Review: G30 BMW 530i M Sport

                                  

Sheer driving pleasure. The tagline that will make BMW aficionados weak at their knees. My experience with BMW engine has so far been running on smooth waters. Driving the E46 M Sport, and  occasionally the E90 M Sport, had me captivated by the brand's silky smooth, untrammeled power delivery from the roundel's hallmark straight 6 engine.

Since then, this writer has been head over heels in love with straight 6. The manner the engine picks up without any hint of sputtering from low rpm to the higher spectrum of the tachometer is breathtakingly surreal. 

In Malaysian context, having a small displacement straight 6 seems to be a win-win proposition, as you save yourself from punitive road tax that comes with a large displacement V12 (essentially two straight 6 engines tied up to a common crankshaft), and greater power from having higher cylinder count in contrast to a 4 cylinder engine.

My experience with BMW vehicles (specifically the E46 and E90 that I am currently driving) on the aspect of ride and handling has been on the positive note as despite riding on a lowered and stiffer M Sport suspension and rolling on low profile tyres, it exceptionally filters out any jiggles introduced by the atrociously pockmarked Malaysian road making it a comfortable vehicle for a balik kampung trip. The exception would be when driving over speed bumps as if you're not careful, the lowered M Sport suspension will make its displeasure known from an unpleasant thump from bottoming out.

At the recent Malaysia Autoshow 2017 taking place at MAEPS, I had the opportunity to get my hands on this handsome looking mid-size sedan launched by BMW Malaysia since this March - the all new 7th generation G30 530i M Sport. Despite having just 4 cylinders banging away under the bonnet, it doesn't detract from BMW engine's customary seamless, on demand pick up which I  learnt from the short test drive and more importantly, rides over bumpy surface deftly.

Technical Specs

Worldwide, the G30 comes in various iteration, including but not limited to the 520i, 530i and 540i. Folks in Malaysia will only be getting the 530i iteration, solely with M Sport trim. The engine powering the rear-driven 530i M Sport is a 2.0 litre B48 turbo straight 4 petrol with 252 hp and 350 Nm of torque paired up to a ZF 8 speed Steptronic Sport transmission with paddle shifters. This translates to a 6.2 seconds 0-100 kph acceleration time, 250 kph top speed, 5.8 litre/100 km of fuel consumption and 132 g/km CO2 emissions.

As a straight 6 fan, I was a bit wishful for the 540i variant to reach the Malaysian shore, its B58 3.0 litre turbo straight 6 pumping out 340 hp and 450 Nm of torque to the rear wheels. On the flip side, it's a compromise worth taking as given the Malaysian road tax is charged based on engine displacement, the smaller 2.0 litre turbo 4 can cut down on the total road tax Malaysian motorists have to fork out. In spite of being smaller, it doesn't detract performance even an iota as I discovered during the test drive. 

Hiding beneath the skin is a lowered M Sport suspension with Dynamic Damper Control. The front suspension is sprung by double wishbone, while the rear makes do with a sophisticated five-link suspension.  

To adapt to your preferred driving style, there's Driving Experience Control that provides choices of different driving modes, namely Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport. Apart from that, an Adaptive mode further complements the system by automatically adapting the car's behaviour based on driving style, road topography and sundry other factors.

To the business of tyres, expect run-flat tyres with 245/40 front and 275/35 rear wrap around a 19-inch M light-alloy 10 double spoke rim. 

Exterior

                           

                                                                                 

What are the visual differences between the G30 and outgoing F10? Starting from the front, the adaptive LED headlights extend all the way to the kidney grille in an F30 fashion. Speaking of kidney grille, it is now wrapped around thicker chrome surround to accentuate the sedan's purposeful look. The lower side air intakes feature a restyled LED fog light, featuring a horizontal slat over the outgoing F10 round fog lights. Over to the side, just aft of the front wheels is an air vent, previously absent from the F10. 

Over to the back, the new G30 sports dual trapezoidal chrome tailpipes over a pair of round tailpipes found on the previous generation F10. Also, the rear fog lights had been relocated to the lower apron as opposed on the bumper directly beneath the taillights as on the F10. Speaking of taillights, it now seems to look much slimmer, wider and elegant compared to the F10's bulkier looking taillights.

 

This being an M Sport, the famous M badge graces the fender just aft of the front wheels and the door sill. 

Interior   

                                           

                                                       

Inside, M steering wheel and sports pedals make up the interior M finishing.

The G30 features revision to the interior technology from the outgoing F10. Chief of all is the iDrive 12.3-inch central display which is now freestanding over the flushed design as found in the F10. On top of that, the new generation iDrive introduces touch and gesture control much like on its bigger sibling, the G12 7 Series, enabling you to adjust certain parameters such as audio volume or toggling between different menus by simply touching the screen or twirling your finger in the screen's direction. 

Furthermore, the dashboard had been given a makeover, giving it a more futuristic and digital tactility over the F10's analog switchgear. If you have a love affair with conventional handbrake lever, look away as Electromechanical Parking Brake takes its place.

Leather upholstery keeps you cozy and secured during a long trip. There's also a sunblind on the rear side windows which you can pull if sun tan is not your thing.

Customary on newer BMWs, the conventional oil dipstick is a thing in the past. Taking over its reign is an oil level sensor residing in the oil sump. The sensor measures and relay the reading to the iDrive central display, showing you a bar indicating the current oil level as seen in the picture above.

Safety

Safety first. Making up the suite of safety features are 8 airbags, disc brakes all-round, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and ISOFIX rear child seat mounting. 

Further complementing the safety features are a suite of driver assistance technology that includes Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Warning, Park Assist and reverse camera.

There's also a head-up display function that projects your current road speed directly in your line of sight to keep you informed of how fast you're going without having to take a glance at the instrument cluster.

Pricing

How much is the asking price? Starting with CKD G30, the car retails at RM389k (OTR without insurance). Add another RM10k to the CBU model, which finalised at RM399k (OTR without insurance). Note that pricing is inclusive of 5 years unlimited mileage warranty + free service and 2 years tyre warranty.

Review

Nitty gritty out of the way, here's my initial impression on the new G30 530i M Sport from the short test drive. Despite having a smaller 2.0 litre engine, the acceleration is still BMW-esque - smooth, rapid, lag-free. There was no noticeable turbo lag. Just lightly prod the throttle pedal the car picked itself up immediately without delay. It feels like having a straight 6, but with 2 cylinders lopped off and a turbo to add urgency to the acceleration. The engine is so powerful that I effortlessly reached 80 kph without being assertive with the throttle, much like on my E46 and E90. 

BMW has superbly tuned the 4 cylinder engines to still deliver that creamy, buttery feel of a straight 6 so much that I had briefly forgotten banging away under the bonnet of the G30 530i M Sport is a 4 cylinder engine.  

The superb ZF 8 speed transmission shifts through the gears with a sharp, decisive instinct knowing exactly when to shift to keep the turbo 4 within its effective powerband. The shift was chauffeur smooth and fast. Not even for one second the engine felt like it ran out of steam thanks to the competent transmission.

Shifting with the flappy paddles in my opinion doesn't really make much difference to the car's performance characteristics. Sure, it brings some added sportiness to an already sporty car, but the transmission's software is very well-calibrated that the computer can make the decision more efficiently. I suggest you just keep the transmission in 'D' the entire time.   

Comfort

Eco Pro

Sport

I had the opportunity trying out the Driving Experience Control which lets you choose between different driving modes - Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport. Moving from one mode to another gives you a visually interactive face-time with the digital instrument cluster; the graphic changes to different tone in different mode, from subdued tone in Eco Pro to lurid red in Sport. 

I drove in all 3 modes and honestly, I didn't feel any substantial difference in the car's behaviour. Though I noticed slightly mild temperament in Eco Pro, it nevertheless felt like the car was perpetually in Sport mode. Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport, you name it. The car pulled hard in all modes and took corners in a confident and poised gait regardless of driving mode. I jokingly told the Sales Advisor BMW should rename all modes to Sport.

The G30's ride quality is second to none. The terrible road surface didn't unsettle the car even the slightest. The Dynamic Damper Control did a great job in filtering out the road shock from the run-flat tyres before it reached the cabin, delivering that all important ride comfort given the poor road condition we have here in Malaysia. It does this by proactively monitoring road conditions and primes the dampers to either soften or stiffen the damping rate depending on the severity of the bumps and speed you're travelling. The result is a magic carpet, fuss-free driving experience. 

Conclusion

To conclude the short test drive, the G30 530i M Sport is a stonking piece of machinery even without the company's iconic straight 6. The pick up of the 2.0 litre turbocharged 4 pot is potent enough regardless of driving mode to facilitate smooth, trouble-free overtaking manoeuvre. 

Despite being equipped with a lowered M Sport suspension, engineers had tuned it perfectly to deal with the pockmarked Malaysian road. During and after the test drive, I didn't feel sore nor jarred as the chassis brilliantly soaked up the surface imperfection. 

In my humble opinion, the new G30 530i M Sport is a livable car that fulfills your daily driving needs.  



   

  

    

     

   

   

Supercharged Ford Mustang GT; 727 hp monster

Own an S550 Ford Mustang GT with 5.0 litre naturally aspirated V8? Think its 435 hp engine not enough to whet your performance appetite? If your answer is yes, then look no further than this monster pictured above. That folks is a Mustang GT with the same 5.0 litre V8 but armed with a Whipple supercharger kit that boosts the V8's output too.....wait for it..wait for it...727 hp! That's a massive 292 hp gain over the non-supercharged Mustang GT. VROOOM!!

I came across this guy at the recent Malaysia Autoshow in MAEPS. It was displayed along with the non-supercharged Mustang GT and a turbocharged Mustang EcoBoost with 2.3 litre EcoBoost inline 4 which has the lowest output of the bunch (310 hp). Nevertheless, all 3 Mustangs sure pulled in crowds of slack-jawed, beguiled revelers with camera fully loaded. But surely captivating the most attention has to be the supercharged model because hey, who doesn't want to slobber over a 727 hp monster.

All 3 Mustangs roll on run-flat tyres. However, unlike most cars with run-flat, such as newer BMW and Mercedes, the Mustangs include a tyre repair kit. Whaa now run-flat can be fixed by the roadside haa. Hmmm, I wonder if run-flat tyres can withstand fist-sized puncture.  

Seems like tyre repair kit is not only a hybrid thing after all, as illustrated by the Stangs and the newly unveiled FK8 Honda Civic Type R. 

The most distinctive interior feature that sets the supercharged Mustang GT from the non supercharged ones can be discerned from the photo above. Yep, 2 of the A/C vents are missing. In place of the central and right A/C vent are gauges. I am not sure what the right most gauge measure; the central gauge, however, is the hallowed boost gauge. Talk about being focused!

The recent motor show whipped up an exhilarating activity called the Super Taxi Ride where visitors would ride as a passenger of either the Bentley Bentayga SUV or the Ford Mustang GT with a professional driver at the wheel. I had the privilege to partake in the activity and guess which of the 2 cars that took me in as a passenger? It was the supercharged Ford Mustang GT! 

I filmed a video of the ride. However, I was unable to upload the video on this post as the file is too large. To recap the experience, the narrow and traffic-clogged test route prevented the Mustang GT from flaunting its talent. All in all, I was still delighted to have experienced a ride in an American muscle car. The car is not just powerful, but stable handling-wise in the meandering test route.

    

Review: Jaguar XE Prestige; a RM340k wild cat

'Let's maul down the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class!' says Jaguar XE. The premium compact sedan, which made its premiere in Malaysia early last year, was one of the test car that this writer got his hands on at the recent Drive Luxury Edition by Carlist taking place at TPC Kuala Lumpur golf club. I was handed the entry level XE Prestige variant for the test drive.

It's a handsome looking sedan that dares you to provoke it. It's menacing looking bumper, sharp looking HID Xenon headlight with LED daytime running light and LED taillight speaks for itself. This family hauler isn't just a looker, but there's a beast lurking under that aluminium monocoque. 

It all started when I approached Jaguar's booth at TPC. I booked online in advance to test drive both the XE and the marque's SUV, the F-Pace. However, I was told by the people manning the booth each person was limited to just one car due to backlog of customers placing their test drive booking. After a brief moment of rumination, I decided to try out the XE instead. I came not to regret my decision.

I was led to the Bluefire XE Prestige waiting for me at the main lobby. There it was purring away as a gaggle of cars slipped past the dark blue compact sedan in a rainy day. 

Let's start off with the nitty gritty shall we? Dwelling under the XE Prestige bonnet is a 2.0 litre turbocharged inline 4 cylinder petrol, sending 200 PS and 280 Nm of torque to the rear wheels, enabling the XE Prestige to sprint from 0-100 kph in 7.7 seconds; top speed is rated at 237 kph. Mated to the mill is an 8 speed torque converter automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The mill achieves combined fuel consumption of 7.5L/100 km and emits 179 g/km of CO2. As you can see from the photo above, the '20t' emblem is its state of tune designation. Go one trim up (R-Sport) and you'll have '25t' emblem tacked on the tailgate of the XE signifying a higher output.

Ride and handling is taken care of by front double wishbone and rear integral link suspension. The setup theoretically endows the XE Prestige with sharper handling. Complementing the ride and handling section is Jaguar's torque vectoring by braking which gently brakes the inside rear wheel during cornering to limit wheel slip. At the helm of the steering is an Electric Power Steering.

Step inside the leaping cat, leather seat and multi-function steering wheel greet you with its cossetting touch. Optioning the Prestige trim proffers 2 interior colour choices: Jet with Siena Tan and Latte with Jet. The test car came with the former option. 

Serving as your command centre is Jaguar's proprietary InControl Touch which is an 8-inch touchscreen that displays information such as GPS navigation and front and rear parking distance. Media interface include AM/FM radio, bluetooth connectivity, iPod integration and AUX-IN audio.

Seat adjustment is possible thanks to electrically adjustable seat with memory setting. 

Taking the centre stage is Jaguar's rotary shifter, JaguarDrive Control which let's you choose between Dynamic, Normal, Eco and Winter mode, Electronic Parking Brake and Cruise Control.

There's also a decent fitment of safety features, made up by Hill Start Assist, Emergency Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control, airbags on the driver, front passenger side and side window curtain, and ISOFIX rear child seat anchor.

The Prestige trim rolls on standard 17-inch Turbine 10 spoke wheel, but oddly enough the test car I drove sports an optional 18-inch Templar 5 twin spoke wheel. Maybe to sell the cool perhaps?

On the pricing front, the XE Prestige carries with it a RM340k price tag (including GST but excluding road tax, registration, insurance, optional features and accessories). Without further delay, time to get the wheel rolling.

Setting off from TPC, the test drive followed a designated route as directed by Jaguar's marketing specialist accompanying me. 

At the beginning of the test drive, the car was already in dynamic mode (I guess the previous customer left it in dynamic so the next person in line can have a blast). Toggling drive modes change the instrument cluster's highlight, with dynamic changing it to red (looks MAD!!) as illustrated by the photo above. Selecting this mode makes the leaping cat even more badass which I will get to later.

Switching over to Normal, Eco and Winter morph the instrument cluster highlight to a more subdued tone. As explained to me by the marketing specialist on hand, Normal strikes a good balance between ride comfort and performance, good for those who prefer to leave the decision making to the car rather than fumbling around with the drive mode selector; Eco tones the cat down for luxurious feel and to cut down appointment with the gas station; Winter acts sort of like traction control when you're stuck in snow, limiting power to reduce wheel slip to keep you from marooning your cat in a thick blanket of snow as you navigate a snowy thoroughfare. 

Considering there's no winter in Malaysia, this mode can be regarded as redundant. I didn't try out Normal, Eco and Winter mode during the test drive though.

Back to the test drive. Being in dynamic mode, I could already feel the angry cat squirming in my hands. It was ballistic! Yet refine. Even over pockmarked Malaysian road, the XE Prestige just literally 'float' over the road imperfection. Kind of like a limo. Nevertheless, the engine response was savage.

The turn of speed would have you slack-jawed. It was remarkably rapid. It gets even more theatrical as the test drive took place under inclement weather. With brutal power delivery, it's very easy to provoke traction control. 

It was quite a hairy moment. I could vividly recall as I was slowing down for a U-turn, downshifting to 2nd gear (I was shifting with the paddle). As I arrived at the exit, I eased back onto the throttle and the next thing I realised, I had the most 'OH SHIT' moment of my driving experience when the back end briefly kicked out. In a split second, the traction control light flickered away on the instrument cluster signalling its intervention to save me from killing myself.

That was one heck of a cat to tame when you're driving around in dynamic mode. Despite that, it's still a livable cat to live with. Though the road was soaked, it still remains tractable as long you don't overreach your skill level and drive responsibly. 

Is Jaguar's compact sedan a comfortable car for highway cruising? Indeed it is. The suspension does a great job in filtering out the road imperfection to keep you from feeling nauseous. The leather seat ensconce you securely, exuding the premium feel associated with the brand from Coventry. I was in dynamic mode the entire time and yet I never felt sore after the test drive. 

With 455 litres of boot space, there's ample space to load it up with luggage for a comfortable trip to kampung or on a long family vacation. Thankfully, a space saver spare wheel is provided over a tyre repair kit that has caught up with a fair number of cars lately.

Is the Jaguar XE Prestige a good day-to-day driver? My initial impression from the short test drive suggests an affirmative. It's not too brutal nor too soulless. It's a perfectly well-balanced cat that can get you from point A to point B in relative comfort with unadulterated dynamism to boot. It's a win-win proposition in my humble opinion. 

        

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!