2018 Subaru WRX STi Malaysian preview

This mean looking blue warrior just wants to play doesn't it? Well, with the kind of monster lurking under that imposing bonnet vent, it's begging to be liberated from the scorching cage that houses it. Meet the 2018 Subaru WRX STi, which is by the way not yet officially launched in the Malaysian market. This is just a preview of what is to come. 

Once it does, expect it to arrive in 2 trim levels: 2.0 CVT and 2.5 manual. The former will cost circa RM269k and the latter circa RM310k. The model on display at the Malaysia Autoshow 2017 in MAEPS, Serdang is the top spec 2.5 manual.

Let's start with the party piece: drivetrain. Under the bonnet is a 2.5 litre turbocharged DOHC 16-valve flat 4 churning out 300 PS at 6000 rpm and 407 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. All this grunt is channeled to the company's Symmetrical All Wheel Drive mediated by the 6 speed manual transmission. 

Subaru ensures you won't fly off the cliff under the mercy of such brute output thanks to the Brembo Performance Brake with 6 pot caliper ventilated front disc brake and 2 pot caliper ventilated rear disc brake. Just check out that stonking yellow caliper bearing the STi emblem. That looks so snazzy.

Since this thing just wants to play, feast on the ridiculously huge rear spoiler and diffuser that will generate the pounds of downforce.

LED headlight with LED daytime running light graces the bow of the car. The rear end features the fog lamp and dual twin tailpipe.

ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Brake Override, Brake Assist, ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor, SRS Front, Side, Curtain and Knee Airbag complete the list of safety equipment.  

Time to get stung! 2018 Kia Stinger GT preview Malaysia

After being launched this January, the 2018 Kia Stinger GT has finally been brought in to Malaysia....albeit in preview form at MAEPS, Serdang. This is a left hand drive model by the way. Pricing hasn't been announced yet to date. 

Kia's first foray into performance segment is set for Malaysian launch sometime next year. This writer imagines this Stinger GT will certainly 'sting' the driver's appetite due to the fact the chassis tuning is headed by non other than former BMW M chief Albert Biermann. 

To recap, the Stinger GT will be powered by either the smaller 2.0 litre Theta II turbocharged inline 4 dishing out 255 hp at 6200 rpm and 353 Nm of torque from 1400-4000 rpm, or the more potent 3.3 litre Lambda II twin turbo V6 making 365 hp at 6000 rpm and 510 Nm of torque from 1300-4500 rpm. Power flows to either just the rear axle with mechanical LSD or rear-biased all wheel drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control. 8 speed automatic transmission is the only transmission option available, so manualphiles look away!

Word on the floor suggests Malaysian market will receive the more palatable 3.3 litre turbo V6 (JPJ wants to make more money??) and possibly all wheel drive as implied by the AWD badge on the tailgate. Whatever it is, fingers cross. To me personally, I hope we'll be getting the 2.0 litre version as I believe from personal experience having a small engine doesn't necessarily detract from smiles per miles. Don't get me started with the all-pervasive turbocharging trend. Those snail shape blower easily transforms small engines into a brute. Crucially in Malaysia, small engine capacity lowers the total road tax that needs to be paid.

Will the Stinger GT deliver unadulterated, exhilarating 'stinging' experience? Let's hope it does once Kia unveils the production version in Boleh Land!   

It's here! FK8 Honda Civic Type R arrives in Malaysia

In its all majestic glory, everyone take a bow! Well, here it is - the no holds-barred FK8 Honda Civic Type R. Fully imported all the way from Swindon UK, the very hot hatch that proudly smashed the Nurburgring front-wheel drive record is finally laying down its tyre mark on Malaysian road; Honda taking the wraps off at the Malaysia Autoshow taking place in MAEPS, Serdang.

Based on the tenth generation Civic hatch, the FK8 packs the same 2.0 litre turbocharged VTEC inline 4 from the outgoing FK2. The engine unleash 310 PS and 400 Nm to the front wheels via a close-ratio 6 speed manual transmission (looking for an automatic? I am afraid there's none). This transmission is loaded with neat tricks to enhance driving experience, including the auto rev matching function that turns you into a heel toe 'hero'. A helical LSD ensures all 310 PS and 400 Nm is not wasted in a cloud of tyre smoke. 

The result? 0-100 kph sprint is done and dusted in a respectable 5.7 seconds and maxing out at 272 kph. A mouth watering prospect indeed.

Just looking at it tells you it means business. I mean reeeeally daring you to take it by the horns. Decked out by outlandish aerodynamic addenda, red highlights lining along the perimeter of the underside plus red highlights encircling its massive 20 inch black alloy wheels, tasteful looking blood red Brembo caliper, menacing looking LED headlights, massive front lower air intake and of course the famous 'H' emblem with blood red background. I tell you this is an angry looking beast waiting to unload its ammo when provoked.        

The eye catching feature of the FK8 rump has to be the triple asymmetric exhaust made up by 2 larger outer pipes flanking the smaller centre pipe. According to Honda, the smaller centre pipe's main brief is to regulate exhaust sound while doubling as an additional exit at full pelt, and as a 'muffler' in mid-range to keep noise down. The 2 outer pipes, well, they're there to purge spent gases.

So potent is this monster that it needs colossal 350 mm ventilated front disc brakes and 305 mm solid rear disc brakes. 

Apart from uprated braking, a new set of adaptive dampers ensure the planted, on-rail feel that eggs you to lean on it when the twisties beckons. Also, you can see on the bottom left corner of the centre console the toggle switch for changing drive mode. This alters the damping rate of the adaptive dampers. The FK8 starts in 'Sport' mode by default. Select 'Comfort' if you want a more relax ride, or put it in '+R' when the mood strikes. Plus, an Agile Handling Assist applies light braking on the inside wheel when cornering for confidence-inspiring apex warrior. 

The red theme doesn't just stop from the exterior though. It extends to the bucket seat, steering, dashboard trimming and that lovely Honda badge with red blood background embossed on the steering.

There's also a liberal dose of carbon fibre trim decking out the door panel trim and the backside of the bucket seat. 

The boot space is decently capacious for the trip to kampung or a holiday jaunt. But, as you can see above, the FK8 doesn't come with a spare tyre. In its place is a tyre repair kit which only patches up small-sized puncture (between 4-6 mm approximately). This got me thinking: What if you picked up a large-sized puncture (about the size of a fist) or a major sidewall tear? My BMW E46 had a puncture sometime in the middle of this year and it had a blown sidewall. If it had come with a repair kit, it wouldn't have alleviated the situation.

With all the frills out of the way, onto the pricing. The FK8 retails at RM320k (OTR without insurance). Want to test drive? I had a word with a Sales Consultant on site. As of now, not a single unit of the FK8 is available for test drive at any authorised Honda dealership. 

   

Mercedes GLC 200 - a GLC 250 4Matic on the budget

At times of dire economic situation with rising cost of living rearing its ugly head, it is perfectly understandable to adopt a pragmatic approach to keep expenditure to a minimum. The ideology comes in handy if you're currently shopping around for a new car. It may be tempting to put the money down on posher stuff, but you can't have everything in life. Want to keep your bank account happy? Then some sacrifices are to be made.

Retailing at RM288,888 (OTR without insurance), the recently launched Mercedes Benz GLC 200 saves you RM37,000 over the GLC 250 4Matic AMG Line and more importantly, keeps you from draining an extra RM250,000 over the hardline AMG GLC 43 4Matic. As you may have guessed from the variant name, the cheaper variant makes do without the proprietary all wheel drive, the 2.0 litre M274 turbo 4 pot feeding its 184 hp and 300 Nm grunt exclusively to the rear wheels mediated by the Tristar's 9 speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission.

Personally, I wouldn't mind the removal of all wheel drive as it makes the compact SUV mechanically simpler. With less parts to worry about, maintenance should be less of a chore financial wise.

The minimalistic approach also divests the AMG Line styling kit that graces the GLC 250 4Matic, so outgoes accoutrements such as 20-inch AMG multispoke wheel, in its stead a 19-inch five-spoke wheel that wraps around a 235/55 run-flat tyres. Other than that, other sacrificial kit includes perforated front disc brakes, panoramic sunroof, AMG sports suspension and surround view camera. 

Though life outside seems dearth of knick-knack, life inside is quite a different story. There is still abundance of luxury, with the freestanding touch screen display taking centre stage and a healthy dose of leather upholstery. The GLC 200 makes do without flat-bottomed steering wheel as found in the more expensive GLC 250 4Matic and a brown wooden centre console trim instead of dark in the latter.  

Despite being an on the budget SUV, Mercedes still retains rear air-con vents, Thermotronic triple-zone auto climate control, reverse camera and powered front seats with lumbar support.

Toyota C-HR preview at 1 Utama Shopping Centre

The ongoing Toyota C-HR preview finally made its way to 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya starting from 6 September until 10 September. The C-segment compact SUV that will take on the likes of Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3 will make its official unveiling to the Malaysian market in February 2018, as informed by one of the exhibitor on site. 

Let's start with a disclaimer. The car you see here is not a full representative of the spec Malaysian market will receive. This is instead an Australian model. A quick chat with an exhibitor on why the Australian model was chosen for preview in lieu of the Malaysian model revealed that there's no difference in exterior design language between Malaysian and Australian model. In other words, what you see from the outside is what you get. The difference, according to the exhibitor I had a word with, lies on the interior fit and finish.

Technically, question marks are still floating around on what the actual spec Malaysian customers will get. The preview model seen here is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense suite of safety features which include Pre-Collision Safety, Active Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning and Automatic High Beam. Whether these features will see the daylight in Malaysian model is anyone's guess.

On to the interior side of things, we can see dual automatic climate control, fabric seat and multi-function steering wheel, but as always, it's anyone's guess if these features will appear when the compact 'Coupe-High Riding' SUV makes its premiere in the Malaysian market. According to the exhibitor I struck up the conversation with, the interior fit and finish might be subjected to change, so take the information with a pinch of salt.

While the Malaysian C-HR remains shroud in mystery, the only bit that has been confirmed to make it to 'Boleh' land is the oily stuff. The preview model carries an 8NR-FTS 1.2 litre turbocharged four cylinder mill paired to a CVT transmission. The Malaysian model will instead be motivated by a 1.8 litre naturally aspirated Dual VVT-i petrol (JPJ wants to make more money??) also mated to the CVT transmission with sequential shifter.

Details are still largely scarce though, including retail price and whether or not a hybrid model (either in CBU or CKD form) will be introduced to the Malaysian market in the near future. 

What do you think of Toyota's HR-V and CX-3 fighter? Will it win the hearts of Malaysian consumers enough to steer them away from Honda and Mazda's compact high-riding people carrier? More importantly, how much do you think the asking price should be? Do leave your comment below.

  

Honda Civic FC

I was having dinner at IOI City Mall, Putrajaya recently and this baby on display. The tenth-generation Honda Civic FC was not the only model on display, but its sporty proportion had won over this writer's immediate attention.

The car is available in three trim levels: (1) 1.8S, (2) 1.5TC (turbo) and (3) 1.5TC-P (turbo Premium). The latter was the model on display, identifiable from the LED headlights, LED front fog lights and chrome door handle. The base 1.8S and 1.5TC will make do with halogen headlights, halogen front fog lights and body-coloured door handle.

Step inside, you will notice the change in dashboard styling from the previous generation Civic FB. Gone is the overhead digital speedometer, now integrated with the central tachometer. 

Leather seat is standard on the 1.5TC and 1.5TC-P variants. The base 1.8S will instead have fabric seat.

Opt for the 1.5TC-P, dual automatic climate control and Navigation are standard fitment. The 1.8S and 1.5TC will make do with single automatic climate control and without Navigation.

The coolest features available in all variants have got to be the Remote Engine Start and Walk Away Auto Lock. The Remote Engine Start allows you to start the engine from afar, handy in dealing with Malaysia's tropical weather by turning on the air-conditioning to cool the cabin before you step inside the car. The Walk Away Auto Lock will automatically lock the car as you walk away from it, ensuring you will never forget to lock your car ever again.

  

Now onto the juicy bits: the powertrain. The 1.8S will be powered by the 1.8 litre naturally aspirated SOHC 4 cylinder, putting down 141 PS at 6500 rpm and 174 Nm at 4300 rpm to the front wheels.

The 1.5TC and 1.5TC-P will have the more potent 1.5 litre VTEC turbo DOHC 4 cylinder with mouth-watering 173 PS at 5500 rpm and 220 Nm from 1700-5500 rpm channeled to the front wheels. 

All engine variants will be linked to the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with paddle shifter (not available on the 1.8S). Electric Power Steering, Electronic Parking Brake and disc brakes all-round are standard on all variants.

To the rolling bits, the 1.8S rides on 16" alloy wheels, rolling on 215/55R16 tyres. The 1.5TC and 1.5TC-P will ride on 17" alloy wheels, rolling on 215/50R17 tyres.

Safety features standard on all variants include:

• Airbags (dual front, side and curtain).
• ISOFIX rear child seat anchor.
• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).
• Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).
• Auto Brake Hold (ABH).
• Brake Assist (BA).
• Hill Start Assist (HSA).
• Emergency Stop Signal (ESS).
• Multi-angle reverse camera.
• Immobiliser.
• Ultrasonic and tilt sensor.

Pricing is as follow (Standard Colour):

• 1.8S: RM110,426.51 (OTR without insurance inclusive 6% GST).
• 1.5TC: RM124,076.29 (OTR without insurance inclusive 6% GST).
• 1.5TC-P: RM131,883.37 (OTR without insurance including 6% GST).

Pricing for White Orchid Pearl colour option:

• 1.8S: RM110,726.51 (OTR without insurance inclusive 6% GST).
• 1.5TC: RM124,376.29 (OTR without insurance inclusive 6% GST).
• 1.5TC-P: RM132,155.81 (OTR without insurance inclusive 6% GST).

Evora S on steroid

What a day it had been at Lotus showroom. Though there was not much to be seen, the sight of a ferocious looking beast waiting to unleash its hidden power is satisfying to the eye of this writer. Pictured above is Lotus new model, christened the Evora 400. Well, technically it is Evora S with steroid coursing its vein.

                                                       

What does that entail? Pop open the rear bonnet and you will be greeted by that gorgeous looking 3.5 litre supercharged Toyota V6, the same engine found on the Evora S, but Lotus fiddled with it to raise its output from 345 horsepower to 400 horsepower as implied by the '400' in its name.

                                               

All those powers are sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. If you wish to be in charge of cog swapping, fear not as a six-speed manual is also available.

                                                   

With such ginormous power in disposal, large brake discs will keep this car from wrapping itself around a tree.

                                          

There is nothing more satisfying than glancing in your rear view mirror, greeted by that roaring 'blown' V6 propped up just behind your rear windshield.