23 Nov 2012

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Honda Earth Dreams

Not Just Green Motoring, But Green Performance Motoring

By DANIEL FERNANDEZ

Honda Motor Corporation has grand plans for the coming year. It promises the earth a survival plan and it started by bringing us to its headquarters and research and development centre (HGT) in JAPAN. What was in store for us was a total surprise as we got the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the latest and also next generation hybrid cars that will eventually see showroom appearance in Malaysia starting this 2013. There were also four wheel drive and four wheel steer models for us to test drive around the circuit.

‘Earth Dreams’ is the tagline being used by Honda for this next generation hybrid project. We were given the opportunity to test drive the all new Honda N-ONE compact car and the N+ Box which can be best described as a compact MPV. Key features of the Honda N-ONE include a spacious cabin which comfortably accommodates five average adults and good acceleration performance from its 3-cylinder turbo engine. It is also stable on the tarmac with excellent noise and vibration damping. All this is achieved with the use of a lightweight and highly-rigid body and an exclusively-developed suspension. In addition to these key features, the N-ONE returns excellent fuel economy of 27.0km/L. The N-ONE also features Emergency Stop Signal

(ESS) and more than 90% of the entire vehicle is recyclable. The Honda Jazz/Fit Electric Vehicle and the new Accord Hybrid were also made available for us to test drive.

Honda will continue its vision of fun driving with the environment still being considered. New technology to cater to the needs of our earth are being developed constantly to ensure the next generation of Honda vehicles increase fuel efficiency whilst reducing emission and maintaining driving dynamics and power delivery. Honda is also looking at introducing downsized turbo-charging. This is the next generation of small capacity (using turbochargers) powerful engines that will offer great power and torque whilst offering class best fuel efficiency.

Sport hybrid systems like the one found in the latest CR-Z is the direction Honda is taking to provide exciting vehicles for a segment that does not want to compromise their driving dynamics and performance against good fuel efficiency.

Honda will also be introducing a new CVT gearbox using a “G-Design Shift” with its all new 2.4L engine. There is also a new 1.5L i-VTEC direct-injection engine that will come with the next generation Jazz/Fit that will work with a new generation CVT gearbox “GDesign Shift”.

There is more to come from Honda and we will be reporting it in the next issue of Clutch.

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FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2012

CLUTCH

THE MALAY MAIL

TESTDRIVE

NISSAN ALMERA VL SPECIFICATIONS

DISPLACEMENT: 1498cc ENGINE: 1.5L, 4-Cylinder, DOHC with CVTC

MAX POWER: 102PS @ 6000rpm MAX TORQUE: 139Nm @ 4000rpm TRANSMISSION: 4-Speed Automatic FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 41L FUEL CONSUMPTION: 14.9km/l PRICE: RM79,800.00 (O.T.R with insurance)

VALUE DRIVEN Nissan Almera shows us why it’s the brand’s best-selling global sedan.

Review By RICHARD AUGUSTIN

OF all the car launches thus far, the Nissan Almera is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated by the masses. That is mostly because the Almera represented Nissan in the Bsegment market, a market which Nissan, under Tan Chong Motors, dominated throughout the 80s and remained a topseller in the 90s as well. So after months of sneak peeks and road shows, the vehicle was officially launched here in Malaysia and it was a venerable success too owing to the affordable asking price. The Almera is priced from RM66,800 for the entry level base model to RM79,800 for the top of the range VL variant. This makes the Almera one of the cheapest non-national Bsegment vehicles around.

Despite its low sticker price, Nissan has ensured the consumer isn’t getting short changed in anyway. The VL variant for example comes with a number of features normally found in more upscale models. For a sub RM80, 000 car, it sports a features list that includes Push Button Ignition, Keyless Entry, Intelligent Key with Immobiliser, Automatic Climate Control, Steering Audio Controls as well as a Speedometer with a multi- information display. Not bad indeed.

Under the hood sees 1.5-litre HR15DE four-cylinder CVVT engine. The same powerplant remains across all models and it’s a proven workhorse producing 102Ps and 139Nm on tap.

There are two transmission options, a five-speed manual for the entry-level E variant and a 4-speed auto for the rest.

On a recent long-distance run

with the range topping VL variant, the engine afforded decent power and acceleration but required a heavy foot on certain slopes and when overtaking. In terms of cruising though in both highway and city conditions, the Almera is in its element as a very good commute, even more so when you factor in its fuel efficiency of 14.9km/l (15.9km/l for the manual). Ride and handling is decent with the McPherson Struts (with Stabiliser Bar) and rear Torsion Beam optimised for comfort.

Style wise, the Almera isn’t bad-looking. The design and form factor of the car offers a

sport-esque front facia accented by halogen lamps. Consumers looking for a more muscular and sportier form factor can opt for an IMPUL edition, for an added fee of RM9500. The interior however proves to be the major pull-factor of the car.

Inside, the Almera offers abundant of space with a roomy interior and ample storage spaces

located throughout. Passengers in the rear will no doubt love the immense legroom, which measures at 636mm, the longest in its class. The rear bench also incorporates an arm rest with two cup holders, while the trunk offers 490litres of space.

The rear seats however are not equipped with a 60:40 split.

Overall build quality for the

ABOVE: The cabin is basic and simple...but spacious and that is thye biggest selling point LEFT: Engine is simple for easy maintenance and its proven

Almera is good for its class with decent plastics as well as fabrics used. The dash does however seem a bit ‘lumpy’ and the VL variant sports a ‘doughnut’ like air-conditioning unit with an integrated LCD read-out that may not appeal to some consumers. In terms of safety, the Almera comes with front airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, as well as ISOFIX Child Seat System.

The vehicle is currently available in Bronze Gold, Sapphire Black, Twilight Grey, Tungsten Silver and Brilliant White and comes with a long options and accessories list for buyers, which includes leather seats, sporty pedals, alloy-wheels and a built-in NAVI system with Rear View Camera. Considering the price point as well as features and fuel efficiency it delivers and the three-year or 100,000 km warranty, the Almera is undoubtedly one of the best buy vehicles at the moment.

THE MALAY MAIL

FRIDAY 23 november 2012

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TESTDRIVE Hyundai Lm Tucson gets new enhancements and more variants The Hyundai LM Tucson has just been upgraded. New features include Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) (except the 2.0 Elegance). The VSM combines the intelligence of the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and the newly incorporated Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) to ensure a much safer drive through slippery and challenging road con-

ditions. The VSM is especially vital in emergency stopping maneuvers. The use of MDPS does not consume any power from the engine coupled with the newly incorporated smart charging system, also improves engine power and fuel efficiency.

Other enhancements include a switch to deactivate the front passenger airbag in the interest of

young occupants in the front seat as well as the fitting of the ISOFIX child seat mounting on the rear seat for the convenience of parents with young kids to fit in the child seats. The LM Tucson also now has a manually adjustable headlamp beam level enabling better view of the road at night for safer night driving. There is also a set of new front driving lamps

and a powerful rear fog lamp. The latest LM Tucson also features a newly installed front and rear MS Design skid plates. Changes to the interior include Nappa leather seats in Premium variants and an Audio Visual Navigator which has a large screen and advanced touch screen audio/visual systems, GPS and a reverse camera visual display.

The five variants in the new line-up are: 2.0 Elegance 2WD (RM131,888.00) 2.0 Executive Plus 2WD (RM141,888.00) 2.0 Premium 2WD (RM144,888.00) 2.4 Executive Plus 4WD (RM155,888.00) 2.4 Premium 4WD (RM158,888.00) (OTR price with insurance in W. Malaysia)

The new range of enhanced LM Tucson with similar specifications to the European market is now available for viewing and booking at all Hyundai showrooms. Customers can call HSDM Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000 for more information. HSDM offers a 5-year or 300,000km (whichever comes first) extended warranty on all its new passenger vehicles. A 24-hour road assist service is also available to new and existing Hyundai vehicles.

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WORLDOFHYUNDAI

FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

HYUNDAI GRANDEUR

Hyundai takes on the luxury market DESPITE its reputation as a maker of cars that offer superb value for money, it is not beyond Hyundai’s means to churn out big, powerful, and classy vehicles. The company’s first foray into the realm of big cars started with a rebadged Ford Granada in the late 1970s, and when the time came for a replacement, Hyundai entered a technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors who was also looking to develop a new flagship model.

Product of the collaboration was the first generation Hyundai Grandeur launched in 1986, or also known as the Debonair in its Mitsubishi guise.

Only the second front-wheel drive Korean vehicle after the smaller Hyundai Excel, the Grandeur’s internals and mechanical designs were from Mitsubishi, with Hyundai primarily responsible for styling. Never exported, the first generation Grandeur sold

over 120,000 units in its six-year model life cycle.

For the second generation Grandeur launched in 1992, Hyundai persisted in its partnership with Mitsubishi using the same arrangement as before — Mitsubishi supplying engines and underpinnings with Hyundai focusing on trim and styling. Further underlining its luxury vehicle credentials is an all-V6 engine line-up displacing 2.0 to 3.5 litres.

Mitsubishi’s discontinuation of the Debonair and Hyundai’s growing confidence in its own abilities saw the third generation Grandeur launched in 1998 being a wholly in-house design and engineering effort. It was also the first time Hyundai exported its flagship model out of Korea, and it was powered by Hyundai’s own V6 engines from the Delta and Sigma families. The Hyundai-Mitsubishi

partnership did not end, however, as it went on to spawn the first generation Hyundai Equus, which grew into yet another success story for Hyundai on its own.

Not all markets know this model as the Grandeur. Based on engine capacity, the third generation Grandeur was sold as either the XG300 or XG350 in some export markets.

When the fourth generation TG Grandeur was introduced in 2006, Hyundai marketed it as the Azera in a number of countries including Malaysia. Based on the previous generation NF Sonata, the TG Grandeur was offered with a range of V6 engines, along with a pair of petrol and diesel 4-cylinder engines.

The TG Grandeur was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the fifth generation HG Grandeur featuring Hyundai’s modern ‘fluidic sculpture’

styling theme. Persisting with the front-wheel drive layout of its predecessors, the new HG Grandeur is based on underpinnings of the current YF Sonata, and it uses the YF’s flagship 2.4-litre Theta II engine as its entry-level engine leading on to the bigger and more advanced 3.0 and 3.3-litre Lambda V6 engines.

Until its third generation model, the Grandeur was the flagship of Hyundai’s range, a role that has since been usurped by the Equus that was introduced in 1999 and now in its second model generation with a rear-wheel drive platform. In 2008, Hyundai also added the Genesis, another rear-wheel driven saloon, but slightly smaller than the Equus, to its line-up. Both the Genesis and Equus represent Hyundai’s brave attempts to challenge the mid-size and large luxury segments currently dominated

by established German makes.

The mid-sized Genesis is marketed as a premium sports sedan, although one that still offers immense value relative to its targeted competition.

Testimony of its pedigree comes from the nomination of its Tau V8 engine in Wards’ 10 Best Engines list of 2009. The Genesis RWD platform was also used to spawn the stunning Genesis Coupe that was launched in 2009.

Hyundai’s ambition to challenge the Germans and their lengthy heritage is indeed admirable, but hardly surprising considering the company’s recent strides. However, the company’s audacity to take on the market’s upper echelons with a brand identity of humble origins is a big statement of confidence in its own identity as an established car maker with considerable pedigree.

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FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2012

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THE MALAY MAIL

TESTDRIVE

PORSCHE CAYENNE V8 DIESEL

PICTURES BY DANIEL FERNANDEZ

Porsche Diesel Comes Of Age

By DANIEL FERNANDEZ

THERE is a brand new V8 diesel engine and Porsche Traction Management (PTM) (4-wheel drive system) for the Porsche Cayenne and we got to try it out around the hills of Graz in Austria in freezing temperatures.

Porsche invited us to the hills of Austria when it was snowing to get a feel of their latest 4x4 system. This was the best way to feel how well this new system works with wet and icy road conditions. Using the current generation good looking Cayenne, this new 4x4 system was introduced together with Porsche’s new V8 diesel engine.

There is no change in the looks department of this Cayenne. Just some minor trim changes like the black fins at the front that highlight the open air inlets and silvercoloured brake callipers. The luxurious cabin from before remains. Ignite the new engine and this is where the difference is felt and heard. First, there is NO diesel clatter and instead there is a nice low rumble. Yes,

PORSCHE CAYENNE DIESEL V8 SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: V8 Diesel Turbo CAPACITY: 4134cc TRANSMISSION: 8-Speed PDK MAX OUTPUT: 382bhp MAX TORQUE: 0-100KM/H: TOP SPEED: PRICE:

rumble......this diesel engine sounds at idle like a tuned V6 petrol engine. Rev the engine in neutral and the V8 rumble build up as quickly as the tachometer rises. The combination of this V8 and an 8-speed Tiptronic S gearbox is an ideal partner for the PTM (all-wheel drive). This PTM system was specially configured for the sporty, highly dynamic Cayenne models, because its broad range of torque distribution offers benefits in terms of vehicle dynamics, agility and traction pre-control and complements the performance-oriented

The high quality cabin remains in this all new Cayenne and we see no reason for Porsche to change this for this new diesel model

character of the Cayenne. PTM also has the automatic brake differential (ABD) for improved traction control, anti-slip control (ASR) for improved vehicle stability and a switchable hill control assistant (Porsche Hill Control, PHC) for controlled descents on steep hills which we got to experience on this slippery and wet drive route.

So how does PTM work? When the driver steers into a corner, the lateral guiding forces of the steered wheels are increased by reducing the drive torque at the front axle, which enables high levels of agility

and transverse acceleration.

As the driver then accelerates out of the corner, the drive torque is optimally distributed for maximum traction at both axles thus reducing slippage and increasing tyre traction on the tarmac.

Black ice, snow and tight curves greeted us on our test drive..... what more could we ask for as we made

our way. There were some harrowing curves as we felt the tyres lose a little bite on acceleration but it was tight corners with fresh show on the ground and ice clad grass on the edges. This was more than we bargained for and we were being silly with the throttle in this weather conditions. We eased

@ 3750rpm 850Nm @ 2750rpm 5.7 seconds 252km/h TBA

off and the Cayenne kept to its intended trajectory with no fuss.

The Porsche Traction Management works like a charm and we can only assume that back in Malaysia with wet roads and sand, the system will have no issue keeping up traction and speed.

THE MALAY MAIL

FRIDAY 23 november 2012

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FRIDAY 23 november 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

MalaysianNews Bosch and Caltex Partner Up At All Petrol Stations Drivers in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia will have another reason to enjoy their journey as Caltex and Bosch come together to offer customers premium car care services for all of their motoring needs. The mutual exchange of world-renowned automotive know-how, together with energy-efficient technology, will see the roll-out of Bosch Car Service workshops and retail shops at 500 CaltexTM stations across the five countries over the next five years.

Caltex, and Bosch a leading global supplier of automotive parts and diagnostic equipment, will tap on each other’s respective technical expertise and customer base.

The Bosch Car Service workshops at Caltex service stations will provide services to multi-brand vehicles offering diagnosis, maintenance and

500 Caltex stations will now have high quality Bosch parts and expertise for your vehicle

repairs. Caltex Lubricants and Bosch Automotive Aftermarket products and parts will also be sold at Caltex service

stations where Bosch Car Service workshops are located.

This new regional partnership will see Caltex and Bosch

Mitsubishi Mirage Now On Sale From RM55,328.00 to RM63,120.00 This is the all new Mitsubishi Mirage and it is a ‘world car’ which will be sold in more than 160 countries. The fivedoor, five-seat Mirage is just 3710mm long, 1655mm wide, 1490mm high and weighs in at a just 845kg. Standard safety equipment includes brake assist, hill start assist and stability control. With a combined fuel economy of 21km/ liter from its 1.2L engine (real world tested at an average of 19km/liter), this new Mirage returns almost hybrid like fuel efficiency.

The front end has been designed so that the driver can see both edges of the bonnet for easier parking, and a compact 4.4m turning circle should make the Mirage feel manoeuvrable around town and will be easy to handle for all drivers.

The 78bhp DOHC MIVEC 3-cylinder engine produces 100Nm of torque which is more than adequate and works smoothly with the automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) gearbox. The cabin gets a flat dashboard that has a

gloss-black centre stack highlighted by silver accents on the gear shift surround, gear knob, air vents and chrome door handles on the GS variant. It comes with 60/40 splitfold rear seats, a 2-DIN stereo with iPOD, USB and AUX input, anti-pinch power window and a leather bound steering wheel.

There is also keyless entry with one-touch ignition start which is a 1st for this segment.

This compact car doesn’t ignore safety either with 2 airbags; driver and front passenger, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and two ISOFIX rear seat child restraints all fitted as standard. Available in Yellow, Red, Grey, White and Silver the new Mitsubishi Mirage comes with a 3-year warranty (or 60,000 kilometres) and a 1 year maintenance package.

EDITORIAL NOTE

working together to house 500 Bosch Car Service workshops at Caltex service stations in five years.

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster unique profile of its upper area, which extends along newly designed geometric lines from the removable roof to the engine hood. The two-piece roof is made entirely from carbon fiber using various technologies such as RTM and Forged Composite®.

Even the interior has a new look. The use of leather called Sabbia Nefertem highlights the superb hand-made craftsmanship of the upholstery from Sant’ Agata Bolognese and is

Automobili Lamborghini presented the new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster in Malaysia this week which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.0 seconds flat and has a maximum speed of some 350 km/h. These numbers are easily achieved with the 6.5 liter aspirated V12 generating 700 hp and the ISR 7-speed gearbox.

The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster can immediately be recognized by the

a perfect match for the exterior in Azzuro Thetis. Finally, the new Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster also features new Dione 20”/21” rims with a daring, aggressive look. Crafted in light forged aluminum, they lower the weight of the vehicle by 10 Kg as compared with the standard set of rims. The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster is a dream that can be realized and ordered at Lamborghini dealer JH Italia now.

This new super roadster was launched around the globe and Malaysia in the same week

by Daniel Fernandez

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Consultant Motoring Editor

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A motoring pullout is a common feature with most newspapers… but Clutch will be different. How different? Well just like the rest of the all new The Malay Mail, Clutch will be informative and true to its editorial integrity. Clutch will be a bi-monthly (every other Friday of the month) motoring pullout that will give straight-to-the-point car reviews and relevant motoring information for the Malaysian car enthusiast in a

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Lim Ee Mae

simple language. We will not confuse you or ‘smoke screen’ you with technical terms and instead offer our views on each and every test drive. In this first issue, we at Clutch hope that the car reviews presented will be

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able to move you to personally take a test drive of the cars reviewed at the nearest showrooms and see for yourself what we experience in each and every test drive. Your feedback is needed for us to improve in every area.

012-2337394 joel.miranda@redberry.com.my

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Email us at clutcheditorial@gmail.com.

Please watch out for our next issue on the 14th of December 2012.