All time favourite SUV, the Honda CRV

The facelifted Honda CRV is here, just in time to have a fight with the all new Nissan X-Trail.  With a refresh face, the CRV now looks much better, especially with its new rectangular fog light, instead of the old round units.  Throw in lots of chrome and silver, the effect is an immediate elegance, with touch of luxury.  Engines choice remain similar, with a 2.0-litre (153hp/190Nm) and a 2.4-litre (187hp/222Nm), both mated to the five speed transmission.  Paddle shift is standard only for the latter model, where it get the now popular Honda 7" Display Audio, with HDMI input.  The 2.0-litre now has a 2WD variant, which could be the mainstream choice, as it start from a competitive RM140k, with most features similar to the higher end models.

New to the 2.4-litre variant is the Honda lane watch camera on the passenger side.  Tapping the left signal activate the camera, providing an added comfort of safety view to the driver.  6-airbag is standard, as well as rain sensor for the wiper, wheel size of 18" and the navigation map.  Though most will not like the map provided by Honda as it is not very good.  The others safety and comfort features such as 4-airbag, ABS, VSA, HSA, auto dim rear view mirror, bluetooth, power seat, cruise control are standard across all variants.  The 4WD 2.0-litre is asking for RM150k, where the 2.4-litre is priced at RM169k.  With only 5 seats available and fold flat rear seats, the CRV is still an innovative SUV when compare to the Nissan X-Trail.  The boot when flat folded, provides a big 1,146 litre of space, which could easily fit your at least 2 bicycles.

Interior is similar, except for those variant with the 7" display.  Looks like Honda is giving most its model the fake leather stitching on the dashboard, which tends to collect dust instead of bringing luxury feel.  The seats are nicely bolster, and comfortable, and only the 2WD variant get the fabric treatment, where the rest get them in leather.

Similar to the front, the rear of the CRV has added chrome and silver and the rear reflector is now beside the tailgate instead of at lower level of the bumper.  Rear third brake light is now in red lens instead of clear len, which make it consistent to the tail lamp cluster, giving a more coherent look.  The facelift CRV looks in fact better, with more features, and worth consider for those that is looking for a SUV.  However, if you do not want to be categorized as a soccer mum, do look at the new Nissan X-Trail as well, which looks more manhood!

The non-boxy Nissan X-Trail has landed

The traditional boxy styling of the Nissan X-Trail has gone into the history book. Nissan knew it very well that the consumers have move on, and if one want a boxy SUV, they would look at the Range Rover.  With the Nissan Murano selling like hot cakes out of Naza World showroom, now you have the all new X-Trail, from the conservative Tan Chong group!  In no way sthe X-Trail could beat the Honda CRV sales volume, which is the favourite among Malaysian, but it could worth a try to make a come back, at least offering additional choice for those wanting a Japanese SUV, yet think the CRV is all too common on the road as the soccer mum runabout.  By the way, the X-Trail 4WD system is always superior when compare to the Honda CRV real time system as it could offer a a full 4WD lock mode when needed.

Two variants are available, with a 2WD version (RM143k) driven by a 2.0-litre all new Direct Injection engine, capable of 142hp/200Nm of power, mated to a 7-speed CVT.  Yes, you read correctly here, it is a direct injection engine, and it is from Nissan finally!  We knew Honda has it, Toyota has it, but these two manufacturers tend to keep their cost down by offering their older generation of engines here.  For the 4WD version (RM166k), it is equipped with a 2.5-litre QR engine, producing 169hp/233Nm of power, which is not an impressive figure for an engine with this displacement.  For most users, the 2WD is usually the default choice, as we seldom sees people bringing this car to the jungle or mountain.  Furthermore, the RM23k more might not worth it, as the 2WD version give you almost similar specifications in term of safety, getting Active Engine Braking (AEB), Active Ride Control (ARC), Active Trace Control (ATC),  Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS), and Hill Start Assist (HSA) as part of the standard package.  The 4WD get the additional Advanced Hill Descent Control (HDC).  4 Cameras from the X-Trail provide the 360-degree around view monitor, saving one even from hitting the road curb while performing parallel parking.  When we start praising Nissan for bringing a complete safety equipped SUV, the 2-airbag only is a real disappointment here.

The interior of the X-Trail is very refreshing this round, which bring in the luxury and technological advanced feel.  Good job to Nissan for saying goodbye to those boring dashboard and meter cluster design.  With the new X-Trail, the rest of the Nissan's models are now dated!  Build quality is always decent, but the paint surface is slightly rough and uneven.  The fabric seat is best when replaced with leather.   The 7-seater configuration of the SUV is a smart features, but the lack of any legroom at the rear most seats make it kind of useless, and might only fit children below 5-year-old.  

From the first glance, at the front bold "V" grille, the X-Trail give a sensation that it looks like the Nissan Navara pickup truck.  Nissan should have tone this down to give it an improve luxury feel instead.  However, the departure of the overall boxy X-Trail look is a plus point.  No more vertical tail light, thus another departure of the SUV-liked design.  Overall, the X-Trail is a very competitive SUV, but it still lack the sporty stance of others.

	X-Trail 2.0	CRV 2.0	X-Trail 2.5	CRV 2.4
Engine Power	142HP/200Nm	153HP/190Nm	169HP/233Nm	187HP/222Nm
Transmission	CVT	5-speed	CVT	5-speed
Seat Material	Fabric	Fabric	Leather	Leather
Traction Control	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cruise Control	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Airbags	2	4	2	6
Wheel	17"	17"	17"	18"
Price	143k	140k	166k	169k

By the way, Honda has just launched the facelifted CRV, so before making a decision, head toward the Honda showroom for a test drive also.  Some love the reliability of the Nissan, but some love the elegant feel of the Honda.

The new yet not so refreshing Perodua Myvi

Perodua likes the 15th day of the month, as it launched the Axia on September 15, 2014, and four months later, the new Myvi.  This new Myvi...uh...uh...uh...has nothing special compare to the outgoing unit, where the front has the largest differences.  The bumper and headlight have been refreshed to be aligned with the Axia.  If you are looking at it from the rear, you might not notice any update, except for the variant badge which has change now.

Two new colours are available now, where the Cosmic Gold is available for the 1.3 variant, and Electric Blue for the 1.5 model.  Engine remain similar where the 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre units could produce 90hp/117Nm and 102hp/136Nm respectively, both mated to the same old 4-speed auto or 5-speed manual gearbox.  

As always, Perodua though is the first manufacturer to offer dual airbags in all its models, still lack the important ESP safety feature, and no additional side airbags.  Perodua could do better to move on, instead of keeping its profit high, which is disappointing.  However, this new Myvi has achieved 4-star Asean NCAP safety rating, which is an improvement from the previous 3-star rating. Myvi being the best selling car in the nation for a decade, could have created the lack of motivation for the management to further enhance the car further.  Why change it when it is selling so well?  Adding the Proton Iriz is not delivering on time to the customers, the Myvi could still be a winner here!  We have limited choice here as most manufacturers are not allow to bring in any decent car which could compete with both national icons.

Interior of the Myvi remains very similar as well, with slight changes in the meter cluster colour and placement of the hard light button.  Cup holder below the driver side aircon is a new addition, but why here to effectively blocking the aircon vent?  To cool a hot coffee faster so that it will taste terribly?  Car designer should have some logic thinking instead of simply penned stuff like this thinking it is useful.  Of course, the anti-snatch hook is now standard, fitted to the passenger seat.

One funny addition is the front corner sensor...who actually need this for a car this size?  If the driver could not park this little car properly, send them back to the learning school.  They don't deserve having a driving license and could pose danger to other road users.  Perodua claims this is a new Myvi...but it is not refreshing at all!  However, the build quality and price will still make this the most popular car on our road, no doubt about this.

1.3 Standard G Manual - RM41,900

1.3 Standard G Auto - RM44,900

1.3 Premium X Auto - RM47,900

1.5 SE Manual - RM50,900

1.5 SE Auto - RM53,900

1.5 AV auto - RM58,900

RON97 & RON95 is now @ RM2.11/litre & RM1.91/litre respectively

No cheaper car still, so our election manifesto has yet to be seen or never will realize!  However, due to the continuous drop in crude oil price, starting in Jan 1, 2015...here is the present for all car owner.  A hefty 35 cents drop per litre in petrol price, whatever RON it is!  

RON97 = RM2.11/litre

RON95 = RM1.91/litre

Diesel = RM1.93/litre (Yes, it is still more expensive and it is still of the lousy Euro-2M quality)

Enjoy folks, Happy New Year ... let's bring in 2015 ... TURUNKAN HARGA KERETA!!!

The Suzuki S-Cross...Arrival of the Jap's Urban SUV

Again and again, Suzuki likes to launch new car, yet without any showroom unit of test drive unit for people that are interested in the brand.  When it brought in the Jinmy, and until today, most dealers are so lazy to "layan" you, and told you straight no test drive, no show room unit.  So when Suzuki launched the SX4 S-Cross, this will be the similar expectation.  Although the car is fully loaded, but a jump from the old SX4 sub RM90k pricing to a hefty RM130k will only mark the car with label "only for the niche" or "if you were crazy"!  The S-Cross though marked the arrival of a Jap's urban SUV, will definitely lose out when it competes head-on with the Peugeot 2008 or Ford Ecosport, especially with its boring old 1.6-litre engine and CVT gearbox.

	Suzuki S-Cross	Peugeot 2008	Ford Ecosport	Great Wall M4
Engine Power	115HP/156Nm	120HP/145Nm	109HP/142Nm	105HP/138Nm
Transmission	CVT	4-speed	6-speed	6-speed (AMT)
Engine Capacity	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.5
Traction Control	Yes	Yes	Yes	Maybe
Cruise Control	Yes	No	No	No
Airbags	7	6	7	2
Wheel	17"	16"	16"	16"
Price	130k	120k	104k	60k

When a crossover is overpriced like the Suzuki S-Cross, one could always look elsewhere, either by spending less to get a continental Peugeot 2008 or one could spend slightly more to look at a C-Segment sedan such as the Toyota Altis or Honda Civic, or even remain the crossover ownership by having a Subaru XV or Mitsubishi ASX!  Anyhow, Suzuki is only making the number with the Swift, which with the latest facelifted model, looks dated now!  Adding the lousy salesperson,  dealerships and after sales service.

The S-Cross is Suzuki attempt to bring back its mass, but it is doom to fail now.  However, it is definitely a good car as it is fully loaded.  7 airbags to start the safety list, adding on those standard Hill Hold Assist, Traction Control, ABS, EBD and BA.  Off course, at this price, you get the auto headlight and wiper, GPS Navigation audio unit, cruise control and the very special double sliding panoramic sun roof.  But again, do all these worth the RM130k price tag?  

With no test drive unit, and not even a show room unit, no one is allow to even take a deep look at the interior as they claimed this is a customer unit.  Not going to push for it, and if you are a clever consumer, you will not be getting the S-Cross anyway.

A peek inside the car reveal boring dashboard and meter cluster.  The S-Cross is not for the stylish, not for the sporty...and maybe only suitable for the soccer mum who use it to ferry kids to the field or school!  To Suzuki, if you want to sell, train your dealers, and force them to invest in a test drive unit!

Another choice for the kid...the Old New Hyundai i10

The Hyundai i10 could be a good choice for fresh graduate or those parents that want to get their kid the first car, but with its size and price that start from RM53k - RM57k, further burden with the emergence of Perodua Axia and Proton Iriz, and the better specifications twin brother, the Kia Picanto, the i10 is really hanging tough in its segment.  Unless you are a crazy fan of the brand, the i10 might not make much sense anymore and has totally lost its competitiveness.  A basic small car should always be priced below RM50k, or even better, below RM40k if at all possible.  But, all the protection and tax incentive given to sustain our local brands, and the world is fill with profit hungry businessmen that would want to reap all they could from consumer, most have forgotten such segment should focus on volume, but not for the niche only.

Using the same engine as the Kia Picanto, this 1.25-litre Kappa engine is capable of producing 86hp/120Nm of power, mated to a 4-speed gearbox.  The i10 is also available with the older generation Epsilon 1.1-litre engine, which is only good for 68hp/99Nm, and without CVVT.  One could wonder why Hyundai is taking the trouble to stock 2 engines choice where the price difference is only RM4k?  I would think our local distributor has committed too many of the Epsilon stock and might be taking them years to clear them of their warehouse.  If you compare to the Picanto engine arrangement, it is also weird that both does not look similar, which could be because the i10 was designed to fit the Epsilon initially.  The final truth is, the i10 available here is an older model now, where a refresh model has already been available since 2013 in other market.  Years ago, it also took awhile for the Atos to be replaced with i10 here!

At time, it is also weird that the Hyundai i10 is badged as Inokom, but the steering wheel remain using Hyundai logo.  Why can't Inokom update that as well, to make it a wholly OEM product.  Remember when Naza rebadged some of their product, everything was changed to NAZA badge instead.  We used to have Naza Ria from the Kia Carnival, Naza Sutera from the Hafei Lobo, Naza Suria from Kia Picanto.  Perhaps Inokom has not gain enough branding to gain popularity, thus would like to retain it as Hyundai is some form to make the car sell more.

If you really want a foreign name small car, and has enough budget for it, try looking at Kia Picanto instead.  The i10 is equipped with only 2 airbags with ABS, where the Picanto is fully loaded with 6 airbags, ABS and Traction control.  If you insist on a Hyundai...wait for the new i10, not this one, unless they slash the price to below RM40k.

The war had ended, but the Jeep Wranglers are back!!!

After the WWII, the Jeep Wrangler has become the defacto 4-Wheel-Drive hardcore wannabe back in the United States.  Designed for the war, it is known for its tough and reliability, adding to the fun factor where it could be driven without the door and the top.  After many years of missing any representation in Malaysia, finnaly, the Jeep is back and the Wranglers are available in 3 flavours, namely the Sport, Sahara and 2-door Rubicon.  It is a good news for the rich hardcore owners, as the Wranglers has nothing good, but designed for the real gravels, rivers, and sand storms if we were to have them here.  Starting price for the Sport edition is marked at almost RM300k, Sahara at RM340k and Rubicon at a hefty RM348k.  Comparing the sticker price of similar model in US, our distributor here has really mark up the price a lot.  Even comparing to prices from our neighbour Singapore, the Wrangler is not for anyone.  Well, the Wrangler definitely looks much better than the Land Rover Defender and it is the unit we get here is a true American made unit from Chrysler America.

The engine compartment is being hold on with a latch at the front sides of the cover, and it is rugged.  Most owners might want to upgrade to the Mopar's latch which is in stainless steel instead of the original plastic.  As usual, American likes car with big engine, and all Wranglers are powered by the Pentastar 3.6-litre V6 VVT engine.  It could only produces 284hp/347Nm of power from a 5-speed auto transmision, which is not impressive at all, a typical American number...as long as it sip petrol like water...they love it.

The dash and meter cluster the Wrangler is pure simple, where the most basic Sport edition getting a simpler audio head unit and the Sahara and Rubicon get the 6.5" touchscreen head unit with in-built HDD.  The rest of features are similar, and all models will have the Sub-Woofer int the boot floor - enjoying music in the middle of wild jungle?  Of course, only 2 airbags for Sport and 4 for the other two models.  By the way, the Sport edition is kind of bare, even without the footstep to assist one getting up and down from it.  If you were to ferry your wife or girlfriends or even daughters with the Wrangler, make sure they are not wearing skirt.  This Jeep is high above ground, and with this, it is good to tackle our flood prone country!

The design of the Jeep Wrangler has stay put as what it is, which could be describe with one word - Classic!  The visible door hinges, the petrol cap, the engine hood latch, the big button door handle and the roundish headlamp.  Wonder what the local law here state if one choose to take the doors off and drive it on the road, will it be legal still?  We knew we could drive it without the top, which is a mutiple parts that need 3 person to take them off.  For limited time, the Sport edition get the soft top bundled together with the car, which is located at the trunk area.  Be prepared to find space in your house to store the hard top and get screw by the wife!  Once the hard top is off, most time, it will stay off since it has a soft top which is easier to open and close.  Time to enjoy some drop top driving!

For those hardware off-roader, the Wrangler uses the Dana axle system, and the Rubicon enjoys Front and Rear Tru-Lok differentials.  Wow, these are real tough system that could pull the car out of any adverse condition.  Driving the car on normal road is really a waste with the Wrangler.  But at almost RM300k a pop, wonder how many owner will really bring it off road.  A short drive with speed over road bump shown the car is real solid.  It sails through any pothole, uneven road, hump and bump at high speed without any hiccup, not even a knock of sound!  

So, fancy getting a Jeep Wrangler so that you could use it when WWIII strikes?  There is a RM10k discount now for 2014 unit and with 10 colours available, you could be spoilt for choice.  Though only selected colours are available now.  Those in bright colours such as orange, red, blue and yellow are really eye-catchy.  The Wrangler is built in America for the American, thus the dricing position could be at odd for our smaller Asian size fellow.  A final comment, it is definitely better looking than the Hummer which looks like it was built for the gangster land!  The Jeep Wrangler does make a man the real man!  Go for it, if you have extra cash under the pillow or in your bank.  For me, a Jeep Renegade would make more sense in our concrete jungle...DRB Hicom...we are waiting!