new toyota camry

The Malaysian, New Toyota Camry was recently launched into the market, fully imported from Thailand. The New Model looks bolder, sophisticated and much more aggressive than its predecessors. This time around it doesn’t look that conservative in the eyes of the users. Currently its taking the bulk of the market share amongst it’s competitors.

I personally feel, the New Camry is a class above the rest. It combines both modern elements and high end finishing. After years of being in the Motor Industry, i can safely say that the New Camry is a vehicle that sets a new global standard.

The first thing you would notice in this sixth generation Camry would be it’s stylish and balanced design. Interiors are covered with leather and wood grain trims gives you the sense of prestige(2.0G & 2.4V). Seating inside one of this units will give anyone the feeling of ’spaciousness’ due to its long cabin. Feedback from the people I’ve met also say that they are happy that the New Camry features an all new, plasma cluster air-conditioning system (provides refreshing ions, reduces airborne micro organisms, contaminants and odour particles) with Dual control ability (one temperature for the driver and another temperature for the front passenger) & what more, they get to control all this together with the Audio and Multi Info Display (MID) all at the touch of a button on the steering wheel. Now that is what we call, Innovations of the future.

Even during the earlier models, Camry’s usually do very well, in terms of their sale. I would think it’s mainly due to it’s reliable engines. The New Camry currently comes with two engines, the first one being the 2.0 litre 1AZ-FE and the other being the 2.4 litre 2AZ-FE. Both are 4 cylinder DOHC 16valve engines. It also features the ever so popular Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence which gives the car that vroom power. It is also noted that power and torque for both the engines are amongst the best in its class.

Driving this ‘dream machine’ is such a pleasurable experience. Currently the New 2.4V Camry comes fitted with a new 5 speed Super ECT automatic transmission, it also gives the driver the option of manual sequential shifts when required. However the 2.0E & G has only a 4 speed Super ECT automatic transmission in them.

Needless to say about Toyota’s safety standards, this car comes fitted with the highest level of Active and Passive safety needed in a car.

So try not to be the average Joe when you buy that new car, the accessory shop is where they would go. Remember when you go out shopping for all those extra accessory gadgets, check your warranty first, as not to infringe them. All Toyota vehicles as I know, come with a 3 year or 100,000km (whichever comes first) warranty.

Driving this car around town will definitely get you the looks, if you know what i mean…

Gen2 sales

Proton Gen2 sales in Malaysia since launch in 2004 till September 2007

Naza Forza

‘Forza’ is a popular Italian word which is often used as a cheer to inspire sportsmen, sort of like ‘Charge’ or ‘Go’. Because it is an emotional term, it has also been chosen by Ferrari for its magazine and by Microsoft for a motorsports simulator. Now Naza Corporation has also chosen it as the new name for the upgraded Sutera. In the words of Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Utama SM Nasimuddin SM Amin, Chairman and CEO of the Naza Group, the name suggests ‘a forward move by Naza after the Sutera’.

Officially launched this morning, the Forza is a renamed Sutera, the first entry-level hatchback which Naza introduced less than a year ago. However, it is more than a mere name-change as there are said to be a significant number of changes made to the car. It’s no secret that the Sutera was a model cloned from the Lobo developed by Hafei, a manufacturer in China. Relying on parts from Hafei initially, Naza found that the quality of the imported parts was not high enough and paid a lot of attention to customer feedback and was pro-active in replacing those parts which were not up the standard. This was only a short-term situation as the objective from the start was to localise as many parts as possible and with the Forza, up to 73% of the car is now from Malaysian suppliers.

Additionally, as a demonstration of its confidence in the higher quality of the car, Naza is offering a 3-year warranty along with 2 years of free servicing at authorised Naza service centres.

The overall shape of the Forza is the same as the Sutera, retaining the sharp angles that were penned by Italy’s Pininfarina (which is also the studio responsible for the designs of Ferraris). The obvious changes on the exterior are new headlamps, larger rear lamps, repositioning of the reversing lights to the bumper, and a new 6-spoke design for the 14-inch alloy rims which are shod with 165/55 tyres.

Instrument panel and centre section have been changed for the Forza (Sutera shown on the right)

Inside, the Forza gets a new Blaupunkt audio system which is MP3-compatible and delivers music through six speakers. The instrument panel has also been revised a bit to improve clarity while the fabric trim and colour themes have also been changed to give a sportier ambience. Convenience features include front power windows, electrically-adjustable door mirrors and central locking.

The technical changes are not specified by Naza although it is said that ‘the engineers have ensured that the car has key improvements to provide the keen driver with an enjoyable time behind the wheel’. Presumably, these improvements have been made after reviewing feedback from many of the 6,000 Sutera customers.

For those who may have forgotten the under-bonnet specifications of the car, it has a 1075 cc 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve petrol engine with EFI. The power output is 48 kW/65.2 bhp at 57000 rpm and 88 Nm of torque at between 3000 and 3500 rpm. Only a 5-speed manual transmission is available.

Safety features are praiseworthy for a car of this price class with dual front airbags as standard and a laminated windscreen which will not shatter into a million pieces when hit by a stone ( a crack may form in some cases). Front and rear occupants get seatbelts with the outer two at the rear having the 3-point inertia-reel type. For parents’ peace of mind, the Forza can be turned into a ‘2-door car’ by activating the childproof rear door locks which prevent the doors from being opened from the inside even when they are not locked.

Priced at RM37,999, inclusive of insurance, the Forza has a choice of six body colours – Fusion (a lime green colour), Amber, Gun Metal, Atlantic, Onyx and Satin. A Sportivo version is also available for RM42,288 and this comes with a bodykit, 15-inch wheels, an entertainment system, leather upholstery as well as other accessories.

Rear end has new tail lights with reversing lighta moved to bumper level (Sutera on the right)

Edaran Tan Chong Motor announced that it will be launching an all-new MPV called the Nissan Grand Livina before the end of 2007, there has been much excitement and anticipation. Tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday,19 december 2007)

Recall for Proton Gen2/Satria Neo jacks

Proton has announced a recall of wheel jacks supplied with the Gen2 and Satria Neo after routine tests conducted on a batch of jacks for the models revealed some inconsistencies in the quality of the item which is used to raise the car to replace a puncture tyre (some people actually don’t know that!).

“Proton has time and again stated our commitment towards our customers in terms of product and service quality. Their safety and satisfaction is of paramount importance to us. As such, despite the fact that only selected jacks are affected, Proton is not treating this matter lightly as it involves the safety of our customers. Even though there have been no incidents reported in relation to this, Proton has taken the initiative to recall the jacks and replace them with new ones,” said the company’s Managing Director Dato' Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir.

Only models with jacks in bronze and gold-like colours are being recalled and were supplied with the Gen2s since January 2004 and the Satria Neos sold since April 2006. The models with jacks which are blue in colour are said to have no quality issues and therefore do not require replacement.

Owners of the models with the jacks described are requested to bring their jacks and their vehicle registration card to any authorized Proton service branches and selected Proton service dealers for a free replacement. Hopefully Proton will be flexible enough to provide the replacement in the event the registration card cannot be furnished as some banks retain the document using the tenure of the hire-purchase loan.

Owners who are unsure of the status of their jacks or require further clarification can contact Proton i.Care at 1300-880-888.

The recall announcement certainly marks a change at Proton as it has usually avoided making public announcements of this nature, perhaps due to the belief that such recalls would serve to reinforce public belief that Proton quality levels are poor. However, consumers would generally feel more assured that a manufacturer is pro-active in recalling a product because it shows that the manufacturer cares about the safety of its customers.

While critics may choose to use this recall as further evidence of Proton’s poor quality, the company would probably find that it ‘wins points’ with most owners for showing that it too can have some defects in its products and is willing to admit it, unlike in the past when quality issues were dismissed as 'irrelevant' and the management refused to make public recalls (quietly changing defective parts only when owners came in for servicing). After all, if even Toyota’s Lexus division – which boasts the highest quality in the world – acknowledges defects and announces recalls, why should Proton not be willing to do so?

New TSI Engine From Volkswagen

In these days of high fuel prices, and the prospect of yet even higher prices in the immediate future, the car buyer is more than likely to be interested in vehicles that can provide better fuel efficiency, and better still, vehicles that offer fuel economy without any sacrifice to the power output. Volkswagen Group may have hit the jackpot with their latest engine, the TSI, that uses a combination of a supercharger and turbocharger. The idea of a supercharger and turbocharger combination is not new. Those who are old enough may recall the Nissan March super-turbo, introduced in the early nineteen eighties. The result was a potent little car that went like stink, and it even made the world rally scene. Some of us remember Per Ekland and his March Super-turbo flying through the special stages in the Rally of Malaysia. There was a small difference, however, and that was the fact that at that time, the development objective was to generate more power from an engine, not fuel economy. Today, the TSI is Volkswagen’s version of the supercharger-turbocharger engine. This time, the idea is to make an engine of smaller capacity more powerful, especially at take-off, and then when it is running, maintain high torque characteristics to keep the vehicle going. Underlying all this was the aim to improve overall fuel consumption, and reducing the absolute engine capacity for a given size of vehicle, again in the interests of reducing fuel consumption. Having a small engine is the first step towards improving fuel economy, but this always comes along with the lack of power, therefore restricting the maximum weight of the vehicle. The paradigm was always, small car, small engine, and large car, large engine. The TSI engine has specific characteristics that now allow a large car to be fitted with a small engine. QED. Following the success of their Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) engines that have been successfully utilized in many of their current models, Volkswagen introduced the TSI engine, the world’s first direct injection twin-charger, gasoline engine, designed to not only producing optimum horsepower and driving pleasure but at the same time managing fuel costs efficiently. Dr Hermann Middendorf, Head of Development Department, Volkswagen’s TSI expert from Germany, presented an overview of the TSI technology and the superiority of TSI over conventional gasoline engines. The TSI engine uses a modified injection technique, in which a multi-hole high-pressure injection valve with six fuel exit openings is used. Similar to the FSI system, the injector is located on the entry side between the entry canal and cylinder head gasket level. The amount of fuel to be injected requires a high spread in the flow-through amount; hence the maximum pressure is increased to 150 bar, and the engine runs a compression ratio of 10:1. Although it has a relatively small capacity of only 1.4 litres, the TSI produces an incredible maximum torque of 240 Newton metres, available from 1500 rpm to 4750 rpm. Absolute horsepower is 125kW / 170PS horsepower, a performance level easily matching a 2.0 liter naturally aspirated engine, and a top of the range TSI engine can outperform a 2.5 liter engine with ease. Winning the “Best New Engine” at the 2007 and 2006 International Engine of the Year awards, one of the most sought-after automotive accolades, the TSI engine has a supercharger which is belt driven, will supply boost pressure from off-idle, to increase the torque during low RPM engine speeds, and a the turbocharger that comes to life at the higher RPM range, effectively running dual forced induction mechanisms. Turbochargers need high revolutions to ‘spool’ up before they become effective, and this makes them not so effective at lower engine revolutions. A supercharger, being mechanically driven, does not suffer any lag, and is able to provide power instantly for the initial take-off. At higher engine revolutions, the supercharger begins to lose its effectiveness, due to the drag caused by its mechanical drive, and is electronically disengaged, allowing the turbo to take over the work. To achieve a seamless transfer from the supercharger to the turbocharger, the TSI diverts pressurized air from the supercharger into the turbocharger to ‘kick start’ it every time there is a switchover. This process is continuous and a sealed clutch is used to switch the supercharger on and off when necessary. All the power aside, the main attraction of the TSI engine is its fuel economy. The 1.4 TSI engine’s fuel consumption averages around 7.8 litres / 100km (12.8km/ litre), whereas a conventional 2.0 liter engine, averages a significantly higher consumption of 9.7 liter/ 100km (10.3 km/ liter). This comparison with a 2.0 litre engine is by virtue of the fact that he 1.4 litre TSI has roughly the same power as a 2.0 litre engine. The TSI is more environmental friendly. CO2 emissions have been significantly reduced and are comparable to an engine of lesser output. The TSI engine manages to reduce CO2 emissions from 161g/km to 149g/km, making it more environmentally compliant than its peers. The Volkswagen TSI engine is available in the Golf, Jetta and Touran models in Europe. More than 41,000 Volkswagen vehicles fitted with the TSI engine were sold in a short period of less than a year. The new Tiguan has also started with a version of the TSI engine. Even as we pen this article, a natural-gas powered TSI is being tested on board a Passat – a reflection of the great potential of this unique new economical and “torquey" engine generation. This TSI is one engine that is worth a second look, and Malaysians will see it in 2008 in the Touran, due to come here, and later on in the Tiguan.

8000 Bookings for Proton Persona

Persona, the newborn in the PROTON stable, has received a better than expected response from consumers with over 8,000 bookings since PROTON began marketing the sedan. “We are happy with the response received thus far. We are also touched by our consumers’ belief in us. Two thousand two hundred of them booked the Persona without seeing it during the pre-launch activities and now we have over 8,000 bookings. On behalf of PROTON, I would like to thank all those who have and are continuing to support us. ” Syed Zainal, who made an unscheduled visit to the PROTON showroom in Mutiara Damansara here and personally delivered cars to a few Persona owners, said the enthusiastic response towards the Persona is a testament to the quality of the car. Developed with the PROTON i-CARE commitment to improve every quality aspect -- from design, styling and production to sales and after-sales -- the Persona is a personification of PROTON’s new philosophy of producing the right car for the right market at the right price. “Quality issues previously brought up by consumers have been addressed in the Persona. The PROTON i.CARE initiative was rolled out specifically with this in mind. We want our consumers to know that we are not merely paying lip-service to the You Can Count On Us promise but every PROTON employee, myself included, will strive towards delivering this promise” he added. The Persona, PROTON’s fifth fully built model, with its advanced styling, generous interior and luggage space, practical with safe attributes and value-for-money proposition, is in every sense the pride and joy of not just PROTON but also Malaysia. The Persona is available in five variants - the 1.6 base-line automatic and manual; 1.6 medium-line, automatic and manual; and 1.6 high-line automatic only. The model currently comes in six colours; Blueberry tea, Light gold, Tranquillity black, Metal grey and Solid red. The seventh colour, Solid white, will be made available from September onwards. It is the most competitively-priced model in the 1,600 cc category, with the price ranging from RM44,999 to RM55,800