The 2011 Proton Design and Innovation Contest.

Proton's annual Design and Innovation contest for its staff was held at the Kompleks Pusat Bandar Pasir Gudang, Johor recently.The theme for the contest this year was to create a "compact car" with only leftovers from other models on the Proton stable and with a budget of only RM 8,000.The results are some-what awe inspiring and eyebrow raising to say the least.(credits to Arena kereta).

Exora Bold and Prime Takes Center Stage.

Finally the day has come,Proton has officially unveiled details on the fully "refreshed" Exora,which will now be available with a turbocharged engine,making it Protons first ever turbocharges production vehicle.

Proton Group MD Dato’ Sri Syed Zainal Abidin was quoted: “Boosted with the more efficient 1.6L engine, customers will experience powerful performance which is comparable to a 2.0L engine, with much lower fuel consumption. The additional power kicks in to provide more pulling power when accelerating or overtaking. In short, it’s what you can aptly describe as a ‘pay-as-you-go’ engine, which gives you more ‘vroom’ for every litre of petrol used,” 

In terms of the spec; the Bold Premium CVT gets leather-wrapped steering and seats, front fog lamps, rear spoiler, electric foldable wing mirrors, cruise control and reverse camera which is integrated with the rear view mirror via LCD.  

The Prime is the Full spec Exora, sitting above the Bold range. the Prime gets walnut finishing on the centre console,  metallic beige door switch covers and inner door handles. Also included are head rest monitors and satellite navigation.

KUGA 2

Ford has unveiled an all new Ford Kuga in Europe, at the Los Angeles motor show.

The compact five-seater is destined to replace the aging Ford Escape and will hit European showrooms next year as an all-new, considerably larger Kuga. It will also be launched in China later next year.

The new SUV’s styling closely follows the European-designed Vertrek concept unveiled in Detroit at the beginning of the year. It is the latest fruit of Ford chief Alan Mulally’s ‘One Ford’ philosophy, which has already made a success of European models such as the Fiesta and Focus in the US, and will bring even more unification to Ford’s world markets.

Product development boss Derek Kuzak claims fuel economy for the new Kuga/Escape will beat all comers in its class, reducing real-world consumption by 5-6mpg. He also claims the car has 11 convenience features not offered by any rival, including a hands-free powered tailgate that swings upwards if you aim a gentle kick at the underside of the rear bumper.

Among other refinements, the car comes with internet connectivity and improved aerodynamics, including grille slats that close when maximum cooling is not needed. This cuts aerodynamic drag and reduces fuel consumption.

Compared with the outgoing model, the new Kuga is around 100mm longer, with most of the extra length concentrated in the wheelbase. Ford admits one current point of customer dislike is the current Kuga’s small boot and rear passenger accommodation.

Citroën's ASX

The new Citroën C4 Aircross, a compact SUV version of the Citroën C4, will be available in two and four wheel drive versions when it goes on sale next autumn.

The C4 Aircross is essentially a Mitsubishi ASX with some styling cues from Citroën's Hypnos concept car.

The Citroën C4 Aircross boasts vertically integrated LEDs at the front, indicator repeaters in the door mirrors, light guides in the rear light clusters and an integrated rearview reversing camera.

Equipment includes GPS navigation with touch-screen, reversing camera and USB or Bluetooth connection for portable audio players.

Peugeot's "all terrain" 4008

Peugeot has unveiled the Peugeot 4008, an SUV which completes its range of vehicles “suited to the various expectations of all-terrain customers,” according to the firm.

A total of four engines are available – a 1.6-litre petrol with 114bhp, a 2.0-litre 148bhp petrol and two diesels (1.6 and 1.8-litre) with 110bhp and 148bhp respectively. For European markets, however, only the diesels are offered, both of which are mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.

External features of the Peugeot 4008 include 18-inch alloys, a vertical grille, flared wheel arches, sill protectors and LED daylight running lamps that “complement the headlamps”.

Inside, the new SUV’s cabin gets a glass panoramic roof, a touch-screen navigation system and reversing camera.

Pricing for the Peugeot 4008 has not been announced.

Malaysian Police To Use Camry.

This is an official image released by the Royal Malaysian Police them self.It essentially is a tricked out Toyota Camry that will be used by the Malaysian Police For their VIP escorts(The PM,Ministers) It spots the same black and white colour scheme(American Police car colour ) seen on the kia forte "concept" police car.

The New Ford Mondeo ?

Ford unveiled a striking four-door, four-seater sports coupe that lays down a masterplan for the way the firm’s cars of tomorrow will look like.

The head-turning Evos concept features incredible gullwing doors, a fuel-sipping petrol-electric hybrid powerplant and cutting-edge infotainment systems.It is also said to be the biggest hint yet as to how the all new Ford Mondeo will look like.Two thumbs up from me!

Maserati enters Lucrative Suv Market.

Meet Maserati's answer to the Porsche Cayenne.

The sleek four-door Maserati Kubang integrates its trademark rear haunches into a coupe-esque body with a shallowly raked rear.

Described by Maserati as "the first tangible look at Maserati's future", the Kubang is the firm's first attempt at a sports luxury SUV since the Kubang concept at Detroit in 2003.

Maserati says that the a new generation of engines will be designed in Modena, and produced in Maranello by Ferrari. 

Audi's New A2.

Audi has confirmed plans for  all-electric successor to the A2, six years after the first-generation model ceased production.

The five-door hatch retains the distinctive silhouette, short overhangs, shallow glasshouse treatment and aluminium spaceframe construction of the original A2. However, it receives a more technical appearance in keeping with other recent new Audis, notably the A1, with which the new car will share elements of its chassis and underpinnings.

If everything goes according to plan,expect to see the A2 in showrooms by 2013.

NILS by Volkswagen.

Volkswagen is outlining its vision for personal urban mobility with its one-seat electric car concept for this month's Frankfurt motor show.

Dubbed as the "NILS",the  concept is said to be “anything but a dry-run exercise” and is a “very realistic proposition” for a commuter car in 2030.

The NILS is based around a Formula 1-style layout (driver in middle, powertrain in rear) and an aluminium spaceframe that contributes to a weight of just 460kg. A one-seat layout was chosen by VW because according to them, almost 90 per cent of commuters who travel by car do so without any passengers.Will the NILS see production?No official news as to when this will take place,but VW seems very keen to do so.

Skoda's "Mission"

Skoda will be unveiling an all new MissionL concept car for next week’s Frankfurt motor show.The car will be vital to the Czech firm’s ambitious growth plans when it enters production next year.

Un-named sources have suggested that the new model will be named  ‘Lauretta’ and will fill the large gap between the Fabia and Octavia in Skoda’s current range. It will be a five-door hatchback-come-saloon, similar in dimensions to the Ford Focus and is described by Skoda as being of a “compact liftback design”.


Many of MissionL’s key design features will be taken from the similarly-sized VisionD concept from the Geneva motor show earlier this year. It is said the the car is around 80 per cent production ready and is actually based on lengthened VW Polo mechanicals.

VW Goes "UP" up and Away!

Ladies and Gents,i give you the Volkswagen Up, a model poised to become the company’s biggest seller and a key component in its plans to assume worldwide market leadership by 2018.

Holding true to the look of the original concept, the production Up has a simple two-box silhouette. VW design boss Klaus Bischoff says the layout provides optimal space utilisation within a compact footprint, making the car highly suitable for city driving.

The Up replaces the Lupo and should go on sale by early next year.

Among the more distinctive design flourishes is a large front bumper featuring a low-set, rectangular grille. This, together with round foglights and large, angular headlights, helps to give the Up a more expressive face than other recent new Volkswagens.

Cadillac's breathtaking Ciel Concept

Cadillac has unveiled the awe inspiring Cadillac Ciel concept car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California.

The Cadillac Ciel – which means Sky in French - is an “open-air grand-touring car inspired by the natural beauty of the California coast,” according to the firm.

It is approximately 300mm longer than the Cadillac CTS saloon, the four-seat convertible concept is powered by a 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine, mated to a hybrid system.

The concept’s long and low proportions “evoke the spirit of the classics”, while the pillarless rear-hinged doors reveal a sweeping view of the “dramatic interior”.

Other features include 22-inch alloys, striking vertical LED headlamps front and back, a large shield grille and chrome accents.

Inside, the Ciel gets a floating centre console, transparent gauges and a “power-assisted transmission shifter”.

The heated and cooled seats offer a drawer for sun cream, sun-glasses and towels as well as “aromatherapy that is controlled from the rear armrest”.

Pull-out blankets are also available for all three passengers and retract automatically.

Cadillac global design director Clay Dean said: "Large, expressive luxury is innate to Cadillac and the Ciel recalls that heritage, while suggesting where the brand can go in the future.”

The SsangYong XUV 1

SsangYong are planing to unveil a new crossover concept at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

The SSangYong Concept XUV 1 is described as a 'premium crossover utility vehicle'. The B-segment design will combine supermini dimensions with a high-seating position.


SsangYong issued three darkened images of Concept XUV 1 to hint at the machine's styling, but by lightening these images it is possible to see a more clearly defined shape.

The Concept XUV 1 (the name is derived from ‘Excellent User Interface Vehicle 1’) will also feature a full glass roof and a wide, wraparound windscreen.Judging by the pictures,SsangYong are destined for a comeback!If the car remains the same as picturized.

Volvo's Shining Star,The S60.

The S60 is well on its way to become Volvos best seller,it certainly looks the part,i'll give it that!This is the all-new replacement for the first S60, which was launched back in 2000 and sold 600,000 units over its nine-year life span. Volvo says the new S60 ‘is the most dynamic Volvo ever …the emphasis is on emotional stance, sporty design and dynamic driving properties.’,and i couldnt agree more(except for the dynamic driving part,yet to get my hand on one)
The car is based on the Ford Group EUCD platform (Mondeo, V70 and S80), but,Volvo engineers were quick to point out that the changes made to the S60’s chassis were extensive.

Other highlights include a stiffer front subframe, stiffer strut top mounts, stiffer bushes, 10 percent quicker steering rack and a new steering column that’s twice as rigid as the unit used on other current models. The rods in the front dampers have been upsized from 22mm to 25mm for greater rigidity and the front end is lower than is the case for its existing sister models.

In the flesh, the S60 looks much better than it does in PR photos,trust me! It does inherit lines from the older model, which is no bad thing. The interior is, again, tilted towards the driver and the TV screen is now embedded in the dash. Chunks of the cockpit, though, such as the centre console layout and door trim and switchgear design seemed not to have changed.
Under the swooping roofline, rear legroom is said to have improved. The boot is a decent size, but there’s no spare wheel under the floor. Indeed, the car doesn’t even have a wheel well.now that is an utter disappointment!Minor cons aside,this car,along with the Xc60,will have no problem(in my mind) to help Volvo to not only boost sales,but to shine!

The Ferrari FF

With its official launch in Malaysia just days ago,The Ferrari FF certainly has been making waves in the Malaysian autoblog scene,so let me take a crack at it!Its a four-seat Ferrari, which replaces the 612 Scaglietti and the first production Ferrari to feature four-wheel drive. And if that wasn’t enough to be contending with, the FF is also an "shooting brake"/Estate.

While the FF retains an aluminium spaceframe, the wheelbase is 40mm longer than the 612, to help increase cabin space. Power is provided by a 651bhp 6.3-litre V12 engine;which gives it an impressive 0-200km/h time of 11 sec!


 What is particularly interesting about the FF is the absence of a direct rival and how it delivers drive to the road, because unlike a conventional all-wheel drive system, there is no centre differential. Instead, for the majority of the time, the FF is effectively a regular rear-wheel-drive Ferrari, with the power directed to the back wheels via a seven-speed, dual clutch transaxle gearbox.

The History Of Malaysia's Proton.

The History of Malaysia's National Automaker Proton.Videos share Protons Past,Present and whats in store for the Future.

Naza to Launch new Sedan.

Naza Group,is set to launch a sedan based on the Peugeot 308.

will a sedan version of the 308 sell?

Codenamed the T73,the car will be assembled in Naza's Gurun Plant.

Production is said to begin in the third quarter of 2011,with the name 408 being the most likely 'launch name' of the sedan.

Bentley Suv in the pipelines?

Bentley is strongly considering to launch a super-luxury SUV by 2014, according to new boss Wolfgang Durheimer.

"I have great faith in the SUV market and it’s here to stay" says Durheimer, who counts the launch of the Porsche Cayenne during his tenure at Weissach as "one of my proudest achievements".

The SUV will have hallmark Bentley styling and a luxury wood and leather interior that will place it above the Range Rover in terms of perceived quality.

The platform of Bentley’s new SUV is yet to be decided, although there are strong indications that it will be a version of VW Group’s new MLB modular underpinning for in-line mounted engines and probably share componentry with the next-gen Audi Q7.

Significantly Durheimer was a key figure in the early platform engineering of the MLB while at Porsche.

The final go-ahead for Bentley’s SUV is still awaited from the VW Board, although the company is confident that the project will get the green light.