MY 1st time Driving a Diesel car... I was HOOKED.

On 31 March 2010 (Yesterday), I boldly stepped into Ford Showroom in Jalan Ipoh (Sime Darby Auto Connexion - SDAC) just to find Mr. K H Teh (the Sales Executive I met during SDAC Sunway Pyramid Roadshow 2 weeks back).

Thanks to Mr. Teh, I actually, TEST DRIVEN the Ford Focus TDCI (Turbo diesel model) for a GOOD 35 minutes. Call me Wierd but this is the FIRST TIME in MY LIFE DRIVING A DIESEL ENGINED CAR!  Man, I was INSTANTLY IN LOVE with diesel cars.  Why is it so?

It's because the torque kicked in at a LOWLY 1600rpm (hence Power Easily Accessible).  It won't go up to 2500rpm.  Thus ensured LOW Fuel Consumption.  More on that later.  This is POLAR opposite to Petrol cars where torque normally came in between 2500rpm to 4500rpm.

According to the trip computer, a RM30 (17.7L) tankful is good for 300km.  That's AS GOOD AS NGV Powered and I dare to say very close to Hybrid Vehicles.

Back to the Topic, The Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI.  This car is available only as a Hatchback body (NO SEDAN AT MOMENT) and in 2 colours only, BLACK or WHITE and is priced at RM128,888 OTR (Ie. RM10k extra VS Petrol versions).

Now let me tell you how "FUN" it is to Drive this car.  The soft diesel clatter can be heard at start up, but once you are in the car, it's whisper quiet. The Power delivery is SMOOTH and LINEAR.  It happily cruises around from 1500rpm to 2500rpm around TOWN (Thanks to the 6 Speed DUAL CLUTCH GETRAG Powershift) AND slightly higher 1700 to a LOWLY 2100rpm (at 125km/h) - side note I was "Chasing a Toyota Caldina GT4" and managed to Keep up. This is on a stretch of Jalan Kuching - Duke Highway - Sprint Highway - Jalan Ipoh.  Cheeky me was also "Chasing" an Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 (for 500m before he ZIGZAGGED away (from most right lane to most left lane and turn left) using the Ford Focus TDCI.

The beauty of this car is HOW it HANDLES.  The Handling is Razor Sharp, SWEET.  The car EAT CORNERS for LUNCH.  Thanks to its Unique Control Blade Multilink Rear Suspension.  To complement this, the Focus TDCI also comes with ABS+EBD+BA (Brake assist) +TCS (Traction Control) +ESP (Electronic Stability Program).   More on Safety wise, this car achieved a MAXIMUM 5 star NCAP Crash Rating. and DUAL Airbags.

Under the Bonnet lies a Potent 2.0 DURATORQ Turbo diesel engine with Common Rail Direct Injection producing 134PS@4000rpm AND a WHOOPING 320Nm or Torque at mere 2000rpm.
Acceleration was well within the claimed 0-100km/h of 9.6 seconds.  It certainly feels THAT FAST.  (In fact a FULL 1 Second faster than the Focus 2.0 Petrol version with 4 speed Auto). 
Top speed is claimed 200km/h.

Almost forgot, the Creature comfort of the car.  It came with FULL Leather Seats, Chilled Glovebox, Dual Zone Electronic Climate Control, Rear Air Conditioning vents, Audio control on steering wheel, tilt and telescopic (4 way) adjustable steering wheel wrapped in Leather.  It also comes with 8 way Power adjustable Driver seat, 2 DIN MP3 In-dash 6 Disc CD Changer with 6 speakers.  Lastly, my favourite feature 385L boot space with 60:40 Split Fold rear seatbacks (Useful for IKEA Shopping).

Man, I LOVED THIS CAR.  I wish I got the money to buy this car.  But after 35 minutes, I RELUCTANTLY have to RETURNED the KEY to Mr.Teh (The Only Chinese Sales Consultant in the Jalan Ipoh Showroom).  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Sales Executive.

Without further ado, here's MORE Photos:

Above: Another Colour combination. White with Blue Stripe (Extra RM600). Below, The one I test driven, Black with Silver stripe.

Above: KINETIC DESIGN Body shape.  Below: Wheel size are 6.5Jx16 Alloy with 205/55R16 tyres.

 

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this Blog Entry of mine.  An original Jeff Lim's production.  Ie. My Original Work.  Before I go, here's my Parting shot:

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

Petrol or diesel - which is cheaper? - Introduction

19 March 2010 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why do diesel cars and fuel cost more?

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

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

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

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



END OF ARTICLE.

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