Can pickup truck be a daily-use vehicle?

Pickup truck has never excited me, as I had owned one 20-odd-years ago, and the experience had not been very good, except it became a utility vehicle for friends and relatives around to keep borrowing it for their bulky items move-about!  Friends even treat it badly, and return with dents and nick on the truck bed and rear bumper.  However, a pickup truck could be the cheapest rear wheel drive vehicle one can get in the market.  Being marked as a different category, pickup truck enjoy a different tax bracket, thus, making their starting price from RM60k.  Shop around for a China made, it could be even cheaper.  In our market, all are power by Turbo Diesel engine, that usually has enormous amount of torque, though lesser horsepower.

For speed driver, a pickup truck is not for you!  One need to know the behavior of a pickup truck to ensure the safe handling of the vehicle and to other drivers on the road.  It is common to have a lighter rear than the front, as the bed of the truck is usually empty, thus spinning a pickup on high speed could be too common, and in the process, turning it turtle as well.  Just because of the rear-end weight, a 4x2 pickup truck could easily be caught in lose sand surface or in the snow.

In our road, it could be funny to see pickup owner not using the truck's bed to carry their bulky item.  But spending additional to purchase a nice bed liner, keeping it in tip-top condition, and adding a rack on top of the bed cover to carry their items.  It is like buying a Ferrari, but drive at a snail pace of 30km/h, which does not make sense.

Design of pickup truck has change tremendously comparing to 20 years ago.  Now, a pickup truck comes with automatic transmission, airbags, double-cab space to fit 5, nice audio system, dual zone aircon, auto headlight and wiper, traction control, and a host lots more of features, making ownership experience of a pickup as close to a normal car.  Let's hope the government will not treat it as one and start imposing heavy taxes on it, just like what had be done to SUV.  We used to have Isuzu Trooper at jaw dropping cheap price till people start buying it in huge quantities, and was slapped with normal car taxes thereafter!

So, can a pickup truck replaces your daily drive?  It could be, Diesel is available in almost all petrol kiosk nowadays.  A pickup truck interior now is as good looking and functional as a car, though the comfort could never be any near match.  And you don't mind having friends and families borrowing it for their moving of bulky items, it could be a real deal.  Lastly, please make sure you could handle a vehicle which is heavy in the front and light at the back, if not, do not put yourself and others at risk!  A pickup truck is a different kind of beast, and deserve more understanding from the driver!

Mazda Biante - The high compression people mover

When your family size grow, naturally an MPV will be on your priority when it is time for a new car.  Consumers here are spoil for choices here, with a lot of luxurious re-conditioned unit from Japan, namely the Toyota Estima, Alphard and Vellfire.  A few unique owner will go for the Nissan Elgrand.  For those that had had bad experience with re-conditioned unit, finally gave up and will bet on units with local distributor support.  Still a lot of choices though!  First came to one mind will be the Proton Exora, which is cheapest starting from RM60k, good enough for the average family man to ferry the kids, in-law and maid around town.  But most having better budget, would still want a Japanese model, and the Mazda Biante or Nissan Serena would be common on the list.  The Biante which originated from a JDM, made its appearance a surprise as Mazda has a better Mazda 5 and Mazda 8.  The Biante cost RM150k, which is slightly below the Mazda 5, and about RM50k lower than the Mazda 8.  Of course, the Mazda 5 is not a 7-seater MPV.

Powering the Biante is the Skyactiv 2.0-litre engine, capable of 149hp/190Nm of power, paired to  the 6-speed transmission.  Soon, all Mazda's models will inherit the Skyactiv, normalizing the high compression feature.  Comparing to an almost similarly price Nissan Serena (RM147k), with better torque, one would prefer the Serena for its network of support throughout the country.  Both look equivalent boxy, though the horizontal tail-lamp layout of the Biante is much neutral.

The interior of the MPV is as simple as it can get, with a Pioneer audio unit and simple aircon control.  Nothing fancy here, except for the paddle shifter...what the heck is Mazda thinking!  Driver of MPV would not need to have this and it is not a sport car.  Could it be the Biante is sharing the same part bin from other models?  Safety is basic, with dual front airbags, ABS and traction control, again, similar to what a Serena has.

For a MPV, the seats must be comfortable and there is no compromise here.  The fabric seat is thich and comfy, but the beige colour is not a welcome sign for a family with kids and babies...It could attract stains in no time.  However, it reduces heat from having darker colour.  The headrests of both the front driver and passenger seat have integrated video monitor, thus remember to put your maid way back since she will not need to watch that movie on the journey.  It's their precious time to catch a nap anyway.

Without the revival of a Kia Carnival/Naza Ria, the Biante and Serena could be the only competitive people movers in the market.  However, in Malaysia, we still have a lot of folks that want a Toyota, and the Previa/Estima from UMW Toyota is asking for a whooping RM258k!  Heads on to the Mazda's or Nissan's showroom and put your RM150k instead.

Fabulous...Sexy...Unbeatable...The Mercedes CLA 200

Although with no test drive unit available, no printed brochure and waiting period of 9 months, the Mercedes CLA 200 has already exceeded > 1200 bookings!  Could this be the RM236k price tag, or how sexy this coupe is, that keep attracting future owner?  It is everything!  A price tag that is cheaper than a Mini Cooper S, with a pretty look that beat the VW Golf to the ground, and a trusted brand that makes one join the luxury's car owner club, Mercedes-Benz make the CLA hard to resist.  With a further warranty period of 4 years, kicking BMW 2-year story down the drain, let's put down the RM1,000 booking fee now!

Sitting on the same platform as the A-Class, the CLA 200 naturally uses the same engine from the A200 in the front wheel drive layout.  The 1.6-litre turbocharged unit able to produce 156hp/250Nm of power.  This model is not for your run on the track, but only occasional speed along the highway, with a top speed of 230km/h, enough to earn you a nice photo from the speed camera.  Innovations are not to be missed from any Mercedes, thus you get an efficient 7-speed Dual Clutch transmission with Eco Start-Stop, collision prevention assist that automatically apply brake in city traffic, Attention assist system that detect driving behavior and warn you if you sway off the lane, telling you the need for a cup of coffee, auto parking assist with reverse camera, and of course full round of airbags with knee airbag for driver.

The interior is similar to the A-Class as well, with no distinct differences.  The sporty 6-o'clock pointing meter cluster is a carried over, as well as the steering column mounted gear stalk which took away the sportiness of the coupe.  The position of the gear stalk on right side of the steering clearly show a share component from the left hand drive car.  Luckily, steering mounted shifter is available.

As a sport coupe, the semi-bucket seat is comfortable and a luxury with Artico artificial leather, which some claim is better, and most would claim is more sweaty in our hot weather when compare to real leather.  Why you think a Benz at less than RM250k?  The 1.6-litre does not match well with a sport coupe for a starter, and material could not be as luxury of others.  But what the heck, it is a Benz, and the wow factor from your colleagues and friends is there to remain.

If you ask me whether I will choose a BMW 316i, MINI Cooper S, A-Class, or others, this CLA 200 could be my clear choice.  Arriving in this car to a party could turn heads and get preference from the valet parking operator.  However, give yourself more time to stare at the CLA, is it making your mind change that this car looks feminine...as the size could make a perfect fit for the wife that like to be on the wild size once in a blue moon!  Real man get a real sport car...with only 156hp...the A250 could be a wiser choice and shorter length could be better on the B-road!

The claw is back...the better Peugeot 3008

Finally, the Peugeot 3008 facelifted version is here, and the significant changes will be the inheritance of the 3-claw tail-light and claw-like headlight design which is now standard across the Peugeot's range of models.  Though personally the boomerang shape tail-light is not a favourable choice, and a subtle simpler design could be better here.  This round, the 3008 has a newly tweaked 1.6-litre THP engine, with increase horsepower to 165hp and torque of 240Nm.  The turbo engine is very willing to rev above 6000rpm, making it an enjoyable family SUV.

Safety is always on top of the list for all European-designed car, and the 3008 is no exception, with 5-star NCAP rating, equipped with 6-airbag, ESP, ABS, EBD, EBA, ASR, DSC, Hill Start Assist, rear view reverse camera, auto headlight, auto wiper, front and rear fog lights, follow-me-home light and dynamic directional bi-Xenon headlights.  What else you want? However, the recent release ASEAN NCAP Phase III result only shown the Peugeot 208 scoring a 4-star instead of the NCAP 5-star, now this make one wonder why?  Could be any of the following reasons:-

1. ASEAN NCAP test is more stringent that Euro NCAP? Doubt?
2. CKD kit of Peugeot here might have a different safety standard, thus allowing a more competitive price?

Peugeot build quality is always good, except for its Asean-only 408 which is not as good.  The 3008 looks neat and technological advance especially with the HUD (Head-Up-Display), providing an ease of view of the speed and cruise control info.  This translucent piece of plastic is innovative, and the projection is height adjustable to fit all driver viewing angle.  Those that find this piece of display redundant and disturbing, could switch off easily and it lower itself into the dash.  The navigation which is licensed from Nokia has a plain map.  Timely map update is important and hope this is a free service from the service center.
 

The boot of the 3008 could be the most innovative in the segment.  The main door opens like hatch, moving up, and the second door opens door, which the sales claimed this could sustain at least 100kg load on it, making it a temporal seat.  The interior boot cover maintains as a multi-level adjustable board, which could be move up or down to provide a flatten space.  The spare wheel is full size with matching alloy rim!

17" two-tone wheel design is nice, fitted with Michelin Premacy HP.  Naza should really educate their assembler to do thing correctly.  The red dot that you find on the tire is a alignment mark for the tire valve, the yellow dot is the heavy spot of the tire, to indicate to the tech if he has a out of balance wheel assembly to counter balance the wheel and tire assembly.  This photo clearly show the red dot is not aligned to the tire valve position.  Even a Perodua would not miss this important fact during assembly.  Looks like Naza only has the urge in selling in bulk, but not to up to the quality yet, even after acquiring so many franchises in its automotive business.

8-way powered seat is a nice addition in this facelift model.  However, the cabin remain pretty much unchanged, with a dated aircon control, radio unit and flimsy tiny rear aircon vent.  Anyhow, this is a family-oriented car, thus simplicity is the core.  Always love a bare steering wheel without any button and knob as I found those hinder a proper handling of the driver.  Radio and cruise control stalk are mounted on the column instead, which is the smart.  No blockage or hindrance for driver while keeping both hands on the wheel!

At RM154k, this is not the cheapest car in the same segment, one could explore others such as the CRV,  Kuga, Sportage and Tucson, where all are similarly price competitively.  3008 and Ford Kuga are the only units with fuel efficient 1.6-litre turbo engine, and both drive really good.  The low rev torque available really make a different.  The 3008 soaks all undulated road condition, providing a very comfortable ride.

Ford Fiesta with Ecoboost - Engine of the year! A Revisit...

This is a revisit of the already cool Ford Fiesta, where this round the car is equipped with the ever popular Engine of the Year for 2012 and 2013, the turbocharged Ecoboost 1.0-litre, that could easily produce 123hp/170Nm of power, making other engines of up to 1.6-litre unmatchable.  This 3-cylinder unit is even rated with fuel consumption of 5.3L/100km, which save you some trips to the gas station.  Comparing this engine side by side makes one feel the Ecoboost is of complicated technology, as it does not looks tiny in the cramped engine bay.  In fact, it looks a bit messy with the turbocharger and the top air duct.  Even the battery in the Ecoboost variant is larger!

Aside from the engine, this Fiesta is almost identical to the Sport variant of the Ti-VCT, except for a different skirting upfront that comes with the LED daytime running lights.  Priced almost RM10k more from the 1.5-litre Sport variant, at RM97k, this little car is in fact expensive.  To offset the price, Ford makes this one of the safest car in this category by having 7-airbag, which include a driver side knee airbag!  Unless you wanted a hatchback car, with a turbocharged engine, at this price, the Honda City is still the best value.

The Fiesta's handling is always superb, and now the 20-year-old Ti-VCT engine is being swapped out with the Ecoboost engine, retaining the 6-speed Getrag's powershift transmission, which could further make this car a very interesting unit.  However, a 1.0-litre small hatch with close to RM100k mark could be difficult to make it popular on our road.  If premium automobiles were priced by the premium engine, comparing this to a Mini Cooper S 2.0-litre at RM249k, all of a sudden, it even make the Fiesta not worth the money as it does not fall into the premium category.  

Even before one show interest, Ford's salesperson is already offering a RM7k discount for the car manufactured in 2013.  This means there might have plenty of stock in the warehouse as we are already moving into mid 2014.  Wait for the 2014 unit, RM1k discount will be offered as well.  Push the salesperson harder, I think could easily get better discount as this could not be the fast moving Ecoboost.

Ford S-MAX, the compact MPV

If you have almost RM200k to spare, and the family need a safe people mover, the Exora is not your style and standard, with Japanese Mazda 5 felt dated, and the beautiful Citroen C4 Picasso has not make its way here yet, then the Ford S-Max is your only choice.  Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre Ecoboost engine with 237hp/350Nm on tap, this is one energetic MPV.  The 6-speed dual clutch powershift is standard and it has a total of 9-airbag, NCAP 5-star rating, to keep everyone in the safe cell in case of any unforeseen emergency should happen.

Seating arrangement is an important factor when choosing an MPV, and the S-MAX comes with 8-way adjustable power seats for the driver and passenger.  The third row seats could be folded flat and second row slides back and forth to improve the comfort when the family size is small.

The meter cluster is nice, with a Ford Convers+ colour display in the middle, in addition to displaying the car status, it is connected to the Sony audio system.  It will be good if Ford made the speedometer pointing south, similar to the rpm meter.  The existing display is just not in sync.  Moving the fuel and temperature gauges to the digital display will make room for this.  Red needle is always better than blue which is used in the Kuga and Fiesta.

Middle console is elegantly designed where the aircraft-styled parking brake make it stand out from the crowd.  Dual zone climate control is standard.  Did I mention the Sony audio system is connected to 9 speakers?  One could have a party in the S-MAX.  Rain sensor with auto wiper is a feature to appreciate if it worked well.  The bi-xenon headlights, LED rear lights and daytime running lights further make this car looks incredibly sexy for a family man.  The puddle light mounted on the wing mirrors provide further illumination before entry and exit of the car, ensuring safety from the surrounding of the car.  The fabric seat is thoughtful in the S-MAX as it is more comfortable for daily usage and make it easier to maintain comparing to leather.  So, if you do not want anything big as Estima, the S-MAX make a good choice in the mid-MPV segment.  Ford provides 5-year warranty for peace of mind ownership!