Still as boring, the Nissan Sylphy

Tan Chong and Nissan have never surprise us, and continue its old-styled tradition of bringing in cars that are boring, but functional and reliable.  Just think about the Datsun 120Y, which we still see some on the road.  Similarly, the all-new Sylphy has nothing to shout, and the styling still does not turn head, but it might still continue as the roomiest family car with its new 1.8-litre Twin CVTC engine, mated to the extremely smooth CVT, producing about 129hp/174Nm of torque.  The old 2.0-litre engine is gone for good, as the latest trend in engine capacity has shifted to lower capacity, yet producing better power, and run more efficiently.  Sylphy is not a good selling model here, as the new model is CBU from Thailand instead of CKD, which cost be more cost effective for Tan Chong, without the need to maintain a manufacturing line, and overstocking on parts.

Improvement could be seen in the engine compartment, with better multi-level top engine mount, which could effectively reduce a lot of vibration and enhance in the NVH department.  However, the traditional lead acid battery is a let down as I am an advocate for maintenance-free type nowadays.  Wiper blade looks modern, but it does not gel well with the car design.  With only 1.8-litre engine as an option, though producing almost similar horsepower from the old unit, it still cound not match on the torque.  The VL model could be around an estimated RM125k, which is similar to the outgoing model.  With such pricing, it is hard to compare to other Japanese makers, as Nissan is no doubt the cheapest, but comparing to Korean makers, one could immediately think twice whether those could be good choices in this C-Segment.

	Sylphy 1.8 VL	Cerato 2.0	Elantra 1.8	Cruze 1.8
Engine Power	129HP/174Nm	161HP/194Nm	148HP/178Nm	140HP/176Nm
Transmission	CVT	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed
Airbags	6	6	2	2
Traction Control	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Warranty (Yrs)	3	5	5	3
Price (RM)	125k	119k	115k	107k

The best options available in the Sylphy is the default 6-airbag and traction control.  The VL model get a set of 17" wheels, fog lamps, HID headlight with washer, Start Stop button, retractable side mirrors, rear air-con vent, dual zone auto aircon and also rear camera.  If it were just RM10k more than the standard E spec unit, the VL could be the mainstream selection.  Dual front and rear disc brakes finally made its way to this generation as well.

Nissan always has its own fan, especially on its reliability.  The Sylphy is a good family car, just not as handsome as others.  It has ANCAP 5-star safety rating, though NCAP 5-star is still the preferable result.  However, it is a good start and Nissan needs a fresh C-Segment to stay competitive in the sector.

Renault Sport - The Megane

You wanted a sport car, but those big names Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche are not in your pocket favour, and the VW Scirocco only look like one, then the Renault Megane could be the good addition to your garage.  The first version of the Megane RS250 landed here some years ago, where you could get a decent used unit for < RM150k or you could visit to the Renault showroom and put your order in for either of the 3 versions it is offering, which are the Cup Edition, Trophy Edition and the RedBull RB8 edition.  All 3 editions uses the same 2.0-litre turbo engine mated to a manual 6-speed stick, that could produce 265hp/360Nm of power, that could send you flying on the road.  In fact, besides the Kangoo that keep the local Renault distributor alive for a while, the Megane is what keep it running.  Tan Chong seems to have capture the right crowd with a focus on the Renault RS models, which sell decently in numbers.

For the RB8, blue is the only colour option.  Yellow for the Trophy edition, where the Cup edition gets Grey, White or Red.  Almost all colours are striking for the Megane, as the design looks really handsome.  Best of all, the Megane comes standard with Limited Slip Differential which all sport cars should have, and the RS Monitor that shows the torque, G Force, and others telemetric data.  With the 4-piston Brembo brake, Renault ensure the driver that the stopping power is as good.  The Cup edition gets 18" wheels, where the others get 19".  Other differences are mainly on the trim, and with the RB8 getting a full colours navigation screen with the latest RS Monitor 2, which looks even more impressive.  Let's hope other edition will get this upgrade in time to come.  Malaysia is only allocated with 15 units of the RB8 from a limited pool worldwide, still available at RM246k (w/o insurance).

With a top speed of 250km/h, this car is meant for the track.  It is just not practical to have this as your daily drive our city road.  There are jams, traffic lights, junctions and corners that forbid one to go beyond 90km/h most of the time, even in the expressway, unless you have a lot of money to spare for the speeding summons, you are limited to a steady of 110km/h.  Don't, and do not drive like an idiot, please be safe and join the track days to maximize the fun of being a Megane owner.

Particularly, I love the red stitching in the RB8 compare to the Cup and Trophy edition which is yellow.  Though yellow does look distinctive, but the bold "bloody" red is the choice!  Seat belts in the car also carries the matching colour of either red of yellow insert on the interior.  As for the meter cluster, Renault has been boring, as a car of this standard should has the analog needle pointing at 6-o'clock position or even better at 4 or 5-o'clock position to give it the ultimate sport car look.  Position at the usual 8-o'clock is too plain.

On the safety and equipment level, the Megane comes with everything one could ask for, with full round airbags, ESP, ASR, CSV, ABD, TPM, dual zone aircon, DRL, and best of all, the body hugging Recaro seat that keep the driver in place! 

It is a nice sport car, but the Megane does not keep its used value in the market.  However, it is the one easier on the pocket at about quarter million each.  Expect to lose about 40% of the value after 2-3 years of ownership.  There are still limited service centers that could handle the car well, and Tan Chong is bundling it with 3-year warranty or up to 100,000 km.  With a low population in Malaysia, expect to pay a premium for maintenance, especially if you like to test your limit on the track.  If you don't participate on any track day event, why own this car?

The understated SUV, Ford Kuga

Setting the Ford Ranger, Focus and Fiesta aside, there is this Ford Kuga in the SUV category that is so understated yet perform so much better than its competitors.  Replacing the old Escape in Malaysia, the Kuga is the first to use the latest Ford's turbocharged, direct-injected Ecoboost 1.6-litre engine, which is capable of producing 178hp/240Nm of power.

	Kuga 1.6	CRV 2.4	Tucson 2.4
Engine Power	178HP/240Nm	187HP/222Nm	175HP/227Nm
Transmission	6-speed	5-speed	6-speed
Airbags	7	6	6
Traction Control	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wheel	17"	18"	17"
Price	157k	165k	159k

Looking at the other top 2 SUVs in the market, one could see the competition is stiff.  However, the Kuga is an Euro NCAP 5-star safety rated unit, inheriting all the best specifications it could have, which include ABS with ESP, EBA, Roll Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, Trailer Sway Control and the class leading airbags of 7 (driver's knee airbag, which is not available in CRV and Tucson).  For other brands, you have to get the highest end unit to enjoy all the good stuff.  Its design is also the most eye-pleasing, looking tough and forward, with a very nice Gingle Ale (green looking) colour.  For those that need to access the boot often, the hands-free power tailgate sensor will trigger with gentle waving motion under the rear bumper, while having the key fob in your pocket.  Cool feature without the additional cost...You could pay more to get similar feature in the BMW.

The Kuga is also the only car that uses a dual clutch transmission.  Good or bad, the powershift unit uses dry clutch design, which could be problematic in our weather.  However, there seems to be less complaint comparing to the VW's DSG.  The same transmission is also being used in the Fiesta and Volvo V40.

With 9-speaker and a Sony head unit, this could be the best audio system among the competitors.  However, the the tiny 4.2" control screen is a let down.  All Ford models just could not have a good dashboard and meter cluster design.  The blue needles in the meter cluster could be sporty to some, but could feel toy-ish to others. 

Inheriting Ford's European design standard, the Kuga drives good.  In fact, it is the best in its class.  At RM157k, you get a fully loaded SUV that could stuff all your family luggage on travel comfortably and safely.  The car comes with 60,000 km free service and carry a 5-year warranty, which provide peace of mind ownership.  By the way, with a 1.6-litre engine, it is the most efficient and fuel economy SUV in the market now!

The all new MINI F56

The MINI F56 is finally here, in its third incarnation of life since BMW took over the brand.  From the very first R50/R53 Tritec unit, then to the R56 Prince unit, the F56 now has the all new BMW-developed TwinPower Turbo 1.5-litre (136hp/220Nm) and 2.0-litre (192hp/280Nm) engines, that is cleaner and more efficient. All MINIs here are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.  For the maximum fun, the 2.0-litre Cooper S is the ultimate go-kart choice, with sport suspension and the paddle shifter that is important here to keep your hand steady on the steering wheel.

This round, MINI Malaysia decided to make 4 variants available, trying hard to make the MINI ownership easier on the pocket.  However, all variants are not the top spec and left us some some disappointments.  The cheapest MINI Cooper is now priced at RM178,888, without the MINI Service Inclusive.  Adding it will bring the price to RM184,788, which is RM14,100 lower then the MINI Cooper Chili, but uses halogen lights, cloth seat, manual aircon, normal seat and loses the MINI Connected and the 6.5" LCD screen, effectively making it in a very basic form of MINI.  I would advise all Cooper buyer to get the Chili version instead.  Additional RM14k more will not burst your bank if one can afford a MINI.  The illusion of cheaper MINI continues on with the Copper S, which has a price of RM228,888, and similarly without the MINI Service Inclusive, and adding RM5,900 to it, again make it RM14,100 lower then the Cooper S Wired edition.  The Cooper S Wired edition comes with a centre armrest, enhanced bluetooth connectivity, and the best are the 12 speakers Harman Kardon HiFi system, navigation, 8.8" LCD Display with touchpad controller and voice control.  The touchpad which is built into the "BMW iDrive-styled" joystick could recognize handwriting, making search for POI/roadname earsier while driving.  Of course, one could use the voice control as well.  Do note that BMW charges a premium to get the map updated!

Amazingly, the center speedometer is now gone. Finally the engineer knew style is actually not a good replacement for ergonomic.  It now houses the LCD screen and radio system of the MINI.  The screen is clearly and loaded with info, the all will like the "BMW iDrive" inheritance here.  The tiny joystick is replaced with a proper controller now.  The huge binnacle even has different coloured ring in different settings.  For example, in Green mode (fuel efficient driving), it glows green, in Mid mode (the normal MINI setting), it glows yellow, and turning to the aggressive Sport mode, it glows and angry red!  Cool, but distracting.  The 6.5" LCD is acceptable here in comparison and is good enough as it does not come with navigation.

The emphasis of speedometer is now back to all cars standard, mounted on top of the steering wheel, with a side tachometer and LED fuel gauge.  The JCW steering wheel on the Cooper S variants feels and looks really nice with the JCW emblem and red stitching on the perforated leather.  3-spoke steering wheel always look better than the old two spokes on the Cooper. 

With the MINI all grown up now, naturally it gain in length, providing a better boot space.  Even the bumpy feel of the MINI ride is gone.  In both the Cooper and Cooper S, NVH and ride are fantastic.  Powered-window and center locking controls have ergonomically move to the door panel now.  The rounded center aircon vents is now rectangular, providing a better fit and less cartoon-ish. 

The overall interior has vast improvement now, with everyone favourite Engine Start Stop button painted in Red, and designed as a toggle switch in the centre console.  There is finally no key fob to insert.  Just keep the key in your pocket, depress the brake, toggle the aircraft-styled Red button, and off you go, it fires up!

Some might like it, and some not, the tires are now Hankook, though these are Hungarian made.  Some even felt the horse-shoed ring LED Daytime running light loses the British touch.  The large rear lamp cluster is weird looking.  But I would think all these blended it well with the new MINI.  A MINI must be fitted with performance tires and the Korean brand now is very innovative.  The DRL has its unique shape, and read cluster gives dimensional feel.  With chrome line in the package, it just bring back the classic to the all new F56 MINI.

Taking a drive in both the Cooper and Cooper S, one could get so addicted to the Cooper S 2.0-litre turbo engine.  Leaving the car in Sport mode makes so much sense with this car, as it maximizes the go-kart driving experience and the burst of power is necessary.  Looking into the engine compartment, owner could start to worry on the serviceability of the compact space it has.  There is virtually no space left for any fast easy service work. Even the battery is placed far deeper near the firewall and there is no access to it without dismantling a few major covers.  Good luck...the workmanship could cost more than the battery.

BMW has a history of rust in their parts bins.  and a brand new show car already showing sign of rust in the exhaust system.  Wonder how could they miss out on this?  The rear suspension are not well covered as well, leaving rooms for a lot of wears and tears on our road.

Are you ready for a MINI?  Wait time is long for the best MINI ever.  Do note that one big disappointment on this MINI is the lack of full round airbags.  Thus if it scored 5 stars Euro NCAP, those we have here would not have met the standard.  It only has 4-airbag to the front, no curtain and knee airbag.  Even any local car has 2-airbag nowadays, wonder what make BMW-MINI think having only 4 are good for a premium MINI?  I have the answer, MINI is like iPhone, it is about style and fashion, not practicality.

The only car that make 10 colour choices available! Isn't it fashion related?  Now choose a few so that one could appear colour matching to your clothes or occasion you will be attending!

Renault Clio RS...The Fast and Furious

200 horsepower, 240NM of torque, with 6-speed dual clutch transmission mated to a 1.6-litre  turbo direct sequential injection engine is no joke at all.  A light pressure applied on the Clio RS' gas pedal, and it shoots off faster than any other competitors in its range.  This car is fast and furious, especially it comes with Goodyear F1 205/45R17 shoes.  Maximum torque kicks in at just 1750rpm.  Pressing the R.S. Drive button below the gear stalk, it immediately modifies the mapping of the gearbox, throttle, steering and the ESC, and revving to near red line is now possible!  Switch to manual RACE mode, the system disable the traction control automatically, and the Clio RS will even beep the driver it's time to up-shift.

The Clio RS looks good, especially in the Flame Red colour, which make the silver skirting highlight on the side, front and rear bumper stand out.  The twin rectangular exhaust enhance the sexiness of the rear.  Skip the Mercury (silver) colour choice, and I would also not consider the white as it loses the beauty of such highlight!

Taking a look at the engine, which might worry some, as the unit almost completely fill the compartment, with almost no good accessible space for ease of maintenance.  This means a lot of parts need to be pulled off just to service the Clio.  Now, pray hard the service centre know what to do without scratching and denting the car and return it to customer with no missing screw or clip.

A peek down the rear, Renault really did a good job in protecting the under carriage of the Clio, from front to rear.  This could mean even more difficult to repair the car.  Let's hope Renault's quality will bring some peace of mind...but which automobile does not break down, especially with 200hp, it is just difficult to slow down, and this car is not for any 110km/h driver!

Renault never has any good meter cluster, and the Clio is no exception.  It comes with a simple analog rpm meter on the left, and the fuel gauge on the right, with a digital speedometer snap right in the middle.  Digital has never been the choice for any sport car fan.  We want all in analog, preferably with the meter start at 6 o'clock position, that make a full swing when the car start.  However, the Clio metal pedal shifters is nicely crafted, a real F1-inspired design, mounted on the steering column.  Unlike some others' pedal shifters that are mounted on the steering wheel, which could be a hassle as it block of the comfort of holding on to the steering at the 2 and 10 o'clock positions.  What's nice inside the Clio RS is all the red stitching and highlights on the seats, steering wheel, dashboard and doors.  Even the seat belt is red.  All these make the Flaming Red body colour a defnite match.
 

 

 

 

At RM168k, this car beats all others manufacturer sport hatch, even the VW Golf has to be kicked off.  The handling of the Clio RS is perfect, with good feedback from the steering, and the Normal, Sport and Race mode is incredible.  You could even choose to have the system generates special engine sound effect from some pre-programmed legendary cars, such as the Nissan GTR and R8 Gordini.  The sound follow your acceleration, what a toy to have.  For the racer, the R.S. Monitor 2.0 is a must, showing all the Clio vital live, such as torque, power, g-force, traction slip, temperature, etc.  The data logger could save your track time and vitals for your review.

 

The Clio uses the smart card key, which need to be slotted below the aircon control for the Start Stop button to work.  With the placement of the button on the left side of the centre console, one could easily identify the original design on the car is for left-hand drive country, as it is weird to have the button far from the driver.

 

If you have been waiting for a small and really hot hatch sport car, the CLIO RS is the one.  A very good buy.  It has even completed the Sepang track with few seconds behind the more powerful Megane.  Time to get one and join the Renault's track day!  Burn the tarmac now!

For non racer, please push Tan Chong to bring in the normal CLIO for other to enjoy!  It is sad to always see limited Renault on our road.  Peugeot is doing very well, Citroen is next to grow with its range of DS, it is time for Renault to do its round now!  Also, bring back the Kangoo, it is a nice family car with decent pricing.

The long lasting Wiper, PIAA

Being a safety freak, wiper is a very important component for my car.  I will never compromise the quality of this part for a good looking unit that does not perform!  All my cars come with the traditional wipers set, with a metal frame providing the springy effect, ensuring the full blade touches the windscreen properly.  

If you were to change it to a frameless wiper, you will notice the tension provided by the wiper arm, at only the middle point is not enough to make the blade fully sitted on the windscreen.  Defnitely, you\ could see one edge of the blade is floating on air, as it could not have enough force to push the far end down the curvature of the windscreen, thus not able to provide a clean wipe.  Unless your car is original fitted with such wiper blade, skip this good looking set.

I have always put my trust on PIAA wiper blade, and my last set of silicone blade lasted me about 8 years.  Just replaced it today with the refill set, and the wipe is now flawlessly crystal clear.  It is also greener to use refill instead of changing the full frame set.  The car is now 10 years old, still on its factory fitted wiper frame!  FYI, PIAA wiper is available at ENEOS.