DRIVEN: Hyundai i10 1.25 Kappa !

Did you know that the Hyundai i10 Colourz comes in seven different exciting colours? Lavender Pink (yes, a striking PINK!), Tangy Orange, Carbon Grey, Aquamarine Blue, Passion Purple, Ice Silver and Peach White. For the girls (or might favour some boys too), a pink i10 will certainly grab the spotlight on the road and turn heads! The i10 comes with two engine choices - 1.1 litre Epsilon engine and 1.25 litre Kappa Dual CVVT engine, both mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The differences between the two are standard two-tone leather seats and fog lamps for the 1.25 litre i10.

Being a UK spec car, the i10 Colourz comes with rear fog lamps, left signal stalk, a rear 3-point center seatbelt and a reinforced body structure. Hyundai's built quality has come a long way since the 90's where people are speculative about Korean cars. The i10 is sturdily built, the cabin feels solid for a car of its class and the plastic used doesn't look and feel cheap.

Cabin space is at a premium. 4 adults will have adequate cabin space, 5 in a squeeze. Thankfully the tall-ish body creates an airy cabin with ample headroom for the occupants. The boot is just large enough for few small bags or simple groceries trip.

The 1.25 litre Kappa Dual CVVT engine with 87PS and 120Nm of torque provides a zippy experience in the city and adequate power on the highway with 3 adults on board, just adequate. Imagine the 1.1 litre Epsilon engine with lesser horsepower (69PS) and torque (99Nm), should be slightly sluggish. The 4-speed automatic gearbox was smooth changing too.

When it comes to refinement, the i10 passed with flying colours. Engine noise, road noise and wind noise were not intrusive while on the go. The firm suspension setting enables good high speed stability and corners to be tackled with confidence but without creating a jarring ride. The i10 doesn't roll much in corners despite the tall body, kudos. The electric power steering, or Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) in Hyundai's term, felt well weighted too. No wonder the i10 is an acclaimed product by numerous automotive journalists worldwide. 

Safety wise, both 1.1 litre and 1.25 litre i10 have the same level of safety equipment. Dual SRS airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX anchors, front passenger airbag can be deactivated, manual headlamps beam adjuster and an upgraded 8-inch rear drum brakes from 7-inch. The i10 nabbed 4-star in EuroNCAP crash test, although it is done with an i10 equipped with more airbags. 

Price of the i10 is a drawback. The 1.1 litre i10 costs RM51,388 while 1.25 litre i10 carries a RM56,988, both on-the-road with insurance. The aging i10 is neither greatly better equipped nor more spacious than our very own Perodua Myvi but is priced about RM10k dearer than the latter. Thus, its closer (and newer) competitors are the fuel efficient Mitsubishi Mirage and the equipment-packed Kia Picanto. If you can wait, the replacement of i10 will be reaching our shore soon, probably in year 2014.

+ Handling, refinement, cheeky styling.
- Price, cabin space, short equipment list.

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Highlights of KLIMS 2013 @ Media Day !

Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) 2013 returned in the limelight after a three-year hiatus. The theme of this year's show is ‘Efficiency in Motion’. I'm grateful that I was able to join on the media day to have a glimpse at the grand event. 

First up is one of our beloved Japanese car manufacturers, Toyota. Toyota displayed 2 out of 5 concept cars available in the KLIMS 2013, namely Fun-Vii and NS4.

Camry Hybrid will be CKD-ed if it is sold in Malaysia. Perhaps National Automotive Policy (NAP) will be announcing some good news soon.

Lexus joined in the fun with the IS F Sport, LS 460L, ES250 and LF-A!

Volkswagen has the largest booth of all manufacturers, displaying more than 10 vehicles in KLIMS!

A 'cut out' model of the Volkswagen Golf to display Volkswagen's engineering, safety and innovation.

Volkswagen has unveiled the Polo 1.6 Hatchback CKD (third locally assembled VW model after Passat and Polo Sedan) in the KLIMS, going to be on sales next year and the price tag should be around RM86k. Two airbags, ISOFIX, Intelligent Crash Response System, RCD 320 radio and Climatronic auto air-cond as standard.

Introducing Blu! Volkswagen's mascot for the Think Blue campaign.

Blu is so cute, I can't stop myself from taking a photo with Blu!

Peugeot 2008 launched, price estimated at RM118k. The equipment list is long - one-touch foldable rear seats, Smart Park Assist, a panoramic roof with mood lighting, auto dual zone air-cond, 6 airbags and ESP, to name a few.

Look ma! A Perodua with boot! It's called the Global Model Sedan (GMS) Buddyz!

Ford unveiled the Ecosport SUV, from RM98k-RM108k. Booking is open now!

Finally it has arrived to our shore, the long awaited Ford Fiesta with 1.0L Ecoboost turbo engine! With 125PS and 170Nm, it has the performance which rivals a 1.6 litre engine. From RM96k-RM98k.

Honda wowed us with the EV-STER, a two-seater convertible, electric small sports car.

Accord Plug-in Hybrid is in KLIMS 2013 too, capable of travelling up to 37.6km in EV mode with a combined fuel economy of 70.4km/L!

This is a huge surprise where Honda Malaysia launched the all-new 5th generation Honda Odyssey here just two weeks after its debut in Japan! Odyssey EX is priced at RM228k while EXV is priced at RM248k. 2.4 litre i-VTEC, second row captain seats with Ottoman, 6 airbags, VSA while EXV has additional LED active cornering lights, Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Monitor, smart parking assist system, multi-view camera system and multi-view rearview camera. A worthy contender of the Toyota Previa (widely known as Estima).

Nissan Note, soon to be launched I guess.

Get ready to be electrified by the Nissan Leaf! Second EV launched in Malaysia after the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Priced at RM168,800, the Leaf is equipped with six airbags, VDC (Nissan's form of stability control) and hill-start assist. It's a big hatchback, with a boot space of 370 litres. So, it's suitable for small families as it's cheaper to run when Malaysia's electric rate is taken into comparison with the fuel price.

Classic cars such as the Dodge Challenger are displayed in one of the halls.

Ford T-Model.

Finally, it would not be an auto show without models!

Looking forward for more models participation of car manufacturers in the next KLIMS!

*UPDATE: Forgot to mention that Proton is absent from the KLIMS 2013 because there is no 'strategic' and big enough space for its booth. Too bad...

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Budget 2014 - No Tax Exemption for Hybrid Cars?

 Budget 2014 was announced earlier today by our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, which covered from the 6% Goods and Services Tax (GST) to aid for low income households. Unfortunately, there is no mention about incentives for hybrid cars in his speech.

Currently, the import tax and excise duty of hybrid cars are exempted, enabling Malaysian to afford hybrid cars at a more reasonable price. However, this benefit is only available up to 31st of December 2013, which is the last day of this year. If the exemption is abolished, Malaysian will not have affordable pricing for some popular hybrid cars such as the Honda Jazz Hybrid at RM90k and Toyota Prius at RM140k, not to mention the luxurious Lexus CT200h at RM170k and Audi A6 Hybrid at sub RM300k price.

 Hopefully some sort of announcement will be made before the end of this year to rectify about this issue. Same goes to the fate of electric vehicle (EV). The tax exemption for green cars should be continued as they produce lesser harmful emission to the environment and provide saving in petrol bill. Let's hope the fate of hybrid tax exemption won't be the same as sugar!

*UPDATE: Good news! National Automotive Policy (NAP) will continue to provide incentives for hybrid cars and Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV).

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2014 Hyundai i10 European version unveiled !

 Hyundai i10 has been critically acclaimed for its peppy handling for a car of its price and A-segment. The 2nd generation of i10 is designed and developed in the Europe and has grown in terms of exterior dimension. It is now 80mm longer, 65mm wider, has 5mm longer wheelbase but 50mm lower than the outgoing i10. Boot space has increased by 10% to 252 litres too, that's larger than 2nd gen Myvi's by 44 litres!

 The European-spec i10 will have climate control, heated leather steering wheel, cruise control and safety features such as electronic stability control and front curtain airbags as standard.

 There's a huge chance that Hyundai will offer two petrol engine options for the European market: a 1.0 litre engine and a 1.2 litre engine. Not sure which engine will be available for the i10 when it reaches Malaysia. Will they be the same (or upgraded) 1.1 litre and 1.25 litre engines found in the current i10?

With a much better styling and most likely better performance and handling, the 2nd gen i10 is set to be another A-segment hatchback to pay your attention to. It's going to face a tough competition from the all-new Kia Picanto, which is planned to be launched in Malaysia in the end of 2013.


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Hyundai Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine !

If you had watched The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalytic drama TV series about a group of survivors trying to stay alive from the flesh eating zombies, you'll notice that the survivors have to search for transportation to get themselves from one point to another. However, since it's a world filled with zombies where car workshops and mechanics are no longer available, the survivors can only rely on cars which are in bad condition and rusty old (I wonder what happened to all the modern cars...).

However, Hyundai has prepared us to face the unfortunate event IF it happens. Designed by The Walking Dead's creator Robert Kirkman, the one-off model of the Hyundai Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine features weapons to fight off zombies! A spiked 'zombie plow', armored windows, a roof opening for shooting purpose, floodlights, CB radio, all-terrain tires and a boot filled with weaponry!

I discovered one weakness - its somewhat long name! Imagine there's a group of zombies heading your way and you shout at the survivors: "Run to the Hyundai Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine!" I bet everyone will be dead before you can finish that sentence!

According to Steve Shannon, Hyundai's American vice president of Marketing, "Our custom Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine is the ultimate car for The Walking Dead fans and anyone who wants to survive a zombie invasion. We are excited for fans to come and experience the Elantra Coupe and GT in a unique, post-apocalyptic way."

I certainly do not hope that a zombie apocalypse will be here anytime soon!!!

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Hyundai Elantra Previewed in Mid Valley !

It was a surprise to see the all-new Hyundai Elantra, which is soon to be sold in our market in Mid Valley! To promote how awesome and equipment laden the car is, labels were all over the exterior of the car to point out the details.

It doesn't need any description on the exterior to point out how attractive the car is! Designed with the 'wind craft' concept of 'fluidic sculpture' direction, the Elantra will be another looker when it hits our street.

Some initial specification of the Elantra include measurement of F/R215/45R17 tyre, 1775mm wide, 4530mm long and a 2700mm wheelbase. The Elantra, which is wearing an Inokom badge, will be available with 1.6litre and 1.8litre engine. The former produces 130PS and 157Nm of torque, while the latter comes with 150PS and 178Nm of torque.


Some equipments revealed on the exterior include VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) which is the combine force of the ESP and the electric steering wheel to aid traction, safety escort lamps, auto headlamps, push-start button, sunroof, reverse camera and 10-way electric seat. However, it is uncertain that which features mentioned will be found in the 1.6litre Elantra.

Estimated price for the 1.6litre Hyundai Elantra is around RM90k while the 1.8litre Elantra will be RM10xk. Its biggest rival will be the Kia Forte, also laden with plenty of features but priced slightly lower than the 1.8litre Elantra for the 2.0litre Forte. What's your say on both?

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KLIMS 2010 (Part 3) !!!

*This is the final part of my visit to KLIMS 2010! Check out my part 1 and part 2 if you haven't!

*Screamingggggg!!!*

I had a chance to snap a photo with the Ferrari 458 Italia! Wanna know why? Keep reading :)


My friend, Qing Kai and I went to Hall 3 and we saw the Batmobile and the huge Hyundai booth.

Hmm... The Batmobile, nothing to shout about :(

Hyundai Avante!

Hyundai Tucson!

Hyundai Sonata!

The left hand drive Hyundai Genesis coupe!

We have to 'like' Hyundai's Facebook page to get its goodies bag, a HUGE one!

It's Supercar time!

Is this a car? It's Batmobile!

Maserati GrabCabrio!

Rolls-Royce Ghost!

Porsche Panamera!

Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV!

Aston Martin DBS!

Guess who worked in KLIMS as a model? Kate!

Ferrari Carlifornia!

Ferrari 458 Italia!

While checking out the Ferrari, the emcee for the company mentioned something about charity where you pay RM15 to take a picture with one of the supercars above.
Since I love car so much and it's for charity, I decided to take a picture with the red hot Ferrari 458 Italia!!!

A photo that worth a thousand dollar to me :)

Then we visited the last booth where Toyota, Honda and Lexus were in. It's GREEN time!

Toyota FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept!

Toyota Prius!

Honda Insight!

Honda CR-Z!

Lexus LS600h-L!

In the Lexus RX450h!!! Wish I can own one XD

Although KLIMS 2010 is a success, there are something that still doesn't satisfy me in this event:

• Since this is a 'go green' event, I didn't saw Chevrolet Volt in the Chevrolet booth despite a banner of it was hung on the wall.
• Limited new cars were launched in KLIMS like Peugeot 5008 and Kia Sorento. Proton Saga facelift is not launched on KLIMS yet!
• Where are BMW and Mercedes? It should be interesting for BMW to demonstrate its EfficientDynamic technology and Mercedes to show its BlueEfficiency technology!
  

Despite these minor flaws, I'm still looking forward for next year's KLIMS, wish it will improve each year!

Drive hybrid! Theme of KLIMS 2010: "We Care"!

• For more pictures of this part 3, please visit my Facebook photo album!

• Well, there's a bonus entry coming soon on the sexy models of KLIMS! Stay tuned!

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