New dawn or false promise?The Proton X70 Driven.

To say that Proton was in dire need of help would be a grand understatement.Every step(blind and misguided) that the company took only seem to take it deeper into debt and further away from the eyes of the public.Once the darling of the Malaysian automotive industry,Protons fall from grace after years of churning out subpar automobiles was tragic but foreseen.

Three years ago,Geely, a company that started life as a refrigerator maker and one that made its way into the automotive industry 14 years after Proton, inked a deal that would see them become the owners of Proton.

The X70 is the 1st in a line of rebadged Geelys that will be making its way onto our shores.A looker with strong lines and an extremely attractive price,whats not to love ? Well.....

The X70 was made with comfort in mind and it shows!NVH levels are kept to a minimum and dare i say, best in class.It irons out bumps relatively well and i really felt safe behind the wheels.There is adequate space for four adults and you can comfortably squeeze in one more for short distances.

 

                        


It is however,riddles with little flaws .The HI PROTON entertainment unit is fine but it is equipped with a bang average stereo system that belong in the base model Axia.Sounds emited from the stereo are tinny and lack any depth whatsoever.The choice of materials used are miles ahead of whats found in any other Proton but still falls short of the rest of the pack.The general feel of the plastics used are above average but i still question its longevity.


The Engine is its Achilles heel.The 1.8T is sluggish and runs out of breath pretty early in the rev count.It is able to achieve speeds that would put you behind bars but it feels like an eternity to get there .



                                   

For what its worth,the X70 is an exceptional family SUV.It rides well and for its asking price,it is a steal.I can safely say that this is the best Proton to date and one that will hold its own among the likes of the much pricier CRV , CX-5 and the 3008 but ultimately fall short.

A new dawn has begun.

Rating: 3.8 / 5

Looks can be deceiving!KIA SORENTO Driven!

My expectations were sky high when i laid eyes on the all new Sorento.With a new bold direction,Kia had(on the surface atleast)made this edition of the Sorento a world beater.

Looks:Subjective.To me,it was a handsome looking vehicle and then just when thing were looking up ; i stepped inside.It was disappointing!total utter disappointment!Plastics feel cheap!"Leather" on seats had the same texture and feel of a garbage bag.A short look to the Sorentos' competitors (most of them are cheaper then the Sorento)has revealed that Kia(in my annoyed opinion) is trying to pass of a AVERAGE car,as a world class one.The fit and finish in the Sorento wasn't even close to other Kias' i've been in recently.

Cabin:legroom/headroom:good.Too distraught to even bother.

Ride:comfort; above average.


Rating:2.8/5

Honda unveils a Head turner!

  

Honda has given its Civic a major makeover,blowing competitors away with its futuristic,masculine yet elegant new look.The new car is said to be powered by a 1.5 l turbo engine.Interesting choice,details a still scarce but our sources have informed us the car should hit showrooms by mid 2016. 

Turning a new LEAF

This is the very first image of what is said to be hints of the all new Nissan Leaf electric car.

The new Leaf is expected to make its public debut late 2016 and is tipped to have an electric range of around 300km,thats almost twice as much as the current leaf - and could be joined by further variants in the not so distant future as Nissan tries to establish the Leaf name as a "green" sub-brand, like Toyota's Prius.

Behold;the SsangYong Tivoli

SsangYong has unveiled sketches and the name of its Nissan Juke rival;The Tivoli.
The Tivoli is heavily based on the XIV concepts that were unveiled in the recent Paris motor show.
It is rumored to be powered with a 1.6 l diesel engine although it is highly likely that many variants may be made available.Expect it to hit showrooms by the end of the first quarter of 2015.

Proton And Honda Sign Agreement.

Proton Holdings Bhd, the national carmaker, has signed a collaborative agreement with Honda Motor Co Ltd, the world's seventh largest carmaker.

The agreement will get the ball rolling for the two companies to explore partnerships in the areas of technology upgrade, new products and sharing of platforms and facilities

"Having a strong and renowned global automotive player like Honda as the foreign strategic partner to Proton will provide Proton and the DRB-HICOM Group with the opportunity to grow as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). 
"The opportunities are endless," DRB HICOM said in the statement, adding that the agreement was signed only yesterday. 

news courtesy of Business Times Malaysia.

Dacia Logan 2013

Renault's Dacia unveiled a brand spanking new Logan in the recently concluded Paris Auto Show.

The new Logan doesn't only looks better then the outgoing model,we were told by our sources it also rides and handles better with improved fit and finish.How much better??well,only time can tell.