OTOREVIEW.MY - Used "otomobil" review...

Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone

2012-01-22T19:23:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Keong Hee Huat Chye, Kung Hei Fatt Choy, Selamat Tahun Baru Cina.

Only in Malaysia can we have same greetings in So many Language and Dialects.

May the year of the Water Dragon brings abundance prosperity and greater success.

SHOP Review: Soon Hin Accessories Shop, Meru

2012-01-18T13:52:00.000+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm reviewing a Friendly Auto Accessories Shop. "Syarikat Penghiasan Motor Kereta Soon Hin". This shop is located at Meru Klang facing the main road. The "BOSS" Son, Kelvin Koh is a friendly chap. I bought my Alpine CD-E121 from him...

Price: One OF The CHEAPEST and most COMPETITIVE in Klang Valley. I am talking about MOST of their STUFF they sell. Great WORKMANSHIP coupled with Friendly service is Priceless. Don't be fooled by the messy shop... This shop has been here for OVER 30 years. This is OLD SKOOL Shop at its best...

Among HOT items sold:

1) Philips DRL (Daytime running lights

2) Vehicle Tinting

3) ICE Player (Headunits), 1-Din, 2-Din, DVD.

4) Cushion/Leather cover

5) Custom made Floor mats.

6) Security system (Incl. Pedal Lock)

7) No plate customisation (incl "Italic" ones) (see below)

8) Component Speakers, Amps and Subwoofers

9) TOO MANY TO MENTION...

CURRENT OFFER:
1) ALPINE Component Speakers at SPECIAL Price.

2) Philips DRL.

3) Alpine Headunits Original WKH sets at Special price...

Here are some photos:

The front entrance of the Shop.

Bought this at RM490+40 (casing) +20 (workmanship). Total: RM550.

Above and below: Here's what they offer...

Above: Current Promotion, Below: Top notch workmanship. Casing add RM40.

Call Boss's son, Kelvin Koh aka. Sh@rty5 at: 0127107917. Mentioned referred by Jeff Lim aka "The WAJA owner who came to install "Side mirror and Alpine CDE-121 Early Dec". for better deal.

Here's his Blog:

http://www.shorty5-minigarage.blogspot.com/

Here's his (Boss's son) Facebook Page: Add HIM... He got daily/weekly/monthly promotions

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001196859950

Here's one of his Ads in Lowyat forum:

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1843697/all

Dealing Method :

We are based in Meru ,Klang, so interested buyer that wants to include installation can only be done at our place @ MERU, KLANG
However , we do cater to the needs of buyer from other places, and therefore we would be offering postage services too , by using Citylink courier service, as we always believe in paying the little extra for quality service.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. Other than the Italic No plate photo, this is my original work.

NEW: Otoreview Facebook Fan Page

2012-01-18T13:11:00.001+08:00

I, Jeff Lim, owner of this blog created a Facebook fan page. Official Opening today, 18 Jan 2012 (18/1/12) Do like this page. Here's a screenshot...

Here's the website:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Otoreviewmy/335440083140129

Thanks in advance for your support.

WANTED: Mazda 6 2.3 S-VT MZR

2012-01-18T12:42:00.000+08:00

WANTED: Mazda 6 2.3 S-VT MZR

I got a friend looking to buy a 2006-2007 Mazda 6 2.3 MZR 5-AT. Colour preferably Met. Silver Contrail, Met. Radiant Ebony or Met. Brilliant Carbon Grey Mica. Budget: RM70,000 MAX (2006). Prefer Without "4" number and "B", "W" or "P" plate only. Service record would be an advantage.

As for the Mazda6 2.3 Sedan, you get a more sportier package, complete with bodykit and sunroof. Detailed specs:

2.3L (2,261cc) in-line 4-cylinder, DOHC 16-valve, EFI & S-VT variable valve timing â€“ 166hp at 6,500rpm and 211Nm of Torque at 4,000rpm
5 Speed Auto/Manual – Transmission (ACTIVEMATIC)
215/45/R17 Bridgestone Potenza RE050 Tyres
5 pcs 17″ Alloy Rims
4W-ABS+EBD
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) & Traction Control Systems
HID with Grey Bezel Headlamp
Head Light Levelling Control
Fog Lamp
Double Chrome Tailpipe
Aerostyle Bumper
Side Skirt & Rear Spoiler
Auto Climate Control
Jack Knife Key with Remote Keyless Entry
Immobilizer
Super Lock System
Central Locking & Window Locks
Power Windows
Electric Sunroof
Leather Wrap Steering Wheel c/w Audio & Auto Cruise Controller
Leather Wrap Gear Knob
Audio c/w MP3 & 6 in-dash CD Changer
Tilt & Telescopic Adjustable Steering Column
Multi Info Display
Black Out Meter Cluster
Instrument Panel Light Control
Dual Front Airbags
Leather Seats
Power Adjustable Driver Seat with 3 Memories
ISOFIX Child Seat Fittings
Floor Console with Double-Bottom Front-Armrest Box
Sunvisors with Lamp, Vanity Mirror & Ticket Holder (Driver & Passenger)
Alarm System
Reverse Sensors
Safety Kits
Stainless Steel Scuff Plates
No Plate Base
Carpet Mats

WHY THIS CAR?: Read these links and you'll find out why:

Further readings:
http://paultan.org/2007/01/30/mazda-6-20-and-23-test-drive/
http://www.autoworld.com.my/v2/news/nb_details.asp?keyword=mazda+6&MainCat=&CarMake=&hidAction=Search&btnSearch.x=28&btnSearch.y=9&awReviewID=2169&whichpage=1

Here are some photos:

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. Please call me, Jeff: +6012-6852718 if you want to sell your car OR you know someone selling this jewel. Dealers welcome...

Proton SOLD to DRB-HICOM. What's next?

2012-01-18T11:35:00.000+08:00

The Star Business, Wednesday January 18, 2012

Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT MY WORK. SOURCE: Click me

After Proton stake sale, all eyes on merits of deal

Behind the news - By Choong En Han

NOW that the dust has finally settled on who will own Khazanah Nasional Bhd's 42.74% stake in national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd, the focus will shift over to the merits of the deal.

This is important to shareholders of DRB-Hicom Holdings Bhd, the conglomerate which is not only buying the stake but also making the mandatory general offer for the rest of Proton. And it is important for shareholders of Proton as well.

There will be questions whether Khazanah has struck a fair deal, given that the stake was bought at roughly RM8 per share over several years and in various tranches from different shareholders.

We can expect the picture to become clearer when DRB-Hicom groupmanaging director Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil meets the press today.

Proton has a list of well-known problems, including its extremely underutilised Tanjung Malim plant, its Lotus turnaround plan and its need for a strategic global partner to drive future growth.

The controlling stake in Proton has come full circle and is finally back to DRB-Hicom. And it looks like it will be the turning point for the national carmaker and this is where all the hard work begins for DRB-Hicom. Words like partnerships, collaborations and strategic joint ventures have been the more favoured keywords recently for Khamil to relate to Proton.

People looking at Proton Exora multi-purpose vehicle at a Proton showroom. The question now is whether DRB-Hicom can lift Proton out of its financial doldrums.

No stranger to these keywords himself, indeed Khamil has led DRB-Hicom to greater heights by associating the automotive and industrial conglomerate to other global automotive marques and establishing its presence throughout the entire value chain of the automotive industry.

The question now is whether DRB-Hicom can lift Proton up from its financial doldrums after being dragged down by provisions made for its Lotus turnaround plan.

Despite being a domestic-centric car manufacturer, Proton needs to bank on its export base to increase its sales volume and drive the next phase of growth, as the local market seems to be reaching a saturation point with the total industrial volume hovering around 600,000 units.

Collaborating with a foreign strategic partner seems to be the obvious choice for Proton to become a global brand or, maybe, in the nearer term, an Asean brand.

Analysts and observers alike have touted Volkswagen to be the best suitor for Proton, with the latter's significantly underutilised Tanjung Malim plant fitting Volkswagen like a glove to meet the German marque's ambition for a manufacturing hub in Asean.

Excess fat: ‘Proton cars at a logistic centre in Kuala Langat. CIMB believes DRBHicom is well positioned to reap significant low-hanging fruits.’

There is also another potential collaboration on the cards with long-time partner Mitsubishi Motor Corp to assemble Mistubishi cars and the possibilities of engine development.

However, with the entry of DRB-Hicom, the Mitsubishi deal might be scuttled in favour of a more muscular foreign strategic partner like Volkswagen.

Meanwhile, questions also arise about Proton's upcoming launch of “P3-21A”, which is touted to be the model that will make Proton's presence felt in the global car scene. The sudden entry of DRB-Hicom would definitely have an impact on the planned launch of the new car in March.

Currently, DRB-Hicom derives almost 60% of its automotive revenue from business ventures with the national carmaker. It is also the biggest distributor of Proton cars under EON Bhd, besides Proton Edar. The group's manufacturing and engineering companies are all first-tier vendors to Proton, accounting for RM600mil to RM700mil worth of business.

No doubt synergistic gains and operational benefits abound in this link-up between DRB-Hicom and Proton but there will be questions on how Proton's current plans can gel up with DRB-Hicom's future direction.

Recent Related Articles:

Jan 18 After Proton stake sale, all eyes on merits of deal
Jan 18 Proton revving up
Jan 17 Future ventures must benefit Proton, says DRB-Hicom group MD
Jan 17 DRB-HICOM has a workable business model for Proton
Jan 17 DRB-Hicom a natural frontrunner for Proton stake
Further readings:

http://paultan.org/2012/01/17/drb-hicom-picked-to-get-proton-what-will-happen-next/

http://paultan.org/2012/01/18/reports-drb-hicom-to-cut-protons-costs-review-lotus/

House 4 cars got break in, items stolen

2012-01-18T11:11:00.001+08:00

This morning (midnight) my house got break in. Here are the items stolen:

1) Honda Civic FD2 2.0IVTEC: 1 Smartag and coins

2) Perodua MYVI SXi (Doors locked, so doors got signs of forced entry. Coins

3) Proton WAJA 1.6 4G18

- Smartag gone

- GARMIN NUVI 1350 GPS worth RM550 stolen (Serial no: 1NP874141)

- Spoiled Pentax M50 camera stolen

- Sony MP3 Player E-series E-464 8gb Black (with silicon cover)

- coins

4) Perodua MYVI 1.5SE(A). Signs of forced entry. 1 smartag gone.

DRB-HICOM declares interest in Proton

2012-01-13T00:28:00.002+08:00

DRB-HICOM declares interest in Proton

SOURCE (Click me!)

PETALING JAYA: The Proton Holdings Bhd saga continues with DRB-HICOM Bhd group managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil coming out to confirm that the group has put in a bid for the national carmaker.

“It is up to the owner (Khazanah Nasional Bhd) to decide on the best suitor. Proton has been in my radar for a long time. Back in 2009, we submitted a proposal with conceptual ideas to Khazanah. However, at that time, they were not interested to dispose of Proton,” he said.

Last Thursday, Proton chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh had stated his intention to bid for the national carmaker.

Speaking to reporters at a media retreat yesterday, Khamil did not provide details of DRB-HICOM's bid but admitted that Proton would not be an easy project due to the stiff market competition.

Khamil

Asked on the price offered, he said: “You cannot say that we will be buying it at the speculated price. It depends on our capability and capacity. At the end of the day, it is on a willing-buyer willing-seller basis. You cannot measure it based on net tangible asset. It should be priced at a practical, reasonable and workable range.”

Khamil said the group submitted a proposal to Khazanah a few months ago, after the group got wind that Khazanah's stake in Proton was up for sale.

“I'm a long-term player, I never go for short-term gains,” he said.

In filings to Bursa Malaysia last December, DRB-HICOM denied any knowledge of a bid for Proton and of plans to sell a stake in Proton to Volkswagen AG.

The company issued the statement in response to a StarBiz report quoting sources that said DRB-HICOM would divest a portion of its controlling stake in the national automaker to Volkswagen in the second stage of a two-stage bid to win control of Proton.

Khamil said: “I think Proton is a good company and there is a lot of potential in Proton. It might just need a little bit of impetus to trigger the next phase.”

On the bigger picture of the national car company in the local industry, he said Proton had done well considering its humble beginnings.

“I think it can achieve greater heights, complement and enhance the national automotive industry,” he said, adding that after all, Proton was part of the DRB-HICOM Group.

Currently, Proton is still an important business partner for DRB-HICOM, with almost 60% of its automotive revenue derived from business ventures with the national carmaker.

DRB-HICOM is the biggest distributor of Proton cars under EON Bhd, besides Proton Edar, and the group's manufacturing and engineering companies are all first-tier vendors to Proton, accounting for RM600mil to RM700mil worth of business.

He said he was not merely looking at acquiring the national car company per se as he felt that it was still subject to further fine-tuning.

“Proton is able to reach greater heights, and it all depends on how well you handle and manage it. It is capable with the technologies, expertise and products that it has now,” he said.

Khamil did not rule out further partnerships and collaborations with Proton even after the acquisition if it were successful.

“The paradigm shift for DRB-HICOM is to have strategic partnerships and collaborations with our partners. We must never be shy and restrict ourselves by not asking for help. We cannot live within the constraints of our boundaries and say we are the best. We must end off with production and manufacturing,” he said.

Citing human capital development as an integral part of Proton, he said the group must invest in research and development and not merely rebadging cars.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, a business weekly reported that more suitors were vying for the Proton stake, with the latest being businessman Tan Sri Arumugam Apavoo Packiri and Gerald Lopez of Genii Capital.

Arumugam is said to be an associate of former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad, who is currently the adviser to Proton.

It is speculated that the duo are looking to rope in a former chief executive officer of Proton who helmed the company from the mid-1990s to 2004.

Related:

» DRB- HICOM best suitor for Proton stake, says research house

TEST DRIVE/Close up: Proton Exora 1.6CFE BOLD Premium

2012-01-11T23:05:00.000+08:00

TEST DRIVE/Close up: Proton Exora 1.6CFE BOLD Premium

In this blog entry, I'm posting a test drive and Close up of Proton Exora 1.6CFE Bold Premium.

Note: Before I start this review, I'm sad to say that the "Tentative" RM79,998 OTR Price had been revised. Add RM1,500 across the board.

I’ve test driven them last week, though it's a Short 10km ride. Well, I can't say much, but it feels great at the lower rev range especially from 2k RPM to 4k RPM. This is good for normal road driving condition.

But when i go into my ‘race-mood’, i floored the accelerator. It was only then I felt a little disappointed. I mean, it surges for a while within the lower rpms, and then stays ‘flat’. Its as though the car’s telling you, ‘lets just stay at this pace, we had enough’. Overall, I would say that its good as a 7 seater FAMILY car.

The interior feels a bit better than 1st generation Exora.. meter cluster is much nicer than in picture.. the illumination is very nice to look at and steering wheel grip also feel more solid. The sound insulation is much improved. This is evident when closing the door. "KLUMPH" It has a much more “premium” feel to it.

It's a very nice driving experience even just on a short 10km route (just managed to drive a few start-stops, a hill climb, and a short highway cruise).. love the “jet turbine” sound effect (faint while with windows up) of the turbo when rev above 2k rpm until 4k rpm. It's very addictive though some might find it annoying. When driving in SAT mode, the Exora CFE was very quiet and smooth (6 ratios feel).

Ride and handling's impressive. Lotus did a very good job, limited bodyroll at cornering and went over potholes and glide over speed bumps like "selamba aje!".

The pick-up power definitely were unbeatable in its class. 0-100km/h is SLIGHTLY BETTER than the Claimed 11.3secs. It feels more like 10 seconds. I'd like to give thumbs up to Proton and Lotus for the major improvement on the engine, and NVH.

This is a Fully loaded car with 1.6 CFE engine producing 138ps and 205Nm@2000-4000rpm torque! (Better than Chery Eastar 2.0 (130hp/180Nm) and Innova 2.0L 136hp/182Nm), CVT Gearbox with SAT, Rear discs brake with ABS+EBD+BA. auto cruise, car-like rear suspension, GPS (Portable), Ceiling mounted DVD-Player, reverse Camera, Rear air-cond control, 2nd+3rd row blowers, Clarion 6 speakers ICE with Bluetooth and USB/Aux, Leather seats, 205/55R16 rims and tyres. Priced to seduce you: RM79,998 OTR (Add RM1500 from 3 Jan Onwards). What more can you asked for?

All these features put its ASEAN and China made "old tech" Competitors into Shame, SINGLE Airbag(!) (Avanza and Innova), truck suspension (Avanza and Innova), 4AT GB (Avanza and Innova) and timing chain (Avanza, Innova, G Livina)… Yet some salesman claimed timing chain is hi-tech…

The power and torque figures produced by 1.6L CFE actually surpasses many 2.0L NA engines namely Chery Eastar (130hp/180Nm) and Toyota Innova (136hp/182Nm). Turbocharged CFE should be treated as a 2.0L equivalent.

Overall, it is the BEST choice compare with Innova, Avanza, Eastar and Grand Livina… In short, it is the BEST choice for MPV below RM100K…

Well there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words... Here are the photos...

Above: Front looks very European. Vauxhall comes to mind. Below: Nice Smoked rear lights combination 1st seen in Saab 9-3 Combi.

Above: Stylish 205/55R16 new alloy rims and GT Radial tyres.

Above: Excellent 3rd row headroom. Below: Poor 3rd row legroom (I am 5 feet 9 and 92kg). 2nd row can't slide (fixed). This is better than ALL below RM100k MPV bar the Innova E. Overall it is EQUAL legroom to Chery Eastar, Honda Stream, Peugeot 5008/Citroen C4 Picasso and PAWNED Mazda 5, VW Cross Touran and Citra Rondo (Both Head and Legroom)

Above, the CVT Module. Below, the lightings (Dashboard) and White dash meters.

Above: Limited boot space with 3rd row seat up. Below: Reverse Camera

Above: Leather wrapped steering wheel with Auto-cruise and Audio controls.

The ABS Module.

EXCELLENT Boot space when 3rd row not in use.

Check out Proton new slogan: COMMITTED TO BE BETTER. We'll see about that!!!

Finally my Parting shot:

If you want to buy this car, Call me, Jeff for better deal. 012-6852-718. I shall refer you to 3 of my BEST Service salesman... 1 in Taman Megah, 1 in Mutiara Damansara and 1 in Penang. An Original Jeff Lim's production, my Original work.

SEAT: Someone pls bring these to Malaysia

2012-01-04T13:58:00.000+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm posting about SEAT. SEAT is a VW Group car manufacturer based in Spain. The name SEAT, previously standing for the acronym Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Touring Car Company, in English), in 1990 was changed to SEAT, S.A.. It's founded in May 1950 and Headquartered in Catalonia, Spain.

I like their slogan: "If you tried it, you'll buy it!"

Here are sneak peek of what they offer in UK (RHD):
http://www.seat.co.uk/content/uk/brand/en/models/seat-range/seat-range.html

Me like the Audi A4 B7 based EXEO 1.8TSI 160hp (Pic above) and EXEO ST (Avant), VW Sharan based Alhambra and Ibiza 5 dr 1.2TSI.

What say you? Do you think this Brand can sell in Malaysia?

Anyway, more info and background of SEAT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEAT

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T17:17:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year 2012!!!

This year, 2012 is a special year as it's a Leap year. Ie. 366 days.

I am also looking forward to:

1) London 2012 Olympics

2) EURO 2012

3) Our Malaysian General Election (Rumoured March) among others...

4) Launching of New Proton Tuah

Before I sign off, here's a Nice Taipei 101 fireworks video:

071231 New Year's Fireworks in Taipei, Taiwan -... by 88hawaii

Happy New Year 2012 again, From Jeff Lim/Otoreview.

Year of the Dragon poised to be an exciting year

2011-12-31T17:43:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The local car industry is set to shift into high gear in 2012 despite having gone through a roller-coaster ride this year.

Both the national and non-national car companies have announced exciting model launches, facility and network expansion as well as upgrading programmes.

Some have received enquiries and bookings ahead ofthe Chinese New Year on Jan 23-24, 2012.
Proton Holdings Bhd will launch the new global car, P3-21A, in the first quarter of 2012 and two new variants of multi-purpose vehicle Exora by the second week of January.

UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd plans to unveil a few models for both Toyota and Lexus, while Naza Kia will accept bookings for its new Optima K5 in January.

Naza Kia will set up its second 3S (sales, service and spare parts) outlet -- Kia Red Cube -- and upgrade 27 existing outlets to incorporate its new identity.

Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua (Perodua) will ink a collaborative agreement with Proton on certain aspects early next year. Perodua has revealed that both parties will make the announcement on the agreement either this year or next year.

On Khazanah Nasional Bhd plans to sell its stake in Proton to DRB-HICOM Bhd, most analysts reserved comments to await Khazanah's formal announcement.

Other factors that industry players need to keep close watch included the revision to the National Automotive Policy and exchange rates for the US dollar and yen.

The younger Malaysian population, which usually forms a large pool of first-time buyers, will propel the car industry towards achieving higher overall total industry volume (TIV).

Car analysts said effective business plans to tap growth opportunities, including strategies to cope with economic reality in view of Europe's debt woes and tight credit, are crucial.
Industry players and analysts expect TIV next year to record positive growth.

OSK Research Sdn Bhd said next year's TIV is expected to grow by 1.1 per cent on the back of a forecast gross domestic product growth of 5.2 per cent.
RHB Research Institute forecasts TIV to remain relatively flat at 607,000 units in 2012 versus 2011, which is estimated at 604,000 units.
MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Bhd predicts the TIV to grow by 0.5 per cent to 611,140 units from 608,100 units estimated this year.

Naza Kia expects sales volume to remain flat next year in view of the coming general elections and said that "maintaining sales at the current level is good enough for next year."

In 2010, the TIV hit a record 605,155 units, an increase of 12.7 per cent compared with 2009's 536,905 units.

As for this year, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) forecasts industry sales to hit 608,000 units.
The market saw a momentum driven by stronger purchasing power and higher demand from customers this year but faced several challenges like earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March and the flooding in Ayutthaya, Thailand in the third quarter of the year.

As a result, some delays were seen in the launch of certain models and delivery of spare parts for companies like UMW Toyota Motor and Honda.

With 2011 turning out to be the year best forgotten by the car industry, most analysts agree that the parts production and delivery are nearly back to normal.

Total vehicle sales rose by 8.6 per cent to 48,702 units in November, from the 44,845 units sold in the same month last year.

According to MAA said sales volume for December is expected to moderate further, due to the preference of customers to wait and take delivery of 2012 production year stocks.
-Bernama

Driving schools to introduce automatics in stages

2011-12-31T17:37:00.000+08:00

Driving schools to introduce automatics in stages

Source (Click me)

PETALING JAYA: Driving schools welcomed the move to introduce lessons for automatic transmission cars which will be implemented in May.

Malaysian Driving Institute Association president Mat Aris Bakar said it was a good move as there are more automatic transmission cars now.

“We are waiting for the announcement from the government,” said Mat Aris, who is also the managing director of Metro Driving Academy.

Mat Aris said driving schools will likely introduce automatic transmission cars at their schools in stages as it would involve a lot of cost to purchase them.

“Driving lessons for automatic cars will be more expensive than manual cars as their price and maintenance costs are higher,” he said.

The association has 130 members nationwide.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri told Bernama that the automatic transmission driving licence will be implemented nationwide in May, when the new revised driving curriculum is expected to be in place.

Those who learn and take tests in automatic cars will be issued an automatic transmission driving licence and will not be allowed to drive manual cars.

However, those holding the manual transmission driving licence can drive automatic transmission cars.
The revised driving curriculum will introduce more safety driving elements and was mooted to produce more disciplined and ethical drivers.

Car and Driver 10 best cars 2012

2011-12-28T13:21:00.000+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm reporting Car and Driver 10 best cars for 2012. Here are the lists + Videos:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2012-10best-cars-feature-2012-porsche-boxster-cayman-page-10
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2012-10best-cars-feature-2012-volkswagen-golf-gti-page-11

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry.

Honda Thailand scraps over 1,000 flood-damaged vehicles

2011-12-28T12:47:00.001+08:00

Honda Thailand scraps over 1,000 flood-damaged vehicles

BANGKOK: Honda began destroying 1,055 cars in Thailand to reassure customers that no vehicles damaged in the country’s recent flood crisis will ever be sold.

The scrapping process at Honda’s plant in the central province of Ayutthaya is expected to take one month, the company said in a statement.

The plant is located in the Rojana Industrial Park, where heavy flooding in early October brought production to a halt and aerial pictures showed hundreds of new cars submerged in muddy water.
“While we were able to relocate many new cars that were awaiting shipment to a safe area, 1,055 vehicles that remained in the plant were finally damaged by the flood,” said Pitak Pruittisarikorn, executive vice president of Honda Automobile Thailand.
Most of the cars to be scrapped are mid-sized City sedans and Brio and Jazz hatchbacks. Production has yet to resume at the factory.
Thailand said earlier this month that over 700 people died in the floods, which at their height affected 65 of the 77 provinces in the low-lying nation and forced the closure of seven major industrial parks, disrupting global supply chains.

-AFP

Touchscreen devices in cars linked to higher accident risks

2011-12-28T12:08:00.001+08:00

Touchscreen devices in cars linked to higher accident risks

CANBERRA: Other devices are being singled out alongside the cellphone as being linked to distracted driving accidents.
This time, they are portable touchscreen-based devices in cars, whether they be mp3 players, smartphones, GPS or PDAs.

Above: My dad's MYVI 1.5 SE with "High risk" touch screen Multimedia navigation player.

A research team from the Monash University Accident Research Centre of Australia, led by author Kristie Young, analysed the impact of using touchscreen devices on driving skills.
Young and her team assessed the ability of 37 people to stay in their lane and stay a safe distance behind another vehicle while searching for songs in a list of tunes on an iPod Touch device by using computer driving simulations.
"The devices often have really small text or their menu structures are quite complex, and drivers have to spend a lot of time to find a particular item," said Young.

"When drivers' eyes are off the road, they miss the visual cues from the road environment to make micro-corrections to their steering to stay on the correct path and also to maintain a safe distance from the lead vehicle," China's Xinhua news agency quoted her as saying in a statement.
The main problem with portable devices being brought into cars is that they are not designed primarily for use by drivers, said Young, adding that these devices use scrolling mechanisms and finger flicks to locate songs on a touchscreen.
Without any tactile feedback, drivers need to look at the device to keep track of where they are up to in the task, and the short glance back to the roadway might not be sufficient.

"The heading and following errors build up and become more increased over time because they aren't making those adjustments that they need to stay on the correct path."
The researchers found that the drivers not only have their eyes off the road for a significantly much more time, they were also more likely to veer off the center of their lane, and misjudge the distance to the car in front.

To compensate for the distraction, drivers tended to slow down and take more frequent glances at the device.
However, Young pointed out that such action is not a safe strategy.
According to the research, over 40 percent of drivers own a portable music player will use it while driving with half of them being young drivers.
Young said previous experience showed that younger drivers are more likely to engage in distracting activities.
The impact of that distracting activity is likely to be greater on driver performance because they lack the level of driver experience and skill to handle those increased risks.
It is reported that better integration of touchscreen devices into car systems and deploying system lock outs, where only a limited number of functions are allowed while the car is moving could help in reducing the risk.
Young suggested that "enter your destination details [on your GPS] before driving off, load up playlists before driving would help a lot."
The finding was published in the journal Applied Ergonomics.

-Bernama

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T18:28:00.000+08:00

I, Jeff Lim, would like to wish all readers/subscribers Merry Christmas 2011...

I have some photos with me... Here goes:


Above: My Church's Deco...

Above and below: Suria KLCC Christmas Deco.

Above and below: Suria KLCC Deco.

Above: Presents galore, Below: SS2 Mall Deco.

Above: My Church Christmas Service...

Before I signed off, here's my ALL TIME Favourite Christmas Song:

Saab files for bankruptcy

2011-12-22T11:59:00.000+08:00

Saab files for bankruptcy

STOCKHOLM: Swedish Automobile N.V. has announced that Saab Automobile AB (Saab Automobile), Saab Automobile Tools AB and Saab Powertrain AB have filed for bankruptcy with the District Court in Vänersborg, Sweden today.

It is expected that the court will approve the filing and appoint receivers for Saab Automobile shortly. Saab said in a statement that it decided to file for bankruptcy "in the best interests of its creditors."

The decision came about after GM, which still owns a number of technology licenses for Saab, blocked the sale of Saab Automobile to Chinese auto maker Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co.

Swedish Automobile N.V said it does not expect to realise any value from its shares in Saab Automobile and would write off its interest in Saab Automobile completely.

End of Source...

Jeff Lim's Opinion: Another Car Brand killed by GM. What's with GM? Apparently loved to kill car manufacturers. Prior to Saab, GM Already killed "Pontiac", "Hummer", and "Saturn". What a Selfish move to block sales to China. Sigh...

HYUNDAI-SIME DARBY MOTORS SET TO LAUNCH THE NEW MD ELANTRA

2011-12-18T18:18:00.000+08:00

HYUNDAI-SIME DARBY MOTORS SET TO LAUNCH THE NEW MD ELANTRA

SHAH ALAM, 15 December 2011– Malaysian motorists can look forward to owning the all-new MD Elantra come January/February next year. Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) has announced its plan to launch the Inokom MD Elantra (a licensed product from Hyundai Motor Company) latest by February 2012.

“The MD Elantra is what everyone wants of a car. Dynamic compact design, premium touch, high fuel efficiency, spaciousness, and low maintenance cost with an exceptionally accessible pricing. We know how excited Malaysian motorists are about the MD Elantra and we are trying our best the get it out on the roads soon,” said Mr Dennis Ho, HSDM Managing Director.

Ho added that the MD Elantra is a testimony of Hyundai’s new brand direction ‘New Thinking New Possibility’ in producing ‘modern premium’ vehicles for its customers.

Among the highlights included in the new MD Elantra are:

Dynamic Design with a Sleek and Sporty Profile

With its lower roofline and low rear deck lid, the MD Elantra exudes a sleeker and sportier profile reducing wind resistance thereby improving fuel economy.

The design concept called “Wind Craft” (based on the ‘fluidic sculpture’ design principles) is applied to the car design, evoking a piece of sculpture literally crafted from the wind.

Class-leading Performance

The MD Elantra will be available in two engine choices - 1.8-litre Nu MPI and 1.6-litre Gamma MPI D-CVVT. Both engines are mated to six-speed transmissions, which deliver impressively more horsepower while consuming less fuel and producing lower emissions than the powertrains they replace. Hyundai is one of only three global car manufacturers with its own unique in-house made six-speed automatic transmissions.

The 1.8-litre Nu Multipoint Fuel Injected (MPI) four-cylinder engine is capable of up to 150ps of horsepower at 6,500rpm, while the 1.6-litre Gamma MPI four-cylinder engine is equipped with D-CVVT to boost horsepower output of 130ps at 6,300rpm. The average fuel consumption for the 1.8-litre engine is at 14.1 km/L while the 1.6-liter engine is at 16.4km/L for the manual transmission and 14.9 km/L for the auto transmission.

The Nu engine features an aluminum block with a cast iron cylinder liner, cylinder head and crank. This unique configuration results in a block that is 30 percent lighter than an iron block, shedding more than 33.6 kilograms off the entire engine weight, while still providing comparable strength.

The 1.8-liter Nu also offers Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT) camshafts and hydraulic engine mounts for optimum power, efficiency and refinement. Using D-CVVT on both camshafts has several advantages when compared to just using the intake camshaft. These include a 2 percent improvement in performance (increased volumetric efficiency), 2 percent improvement in fuel economy (reduced pumping loss) and a 30 percent reduction in hydrocarbon emissions. The Nu four-cylinder engine also has an offset crankshaft design that reduces friction between the piston and cylinder wall for a one percent improvement in fuel economy.

Low Maintenance Cost

The MD Elantra is fitted with a maintenance-free silent timing chain system to enhance durability and improve Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH). It also comes with a maintenance-free transmission (under normal usage condition).

No matter which variant one chooses, all of them will give immense comfort spaciousness in the cabin. The foldable rear seats also give the vehicle the flexibility of having a larger boot space.

Since its introduction at the Busan International Motor Show in April 2010, MD Elantra’s global sales have reached 103,307 units as of June this year. In the US, the Hyundai Elantra recorded sales of 83,309 units from June 2010 to May 2011, more than 90 per cent from the previous year of 43,319 units sold. Starting 2012, Hyundai expects to export 400,000 units annually.

The MD Elantra recently won the following awards:

•Compact Sedan Winner of the 5th Annual Readers’ Choice Cars Awards by Texas Automotive Media Agency, US

•AutoPacific 2011 Ideal Award Winner in the compact car category, US

•Highly Regarded AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada) for Best Small Car Over $21,000, Canada

•ALG Residual Value Award in the Compact Car Segment, US

•2011 Best New Model by Kiplinger, US

•Car of the Year by Autospies.com, US

•2011 Top Pick & Recommendation by Consumer Reports , US

•Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Car by TrueCar.com, US

•2011 Best New Car by About.com, US

•Top 10 Cars To look Forward to in 2011, US

•2011 Greenest Vehicle by American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, US

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 now available to new and existing Hyundai vehicles.

About Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd (HSDM) is a subsidiary of Sime Darby Motors. HSDM is now the sole distributor and exclusive importer of all Hyundai completely built-up and locally assembled vehicles and related spare parts.

HSDM’s complete car line-up includes the i10, i30, Accent, Avante, Sonata, Tucson, Santa Fe, Grand Starex Royale.

About Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd

Inokom is principally involved in the manufacture and assembly of light commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles as well as contract assembly. Its manufacturing facility is located at Padang Meha, Kulim, occupying 200 acres of freehold land.

Inokom started with the Malaysian National Commercial Vehicles (“MNCV”) project which produced Permas and Lorimas models, based on the technology transferred from Renault and Hyundai respectively.

Inokom started manufacturing Hyundai’s micro multi-functional vehicles (MFV) in September 2002. The agreement had been finalised upon signing of the Technical Licence Agreement between the two parties in March 2002. Since then, Inokom had produced various ranges of products in the Kulim assembly plant. The model ranges from passenger to commercial vehicles. The marketing and distribution of Inokom products are handled by Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd.

NEW THINKING. NEW POSSIBILITIES.

Hyundai’s new brand statement ‘New Thinking. New Possibilities’ encompasses Hyundai’s new brand concept, ‘Modern Premium,’ which aims to provide customers with value and experiences beyond expectations.

Hyundai’s ‘modern premium’ concept is based on the idea that high quality does not necessarily require a high acquisition price. Hyundai now offers high-end, high quality and efficient cars at an accessible price. This is not limited to just the product, but also Hyundai’s entire business, operations and services.

SOURCE: Click me!

LONGTERMER #4 Vol 2: Perodua MYVI 1.5SE+ Auto

2011-12-17T22:03:00.011+08:00

LONGTERMER #4 Vol 2: Perodua MYVI 1.5SE MultimediaNavi Auto "Lagi Power Lagi Best".

In this blog entry, I'm updating my family's ride. This is the 2nd month we owned the MYVI 1.5SE. On the 5th day owning the car, I sent the car to MAXSHINE Centre for 3 layers wax, polish, vacuum and window cleaning. The result?

Also, I discovered that the Lokatoo GPS have JUNCTION VIEW:

We did our 1st 1000km service at 13 November 2011. Waiting time 2 hours only with appointment. Right after our 1000km service, my dad took the MYVI to Genting Highlands. He was impressed with the Soundproofing (better than Civic FD2), Ride and Handling of the car.

Subsequently (IN TOTAL), he took the MVYI 1.5 SE to Genting Highlands a WHOOPING 5 times.

Under my hands, I took the MYVI to LCCT and back. It seemed the alignment is out, I need to hold the steering tightly. Also, on certain roads at speed above 120km/h the car's BUMPY until my passanger complained. The car's STABLE at speed up to 145km/h BUT BUMPY.

Heck, a Black Altis 1.8 (2005) came to "Race with me" on the way to LCCT, (that's why I drove up to 145km/h) and ended up losing. 100-140km/h is faster than the Altis 1.8.

Without further ado, let's proceed to Logbook:

Mileage upon delivery: 0023km
Mileage last update: 0023km
Mileage last month (13/11/11): 1111km

Mileage now: 2991km
Average mileage per month: 1497km
Purchase price: RM54,000 (less NCB)
Interest rate: 2.95% @ RM42,000. Public bank for 5 years loan.

FUEL CONSUMPTION (Oct 15 to Dec 14):

Best: 12.9km/L 80% highway/20% city, Esso RON95. (Dad's Genting trip)
WORST: 8.8km/L (Shell RON95) 80% City/20% Highway driving driven by Me. (October 27)

PERFORMANCE:
0-100km/h: 10.9 seconds normal acceleration in "D" with Air cond on.
Top speed: Max I driven is 145km/h.

Before I go, here's some parting shots:

Night views of the MYVI LPLB:

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. An original Jeff Lim's production. See you ON February 15 for the next update.

MBPJ above the law? Check this out!!!

2011-12-17T21:25:00.007+08:00

In this blog entry, I'd like to show you 2 articles on MBPJ staff abusing their parking lots... Before that, I'd like to show you what I "discovered" on 11 Nov 2011 before I paid my MBPJ Summon. My offence? I kena this summon while I was away for 10 mins.

This car pictured was parked at "OKU" parking lot for AT LEAST 3 hours, Yet no action taken.

Note that this "above the law" Perdana committed 3 offence.
1) Parked at OKU Parking Lot
2) Expired Road tax
3) Dark tinted glass.

YET NOT A SINGLE SUMMON ISSUED!!!

Enjoy these wonderfully taken pictures:

This is the Last summon I'm going to pay. Received Another summon 10 days later at SS2. An irony as I was only away for 10 mins (tapau McDonalds).

Upon closer inspection, this car got "KAKITANGAN MBPJ 2008/2009" sticker and Expired Road tax.

I hope MPBJ/JPJ or Polis who read my blog entry go after this Offender.

Without further ado, I now present you 2 articles showing MBPJ blatant ABUSE THE POWER!!!

Article 1:

MBPJ staff ‘abusing parking lots’

SOURCE (Click me)

B Nantha Kumar March 26, 2011 PJ New Town retail outlets have seen a drop in business activities because Petaling Jaya City Hall appears to be a 'turning a blind eye' to the city's parking woes.

PETALING JAYA: Frustrated residents have accused the Petaling Jaya City Hall (MBPJ) personnel of abusing the public parking lots in and around the city.

According to them, MBPJ staff occupied most of the public car parks throughout the day for free and inconvenienced the public.

Petaling Jaya, Selangor Resident’s Association Coalition (APAC) president Johan Tung Abdullah said they were very concerned about the issue as it had resulted in a drop in business activities in the area.

“The shop owners have been complaining of a drop in business over the past few months… when customers come, there is just no place to park,” he said, adding that APAC had submitted a memorandum to Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, on the issue.

Citing an example, Tung said on March 23, nearly 50 cars with MBPJ stickers were parked around PJ New Town and “none of them paid parking fees”.

“It is a daily occurrence. All these cars are parked in public parking lots and none of them had any parking coupons on the front dashboards to indicate that parking fees had been paid.

“Fifty free parkings per day means MBPJ is losing at least RM50,000 a year in revenue from these lots,” he said.

‘Special privilege’

While stressing that he was not against MBPJ personnel using public parking lots, he, however, questioned why they were allowed the “special privilege” of free parking.

He said it was their understanding that the “Kakitangan MBPJ” blue stickers do not exempt the owners of the vehicles from paying.

“It looks like MBPJ is turning a blind eye to this impropriety since its personnel’s vehicles are not issued with summons,” he told FMT.

PJ residents told FMT the situation was not perculiar to PJ new town and in fact occurred in all the Petaling Jaya areas.

“It looks like MPJB owned the whole of PJ. They’re like the mafia controlling the city.

“If any of the shopowners made a complaint, he will definitely be ‘flooded’ with summons,” said a resident.

Tung meanwhile is hoping that the mayor will step in and resolve the issue quickly and uphold its mission of serving the Petaling Jaya ratepayers fairly.

ARTICLE 2: Also from "freemalaysiatoday.com".

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/06/29/is-mbpj-above-the-law/

Also, I noticed they target "Chinese majority" areas only. Places like SS2, Sunway Mas, Dataran Prima, Damansara Uptown, Damansara Jaya, Section 16, Paramount. They WILL NEVER Summon Muslim Triple parking along Mosques causing Traffic Jams. Eg. Section 14, Jalan Universiti, Damansara Utama mosque etc... This is Blatant DOUBLE STANDARDS!

SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!!! After seeing this photos and articles, will you still PAY your MBPJ summonses? I for sure will IGNORE!!!

LONGTERMER #3, Vol 6: Proton Waja 1.6 4G18 (A)

2011-12-13T21:15:00.009+08:00

LONGTERMER #3, Vol 6: Proton Waja 1.6 4G18 (A)

In this blog entry, I'm updating my ride, Proton Waja 1.6 4G18(A). This is the 6th update.

There's nothing much to blog apart from 1 MAJOR Upgrade. I finally ditched the OEM Clarion 2-din Cassette+6 Disc CD-changer for "Alpine CDE-121" CD/MP3/WMA/AAC/IPod/USB and Aux player.

For more details of this player, visit:

http://www.alpine.com.au/showItem.php?item_id=204

Why I choose this player?

Look at this photo above. As you can see the Most of Alpine backlit is RED. Same colour as the "Dash meters". At first, I wanted to buy the Pioneer DEH-4350UB with "ALL RED" Backlights and costs the same (different shop). Unfortunately, the Pioneer needs "Specific" USB Cable to connect to IPOD. This Alpine CDE-121 on the other hand NOT ONLY supports Any Ipod/Iphone cable, it Charges them too.

Here are more photos:

Other than the NEW Alpine CDE-121 Head Unit, the rest of the Speakers (4 speakers+2 tweeters) were ALL STOCK CLARION components. The result? Sounds Not bad, quite decent in fact.

How's the Sound Quality? See my Youtube video below:

Without further ado, let's proceed to logbook:

Mileage as at 11/11/11: 132,646km
Mileage last month: 990km

Mileage today (11/12/11): 133,355km
Mileage this month: 709km
(Why so Low mileage? It's because I spent 4 days in Kuching and I parked my car in Paramount LRT and took LRT to work the WHOLE MONTH).

FUEL CONSUMPTION:

ALL TIME:
Best: 12.8km/L (RM14 cents) - 100% Highway. (NKVE)
Worst: 7.1km/L (RM25 cents) - 100% City. Stuck in KL traffic for 50mins to and up to 2 hours fro for a 15 km journey. Shell RON95

This month (3 fill ups. RM100, RM50 and RM30):
Best: 8.6km/l (RM0.22/km) 70% highway, 30% city. Esso RON95, RM100 good for 445km(Npvember 22)
Worst: 7.39km/l (RM0.257/km) 100% city driving (Shell RON95) RM50 good for 195km (2 December 2011)

EXPENDITURE:

1) Petrol: RM180 (Average 24 cents/km)
2) Parking: RM50
3) Reload touch and go RM30
4) Car Wash: RM6
5) New Alpine CDE-121 HU + Labour, Casing + Fr left side mirror
= RM490+20+40+20)= RM570
6) MBPJ Summon: RM30 (This one really UNFAIR. Why? See next post)

TOTAL: RM866.

Before I go, here's a parting shot:

The Waja parked at its Previous Home (My Uncle's house).

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

ALL TIME 10 most popular blog entry...

2011-12-08T14:10:00.005+08:00

Three-way fight for Proton stake shaping up – DRB-Hicom, Naza and Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi involved?

2011-12-07T14:02:00.004+08:00

Three-way fight for Proton stake shaping up – DRB-Hicom, Naza and Proton chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi involved?

SOURCE: Click me!

The marketplace is buzzing with news of a three-way tussle for a stake in Proton that’s currently owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The three parties are said to be DRB-Hicom, which is controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary, parties linked to the Naza Group and a management buyout lead by Proton Chairman Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh. All three parties have been previously linked with the national carmaker.

Currently, Khazanah has a 42.7% stake in Proton, and should a party succeed in buying over the Government’s stake, it will trigger a general offer. Business Times quotes a source involved in the bidding process as saying that the bids were in the range of between RM6 and RM7 per share. The same source added that “whoever is buying Proton is getting the company on the cheap” based on Proton’s March 2011 book value per share of RM9.84.

This development is drawing in the speculators, and Proton’s share price went up by another 89 sen yesterday to close at RM4.50, with over 20 million shares changing hands. DRB-Hicom, thought to be the front runner in the bid, also saw its shares rise. The counter gained 20 sen to end the day at RM2.20, the highest point since August. DRB-Hicom is of course the company that is assembling Volkswagen cars at its Pekan plant.

Proton’s share price might still rise, since OSK Holdings Bhd and RHB Capital Bhd have upgraded the stock to a “buy” with a fair value of RM5 per share. It will be interesting to know more about the plans each of the bidders have for Proton. Nothing is out at the moment, but we will keep tabs on this.

Nissan Leaf EV wins Japanese car of the year

2011-12-07T13:54:00.004+08:00

TOKYO: Nissan won Car of the Year Japan 2011/2012 at the Tokyo Motor Show on Saturday for its Leaf electric model, its makers said, the first time an electric vehicle has picked up the award.

In addition to that, the Nissan Leaf was also named the 2012 RJC Car of the Year, presented by the Automotive Researchers’ & Journalists’ Conference of Japan. The vehicle had previously been offered the following awards: the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame’s 2011-2012 Car of the Year, the 2011 European Car of the Year and the 2011 World Car of the Year.

“We have sold 20,000 Nissan LEAFs and also delivered on our promise of affordable, zero-emission mobility on a global scale. This award is as much a win for Nissan as it is for our customers,” said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “All these accolades show that zero-emission vehicles can clearly be competitive alternatives to conventional ones.”

VIDEO:

Electric cars with cutting-edge green technology and vehicles remote-controlled by smartphones have been a star feature at this year's show, which runs till Dec 11 and features 179 exhibitors from a dozen countries.

"Nissan is proud to announce that its 100 percent electric Leaf car has won the Japanese Car of the Year prize," Japan's second-largest automaker said in a statement.

The Nissan Leaf electric is a zero-emission vehicle fitted with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Since its launch on the market at the end of last year, some 20,000 models have been sold, notably in Japan and in the US.

"All these accolades show that zero-emission vehicles can clearly be competitive alternatives to conventional ones," Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said.

Nissan, which is part-owned by France's Renault, has invested some 4 billion euros ($5 bn) in the development of these electric cars.

Ghosn said that in five years, Nissan and Renault will have sold 1.5 million of the vehicles, and estimated the world market for electric cars would jump from 0.05 percent today, to 15 percent in ten years.

The hybrid (fuel and electric) would also see an increase from 1 percent today to between 5 and 10 percent over the same period, Ghosn added.

Nissan is trailing several electric concept vehicles at the Motor Show, including the Pivo 3, which can be remotely manoeuvered with a smart phone.

It has installed automotive telematics in the Leaf electric car, allowing drivers to remotely control the air conditioning system and check on a car's battery using their smart phone or personal computer.

Several major foreign manufacturers who skipped the last show are also back this year, including Germany's Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche; French carmakers Renault and Peugeot-Citroen and Britain's Jaguar and Land Rover.

In a related development, the US-based Consumer Reports said drivers of the Chevrolet Volt are the most satisfied in the US.

The hybrid-electric model, produced by General Motors, edged out several other top-performing cars such as the V8-powered Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911 to take the title, awarded by Consumer Reports Dec 1.

A total of 93 percent of respondents who own the Volt said they would definitely buy it again, compared to 91 percent who owned its two closest competitors, Consumer Reports said.

While the Volt's triumph would ordinarily be a huge selling point for the model over rivals such as the Nissan Leaf, the survey was conducted long before a recent investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into its battery safety.

General Motors said it could buy back models of the Chevrolet Volt from owners as a result of the ongoing investigation into battery fires.

The Detroit giant said it would buy back the models from owners who are concerned their car may catch fire, the latest move in an escalating crisis over the model's battery pack.

Earlier last week, General Motors confirmed that the NHTSA had opened an investigation into the pioneering vehicle after three fires broke out in Volts following side-impact testing.

Most worryingly for users, the fires began to appear from the batteries with a delay, over seven days or weeks after the tests, prompting General Motors to offer free loan vehicles to users.

General Motors says that while no fires have broken out in the real world, it is determined to keep customers happy, adding that if a recall of the 6,000 Volts on the road is deemed necessary, every vehicle will be retrofitted with a new battery.

Engineers are now working to identify which part of the extreme stress testing could have caused a problem with the vehicle's massive power pack and could make revisions to future models.

Nissan says that it has not seen any similar fires in its Leaf. - Relaxnews

2012 Green Car of the Year winner: Honda Civic Natural Gas

2011-11-29T23:04:00.003+08:00

2012 Green Car of the Year winner is the Honda Civic Natural Gas

By Sebastian Blanco RSS Posted Nov 17th 2011 12:10PM

The 2012 Green Car of the Year award was snagged from the electric and diesel jaws of its competitors by the Honda Civic Natural Gas. In a year full of standard gasoline powertrain alternatives, the Civic beat out the Ford Focus Electric, Mitsubishi i, Toyota Prius V and the Volkswagen Passat TDI.

Green Car Journal hands out the award and its rules state that the GCOTY needs to have a "quantifiable environmental achievement," market significance and "newness." Any car that has these clearly defined features and is available for sale by January 1, 2012 can be a nominee, and the list of finalists is whittled down by GCJ editors and selected industry and environmental experts.

Over the last four years, the GCOTY was won by a hybrid (the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid in 2008), diesels (the Volkswagen Jetta TDI in 2009 and the Audi A3 TDI in 2010) and a plug-in hybrid (the Chevrolet Volt in 2011). In our informal poll we put up when the five finalists were announced a month ago, the Focus Electric dominated the field.

VIDEO:

2012 Automobile of the Year: Audi A7

2011-11-29T22:47:00.006+08:00

2012 Automobile of the Year: Audi A7
From our January, 2012 issue / By Joe Lorio / Photos by A. J. Mueller

Sometimes, the Automobile of the Year is a dramatic about-face for its manufacturer. Other times, it is a car that breaks new ground technologically. Some years, it is a spectacular upgrade from its predecessor. This year, it's none of those things.

Automobile Magazine's 2012 Automobile of the Year, the Audi A7, does not represent a dramatic change of pace for its maker. Audi has been building handsome, fast, and rewarding luxury cars for some time now. Anchored by Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive, bristling with of-the-moment technologies, and surrounding its passengers with an artfully crafted interior, the A7 is exactly in keeping with the cars that this brand has been turning out. As editor-in-chief Jean Jennings said, "It's the culmination of everything Audi has promised."

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/features/awards/1201_2012_automobile_of_the_year_audi_a7/index.html

MOTORTREND 2012 Automobile Of The Year Winners

2011-11-29T22:14:00.007+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm covering MOTORTREND Magazine's Annual "of the year" awards. Here's the winner of 2012 Motortrend (US) Automobile of the Year:

CAR OF THE YEAR: VW Passat

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SUV of THE YEAR: LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

TRUCK of THE YEAR: To be announced soon...

2012 Motor Trend Car Of The Year! Picking A Winner

If Car of the Year juries were seated like criminal trial juries, Volkswagen's lawyers might have used up their peremptory challenges dismissing the lot of us. They'd claim we had been poisoned by the launch coverage of the company's supersized Yank-tank B7-generation Passat. Harsh auto-show lighting made the car look like a freshened version of Chevy's little-loved Impala; early punditry slammed the interior as drab, plain, and cheap-looking; and news that the moaning I-5 we loathe in the Golf-class cars would be the mainstream engine seemed like strike three.

Making things worse were VW's concurrently announced plans for world domination, which, combined with the above impressions, seemed to suggest that VW was saying "Vee unterschtand zat to sell lots of zees cahs to you fat Dummkopfs, zay need to be bland like Camry."

Unlike GM and Ford, which are consolidating regional platforms and introducing world cars, Volkswagen's larger new Passat will sell only in North America and China. The car and the strategy raise serious questions: Can an American-born-and-bred Passat be German enough to please the VW faithful? Can anything with a VW badge pry large numbers of people out of their Accords and Camrys? Can such conservative styling turn the heads of the legions on their way to Hyundai? Out on the test track, in the high-desert sunshine, three Passats spanning the range of powertrain and trim levels did their best to answer these questions, presenting evidence in each of our six criteria and gradually whittling away at our editorial preconceptions. Let's read the court testimony.

FOR more info, pictures, stories:

SOURCE: click me!

http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1201_2012_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_volkswagen_passat/viewall.html#ixzz1f6W8BzBz

Peugeot RCZ is Maybank NST CBT Car of the Year 2011!

2011-11-29T21:57:00.005+08:00

Peugeot RCZ is Maybank NST CBT Car of the Year 2011!

SOURCE: Click me!

The Peugeot RCZ has been named the “Overall Car of the Year 2011” as well as the “Coupe/Cabriolet of the Year 2011” at the New Straits Times/Maybank “Car of the Year 2011” (COTY) Awards.

Its astonishingly beautiful form, powerful stance and supermodel shape gave the RCZ an exquisite look that surpasses cars more than double its asking price of RM218,888 (OTR with insurance).

The RCZ’s shape has already won it the 2010 Red Dot Design Award and the title of “2009’s Most Beautiful Car of the Year” during the 25th Festival Automobile International.

To back up its supercar proportions, the RCZ is powered by a refined, yet powerful 156hp 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine, which has been winning engine of the year awards for its category.

Readers and show visitors voted for their favourite Car of the Year from the 44 new cars nominated for this year's COTY awards.

The winners for the New Straits Times /Maybank 2011 COTY Awards were announced at a gala dinner at The Saujana Kuala Lumpur, hosted by the New Straits Times and title sponsor Maybank Berhad.
Its smooth shifting six-speed automatic transmission, on the other hand, fits perfectly with the RCZ’s refined nature.

The RCZ was named as 2011’s “Overall Car of the Year” as it received the most votes from the COTY judging panel of nine judges, citing its head turning looks, stylish interior, competitive pricing, as well as refined handling dynamics and comprehensive safety features.

Three car brands - Hyundai, Nissan and Jaguar - each picked up double wins in this year’s COTY Awards.

The i10 1.25 Kappa and Santa Fe 2.2 VGT picked up the “Compact Car of the Year” and “SUV of the Year (Above RM150,000)” awards respectively for Hyundai.
Judges were impressed by the i10’s refinement and build quality, while the Santa Fe managed to get nods of approval from all judges for its excellent cabin space and good fuel economy.

Nissan, on the other hand, took home the “Executive Car of the Year” and “Pick-Up Truck of the Year” awards with the Nissan Teana and Navara King Cab.

The Teana’s smooth and comfortable nature made it the car all the judges wanted to go home in after a hard day’s work, while the powerful Navara King Cab wooed the judges by its performance and economy.

Both Jaguar’s new diesel powered models, the XFS 3.0D and XJL 3.0D, swept the “Premium Executive Car of the Year (Above RM300,000)” and “Limousine of the Year” awards.

Although powered by the same three-litre diesel engine, both the XFS and XJL show that diesel power is no handicap even when it is tasked to meet the power demands of a sporty executive sedan and the required refinement worthy of a limousine.

This year’s COTY Awards marks a landmark year as the Great Wall Motor’s Haval H5 becomes the first China made car to win a COTY category award, the “SUV of the Year (Below RM150,000)” Award, in COTY’s 10-year history.

The Perodua Myvi got its due recognition as the people’s champion when it was voted as the winner of this year’s “2011 People’s Choice” Award.

The 2011 People's Choice Award was based on votes received from the NST/Maybank Car of the Year 2011 People's Choice Contest published in the New Straits Times from Oct 20 to Nov 13.

The winners were selected from 44 new models or re-engineered facelift models introduced between October 2010 and October 2011.

When picking the winners, the judges took into account criteria such as exterior and interior design, comfort and ergonomics, performance, safety, emotional appeal, and after sales service including the comprehensiveness of its warranty.

The Overall Car of the Year winner was selected from the list of 14 category winners.

The Car of the Year Awards is the country’s first motoring award and this year’s awards marks the 10th anniversary of the awards which was launched in 2002 by Cars,
Bikes & Trucks, the motoring section of the New Sunday Times, as a means to acknowledge achievements within the motoring industry.

The event is endorsed by the Malaysian Automotive Association.

NST/Maybank Car of the Year 2011 Winners:

Overall Car of the Year & Coupe/Cabriolet of the Year – Peugeot RCZ
Compact Car of the Year - Hyundai i10 1.25 Kappa
Premium Compact Car of the Year – Volkswagen Polo TSi
Family Car of the Year – Kia Forte 2.0SX 6-speed
Executive Car of the Year – Nissan Teana
Premium Executive Car of the Year (below RM300,000) – Skoda Superb
Premium Executive Car of the Year (above RM300,000) – Jaguar XFS 3.0D
Performance Car of the Year – Renault Megane RS250
Limousine of the Year – Jaguar XJL 3.0D
MPV of the Year – Ford S-Max Ecoboost
SUV of the Year (below RM150,000) – GWM Haval H5
SUV of the Year (above RM150,000) – Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 VGT (Diesel)
Pick-up Truck of the Year – Nissan Navara King Cab

Special Mention Awards

Eco Innovation Award – Toyota Prius
Automotive Man of the Year – JP Chin
People’s Choice Award – Perodua Myvi

Going to Kuching 25 to 28 Nov

2011-11-24T18:27:00.003+08:00

I, Jeff Lim's going to Kuching from 25 to 28 November hence no Update as I won't be bringing my Laptop along. Why Kuching?

It's due to my Church Convention. "Hope Malaysian National Convention". 2000+ people from 35 Hope Churches ALL OVER MALAYSIA will join this Convention at Pullman Hotel.

Really, looking forward to this Convention.

White surges to become world's most popular car colour

2011-11-20T23:45:00.002+08:00

Sunday, November 20, 2011

PHILADELPHIA: White and pearl white have caught up with silver to share top spot as the world's most popular car colour.In its annual Automotive Colour Popularity Report, automotive car brand DuPont revealed that 22 percent of car buyers around the world opted for white, the same amount that plumped for traditional favorite silver.

The growth in popularity means that black or black effect cars are in second place globally, with 20 percent market share."While white/white pearl has historically been a popular colour for vehicles, we've seen a bigger shift in its popularity this year than DuPont expected," said Nancy Lockhart, DuPont colour marketing manager.White was the most popular colour in North America for the fifth consecutive year, DuPont found, but it failed to topple black as the colour of choice in Europe, despite surging five percentage points over last year on the back of what DuPont describes as "inspiration for the ecological megatrend."

Its growth was at the expense of gray and silver, which took third and fourth place in Europe, while blue scraped into fifth place.Japanese buyers also opted for white the most, but other Asian countries preferred silver, which topped the market in both China and South Korea, making it the most popular colour overall in Asia.Other regional trends saw South America opting for silver and Russians choosing a surprisingly high proportion of green models, which made up seven percent of the Russian market but just two percent globally.

The world's most popular automotive colours(Data from 2011 DuPont Automotive Colour Popularity Report)
1. White/White Pearl and Silver tie, 22 percent
3. Black/Black Effect 20 percent
4. Gray 13 percent
5. Red 7 percent
6. Blue 6 percent
7. Brown/Beige 5 percent
8. Green 2 percent
9. Yellow/Gold 1 percent
10. Others 2 percent

- Relaxnews

Today 20.11.2011 is...

2011-11-20T20:11:00.000+08:00

Today, 20/11/2011 is a special day. Like 11/11/11, 11:11:11 it happened once in 100 years.

20/11/2011. 2011hrs...

How cool is that...

ANNOUNCING NEW Forum to this blog...

2011-11-19T19:11:00.002+08:00

Thanks everyone for your continuous support. This blog's been having consistent 800 unique visitors daily. To celebrate this, I, Jeff Lim, is please to announcing new Forum to supplement this blog. I just created a NEW Forum on 19 November 2011, 1911hrs. The Forum website address is:

http://otoreview.forumup.com.

OR

http://otoreview.forumup.com/index.php?mforum=otoreview

Feel free to explore and enjoy this forum. Do give feedbacks/suggestions.

NEXT STEP: Facebook page... I'm working on this... Launching By January 2012.

LONGTERMER #3, Vol 5: Proton Waja 1.6 4G18 (A)

2011-11-13T23:51:00.000+08:00

LONGTERMER #3, Vol 5: Proton Waja 1.6 4G18 (A)

In this blog entry, I'm updating my ride, Proton Waja 1.6 4G18(A). This is the 5th update.

Firstly, I managed to parked my Waja at "Podium" parking at my Office in Wisma Genting (see pictures below) on 18 October 2011.

Later, on the same day (18 October), I traded in my stock Waja rims for recond rims taken from Persona Hi-line (see picture below) from "WE Automobiles" in Pandan Mewah, Ampang.

(Picture above: The rims I bought. Before and after reconditioning.)

Above: Before.

Above and Below: DURING.

Above: After, Below: The Tayar Shop

I paid RM180 for the rims including Alignment and balancing. While at it, I requested for Oil change RM15 for oil filter and RM10 for labour. The Engine oil, Castrol Magnetec Semi Synthetic, I bought from a Shop in Section 20, Sea Park (the one facing Maybank) for RM93 only.

I accidentally broke the "rear right" door handle. Within 24 hours I bought replacement at the Same Spare part shop in Section 20, Sea park for RM25, painted in matching Arctic blue. Paid RM20 extra for installation = RM45 (see pictures below).

Also, like last month, the Fuel Consumption is consistent, hovering between 7.1km/l to 9.06km/l. This Waja seems to prefer EssoMobil over shell and petronas.

Lastly, my sister passed me her Ambi Pur Car but Without cartridge. I bought a refill "Vanilla Bouquet" for RM10.90. (picture below)

Without further ado, let's proceed to logbook:

Mileage as at 11/10/11: 131,656km
Mileage last month: 976km

Mileage today: 132,646km
Mileage this month: 990km

FUEL CONSUMPTION:

ALL TIME:
Best: 12.8km/L (RM14 cents) - 100% Highway. (NKVE)
Worst: 7.1km/L (RM25 cents) - 100% City. Stuck in KL traffic for 50mins to and up to 2 hours fro for a 15 km journey. Shell RON95

This month:
Best: 9.06km/l (RM20.4 cents) 70% highway, 30% city. Esso RON95 (27 October)
Worst: 7.1km/l (25 cents) 100% city driving (Shell RON95) 20 Sept

EXPENDITURE:

1) Petrol: RM212.60 (Average 21.4 cents/km)
2) Parking: RM60
3) Reload touch and go RM10
4) Car Wash: RM6
5) New recond Rims + Alignment + Oil filter + labour = RM160+20+15+10 = RM205.
6) Castrol magnatec engine oil: RM93
7) Bought and install door handles (RM45)
8) Ambi Pur car refill RM10.90

TOTAL: RM611.80.

Before I go, here's some parting shots:

Above: What a coincidence... Parked at Taman Aman, Paramount. took Putra LRT to work.

Above: AFTER THE RIM CHANGE. DOES IT LOOK GOOD?

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

600th post: NEW changes to this blog...

2011-11-12T23:21:00.002+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm CELEBRATING as this is the 600th post. I would like to announce NEW Service in this blog. I now "Sell" A to Z of New and recond cars in Malaysia. But this is NOT THE POINT.

In the next 2 months, I shall create a Forum and Facebook page. As I observed in Lowyat and Motortrader forum, there's a few of you popped the following questions:

1) Vios/Mazda 2/Fiesta/Forte 1.6/Persona 1.6. What car shall I buy?

2) Accord/Camry/508/Mazda6/Mondeo. What car shall I buy?

3) Which MPV below RM150k shall I buy?

4) I have RM200k, what car shall I buy?

5) I have RM50k, shall I buy new or used?

I'm here to provide a solution to your needs. I shall provide "Free" service (by appointment AT LEAST 7 days in advance). I will accompany OR bring you to TEST DRIVE ALL your shortlists in 1 day and help you to buy your Ideal car. After you buy your IDEAL car, satisfy with my service then only you give me A)"FREE WILL DONATION", B) Recommend 5 friends to me.

This service is for Klang Valley only as I'm now a 1 man show. Just E-mail me your Details at otoreview@gmail.com. Eg.

i) Who are you, brief background/intro, occupation, any kids, what are you looking for in your Next car (eg. Automatic 8 seater MPV with Sunroof), price range you can afford and LASTLY, When you need to buy the car. I won't entertain "Canvassers" OR "Timewasters". Only serious enquiries only.

2a) Tell me where you lived so that I can arrange the showroom near to your house. Better still if my Salesman provide door to door service, he/she can drive the car to your doorstep (house of office). Eg. Sat 10am = Fiesta, 10.45am = Forte 1.6, 11.30pm = Vios. 12.15pm = Mazda 2, 1pm = Persona 1.6 OR Inspira 1.8 CVT.

2b) AFTER Helping you to find your Ideal car, I shall post successful "Case Studies" in this Blog. (eg. what car you shortlist, test drive process, purchasing process). You can request anonymity.

3) I also provide consultation (eg. Market value) if you want to sell your car.

4) Here are the lists of car manufacturers I dealing with:

a) BMW (Quill and Auto Bavaria)
b) Citroen (Brooklands)
c) Chevrolet
d) Ford
e) Honda
f) Hyundai
g) Jaguar (Sisma Auto, Pavilion)
h) Kia/Naza
i) Lexus
j) Mazda
k) Mitsubishi
l) Mercedes Benz (Cycle and carriage)
j) Nissan (Jln Ipoh and Section 13, PJ)
k) Perodua
l) Proton
m) Renault
n) Land Rover
o) Alfa Romeo
p) Skoda
q) Toyota
r) Volkswagen (Jln Ipoh and FA Wagen)
s) Volvo
t) Porsche (7 days advance appointment only)
u) Peugeot
v) Ssangyong
w) Chery Alado
x) RECOND/Unregistered Cars (Watan/Emaslink/Mofaz/Naza/Amira Ventures/Cahaya Automotif (Yap Brothers) etc...)
y) Suzuki
z) Arrange for Auto detailing/tinting/UR Bars installation.
(Other cars not listed here please call and give me 1 week... I can arrange. Automobiles only, NO Motorcycles.)

For more information. Call/Whatsapp? me, Jeff Lim, at 012-6852-718 (10am to 10pm weekdays), (10am to 5pm Sat), 3pm to 10pm Sunday only.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patiece to read this blog entry. Jeff Lim's original work.

Close up++ Honda Edix/FR-V

2011-11-11T11:52:00.000+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm posting a Close up, some external links and a Video review of Honda Edix/FR-V. The Honda Edix/FR-V's produced from 2004 to 2009 and were brought into Malaysia in 2005 as "WALD EDIX". Apparently, many were stuck in customs/Port until 2008. Last check, it was still on sale as "Unregistered units" in Limited numbers by Glory Wheels Sdn Bhd.

Since this is a RARE car, I can't give you the used prices as it's WILLING SELLER and WILLING Buyer market. Ie. varies.

Let's proceed to the links and video:

Links:
Site 1: http://www.autoworld.com.my/v2/news/nb_details.asp?awReviewID=1819&awCatID=RT.ATC.CAR.BTW

Site 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_FR-V

Video:
Video 1:

Well, I happened to came across 1 unit at Andere Suria, it's a light blue STOCK 1.7 unit. There's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words. Here are the photos:

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. Other than the Youtube video and the external links, this is Jeff Lim's original work.

Close up/Video++ review: Lexus GS300 GRS190

2011-11-11T11:26:00.001+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm covering the Lexus GS300. The GS300's produced from 2005 to 2008 (in rest of the world) and 2007 till today in Malaysia. Used prices for Lexus GS300 in Malaysia as follows:

Year:...........2006*......2007*......2008*
Price (RM)......205k......225k.........250k

* = unregistered, less 10k to 15k (depending on condition and mileage) across the board for Used ones.

Note that NEW ones from Lexus Malaysia costs RM420,000 without the Lexus Navigation system and Elec Glass sunroof. You are looking at RM440,000 OTR with FULL SPECS. But you get 3 years/100,000km warranty (ie. peace of mind).

Let's proceed to some links about this car followed by videos:

Link 1:
http://www.lexus.com.my/models/GS300/gs300_main.aspx?page=content_price.html

Link 2:
http://www.lexus.com.au/gs300/features/specifications

Link 3:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_GS_%28S190%29

Link 4:
http://paultan.org/2008/01/28/lexus-gs300-facelift-launched-in-malaysia/

Link 5:
http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/gs-300/

Link 6: Road Test from Sgcarmart.com/ Singapore spec.

i) http://www.sgcarmart.com/new_cars/newcars_overview.php?CarCode=10165

ii) http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/review.php?AID=243

Video 1:

Video 2:

Last week, I managed to have a "CLOSE UP" of ALMOST FULL SPEC Lexus GS300 (apart from the Elec Glass Sunroof). This is an early 2008 model imported from UK unregistered with Local AP. Asking price RM245,000 Nego.

Well, there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words. Here are the photos:

Above: This is the place if you want to buy this car. Call 012-339-3211. Mention you were recommended by Jeff Lim for better deal/discounts.

That's all folks thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. Other than the External links and Youtube Videos, this is my original work.

sorry for being inactive, been sick from 3/11 to 8/11. Diarrhea 29 times and vomited all my food on 4/11. Watch this space. I am back. Type using my nokia n79 on opera mini browser hence no fancy photos/graphics.

2011-11-09T13:33:00.001+08:00

Longtermer #2, Vol 24: (40th month): Honda Civic FD2 2.0IVTEC

2011-10-31T23:05:00.002+08:00

Longtermer #2, Vol 24: (40th month): Honda Civic FD2 2.0IVTEC

In this blog entry, I'm updating my family's ride. It's the Honda Civic FD2 2.0 IVTEC. This is the 40th month we owned the Civic. The Civic reached the magical "55555km" on 12 August 2011.(Picture below)

There's Nothing much to update apart from the 60,000km Service (a major one as they changed the Air filter, Fuel Filter, ATF Gear oil, Engine oil (Mineral) + Oil filter + washer drain plug. The Damage: RM420.10 after 15% discount on ALL PARTS (privilege of a Honda Card Member) and 10% discount voucher (from previous service), and some discount on Labour charge.

Well there's a story behind the premature 60,000km (59,479km to be exact) service. A day before, my dad kena this EXACT TRICK. Apparently, he was wearing Coat/Tie and IPad on centre console on the way to Meeting. TWO Indians on a motorcycle pointed at my dad's front left tyre and waved "smelly". My dad ignored. Then 2nd motorcycle also with 2 Indians did the "same action" about 200m away along Jalan Parlimen. My dad then put on the "hazard light" and drove slowly to Bank Negara (his meeting place) which's about 1km away. There's COPS stationed in Bank Negara so the CROOKS have No chance to "ROB/ATTACK/CON" my dad.

Here's the E-mail forward of this "TRICK"

"Fwd: New Tactic! To Rob You in PJ/KL And Soon All Places

New Tactic! To Rob You in PJ And Soon All Places - spray some liquid on
your tyre which leads to smoke outburst

Just received this from a local police force in Bangsar.

There is a new tactic used by the thieves and robbers & spreading into PJ & other KL areas.
Be careful when there is a motorist approaching while you are driving alone in a car.

These days, the thieves will spray some liquid on your tyre which leads to smoke outburst. When you encounter such a situation, don’t panic. Stay calm & don’t ever try to park your car to check what is going on.

This is the intention purposely created by these thieves to get your attention. Once you get out from your car, they will snatch your belongings or may even harm you.
So, if you ever encounter such an incident, drive to a safe place where crowded people are or to a petrol or police station.

As for the stain, use water to clean it up, that’s all. Look after your own safety, especially to those ladies out there. What ever happens, don’t simply walk out from your car!
This is a true case that has occurred before."

After his meeting, he called me to call "Tow Truck" (picture above) to tow the car to Honda Service centre in Sumber Auto Edaran in PJ. MSIG (Honda Panel Insurance) did a very good job. Dispatched a tow truck in 30 minutes.

The next day, our Civic was "Car NO."1" at the service centre. Service Advisor Mr. Sew checked the car and found "NOTHING WRONG" with the car. I then requested for 60,000km service.

Coincidently, the next morning before Collecting the Civic (12pm), my dad took delivery of his 2nd car, the Yellow Perodua MYVI 1.5SE+ Auto (at 8.45am). That was on 14 October 2011.

Second item I'd like to highlight's the Fuel Consumption getting worse. The last fill up recorded a dismal 7.1km/l (or 25 cents). This is the WORST ever. Though it's 80% City and 20% highway. I hope It can improve as I planned to buy "KW Fuel Injection Cleaner", I tried it on my Telstar back in May and recorded 20% improvement in Fuel consumption.

Without further ado, let's proceed to LOG BOOK:

Mileage upon delivery: 0008km

Mileage last update: 54,850km

Mileage now: 59,865km

Average mileage per month: 1535km

Purchase price: RM126,000 (less NCB)

Current value: RM98,000.

3 years depreciation: 77% retained value

Interest rate: 2.35% (back in July 2008) for 6 years loan.

FUEL CONSUMPTION (Aug1 to Oct 30):

Best: 13.1km/L (RM0.18/km) 80% highway/20% city, Esso RON95. (1st week of September)

WORST: 7.1km/L (RM0.26/km) (Shell RON95) 80% City/20% Highway driving driven by ME. (October 27)

ALL TIME:

Best: 15.35km/l (90% highway driving) (20 August 2010)

Worst: 7.1km/l (80% City driving, 20% HARD DRIVING) (October 27)

PERFORMANCE:

0-100km/h: 9.2 seconds normal acceleration (9 seconds with paddle-shift)

Top speed: Max I driven is 190km/h but I know it can go up to 227km/h. Someone from Youtube tried it.

That's all... Well there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words... Here are some photos:

Still stylish Multiplex Digital/Analog dashboard. The NO.1 reason why my dad bought this car

Above: Creative photography. The reflection of the New MYVI 1.5SE+ on the Civic.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. An original Jeff Lim's production. My Original work.

Parts shortage from Thailand forces Honda Malaysia to stop production

2011-10-25T16:49:00.001+08:00

SOURCE: CLICK ME

In a statement, the company said the floods have caused a huge number of factories in the supply chain to shut down, which include Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co Ltd and other major suppliers which supply parts to Honda Malaysia.

However, Honda Malaysia is actively accessing the situation and its parts suppliers’ recovery.

Honda Malaysia is also studying the feasibility of sourcing parts from other countries until its suppliers’ production in Thailand returns to normal.

“We announce with regret that we have to temporary halt production in Pagoh Plant, in Malacca due to parts shortage.

“We apologise for the delay of delivery and we appreciate the understanding of our customers. We are doing all we that can within our capacity to recover the production here in Malaysia as soon as possible,” said Honda Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Yoichiro Ueno.

Assembling work at Honda Malaysia's Pagoh plant has
stopped from today.

“The good news is that all our fully imported models such as the Insight, Stream and Freed are not affected, except for Jazz that is imported from Thailand, which we have sufficient stock to meet the current market demand,” he added.

Asian Honda Motor Co Ltd has recently donated 100 million baht (RM10mi) to Thai Red Cross Society to help flood victims in Thailand.

Honda Malaysia will keep its customers informed of the plant’s progress and it looks forward to bringing good news to the customers.

END OF SOURCE...

My (Jeff Lim's) comments: Two days ago, I visited a Honda Showroom in Petaling Jaya. The Salesgirl told me that they have Limited stocks (while stock lasts) for ALL CKD Hondas and Honda Jazz. >10 units Civic 1.8 and 2.0, >15 units NEW Accord, >15 units New City, >10 units New Jazz in Malaysia

. Next batch of CKD will arrive only in February Earliest. As a result they "DON'T HAVE CAR TO SELL". Honda Malaysia were forced to bring the CR-Z and Jazz Hybrid to Malaysia earlier than expected. The CR-Z's coming in 2 weeks time while the Jazz Hybrid is coming in December.

In a meantime, Freed (Indonesian Made), Stream and Insight production uninterrupted.

Happy Diwali (Deepavali)!

2011-10-25T16:29:00.000+08:00

I, Jeff Lim, would like to wish all the Hindus happy Diwali (known as Deepavali in Malaysia). May the festival of lights fill your life with the glow of happiness and the sparkle of Joy. Safe journey if you are travelling back to hometown.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. Jeff Lim's original work!

BMW EfficientDynamics showcase at Pavilion, 20 – 24 Oct

2011-10-25T15:51:00.000+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm covering BMW EfficientDynamics showcase at Pavilion from 20 to 24 October 2011. Among the cars on display were BMW Active E (based on BMW 1 series coupe), BMW X1 Efficientdynamics and BMW 320d. Sadly, I missed this event. All is NOT LOST, I dished out 2 reports AND a Video on this event:

REPORT 1: AUTOWORLD

BMW EfficientDynamics showcase at Pavilion, 20 – 24 Oct

Report 2: PAULTAN.ORG:

http://paultan.org/2011/10/20/bmw-efficientdynamics-showcase-at-pavillion/

WORKSHOP REVIEW: MAX SHINE CENTRE

2011-10-25T15:08:00.001+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm reviewing an auto detailing Shop in PJS 8/18. It's called Max Shine Centre. Here's their Facebook page

It all started back in Early September, I bought a RM33.80 voucher from "Streetdeal.my". Normal price RM168 for Shampoo+Polish+2 layers wax+windows cleaning. Initially, I booked for my dad's Civic FD2. But as I took delivery of the Solid Yellow MYVI 1.5SE+ and seeing "Stubborn rain streaks" @ day 5 owning the car, I called Max Shine and changed the car from BJU xxxx to "WVW 18xx".

As I reached there, the boss Alvin gave me another "upgrade offer". Add extra RM150 I'll get 4 layers wax. This deal is worth RM468. Without hesitation, I took the offer. I reached there 11.30am and waited till 3.15pm. Ie. almost 4 hours. Thank God they provided Air conditioned customer waiting room with ASTRO, magazines and Wifi (see photos below).

During the entire waxing process, my car was treated professionally logos and plastics area taped and bonnet/windscreen area covered by newspaper. See photo below:

The end results?
Well worth the wait. Well there's a saying, a Picture's worth 1000 words. Here are the photos:

Above: Step 1: Wash and Shampoo the car 1st.

Above: Taped up the lines/badges plastics before (below) Step 2: Polishing.

Above: Step 3-6, applying layers after layers of WAX (4 layers).

ABOVE: Boss Alvin's Estima with 5 layers WAX!!!

The front of the shops. Address: No 8, PJS 8/18, Sunway Mentari, 46150 Petaling Jaya. Opening hours: Mon to Sun, 10am to 8pm. Call: 03-56222788 for appointments.

Above: See how busy they were. Photo taken at 2pm on a weekday (Thursday) 20 October 2011.

Above: Windows cleaning and finishing touches

ABOVE and BELOW: Other customers' cars.

Above and below: One year old Mercedes C200 after 4 layers wax. Look at the Mirror like shine.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. Jeff Lim's original work!

Proton eyes world market in pact with Hawtai

2011-10-24T10:01:00.001+08:00

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Proton eyes world market in pact with Hawtai

NANNING (China): Proton is not only planning to expand its presence in China through Hawtai Motor Group Ltd but will be using the partnership as a springboard to the world market.

It's not your typical joint venture. It's a cooperation that covers many areas," said Proton chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

"We are looking at the low-cost base of China. We should capitalise on that.

In Malaysia, it's difficult for us to achieve economies of scale because of our low volume."
proton.jpg
Mohd Nadzmi (right) and Syed Zainal Abidin.

"Going to China, we can leverage on its low-cost base, especially on the component industry, which is important because 70% to 75% of the cost of a car comes from its components," he said.

Proton exchanged a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hawtai Motor at a roundtable dialogue between Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chinese CEOs here on Friday.

Speaking to Malaysian journalists covering the 8th China-Asean Expo here, Mohd Nadzmi said the MoU would result in an agreement in about 90 days and during the period both parties would study how the cooperation would take place.

"We are talking about product collaboration. Immediately, our (Proton) Saga is ready to come to China, followed by the Exora and also our new model that we will make available for this collaboration with Hawtai," he said.

Proton managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said both parties were still discussing whether to use Proton brand or Hawtai brand in selling cars in China.

"What we look forward to is one day to get our cars produced in China. From China, we can export to other left-hand-drive markets, for example, the Middle East.

"The production cost will be much more competitive. This is one of the big objectives we have.

"We can't rely on Malaysia to export left-hand-drive vehicles. We can use China as a base and because they have a big volume here and our partner will provide us with the facility, knowledge and infrastructure," he said.

Syed Zainal Abidin said Proton products in the C and B segments would complement Hawtai Motor's 4X4 vehicles and D-segment sedans.

Hawtai also has a major plant producing diesel engines for the domestic and export markets.

"So we can also use their diesel technology in our cars to exploit the diesel market, for example, in India," said Syed Zainal.

So, the discussions are not only about products but also on technology transfer."

Hawtai Motor has an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles, 300,000 engines and 300,000 auto transmissions.

As for the China market, Syed Zainal said Proton was targeting sales of 50,000 to 100,000 per year and for every unit, Proton would receive revenue whether in terms of components or sales or royalties for the technology transferred.

He also said Proton would not be sourcing parts from China for its Malaysian operations.

"Our priority to support our local vendors."

On Youngman Automobile Group,Syed Zainal Abidin said: "Our relationship with Hawtai is complementing our existing relationship with Youngman. We will continue to support Youngman based on our current business arrangement,"

"Youngman is a straight forward licensing agreement. Hawtai is a different arrangement altogether ... different platform, so there is no conflict of relationship with Youngman," he added.
-Bernama

CLOSE UP++ Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2CRDI

2011-10-23T00:36:00.001+08:00

CLOSE UP++ Hyundai Inokom Santa Fe 2.2 CRDI 6 speed auto.

In this Blog entry, I'm reviewing a Hyundai Inokom Santa Fe 2.2CRDI. This is a "Bang for the Buck" Part time 4x4 Diesel 7 seater SUV. The Santa Fe was launched back in 2007 while the facelift (as featured here) was launched in KLIMS (KL International Motor Show) 2010. Picture below:

The facelifted Santa Fe's mated with 6 speed Automatic. Check out the Max Power and torque. 192hp@3800rpm and a WHOOPING 442Nm@1800rpm Torque. This car comes standard with G-force. 0-100km/h in 9.8secs and top speed of 190km/h. It also comes standard with NAPPA Leather, Elec glass sunroof, Integrated Multimedia GPS, Climate Control etc... As for fuel consumption, it fetches a respectable 8.4l/100km average.

MY RATING: 8.5/10.

Price for High Spec: RM172,000 OTR Private Registration which is a bargain. Used prices are as follows:

Year:........2007......2008........2009........2010........2011 (Facelift)
Price (RM):..80k.......RM90k.......108k........120k........135k

Without further ado, here are some videos:
Video 1: Autocar India

Video 2: Independent review.

Video 3: Independent review:

Well there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words. Here are the photos:

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry.

Mitsubishi Green Technology Roadshow @ 1 Utama

2011-10-22T22:10:00.000+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm covering another roadshow @ 1 Utama New Wing Ground Floor. It's Mitsubishi "Green Technology for a Sustainable future" roadshow. The Main attraction is the Mitsubishi MIEV Showcase. Sorry, No close up as it's 10.15pm yesterday (ie. Closing) when I took these photos. The Roadshow is still ongoing until Tomorrow (23 October) so do check it out.

Well there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words. Here are the photos:

Sorry for the lousy photo quality. Taken using my old Nokia N79 as I didn't bring my Camera.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. An Original Jeff Lim's production.

Volvo Roadshow @ Highstreet 1 Utama

2011-10-22T21:59:00.000+08:00

In this blog entry, I'll be blogging about Volvo Roadshow @ Highstreet, 1 Utama. I was there yesterday 9.50pm. There's 2 auto roadshow at the same time. The other being Mitsubishi Roadshow (see next post).

Interestingly, Volvo adopts 20,000 OR 1 year service intervals on ALL MODELS. Star of the show is the New S60 CKD. The T4 and T5. Both the t4 and t5 comes with World's 1st "Collision warning with FULL AUTO BRAKE and Pedestrian Detection", BLIS (Blind Spot Information System and 3 years/100000km warranty.

The T4 is a 1.6 Turbo mated with 6 speed Powershift with geartronic (Volvo's own DSG) and produces 180hp@5700rpm and 240Nm of torque from 1600-5000rpm. It boasts an impressive averaged FC of 7.4l/100km and goes from 0-100km/h in 9.0secs and tops 225km/h. The Price: RM220,000 w/o insurance earning the title "MOST EXPENSIVE 1.6 car". The BONUS: Road tax/annum only RM90.

The T5 is a 2.0 turbocharged also mated with 6 speed Powershoft with Geartronic and produces 240hp@5500rpm and 320Nm@1800-5000rpm. It goes from 0-100km/h in 7.5secs and tops 230km/h. Combined FC: 8.3l/100km.

Besides the S60, there's Volvo XC60, XC90, S40 and S80 on display. My favourite: The impressive XC90 D5 Diesel.

Powered by 5 cylinders 2.4 Turbo mated with 6 speed Auto with Geartronic and boasts combined FC of 8.5l/100km. It produces 185hp@4000rpm and a whooping 400Nm@2000-2750rpm.

Price: RM355,000 which is kinda "reasonable" for a FULL SIZE 7 seater (yup, I can fit in the 3rd row). Note that it's closest competitors: Land Rover Discovery TD6 costs RM488,000 and BMW X5 Diesel costs RM530,000. Audi Q7 3.0 Diesel: RM570,000.

Well, there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words. Here are the photos:

This roadshow goes on till tomorrow (Sunday), feel free to check these models out. Sorry, no close up photos as there were preparing to close 10pm. Also, sorry for the Grainy photos, I was unprepared, didn't bring my camera. Taken using my old Nokia N79 instead.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. A Jeff Lim's original production.

Latest from Ayutthaya - Toyota's three factories shut down

2011-10-19T17:48:00.000+08:00

October 19, 2011 By KON

SOURCE: CLICK ME

The situation at the flood-hit Thai region of Ayutthaya continues to worsen. Last week, we reported that Honda has halted operations of its plant there. Toyota, whose three plants are all situated away from Ayutthaya, is not directly affected.

Toyota Corolla Altis - one of many Thai-assembled Toyota models in Malaysia

However, according to a media statement released by UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd today, Toyota Motor Thailand Co. (TMT) has decided to halt operations at its three plants at Samrong, Gateway and Ban Pho due to shortage of parts from affected suppliers.

An extended shut down of these three plants will inevitably affect the Malaysian market as they supply majority of UMWT's fully-imported CBU models and CKD kits for its locally assembled models. At this moment, however, UMWT has stated that deliveries for October 2011 are not affected, although this will not continue if the flooding situation worsens.

“Our commitment to our customers remains topmost in our priority. We are closely monitoring on the parts supply situation in Thailand and will provide any updates or information in a timely manner. We sincerely hope for the quickest possible recovery and appreciate our customers and business partners understanding during these difficult times” said En. Ismet Suki, President of UMW Toyota Motor.

Motorists can sync their licence expiry date with birthday

2011-10-19T17:34:00.000+08:00

Updated: Wednesday October 19, 2011 MYT 5:12:48 PM

SOURCE (Click me)

By LIM WEY WEN

KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists can have their driving licence expiry date synchronised with their birthday from mid-November.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha announced Wednesday that the cabinet approved the move last week to make it easier for motorists to remember the expiry dates of their licence.
"There have been many cases where motorists only realised their driving licence had expired when they were stopped by the police or were in an accident. Now there is no excuse for them to forget their licence expiry dates any more," said Kong at a press conference at Wisma MCA here.

Under the new initiative, motorists whose licences expire after mid-November will be able to extend the validity of the licences to cover the dates in between their expiry date and their birth date.

Under the initiative, motorists whose birth dates are less than six months away from the expiry date of their licence will not be charged for the extra period of validity.

However, motorists who have birth dates that are equal to or more than six months away from the expiry date, will be charged a maximum licence fee of six months.

More in The Star Thursday.

Oil companies get two years to introduce Euro 4 diesel

2011-10-19T17:05:00.000+08:00

The Star, October 19, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: Petroleum companies have been given another one to two years to make Euro 4 diesel available to the public, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.

He said the petroleum industry was still not ready to make Euro 4 diesel available in the Malaysian market.

“Euro 4 diesel is not requested by the automobile industry,” he told a press conference yesterday after attending the 1st Malaysian-German Sustainable Automotive Mobility Conference here.

Kong (left) taking a closer look at the Proton Exora Reev model at the conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

“Many companies like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are not bringing in diesel vehicles to the country,” he added.

On how soon Euro 4 diesel, which is more enviroment-friendly, would be made available in Malaysia, Kong said the International Trade and Industry Ministry was looking into it.

Euro emission standards are enforced throughout the European Union, and the higher the standard (meaning lower sulphur content), the lower the emission of pollutants.

On another matter, Kong said infrastructure that allowed electric vehicle owners to change their batteries needed to be set up to encourage the use of such vehicles.

“Making the shift from fuel vehicles to electric vehicles is difficult without such infrastructure.

“It should allow electric vehicle owners to change their battery instead of charging it and the time it takes for them to do it should not be longer than filling up one’s tank,” he added.

However, he said, there was an insufficient number of electric vehicles in the country presently to require the setting up of the infrastructure.

SOURCE (CLICK ME)

Proton cars get 10-year power window warranty

2011-10-19T16:57:00.000+08:00

Proton cars get 10-year power window warranty

October 17, 2011

SUBANG JAYA: Proton cars are now sold with a 10-year/250,000km warranty on their power windows in a bold step by the company to correct the general misconception of the poor reliability of this component.

Proton managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the Power Window Lifetime Warranty is applicable to all Proton models sold locally from Sept 1.

Proton cars registered before Aug 31 but are still under Proton manufacturer’s warranty are still eligible for the programme.

Owners, however, are required to obtain a valid Power Window System Warranty registration from any authorised Proton service centres.

The warranty covers labour charges and four types of power window components such as power window switch, door regulator, power window motor and run channel.

Owners are also required to service their vehicles at authorised Proton service dealers during the power window warranty period.

“The power window system in our cars are very reliable since we changed the supplier in 2006. However, it was the power window failures in our earlier generation models that had stigmatised our cars even until today.

Items covered by the warranty.

“We hope this warranty programme will fix the perception among the 28 million Malaysians that Proton cars have unreliable power windows,” Syed Zainal Abidin said at a press conference at Proton's Centre of Excellence here today.

The warranty covers early Iswara and Wira models till the latest Inspira.

He said the warranty applied only to locally sold vehicles as Proton cars sold overseas do not suffer from the unreliable power window perception.

Syed Zainal Abidin said there had not been any complaints on power window failures from the Exora, one of Proton’s latest model which was launched two years ago.

He said Proton had strived to improve the quality of its products from time to time and the defects per unit (DPU) on its vehicles had dropped to 0.26 currently from 8.0 in 2006.

“Every manufacturer, even global ones, have a certain degree defects on their vehicles. It was unfortunate that the defects on our cars were usually singled out and amplified,” he said.

Syed Zainal Abidin also related his personal experience with a driver of a Proton Waja taxi who refused to wind down his window when paying toll charges some time ago.

“The taxi driver told me that he had always opened the door to pay toll charges and had never used the power window. His reason was that power windows in Proton cars were prone to failures.

“That remark incensed me and I told the taxi driver that Proton will repair his power windows for free if they break down. I even gave him my business card so he could call me up.

“Till today, I have not received a call from him,” Syed Zainal Abidin said.

END OF ARTICLE. Source (click me)

TOP 6 WORST Protons

2011-10-17T03:47:00.000+08:00

1) Proton Tiara.

Why?
24,000 units sold from 1996 to 2000. How many can you see on the road today? Mostly kantoi. Utterly unreliable and Cramped interior + useless boot. 3 wheel nuts = A JOKE!

2) Proton Juara.

Why?
Ugly as sin (Too boxy). Underpowered 1.1 engine, Impractical fixed 4+2 seats instead of 7 seats as seen in similar sized Suzuki ERV. Also, low rear lights (At Bumper level), what a Joke. No demand = 1 of the WORST Resale value car.

3) Proton Saga LMST.

Why?

Montage above: What I mean by Side bumpers. Saga LMST no longer have them.

Milotin car; They removed the Side bumpers (found in Iswara), Almost 0 safety features (only front seat belts that's all; Bumper drop upon collision. Dinosaur Carburetor engine. Floaty at over120km/h. An irony consider it produced from 2004 to 2008. 1.3 only as they dropped the 1.5 engine.

4) Proton Iswara LOCAL Spec Milotin/ Taxi spec. 1993-2003
Why?
Milotin. Thinner body/steel VS UK-specs. Rust issues (Esp 1993 to 1999), Floaty at over 120km/h. Bumper drop upon collision = USELESS.

5) Proton Waja Campro / 1.8 Renault Engine.
Why?
Campro drinks petrol especially Automatic (RM0.27/km average), slower than 4G18. Difficult to tune/Re-map ECU. 1.8 Renault engine = Unreliable, ultra-high maintenance, Gearbox problem. A pity. Otherwise very high-specced car with Excellent ride and handling.

6) Proton Wira 1.3/1.5/1.6 1994-1999.

Why?
Chronic Rust issues. 1.3 and 1.5 3 speed Auto paired with a Heavy body = Underpowered. 1.6 Auto = Gearbox problem. 2000 onwards = better because they FIXED the Rust issues (Salty glue used for Welding).

Presenting Top 12 Best Protons

2011-10-17T03:11:00.001+08:00

In this blog entry, I'm going to rank (in my opinion) 12 of the Best Protons ever produced. Reasons behind each ranking added.

1) Proton Saga 1.5S/1.5i/Executive 1985-1992.

Why?
Bulletproof Engine (ultra reliable) (My friend's Saga had 1st overhaul at 400,000km!) and 70% Mitsubishi parts. So many still running on the road is a testimony how tough it is. Easy to repair 3 piece Steel bumpers. EXECUTIVE model very spacious had XXL Rear legroom. Orion (1985-87) model already a CLASSIC.

2) Proton Putra 1.8 EXI DOHC 1996-99/Wira 1.8 EXI DOHC Ltd (95-97)

Why?
High revving 4G93 engine. Earlier MMC ECU Batch better. Very stylish (for Putra), Reliable. It's placed higher than Satria GTI due to Practicality both bigger boot and rear head/legroom over Satria GTI.

3) Proton Satria GTI (1998-2000)/1st batch Satria 1.6 (1995-96).

Why?
The former's Worthy of it's GTI Batch. Great Lotus Ride and handling. 1st few batches with MMC ECU tops 210km/h and 0-100km/h in 7.8secs. Late 2000 till 2003 uses Siemens ECU = less powerful 193km/h and 9 secs for 0-100km/h. As for the Satria 1.6, 1st batch, the one with "Original MMC rear lights" (See picture below). Better built.

4) Proton Perdana SEi 1995-1997/ Perdana V6 1998-99 (1st batch).
Why?
Perdana SEi = Eterna. / 1st batch Perdana V6 = Better built quality with 70% MMC parts.

5) Proton Inspira 1.8/2.0P
Why?
Bargain Lancer EX clone (2.0) with better Ride and Handling. Value for money. Though Naza Forte 2.0SX's better equipped @ RM6k more only. Manual 1.8 = Driver's car.

6) Proton Exora

Why?
Spacious Interior (I can fit in 3rd row easily (5 feet 9, 93kg and 38" waistline)), Excellent Ride and handling. Value for money. Let down only by the Underpowered engine and plasticky dashboard.

7) Proton Waja 4G18. 2000-2003.

Why?
Earlier model has better built quality than the 1st facelift (2004). MMC ECU Highly Tunable. Excellent Lotus Ride and handling. Mechanically reliable.

8) Proton Persona (EXCLUDES GEN-2)

Why?
Inconsistent Built quality caused it to placed at #8 though it has Excellent Lotus Ride and handling and spacious interior. Reason why it excludes Gen-2's due to Gen-2 poor headroom, lack of glovebox and worse built quality.

9) Proton Satria Neo.

Why?
Lower position is due to Crampier interior than original Satria, Low front and rear headroom. NOT MEANT FOR ANYONE >183cm (6 footer). Otherwise it's Excellent Ride and Handling car.

10) Proton Saga BLM 2008 to 2010.

Why so lowly ranked?
Inconsistant built quality. Lowly specced (imagine a 2009 car still came with rear self-winding window). NO ABS, Pre-facelift better looking. Automatic drinks fuel. RM0.24/km.

11) Proton MPi/UK-spec Iswara.

Why?
This is MY 1st Car. Owned it from 2000 to 2008. 50% MMC Parts including ECI-Multi engine, Lancer Fiore Dashboard and Fuel tank/pump/cap. Reliable. Thicker body shell (heavier bonnet). Rust issue is the reason why it ranked so low.

12) Proton Savvy

Why so lowly ranked?
Questionable built quality and high maintenance costs (Renault Clio engine). Cramped interior (poor headroom and legroom front and rear and limited boot space. Otherwise Good fun to drive car with excellent ride and handling.

Wait till you see my upcoming post: TOP 6 WORST Protons.

Kia On Tour Test Drive 2011 Finale @ Curve

2011-10-16T23:11:00.000+08:00

I, Jeff Lim went to "Kia On Tour Test Drive 2011 Finale @ The Curve, PJ twice. Once back in Wednesday (1st day) and the other Today 6.30pm. It's Jam Packed with people on my 2nd visit.

The centre of Attention goes to Kia Sportage. Heard from the SA the waiting list stretched to 4-and-a-half month (ie. End Feb) due to lack of AP as it's CBU from Korea.

Initially, I wanted to test drive the Kia Sorento. But 2 1/2 hours wait on a Weekday (Wednesday) turned me off. Second choice, Naza Forte 2.0 were unavailable for test drive. Only 1.6 model available for test drive which I'm not interested.

I was "forced" to logged on my facebook page to "Like" "Kia Malaysia fan page" via one of the 2 Ipads provided. In return, I was given a free Kia Pen and a Kia key chain. (see photos below).

There were 3 hot chicks there, but I have no guts to take photos with them. For each Test Drive, you stand a chance to win the "Grand Prize" of a new Naza Forte 1.6EX worth RM75,800. The winner is "Mohd Ismail" as announced at 8.15pm via Mix FM which were there reporting "Live". DJ Ryan (host), JD and Reefa were there to cover the roadshow from 6pm to 10pm(?).

Well, there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words... Here are the photos:

Above and Next 16 photos below: New Kia Sportage. Waiting lists 4 1/2 months!.

Above and Below: Note the similarities between VW Tiguan and the New Kia Sportage.

Above: Another photo: See how similar the VW Tiguan and New Kia Sportage.

Video below: LAUNCHING of NEW Sportage Youtube video courtesy of BHOnline.

Above and next 19 photos below: Kia New Sorento 2.4 Petrol.

Above: View from the Panoramic Sunroof.

END OF SORENTO Photos.

Above and NEXT 8 photos below: Naza Citra Rondo.

ABOVE: Naza Kia Citra Rondo Specifications (Please Click to enlarge)
END OF Naza Kia Citra Rondo Photos...

Above and Next 15 photos below: Naza Kia Forte:

END OF NAZA KIA FORTE PHOTOS...

MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS:

END OF WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SHOTS...

START OF TODAY 6.15pm shots:

Above: From left: MIX FM CREWS! Reefa, DJ Ryan's back, and "Fierce looking" JD (of the MIX Breakfast show.

Above: LOOK AT THE SUNDAY CROWD.

END OF ALL PHOTOS. That's a wrap... This is Jeff Lim (otoreview's) original work (except the Youtube Video courtesy of BHOnline). Thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry.

Car production bases to remain in Thailand despite floods

2011-10-14T20:20:00.000+08:00

Car production bases to remain in Thailand despite floods

(picture source AFP)

BANGKOK: Despite the floods, car makers will not shift their production bases from Thailand but will only suspend production due to the shortage of auto parts, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

Piangjai Kaewsuwan, president of the Thai Automotive Industry Association, said on Thursday although industrial estates in Ayutthaya province were flooded and automobile and auto parts manufacturers affected, the floods should not prompt car-making companies to move their production bases from Thailand because it was a temporary natural disaster.

Piangjai, however, said she expected the supply of auto parts to drop by 10-20 percent.

She added that the Thai automotive industry should take at least three months to recover and that the actual automobile production should reach at least 1.5 million units this year instead of the annual production target of 1.8 million vehicles.

Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Isuzu companies have so far suspended their production for two days to assess the situation, saying they may source auto parts from China and India instead.

Meanwhile, Anuparp Tadpitakkul, state affairs director of Ford Operations (Thailand) Co, said the company suspended its production for two days to examine its stocks of parts as seven plants were affected.

However, he said he did not think the floods will have an impact on the long-term investment of the company in Thailand.

Some 10 Malaysian companies have been found affected by the severe flooding.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said most of them were involved in the automotive and electrical and electronic sectors.

"Those who are affected operate in the flooded Ban Wa, Rojana and Navanakorn industrial parks," he told reporters after the ministry's monthly assembly in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Thai News Agency reported Deputy Prime Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong as saying that the ongoing flood crisis could reduce the country's GDP growth by at least 0.6-0.9 per cent due to expanding damage to its farm and industrial sectors.

-Bernama(Photo by AFP)

LONGTERMER #4 Vol 1: Perodua MYVI 1.5SE+ Auto

2011-10-14T17:21:00.001+08:00

LONGTERMER #4 Vol 1: Perodua MYVI 1.5SE MultimediaNavi Auto "Lagi Power Lagi Best".

After 1 month and 1 week wait, my dad's new 2nd car had been delivered. It's the Perodua MYVI 1.5SE MultimediaNavi Auto. The car was assigned on 6 October 2011. But my dad told the SA, Jacklyn Tan, "Funds haven't arrived". He need to cough up RM13,000 CASH because he only took RM42,000 5 years loan @ 2.99% by Public Finance.

So far so good, EVERYTHING IS GOOD and Working fine EXCEPT 1 issue. The tyres were Goodyear "Unknown" (looks like NCT5 to me) instead of "Continental CC5" as seen in Showroom car.

Well there's a saying a picture's worth 1000 words. Here are the photos:

Above: Car waiting at Delivery Bay at Perodua Section 19 Showroom.

Above: ALL SEATS still wrapped in Plastics.

Note: Old skool ACID water Battery instead of MF.

Above: Mileage upon delivery "23km". SA Jacklyn Tan's kind enough to give Full Tank.

Above: Car registered on 12 October 2012.

Above: Bonnet soundproofing, below: Donut Spare wheel.

Above: See, other car got this tyre (Continental CC5) our car don't. But the SA said Goodyear is better than Silverstone some customer received.

Hard-to-use Centre rear seat belt. Or is it because of my 38" waistline?

Above and below: What Goodyear tyre is this? Lousy rating, Temperature A, Traction B. "Unknown" model. But looks like NCT5.

Above: Parked at my house garage. Below: The seats plastic covers on the floor after I had the pleasure removing them.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. An Original Jeff Lim's production. My original work. This will be updated every 2 months so see you on 14 December for next update.

Floods disrupt auto production in Thailand

2011-10-13T20:22:00.002+08:00

Floods disrupt auto production in Thailand

BusinessWeek

BANGKOK
Severe flooding has forced a halt to Honda's and Toyota's assembly lines in Thailand that account for about 7 percent of their combined global car production. American automakers Ford and General Motors are faring better.

Typhoon-driven flooding has whipsawed the Southeast Asian country since late July, killing more than 280 people and inflicting billions of dollars in damage. Flood waters from higher ground in northern and central Thailand are now menacing the capital Bangkok.

The disruption to production at Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. comes just as they bounce back from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan that destroyed autos parts suppliers and upended car production around the world.

Source (click me)

SONY MALAYSIA: Please Bring DSC-HX9V

2011-10-12T13:46:00.003+08:00

DSC-HX9V/B

SONY MALAYSIA. Please Bring in this model and priced BELOW RM1400.

16.2 Mega Pixel H Series 16x Optical Zoom Cyber-shot (Black)

Rating:

4 out of 5

Rating Snapshot (2 reviews)

Read all reviews

Write a review

Let yourself go and rejuvenate your passion for photography with the Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V digital camera. Boasting innovative features like Full HD for crystal clear movies, high speed auto focus for dramatically clearer images and Backlight Correction to catch even the smallest details.

3D Still Image and 3D Sweep Panorama
16x Optical Zoom
24mm wide angle Sony G lens
AVCHD Full HD movie recording
Background Defocus and high speed auto focus
Built-in GPS and Compass

Standard Retail Price:
S$ 549.00 * (inclusive of GST) (RM1,318)

DSC-HX9V : H Series : Digital Still Camera : Sony Singapore

I hope Sony Malaysia reads this and bring in this Camera and priced below RM1400. If Singapore can, WE CAN. My Panasonic Lumix TZ7 (12x Optical zoom, 10.1MP) is approaching 2 years next month with 7700 shot counts. The battery life is getting SHORTER and SHORTER. As a result, I'm looking forward to upgrade to this Camera.

Thanks for reading...

OTOREVIEW.MY - Used "otomobil" review...

Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone

SHOP Review: Soon Hin Accessories Shop, Meru

NEW: Otoreview Facebook Fan Page

WANTED: Mazda 6 2.3 S-VT MZR

Proton SOLD to DRB-HICOM. What's next?

The Star Business, Wednesday January 18, 2012

After Proton stake sale, all eyes on merits of deal

Behind the news - By Choong En Han

House 4 cars got break in, items stolen

DRB-HICOM declares interest in Proton

DRB-HICOM declares interest in Proton

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MBPJ above the law? Check this out!!!

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sorry for being inactive, been sick from 3/11 to 8/11. Diarrhea 29 times and vomited all my food on 4/11. Watch this space. I am back. Type using my nokia n79 on opera mini browser hence no fancy photos/graphics.

Longtermer #2, Vol 24: (40th month): Honda Civic FD2 2.0IVTEC

Parts shortage from Thailand forces Honda Malaysia to stop production

Happy Diwali (Deepavali)!

BMW EfficientDynamics showcase at Pavilion, 20 – 24 Oct

BMW EfficientDynamics showcase at Pavilion, 20 – 24 Oct

Report 2: PAULTAN.ORG:

http://paultan.org/2011/10/20/bmw-efficientdynamics-showcase-at-pavillion/

WORKSHOP REVIEW: MAX SHINE CENTRE

Proton eyes world market in pact with Hawtai

CLOSE UP++ Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2CRDI

Mitsubishi Green Technology Roadshow @ 1 Utama

Volvo Roadshow @ Highstreet 1 Utama

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