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Thứ Tư, 25 tháng 5, 2011

Proton Saga FL 1.6 Executive now available – RM46,549

The new Proton Saga FL 1.6 Executive has been announced by Proton today, carrying a price tag of RM46,549 in Peninsular Malaysia, a small premium over the previously range-topping 1.3 liter Executive model’s RM43,298 price tag.

This should be good news for those who have been asking for a high spec 1.6 litre Saga, as previously the 1.6 litre engine was only available for the B-Line in the pre-FL Saga model. This new Proton Saga FL 1.6 Executive is only available with a 4-speed automatic transmission and in a solid white color only.

Other differentiators for the 1.6 litre variant externally are new alloy wheels and the decorative body sticker that you see running across the shoulder line of the car. On the interior, Proton has added dark chrome finishing on the air conditioning outlets, the center panel, the door inner handle, and the steering wheel ring. Safety wise, the Saga FL 1.6 Executive comes with dual airbags for the driver and front passenger.

“The 1.6L Saga should provide car buyers, especially those from the younger generation of purchasers and car owners with an even more attractive, affordable, cost-effective and powerful alternative,” said Proton’s managing director Datuk Seri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin.

Proton currently sells an average of 6,700 units of the Saga every month. Proton expects the new 1.6L Executive variant to contribute an average of 300 units a month.

They are targeting to sell a total of 83,000 units of the Saga (and a total of 173,000 Protons) during the 2011/2012 financial year.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 25 May 11 17:14:16 +0000.

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Thứ Ba, 24 tháng 5, 2011

TRW develops roof-mounted airbag – to be seen in offerings by a major European automaker

TRW Automotive has unveiled a new ‘bag in roof’ airbag system, which it says can replace dashboard-mounted airbags rather effectively. While continuing to afford high levels of protection to passengers, the roof-mounted system frees up deployment space in the dash, allowing for automotive interior designers to offer improved interior design aesthetics and better ergonomics.

The US-based automotive supplier says that the new design concept enhances development efficiency – by eliminating the need to package a passenger airbag in the instrument panel, its ‘bag in roof’ design can significantly reduce the development costs of the dashboard, since there’s no need to develop a specific ‘door’ which opens with the airbag deployment.

Functionally compatible with a wide range of vehicle architectures, the airbag unit comprises a cushion and a gas generator, which supplies the gas to the cushion in the event of an impact. TRW says the product offers easy assembly, with opportunities for standardisation, since some of the components are common to all applications.

The system has been worked on for several years, and in close collaboration in the last two with a major European automaker, which has now awarded a significant production contract to TRW for the system. Wonder which company that might be?

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 25 May 11 03:37:17 +0000.

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Kia planning for a Golf GTI rival with the next-gen Cee’d

A Korean hot hatch? Yes, that is what’s being planned at fast growing Kia, which wants a Golf GTI rivaling halo model for its next generation Cee’d. The Cee’d is a C-segment hatchback sold in Europe with with three bodystyles – five-door hatch, wagon, and a sportier three-door hatch. The hot hatch will be based on the latter, which will debut in 2013, one year after the new five-door appears at Geneva 2012.

“We are preparing turbocharged engines. We are tuning suspension and we are preparing a Golf GTI rival,” Lee Soon Nam Lee, Kia’s overseas marketing director told Autocar UK. The firm’s COO Thomas Oh added that this halo car will not be a loss-making venture. “It must be economically viable in terms of volumes,” he said.

Possible powerplants include Hyundai’s 2.0 litre Theta II turbocharged GDI engine, as seen in the Sonata 2.0T with 274 hp and 375 Nm, but Kia is leaning towards a new 1.6-litre turbo GDI engine, tuned for over 200 horses, in line with the current minimum emissions downsizing trend.

Autocar UK tells us to expect Seat Leon Cupra performance and price. That Volkswagen 2.0 TSI powered hatch has 241 PS, 300 Nm and a 6.4 sec 0-100 km/h time. It’s priced at £22,180 in the UK.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 25 May 11 03:08:26 +0000.

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Perodua Lagi Best

After the Sharing Happiness video i did awhile ago which received really good comments, i decided to do another video again!

*click to enlarge

Perodua is launching their Facebook Fan Page, and are giving out RM10,000 and 5 iPad2 for creative Perodua fans!

Just make a video to show why you’re Perodua’s biggest fan, and upload to their Facebook Fan Page here.

It could be be funny, quirky, meaningful or heartfelt. You can do it with or without a Perodua car. It could be any video as long as you include the line “Perodua, Lagi Best” in your video.

So i did a spoof video of… ok you will see later.

Anyway i’ve been playing Drag Racing on my tab alot and of course it’s nice to look and drool at all fancy cars. But how many of us here can actually afford a Lamborghini la haih i can only afford spaghettini and laici martini .

So naturally Perodua is the natural choice when it somes to pricing and utility. It’s also highly future mother-in-law approved. It’s not economically impossible and most important it’s affordable to maintain. If you run into an accident (choi) also i wish i run into a MyVi lo because that day i reversed into a BMW 5 series and the owner billed me an RM2k bill for a miniscule scratch at the side door .

Also i love spacious cars, ample back seat space so i can chuck all my big handbags behind. So Dumbi’s car is a major frustration.

Until Aud and i have to share seat. Not even share. One of us have to sit on the floor and almost feel the gritty ground brush against your backside .

Anyway!

Here’s my video!

[warning: contains the worst song in the world]

lololol i think it’s very stupid la haha thanks Dumbi for the cameo appearance! The vehicle that he was using is actually borrowed from my apartment’s guard HAHAHHA.

If you like it, please vote for it here!

Also, don’t forget you can also make your own video, and stand a chance to win RM10,000 or an iPad 2!

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Lamborghini to build a ‘daily driver’ third model

Well, such is the way the world works – one eventually has to pander to the demands which scream “daily driver,” even if you happen to be making supercars. According to a report, Automobili Lamborghini is mulling over the addition of an “everyday” model to its line-up, so says its CEO, Stephan Winkelmann.

“We are going to have a third model. It has to be an everyday car. We want to have a car which is able to be used on a daily basis,” Winkelmann was quoted as saying. Of course, the company hasn’t quite firmed up yet in which segment the car will belong to, but he added that once a decision is made, it’ll take about four years to put the new bull on the road.

The report adds that Winkelmann states that Lambo isn’t planning to work with a partner on the new model, but he did also say that the company will use synergies where possible within the Volkswagen group.

In related news, the new Aventador is certainly turning out to be a brisk seller – not due until the second half, but it’s already sold out for the first one and a half years of its production. And, while sales haven’t quite returned to the heady levels of 2007, the company’s record year in which it sold 2,430 cars, Lambo should be well on the way to around 1,500 cars this year, a couple hundred more than in 2010.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 25 May 11 02:47:27 +0000.

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Kenyataan Ahmad Maslan Bukti Umno Dalang Video- Surendran

Dari Keadilan Daily

Kenyataan Ketua Penerangan Umno, Datuk Ahmad Maslan berhubung video seks fitnah merupakan bukti Umno menjadi dalang di sebalik pembikinan video tersebut, kata Naib Presiden KEADILAN, N Surendran.

Beliau berkata demikian mengulas gesaan Ahmad Maslan supaya Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim membuktikan video berkenaan adalah palsu.

“Kenyataan beliau (Ahmad Maslan) menjadi bukti tangan Umno di sebalik video seks konspirasi terhadap Anwar Ibrahim.

“Ahmad Maslan berulangkali membuat kenyataan salah, tidak disokong dengan kenyataan bertanggungjawab berhubung video konspirasi tersebut, yang berniat mencemar reputasi Anwar Ibrahim dan mewujudkan prejudis orang ramai terhadapnya,” kata Surendran dalam satu kenyataan media.

Menurut Surendran, kenyataan tidak berasas itu juga menunjukkan pemimpin Umno cuba memberi arahan dan mempengaruhi siasatan polis.

“Mereka kerap menyalahi undang-undang dengan menggunakan kuasa ini bagi menentang pembangkang,” katanya lagi.

Tambah beliau, harus diingat bahawa pengadu dalam kes fitnah II, Saiful Bukhari Alzan pernah bertemu Presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sebelum mendakwa Anwar.

“Tindak tanduk ini amat tidak sesuai dan mencurigakan bagi seorang Perdana Menteri. Kenyataan-kenyataan Ahmad Maslan kini patut dilihat dalam konteks ini.Mereka berniat untuk menghantar satu mesej jelas kepada polis tentang hasrat Umno dan kerajaan berkaitan hasil siasatan video seks itu,” kata Surendran.

Justeru itu katanya, KEADILAN menggesa supaya kerajaan Umno segera berhenti memperalatkan polis dan agensi undang-undang untuk tujuan politik.

“Kami menyeru Umno dan kerajaan untuk berhenti menggunakan politik kotor dan komplot politik terhadap pembangkang dengan berhujah secara tertib dalam perkara yang melibatkan kepentingan negara,” tegasnya.

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BMW 5-Series GT flops in America, CEO regrets using it as a replacement for the 5-Series wagon

The 5-Series Gran Turismo is one of the more divisive cars in the BMW range, and the controversy is in the looks, or more specifically, that rear end. Making its debut in the US in November 2009, the 5GT has been a sales flop, and the man in charge has shown some regret for bringing it in, according to a report.

BMW of North America CEO Jim O’Donnell also wished the company hadn’t stopped selling the 5-Series Touring. They had expected the 5-Series GT to appeal to those wagon buyers, but whichever few buyers the GT is luring, it’s from the 7-Series market.

“The disappointment I have is that I thought a lot of our 5-Series station wagon customers would go with the GT. In point of fact, that is not happening. We have lost those customers to the competition – mainly to Mercedes-Benz,” O’Donnell said.

“The GT has attracted 7- and 5-Series customers and conquests, but not the station wagon customer we had hoped,” he added, citing that in Florida, 10% of BMW 7-Series owners have replaced their cars with the 5-Series GT. BMW would ideally want Seven buyers to stick with the more expensive car, and not see the “good value” of the GT, which sits on a 7-Series platform.

When the GT was launched in the States, BMW said they expected annual sales of 4,000 to 8,000 units. They sold 2,848 in 2010 and just 720 in the first four months of 2011. One public dealership group has stopped ordering the GT because of slow sales. Other dealers said they sell one or two units a month.

No making the same mistake again, so BMW will keep the 3-Series Touring in its lineup. “We are not giving up the 3-Series wagon because if you give it up, they will go straight to the competition,” O’Donnell said.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 25 May 11 00:29:45 +0000.

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