26 October 2012 by The Clutch

october 26, 2012 Y OU R

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Renault Fluence “Zero Emissions” In Malaysia Text by Daniel Fernandez

Do you think you can live with an electric car daily? Well, the marketers at TC Euro Cars Sdn. Bhd. the franchise holders of Renault in Malaysia believe you can do so easily. They are about to launch the all electric Fluence Z.E. sedan to the Malaysian market. We were given a brief test drive of the car in the city to see how it fares. Unlike the Nissan LEAF electric car, the Fluence Z.E. looks like a normal sedan. The Fluence Z.E. is manufactured at the OYAK-Renault factory in Bursa, Turkey, using the same production line as internal combustion engine-powered versions of Fluence. Production started in the first half of 2011. Step inside and you see a familiar Renault cabin with space for 5 adults and a conventional dashboard. Look

Renault FLUENCE Z.E. SPECIFICATIONS Motor: Electric Max output: 70kW EEC Max torque: 226Nm EEC Transmission: Direct drive with reducer

and forward/reverse inverter Type Of battery: Lithium-ion Range: 160 kilometers Price: To Be Announced

closer and the meter cluster is a little different. You have a charge-level indicator where

you’d normally find a rev counter. There is also a meter that shows how much energy you’re using at any given moment. The comfortable interior also features drive navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic dual-zone climate control, and automatic headlamp and windscreen-wiper activation. Ignite the battery and there is a slight hum and the word ‘GO’ appears on the dash. Shift the gear to drive and the Fluence Z.E glides away with ease. It

Can You Live With An Electric Car?

really drives no different than a petrol car. And now, the thing that everybody wants to know about, the Fluence Z.E.’s range on one full charge. Re-

nault says that the Fluence ZE can go about 150-160 kilometers on a charge. But drive it aggressively with the climate control in full blast and

the range could be reduced by half. In theory, this Fluence ZE is a lot like its sibling, the Nissan LEAF. More details to come early next year.

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER 2012

CLUTCH

THE MALAY MAIL

TESTDRIVE

Simplicity At Its Best The Polo sedan design language explains why Walter de Silva intentionally declared "La Semplicità" - "the simplicity" - as his credo. "La Semplicità" in no way means a reduction of features. The opposite is the case. Walter de Silva: "Elegance and emotionality, sportiness and dynamics, continue to guide design and styling. In pursuit of simplicity and clarity, one must carefully consider how to express the intentions of designers while speaking to those of the observer." Thanks to the new design DNA defined by Walter de Silva, this new Polo sedan comes with a timeless look. As soon as you see the car, you are struck by its dynamic looks, while the design is clean and the overall appearance very purposeful. Reduced ride, tight seams and extremely sharp panel edges in its side profile, engine hood and tailgate underscore the car's logical design concept. This Volkswagen Polo sedan is equipped with a 1.6litre engine mated to a 6-speed automatic Tiptronic gearbox. A high level of safety is ensured already with two airbags, head rests and three-point seat belts for all five passengers. It is also equipped with ABS as

Volkswagen Polo Sedan SPECIFICATIONS 16-Valve Multi Point Injection Capacity: 1598cc Transmission: 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic Max Power: 106PS @ 5250rpm

Max Torque: 153Nm @ 3800rpm 0-100km/h: in 12.3 seconds Max Speed: 183km/h Fuel Consumption: 6.5 litres/100km Price: From RM99,888.00

standard. The specific demands of Asian drivers and the climate and street conditions in Asia have both been carefully taken into account during this new VW development: long-term tests were conducted in different climate zones, and the street conditions in the most variegated regions in Asia were examined. The available petrol qualities were tested repeatedly as well. Thus

the vehicle has been equipped with an up-to-date and reliable engine that is ideally suited to those operating conditions prevailing in Asia, a galvanised, non-corrosive body and a wheel suspension geared to bad roads. Particularly robust paints were used for the car's paint job, and the chrome parts are also highly resistant to aggressive agents. High body quality and passive safety are very "per-

Engine:

ceptible" aboard a car, especially in the rigidity of the car body. This is quite evident on the new Volkswagen Polo, because the Volkswagen offers an excellent value of static torsional rigidity at 180,000 Nm/° . The reason: a car body's static rigidity is a key technical property and an important and relevant param-

eter in evaluating subjective parameters such as safety, quality, and of course driving comfort. The high static rigidity of the new VW Polo is attained, among other things, by high-strength and very high-strength steels and the right structural design for loading and reinforcement of body nodal points.

Drive it and you will see how easy it is to get comfortable in this compact sedan. It rides over some of our uneven roads with little issue and takes in speed bumps and reasonable pot holes with little jarring. The tried and tested 1.6L engine is a willing performer and works with the 6-speed gearbox to deliver a class best drive. Dynamics and steering feel is reassuring and even with the premium pricing you will soon appreciate its value over the years of ownership. This is VW’s answer to basic family motoring that will last longer that the finance timeline, which is good news for middle class Malaysians who for sometime have been left with little robust choice in this segment.

THE MALAY MAIL

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER 2012

CLUTCH

III

CLUTCH

MOVINGFORWARD

Hyundai engines At the Heart of Progress BEING a relative newcomer in the automotive industry, Hyundai has enjoyed the benefit of being able to learn from the experience of others during its early years in business. The first Hyundai model launched in 1968 was a rebadged Ford Cortina, and by 1975, the Pony, Hyundai’s first in-house developed vehicle, was launched. Powering the Pony was a selection of Mitsubishi four-cylinder engines, and that marked the start of a long collaboration between the two companies that saw Mitsubishi supply countless number of engines of various capacities that has powered a wide range of Hyundai vehicles. Hyundai nevert h e l e s s s a w that on a long-term basis, continuous reliance on an external engine supplier is an unsustainable business model, and thus worked on developing its own engine. Hyundai’s first inhouse developed engine was unveiled in 1991. It was a simple 4-cylinder single overhead camshaft unit with 12 valves. Initially used in the S Coupe, the Alpha engine was available in 1.3 and 1.5-litre capacities, with a more advanced 1.6-litre derivative introduced in 2005 incorporating twin camshafts, 16 valves, multi-point injection, and Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT). The Alpha engine remained in Hyundai’s stable until 2011, and has since been superseded by the newer and more advanced Gamma engine which is available in 1.4 and 1.6-litre capacities. Featuring all-aluminium construction, the Gamma weighs approximately 15kg lighter than an equivalent Alpha engine.

Already pretty advanced in its basic stage, featuring Dual CVVT among many technologies, the Gamma engine is built with huge potential. Being a newer architecture, the Gamma is also more compatible with the latest powertrain technologies, with turbocharged and direct injection variants available in markets with the right fuel quality. The Gamma engine, in its 1.6-litre direct injection guise, was in fact recently named

among Ward’s 10 Best Engines of 2012, but it was not even Hyundai’s ﬁrst gong from that prestigious award. Prior to the Gamma’s triumph this year, the Tau V8 engine family, in its

4.6 and 5.0-litre guises, have been receiving recognition from Wards for three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011. Today, Hyundai maintains a stable of some of the world’s most advanced powertrains in many worldclass models. One of the more recent introductions is the newly introduced Nu engine supplies

150PS and 178Nm to the MD Elantra in its 1.8-litre guise. Built 30 per cent lighter than a comparable cast iron block, the Nu engine is designed with intelligent features such as hydraulic lash adjusters, variable intake manifold, and an offset crankshaft from optimal efﬁciency. Another mainstay of the Hyundai engine line-up is the Theta engine, which was ﬁrst introduced in 2004 and used to power mid-sized vehicles such as the Sonata, Santa Fe,

and Tucson. Like the Gamma engine, the Theta can be ﬁtted with a wide variety of technologies depending on market requirements. The Theta engine’s all-aluminium block designed by Hyundai was shared in a three-way collaboration called the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance with Chrysler and Mitsubishi established in 2005. Although the collaboration has since ended, it shows how Hyundai has come full circle from buying Mitsubishi’s engines to co-developing new ones with them. Concurrent with its petrol engines, Hyundai also has a range of impressive diesel engines. While its petrol engines use Greek alphabets as names, the diesel engines are named after Roman alphabets. A familiar unit to Malaysians would be the R engine, which in its 2.2-litre displacement currently supplies the Santa Fe with an impressive 197PS and 442Nm of power and torque respectively. Also worth mentioning is the 2.5-litre Variable Geometry Turbo engine of the Grand Starex Royale that is similarly well-endowed with 125PS and 392Nm. Looking forward, Hyundai is not only working hard to improve its current stable of engines, but also seeking to explore alternative powertrain solutions for the future. Innovations applied to existing engines, such as new versions of the Gamma petrol and R diesel engines that comply with Euro 6 emissions will satisfy immediate requirements. Looking further ahead, Hyundai is actively pursuing research in the development of fuel cell vehicles with a ﬂeet of fuel cell-powered ix35 (Tucson) test units doing the rounds among European law makers for evaluation.

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

HYUNDAIGLOBAL

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FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER 2012

INTERVIEW We Meet and Chat With The Chief Engineer of the Toyota GT 86

Interview and Pictures by DANIEL FERNANDEZ

COLOGNE is the location of the Toyota Motorsports Germany and that is why we travelled there to meet and interview Mr. Tetsuya Tada, the chief engineer of the Toyota GT86. It is clear that Mr. Tada will be a legend in years to come as he has brought back fun, handling, excitement and dynamics to the Toyota brand with the blessing of the President of Toyota Motor Corporation, Mr. Toyoda. Our interview was done at the Mendig Airﬁeld race circuit which is just 1 hour away from the city of Cologne, This is where we were given the opportunity to take the GT 86

out with trained test drivers to see its true potential in various driving conditions. 1. Question: In how many markets is the Toyota GT 86 sold in? ANSWER: The GT 86 is sold in 86 countries and we have waiting lists in all 86 countries. The demand has been truly surprising. 2. Question: Who initiated the GT 86 project? ANSWER: Mr. Toyoda had a clear vision to start developing exciting cars again…..cars that were fun to drive (waku doki is the term in Japanese). Instead of doing market research to see if we could sell a car like this (which is what we do for every

new car), we reversed the process and just went ahead and developed the GT 86 with Mr. Toyoda’s approval. 3. Question: How long have you worked at Toyota? ANSWER: Almost 26 years now. 4. Question: So you will understand when I ask you why since 1996 (after the 2nd last Celica was launched) there has not been an emotional Toyota product like the GT 86? The 1996 Celica was in my opinion the last emotional Toyota and the ﬁnal Celica model in 2002 was just a boring product. ANSWER: Well, the push for great reliability and good family

products were put ﬁrst on the agenda to grow the business. Accountants were part of the decision making process then and they needed to see family products with good fuel efﬁciency and we succeeded in producing what they requested. 5. Question: Will you use this 86 platform to come out with a hot hatch to rival the VW Golf or Polo? ANSWER: Well, the idea is possible and you will have to wait and see. 6. Question: German car brands have performance versions of the basic family sedans and hatchbacks…..why not Toyota?

ANSWER: Well, I am not saying it will not happen, just that we will look at what the market wants and if needed we will have to follow the trend. It may just happen soon as Toyota is looking at producing more exciting cars in the future.

THE MALAY MAIL

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER 2012

CLUTCH

VII

MALAYSIANnews

Ford Offers Limited Edition Fiesta in Second Sales Anniversary Ford is expanding its highly popular, fast-selling Ford Fiesta range in Malaysia to offer 50 units of a limited edition variant the Ford Fiesta BETA (Î˛)

Sport 1.6L Ti-VCT in a Black Mica theme with red and black striped BETA smooth leather seats and a sporty BETA aerodynamic exterior. The Fiesta BETA

also features chrome door lining and daytime running lights from Phillips. It has seven airbags and iPod connection and sells for just RM92,888.

The Limited Edition Ford Fiesta models come with the new five-year warranty or a 200,000 km bumper-to-bumper new vehicle warranty. All Fiesta owners

also enjoy Ford Extended Service Plan (ESP), a free service maintenance programme that covers parts and labour for up to three years or 60,000 km,

whichever comes first. For more information on Fiesta and Ford in Malaysia, visit www.ford.net. my or www.facebook.com/fordfiestamy

Giugiaro Designed SsangYong Actyon SUV Gets Entertainment On The Go

Perodua 2012 9-month sales up by 10%

Competitive Supreme has launched a very special offer for the SsangYong Actyon SUV. Designed by renowned stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro, this fully imported SUV now comes fitted with a Portable DVD Player with Dual 9" monitors & wireless headphones valued at RM 3,000. Families will love this new entertainment system as it will keep the rear passengers entertained

in traffic and on long drives. With a high power output of 175PS and a superb combined cycle fuel economy of 7.5 l/100km the SsangYong Actyon SUV can challenge the very best rivals. Refinement is a key strength of the new 2.0-litre diesel engine which is offered with an automatic 6-speed transmission to power both front and four-wheel drive Actyon Sport models.

Perodua sales for the first 9 months of the year increased 10% to 139,400 vehicles compared with 127,200 units in the same period last year due to healthy sales of the New Myvi and an increase in demand for the Alza. On a quarter-toquarter basis, Perodua sold 46,500 vehicles, down 3% from 47,700 units in the same period as the tighter guidelines on Responsible Lending impacted the sales The SsangYong Actyon Sports SUV comes with a 3-years or 100,000 kilometres factory

backed warranty. Please visit www.ssangyong.com.my for more information.

of the Viva models during the period. Peroduaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exports jumped 53% to some 7,800 units for the first 9 months of the year from some 5,000 units in the same period last year with Indonesia being the biggest export market with 4,600 units sold. Perodua also saw 1.34 million vehicles patron its service centres nationwide for the first 9 months of the year; up 5% from 1.27 million in the same period last year.

VIII CLUTCH

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

MALAYSIANNews

SsangYong Actyon Sports Pickup Gets 3M Tint & Diesel Vouchers delivers class best dynamics with SUV like ride comfort. Inside the spacious cabin there’s a light and airy environment thanks to a full functioning sunroof. There is spacious accommodation for five adults with digital air-conditioning, USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity to provide convenience and comfort. The Actyon Sports pickup comes as standard with leather upholstery, powered driver’s seat, attractive 18” alloy wheels on the 4-wheel drive version (16” alloy wheels for

Competitive Supreme is now offering high quality 3M Tint, Diesel Vouchers and a D pillar Sports bar valued at RM 2,000 for customers during their October 2012 promotion which runs from today till the 21st of October 2012. This Sports pickup is powered by the latest e-XDi 2 litre diesel engine that provides maximum power of 155PS and peak torque of 360Nm delivered between 1,500rpm and 2,800rpm providing ample performance both on and off road. The rear 5-link coil spring suspension system

ISUZU Supports The 2012 BORNEO Safari

Audi Q5 for 2013 In Showrooms Now TFSI good for 225hp and 350Nm (an increase of 7% in power compared to its predecessor) with an ignition start-stop system (for better fuel economy), new electromechanical steering and a revised suspension. Fuel consumption is just 7.9l/100kms (7% more efficient than its predecessor) and the TFSI powers the Q5 from zero to 100km/h in 7.1 seconds with a top speed of

Euromobil has just announced the arrival of the new generation Audi Q5 priced from RM328,000 OTR. The 1st Q5 was launched in 2009 and since then its global appeal has been outstanding. Now comes a major facelift that keeps all the previous Q5’s great features and adds a few more new features to keep the Q5 ahead of the competition. Malaysia gets the 2.0

For the 6th year running, Isuzu Malaysia will be providing 2 support vehicles, the Isuzu DMax to one of Asia’s most formidable off-road challenges, the famed Borneo Safari. This year’s 22nd Borneo Safari that will be held from 28th October till 4th November 2012 and will traverse some of the most rugged and demanding terrains in Sabah. As the official

media vehicle supplier, Isuzu will once again play a pivotal role in the event, ensuring that members of the press and TV crews do not miss any of the action throughout the event thanks to the amazing offroad capabilities and durability of the official Isuzu D-Max vehicles. The 22nd running of the Borneo Safari will traverse 1,000km along the slopes and

2-wheel drive version), electrically adjustable and power folding door mirrors, and rear parking sensors. A 6-speed automatic transmission with cruise control ensures best in class fuel economy. The Actyon Sports has great with its large, flat rear deck that provides a 2.04m2 load area complete with load deck liner and anchor points. The SsangYong Actyon Sports comes with a 3-years or 100,000 kilometres factory backed warranty. Please visit www.ssangyong.com.my for more information.

222km/h. Euromobil also offers the sporty S line exterior package at RM36,000 combining new exterior and interior styling hallmarks for the front and rear bumpers, side radiator grilles and a diffuser insert in a striking and sporty design. Orders are being taken immediately at Euromobil showrooms with deliveries scheduled to start this month.

foothills of Mount Kinabalu. The rocky terrain will be a major feature of this year’s event and vehicles are expected to struggle with grip and performance as the high altitude will be expected to create problems for less-powerful engines. The two Isuzu D-Max are showroom models with no major modifications made to adapt for serious off-road conditions.

EDITORIAL NOTE

by Daniel Fernandez

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

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in a 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. We at Clutch hope that the car reviews presented will be able to

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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 9th of November 2012.