months. There, in the congested streets of Georgetown and Bayan Lepas, driving was a living hell. The drivers seemed to have their testosterone levels set to maximum and motorcycles were all over the place. In these adverse conditions, the Iswara shined. There was no U-turn it couldn’t handle, no gap it couldn’t squeeze through, and no spot it couldn’t park.

That it was chronically underpowered was no longer of consequence, because, one, I’ve already learnt to live with it, and secondly, what good does 200bhp do when all you see is a never-ending crawl? In situations like these, all you’ll ever need are power steering, automatic transmission and an engine that’s good enough to move you to 50kph. The Iswara had all that, and more. It had a small turning circle and all-round visibility easily superior to my Lotus-tuned Waja Campro.

The Iswara was rubbish on the highways, but in congested town drive, it was brilliant. In that short spell in Penang, I actually grew to like that car, and I felt a tinge of sadness when it was sold. In many ways, the Hyundai i10 I test drove with my mates last Friday reminded me of that car.

Really? We’ll see…

Three of us walked into HYUMAL Trading Sdn Bhd’s showroom in Glenmarie, Subang. One of them helping to make a family decision in swapping their Perodua Kenari for a new car, and the i10 is in the shortlist. The display car wore in Inokom badge, and retails for RM48k. There is also the Inspired model that bumps the pricelist above RM50k, but you won’t need to consider that, as it’s all just cosmetic enhancements.

HYUMAL Trading Sdn Bhd, Glenmarie.

The base model already comes with all the necessary equipment – twin airbags and ABS the most notable. Only a 4-speed auto version is available, though the product catalogue listed specs for a 5-speed manual variant as well. Power comes from a 4-cylinder 1.1-litre engine, whose output is too small to be of any consequence. Interior materials and built quality are not impressive, but not at levels that you would feel short changed.

 
Dash materials a little cheap, but still well put together. Twin airbags standard.

1.1-litre four-pot produces double digit torque and horsepower figures.

On the road, it was bad. I have read about cars that ’sing’, or for the modest ones, ‘progress’ their way to the redline, this one had to be dragged kicking and screaming its way there. Wherever ‘there’ is, because there’s no tachometer to tell. I did, however, appreciate the nice weighty feel of the steering, which at least allows you to take a decent corner. At the upper reaches of our national speed limit, this car is seriously out of depth and out of breath.

No tacho

However, when driven sedately, the i10 becomes quite alright. It fulfills the brief of a city car well – good visibility, ease of driving, and ease of parking. In fact, and this is a surprise, the i10’s steering actually lightened when parking, which means that this car comes with variable rack steering – which is unbelievable for a car at this price. Like my old Iswara, this is a car that would shine in the streets of Georgetown and KL, but is probably rubbish on PLUS Highway.

(+): Twin airbags, ABS, variable rack steering, EuroNCAP 4-star rating - who else offers that at this price?
(-): Engine very unrefined, build quality barely acceptable.

Verdict: Perfect for cities like KL, JB and Penang, just don’t travel between them.

With all the hoo-haa surrounding the City’s launch on 18 Dec, the Honda showrooms all over the country braced themselves for what was going to be an extremely packed weekend, as car buffs and buyers flock to check the new car out. Traveling in disguise, I headed to the premises of Tenaga Setia Resources Sdn Bhd, better known as the ‘Honda Jalan 222 showroom’.

It is one of the more famous navigational landmarks around Petaling Jaya, and being prominently located right alongside one of the busiest roads of the city. As such, it’s one of the first Honda showrooms to cross people’s minds. This, together with the limited amount of space in and around its premises leads to cars of visitors parked by the road side becoming traffic hazards.

“You turn at Jalan 222, and then you see the Honda showroom there, bla bla bla…”

I arrived at the showroom at 3:30pm on Sunday, and it still had a very healthy crowd. There were two display cars in the showroom, both being the Grade S variant. It was not the smartest setup, as this deprived visitors of the opportunity to compare both spec variants live. As a result, the salespeople were seen escorting people outside to view the Grade E test car between test drives. The test car was also decked in the Modulo bodykit and sport rims, that would add over RM7k to the retail price – think properly before ticking these options!

Plenty of visitors even at 3:30pm. Had to wait for over an hour for my test drive.

Only Grade S City on display.

A customer gets ready to take the City for a spin.

Due to the sheer number of customers present, it was over an hour before I got a chance to take the car out for a quick spin. This gave me plenty of time to examine the car in much closer detail, observe the actions of other visitors and also put some of the salespeople to test with their product knowledge.

Having pored through the entire press and technical release kit I picked up from the launch, I also have a reasonable degree of familiarity with the City’s features and technical bits. However, most people (me included) still have no idea of what the gear ratios are, as this piece of information was not available anywhere in the sales catalogs or press kits.

I am not looking for accuracy of each ratio to four decimal places, but I was curious whether the fourth gear was a 1.000 or an overdrive ratio. When quizzed about this, the salesperson I asked told me that there was ‘no overdrive, only got paddle shift.’ Well, I saw no point proceeding further, and I was none the wiser.

While the salespeople were not expecting to face someone secretly armed with info from Honda’s press release, they seemed more than ready to face the rest of the masses, as I saw all of them talking customers into nods. How many of those nods translated into bookings, only they would know, but we could see the Malaysian car inspection culture at its meticulous best – anything that can move was tested to its full range of motion. Every panel was felt to its entire length. The doors, and the boot were opened and closed more times in that one day than what most cars get in a year.

“Engine powerful or not? Save petrol or not?”

With the brighter lighting in the showroom compared to during the launch at Mandarin Oriental, I was able to get a better look at some of the smaller things in the car. The gadget-happy folks will be glad to know that their iPODs will dock with the audio units of both variants. And, as highlighted in the brochures, there were plenty of storage spaces for small objects, though the centre console box is shockingly tiny, being definitely smaller than even those found in a Wira.

iPOD dock available even in Grade S trim.

I had a bigger centre console box in my Wira.

In what was definitely the most shocking omission from a car’s spec sheet of all time, good old UMW Toyota actually specified the Vios J without intermittent wipers. Thankfully, Honda did not go down that route in the cost-cutting stakes, and kindly included intermittent wipers as standard. However, with the Grade S, you don’t get variable speed adjustment, and you have a stalk that so obviously blanked out that feature.

You at least get intermittent wipers, but no variable speed though.

Fortunately, for the rest of the car, there didn’t appear to be many obvious cost-cutting measures that can be deemed unreasonable at this part of the market. However, the rear shelf panel does appear to be rather cheap being made of a rough grade of hard plastic, and for the Grade S, there was just empty space which made me wonder how much would the underseat tray specified for the Grade E variant have cost.

Honda claimed that they have shifted the pedals of the new City 15mm to the right from the outgoing one, though I am not sure why they even bothered. The reason for this shift was to accomodate a footrest for the left foot, but having did all the hardwork redesigning the geometry of the linkages, all Honda did was slap a rubber piece which almost blends into the floor. It really didn’t feel like it was even there.

You call that a footrest?

For the rest of the interior, I have few complaints, though it seems that the rear headroom has been reduced, with my head now just touching the roof when sitting upright. Reduced practicality aside, this is still a well-designed and well-built interior – definitely superior in quality and equipment compared to the Toyota Vios even in the RM89k 1.5S trim.

In case you didn’t know, the new City’s bootspace increased from the outgoing model by a total of six litres, bringing it to 506 litres of bootspace. Access to those 506 litres is facilitated by opening a bootlid that has an inverted Y-shape shutline, and a C-shaped type hinge. In order to avert interference between the bootlid and taillights when opening, the geometry of the bootlid’s opening motion was engineered to come slightly outwards before going up. The C-shaped hinges also do not intrude too much into the bootspace, which is a problem I trust Proton Waja owners will definitely be familiar with.

“Upside-down Y” shutline consumed many engineering hours.

Finally, time to hit the road. As I reversed the car out of the parking spot, and maneuvered to exit the showroom premises, I immediately noticed that the steering is weightier and had more feel than the previous City. Thumbs up to Honda for addressing that one. I remember when testing the old City, I almost ‘over-steered’ the car onto the kerb, being not used to the degree of assist from the electric power steering (EPS).

The new 1.5 i-VTEC engine packs sufficient punch when pressed. The engine does roar a bit past 4,000rpm, which might not be to everyone’s taste, though it’s not as gruff as, say, the Waja/Lancer 4G18. The response of the paddle shifts were quick enough under hard acceleration, with only a very minor delay in shifting time. There wasn’t sufficient time to draw a proper conclusion, but the powertrain’s performance is adequate for most city and even PLUS highway driving conditions.

Whether this City is an improvement to the old is a matter of debate. Some argue it is, some argue it isn’t, both for, amazingly, very same reasons. Some like the sportier edge of the new model, others moan the sacrifice of the old model’s renowned practicality. Some think dropping the CVT for a 5A/T is a great idea, while others think the opposite. The outgoing City was more practical, and had a lot of clever and thoughtful ideas. The new one drops a few of these ideas and embraces a more outgoing image – more conventional, yet more aggressive. It’s hardly a better car, though in the eyes of many, it’s probably more likeable.

For the final two months of 2008, UMW Toyota is giving away massive promotions for its entire lineup of Toyota vehicles. Dubbed the Festive Moments Celebration, the promotions were given an extra push as Toyota showrooms nationwide organised festive open houses on 15-16 Nov.

Customers are tempted by goodies such as vouchers to fully cover for three years of maintenance, low downpayment rebates, low interest rates, bodykits, and/or a Sony Video MP3 player. Different models are offered with different combinations of the above, though the free maintenance vouchers and low interest rates seem the most useful. According to the promotional materials, all offers are valid from 1 Nov till 31 Dec, with the MP3 players attached with the usual ‘while stocks last’ label.

I was at the Subang Jaya branch on Saturday afternoon, where despite the gloomy skies above, my companion and I test drove the manual versions of the Vios 1.5J and the Avanza 1.3E.

Festive Moment at the Subang Jaya branch.

Bad weather failed to stop us getting a test drive.

I have actually tested the Vios a couple of months back. While accompanying another friend car shopping, we tested back-to-back, both variants of the Honda City and compared them against the Vios 1.5S, which retails at over RM88.3k against the City’s RM79.8k (i-DSI) and RM85.8k (VTEC).

The 1,497cc 1NZ-FE VVT-i, paired with a four-speed auto, does not produce terribly exciting figures on paper, but gave the Vios adequate shove on the straights. On the bends, the car handled surprisingly well, despite not having an independently sprung rear axle.

Going inside, for the interior, the Vios lost a quite a bit of ground against the City. Despite being the newer model against the outgoing City, the Vios’ cabin was neither as well designed nor as well built. The cabin ambience felt a class lower, and the materials felt a grade lower. All in all, at close to RM89k, I think it is a bit pricy.

Toyota Vios 1.5S - overpriced at RM89k.

However, going down the hierarchy, Toyota has the base-spec 1.5J model for your consideration - yours for RM73.5k, if you’re willing to forego the skirtings, airbags, alloy rims, rear discs, electric door mirrors and even the intermittent function for the wipers (a shocking omission, this one). You also have the option of a manual transmission, which would slash RM3.7k off the pricetag.

Indeed, at RM69.8k, the manual 1.5J is well within striking distance of even the Proton Waja CPS, and making it now a far more attractive preposition. The only omissions of consequence are the rear discs and airbags, which are still fine to most people, though the lack of intermittent wipers (standard in the Perodua Kancil) is kind of like a shocking-omission to me.

Paired with a five-speed manual, the 1.5-litre engine gives the Vios more than adequate shove, with the engine revving smoothly up to the 4000-5000rpm range. However, I was a little dissatisfied with the quality of the gearchange, which despite being sufficiently precise, had a rather long throw, while the clutch pedal was light to the point of being tricky to balance. 

I rarely recommend the entry level variant of any model as my preferred choice, but in the case of the Vios, the maths say it all, the 1.5J, at over RM16k cheaper than the 1.5S, represents the superior value.

The 1.5J – at RM69k the Vios makes more sense

Dash is plain looking, but no complaints. Five-speed gear change sufficiently precise, but clutch a little tricky to balance.

The other model catching our attention was the facelifted Toyota Avanza. To be frank, while I’ve never quite fancied an Avanza, I do respect it for being a practical and sensible family carrier. It doesn’t tickle one’s fancy, but it gets the job done - ferrying your family and things around – with minimum fuss, and I respect that.

However, the folks at UMW’s product planning division had bigger ideas and decided to tack on a set of skirts,  fake taillights on top of the D-pillar, and carbon fibre inserts on the dash. I have no idea how they came to this decision, but my companion and I found these new additions more than a little amusing. Rather than spending RM77.1k on the 1.5S, the smart money would either be on the RM69.9k 1.5E or the RM74.3k 1.5G, which both do away with these add-ons.

 
The facelifted Toyota Avanza 1.5S

What’s with the fake taillights?

Carbon fibre inserts for an Avanza?

Credit where credit is due, this water bottle hole is properly useful.

Another option to consider is the base model 1.3E, which goes for RM62k (M/T) and RM65.5k (A/T). I took a manual version out for a spin. That car came with 14-inch steel wheels but had the 1.5S bodykit which I suggest that you not take. You’d be surprised to read this: but it was a properly good drive.

The gear change was excellent – slick and precise in a way that a car like the Avanza has no right to be. When revved hard, the engine picks up pace quick enough for most people. You can’t take corners too spiritedly, but do you buy an Avanza for that? I suppose not. However, driven smoothly and sedately, the Avanza gives you brisk progress around town, and the superb turning radius makes it an excellent urban runabout.

I must admit that the Avanza gave me a properly pleasant surprise. On the road, I actually liked it better than the sedan-bodied Vios, an outcome which I totally did not expect. I would be quite happy to recommend the Avanza to anyone looking for a small practical people carrier, with the tested 1.3E manual my personal pick of the bunch. For those who want an auto, my fingers would point to the RM69.9k 1.5E, which is technically identical to the more expensive G and S variants.

Entry level 1.3E’s plain looks better than ’sporty’ 1.5S

Though 1.3E test car is equipped with 1.5S bodykit.

Interior for 1.3E does away with carbon fibre inserts. Five-speed manual offers surprisingly good gear change quality.

As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, Auto Bavaria has been organising a series of “Joyful Events” at its various showrooms throughout the country. The celebrations kickstarted on 20 Sept in the Penang branch, and since then they have been throwing these parties in Segambut (27/28 Sept), Kuantan (31 Oct / 1 Nov) and most recently Glenmarie this weekend.

I attended the one organised by the Segambut branch over a month back and was absolutely blown away by the experience. After going through a brief safety driving clinic, my mate and I set off in a BMW 525i, heading straight for the nearby Matrade Center parking lot to experience what was called the BMW Performance Drive, where we were each given a 320i to do braking, slalom and skidding tests. Later, back at the showroom, we were then treated to a buffet catered from DeCanters.

Memories of the Segambut event.

I have been to more BMW events than I can remember. I have test driven a 645Ci and a Z4 3.0 top down. I have driven a 545i up to 180kph in pursuit of a similarly powered X5 4.4i only to be stopped by a Kancil suddenly coming into our lane. I have even attended an event that served abalone sushi, but suffice to say, the “Joy” event in Segambut trumped them all. There’s nothing like driving a car in a no-holds barred situation.

Seeing what Glenmarie has in store.

Therefore, against the backdrop of the “joy” I had in my last time out, the Glenmarie edition was rather disappointing. Though admittedly, this one seemed to be catered for existing BMW owners, as they were given free 20-point checks for their BMWs. There was also a mini treasure hunt, dubbed the “Joy Hunt”, open to 50 BMW cars on Saturday and Sunday each.

For us non-BMW owners, besides viewing lineup of BMW cars, which on that day included an M3 Coupe, a 325i Sports, and a 525i Sports, we also had the chance to speak to some of their technicians who showed us the difference between a normal tyre and run-flats, how they diagnose faults in the latest electronic laden BMWs, and also AB Glenmarie’s reknowned impressive BMW body repairing capabilities.

Normal tyres vs run-flats – both tyres are deflated

Displaying their impressive arsenal of tools

Going straight into the brains of your car…

This machine reads out your car’s faults like a book

After looking through all the admittedly impressive exhibits, it was all just viewing and photographing the cars on display. Despite the advertisement on the website saying “Test drive and view the latest BMW cars”, there seemed to be more emphasis on the ‘view’ rather than the ‘test drive’ part, my mate and I were pretty much left alone after putting down our names on the front desk.

All in all, it wasn’t really an event which I considered to be worth my time, which is a shame, considering the edition at the Segambut branch earlier was absolutely amazing. It was quite obvious that this event seemed to be catered to existing or prospective BMW customers, with little room for us mere enthusiasts.

 
Crowd was good though

The 325i Sports with aggressive details

Under the hood of the BMW M3

M3’s S65B40 sings up to 8,250rpm redline, producing 420hp and 400Nm along the way

It may be basic but the Rush is a pretty good looking car and the Toyota badge means it will be painless to run

In the grand scheme of things, most people are not looking for outright performance or ultimate luxury when buying a car. The average buyer has to juggle competing factors such as good looks, reliability, comfort, price and cost of maintenance, not necessarily in that order.

The Toyota Rush is a compact Sports Utility Vehicle that has been engineered to suit the pockets of as many people as possible. That means Toyota had to make adjustments to the specifications and trim level to bring prices down.

I am not suggesting that the Rush cheap, at nearly RM86,000 for the entry level machine, this is not something that everyone would say is affordable but it is certainly not exorbitantly priced.

While it may look like an all-new vehicle, Toyota is using their huge parts bin to come up with this vehicle. The platform is modified from the Avanza, the engine and drivetrain are shared with the Avanza while the some parts of the interior can also be found in the Avanza.

Since they have to worry less about engineering so many things. Toyota designers had more time to come up with something pleasing to look at and the Rush is certainly that. It sits in that zone between plain and pretty.

It’s like that next door girl who has almost the right curves, she is not model material but sometimes you do think about her.

Just like that girl next door, the Rush comes from a good family and you know that she has had a proper upbringing and not likely to embarrass you in front of your friends. The Rush may not be your first choice but she certainly won’t be your last option.

There are nice details abound. For example in the top Spec 1.5S Automatic model that you see here comes with projector lamps and the whole front lamp cluster is packaged in a modern looking and sleek chrome surround that is bubbled in clear plastic.

They frame a neat grille and a substantial bumper that has been nicely scalloped and cut to make room for a large air vent and a pair of driving lamps. Completing the SUV look is a pseudo sump-guard that is part of the plastic bumper moulding.

The Rush comes with grey plastic garnish around the wheel arches and it looks good but the front right one on ours came off after a bit of fast driving. I think they did not stick it on properly. No one else reported the same problem.

The rear lamp cluster takes some cue from the more expensive RAV-4 and this adds sophistication to the stern view of the Rush.

When it comes down to personal taste, I have issues with spare tyres hanging in full view of the public. I am not worried about someone stealing it, its just I think spare tyres should be tucked away from sight. I keep mine out of public view, my car should too.

The Rush also has a good heart in the 1.5 liter VVT-i 3SZ-VE which is good for 109 horsepower if you work it all the way to 6,000rpm and 141 Newton metres of torque at 4,400rpm.

While these are the same figures found in the Avanza, it is actually good enough to keep the Rush at highway speed all day long and the selection of ratio is just right to make it feel reasonably energetic in the city.

Thanks to a bit more noise insulation than the Avanza, engine noise is also well isolated, which will encourage drivers to work the motor a bit harder and make the Rush a bit more fun than the Avanza.

In terms of road handling, the Rush’s fatter tyres give it more grip and this means that you can attack corners more aggressively in it than the Avanza. However the tall body and softer springing makes it roll a bit more in bends so you should no hurl it into curves with abandon.

The taller tyres and suspension are also more forgiving on bumps and potholes, this makes the Rush less bouncy than the Avanza. In fact it is considerably less bouncy than the Avanza. Remember I said LESS bouncy, I did not say NOT bouncy.

Most buyers will be reasonably contented with the Rush’s performance and would focus more attention in the quality and presentation of the cabin. Here there are some hits and a few misses.

Lets start with the driving position. I am about six-foot tall and I like to sit upright when driving, just like my driving instructor taught me. When I sit upright, the top of the steering wheel is positioned just so that it blocks the very top of the instrument cluster.

It is not a big issue but it is annoying.

The steering wheel is set quite upright so you cannot feel like you are driving a car and that is a few points knocked off the otherwise very presentable interior.

The interestingly styled instrument binnacle houses a full-dial speedometer that is flanked by a half-dial rev counter to the left and temperature gauge cum gear indicator in another crescent on the right.

At the bottom of the speedo is a small rectangular Liquid Crystal Display showing fuel level as well as trip and odometer. Everything is presented in a satisfyingly clear and simple fashion.

The centre console is stacked with the radio on top where it is easy to reach, followed by a pair of simple rectangular air-conditioning vent and the hazard light switch while below that is the air-cond blower and vent control dials.

Nothing fancy but it works well enough. The metallic plastic finish does not have the most luxurious lustre but it does its job lifting the otherwise plain dashboard.

If there is anything that front passengers would complain about, it is the lack of cupholders. What Toyota did was create a round receptacle in front of the moulded door pocket for mineral water bottles or drinks can but it is not ideal.

You have to bend down quite far to reach it, making it completely useless for the driver.

I know we are not suppose to be drinking while driving but it is nice to have somewhere to put your liquid sustenance, especially if you are on a long lonely drive.

The second row of seats is a comfortable place to be with sufficient knee room if you don’t have particularly lanky front passengers. The seat design is simple and flat which means that they are not particularly supportive but not uncomfortable either and like in the Avanza, rear passengers get their own air conditioning vent.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a second air conditioning control in a car like this, especially given the hot weather we get in Malaysia. I have driven in more expensive MPV’s without rear air-cond control and had to put up with either frozen knuckles or children whining from the heat.

Second row passengers are also better off than front row people, cup holder wise….

When it comes to the third row of seats, the Rush is like most other compact seven-seaters in that they are only suitable for smaller children, especially on long drives.

Adults can endure it for about half an hour before cramps start setting in. Third row passengers are also better off than front row passengers, cup dolder wise, they are set in the moulded side arm rest, within easy reach. perfect.

I know I am taking too many pot shots at this cupholder issue but this is a real life concern. I lived with the car for a weekend and it is the only thing that really annoyed me so I think it will also be the thing that will annoy most owners in the long run.

Next we look at the load carrying ability of the Rush. With the third row up, there is barely room for a few small soft bags, again a typical trait of seven-seaters so you cannot take too much offense here.

With the third row out of the way, there is ample room for a few suitcases or even a small item of furniture.The side opening doors swing out almost 90 degrees to provide unobstructed access to the load area.

Some may prefer a top-hinged arrangement but the side-hinge solution was necessary because they needed space for the spare wheels. It is too big to fit underneath the car.

Looking back, I think the girl next door analogy is perfect for the Rush. It is undoubtedly a vehicle full of compromises but then again so is our life and at least in the case of the Rush we know that the shortcomings are really minor and you can easily live with it. Just like that girl next door, the more you look at her, the more you feel like falling in love.

Summary of specifications

Toyota Rush 1.5S Auto

Technical

Engine: 1.5 liter VVT-i 3SZ-VE

Max Power: 109hp @ 6,000rpm

Max Torque: 141Nm of torque at 4,400rpm.

Four Speed Auto (Five Speed Manual)

16-inch alloy wheels

215/65R16 tyres.

Macpherson strut front suspension.

Four-link rear suspension with live axle.

Creature comforts

Single disc MP3-capable head unit

6 speakers (4 speakers plus 2 tweeters).

Power retractable door mirrors,

Leather wrapped gear lever and steering

Dual SRS front airbags

Anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution.

Price List

Toyota Rush 1.5G M/T – RM85,888
Toyota Rush 1.5G A/T – RM88,888
Toyota Rush 1.5S A/T – RM94,888