Malaysian NEWEST NATIONAL CAR: KIAT

Naza Kia Motors and Fiat Auto Spa. have announced plans to enter into a joint venture project to design and build Malaysia's new national car, and are to incorporate a company here with 50-50 ownership. The new car company will be called Kiat Motors Bhd. Company insiders are excited about the project, which has secretly been in the works for years.

"We're expecting thousands of Kiat," said a Naza Kia executive. "All Kiat cars will be specially-designed to meet the needs of Malaysian motorists." Asked to reveal some of the features expected on the first Kiat model, the executive said: "No way man!. What if I lose my job?"

Sources from Naza Kia and Fiat had more to say, however. "For the past 3 years, Malaysia's best-selling car has been Perodua MYVI. We'll just copy the Myvi but modified into Sedan body and see how it goes (Since Malaysians Loved Sedan cars)," said Project Manager whose name is Co-incidently "Michael Tan Beng Kiat".  He's SUPER PROUD that the car's Named after Him.  But the Kiat car will outdo the MYVI in various important ways, boasted Michael Tan Beng Kiat. Think of it as a MYVI with a 480L BOOT. 10L more than the Persona. While the Myvi has a 1.3cc engine, the Kiat will have a NEW 1495cc Variable Valve Timing with mated with Fiat's 6 speed CVT gearbox (as seen in Punto Nuova).  "That's all I can reveal at the moment" added Michael Tan Beng Kiat.

To draw needless attention to its superiority, the Kiat car will also be launched as the 'Kiat Platinum".  Why Platinum?  It's because it's WORTH MORE THAN GOLD.  In order to reduce costs, the Platinum will also do away with the need for superfluous features found on other cars, such as Signal lights, side mirrors, and rear seatbelts, which local motorists do not use. "Think of the convenience," said Michael Tan Beng Kiat with a grin. "When you drive a Kia Platinum, you need never adjust your mirrors or bother to signal before making a turn.

BUT Safety wise, It'll have Driver's Airbag Only, as passanger airbag deem Irrelevant for those needing to fix rear facing Baby seat.  Brakes, 2 Discs, 2 drums with ABS+EBD.  Seat: Normal fabric with driver manual height adjustable. And steering Front back, Up-down (4 way) adjustable.  This is designed for people as small as 130cm.

Aside from that, the Kiat Platinum's main selling point will be a special windscreen that no local driver would want to be without. "We are working on a giving one corner of the windscreen special optical distortions. When you place your parking coupon under this part of the windscreen, it becomes almost impossible to tell from the outside if your parking ticket is expired or not.

Another SNEAK PREVIEW with Optional washable Leather Look-alike PVC seats:

Price expected to be below RM50,000.  but the car is expected to undercut rivals because it will be locally assembled in Kelantan, where Labour cost is Cheapest. No launch date has been set, and Kiat Motors says it is not ready to handle enquiries yet, but Kiat customers can call 1-800-88-KIAT (5128) (anyway if they want to get details before anyone else).

More details will be revealed Tomorrow April 2 2010, 12pm.

Cars with 0 or minimal Depreciation

In this blog entry, I'd like to present top 15 cars with ZERO or Minimal depreciation.  Here are the lists:

1) Toyota AE86/Trueno

2) Nissan 180SX/200SX

3) Mini Cooper / Cooper S 

4) Toyota Corolla AE101 SEG (1992 to 1995)

5) Honda Civic EG4/EG6/EG9 (1991 to 1995)

6) Mazda Miata/MX5

7) Mazda Astina 1.6 (1990 to 1994)

8) Toyota Altezza / Lexus IS200

9) VW Golf GTI  (15% depreciation in 2 years only)

10) Proton Wira 1.8 EXI DOHC / Proton Putra 1.8 EXI DOHC.

11) Honda Stream (2001-2003).

12) Toyota Sera 1.5

13) Original VW Beetle

14) Ford Laser TX3 1.8i DOHC

15) Any cars more than 20 years, depreciation  bottomed up.  Some actually appreciate in value over 25 years.

That's all folks, an original Jeff Lim's compilation.  Thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry...

Longtermer #1, Update 21, Mar 2010: Ford Telstar 2.0i4 16v Ghia (A)

LONGTERMER #1: Update 21, March 2010: Ford Telstar 2.0i4 Ghia

Longtermer #1, Update 21, March 2010: Ford Telstar 2.0i4 16v Ghia

In this blog entry, I am updating my Ford Telstar i4 Ghia. This is the 21th update.


What's up in the month of March?

As I am typing this, the Telstar covered 889km. Now, 151,955km. Previous month, it's 151,066km.

This month, I changed my Front Shock Absorbers to HITACHI TOKICO Gas type.  Paid RM165 per absorber.  I then drove to nearby tyre shop in Paramount where they charged me RM50+15 for alignment.  Total: RM395 poorer. According to the mechanic, my rear absorbers also KO already. But I have no money to change at moment.

Without further ado, let’s proceed to Logbook…

LOGBOOK:

Year of manufactured: December 1998 (registered January 1999)
Purchase price: RM42,000 (Aug 2005)
Current value: RM12,000 (As at February 2010)
Depreciation per year (averaged): RM7,500

Mileage Last Month: 151,066km
Mileage Now: 151,955km
Mileage used March 2010: 889km

Fuel consumption (so far):
BEST: 10.2km/l (24 December 2009)
WORST: 5.9km/l (September 14, 2009) => 100% City driving

THIS MONTH (February):
BEST: 9km/l on 10 March 2010 (80% Highway driving). WORST: March 21: 6.6km/L, 90% City driving. I used either RON95 Shell OR Mobil RON95 only.

0-100km/h: 10.8 secs (1/1/2010). Previous run 10.4 secs (27/9/2009).

TODAY, As at 29 March 2010,

Expenses (this month)

1) Fuel expenses (RM320)
2) Parking and tolls charges... (RM50 est)
3) CHANGED:
i) Front Shock Absorbers (HITACHI TOKICO GAS) (RM330)
ii) Workmanship: RM60.


GRAND TOTAL: RM760.00.


Before I go, here's some parting shots below:

LASTLY, before I signed off, this is the LATEST photo of my Telstar.  Picture taken using my Latest Gadget, Panasonic LUMIX TZ7.  Location: SS2, Petaling Jaya...

VIDEO UPLOADED (As promised back in December 2009, Auto Swing Central Air  vents:

That's all folks!  Thanks for having the time and patience to read this Blog entry of mine...  See you on April 29 2010 for the 22th update...  AN ORIGINAL JEFF LIM'S PRODUCTION.  My original work...

FINALLY: http://otoreview.my is LAUNCHED!

FINALLY, after 2 months delay, my new website for this blog OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED.  From now on, just type "otoreview.my".  This domain will automatically POINT to my Http://otoreview.blogspot.com/ blog site...

Thanks to  "Emerge Systems (M) Sdn. Bhd." for making this possible (AT A FEE - RM170 TOTAL)...  

And now...  The LAUNCH!

Posing for photograph...

Cutting ribbon...
Crowd Applause....
Champagne Popping...

It's 25/03/10; 14.38hrs now as we are celebrating the launch...

Thank you everyone for you support...  To Date 142,563 Pageloads and 114,533 Unique Visitors...  Once again, Thank You...

WHATCAR? UK: Petrol or diesel - which is cheaper?

Petrol or diesel - which is cheaper? - Introduction

19 March 2010 

Choosing which fuel is right for you isn’t just about economy. There are other costs and your driving style to consider. Our experts explain

It’s one of the eternal dilemmas for car buyers: do I go for a petrol-powered car or a diesel one? People often make wrong assumptions about the differences between the two, namely that diesel drivers save a packet at the pump, but petrol drivers have more fun. This isn’t necessarily the case, and your ideal car choice depends on your individual circumstances and preferences.

For instance, you might find you prefer the way a diesel delivers its performance, and while a petrol car might have worse fuel economy than its diesel equivalent, it might actually still end up being cheaper to own over three years.

Whatever you do, don’t just look at the fuel economy figures. Depreciation is the biggest cost in car ownership, so resale values play a vital role in deciding whether a petrol or diesel car will be more cost effective overall. Add to this the facts that diesel-powered cars tend to be more expensive to buy and service than their petrol counterparts but can attract lower road tax and insurance charges, and you have some maths to do.

For example, the diesel Fiat 500 does nearly 14mpg more than the 1.2 petrol, but it costs a massive £2400 more to buy, which means that, using economy figures alone, it would have to cover 133,164 miles before the better economy compensates for the higher price. The diesel’s lower servicing costs narrow the gap, but the petrol still works out £981 cheaper to own over three years/36,000 miles, or £327 cheaper per year.

Going for the diesel version of the Mazda 6 is a no-brainer, however. Even though the 2.2D 163 costs £1100 more than its petrol equivalent, it starts to repay you at the pump after 40,279 miles. Its lower depreciation and road tax figures also mean that the diesel version is £1191 cheaper than the petrol over three years.

Similarly the Peugeot 3008 and Volkswagen Golf diesels are both cheaper over a three-year period than the petrol versions, by £705 and £442, but the BMW 3 Series throws up a bit of a surprise. At three years, the £2100 premium for the 320d diesel over the 320i petrol still isn’t recovered through fuel savings or higher resale values, while road tax is the same and the diesel’s insurance and servicing are more expensive. Overall, the 320i beats the 320d by £709 over a three-year period.

Generally speaking, though, the bigger the car you’re considering, the smaller the premium charged for the diesel, and the more miles you cover, the more likely it is that a diesel will save you money.

To help you calculate which car works out cheapest for you, we’ve posted a tool online at whatcar.com. Simply type ‘petrol or diesel’ into the search box. You can even vary your mileage to see how it affects the decision.

Why do diesel cars and fuel cost more?

A diesel engine needs to be stronger than a petrol because the fuel explodes under greater pressure, so it is built with more metal for extra sturdiness. The heavier engine then needs stronger mounts and heavier-duty suspension. The clutch and gearbox are often uprated to cope with the added torque and there’s usually more sound-deadening material. All of this adds to the price of building the car.

One of the most significant costs for the future of diesel cars is the expensive exhaust systems they’ll need to meet upcoming emissions legislation.

The diesel itself
Diesel is closer, chemically, to crude oil, so you’d think the refining process would be simpler than the process that generates petrol. In fact it’s more complicated, and expensive, because sulphur levels need to be cut from it. Demand for diesel from other sectors, including shipping and for heating homes, also pushes up pump prices.

The future
So what about future fuel prices? Nick Vandervell from the UK Petroleum Industry Association says: ‘It depends on what the political policies are – there is talk of whether we should tax fuels on their energy content, which would make diesel slightly more expensive than it already is.’



END OF ARTICLE.

References:
1) http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/petrol-or-diesel-which-is-cheaper-/248338

HOT NEWS: Proton's NEW turbo engine gets 6-speed manual Getrag gearbox!

HOT NEWS: Proton's turbo engine gets 6-speed manual Getrag gearbox!

Proton is certainly moving up ahead with its new engine development.
According to industry sources, the new engine will be using turbo technology but is developed more for low end torque and fuel consumption.

The main target for the engine is for the Exora, which we was told will only happen next year.
We were told that the Low Pressure Turbo (LPT) system uses a turbine from BorgWarner  and pressure starts to kick in at around 1,800rpm.  Power should hover around 140hp.

Apart from the LPT system, the new engine will also be using a Continuous Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) system on the intake valves.

Transmission wise, the 6-speed Getrag gearbox is said to be chosen for the engine while a CVT gearbox by ZF will replace the normal torque converter automatic transmission system. Proton realises that it needs more control on the transmission and using Mitsubishi's will not allow them so.

The engine is loosely based from the CAMPRO block but many changes have been done to it (improved water jackets, etc) and that it should deserve a new name.

CBT editorial team  thinks the project's code name, Phoenix, is good enough.


SOURCE:
1) http://cbt.com.my/100319/proton039s-turbo-engine-gets-6-speed-manual-getrag-gearbox

Sunroof (A dedication)

I would like to dedicate this post to "SUNROOF".  I've been a HUGE Fan of Sunroof / Open-topped car since I was 3 years old (according to my dad).  I played with my relative's car's Sunroof back then. 

Just as automotive technology has evolved over the past century, so have sunroof systems. From the earliest partially removable cloth covers over a hoop frame (covered wagons) or trap doors in the roof of a stage coach, sunroofs have evolved to become user friendly, enjoyable and reliable vehicle features.

Today's sunroof provide a greater range of features and options than ever before, and technology is ever advancing to provide the next best thing to Convertible.  As vehicles evolve for the future, so will sunroof systems, and enthusiasts love for riding the open road with the wind in their hair and sun on their face.

The 1st car my family owned with Electric Sunroof was a metallic black Acura (Honda) Legend between 1997 to 2001.  It's a Year 1993 model V6 3.2 Quad-cam 24v Fuel Injection. 

In Malaysia, there's only 10% of cars with Sunroof or Convertible. Ie. 1 out of 10 cars.  Critics dismissed sunroof as Unsafe (avenue for thief to break the Glass sunroof), Leaking, Too HOT for Malaysian climate etc...  I TOTALLY DISAGREE...

Sunroof, especially Glass variants are Essential feature to appreciate KL Skyscrapers AT Night (Including KLCC).  Also, it's very useful in COOLER places like Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands.  Modern Sunroof such as Mercedes E-Class panoramic roof has SOLAR Panels built-in to their sunroof to help cool the car down and conserve battery power.

In addition, Cars with sunroof enjoyed up to 10% better resale value OR 10% more expensive to purchase VS its non sunroof versions.  Typical examples are Mercedes E-class Panoramic, Toyota Estima, Alphard, Harrier.

Without further ado, I now present you photos of different types of sunroof. Enjoy,,

Above: The Mother of all sunroof.  Earliest known "sunroof" car. 1940s Citroen 2CV.  Other types of sunroof:

Above: Peugeot 308 Panaromic Roof. Below, 1990s Canvas roof.

Above: Toyota Alphard 2x Sunroof. Below, Mitsubishi Airtrek 2x Sunroof.

Above: Toyota Harrier Panoramic sunroof. Below, Mini Cooper Panoramic Sunroof

Above: Subaru Legacy Outback XXL Sunroof. Below, BMW 525i Touring Panoramic sunroof.

Above: Mercedes B170 Lourved Panoramic Sunroof. Below, Mercedes E-class Panoramic roof

Above: Mercedes Cabriolet.  Below: MAYBACH Solar Panoramic sunroof

Other types of Sunroof:  

BELOW: FULL Length Slide-Electronic Glass Panoramic roof as seen in Porsche Targa.

Above: The Cheapest Sunroof type.   Below: FIXED type Panoramic Glass roof.

Above: Mercedes A-class Electronic Glass Lourved Sunroof. Below: Today's Common Electronic Tilt-slide glass sunroof.

FINALLY: PARTING SHOT.  Nice view  from Ford Escape's "XL-size" Electronic Tilt-slide Glass Sunroof.

REFERENCES:

1) http://www.sunroofs.org/sr-tech.htm