Showing posts with label mazda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mazda. Show all posts

NST-MAI Autoshow 2015 - Highlights of the Autoshow - Proton Pick Up Truck, Haval H2, Mazda CX-3, Cam Caravan and HRH Sultan of Selangor's Vintage cars


The NST-Malaysian Automotive Institute Autoshow 2015 was held over the last weekend. The main purpose of this show was to crown the NST/CBT/MAI's cars of the year 2015. So there were lots of participation from car manufacturers and authorised distributors. Aside from the usual cars displayed, these were the highlights of the show as well as cars that are slightly different and worth mentioning simply because they are new and/or haven't been launched yet.

1. The Proton Pick-up Truck Concept (above) - 
This is here because this is the first time I am viewing this truck. Nice chunky styling and you can see that it is based on the Proton EXORA SUV. It keeps the A pillar and B pillar with a new front end and a truck flatbed at the rear. It still keeps within the Exora's chassis dimensions, hence the short flat bed at the back but if it can fit a pair of bicycles I think this short style is okay. Don't think this would be a challenge to something like the Ford Ranger or an Isuzu as this is smaller than those.. But with these sort of looks, this small pick-up could be a niche market success for Proton. If priced right this truck can succeed. It has looks, some practicality and since its based on something proven like the Exora, should be able to generate sales volume for Proton. I mean, look at it. It does look good!!!!! Niche market Proton.....do remember this and work on it.




2. Great Wall Haval H2 -
 I sat inside the white one below and got the guy from Great Wall Malaysia to start up this Honda HRV sized competitor. The 1.5liter turbocharged engine with 147hp/210nm torque via a 6 speed automatic transmission (normal torque convertor type) is smooth at idle and there is no harsh noise intrusions in the cabin. But this was at the autoshow. No driving experience yet. But it looks promising with the exception to its weight - 1450kg means that it weighs closer to a Honda CRV (1500kg) rather than the smaller HRV (1200-1300kg) but do note that it actually has a wheelbase that is closer to the CRV than the HRV. So it is slightly larger. 




The cabin is well equipped and the plastics used seem to be a mix of soft touch plastics on the dashboard to plasticky quality on the center console. I suppose it is a mix that is acceptable at this price (even the HRV gets away with hard plastics). Equipment levels will be high. Like the small Havel M4 which is being sold with every equipment a car company can throw inside at the price offered. This has a sunroof too. The only thing I find lacking is the steering is not telescopic and only adjustable for height (up and down). Sitting position is very SUV, and like the Haval M4, I would like the steering wheel to be higher up or the seat lower by at least two inches for it to be proper. Of course, 'Proper' here means a seating position that allows attacking corners, not going to the shopping mall or for school runs. And it is a SUV. 

The styling is nice. I think it is distinctive. The styling is a little retro modern, especially with the two tone paint. The white one also looks pretty good. It looks better in the flesh than in the photos. That front grille may seem a little too large but it isn't. The car looks fresh and somewhat European in execution. The people at Great Wall are good at adding elements from other cars and making it their own. This looks like their own design instead of something which is from the front of a Range Rover, the side from a Toyota and the rear of a Volkswagen. This is their own design in my opinion. And a successful one at that. Now at least Great Wall Malaysia has more cars to sell than just the Haval M4 mini SUV.






This should go on sale sometime mid 2016 at the earliest. 300 or so units will be imported (CBU) with local CKD assembly following after that. The targeted price for CKD cars would be between RM85,000-RM95,000. This puts it below the Honda HRV and other small SUVs like the new Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-3 (which you will see below), CX-5 and also the Mitsubishi ASX. It is also slightly larger than the HRV and is actually more C segment SUV than a B segment SUV in terms of size, which is why I am  also comparing it with the CX-5. 


3. Mazda CX-3 - 
The baby Mazda SUV based on the Mazda 2. Looks like a shrunken CX5. This is a good thing as the CX-5 is a good looking small SUV. So now we have an even smaller SUV that looks like it. It should come in at around RM120,000 or thereabouts. I did not ask much about this car but it is due to be launched in December 2015. ExPect it to use the 2.0liter SKYACTIV engine that is already in use in the CX-5 and the Mazda 3,6. There is a 1.3liter turbocharged engine in Japan. But I doubt this would be launched here as since the 2.0liter engine is used here, the economics of scale (spare parts, maintenance etc) would make it the logical choice for BERMAZ (Malaysian distributor of Mazda).



4. C.A.M. Caravan - 
CAM or China Auto Manufacturers has launched their caravan. RM207,000+. Not cheap or affordable for those who usually do this lifestyle stuff.  Based on something called the CAM PLUTUS pick up truck, it has a 2.8 litre turbodiesel engine paired to a manual transmission. Safety features  nclude ABS with EBD, anti-glare rear view camera and rear reverse sensor (which I think is a must on something with no window at the back to see anything. 

This is a brave thing by CAM Malaysia. It costs over RM200K, which means that people who like camping,  fishing, outdoorsy stuff, travelling to places may not be able to afford it. Usually the people who do outdoorsy stuff usually go around in old Mistubishi Pajeros or Toyota Land Cruisers, bought second hand. I also do not see Malaysians doing the European thing by crossing borders and taking extra long summer trips to various countries. I have yet to see Malaysians doing trips to Laos, Cambodia, Northern Thailand except for my superbike riding friends. This pioneering effort by CAM must be observed closely.

And if you are those that follow TOPGEAR, do remember that following a caravan up a windy road to a mountainside resort is extremely painful. It isn't advisable to speed whilst driving one. Imagine saucepans, plates and glassware flying all over the place if you belt it like crazy. So they go slow. So imagine getting stuck behind one going up and down Cameron Highlands. It would be like the UK during summer. Aiyoh!


5. HRH Sultan of Selangor's vintage car collection - 
This was a superb show of his Jaguar XKs and his Peking to Paris car and some other cars used in regional long distance runs too. The old Ford V8 and a vintage MG J2 you see below are beautiful in their own way. A glimpse into the past of motoring. Something to savour.



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Bermaz officially launches the all-new 2015 Mazda MX-5 in Malaysia

Bermaz, the distributor for Mazda in Malaysia has officially launched the Mazda MX-5 Skyactiv with the 2.0liter 4 cylinder engine - one engine here in Malaysia in 6 speed automatic transmission form with the 6 speed manual coming in later. 



This iconic roadster's latest iteration is a marvel in Japanese ingenuity. Mazda officially unveiled this fourth generation MX-5 or ND series late 2014 and is actually a smaller, more purpose built car than the one it replaced. It harks back to the purity of the first generation model. In fact, it is so much closer in size with the one first launched in 1989 rather than the one it replaces. The original MX-5 Miata weighed approximately 960kg. This new one weighs 1080kg. At a time where cars get larger, Mazda keeps making their cars the opposite.

The fourth generation Mazda MX-5 is also 105 mm shorter and 100 kg lighter than the third generation model. The car has the Mazda SKYACTIV technology. There will only be one 2.0liter direct-injection petrol engines without any use of forced induction (very typically SKYACTIV). The  2.0liter makes 158hp and 200Nm torque. As stated above, it now comes with the 6 speed automatic with the 6 speed manual coming in later. 

The cockpit, steering wheel, and infotainment system are very similar to the 2014 Mazda3 as well as the Mazda 2. In terms of size, the MX-5 is obviously small. Smaller than the third generation car it replaces and it somehow feels very cozy and compact when you're in it. Plastics are of typical Mazda high quality but there is a little too much familiarity in terms of dashboard design. I felt like I was in a Mazda 2. Not a bad thing, as the dashboard is well built with good use of nice feeling materials. The fabric roof is manually operated and can be opened/closed within a few seconds. Very easy to operate.

The MX-5 looks good too. Whatever design philosophy Mazda used to design it actually works well. The car is purposefully small and sporty looking. I have also loved the MX-5 and I do have a liking towards the styling of this new one. Mazda has come up with another very well designed car with the MX-5. I have a feeling that the car will drive better than the one it replaced. And that folks, was actually a car I already enjoyed driving.

Prices for the 2015 Mazda MX-5 start at RM226,376.32 on the road with insurance for the automatic. 





PRESS RELEASE 

Mazda MX-5 SKYACTIV.


The Mazda MX-5 SKYACTIV that is being launched today is the culmination of all the benefits of Mazda’s revolutionary SKYACTIV Technology resulting in an already legendary roadster that is destined to be an icon. Mazda has succeeded in making the new MX-5 lighter yet more rigid, more powerful yet more fuel efficient, faster yet safer, and more desirable yet more attainable. The MX-5 carries the Mazda badge proudly. It lives on as the definitive roadster, a truly tough act to follow.

The Mazda MX-5 was introduced to the world in 1989 as a true lightweight sports car. It was a two-seater roadster with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, proven mechanicals and sound technology. With its fuss-free but distinctive styling, the compact roadster weighed merely 940kg.

Badged as the Mazda MX-5 Miata in North America and as the Eunos Roadster in Japan, the MX-5 went on to be the best-selling two-seater convertible sports car in history, as validated by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2000, with total production of 531,890 units. Nearly a million Mazda MX-5s have been sold around the world by July 2014, a remarkable number for a car of this category.

The Mazda MX-5 has won numerous awards including Wheels Magazine's Car of the Year for 1989 and 2005, Sports Car International's "best sports car of the 1990s" and "ten best sports cars of all time", 2005–2006 Car of the Year Japan; and 2005 Australian Car of the Year. The Miata has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list 14 times! The December 2009 issue of Grassroots Motorsports magazine named the Miata as the most important sports car built is the last 25 years. And in the words of Jeremy Clarkson: “The fact is that if you want a sports car, the MX-5 is perfect. Nothing on the road will give you better value. Nothing will give you so much fun. The only reason I’m giving it five stars is because I can’t give it fourteen.”

The success of the MX5 can be attributed to Mazda’s philosophy of Jinba ittai (rider “jin” horse “ba” as one body “ittai”). The Mazda SKYACTIV technology translates this into a reality that can be easily felt with a drive in the new roadster. And with Mazda’s design language Kodo, the MX-5 has evolved from its soft-edged and unassuming persona to a sexy and edgy sports car, with a strong Mazda family theme.

The new Mazda MX-5 was unveiled to the world early this year, to an enthusiastic response. The international media members who had the opportunity to drive it soon after gave it an overwhelming ‘thumbs-up’. It has been raking up record sales numbers worldwide, contributing to a strong revival of the roadster love-affair. The spectacular automotive achievement that is the Mazda MX-5 is now available in Malaysia. 

The new Mazda MX-5 is being offered as a convertible with a soft top, in the pure form of a roadster. A lightweight, automated fully retractable hard top is in the pipeline. Prices will be announced soon.




Owners of past models showed up in force
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