German 3-Series, C-Class, A4's competitor, The Jaguar XE

If you ever wanted to be different, and to make heads turn while on the road, has an extra RM100k to spend, no worry about the exorbitant repair cost and lousy resale value, go get yourself the Jaguar XE.  The classic UK brand, which is now Tata-owned, could have set the target audience for the XE completely wrong.  The Jaguar XE is suppose to compete in segment where Mercedes C-class, BMW 3-series and Audi A4 has dig itself a big hole to jump in, effectively burying it.  Selling at a starting price of RM321k, smart consumer will not want to buy it, and it is only for the those who would want to show off their British love and flirthy rich.

What are you getting for such a small luxury sedan for over RM300k?  You get to enjoy the infamous Jaguar's aluminium architecture, which almost provide the car a 50:50 weight distribution.  Don't ask how to enjoy the lightweight metal and don't ever get into an accident, as repairing the body panel could be difficult.  Other bells and whistles are common among other luxury marques.  Jaguar also boost its All Surface Progress Control cruise control that adjust itself in any road condition.  However, I don't think it is of much use as one would want to have full driver control during harsh weather instead.

When the interiors of the Beemer, Merc and Audi bore you, the XE could be a further let down.  The touch gear selection control could amaze some, but not all.  Aside from this, there is nothing much to brag about. 

The size of the XE is small, and wheel arch intrusion to the trunk is sizeable as well, leaving a small boot capacity.  The powered boot lid is a nice feature, which also means additional repair cost when it fails during ownership of the car.  The rear seat of the XE is cramp, thus making those who has family to ferry around an inconvenient.  Choosing a German made brand could be a wiser choice.

With a wild cat badge, one would expect the car to perform like one.  7.7 seconds to the century sprint with a 2-litre turbocharged engine, capable to producing 200PS/280Nm of power.  Not enough?  Pay additional RM25k for the R-Sport version, which provide additional 40PS/60Nm of power.  Want a rocket?  The S version will come with a 3-litre V6, providing 340PS/450Nm for the little cat.  However, this will need a debit of RM547k from your bank account. So looking at the numbers, especially the dollar and sense, there are plenty of better car out there.

 

The Mitsubishi Workhorse, Triton Pickup Truck

Mitsubishi has always been popular with its Lancer Evolution which has now retired from the automobile scene, awaiting for the next incarnation.  Besides that, its pickup truck is yet another popular choice.  Like Isuzu, Mitsubishi can survive with just selling pickup truck as well as OEM its full range of engines to partners around the world.  The Triton pickup which is available is the region, has recently been refreshed, with a bolder and improve aggressive look.  The old Triton has been slightly "girlish" with all the rounded corner.  At least, for now, the new Triton looks more masculine, especially with the huge redesigned headlights.  

The larger vertical rear lamp cluster does look better as well, though personnaly I would prefer it to be straight vertical, without the rounded corner protruding to the front of the side body.  Pricing start from RM73k with the basic 5-speed manual 2.5L DI-D common rail turbocharged diesel engine (110PS/200Nm), which replaces the previous Triton Lite variant.  The most expensive and fully loaded variant is the Triton VGT AdventureX, which is equipped with 5-speed automatic and a 2.4L MIVEC Turbo Diesel DI-D Common Rail VGT Intercooler engine.  Huge torque of 430Nm and 181PS of power could means the ability to haul whatever you throw at the bed of the truck.

It is no doubt that all pickups nowadays are designed to be comfortable with a touch of luxury.  Pickup truck is no longer just for the construction/renovation usage, but has been replacing some normal sedans on the road.  Looking at most manufacturer will throw in the truck bed cover, which is almost impossible to remove for one to load bigger item, is a solid proof the pickup truck is target at white collar workers instead of the blue collar.  The Triton has a fairly comfortable rear seat, for those with family that need to travel long distance.  Leg space is decent unless you are a 6-footer.

If you were shopping for a pickup truck, does give the Triton a try.  It is not as boring as the Nissan or Toyota, and carry some styling that white collar loves.  If you are the more aggressive type, maybe hop on over to Isuzu and take a look at their D-MAX.

RON97 & RON95 is now @ RM2.15/litre & RM1.80/litre respectively

Budget 2017 is coming, and analysts predict that there could be nothing interesting in the coming year, although news of next general election is looming around.  Oil price is in the upward trend as OPEC agreed to cut production 2 days ago.  RON97 and RON95 is now @ RM2.15/litre & RM1.80/litre respectively, increasing RM0.10 from previous month.  As for diesel, it is now RM1.75/litre.