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FOR AN EVOLVING AUTOMOTIVE LIFESTYLE

SUV.4X4.MPV

LY RM9.80 BRUNEI B$4.50 / SINGAPORE SGD$4.50 AVAILABLE AT MPH BOOKSTORES

DWAYNE‘THE ROCK’

JOHNSONCELEB & CARS / 74

s4m_magazine S4M

ISSUE 2, 2016KDN PP15970/11/2012 (031150)

RFC 2016 QUALIFIERS:INDIA, RUSSIA

MOTORSHOW:BANGKOK HIGHLIGHTS

COMPARO:CX-3 vs HR-V

ONE LAST RIDE

9 772232 162009

02

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Join us on

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Hill Start

Assist (HSA)

Hill Descent

Control (HDC)

Vehicle Dynamic

Control (VDC)

7” Multimedia Navi

with Smartphone

Connectivity

Function**

4-Wheel

Active Brake

Limited Slip

7-Speed Auto

Transmission with

Manual Mode

1 S T I

N I T

S C L A

S S

Multi-link Rear

Suspension

1 S T I

N I T

S C L A

S S *

2.5L VL Turbocharged 4WD | Max Power 190ps / 3,600rpm | Max Torque 450Nm / 2,000rpm

2.5L V, SE, E, S/C Turbocharged 4WD | Max Power 163ps / 3,600rpm | Max Torque 403Nm / 2,000rpm

www.np300navara.com.my or call 1800 88 3838

*The 1st Japanese pickup with Multi-link Rear Suspension in Malaysia.

**Available as an option.

Actual car specications may vary from model shown.

Terms and conditions apply.

First, we introduced you to the Mother Trucker. Now, meet its next-generation successor, the All-New NP300 Navara. Featuring the Shift-On-The-Fly 4x4, you may take on any terrain in total condence and ultimate comfort with Zero Gravity Inspired Seats andRear Air Conditioning Vents.

Experience the superiority of the All-New NP300 Navara now at your nearest Nissanshowroom.

Scan to watchThe Ultimate Escape

Max Power

3,600rpm

163psMax Torque

2,000rpm

403Nm

3-year/100,000km warranty, whichever comes rst.

Terms and conditions apply.

The

PERFORMANCE INNOVATION ENDURANCE

The

PERFORMANCE INNOVATION ENDURANCE

ALL-NEW

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ISSUE 2 20164FOR EVOLVING AUTOMOTIVE LIFESTYLE

CONTENTS

Publisher & Editor Yamin Vong

[email protected]

Copy Editor Anthony Raj

[email protected]

News Editor

Vishal Bhaskaran

[email protected]

SalesJoseph Raj

+6012-300 4343

[email protected]

Je R.S

6012-300 7668

Creative

Farah Atiqah [email protected]

Published byBIG FISH Publishing Sdn Bhd

(707005-T)(KDN PP15970/11/2011)

Circulation SalesRamamorthy

+017-201 0225

[email protected]

Mailing Address12A Jalan Rimba Riang (9/5A)

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Distribution

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and BruneiMPH Distributors Sdn BhdGround Floor Warehouse

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www.s4m.com.my

FOR AN EVOLVING AUTOMOTIVE LIFESTYLE

SUV.4X4.MPV

NEWS

AUDI Q2

SILK WAY RALLY

ISUZU PUCHONG

MAXUS G10 MPV

SPECIAL FEATURE

LAND ROVER DEFENDER

FEATURE

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT

TECH & INNOVATION

AUDI SQ7

COMPARO

HONDA HR-V vs MAZDA CX-3

MOTORSHOW

37TH BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL

MOTORSHOW

TEST DRIVE

BMW 220i GRAND TOURER

LEXUS LX570

TOYOTA AVANZA 1.5S

OFF-ROAD

HONDA CR-V WEEKEND

ESCAPE

FORD RANGER DRIVE

SHEMUD 2015

RFC QUALIFIERS:

INDIA

RUSSIA

CELEBS & CARS

DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON

PRODUCT

PETRONAS DYNAMIC

XPERIENCE

CLUB SCENE

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER

JUNGLE JAM

8

12

14

10

22

32

20

34

16

40

44

50

52

56

60

66

68

74

76

70

40

34

74

22COVER STORY

60

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5FOR EVOLVING AUTOMOTIVE LIFESTYLEISSUE 2 2016

EDITORIAL

DEFENDER TRIBUTE AND MORE BY VISHAL BHASKARAN

YES, we did it. In the precedingissue of S4M we bid a fond farewell

to the Land Rover Defender – acar which I have managed toexperience in its current, and nalmechanical set-up – as productionended earlier this year.

But a magazine like thiscouldn't just give such a legendof the off-roading world a fewparagraphs in an editorial and callit a day, no sir.

In this issue we have 10pages dedicated to the Defender,including a story from managing

editor Yamin Vong about howLand Rover stepped in to give hima slightly more achievable versionof his own Unnished Journey.

We’ve said it before and we’llsay it again, if you were ever on thefence or if owning a Defender hasalways been a dream, get one now;especially since JLRM only hasabout 100 units left as of May Day.

This is a piece of history youroff-roading garage will be quiteempty without and who knows,after you’ve passed it down a

couple of generations it may even become worth a lot more than you

bought it for. Another old-timer we’re

celebrating this time is the ToyotaLand Cruiser, for which in theClub section you’ll nd our storyon the Land Cruiser Jungle Jam

weekend getaway organised by theLand Cruiser Fans Malaysia.

From the 40-Series tothe 100-Series, it was a heart

warming sight for writer Dinesh Appavu – who owns a rareFord Ranger 2.2 Wildtrak so weassume he knows his 4x4s – anda welcome change from the many

new SUV and pick-up truck mediadrives we attend.Not complaining of course,

but when an event of such scaleis organised for the forefathersof the trucks we drive now it’s anostalgic and humbling reminderof what inspired the machines oftoday. We hope you enjoy readingabout it as much as we enjoyedattending it.

Safely does it You can spot them a mile away

most of the time, with a huge gap between them and the car in front

and sometimes veering out of laneonly to swerve back in violently

every few seconds. Are these drivers drunk?No they’re not, they’re on their

phones. The effect, however, ispretty much the same.

There was a time when the biggest crime on the road wastalking on the phone whiledriving. Of course, this was back

when Bluetooth connectivityhadn't become mainstream so

you would have one hand on the wheel while the other held the

phone to your ear.It’s a lot worse now. Textingor browsing social mediaapplications while driving mayseem like small distractions buta few seconds of looking at ascreen instead of looking ahead ismore than enough time to cause aserious accident.

No reaction is a whole lot worse than a delayed reaction.

So be conscientious, put yourphone away or mount it up if youneed Waze open. And as always,

drive safe and enjoy the S4M wayof life.

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Write to us. We would love to listen to your

views and your complaints.

We are oering RM100 and a T-shirt for

the winning letter. Writers of other letters

published will get a T-shirt.

Editor

S4M [email protected]

SUV.4X4.MPV

WRITE TO

LETTERS


BLUE POWER FORMALAYSIAN ISUZUS?

I CAME across an article on the D-Max and

MU-X available in Thailand and was surprisedto learn that they have 1.9-litre variants.

Will Malaysian motorists be offered thisengine choice soon?KANDASAMY,Damansara

Reply:ACCORDING to Isuzu Malaysia there are noimmediate plans for this in the pipeline and thecompany cannot reveal more than that, and wecan understand why.

The numbers for the new 1.9-litre Ddi Blue

Power mill are impressive, 16hp and 30Nm morethan the current 2.5-litre at 150hp and 350Nmfrom an engine 600cc smaller and 20 percentlighter, while being 19 percent more fuel efcientto boot.

This new clean diesel engine, however, would need to be fed equally clean diesel. IfEuro 5 diesel availability increases and IsuzuMalaysia can make a case for this engine variant,hopefully we’ll get it too.

I’M young (early 30s) and have

so far managed to make do withseveral second-hand Malaysian-made salon cars that are somewhatlacking, not because of their age.

Pick-up trucks have alwaysappealed to me and I have savedRM40,000 for a down paymentplus whatever I can get from thesale of my salon car.

Stories of driving across off- beaten tracks, up a mountain trailand into the jungle appeal to methough for now I would only beable spare a few weekends for it.

What pick-up can I afford?

S.B. ESPECKERMAN,Shah Alam

Reply:

WITH a downpayment of thatsize, its safe to say most if not atall pickup trucks available here are

within your reach as you haven’tmentioned a budget. Honestly, we

would go big or go home with theFord Ranger Wildtrak at roughlyRM132,000. If you aren’t ableto spend many weekends in the

rough, the Ranger is the one you

want as it is the most car-like in

its segment. If you regularly gooff-road, we would recommendeither the D-Max or the soon-to-

be-launched new Hilux, but if youspend most of your time in the cityand you don’t plan on enteringany off-road competitions with itand only indulge in what seemsto be mild off-roading at best, theRanger is hard to beat. Also, thereare two big Ranger communities inthe form of the MFRC and FROCif you feel inclined to join theirdrives and expeditions. Happy

Trucking!

GO BIG ORGO HOME

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NEWS / AUDI Q2

AUDI Q2:MADE

FORTHE YOUNG

THE Audi Q2 SUV made its debut at the 86thGeneva International Motor Show in March andcompany executives have said that the car was built

with the young in mind.“We have developed the Q2 specically for young

customers,” said Audi AG chairman Professor RupertStadler.

“Despite its inclusion within the Q family, its looksclearly distinguish it as a model with independenceand attitude, blending the technical expertise ofour brand with a high level of everyday utility andemotional character.”

First up, an octagonal Audi trademark Singleframegrille with large air inlets forms the Q2’s face.The low rooine that ows and merges into the

C-pillars with colour offset blades further highlightsthe sportiness of the Q2 with the rear of the vehicle

wrapping up in a dynamic manner with a long roofspoiler and a sporty diffuser.

One major characteristic is that the driver’s seatposition is sporty and low in relation to the steering

wheel, much like in an Audi sedan.The Audi Q2 receives a standard MMI screen

that is positioned high on the instrument panel, andtogether with the MMI navigation plus and MMItouch, the user also gets a touchpad on the central

control element.The free Audi MMI connect app enables online

media streaming and transfer of a calendar from asmartphone to the MMI. The app for iOS operatingsystems also comes with the myAudi destinationsfunction.

Apart from the optional Audi virtual cockpit andthe heads-up display, the driver assistance systemsfor the all-new Q2 come from the full-size class,including the Audi pre-sense front, which comes asstandard.

The system detects obstacles such as other vehicles and pedestrians crossing in front of the

vehicle and, if necessary, it can initiate hard brakingto a standstill at low speeds.

Other safety features include adaptive cruisecontrol with Stop & Go function, trafc jam assist, thelane-departure warning system Audi side assist, thelane-keeping assistant Audi active lane assist, trafcsign recognition and parking and rear cross-trafcassist.

The Q2 will be sold with six different engines: A1.0-litre three-cylinder TFSI (116hp), 1.4-litre four-cylinder TFSI (150hp), 2.0-litre four-cylinder TFSI

(190hp), 1.6-litre four-cylinder TDI (116hp) and2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI (150hp and 190hp).

Looking good…the Audi Q2 is also a performer and you can choose from six

dierent engines to power this SUV.

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NEWS / SILK WAY RALLY

MOSCOW-BEIJINGHERE WE COME

Team Peugeot Total’s 2008DKRs to hit the 10,000-km trail

TEAM Peugeot Total, after its momentous Dakar victory in January, is now preparing to take on thelegendary Moscow-to-Beijing Silk Way Rally on July8-24.

Stephane Peterhansel-Jean Paul Cottret, CyrilDespres-David Castera and Sébastien Loeb-DanielElena will be the crews carrying Team Peugeot Total’schallenge.

Maxime Picat (Peugeot Brand CEO), Li Haigang

(Dongfeng Peugeot general manager), Mathieu Vennin (Dongfeng Peugeot deputy general manager),Bruno Famin (director of Peugeot Sport) andStéphane Peterhansel announced Team PeugeotTotal’s participation at the Beijing International

Automotive Exhibition on April 25.Just under a year on from the China Silk Road

Rally – which saw Peugeot claim a one-two nish –and following the 2016 Dakar Rally that was won byPeterhansel-Cottret, Team Peugeot Total is preparingfor more cross-country rally action in China.

They will use the event to gain more cross-countryrally experience in extreme conditions.

Current Team Peugeot Total driver Carlos

Sainz won the event in its rst two years. In 2011,Peterhansel nished second.

Following a two-year hiatus in 2014 and 2015, this year’s Silk Way Rally will visit Russia, Kazakhstanand China via a 10,000-km route featuring 4,500competitive kilometres divided into 15 stages.

“This is another extremely exciting event for us,”said Famin.

“We have no prior competitive experience in eitherRussia or Kazakhstan but we expect to nd portionsin China that are similar to those we visited last year.

“It promises to be an event that tests both ourhuman and sporting strengths to the absolute limit,and we are delighted to be tackling the Silk Way Rallyfor the rst time.

“We will approach this new challenge with all duehumility and respect. That said, following our Dakarsuccess earlier this year, it goes without saying thatour sights will be set on victory.”

The three Peugeot 2008 DKRs entered for theSilk Way Rally all contested the 2016 Dakar and willincorporate several evolutions aimed at overcomingissues that arose at the Dakar.

The major change – and one of the mostchallenging – will be the integration of air

conditioning into the cars.

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NEWS / SILK WAY RALLY

Peugeot Sportdirector BrunoFamin and the Dakarcrews who will nowfeature in the 2016Silk Way Rally.

TECHNICAL DATA OF THE PEUGEOT 2008 DKR

● 2008 silhouette on a tubular chassis, rear-wheeldrive● 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine (DT20)● Power/torque: 350hp/800Nm● Six-speed sequential non-synchromesh gearboxsuspension travel: 450mm● Tyres: Michelin 37-inch (94cm) wheels

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NEWS / NEW ISUZU SHOWROOM


SV Prestige sets up second Isuzu 3S centre

ISUZU COMES TO PUCHONG

ISUZU Malaysia ofcially opened the doors to itsPuchong 3S centre at the end of March, its 31st suchcentre in the country.

The Puchong 3S centre is managed by SV PrestigeSdn Bhd which has over 30 years of experience in theautomotive industry.

SV Prestige made its mark in the used car business

before becoming a dealer, setting up its rst Isuzu 3Scentre in Balakong in 2014.

Within two years, it expanded its services inPuchong to serve the customers in the vicinity.

In 2015, SV Prestige Auto received two awards forstellar performance; one for Isuzu Forward Giga salestarget achievement and another for most improved

year-on-year sales for the Isuzu D-Max pickup truck.Isuzu chief executive Kenji Matsuoka, speaking at

the opening of the Puchong centre, highlighted thecompany’s efforts and measures to provide bettersupport to increase customer satisfaction.

The after sales measures include assigning

dispatch engineers for eld services, enforcingstreamlined policies for after sales processes, andparts distribution and service training systems.

Top: The latest Isuzu D-Max makesa proud statement at the openingof the Isuzu 3S centre in Puchong,Petaling Jaya.Above: Just a call away… you caneasily make an appointment toservice your Isuzu vehicle.Le: Kenji Matsuoka, Isuzu’s chiefexecuve in Malaysia, says thePuchong 3S centre is part of thecompany’s eorts to serve Isuzuowners.

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FAMILY MPVs with a double-digit seating capacity,such as the 11-seater Hyundai Grand Starex Royale,are hard to come by, but late April Weststar Maxusrevealed its 10-seater people mover, the WeststarMaxus G10.

The name says it all. The large MPV was designedand made to be the ideal family transporter withplenty of cabin space to accommodate up to 10passengers and exible seating.

The MPV has full leather seats, dual airbags,

ABS with electronic brake force distribution, reversecamera with parking sensors, a keyless entry system,among other safety features.

Powered by a 2.0-litre TGi engine with 225hpof power and 345Nm of torque paired with a ZFsix-speed automatic transmission, the G10 is alsoavailable in three colours: Champagne Gold, Blanc

White and Obsidian Black.It is understood that Weststar Maxus is targeting

to sell at least 500 units of the G10 this year. So far120 units have been booked.

“Our sales target for the G10 this year is 500units and we are condent that this model will be

the premium family choice in this sector,” WeststarGroup managing director Tan Sri Syed Azman said at

the launch.It was revealed that CKD operations for the van

would begin as soon as September in Klang, as thecompany has plans to export the G10 to the region bynext year, starting with Indonesia.

For now, the G10, brought into Malaysia fromChina, are the Luxury 16-inch and Sport 18-inch –

priced at RM135,825 and RM138,742 respectively(OTR without insurance).


NEWS / MAXUS G10 LAUNCHED

Weststar Group managingdirector Tan Sri SyedAzman said local assemblyof the G10 will beginin September.

AFFORDABLEORIENTAL10-SEATER

China’s Maxus G10 MPV

priced less than RM140,000

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NEWS / 2017 VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK

THE China-only MazdaKoeru/CX-4 debuts at the14th Beijing InternationalAutomotive Exhibition (AutoChina 2016).

ABT celebrates its 120thbirthday with a specialedition VolkswagenTransporter T6 120. How’sthat for a team bus?

LINCOLN unveils theNavigator Concept at NYIAS2016, complete with gullwingdoors and not one but threesteps for the classiest ofingress and egress.

UK-BASED Severn ValleyMotorsport (SVM) continuesshoving GT-R enginesinto Nissans. Feast yourdisbelieving eyes on theconcept-stage 800hp

Navara-R.

S4M SNIPPETS

THE enticing forbidden fruitfor the Malaysian pickup truckcustomer, the Volkswagen Amarokhas been given a refresh for 2017

with “the latest Volkswagendesign” by the German automotivemanufacturer.

The exterior is more angularand does away with some of therounded shapes and lines to matchthe current VW family’s folds-and-edges design, while in an earlierrender the updated dash featuringa more current infotainment

system. Volkswagen’s Commercial

Vehicles division said in astatement that the new face will“emphasis the powerful Amaroklook” and that it will “becomemore attractive to former SUV

buyers” thanks to the plush andpremium new interior.

The big news? VW has added anew Euro 6-compliant 3.0-litre V6TDI in 161hp, 202hp and 224hpoutputs with an impressive peaktwist of 550Nm from 1,500rpm- an increase of 130Nm from the2.0-litre TDI currently in use

which will soldier on as a baseoffering.

VW LATEST AMAROK REVEALED

Amarok... in all its splendour.

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MOTOR SHOW / 37th BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW

GEMS FROM

THE LANDOF SMILES

BY ADELA MEGAN WILLY

THAILAND has been christened “TheLand of Smiles” for several reasons: thefriendliness, the kind gestures of the peopleand, of course, the ready smiles that greet

you.The extent to the truth in that it is

justiable, and the recent line-up at theongoing 37th Bangkok International MotorShow was capable of plastering a smile onthe face of yours truly although truth betold, this year’s series lacked a few of the

bells and whistles that rendered last year’sshow more memorable.

Having said that, in typical fashion,manufacturers rolled in some of their latestproducts including a luxurious bespokemodel that was crafted using the elephant(which is the symbol of the Thai nation) as asource of design inspiration, existing models

which were given nips and tucks as well asa concept model which looks every inch of amachine seen in a science ction lm.

TOYOTA C-HR

A COLLEAGUE said, “The C-HR is going to bethe next big thing… and the HR-V is pissing inits pants.”

Boring name aside (C-HR is short for“Coupe High Ride”), the crossover will be builtusing the same platform as the ongoing Prius.

It will be available in Europe in two variants: 1.8-litre hybrid which churns out120hp and 1.2-litre turbocharged pumping out133hp (paired either with a six-speed manual orCVT).

ISUZU MU-X BLUE POWER

THE Isuzu MU-X Blue PowerSUV stormed into the show withits brand-new 1.9-litre Ddi Blueintercooler turbocharged dieselengine.

Paired with a choice of asix-speed manual or Rev-tronicautomatic transmission, thepowertrain, which replaces theprevious 2.5-litre diesel engine,gives out about 148hp of powerand 350Nm of torque.

However, the 1.9L MU-X isonly available in the 4x2 variant.

Of course, 4x4 inclinedcustomers may opt for the range-topping 3.0-litre MU-X, whichis equipped with reverse parking

camera, cruise control, an 8-inchinfotainment screen as well asauto dimming.

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CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZERPREMIER CONCEPT

THE Trailblazer recently wentunder the knife, resulting in afew visual changes although itsengine line-up is expected toremain unchanged: 2.5-litre and2.8-litre Duramax diesel. It isunderstood that certain MiddleEastern markets could continue

to receive the Trailblazer withthe 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine.On the safety front, the bow

tie brand has equipped theTrailblazer concept with traction

control, ABS with ESC and brake assist, hill start assist, hilldescent control, front airbags as

well as engine drag control.Chevrolet will be releasing

more details on its upcomingSUV by the end of this year,

when the model is delivered toshowrooms worldwide.

Until then, there will be

seven colours to pick from:Switchblade Silver, Royal Gray,Blue Mountain, Auburn Brown,Sizzle Red, Black Sapphire andSummit White.

CHEVROLET COLORADO

XTREME CONCEPT

IF there is one thing that wouldserve more purposes than a pick-up line, it would be a pick-uptruck, really.

Making its debut at the 2016Bangkok International MotorShow, the Colorado Xtremeconcept is a mean looking, off-road ready matte orange machine

with accessories granted anddesigned by Australian automakerHolden.

With pronounced hood scoopsand a front end geared towardsground clearance, the Coloradoimpressed with the 18-inch,all-terrain tyres and large fenderares.

A custom bedliner receivesadjustable tie-down tracks, whichare extended to the lift gate and anintegrated spare wheel mount holdtools.

It comes with a winch, bull bar,off-road LED lights, skid plate,

roof rack and emergency retrievalkit, among other equipment.

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BY ADELA MEGAN WILLY

THROW in the innovative X-mode traction system,upgrade the suspension and enhance the looks and

you have a tastefully face-lifted Forester SUV.The 2016 Subaru Forester was launched at the

37th Bangkok International Motor Show in Marchand the compact crossover looks to be a winner.

What is Subaru signicant to Malaysia is thatthe 2.0i and 2.0i-P variants with boxer engines andLineartronic CVT are already being assembled at TanChong’s Segambut plant in Kuala Lumpur while theextra powered 2.0 XT turbo will be imported fromJapan.

Subaru fans can now prepare the paperwork andarrange for the nance to buy the Forester. TanChong International who handle the Subaru brand inMalaysia, decided on the pricing last month: the 2.0i,2.0i-P and 2.0XT will cost RM144,160, RM153,700

and RM210,940 respectively. The prices include GST but not insurance.

The Forester’s X-mode traction system increasestraction and control of the vehicle on harsh roadconditions: an all-wheel drive system, vehicledynamics control and hill descent control.

Among other upgrades and extras are animproved suspension which has been tuned to further

rene the Forester’s ride and handling while NVHis improved with additional sound proong, and theusage of thicker glass on the car’s windows

There is steering responsive headlights, brandnew grille, taillights and rims, enhanced cabin with apremium head-unit and LCD cluster display.

The i-P and XT give access to their drivers andpassengers without using the key fob via a PIN code,

which when entered correctly will unlock the vehicle’sdoors.

SUBARU VIZIV FUTURE CONCEPT

THE Subaru Viziv - vision for innovation - FutureConcept in Bangkok was what it was all about: thefuture.

Having come out with three earlier such concepts,the AWD Viziv is tted with next-generationtechnologies and design solutions.

The Viziv is highly aware of its surroundingsthanks to a combination of advanced sensors andsystems.

With support from the GPS system and vehicle-to-external communications, sensors allow for automatedhighway driving and automated parking capabilities.

Hybrid power comes from a single electric motormounted concentrically on the rear axle and a next-generation downsized turbo engine.

FORESTER

WEARS IT

WELL

FORESTER

WEARS IT

WELL


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# L i v e F r e e

Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland®

Legends of their own accord, unrivalled in their class for grand performance, pure magnificence and sheer luxury.

Break Through with supreme capabilities and elegance.

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• 3.6L V6 Engine with 8-Speed Automatic Transmission (AWD) • Bi-Xenon Headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps

• Uconnect® 8.4” Touchscreen Navigation Radio/MP3/USB Port • Quadra-Lift™ Air Suspension** • Open Pore Wood Accents**

• Leather-trimmed Instrument Pane l, Door Trim and Centre Armrest with Detailed Stitching** • 20” Aluminium Wheels**

• CommandView® Dual-Pane Panoramic Sunroof • Quadra-Trac II Active Full-time 4WD System

*Vehicle shown is Jeep Cherokee Overland ® and may differ from vehicle sold. **Vehicle specifications may vary accordingly. Available on Jeep Cherokee Overland ® .

BREAK THROUGHTHE original. THE LUXURY.

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NEW GRAND CHEROKEENEW GRAND CHEROKEE

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Call now and test drive one today. I 1800 88 JEEP (5337) I www.jeep.my I Jeep Malaysia

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ELECTRIFYING

TECH AND INNOVATION / WORLD’S FIRST ELECTRIC TURBO

SQ7 Audi’s world-rst electric-powered compressor seesthe SUV’s V8 producingan awesome 435hp and900Nm of torque

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FOLLOWING the success of thediesel Audi SQ5, the Ingolstadt-

based company has just taken the wraps off its all-new Audi SQ7

Not only do the gures makeit the “most powerful diesel SUVon the market”, Audi can, withthe SQ7 capable of 435hp and apsychotic 900Nm of torque fromits 4.0-litre V8 engine, lay claim to

being the rst carmaker to employelectrically-powered compressorsin a turbo engine.

The SQ7, the lightest contenderin its segment, has a supporting48V sub-system for the turbos

which come into play in less than250 milliseconds, making lag

virtually non-existent.The advantages of having

turbos that don’t suffocate exhaustow are thus: an estimated NEDC(new European driving cycle) fuelconsumption of just 7.4L/100kmand CO2 emissions of 194g/km

while 0-100km/h is done in amere 4.8s on to a top speed of250km/h.

Audi offers the SQ7 TDI with

an optional driving dynamicspackage that offers threetechnology modules: sportdifferential, electro-mechanicalactive roll stabilisation and all-

wheel steering.The electro-mechanical active

body roll stabilisation uses acompact electric motor with athree-stage planetary gearboxseparating the two halves of thestabiliser.

On an uneven road surface,they are actively de-coupled from

one another, resulting in improvedride comfort, according to the

German carmaker.During sporty driving, the

tubes are interconnected andtwisted against each other. Thatsignicantly reduces body roll, iethe lean of the car.

Together with thetransmission, the electric motorsproduce anything up to 1,200 Nm(885.1 lb-ft) of torque. The effectis taut, sporty handling – the carleans less at the bends and thetendency to under-steer is furtherreduced.

The front and rear stabiliserscan be adjusted independently of

each other, offering high levels ofsteering precision and the agilityof the car.

With all-wheel steering, therear wheels turn in by as muchas ve degrees, making parkingeasier. The more direct front-axle steering ratio of the SQ7TDI improves the handlingcharacteristics. Depending on thesituation, the rear wheels steeropposite or in the same directionas the front wheels, improving

dynamics and stability.“The SQ7 TDI with a V8 TDIengine achieves the consumptiongures of a six-cylinder,” said DrStefan Knirsch, member of the

board of management of Audi AGfor technical development.

“The new technologysolution of the electric poweredcompressor in the SQ7 TDI isa world rst in the competitiveenvironment, with which

Audi once again underscoresits Vorsprung durch Technik

(progress through technology)claim.”

TECH AND INNOVATION / WORLD’S FIRST ELECTRIC TURBO

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SPECIAL FEATURE / LAND ROVER DEFENDER

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THEUNFINISHED

JOURNEY In second gear low range and with dis locked myLandy easily conquered the hill in Mersing, and we

settled down for the night to appreciate the Milky Way

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BY YAMIN VONG

LATE last year, three Land Roverenthusiasts were invited to ameeting at the Land Rover ofce inPetaling Jaya.

Intriguing because it’snot often that LR Malaysiainvites enthusiasts for meetings

in corporate ofces: Landyenthusiasts usually meet LR

managers at off-road or otheroutdoor functions. And those arenot frequent occasions.

On top of that, we were goingto have a conference call with LandRover managers in Singapore– really very high-tech andunfamiliar territory for our LandRover Owners Malaysia (LROM)president Rate de Silva.

He would rather lead an

expedition of Land Rovers throughthe blazing hot sun and 95 percent humidity through the equatorcity of Pontianak, Kalimantan(Indonesian Borneo).

It was 10am and the conferencecall connection was established.

We started talking.Brenda Chow, representing

Jaguar Land Rover Asia Pacic inSingapore, said the Jaguar Land

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Rover group had embarked on aproject to communicate the endof the production run of the LandRover Defender in December2015.

It was going to be called the“Unnished Journey” and theregional campaign would engage

with people who had experiencesof unnished journeys to share,Land Rover enthusiasts and

adventurers alike. As a journalist, 4x4 enthusiast

and one of the founders of LROM,I was among those from Malaysiainvited to share the off-roadexpeditions I would like to do.

My wife, later that night,thought that it sounded all very

bucket list-ish.The top guests of the

teleconference were de Silva and

Above, le: Heading for the hill inMersing… the three-Defender convoy.Top: Neel and his men record GreyTan’s story of his “Unnished Journey”atop a hill in Mersing.Boom: The writer and his S4MDefender lead the way.

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Alyna Tai, LROM’s honorarysecretary.

A very practical man, de Silvasaid he had many journeys that he

would like to nish and asked ifJLR would pay for them to make ithappen.

Atek, as de Silva is familiarlyknown, is highly demanded asa eld mechanic and technicalmanager for overland and off-roadexpeditions.

He has been all over thecontinents of the world onmonths-long 4x4 overlandexpeditions organised byMalaysians such as Thomas Foo ofGlobal Explorers.

I also had my own list of 4x4adventures I would like to do withmy Defender. Top on the wish list

was a 4x4 journey to India via theImphal-Ledo road that General“Joe” Stilwell bulldozed through

Burma and India in World War II.This road had been closed off

to all foreigners since the endof World War II and Burma’s(Myanmar) independence.Myanmar is now opening itsdoors.

After about 30 minutes, theteleconference was over and it

was a bit of an anti-climax. Thepresident, especially, becausethe LR managers from Singaporedidn’t even consider sponsoringone last Defender bash somewherein the world.

Over the past two months,however, the subject of UnnishedJourneys kept popping up.

Defender production at Solihull was stretched to January wherea grand total of 2,016,933 units

were nally built while the twomillionth Defender, built in lateDecember, was auctioned off for£400,000 for charity.

In the meantime, the Land

Rover regional campaign beganearly this year with a 90-second

sponsored video popping up on websites.

The black and white grainy video was produced fromfootage taken by the Oxford andCambridge teams that had drivenLR Series 1s from London toSingapore in 1957.

On March 11, the phone rangand a sweet voice identifyingherself as Amanda Lim from Y&R

Advertising in Singapore asked ifI would be interested to use myDefender to help a young inventorfrom Singapore to nish hisUnnished Journey.

It would be a three-day trip with a video crew to record the“Unnished Journey” and I

was welcome to invite anotherDefender team.

Adrihazim “Jimbo” Rashidand James Chee, both Defenderenthusiasts, happily volunteered

without too many questions.So we met Grey Tan and the

High and clear…Grey Tan helped us in a spot of star gazing that clear night in Mersing.

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THE Milky Way to me was untilrecently the Mar’s chocolate bar that I

particularly enjoy.But thanks to Grey Tan ofSingapore, the inventor of Tiny 1, theextraordinary portable astronomy andtravel camera, I got acquainted withthe real deal Milky Way, the galaxythat contains our Solar System.

It was the rst time that I was ableto view part of the Milky Way’s bandof stars in the night sky from horizonto high in the sky over Mersing.

Although there are between 100-400 billion stars in the Milky Way,

we can only see about 2,500 from any

point from Earth.The Milky Way may have up to

400 billion stars but when you look upinto the night sky, the most you cansee from any one point on the globeis about 2,500. My star count overMersing didn’t go past 100.

It was on Sept 21 last year thatTinyMOS, a Singapore-based start-up,unveiled the Tiny1.

The camera features advanced built-in imaging automation (such aspre-sets for Milky Way and Northern

Lights).

Tiny1 usesthe latest MOS

semiconductorsrather thanCCD arrays ofcurrent digitalcameras todetect extremely dim lights, allowingthe camera to capture images of theMilky Way and star groups barely

visible to our naked eyes at night, within a short exposure time of about30 seconds.

It is also capable of capturingtime-lapse videos of the night skies at aresolution of 2.5K.

The palm-sized camera uses patentpending, state-of-the-art calibrationtechniques to automatically processthe captured images, stacking them toreduce noise in low light environmentsin half the time of traditional cameras.

For star gazers who’ve so far beenled by the blind, the Tiny1’s Point-to-the-Stars feature combines up-to-datestar charts with the camera’s livepreview to help the user locate thecelestial objects they wish to capture. For more information, visit www.

TinyMOS.com

video crew in Kuala Lumpur onMarch 16.

Tan, a young graduate ofNational University of Singapore(NUS) with a team of two of his

varsity mates had developed the world’s smallest night astronomy

consumer camera. It was Mersing where it had all begun.

“When I was in school, wemade a eld trip to Malaysia andthat night in Mersing, I saw for therst time of my life the awesomedisplay of stars in the night,” saidTan.

“I was astounded by the sightof the Milky Way, visible with thenaked eye, and nebulas and starclusters through the telescope.”

As a Singaporean, Tan grew

up in an urban environment andgrew up playing video gameslike Starcraft and wondered

what would it be like to meetcivilisations from other worlds.

“I was in MassCommunications and New Media

but the university was exibleenough to allow me to take anastronomy module to nd outmore about this almost forgotteninterest.

“I created TinyMOS to bringthese sights to the world throughan easy to use astronomy camera. Ihope to nd out more about theseplaces through my own eyes.”

Tan also took part in LandRover’s Unnished Journeyregional campaign.

To cut a long story short, we were in Mersing and spent the rstnight star gazing.

On the second day, we didsome exploring of the coast and

planned the location of the secondnight’s star gazing.Then we saw in front of us, a

big red hill rising out of the atland and dominating the skyline.

Soon we were at the base of thehill. There was a dirt track leadingup and it was too steep to drive up.Production director Neel didn’teven want to think about going up.

To me, as a Land Roverenthusiast, if there’s a hill with a

track, let’s try it. With Tan, who was my co-

driver, I engaged low 2nd geargear, locked the diff and started upthe tractor track.

The Landy could do it becausesteep as the track was, the ground

was dry and there was goodtraction.

The video crew at the foot ofthe hill were awestruck by thegoat-like ability of the Defendertwin cab 2.2 Puma engine to

clamber up the red hill. When we saw the view, weknew that we had found theperfect place for the approachingnight’s star gazing.

STAR GAZING WITH TINY 1

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FROM start to nish, the Land Rover Defender hasonly known one home: Solihull.

And now, 33 years since production began, sevenhundred employees past and present assembled to

welcome the nal unit to ever wear the nameplate with this iconic design.

The beautiful short-wheelbase 90 Heritage softtop wearing the same paint tone and soft top colourcombination as the very rst Series I Land Rover(seen here), however, will not be sold. A place in theJaguar Land Rover Collection has been reserved forit.

Speaking at the event at the Solihull plant inEngland, Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth said:“The Series Land Rover, now Defender, is the originof our legendary capability, a vehicle that makes

the world a better place, often in some of the mostextreme circumstances.

“There will always be a special place in our heartsfor the Defender among all our employees, but thisis not the end. We have a glorious past to champion,and a wonderful future to look forward to.

“The world has changed dramatically in the last68 years, but this vehicle has remained a constant –something no other vehicle can claim.

“The last of the current Defender modelsembraces the vehicle’s simplicity, honesty andcharm – it represents its Series Land Roverheritage.”

Of course no mention of Defender production would be complete without some imagery of itsforefather, the Series Land Rover.

ENDOF

THE LINEWe knew this day would come, andat last, it has: The last Defender –number 2,016,933 – has rolled othe production line at Solihull.

– BBC journalist Matthew Phenix in Solihull, Jan 29, 2016

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A YEARLY affair, the SeriesDrive organised by the LandRover Owners Malaysia (LROM)Club last year on May Day was anespecially sentimental one as itcoincided with the winding downof ethe Defender assembly.

From the Jaguar Land

Rover showroom in Jalan Ipoh,Kuala Lumpur to Batu Rakit,Terengganu, some of the oldestLandies in the country turned upfor the 500-km journey.

LROM president Rate de Silvaput it best, “Since it’s a Seriesevent, we know when we will start,

but the arrival time at destinationis not so certain.”

Not that series Landies arelikely to fall apart at the drop of ahat of course, but any journey ina car built before Malaysia evenachieved independence 58 yearsago should be undertaken with

some trepidation.They made it in 13 hours by the

way with nothing more serious toreport than some at tyres and aloose radiator, joined at Gambang

by two cars all the way fromSingapore.

MALAYSIA’S

OWN SERIES

ADVENTURE



The 100,000th Land Rover in 1954with Arthur Goddard, the bossman of Land Rover’s engineeringdevelopment from 1947 to 1957.

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HOW can you possibly show off all the differentmilitary and rescue services that a vehicle has servedon one car?

The answer is this: British designer Sir Paul’sSmith one-off multi-coloured creation.

At rst glance it may look like a low budget repair

job where any available body panel was slapped onno matter the colour, but the 27 different colours were specically chosen by Smith to cover not onlythe various hues of the British Armed Forces butof the countryside where most Defenders could befound, indeed their natural habitat.


SIR PAUL’S CUSTOM ORDER

MALAYSIAN FLAVOURJAGUAR Land Rover Malaysia puttogether its own limited run Defendertowards the end of last year, which it laterdisplayed at the premiere of the latestJames Bond ick, Spectre.

Menacing in Santorini Black withmatching wheels, the Land RoverDefender Limited Edition came withexclusive add-ons including a chequeredplate set, roof rack, snorkel air intake,side protection runners, A-frameprotection bar, quad spotlights, rear step

bumper assembly, off-road tyres, and a9.5cti Warn electric winch.

The package cost RM65,388 at launch

and could be specied when buying adouble cab Defender new or retrotted onexisting units.

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THE SOLIHULL TRIO

OF course, what could be better than the creativeoutput of Gerry McGovern and the rest of the LandRover design people.

Not one but three Defenders were rolled out bythe company to signal the end of the model line: theHeritage, Adventure and Autobiography.

Limited to 400 units in its home market, the LandRover Defender Heritage was available in three-door

and ve-door body styles in Grasmere Green withmatching wheels, together with an Alaska White Roofand silver front bumpers.

Heritage style badges and logos adorn it along with special Land Rover Defender Heritage Editiondecal stickers (HUE 166) as a tribute to the rst pre-production Series 1.

On the inside, aluminium and leather is the order ofthe day except for the cloth seats and rubber mats, thelatter sporting Heritage logos.

A more rugged option was the 600-unit Adventureedition, equipped with under body protection, off-roadtyres, a ref rack, a snorkel and a rear access ladder. You

could choose between grey, white or orange which allcame with gloss black trim such as the grille, bonnet,rear door and roof.

The interior, however, is quite at odds with itstough exterior, sporting Windsor Leather upholstery.

The third, released as the agship of the specialeditions, is the three-door Autobiography limited to 80units. This, and the three-door Adventure, received a28hp increase in power and 40Nm more twist to 148hpand 400Nm.

Think of the Autobiography as the Adventurespec and then some, with two-tone paintjobs, 16-inchrollers, privacy glass, and Autobiography badging.

Full Windsor Leather comes as standard of course

with aluminium trim and spun metal discs in the cupholders.

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FEATURE / LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT


AN EAST COAST

JAUNT IN ADISCO SPORTOn the highway or byway,the drive Subang toMarang and back was a breeze

BY KAILASH M

THE Land Rover Discovery Sportis a still a rare sight on Malaysianroads, so when a pair of them areclearing trafc in the fast lane ofthe East Coast Expressway youare bound to pay attention.

The one you see here isthe subject of this issue’s longdistance test, from the Subang

Airport in Selangor to the coastal beauty of Marang, Terengganu, while the other belonged to afriend.

Despite appearing quite smallfor a seven-seater SUV, we cansay with proper certainty – vehours and about 450km on theroad is no joke – that an adult cansit in the third row of the DiscoSport in surprising comfort.

This was not done just for thesake of testing, but two youngchildren requiring the outer Isoxmounts in the second row meant

that there was no choice but forsomeone to climb into the back.The journey to Marang was

uneventful – but aurally sweetthanks to the Meridien soundsystem – broken up only by apetrol pit stop, we clamberedover all manner of loose rocksand gravel to set the Disco Sportagainst the gorgeous coastline ofMarang to take a few shots.

Going home to KL, however, was an entirely different story.

The Karak highway was a carpark in which, according to Waze,

we would spend the rest of the

night if we were to use it to get

home. The only other alternativeat this point was to take theGenting Sempah road and bypassKarak to come out the other sideat Batu Caves.

Now for the uninitiated,the Genting Sempah road isperilously narrow and full of someof the sharpest mountain hairpinturns you can nd in the country.More than anything else, with twochildren in the car you hope thatit will see you safely out the otherside.

We needn't have worried at all,grip and composure is fantastic

which meant that everyone in the

second row and aft were cocoonedagainst the slightly frantic pace of wanting to get back onto well-litand populated roads.

Our only gripes after the weekend lie with the pricing andthe high fuel consumption, onaverage we did no better than11km/litre.

Still, if you don't mind llingup relatively often, the DiscoSport is a worthy premiumadventure machine which canhandle just about anything andproves you don't have to look likean MPV to seat seven with ease.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THELAND ROVERDISCOVERY SPORT

Engine: 2.0-litre Si4 petrolGearbox: Nine-speedautomatic with paddle-shiftmanual overrideMax power: 238hp at5,800rpmMax torque: 340Nm at1,750rpm

Safety features: Sevenairbags, Isox anchor points,seat belt warning, ABS withEBD and emergency brakeassist, traction control,dynamic and roll stabilitycontrol, hill-start assistPrice: RM420,000 GSTinclusive, w/o road tax,registration and insurance

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FEATURE / LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT


Lile Zharif was either asleep orhard at work on his iPad everyme we checked.

Idylic east coast...easily accessible by the LandRover Disco Sport.

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COMPARO / HONDA HR-V V MAZDA CX-3

COM P A C T

C A R R I E R

K NOC K O U T

One for t he fam i l y, one for t

he so lo en t hus ias t sa ys

A DEL A MEG A N WILL

Y. Bu t w h ic h is w h ic h?

P ho tos b y Ha zril Ha f z an

d Durrani S harom

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THERE are a few reasons why women prefer SUVs to other vehicles, and they can be quitefussy when it comes to makingtheir choice.

The one main considerationthat many would have in deciding

on which car to buy is the well- being of the family.

Now, as swanky as they can be, two-seater sports cars won’tdo justice to such a plan andhatchbacks are unlikely to offermuch help either, given the factthat kids will go through rapidgrowth spurts and, eventually,these cars won’t be able toaccommodate as many full-grownadults as their owners might havethought.

As for us ladies especially, weprefer cars that offer large hiproom as well as a broader, higherfront vantage point. Then again,

remember the adage “womenare complicated”: we can rarelydecide between a bigger SUV and aslightly smaller compact SUV.

The Honda HR-V and theMazda CX-3 were among the mosteagerly anticipated small SUVs in

2015.In the blue corner, the HR-V

satises those who want to keepto their budgets whereas in thered corner, the newly launchedCX-3 offers the right dose ofdriving excitement and its suite ofautomotive features which drives“techy” up a few notches given theclass it sits in.

EXTERIOR AND INTERIORThe HR-V’s sporty silhouette isnicely highlighted with distinctiverunning lines and ample use ofcurves. And in saying so, it isalmost difcult to tell that it is

legitimately a budget buy just by judging how it presents itselfexternally.

We tested the V variant of theHR-V which carries a price tag ofRM121,500, a car valued lowerthan the price threshold of some

others in the same category.That being said, the HR-V

is not synonymous to the term“luxurious”, given its limited in-carfeatures, but it’s not exactly a badthing.

With a neatly built centreconsole, a straightforwardinstrument panel and an airconditioner touch controller thatare simple to operate, the HR-V

without a doubt caters to the laid- back of us ladies.

Passenger room, on the otherhand, comes nowhere close totight.

Then there’s the CX-3

(top) The design of the HR-V’s cabin is decentwhen compared to that of the CX-3, whichis more upmarket, but surprisingly, morespacious in the front and back.(boom) The only complaint we have when it

comes to the CX-3 is its crampiness.


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Idencal, yet so unidencal.


which costs slightly more thanRM135,000. There’s a more than10 grand cost difference betweenit and the HR-V, but consider thefeatures that it comes with. Twoareas to pay compliments to arethe Kodo design philosophy and

SkyActiv engine.The beautifully sculptedexterior design of the CX-3 is whatmakes it stand out, especially inthe eyes of a female beholder,and the design language has beeninherited by its other siblings.

The dash is pretty neat andclean with a heads-up display unit.Though we found the oating MZDConnect infotainment system to

be useable within a hassling reach,life can be made easier by usingthe navigation knob placed next to

the handbrake.Leather suede has been

splashed all across its cabin with

high-quality stitching on theupholstery and it’s one of thethings that breathe new life intothe CX-3.

There are two sides to thecompact coin in this case, and theCX-3 comes with limited cabin

space. This advantage becomesmore apparent once you get intothe back seating area due to its lowrooine.

But that’s easily forgiven if you’re not one to travel longdistances or constantly have full-size adults in tow, and especiallygiven the car’s interior wowfactors.

DRIVABILITYMechanising the HR-V is a1.8-litre i-VTEC SOHC engine

connected to a CVT gearbox.Don’t get your hopes up too highthough if “sporty” is what you’re

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In the bale of the compact SUVs, the CX-3 put the HR-Vto shame with its beer-equipped front cabin space.


aiming for, but with output andtorque gures of 140hp and172Nm individually, the HR-V hasadequate power for daily drivingduties.

Because the CVT technologypossesses no xed gear ratios, this

compromises the exciting factor ofthe HR-V, by just a small pinch wemust say. However, in exchange,

you’ll gain good fuel economy like we did at 7.4L/100km.

The CX-3’s 2.0-litre Skyactiv-Gengine tailed on a Skyactiv-drivesix-speed automatic transmission

which powers this compact carrieris proof that some of the bestthings in life do in fact come insmall packages. We drove theCX-3 on surburban highwaysand found that it provides a well

balanced, more personal drivingexperience.

Steering is light but precise,and when travelling in clear trafc,the CX-3 feels nimble. Ecstasy is

well replaced with a street-legalSport mode which increases thecar’s throttle response and bringscruising fun to a greater height.The fuel consumption gure weclocked in by the end of the test

drive was 9.5l/100km.

SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY Whether single or married withchildren, women would pay forreliable safety solutions. And ifspeed is nowhere on the top of

your shopping list and you knowfor sure that safety doesn’t juststop at seatbelts, then scrutinisethe features and technology that

both these carriers have to offer.The HR-V V variant featured

comes with six airbags (front, sideand side curtains) while the lower-spec S and E models only come

with two. The automatic brakehold and electric parking brakefunctions come as standard acrossthe HR-V line-up. The same goesfor the vehicle stability assist and

hill start assist features as well asIsox ttings which can be foundin all trims.

Here’s the thing, though. TheCX-3 is missing the Isox anchorpoints otherwise it could have

been one of the best examples of amodern compact SUV.

That aside, it is equipped withsix airbags, a heads up display

which projects real-time speed

data at eye level, the i-Stop whichautomatically powers off theengine when the car comes toa halt after braking – thereforesaving fuel – as well as thecommander control knob foreasier access to the LCD display.

VERDICTIt’s a tough call. On one hand, thedepressing present-day economicsituation is taking a heavy toll oncar buyers and the HR-V promisesan option that has a drive-and-go attitude and gives you most of

what you and your family need ata reasonable price for a vehicle ofits kind.

On the other hand, the CX-3managed to prove that modestyhas never felt and looked so good,

and when you couple that withsuperb driveability, it’s only amatter of time until you put pen tothe dotted lines on the sales-and-purchase agreement.

Our take? Well, life is tooshort to fret over family planning.

With or without Isox points andas long as our savings accountpermits it, we’d pick the MazdaCX-3 any given day.

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SPECIFICATIONS OF THEHONDA HR-V 1.8-LITRE V

Engine: 1,799cc four-cylinderSOHC i-VTECMax power: 140hp @6,5000rpmMax torque: 172Nm @

4,300rpmTransmission: Continuousvariable transmissionSafety features: Six airbags,vehicle stability assist, ABS,EBD, BA, automatic brakeholdPrice: RM121,500 OTR plusGST and insurance

SPECIFICATIONS OF THEMAZDA CX-3

Engine: 1,998cc Skyactiv-Gin-line four cylinder petrolMax power: 146hp @6,000rpmMax torque: 192Nm @4,000rpmTransmission: Skyactiv-Drivesix-speed automaticSafety features: Six airbags,

ABS with EBD, BA, DSC,

TCS, hill launch assist,emergency stop signalPrice: RM135,143 OTR plusGST and insurance


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TEST DRIVE / BMW 220i GRAND TOURER

FOR THE BMWFANBOY WITH

A FAMILY

THERE are front-wheel drive carsroaming the streets with BMW

badges, this everyone knows. The 2Series Active Tourer was the rst,

now this 2 Series Gran Tourer, andthe next-generation 1 Series willfollow.

What the market wants themarket receives of course, but nocustomer survey or research teamever told BMW that it must retainthe Hoffmeister kink - the windowline rise at the C-pillar - under allcircumstance.

Again, nothing wrong with a(front wheel drive) FWD BMW butthere is everything wrong with aFWD BMW sporting this famousdesign feature to show where thepower was being sent to: the rear.

Photos by Vishal Bhaskaran

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Regardless of purists baying for blood or not, they are here and will very likely stay. In a FWD car, thereare signicant improvements tointerior volume and fuel efciencyand thus the case makes itself forcars with less dynamic intent.

Direct rivals Mercedes-Benz hasthe B-Class while Audi has said it

will never put the four rings on afamily mover but as we’ve learnedquite quickly in the automotiveindustry, never say never.

So what does only the second

ever BMW to offer three rows besides an X5 have to offer? A lotmore than you would think.

Cabin As you would expect, it’s all Munichon the inside. Angled dash and

iDrive, the centre stack can beaccused of sporting safe and boringdesign but as with every BMW,switchgear is solid in feel and,crucially, sound in ergonomics.

Of all the times we lament onBMW seeming to make little effortto differentiate its cars in the cabin,however, making the interior feelspecial is not really a priority in acar such as this. Function rules overform in an MPV anytime.

Overall visibility is good asan MPV should offer, with super

thin A-pillars made possible by aoating vertical strip holding therear view mirrors.

Through the iDrive you canselect from a few liftgate openingheights, perfect for indoor garages

with low ceilings.

The second row is foldablefrom the trunk as well, eliminatingrepeated trips back and forthto load in long or bulky items –helped further by the absence of a

boot lip and an impressive 1,820litres of space.

There are quite a number ofstorage solutions to be found heretoo, hooks and small cubby holes ineasy to reach places, giving the 220iGT fairly high overall usefulness.

Performance

It should come as no surprise thatthis is one of the best handling4WD MPVs this writer has ever gothis hands on. MacPherson struts atthe front, a multi-link setup at therear and liberal use of lightweightaluminium in its construction all

Not the best BMW side prole, seethe US market Kia Sedona for how toabsolutely nail the typical MPV shape.

Rear bench not the most well padded but support is adequate.Isox mounts in outer seats.

More storage opons than usuallyfound in other BMWs; overallquality is, as expected, high.

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contribute to this. And then, as it sometimes does,

fate stepped in with an elementof tantalising danger during thetest drive period. On a dark nighton the Federal Highway to Klang,

we had to make a last second lanechange when a temporary barrier

got knocked into the middle of theroad.

The way the BMW 220i GT keptmaintained a steady run despitea vicious yank at the wheel wouldmore likely provoke a “do thatagain, daddy” from the tyke in the

back than to scare him.More than adequately

powerful in lone 220i spec – BMWTwinPower Turbo 2.0-litre for the

win –and returning decent fueleconomy too, the 2 GT suffers

from virtually nothing of the longlist of dynamic maladies typicallyplaguing MPVs.

No excess body roll, no boat-

like handling and no excess windnoise caused by an ungainly blockyshape.

Yes, we are aware this isn’t oneof BMW’s ner designs, but at leastits aerodynamic and sort of sleek

without compromising too muchon cabin space.

VerdictThere aren’t many of these around,the reason for which a little morecomplicated than just restrictivepricing.

The most popular luxuryMPVs in the country weren’t even

brought in ofcially until veryrecently – and people still preferredtheir friendly grey importer toauthorised dealers. The Toyota

Alphard/Vellre twins do so well

because they sit on a very delicateline, you can be chauffeured inthem or you can happily stuff your

brood in the vast cabin and take the

wheel yourself.The 2 Series Active Tourer,

as good as it is, just isn’t a car to be driven in, nowhere near theconveyance of an executive.

With a RM280,000 budget fora family mover, you won’t want tosit in the rear of it and be driven

around and you wouldn’t to havesuch luxurious surfaces smudged,dirtied or damaged by little hands.

Essentially, relevance to theMalaysian market is the issue here,not competence.

The 2 Series Gran Tourer is agood MPV, just not the sort anyonehere might be looking for especially

when there are other capablemodels, European to boot, costinga lot less. Do any of them drive this

well though? Well maybe just one,

in hushed tones they call it the FordS-Max…

SPECIFICATIONS OF THEBMW 220I GRAN TOURER

Engine: BMW TwinPower Turbo 2.0-litre

Transmission: Eight-speedautomatic

Max power: 192hp at4,700rpm

Max torque: 280Nm at1,250-4,600rpmFuel consumption(combined): 6.2L/100km

(claimed)Safety features: Six airbags,

ABS with dynamic brakingcontrol, dynamic stabilitycontrol, Isox child seatmounts for second-rowouter seats

Price: RM279,800 OTRwithout insurance, BMWve-year unlimited mileagewarranty and free service asstandard

Kick-acvated tailgateopens into about1,820 litres with therear two rows down.

Disnct BMWdetailing notcompromised.

192hp from theTwinPower Turboensure brisk progress.

L-shaped taillights.

Experience Controlsits innocuouslybehind the gear lever.

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TEST DRIVE / LEXUS LX570

IN THE LAP OF

LEXUS LUXURY Large and loud at rst, the agshipSUV of the Lexus range turns outto be a gentle giant, writesDINESH APPAVU

Photos by Dinesh Appavu

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NOBODY really needs a 5.7-litre V8 uber-luxury SUV that fusesthe royal suite of the Burj al-

Arab with a drivetrain made for Armageddon. But that is precisely what opulence is all about.

It is all about what you want,

not what you need.For 2016, Lexus pimped up

the LX570 with its new designlanguage that includes the biggesttake on its distinctive spindlegrille that is as intimidating as itis blatant. The look might not beeveryone’s cup of green tea butthis city block on wheels has anabundance of presence.

It measures in at just overve metres long with height and

width registering at 1,865mm and1,980mm respectively. This thing

would easily hide a pick-up truckparked behind it.

It was not a simple “add acrease here and throw LEDs in thelights” revision for the LX570, theonly exterior panels that carriedover unchanged was the roof anddoors.

Luxury has, unnoticeably,

seamlessly been amalgamated with performance in the premiumSUV segment and while a gazillionhorsepower in a family-mover isnot unwelcome, the focal point hasto be luxury and comfort.

Lexus is the last bastion of

premium carmakers that stillstresses a rm emphasis on theformer and if there is anyone outthere that still knows how to makeold school luxury, it is Lexus

Take the extensive equipmentlist for starters; keyless entry andpush-button start, quad-zoneclimate control with ventilationfor all three rows, easy entryair suspension, heated and

ventilated front seats with driver’sside memory function, heatedand vented second row seatsand electric steering columnadjustment with heated steering

wheel.Then there is a fridge (yes, you

read that right), LED headlights with auto high beam, auto wipers,electric sliding second row seats,electric semi-folding third rowseats, powered tailgate, 21-

inch wheels, a 19-speaker MarkLevinson sound system and a12-inch media screen with GPSnavigation.

Fret not, your hard-earnedmoney (a cool RM900,000 of it)gets you a ton of safety equipment

as well. Ten airbags with three-point seatbelts for all eight seats,surround-view camera, frontand rear parking sensors, lanedeparture warning, blind spot

warning, rear cross-trafc alertand cruise control.

Sufce to say, the interior isan over-indulgence of pamperingand grandeur. Fortunately, theoutside dimensions translate intoa spacious cabin that should haveits own postal code with bucketsof head, shoulder, knees and toeroom as well as whatever elseappendage that would requirespace.

Even the third row has decentspace for full-sized adults overa long trip but three would be asqueeze, regardless of what Lexus

would want you to believe. Allthree rows get their own air-

The creases and odd lines can take somegetting used to but the LX570 will alwaysstand out in a sea of large premium SUVs.


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Top: The interior is typical Japanese with an overload of buonsand plush materials.Centre: Individual screens for the rear occupants and loads of

legroom makes this the most coveted row among the three.Boom: Japanese V8s are a rarity and Lexus should have tossed outthe hideous plasc cover that hides this beauty.

conditioning vents.Sliding the second row seats

can be done electronically;unnecessary but once you becomeaccustomed to it you are left

wondering how you lived your lifethus far without it.

However, access to the thirdrow is done via folding the secondrow forward manually and withthe heating/ventilation elementsinside it can be a little laborious tofold it back.

Another cool but completelyunnecessary feature is the semi-electronically folding third row.

At the touch of a button, you canraise or lower the bench part but

you still need to manually raise orlower the backrest.

The effort seems half-hearted,of which it applies to the middlerow as well. Yes it might have beeneasier to make it electronicallyslide but the real demanding taskof folding it for third row access is

where the effort should have goneto uncomplicated things.

Nonetheless, the interior isimpressive and a welcoming placeto be in.

Exquisite soft leather or wood trim adorns every surface with the typical Japanese mass

of buttons dotting the dash andcentre console. A new 12.3-inchcentral media screen integrates allthe necessary information display

but operating it is hampered bythe exasperating toggle controlsystem appears to be designedto intentionally select the wrongoptions.

If you guessed that somethingabout the size of a nuclear bunker

would weigh around the same as well, you would be right. Weighing

in at 2,645kg, it requires someserious heft to roll.The lazy 5.7-litre V8 blends in

with the subdued excessiveness ofthe Lexus easily. It packs 362hpand a healthy 530Nm of torquethat runs to all four wheels via arevised and rened eight-speedautomatic.

Japanese V8 engines aretraditionally very lazy nature inrevving but the low-end torquethat is synonymous with theengine conguration is what

counts and it can make for some brisk acceleration.


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SPECIFICATIONS OF THELEXUS LX570

Engine: 5,663cc, 32V DOHC V8, dual VVT-i

Max power: 362hp @5,600rpm

Max torque: 530Nm @3,200rpm

Transmission: Eight-speedautomatic

Safety features: Ten airbags,three-point seatbelts all-

around, ABS, EBD, BA, VSC, TC, HSA, Isoxanchorage points,surround-view camera,front and rear parkingsensors, lane departurewarning, blind spotwarning, rear cross-tracalert.

Price: RM923,961 OTRw/o insurance

Le: Fold up the third row with a touchof a buon and you could t quite a fewthings in there.Top: The split tailgate is unique and theboom half makes a great bench.

However, it is best to abstainfrom such behaviour unless yourfamily owns a petrol station. Werecorded 5.4km/l (yes, you readthat right, again) with a fair splitof highway and city driving. Thesefuel gures are hard to justify,except maybe on the Airbus A380so make no mistake when we saythis is one ridiculously thirsty

beast.Paddle shifters complement

the transmission well but the gears

have a mind of its own, especiallyin town, so it is best to just leavethe shifting to the electronics.There are a few drive modes

but the ones to point out here isastonishingly the Sport and Sport+mode.

The reason behind it is simple.The LX570, for all its luxurious,is still a body-on-frame build.Coupled with the air suspension,the ride is synonymous with a

barge, albeit a luxo-barge.

In Normal or Comfort, theLX570 is simply all over the place.It wallows and fumbles at just aslight hint of a curvature or bump.The undulations on highways witha slight waviness is annoying tothe driver but passengers will bemost likely be fast asleep, cossetedin all that comfort, to notice.

With Sport or Sport+ selected,the thing pitches and squats less.Body roll is reduced signicantlyas well with no compromise onthe ride comfort for occupants. If

you are a passenger in this thing,the outside world would seem to

cease to exist for the duration ofthe drive.

If there was one thing tonitpick on, it would be the brakingperformance. The blame fallssquarely on the massive massand hard braking should best beleft for emergencies and for those

without weak hearts.Being based on the legendary

Toyota Land Cruiser, all the off-road gear and capabilities arecarried over. Proper low-range

gearing, “Crawl Control” and airsuspension give the LX570 allthe control, traction and groundclearance it would need.

The multi-view camera cansee over crests and will only beoperable with “Crawl Control”activated. Furthermore, the “Turn

Assist” locks the inside wheels andonly powers the outside wheelsto reduce the turning radius, agodsend in something this vast.

At the end of the day though,

the LX570 begs the question ofdoes it still have a place in a line-up of modern premium SUVs? Wethink it absolutely does.

While the majority of itscompetitors have opted tocombine luxury and performance,Lexus has steadfastly focussed oncomfort and luxury.

Not everyone wants a rocket-fast large SUV. In fact, most wouldprefer pure, unadulterated luxuryin this segment and the LX570 cancall itself the king of that country.

Verdict:


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TEST DRIVE / TOYOTA AVANZA 1.5S


WHO YOUCALLING

ERRANDBOY? Avanza’s new powertrain reinstates itsrelevance among aordable MPVs

Photos by Asyikin Md Isa

BY KHAILASH M.

THE Avanza was, and has always been, unapologetically basic;accommodating seven people inadequate comfort with just enoughpower to get it going and beingused primarily for the school run ortrips to the supermarket.

This new one is much the sameas its predecessor; itself on themarket for a fairly long eight years,

but a big change has gone on underthe hood.

Across the range the Avanzanow has Dual VVT-i timing controlon both intake and exhaust valves

of its NR-series engines, claimedto deliver better performance atlower noise levels while returningincreased fuel efciency.

On the inside, there is nothingthat doesn’t absolutely need to bethere, the dashboard especially is alesson in functional simplicity.

Spacious and completely devoidof anything not strictly needed fordriver and passenger, there isn’teven a leather option for the seatseven in this range-topper.

You can, however, spec somepretty serious head units. There isa DVD-AVN 7-inch touchscreen

which has voice recognition, WiFi,Internet browsing and guide linesfor the reverse camera but we

would go for the 6.1-inch DVD- AVX instead which packs all thenecessary inputs without thosesuperuous luxuries.

This Dual VVT-i business seemsto have had a positive effect on fuelconsumption, as it should giventhat now small capacity turbosare easily doing 15km/litre oncombined duty. In our four days

with this test unit we managed adecent 12.4km/litre, despite beingrear-wheel drive.

So why bother with an Avanza?

Reputation. If this Avanza isanything like the old one you can

bet on it surviving the test of timeand years of hard use and abuse.

A difcult assertion to makeconsidering the limitations of atest drive period as opposed toliving with a car for a few years ofcourse, but from the Unser to theairport-taxi favourite Innova andthis, the hardy Toyota MPVs areno-nonsense and built to last.

Consider this, with most carsthat sport the Toyota badge,consistency is usually why you put

your money down in the rst place.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THETOYOTA AVANZA 1.5S

Engine: 2NR-VE 1.5-litrechain drive in-line fourcylinder with Dual VVT-i

Transmission: Four-speedautomatic

Max power: 103hp at6,000rpm

Max torque: 136Nm at4,200rpm

Fuel consumption(combined): 12.4km/litre (as

tested)Safety features: ABS with EBD, dual front airbags,

GOA body, Isox child seatmounts

Price: RM80,810 OTRwith insurance

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OFF-ROAD / WEEKEND ESCAPADE

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SAFE NSMOOTH

IN A

HONDACR-V

BY AMIRUL HAZMI

HONDA Malaysia statistics showthat its CR-Vs are usually used

by young urban families who

spend their weekend going onadventurous escapades. Accordingly, the company

organised a short CR-V escapefrom the city in January andI, being young, to the trip thatincluded stopping at severalinteresting spots in Perak.

We moved in a convoy of fourmedia CR-Vs, one lead CR-V, twoHR-Vs (lead and sweeper), anda Civic and a Jazz for Honda’sPR team. After the ag-off at theHonda Malaysia ofce in Kuala

Lumpur, our convoy headed northto Perak via the North-SouthExpressway.

After the driver change atSlim River RSA (rest and servicearea), I got my hands on a 2.0-litreCR-V. The convoy cruised withinthe speed limit, so the car feltrelaxed, and the engine noise wascontrolled when accelerating from50 km/h to 110 km/h.

We exited the highway atGopeng to head to the rst

destination, the Ulu River Lodge. We saw several artistically built village houses and drove on tosome mild off-road of sand andgravel to the lodge which is nearbyGopeng. The CR-V’s suspensionabsorbed the undulation well andany sleeping kids behind wouldhave remained asleep until wereached our destination.

After we had our lunch at theUlu River Lodge, we managedto see how the CR-V stacked upagainst its competitors, the Mazda

CX-5 and Nissan X-Trail, fromthe perspective of a young urbanfamily.

Reading “589 litres of bootspace” in the brochure could noteasily give the idea of how bigthe space is. The spaciousness isobvious when it is loaded with few

bags, suitcases, baby stroller andpicnic basket.

The Honda CR-V certainly hasmore space than the other twoSUVs and the baggage does not

block the rear-quarter window. And the lower rear bumper of the

Compact Japanese SUVtakes to the highwaysand byways as the urban

family escapes hecticKuala Lumpur.

Photos by Honda

‘

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CR-V, compared to the other two,made it convenient to load andunload the boot.

Besides being the easiest to folddown the second row seats – onlyone lever pull – the Honda CR-V isalso the most powerful among thethree, its 2.4-litre i-VTEC engineproduces 187hp compared to168hp and 184hp by the engines ofthe X-Trail and CX-5 respectively.

Enough with the quick analysis,and now it was time for somefamily activity: pottery class or

white water rafting. Well, not being the artistic type, we chose white water rafting in SungaiGerong, near Kampung GunungMesah Hilir.

As this was the rst white water rafting for the most ofus, including myself, the safety

brieng brought some anxiety,having been told the worst thatcould happen to us. But that addsup some thrill, right?

After we got ourselves right andready with all the gear – helmet,life jacket and paddle – we wentto the starting point with thegroup of three rafts (each raft withfour or ve rafters including oneinstructor).

At the start-to-get-wetintroductory activity, we were

asked to do body rafting sessionsand try to oat ourselves on thesurface. After the instructors wereconvinced that all of us got wetenough, only then did we start tonavigate the raft down the river.

We passed through 11 rapids with different names, elevationchange and structures beforereaching to the nishing point.

The rafting session turnedout to be better than expected.

According to one of theinstructors, visitors who like toexperience faster rafting can comefrom September to November asthe water level is higher and theriver ows faster.

I got behind the wheel of the

2.4-litre L CR-V from Gopeng toIpoh, and the power differencefrom the 2.0-litre could be felt,especially during slow speedthrough the mild off-road terrain

where sufcient torque is neededto propel an SUV with familymembers in it.

During the short highwaydrive and into Ipoh city, Honda’sLaneWatch feature helped inensuring proper view of the blindspot on the left of the vehicle. Wechecked in at Weil Hotel in Ipohat around 7pm and re-joined theother group that took the pottery

class.On the second day, the convoy

headed to Tanjung Tualang for aquick photo shoot. We passed byseveral buffaloes placidly chewingthe cud in the simmering heat ofthe El Nino weather.

Despite the glaring heat of thesun we stopped near a pond andpiled out to take some photos ofthe CR-Vs in a scenic setting.

We then stopped at the wellknown Sri Tanjung Tualangrestaurant, one of the few halalseafood restaurants in the town,for a nice lunch. Our convoycondently departed for KL afterlunch, condent in the knowledgethat the CR-Vs would give us a

pleasant drive.Our journey to Ipoh and back,in the 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre CR-

V, was rather smooth and wellair-conditioned with all the safetydevices and aids for both highwaysand trunk roads, and especiallyto cope some wild driving locals,and old-timers who placidly pullout from some side roads onto thetrunk road in front of us on severaloccasions.

Wish you were here… Team Honda and Team Media cometogether.Top right: With adequate ground clearance and incisive power,the CR-V easily tackles the slight o-road.Right: Wet and heart-pounding... raing down Sungai Gerongnear Gopeng.


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Special OFFER*

Shock Absorbers &Suspension Systemsfor Korean SUV/MPVS

*while stocks last

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OFF-ROAD / FORD RANGER DRIVE

Ford 4x4 shows its mettle at the Tamparuli o-road course

RANGERS AND RIVERS

BY DINESH APPAVU

THAT the Ford Ranger has been agame-changer would be somewhatof an understatement.

While the rest of its class were aiming for more robustand hardwearing performance,Ford took a different approach

by targeting the lifestyle aspectof ownership and it paid offhandsomely.

Pick-up trucks have alwayshad a “cool” factor associated withthem. Perhaps it could be traced

back to man’s afnity for heavy-

duty equipment. Nonetheless,reality often ignores the idealistic

script that we have carefullypenned and throws it aside to be

replaced with the harsh realities ofa suitable daily driver for city life.So the Ford engineers put on

their thinking caps and gave us theRanger that looked and performedlike a pick-up whenever required

yet felt very much like a regularpassenger sedan from behind the

wheel and inside the cabin.It had features that blew the

pick-up segment out of the water:interior renement that was on par

with passenger sedans and safetykit that was unheard of even in

premium vehicles that cost morethan twice as much.

The range topping Ranger Wildtrak has six airbags, active

cruise control, autonomous braking and lane-keeping assist.Stability control is standardthroughout the range, even in theentry-level XL trim.

Simply put, the Ranger is the best pick-up for urban dwellersthat wanted a truck to cater morefor their active lifestyle and less foroff-roading. Plus, even if looks aresubjective, we think the Ranger isthe handsomest pick-up out thereand that certainly boosts its appealto the target demographic.

Ford did not neglect theRanger’s off-roading capabilities.

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OFF-ROAD / FORD RANGER DRIVE


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