Nothing gets automotive journalists more excited than a new car model. Like welcoming a new baby to the family, or a new member of the family via marriage, new launches is like the proverbial Forrest Gump where life is like a next generation vehicle, you’ll never know what you’re going to get. Especially so with the new Volkswagen Golf. With 29 million cars produced for the past 36 years, the Golf has been regarded as one of the world’s most iconic and successful car …. replacing each generation is no light matter as each new car must build on the success of earlier models, improve on it while at the same time not straying too far from the core value it represents. So what is the core value of “The Car”?

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A car good enough for everyday use. A car that makes no statements about who, how old, what gender you are. A classless car that does not say you’re rich or poor. A car that you need not look anywhere else to satisfy all your needs in a vehicle. A car that impresses our gf as much as your gf’s grandmother.

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And the Mk VII has certainly passed all those requirements and in some places even bettering the Mk VI. Lets look in detail how the Seven measures up against the Six … by the end of this article, you’d probably had wished you hadn’t read this since almost every small detail will be covered. Be forewarned ; this article contains more than 80 pictures and is as long as traffic on a rainy Monday evening. Enjoy!

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Design

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At first glance, you probably couldn’t tell the difference between a 7 and a 6. This was evident as I invited a friend to tea one day and he missed the 7 parked right opposite him. Can’t blame him since the design difference is rather subtle as you can see above.

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Viewed from the front, the difference is as subtle as one wave from another in a beach in Hawaii. The similarity is largely due to the fact that all elements found in the 6 is also found in the 7 but altered slightly in dimension and form.

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The most notable difference at the headlamps are the LED DRLs which are light bars instead of individual LED “dots”. The housing has been stretched a little towards the center grille and this, coupled with the squarish headlight and signal light which is now at the bottom of the housing makes the headlamp look squatter than it really is.

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The fog light design has also been changed from oval to rectangular.

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The crease lines on the bonnet has been inverted …. from a negative surface to a positive one in the 7 which lends an impression of a bulky, powerful front. Personally, I just think the designers didn’t want to mess the original design too much.

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The 7 is 56mm longer, 13mm wider and 28mm lower compared to the 6; when you take out a ruler and actually measure the length, you’d realize it’s really nothing much to shout about. Let me put it in another angle for you; the 7 is 1.3% longer, 0.7% wider and 1.9% lower compared to its predecessor. The wheelbase is now 2.3% longer at 2,637mm.  Impressed yet? Duh.

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Looking at the 7 and 6 from the sides, you’d be forgiven if it took you more than a second to try to find the difference. What’s not so obvious in the picture of my 6 I took (in case by now you don’t know which is the 6, it’s the red one) is that there is a line running from the front wheel arch all the way to the rear tail lamps. Without any lines marring its surface, the 7′s C pillars look thicker and appears more solid.

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The front wheels has been moved 43mm further forward which creates an image of a longer bonnet & cabin moved backwards

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The character lines are now found below the door handles instead of above it on the 6. This serves to accentuate the impression of a car with a lowered center of gravity.

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The side mirrors of the 7 are slimmer, presumably to reduce drag. What’s great to note is that the side mirrors now automatically fold when one locks the car (to fold the side mirrors on the 6, the driver needs to do it manually) and unlike the Peugeot 308 which automatically unfold when the driver unlocks the car, the Golf only unfolds when the engine is ignited. This is far more preferred compared to the Pug as I cannot recall how many times I unlocked my car with the intention of taking some things from it or placing something within with no intention of driving. All the folding/unfolding got more than 1 owner worried about the motor’s durability (although to be fair, I’ve not heard of a case where the 308 owner needed to change the mirror motors). At least with the Golf, it would consume less power in unlocking the doors.

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What is also obvious is the rim design. Although both 6 and 7 uses the same 205/55 R16, some might argue that the ‘Dover’ alloy wheels design is boring but really, cleaning the wheels of the ‘Atlanta’ design as found on the 6 can be a real pain.

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We’ve seen more than a few circular or round fuel lids but a tilted rectangular lid is much rarer.

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Ok, I’ve done some modification on my 6 so there are 3 things that is not original in the first picture; the spoiler, Golf R tail lights and exhaust tail pipes are additions. If you see a Golf from the back, the difference is much more obvious compared to the front. If you look at the bottom, you’ll see the rear bottom diffuser is now widened to almost the entire length of the bumper which hides the tail pipes somewhat.

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The original 6 tail lights are semi-circular whereas the 7′s twin ‘L’ light bars resembles the R’s tail lights, albeit straighter and shorter. As evident in the picture above, the tail lamp cluster is narrower, tapering towards the center to further enhance the lowered look of the car.

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Just for good measure on the lowered look, a crease line can be found in the 7 (where absent in the 6) which divides the boot to two.

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Performance

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The Mk VI’s 1.4litre TSi engine

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The Mk VII 1.4litre TSi engine

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Gone is the 6′s EA111 twin charged (supercharged and turbocharged) 160PS/240Nm engine. In its place is a newly developed 1.4litre TSi turbocharged-only engine, producing 140PS and 250Nm worth of torque from 1,500 – 3,500rpm. Zero to hundred is achieved in 8.4 seconds vs the Mk VI’s 8 seconds. Indeed, the 20PS deficit isn’t that greatly felt at low speed because part of the improvements made on the 7 is tremendous weight savings. The engine alone is 40kg lighter and this translates to a more agile feel when moving from standstill. Although low speed is assisted by a supercharger in the Mk VI’s engine, the effect is somewhat offset by gravity. It’s a good give and take.

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The only time when the missing 20PS is keenly felt is when accelerating from 180kph onwards. In the 6, pulling all the way to its max speed of 220kph is much more effortless compared to the 7′s push to its maximum of 212kph. If you frequent the North South Expressway and have a habit of gunning down Camries and Accords, then the 6 is a better car to smoke them. The 7 can do the same, just that your passengers spends more time side by side looking at the car you’re over taking.

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Ride and Handling

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If you’ve never understood the impact weight has on the overall driving experience of a car, then you’d need to test the 6 and 7 in quick succession to know how much it means, particularly in the ride and handling aspects. With the 7 being the first VW model to utilize the group’s Modular Transverse Matrix (or MQB of short) platform, there are significant difference between it and its predecessor.

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The 7 handles like a girl (or a guy) ready to make love to you. The level of intimacy it offers brings to mind how it was like when we were young …. agile, eager and lots and lots of hours of playfulness instead of just “getting there”. The improved rigidity of the suspension system coupled with the weight loss makes driving it around corners much more confident inspiring. You won’t notice what speed you’re traveling on as the car seems to be glued to the tarmac, no doubt the result of adding  the extended electronic differential lock (XDS) which monitors wheel spin and shift torques between wheels and previously only found in the GTi.

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With the weight reduced up front and the engine mounted 12 degrees inclined towards the firewall (which then moves the center of rotation closer to the center), the effect of understeer (car direction turning less than where you want it to go) is minimized, allowing you to push it faster and faster.

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Noise, vibration and harshness has also been improved and it is obvious in the 7 compared to the 6. The quietness and refinement is one of the best, if not the best non-luxury car.

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Cabin Convenience

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Mk VI’s cabin layout

Mk VII’s layout

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For once the cabin layout is different from the usual layout. Both 6 and 7 makes extensive use of soft plastics on their dashboards and fit and finish remains excellent. The center controls are now angled slightly towards the driver whereas the 6′s are flushed forward. Some has remarked that despite looking all high end, all the brushed aluminum you see in the front are actually hard plastics and this may cheapen the overall feel of the cabin. Personally, I’m perfectly find with how it looks. Do note that like the rear end of my car, I have added the Volkswagen RNS 510 radio and navigation system head unit complete with Bluetooth. The original head unit has no Bluetooth nor touchscreens, certainly no navigation.

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The conventional circular steering wheel in the Mk VI is modernized with a flat-bottomed leather wrapped steering. The thing I don’t quite appreciate is the use of finger-print-magnet black plastics; it’s almost as annoying to see as finger prints on glasses.

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In designing the Mk VII, I suspect the designers at Wolfsburg had one goal in mind; make everything that’s practical in the Mk VI more practical! So everything from the angled center console to other little bits of technology focuses a lot on ergonomics. So much so that sometimes, the basic form of certain controls may be forgotten. Take the controls found on the steering for example; the 6 has all the audio button controls  on the left side but on the same side, the 7 has cruise controls and audio volume.

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It’s rare to find a manufacturer splitting the audio controls to both sides. The right side on the 6 has all the Multi Info Display controls whereas the 7 controls audio channel/track controls as well as the MID. Not so intuitive for first timers.

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What I truly liked is the little things like how they’ve created a small ledge on the left & right stalks, giving better tact of feel whenever we swipe up or down. It makes perfect sense as whenever we use the stalks, our fingers are in contact horizontally and the additional surface contact makes it more reassuring to use. A small yet meaningful difference.

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The digital read out in the 7 (the lower picture above) is larger, making it easier to read the information there. Also not found in the 6 is an A icon found on the upper right. That’s the automatic engine start/stop system with regenerative braking. Once the brakes are fully depressed, the engine would automatically shut down to conserve fuel. This feature is often found in hybrids and to see it making way into the Golf is welcoming.

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In case you’re wondering if this stresses the battery too much since the alternator is not active when the engine is off, the system will automatically start when the following situation occurs:-

• cabin temperature substantially increases or decreases
• the vehicle rolls on
• the voltage of the vehicle’s battery falls
• the steering wheel is moved

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So don’t worry …. the system is intelligent enough not to cause premature battery failure. Important to remember: if you happen to find yourself stuck in a flood in KL, turn off this feature. You don’t want to have the engine automatically die  on you when you needed it to keep revving. Deactivating this feature is as simple as pressing a button near the gearbox.

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The position of the lights have also changed where previously, the 12 oclock position is to activate the “auto light”, it is now the ‘off’ position. Not sure why the designers needed us to twist more to reach manually turn on the main headlight and from there pull to activate front and rear fog lights. I thought the previous design was just fine.

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What I truly dislike is the key blade orientation. The one on the right is the Mk VI and it is perpendicular to the buttons. It’s easy to insert with this position as most of the time, we would be holding the remote with our thumbs in contact with the buttons and we just slide the key in. In the 7 (the one on the left), the blade is now in line with the buttons which means we need to twist the key 90deg to insert the key into the slot.

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Oh look, we now get an SD card slot in that small compartment below the headlight switch. I often wondered where to dump my cards if my media is saved in them. Compared to the 6, this compartment is smaller in the 7. The Smart Tag fits snugly in the lower picture above whereas in the 6, I could probably stuff a packet of cigarette in there as well.

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Now this is the biggest ergonomic ‘setback’ I encountered in the 7; in the 6, the controls for the power windows are found on top, above the inner door handles. The controls for the 7 however are found behind the handles and with the position being in the center of the door, you’d often be brushing your fingers against the door handle instead of instinctively hitting the button you want. At least I wouldn’t be fiddling with the side mirror knobs as often now since the mirrors auto fold upon locking.

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One very practical improvement is the visibility of the A pillars. Incorporating a small triangle glass, drivers can now see any small objects that is otherwise hidden by the huge piece as seen in the 6. The side mirrors are a bit smaller in the 7 as you can see above and takes a bit of getting used to.

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Neater and cleaner, as I have said earlier, the RNS 510 head unit is not standard in the Mk VI. But touchscreen equipped vs touchscreen equipped, the center console in my 6 does offer a rather equivalent comparison. The Mk VII’s console design theme appears to aim for minimalism. Make it as simple as possible, as idiot proof as possible. It kinda reminds me of a Passat interior a bit, no?

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While we’re at the issue of the head unit, I love the Park Pilot interface many times more than the Optical Parking System (OPS) found in the RNS510. The yellow highlight found on the Park Pilot interface is dynamic; this means depending on how you turn the steering wheel, the highlight flexes accordingly, marking the path of your vehicle and alerting you of any potential obstacles. No reverse camera but no less impressive.

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The 5.8″ colored touchscreen system is quite a party piece; it does almost everything except play video and navigate. Something that never fails to wow me is the touchscreen is able to sense your finger as it approaches, bringing up sub-menus before you even touch the screen. This then keeps the graphic user interface neat and simple.

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The 7 is also the first Volkswagen model to be launched with a factory fitted Bluetooth module. All others, even the half million ringgit Touareg Hybrid does not have Bluetooth in its arsenal. Funny how this little feature, something supposedly common in most offerings today made my day when I discovered it! The Bluetooth has A2DP profile which means you can stream not only your calls through the 8 speaker system of the car, you can also listen to any audio stored in your phone. Do note that video format audio sounds a little muted but voice calls are as clear as an earpiece.

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Both 6 and 7 has ‘Climatronic’ 2-zone air conditioning system but the 7 has moved to the digital age with a digital read out of the selected temperature whereas the dials on the 6 are analog. If (like mine) installed with an RNS/RCD510, the Climatronic selected temperature is also displayed on the head unit if the option is selected on it.

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Sport Mode is no longer a slot below ‘D’ in the 7 unlike the 6. Nudge it down once to activate ‘S’ mode and nudge it down again to deactivate. Simplified.

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Mk VI’s glove compartment

Mk VII’s compartment

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The glove compartment has been shrunk somewhat and this is largely due to the empty space which was originally used as a slot to place the service booklet & instruction manual. VW must have guessed that most people won’t keep the manual in their cars and made better use of that space by placing the CD and SD card insertion slots there.

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Because handbrakes are too mainstream; the Mk VII now uses an electronic parking brake. Not only that, select ‘Auto Hold” and each time when you come to a stop at the traffic lights, you need not slot your gear to ‘N’ as the e-Brake will automatically engage when you stop. Auto engine stop will not engage though if your foot is not on the brakes.

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The cigarette lighter which was originally hidden in the compartment in front of the gear knob below the air conditioning controls have been brought out to where the handbrake used to be. In the same spot in the Mk VII you’ll now find a small compartment (presumably to hold spare coins), a USB slot and the AUX-in port.

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Rear air conditioning vents are standard in both 6 and 7 but the 6 has cup holders below its vents. The 7 places its holders in the rear center arm rest.

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No surprises at the back …. things are where they are supposed to be.

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This is the amount of legroom I had after adjusting the front seats to my 178cm frame. Now, I know the wheelbase for the 7 is longer than the 6 but try as I might, I cannot see that few cm of space between my knee and the front seats after adjusting the driving position to be similar to what I did with the 7. To me, both 6 and 7 offers ample rear legroom.

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Boot space has been improved by 30litres to 380 in the 7 and looking at the pictures above, most of the space seem to come from the side walls. Also, the floor is now lower than the 6 so moving heavy objects in is done easier.

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Both 6 and 7 offers space saving spares

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Safety

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The local Mk VI 1.4litre TSi gets the following safety features:-

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• 3-point seat belts for all 5 seats (present in the Mk VI)
• Anti-lock braking system ABS with brake assist BA (present in the Mk VI)
• Anti-theft alarm system with tilt and interior motion sensor (NOT present in the Mk VI)
• Curtain airbag system for front and rear passenger including side airbags at the front (present in the Mk VI)
• Driver and front passenger airbags with front passenger airbag deactivation, including knee airbag on driver’s side (present in the Mk VI)
• Electronic stabilisation control (ESC) (present in the Mk VI)
• Extended electronic differential lock EDL (present in the Mk VI)
• Flat tyre indicator (NOT present in the Mk VI)
• ISOFIX anchorage system for child seat (present in the Mk VI)
• Multi-collision brake system (NOT present in the Mk VI)
• Park distance control (front & rear) (present in the Mk VI)
• Rain sensor (present in the Mk VI)
• Safety-optimised front head restraints (present in the Mk VI)

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Specifications

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Interior

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• 380litres of luggage compartment space
• 5.8″ ‘Composition Media’ color touch screen radio with USB, AUX-In and SD card slot
• 8 speakers
• Bluetooth connection
• 60:40 split folding rear seat backrest with load-through provision and center armrest, 2 cup holders
• Auto dimming interior rear view mirror
• Chrome interior package
• ‘Climatronic’ air-conditioning system with 2-zone temperature control
• Cruise control with speed limiter
• ‘Dark silver-brushed’ decorative inserts on dashboard and centre console
• Drawer compartments under front seats
• Electronic parking brake with auto hold function
• Front centre armrest with storage box
• Front seats with lumbar supports
• Glove compartment with cooling system
• Leather 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel with paddle shift control
• Leather gear shift knob
• Multi-function display ‘Plus’
• Overhead storage compartment with lid
• Rear air vents
• Seat upholstery in ‘Zoom/Merlin’ fabric

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Exterior

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• Auto headlight activation with ‘Leaving Home’ and manual ‘Coming Home’ function
• Bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights
• Chrome grille
• ‘Dover’ alloy wheels – 16″ x 6.5J tires – 205/55 R16
• Dynamic headlight range-adjustment with dynamic bending light
• Electronically foldable and adjustable exterior mirror with environment lighting and curb view
• Front fog lights with cornering lights
• Heat-insulating green tinted glass
• Rear fog lights

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Ownership and Maintenance

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The Golf Mk VII 1.4litre TSi costs RM157,888 OTR without insurance. That’s slightly more than the Mk VI standard and about the same price as the Mk VI Special Edition so the pricing is pretty much within expectations, especially considering the improvements it has over the Mk VI. Like all Volkswagen models sold here, the Golf comes with a 5-years unlimited mileage warranty.

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Is it worth it? I think so, yes. For all the little improvements it has made and the excellent fuel consumption rating it has. I made a trip to Malacca and upon reaching the town, I got the following range indication:-

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900km per 50litres of tank? That’s 100km more than what I would have gotten on my 6 for a 100% highway journey.

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As for the service interval, it’s done every 15,000km (or 1 year whichever comes first). Though I do not have the actual service amount, I do have the 6′s and sources tell me it should be quite similar despite the loss of the supercharger which doesn’t require much service anyway:-

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All in all, the Mk VII has certainly wow-ed me just when I thought they couldn’t do better with the Mk VI (well, aside from improving the durability of the DSG issues). In terms of power, the 7 will lose out to the 6 … but on all other aspects that makes up for the driving experience, the 7 undoubtedly comes up tops.

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Anyone wants a 2nd hand Mk VI? We can always talk about the price …..

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Follow @kensomuse

It takes an extraordinary person to wake up in the wee hours of the morning before the sun is up, his/her whole body tingling with excitement and anticipation of welcoming another day of challenging him/herself to better than who he/she was the day before. And that’s what runners are … to constantly push the limits of oneself and explore how much faster, how much further one can go. On 21 April 2013, the island of Langkawi saw 1,000 of such extraordinary people participate in an inaugural event that’s bound to only grow bigger: The Volkswagen Marathon Series 2013: The Island Ocean Marathon is touted as Malaysia’s first and only boutique run. Why is it called a boutique? Presumably because participants are taken on a course of such breathtaking natural beauty over the over-40km run that one has the opportunity to enjoy such amazing sights on a whole different perspective …. on your own two feet.

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The Island Ocean Marathon is the first of its kind to be held on an island and the 3rd marathon organised by The Marathon Shop and sponsored by Volkswagen. Promising the glory of running along the sun, sea and sand, this inaugural marathon has its participants run a 42.195km course and it is important to note that this is not a race … it`s a run for fun so there are no medals (aside from the one you get for completing the marathon), no glory of standing at the top 3 podium …. instead, it is the sense of accomplishment, a feeling of challenging and winning oneself, the comradery  of being with like-minded people who shares the passion of hitting the road with nothing more than the apparels you wear and the shoes beneath your feet.

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Take a break from the mundane schedule of work, party till you drop on weekend nights and sleep till the sun goes down on Sunday. Participants fly in on Saturday, gets a couple of hours of sleep (assuming one sleeps at all in a duty-free zone area) then assemble here at the Resorts World Langkawi, formerly known as Awana Porto Malai Langkawi.

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Your first meter in the 42.195km run starts here. It’s a full marathon so it’s definitely not for the faint hearted. The good news is since this isn’t a race, there is no time limit on when you need to complete the run …. just, try to do it within 12 hours so that no one needs to wait on you.

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Participants need to pay a fee between RM110 to RM140 depending on when you decided to sign up and for such an event that attracts both local and international runners, it will be quite ambitious to organize it based solely on the fees collected. It is therefore great to know that there are companies who place the environment as something important and will support any initiative that brings greater awareness towards its appreciation and preservation.

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And so, for the third consecutive time since “The River Jungle Marathon” in 2011, Volkswagen sponsors the “Volkswagen Marathon Series 2013″. As the title sponsor, the marathon series for this year consists of two breath-taking boutique runs, double of what was offered in 2011 and 2012 and the Island Ocean Marathon is the first for this year.

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It is easy to understand why Volkswagen decides to support such an event since it is in line with the brand’s display of its commitment to “Think Blue.” From the Toureg hybrid to the new Golf Mk VII, vehicle efficiency, low emissions yet coupled with an exhilarating driving experience are the key goals for each new VW model produced and such philosophy are very much appreciated by runners worldwide.

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Dr Zeno Kerschbaumer, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Malaysia mentioned, “Taking the time to spend on fitness is vital in achieving a healthy lifestyle. And this augurs well with an individual’s quest of striving for the best.“

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“These are fundamental to an environmentally responsible lifestyle. It is a stepping stone in learning to appreciate nature and understand the need to be environment friendly,“ added Dr Kerschbaumer.

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Aside from monetary support, Volkswagen supplied the vehicles needed for safety, medical and logistics purposes. And in some cases, helps to illuminate some pretty dark roads as you will see later on.

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Run Day

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For those who did catch some wink, the day started probably at 3am as alarms started beeping and the toilets get occupied. Everyone needs to be at the starting point by 4am where the marathon will be flagged off.

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Check out all the handsome faces … the energy and excitement is palpable. One might think they’re all there for a superstar concert if not for the running suits they’re in.

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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nah, probably a bat

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Yeah, I know. No worries, I’ll be there in the next one in September!

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Kudos for being first in line!

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Amidst all the happy faces, there are those who carry these tags to remind everyone of the lives lost during the recent Boston marathon bombing.

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Indeed, Boston was not far from the minds of participants as a minute of silence was observed in memory of the 3 lives lost and the dozens injured. We should all be grateful that we live in relative peace compared to the US. Despite that, the organizers took no chances and ensured that security and medical assistance was available at all times.

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There is no other car more fit to take the lead than the VW Golf Mk VII 1.4litre TSi. Compared to the Mk VI, the Seven probably did a couple of marathons and came back leaner with huge weight reduction. Despite not having the Active Cylinder Technology spec-ed in some other countries which can deactivate two of the cylinders, our Golf still manages to return an impressive 5 litres per 100km combined fuel consumption and a CO2 output of only 116g/km. You’d be doing 10 rounds on the full lap and still have fuel remaining.

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Are we ready?

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And we’re off!

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Smell the clean, fresh air. Listen to the sounds of crickets chirping. No traffic, no pollution, no UV from the sun. The perfect track to be on.

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Oh, hi Mr Nuts. I’m Ken.

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That’s it … look into the blue light. You won’t remember a thing after this.

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A marathon is truly the time when we see the 1 Malaysia spirit. It recognizes no race, no religion, no political affiliation, no age. It is a time when everyone gets together and be a part of the running community. We see all sorts of people participating; some are there to truly challenge themselves, some to challenge each other while others are just there sweating out with friends. Age is just an excuse for not participating. It’s a good thing that the weather was crystal clear that morning.

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If life is a race, why take it so seriously? Lighten up as these fellas did!

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And just when you thought you’ve seen it all ….

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Errr, boss … I think I was holding the GPS upside down.

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A runner needs not be acknowledged by others; you are your best audience and it’s up to you to put up a good show for yourself.

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After probably a million light years ahead, the No 1 runner decided it was time for some posing with the No 1 Car of the World.

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Run Strong, Run Free; Just you and the road. Define yourself.

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The Force is strong in this one.

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Can we say the same for cars?

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It all ends here!

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And here comes the race leader. Trust me, he’ll never miss a RapidKL bus, ever.

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Kudos to the top 3 finishers. Though there’s no trophies to be had, they walk away knowing they’ve put up a hell’o'va good show for themselves.

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Hey, I just met you …. and this is crazy ….. but here’s my number. So call me maybe.

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Miss, that beige bag with the black strap is mine …. somewhere in there.

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All in all, it was a great event! Well organized, superb logistics, excellent weather …. but it wouldn’t have been possible had it not for the volunteers and staffs supporting the run. Langkawi folks, you guys rock!

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The new public service and RELA models posing for photoshoot

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Ultimately, it was a team effort by all to make the marathon such a success. As a business entity, Volkswagen has certainly made its point in going all out in supporting eco friendly activities. As the world’s 3rd largest car manufacturer in 2012, having sold 9.07 million vehicles worldwide, Volkswagen recognizes its responsibility (and impact) of producing cleaner, more energy efficient cars and this key message is being adopted by all of its brand portfolio which includes Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, MAN, Scania and Ducati. Ok, maybe some brands like Lamborghini might take a little longer in offering a 5litre per 100km engine but all else is well and good. It has certainly left a lasting impression on me.

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There was one other business that greatly benefited from the event; the airport massage chairs were all occupied all the time!

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Pictures are all courtesy of Mr Khairulzaman who had to brave the challenge of waking up in the wee hours of the morning, fight the local population of mosquitos and take fantastic shots. Without him, this article would not have been possible and I would not have had such an urge to join the next marathon which will be held in Hulu Selangor on 1st September (more details HERE). Hope to see you guys there!

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Follow @kensomuse

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It’s finally here …. the all-new Range Rover. It took them over 40 years to finally come to the 4th Generation but it’s well worth the weight. The new flagship of Land Rover now features the world’s first all-aluminium monocoque body structure which is 39% lighter than the steel body of the current model. That’s like a few adults added up to make 350kg worth of weight shaved off from the 3rd generation. Leaner and meaner now, the all-new 510PS LR-V8 Range Rover eats Golf GTis for supper on the highways, with it achieving 0-60mph in just 5.1 seconds. And the best part is while doing so, it’s consuming 9% lesser fuel compared to its predecessor. And that’s just one of its many new tricks …. let’s go through them in detail:-

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Design

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There is always something distinctive about the Range Rover that makes it stand out against the rest of its siblings. It has always been tall, squarish and probably the only other luxury SUV that has the size to challenge a Ninja King. Seen above are the first 3 generations of the Range Rover found in Malaysia. Make no mistake, Land Rover has a long history in Malaysia. For example, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, our country’s first Prime Minister had a ride around Stadium Merdeka in a Land Rover in 1957 when independence was declared. So it’s not surprising to find 1st generation RRs plying our streets even till this day.

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Gone are the circular DRLs of the 3rd generation and in its place is a unique DRL signature, using LED light blade technology. Photographers might find themselves drawn to the headlamps which are designed to resemble high performance camera lens.

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At the side, the side fender vent is now found on the surface of the front doors instead of the front fenders. Don’t worry …. should you find yourself in KL during flash floods, the RR is capable of surviving a wading depth of 900m … grocery shopping while raining heavily in KL has never been easier! Oh, and the look on the Rolls Royce owner busy pouring water out of his sinking car as you drive by is worth all the money for this SUV.

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Its side lines serves to make the car look lower than it really is, with distinctive accent graphics sweeping around the body and flow into the rear of the car and are continued in the front and rear bumpers. The pillars are painted black and has a near-flush side glazing which, together with the flat roof emphasizes the SUV’s streamline body similar to the Evoque.

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Light bar LEDs continue to be seen at the rear tail lamps which sports a bold square pattern whereas the signal lights feature a triple line graphic. Another interesting design cue is the high-mounted LED 3rd brake light which is “hidden” until you stomp on the brakes. Once that happens, a blade of light running the full width of the tailgate is bound to attract admiration from those stopping behind.

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Performance

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Two engines to choose from: a 510 PS (with 625Nm worth of torque) 5.0 litre LR-V8 Supercharged petrol or a 4.4litre SDV8 turbocharged diesel with 339PS and a good 700Nm torque. Both are paired to an 8-speed automatic.

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Because a gear stick is too mainstream

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Ride and Handling

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If the Range Rover is the father of all Land Rovers and having sampled the Evoque (article found HERE), the Noise, Vibration and Harshness is bound to be much improved in RR.

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Also found in the 4th gen is a completely re-engineered four-corner air suspension for better on and off-road driving experience. The Terrain Response feature found in the Evoque is also (but of course) found here. In addition, you’d also find Dynamic Response active lean control and Adaptive Dynamics with continuous variable damping here.

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With the Command Driving Position, the RR places the driver in an elevated, upright seating position. If you’re short, you’d be taller by 90mm in comparison to other premium SUVs.

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Cabin Convenience

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Since you’re paying the price of a luxury condominium for the RR, you can expect luxurious finishing inside the cabin. You get stuffs like keyless entry, soft door close with power latching and power upper and lower tailgates, luxurious seating with multi-mode massage functions and the latest LED illumination for subtle and sophisticated ambient lighting, including the ability to change the color scheme to suit your mood.

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You want Happy Ending, sir?

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On the entertainment side, you get a central 8″ touchscreen with Dual-view functionality, an exclusive Meridian surround sound system that’ll make even the most hard core audiophile melt.

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Park Assist, the feature that turns the steering wheel for you as you parallel park your car is standard here, along with Adaptive Cruise Control with new Queue Assist which allows the system to continue to function at low speeds and down to a complete stop and Intelligent Emergency Braking. Short of self driving itself, this SUV does almost everything for you!

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Safety

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Being a flagship, you can be assured that Land Rover will give you everything in their arsenal to ensure you’d be safe and come back for more:-

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• Blind Spot Monitoring with Closing Vehicle Sensing feature that detects vehicles closing quickly from behind
• Reverse Traffic Detection that warn drivers of potential collisions during reversing maneuvers
• Surround Camera System with T Junction view
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
• Roll Stability Control (RSC)
• Electronic Traction Control (ETC)
• Trailer Stability Assist (TSA)
• Hill Descent Control (HDC)
• Gradient Release Control (GRC)
• Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Engine Drag torque Control (EDC)
• ABS
• EBD
• Emergency Brake lights
• Corner Brake Control

And the list just keeps going and going.

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Ownership and Maintenance

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Here’s the clincher …. the all-new 2013 Range Rover would cost you RM1,089,888 for the 5.0litre LR-V8 Supercharged petrol and RM949,888 for the 4.4litre SDV8 turbocharged diesel (both prices excludes insurance). That is a whole lot of money and certainly, you don’t expect to see much of these running around. Still, for the level of technology and driving experience, who would want a one-too-many top line Merc S-class when one can stand tall above all else in this iconic SUV? I sure as hell won’t mind having one of these back with me ….. just …. don’t ask me to wash it.

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Follow @kensomuse

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And my, what a pretty car the Evoque is … and it’s also pretty expensive to own one. Being in the premium SUV segment, the Evoque counts the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and, to a lesser extent, the Volvo XC60 as its competitors. Does it have what it takes to court the rich from the traditional “safe” picks? We shall see ….

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Design

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If a person who buys the Evoque tells you it’s not for looks, that person probably has a psychological disorder with a bad sense of fashion. Because the Evoque is fashionable in any way you look at it. Derived from the LRX Concept car that was first unveiled in the Detroit Motor Show back in 2008, the Evoque is virtually identical to the concept except for the curved rear glass which, for good economic reason, was dropped in favor of a conventional 3-piece rear window/rear windscreen.

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I love following black cars …. the DRL reflections makes it look as though the car is staring back at you ….. admiring you as much as you’re admiring it. How’s that for stroking your feel-good-factor? It also has static cornering lights which, unlike certain continental makes which comes from the fog lights, are incorporated to the main headlight.

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Speaking of fog lights, they are incredibly bright, almost as bright and white as xenons.

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With a rising beltline that tapers down frontwards and a rearwards sloping roof, this is an SUV that visually “shouts” at anyone nearby. Measuring 4,355mm in length, 2,125mm in width and 1,635mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,660mm, it is considerably shorter (4,629mm in length) and slightly wider than the Q5. However, the Q5 has a significantly longer wheelbase at 2,807mm.

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Humongous 20″ rims wrapped in 245/45 rubber, the cost of replacing each piece is more than a Q5′s standard 19″ …. which is fine for the Evoque owner since exclusivity comes part and parcel with this SUV.

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The sloping roof and rising beltline does have one limitation though … the Evoque has one of the smallest rear windscreen in its segment and this makes reversing quite challenging as rearward vision is less than ideal. A good thing that it has Park Assist (more on this later) which does away the hassle of side parking.

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As is the front headlamps, the rear lamps are relatively small, leading to the image of the Evoque having a huge ….. rear.

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Here’s something unique to the Evoque. The puddle lights shows a silhouette of the SUV …. small detail yet so much class

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Performance

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Two engines to choose from: the more expensive 2.0litre direct injection, turbocharged, twin independent variable valve timing engine that serves you 240PS @ 5,500rpm and 340Nm of torque @ 1,750rpm and the one tested here which is the 2.2litre turbo diesel that delivers a good 420Nm worth of torque and 190PS. The turbo diesel behaves very much like a conventional petrol engine (well, aside from the diesel clatter which is present despite all the lining on the bonnet) with a linear power delivery. The guttural sound is rather pleasurable, particularly when you attempt that 8.5 seconds zero to hundred acceleration.

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The 6-speed automatic gearbox does have a slight lag when one decides to move hastily from stationary but is smooth once one goes up to speed. It’s certainly not as bad as a DSG and after driving it a while, it’s easy to get used to. The gear knob never fails to wow anyone who comes in …. took me a while to get used to the fact I don’t reach for a stick when trying to engage D.

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Ride and Handling

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For a vehicle that weighs over 2.3 tons, the Evoque is quick but one does not get the impression that he/she is way over the speed limit unless he/she looks at the speed counter. The cabin is so serenely quiet, the only sound that intrudes is from the massive wheel arches and even then it’s only if you decide to court the AES speed camera in taking a picture of you.

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Aside from the looks, the Evoque has one advantage compared to its competitors and that is you can choose to go off-road with it. Granted, I’ve yet to come across a person who would deliberately ford a river in the deep jungle, it’s Terrain Response technology would almost guarantee the driver to be ready for any road conditions, be it tarmac, gravel, mud or sand. Terrain Response changes the engine, transmission and electronic system settings to maximize traction, comfort and drivability.

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The first setting on the far left is what you need to select when driving on normal roads. One step to the right is the setting for gravel, snow and grass which is what you need when traveling on slippery surfaces ….like the head of Patrick Steward. Upon its engagement, I noticed the steering tightened considerably (so as you don’t do something silly like turning the wheel too much when you’re sliding on the surface) while the the traction control’s sensitivity is pushed up. Think of it like your wife constantly pulling your ear while driving in heavy rain …. the faster you go, the more restraint is given, therefore reducing wheelspin while at the same time altering the ABS response. The 2nd from right (car with an arrow erection) is for mud and it works by pushing as much torque onto the wheels by locking onto gear 1 as long as possible. Steering lightens considerably to allow you to wallow your precious out of the mud patch. Sand setting (the one with the cactus …. or a USB icon) is similar to mud where it throws lots of furry hamsters on the wheels and generating lots of wheelspin. Gears are locked on considerably longer as if the ECU controlling the transmission is under some sort of jetlag and isn’t changing gears at its usual pace.

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4 drive settings …. what more can you ask? Malaysian torrential rain, mud slides, flood, collapsing flyovers …. the Evoque takes them all in stride.

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Oooo, look what we have here … a strut bar. No wonder the Evoque handles like a hatch on corners.

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Cabin Convenience

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If you want to feel expensive, you couldn’t be in a better place than the cabin of an Evoque. Neat, clean, simple, elegant with enough leather to make probably a hundred high-grade dining room sofas is what greets you as you step inside.

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Fit and finish is superb … an ant would have a hard time finding some gaps to go in and build a nest.

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The leather wrapped steering wheel is adequately thick enough to bring joy to anyone holding it with all the buttons well laid out that you couldn’t possible not know what each does.

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But just in case you don’t, on the left are the controls for radio, Bluetooth telephony and voice command (yes, you can speak to it and tell the Evoque to do something …. all replied with a decidedly British sultry female voice)

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On the right are the Multi Function Display controls and Cruise Control (non-adaptive, I’m afraid)

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Being a continental make, signals are on the left with the front and rear fog light controls

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And every conceivable wiper controls for the front and rear on the right stalk.

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I was wondering why did the designers leave a gap in the center of the 5″ TFT screen and it was only later when I used the GPS navigation did I find its use. The digital speed display climbs insanely fast when you floor it … it’s almost like playing Asphalt 7, only in real life.

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Who can live without this in today’s modern, luxury segment. However, I am curious as to why they allowed you to start the vehicle with the key in your pocket but not to lock and unlock the car doors. To do that, you would still need to use the remote.

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The center information stack has a cascading fountain look to it and flows with the interior. Having white leather on the dashboard does contrast the center controls a bit and I am in the opinion that specifying the interior color to be ebony blends better.

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The 8″ touchscreen with hard disk drive navigation system is the primary interface for drivers to access everything from ambiance lighting to satellite navigation.

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Speaking of navigation, the interface is far superior to the one in my VW Golf’s RNS system. The Points of Interests and addresses are far more complete and navigation read out is clear and easy to follow. Especially useful is the center bar where you can see 0m and 300m. Most of the time, we hear our portable GPS barking turn right in 200meters …. unless you’re in construction or the renovation business, being asked to estimate how far is 200m is like asking me to take an ounce of salt with a tablespoon … more often than not, I overestimate. Hantam saja, boss! will be a thing of the past with this system as drivers have a visual aid to see how far away from the turn they are and prepare accordingly. Word of caution, try to keep your eyes on the road as often as you can instead of looking at the screen.

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And this is what’s displayed in the center once navigation is set.

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Because B&O is too mainstream ….. the Evoque sensationalizes your ears with a 380 Watt Meridian audio system. Audio ecstasy comes to you through a 12 channel, 11 speakers including a dual-channel subwoofer combo …. for ears like mine, that’s way past good.

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Dual zone automatic temperature control works reasonably well …. I never did figure out how to permanently set the recirculation button from auto to manual. Every once in a while, the MAN setting would jump back to AUTO and it seems to be on default. Still, in most cases, you won’t realize this until you happen to be trailing a lorry with emissions that looks like it’s obviously way past its retirement

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For such a large car, the center console is surprisingly shallow.With 2 USB connections inside, AUX port as well as a charging port, I wonder how can one fit everything inside simultaneously.

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It is well that the glove compartment size more than makes up the lack of space in the center.

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The center console does feature a small gap behind the air conditioning controls …. large enough for a Smart Tag but probably designed not for it since reaching in can be a hassle.

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One of the biggest limitation of the Evoque is the large side mirrors and thick A pillars. As you can see in the picture above, the blind spot is thick enough that if you missed that garbage tong by the side of the road, you’re in for a messy fix.

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Both front seats are electrically powered with lumbar adjust. Additionally, the driver’s side has 3 memory function.

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The rear is as luxuriously finished as the front but the seating position can be a little too upright and taller passengers beyond 5.5 feet may find the thigh support

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Land Rover must be expecting every Evoque driver to drive at sensible speeds, especially when cornering since rear passengers won’t have hand grips to hand onto. Of course, we do expect business owners to buy this and the hook for coat hangers is a must.

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Powered tailgate is always the hallmark of an premium SUV and the Evoque, naturally has it.

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At the back, boot size is modest with load space stowage rails which is useful when needing to create a compartment to minimize luggage being thrown about when driving spiritedly (picture courtesy of Land Rover Singapore).

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Hooks are found in the rear instead of in the cabin. Useful to hang food you bought from the market …. not so if you need to constantly see it in case it spills.

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Space saver tire instead of a full sized one which is very logical since we don’t want additional weight on an already substantial car.

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Another useful feature found in the Evoque that never fails to impress people is the Park Assist, a system that uses side facing sensors to measure available parking space, turns the steering wheel for you while you move into position (yup, very similar to a certain Blue Oval manufacturer’s latest C segment offering). All you need to do is to follow the instructions on the 5″ TFT and modulate the brakes. Do note that the system only works on side parking and it is still your responsibility to ensure there are no other obstacles (such as an exposed drain) that may hinder the vehicle’s movement. Also does not work in parallel parking.

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Safety

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With three variants to choose from, it’s good to know that Land Rover Malaysia imports all three with the same active and passive safety features:-

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• Adaptive Xenon headlamps
• Front fog lights
• Airbags – driver, passenger front and rear
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
• Electronic Brake Assist (EBA)
• Hill Descent Control (HDC)
• Electronic Traction Control (ETC)
• Enhanced Understeer Control (EUC)
• Perimetric & Volumetric Protection
• Hill Start Assist

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Specifications

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Depending on the variant, the 2.2l diesel 5 door Prestige as tested here has the following specifications:-

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Comfort & Convenience

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• Automatic Temperature Control (ATC)
• Push Button Start
• Cruise Control
• Personal Telephone Integration (PTI)
• Electronic Front Seats with lumbar adjust and memory function (driver only)
• Ekectronic Park Brake (EPB)
• Auto dimming interior rear view mirror
• Park Distance Control (PDC)
• Electric power assisted steering
• Powerfold exterior mirrors
• Rain sensing windscreen wiper
• Approach lamp
• Headlamp power wash
• Powered tailgate
• Loadspace stowage rails
• Park Assist
• Climate control rear vents
• Illuminated vanity mirrors
• Paddle shift

Trim & Styling

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• Single exhaust tailpipe
• Textured aluminum
• Ambiance lighting

Wheels

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• 20″ Alloy style 6
• Locking wheel nuts

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Information & Entertainment

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• 380Watt Meridian audio system
• 2 x USB Connectivity System
• 5″ TFT Driver Information Centre
• 8″ touchscreen with hard disk drive navigation system
• Bluetooth – Audio stream

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If you opt for the 3-door 2.0l petrol coupe Dynamic Plus, you’ll lose 2 doors (but of course) but gain the following in addition to the 5-door variants unless stated otherwise:-

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• Adaptive Dynamics
• Fixed Panoramic Roof
• Solar Attenuating Glass
• Twin exhaust tailpipes (also found in the 2.0litre petrol 5-door Prestige)
• Illuminated tread strip
• Satin brushed aluminum (instead of textured aluminum)
• 20″ alloy wheels style 7 (instead of 6)
• Foot pedal – metal finish

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Ownership & Maintenance

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The 2.2litre turbo diesel tested here costs RM369,888 while the 5-door 2.0litre turbocharged petrol would set you back RM379,888 and the super chic 2.0litre 3-door coupe has a price tag of RM409,888. All prices are without insurance so cheap it is not. Compared to the Q5 which many perceive as the market leader in the premium SUV segment, the Evoque’s least expensive variant still costs almost RM42,000 more. Of course, if one adds in the B&O sound system and navigation to match the equivalent of what’s being offered in the Evoque, that price difference drops to RM16,888 which is relatively negligible when one considers how much these cars cost.

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The Evoque comes with 5 years warranty (or 300,000km whichever comes first) and Land Rover Malaysia is offering a 3 years free schedule maintenance package. The breakdown of items in the maintenance is as follows (sorry, was not able to obtain the costing after the free maintenance)

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So from a price perspective, we can’t say it is a point of contention with the Q5 (that is, assuming one can accept the fact that we’re comparing a diesel powered Evoque vs a petrol Q5). There is one major setback in owning a diesel vehicle as I discovered in those few days I had it: towards the end of the month, it’s a challenge to find a petrol station with available diesel for you to pump. Worse still if you happen to find yourself in a neighborhood that has lots of diesel vehicles such as lorries and buses. I went to 6 petrol stations before I found one that still has stock to sell. So the best thing is, don’t wait till you’re almost empty to refill if you’re driving the TD.

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Other than that, it has been a great pleasure to drive the Evoque. It is one of those cars that I genuinely miss and realise I have been sufficiently poisoned by it. Another Land Rover fan has been born and for a person who’s never been much into SUVs, that’s saying a lot about its appeal.

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If you’re interested to see the catalog, you can download it from HERE. For a simple one, you can see it here:-

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Evoque Prestige 2013_2&3-1

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Follow @kensomuse

You’d have to be living in some remote kampung with no internet access of any kind if you’ve not heard of a certain patisserie in Bangsar that has managed to irritate probably half the world by calling its customer a bitch. Heck, if there was a devil who wanted to corrupt mankind by influencing them into thinking negative thoughts against its fellow humans, then this shop’s Facebook admin would almost certainly earned a special place in hell for being so successful. Then, out of nowhere, came a fellow chef who claims to not know any parties involved wrote an article/letter to a local news portal and it got published here:-

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Isadora Chai’s The Customer is Not Always Right

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To summarize what chef Isadora Chai wrote, she explained that:-

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• The customer is not always right
• People who condemn that restaurant knows jack shit about running a restaurant
• Restauranteurs gets criticized more often than any other business
• Restauranteurs focus on quality food first, service second
• Claims there is double standards of customers where they tolerate abuse from chinese hawkers while cannot accept a western restaurant’s sudden lapse of judgement
• does not believe she owes their customers preferential treatment if her customer does not show her the respect due to her as a professional chef
• some chefs deliberately contaminate food of “black listed” clients of theirs whom they find distasteful serving them.

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Now, in case you’re wondering what on earth has food got to do with an automotive review site, the answer is none at all. But if we’re talking about the service industry, then kensomuse would like to offer its share of opinion concerning the recent developments centering around this episode. Chef Chai obviously does not know how tough it is to be a sales advisor in the automotive world. I mean, think about this:-

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• Client orders a red model then changes his/her mind on the color a couple of times … most of the time after the documents are submitted, resulting in delays to change those documents. The customer then bitches about the SA’s super slow delivery of the car and goes online to badmouth the SA and the dealership
• Client comes for test drive a few times. Then couple of weeks later, drives a competitor car to the showroom, bitches about how close he was at deciding on buying the SA’s car but decided against it because of some inane reason like feng shui master said this year must buy car from showroom facing East for good ONG
• SA almost close the deal …. then another SA from another branch offer lower price, starting a price war. After negotiating with his boss for a super low price, client decides to postpone his purchase
• SA wanted to help client to get sell his car to 2nd hand dealer. Few days later, client car got scratched, 2nd hand dealer said trade in price not so high. Client pissed off and bitches about how his SA conned him by promising high trade in value but amount changed last minute.

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I can think of a myriad number of challenges an SA faces in his day to day job. The fact is, NOTHING is ever easy in this world … especially so in any service related industry. In the years of me visiting more than my fair share of showrooms, I’ve encountered good SAs …… and SAs who’s sole purpose in existing is to bring new meaning to the word stupidity. And when you give feedback to these “spill-blood” SAs, they justify their actions, goes online with a just-registered-today account and attempt to discredit you for your actions in educating the general public of the poor service he/she received. These people always feel they’re right …. probably smiling at you all the time while thinking can you be any more bitchier than this? Sad because these people will never grow without the ability to self reflect ….. but as the saying goes, some people have good fate with another while some just brings out the worse in us. Clearly the client in the restaurant’s case presented herself as such an annoying customer, the admin (who’s probably the owner) just couldn’t care less by insulting her … in a public webpage no less. Had there not been any screenshot, the admin probably got away scot-free while satisfying his own anal jusfiication.

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As the Malaysian Insider administrator has blocked comments to Chef Chai, I’d like to dedicate this reply to her in response to her article:-

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Dear Isadora,

I wish to share one quote which has changed my views about customer service

“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work – he is the purpose of it.
We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to serve him.
- Mahatma Gandhi”
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While I can see your point about being passionate about producing quality food, you are forgetting that as a restauranteur, it is also a business entity, with salaries to pay and bills to settle. And, with any business, the quality of service is as, if not more important than the food itself.
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The impression I get from reading your opinion is that you are providing justification for an act that is very unbecoming for a restaurant, a business in serving food for its patrons. As the saying goes, society loves negative news. For every satisfied client, you may get 2-3 referrals, but for every dissatisfaction, you’d get 7-10 … with the rise of the internet, that number swells to incredible proportions. To have the owners themselves rudely criticizing a customer who provided feedback, however unsavory it was is just plain dumb. Which is why if you intend to start a Facebook page where its reach cannot be measured, you’d be wise to be careful what gets posted. Calling customers who disagree with their own opinion of their own food and service bitches almost guarantees entrepreneur suicide. Imagine all the effort, time and money gone to create an alternative channel of reach to its target audience wasted for a split second of “breaking down and losing it”. Was it worth it? You be the judge.
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I have a belief;- “There is no right or wrong in business, only cause and consequences”.
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We can all justify what we want …. maybe their pet cockroach died, the toilet got stuck thanks to some idiot dumping their sanitary pad inside, that last wagyu steak came out like some bak kua from Loong Kee thanks to a chef who didn’t pay enough attention at the kitchen …. whatever it is, if you’re not prepared to face the consequences of your actions, don’t make them! There is absolutely no justification whatsoever to insult your customers unless you’re prepared to lose them. If you do not see the need to have continuous expansion of your customer base, by all means, don’t just stop at calling them derogatory canine names. I am sure a lot more rude expletive remarks can be used.
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No, Isadora, I do not believe there is double standards between chinese hawkers and western restaurants …. the key difference is one uses the internet to build awareness and assist in positioning his/her restaurant in a light that is favorable to (hopefully) garner more patrons. The other uses plain word of mouth. If you believe that the same response is warranted on two completely different approach in expanding their customer base and presenting their cuisines, then I have to say it’s best you stay in the kitchen where you can focus on doing what you do best; making quality food for the enjoyment of your guests. Leave the business planning to someone else.
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The customer may not always be right ….. but they deserve to be treated as though they are.

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Good evening, folks!

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Follow @kensomuse

Anyone remember the water bed? Back when it was first introduced, the idea of owning a bed that “moulds” itself over your body was such a novelty that it made everyone yearning to have one in their homes. And, like any new technology, it was freakishly expensive and only the truly rich can afford one. Funny that I think of this when I see the newly launched Mitsubishi i-MiEV (pronounced as “ai-meeev“), the first all-electric vehicle that you can now take home with you …. for a price.

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Kudos to Mitsubishi for making history by being the first manufacturer to offer a full EV for sale in Malaysia …..unfortunately, the price isn’t exactly cheap. For what Mitsubishi is asking you to pay, you can get a reasonably good C segment Japanese or even a D segment Korean make … so is the novelty of being one of the first Malaysians to own an electric car worth the money you pay? Let’s find out:-

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Design

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A pod on 4 wheels … that’s as direct a description as I can give to the MiEV. It has a rather cutely exterior that’ll make it stand out like a Smart-for-Two whenever one drives by. Measuring 3,475mm in length, 1,475mm in width and a wheelbase of 2,550mm, the i-MiEV is slightly shorter and thnner than a MyVi but has a much longer wheelbase (MyVi is 2,440mm). This’ll make the i-MiEV a whole lot easier to park and squeeze though lorongs.

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Is it me or do I see Wall-E staring back at me?

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Oh, in case you didn’t know already, i-MiEV stands for “i as in iCar” Mitsubishi innovative electric vehicle.

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Single wiper … at least this’ll save some money in replacing.

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Style and function?

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Performance

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You won’t find any engine under the bonnet. Instead, the most prominent item you can find is the regular battery which charges car’s electrical system. The “engine” is a 49 kW (translated to 67 hp) electric motor with 196 Nm of torque spinning the rear wheels. Yup, it’s rear wheel driven so it “should” drift well around corners, no? The motor is fed by an 88 cell 330V 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack found at the bottom of the car which unlike conventional handphone batteriers, does not lose it’s electric storage capacity over repeated charge. In fact, Mitsubishi claims that after 5 years of repeated charge and discharge, the battery still retains 80% capacity and 70% after 10 years. So in other words, you’ll only be travelling 30km less after 5 years …. not too bad a set-back, I feel.

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Mitsubishi claims each full charge of the battery allows it to take you 150km before it runs out of juice. I’d say that figure is optimistic as it all depends on how you drive it. For example, I bet owners will find it difficult to get that kind of mileage if they were to travel at the car’s top speed of 130kph or if they keep stomping the pedal at each traffic light junction which is very likely to happen since almost all the torque is available to you from the start. That’s the best thing about EVs …. max torque is achieved from ZERO – 3,000rpm. It’s also eerily quiet when operating …. no sound, no vibration. If you regularly ferry a nagging wife, you’d be subjected to the glory of her full voice all the time in this car. And there’s no way you can avoid it by trying to reach your destination sooner since it takes a century (15.9 seconds, to be exact) for you to hit 100kph from standstill. You can also expect lots of impatient motorists giving you the look when you try to join higher speed traffic.

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No gears …. just one single to get it moving.

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Cabin Convenience

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This is where the deal breaker is (to me at least). It’s hard plastics everywhere. From the dashboard to the door lining, the only leather you’ll find is on wrapped around the steering. Nothing inside gives you the impression that you’re sitting in  a car that costs 6 figures.

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Probably the most expensive thing you can find is the Kenwood 2-din headunit touchscreen multimedia system with GPS. Below it is the single zone automatic climate control (come to think of it, the only car costing more than RM100,000 with a single zone air conditioning other than the Kia Forte Koup).

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You’ll also find automatic lights with electric power steering, making this an almost perfect city car.

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Electric, foldable side mirror controls can be found on the lower right side on the driver’s side.

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The worse are the seats. While it is indeed true that the i-MiEV offers better legroom than a MyVi, the thigh support is horrendous, both for the front and rear as well. It’s probably fine for the car since you won’t be traveling far with it but getting stuck in a traffic jam would be torture, especially for the rear passengers considering the sitting position is relatively upright.

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It’s not a Golf so don’t expect Golf boot size. Still, it is adequate for a city car. It’s not like you’re going to drive this to Penang, are you?

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You can charge the car with your home power socket. The thing I’m not sure is that though the home socket power output is sufficient, do we need to make any modifications to the socket. If it is the same as the Nissan Leaf which requires some modification to be done to the socket, you won’t be able to charge your car at the nearest mamak store by borrowing their power supply.

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If it’s the same as the one above as sold in the US, then we just need to change the power connector to a 3 pin-plug and you can bring it anywhere … or wait for a 100,000W portable charger to be developed by the Taiwanese or Chinese if there is sufficient volume.

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Safety

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For a small K-car like the i-MiEV, the active and passive safety features of the car is on par with most other offerings:-

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• Active Stability Control (ASC)
• 6 airbags
• Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE)
• Waterproof battery

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Ownership & Maintenance

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The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is offered here for the price of RM136,180.50 OTR with insurance and comes with a 5 years warranty and free maintenance (or 100,000km limit whichever comes first). While I have always maintained that price is relative, particularly when it comes to a pioneer vehicle since there is no competition to compare its price against, the i-MiEV is, IMHO simply too expensive to own.

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Sure, you’ll never ever need to visit the petrol stations to fill up gas. If we take the current electricity rate, it’ll just cost you RM3.50 to travel 150km. The only other vehicle capable of doing that is probably a kap chai and even then, you can’t ferry 4 persons legally. You’ll also be able to avoid engine oil change and whatever other maintenance related to a conventional petrol engine and need to be concerned with the brakes, tires and batteries only. Also, in case you find yourself in a flood, the i-MiEV is likely to survive with minimal damage as opposed to those with conventional engines. Heck, you can probably take it down for a dip in some lake and find that it’s still very much alive when it comes back out.

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But the primary problem with it is the price. One has to consider how many RM3.50/150km trips one has to make before you can even recout half its price. Factor in things like range anxiety (plan all you want, you still can’t predict how bad traffic jams can be), lack of charging facilities, bank interest (as opposed to buying, say a Myvi which costs less than half the price), replacement cost of batteries, less than ideal cabin comfort and el-cheapo plastics everywhere in the car, it becomes less attractive. And if you bring up the issue about RM10 road tax, most cars nowadays run on low cc engines …. a Golf 1.4 TSi’s road tax is only RM70 but the insurance cost each year is a killer. It is the same with the i-MiEV; low road tax but high insurance due to its cost.

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Saving money from not needing to buy fuel, it is not. For novelty and saving Mother Earth with this zero-emission car, yes. It may be the most energy efficient car on the planet …. just not the most cost effective car to buy here in Malaysia. At least it has more uses than a water bed.

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Mud, heat, humidity and lots and lots of rain …. yup, it’s home alright and the Discovery Channel Driven to Extremes team has come to Malaysia! Yup, in the episode scheduled to be aired on 27 March at 8pm on Astro channel 551, we’ll be able to see how much Mika Salo’s F1 driving skills can be applied in the dense jungle of Ulu Sedili in Johor as well as if Predators actor Adrien Brody can survive a REAL jungle as opposed to what was on the big screens.

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This is it, folks! The final week of the kensomuse Shell Helix Ultra Engine Oil giveaway contest. This week, we’ll be searching for the final 4 winners of the contest and who knows how long before the next contest comes around so here’s your final chance to be a winner here!

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And here’s the preview trailer:

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Driven to Extremes: Ulu Sedili

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The question for the final week is:-

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At 0:44, two creatures living in the jungle that could kill you were shown. Name them.

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Once more, FOUR winners will be selected randomly from those who answered correctly. The prize is a 4litre pack of Shell Helix Ultra Fully Synthetic 5W 40 Engine Oil worth RM218, delivered to your door step.

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Contest begins today and will end at 8pm on Thursday, 28 March 2013. To participate, just follow these simple steps:-

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• A question will be posted based on the trailer of the week. The question and the trailer will be released on Sunday (3 days before the airing of the show every Wednesday) and closing date for each week shall be on Thursday (1 day after air day) at 8pm.
• Answers are to be PMed directly to kensomuse Facebook page which means you have to first LIKE kensomuse Facebook page
• The winners will be picked at random from the list of participants who answered correctly each week and announced on Thursday evening after the closing time. 4 winners per week.
• Winners need to PM their full name, delivery address and contact number to kensomuse Facebook. Shell Helix will arrange to send the engine oils directly to the winners. Upon delivery, kensomuse shall notify the winners.

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Other minor terms and conditions can be found somewhere inHERE

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Good luck for the final round, everyone!!

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Follow @kensomuse

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From the ice roads of Siberia, we now move to the sand dunes of the Taklamakan Desert in China. Also known as the Desert of Death, locals there call it Takla Makan because it means “go in and you will never come out” or “the point of no return”. Kinda like marriange, no? The desert is the world’s second largest shifting sand desert with about 85% made up of shifting sand dunes …. meaning the landscape you see today will be entirely different in a couple of weeks time. Yup, pretty much describes how women are.

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Anyways, on 20th March 2013, Discovery Channel will be screening the second episode of the Driven to Extremes series where this time, we’ll see The Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill and World Superbike champion gets better acquainted with the temperamental nature of the desert in their attempt to cross the desert; putting themselves, and their vehicle, to the test. And here’s the trailer to the second episode:-

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Taklamakan Desert Trailer

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And here is the question to the 2nd week of kensomuse Shell Helix Ultra Engine Oil giveaway:-

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In the trailer, Niel said he was once drove down a beach and got arrested. Name that beach.

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Again, FOUR winners will be selected randomly from those who answered correctly. The prize is a 4litre pack of Shell Helix Ultra Fully Synthetic 5W 40 Engine Oil worth RM218, delivered to your door step.

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Contest begins today and will end at 8pm on Thursday, 21 March 2013. To participate, just follow these simple steps:-

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• A question will be posted based on the trailer of the week. The question and the trailer will be released on Sunday (3 days before the airing of the show every Wednesday) and closing date for each week shall be on Thursday (1 day after air day) at 8pm.
• Answers are to be PMed directly to kensomuse Facebook page which means you have to first LIKE kensomuse Facebook page
• The winners will be picked at random from the list of participants who answered correctly each week and announced on Thursday evening after the closing time. 4 winners per week.
• Winners need to PM their full name, delivery address and contact number to kensomuse Facebook. Shell Helix will arrange to send the engine oils directly to the winners. Upon delivery, kensomuse shall notify the winners.

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For the Terms and Conditions, refer to the first week’s contest details HERE

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So good luck everyone and SHARE away!!

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Follow @kensomuse

I recall back in 2004 when I first bought the Suzuki Swift, everyone I knew had an opinion about how rich I was in throwing away money buying such a small car. This was a time when the default hatchback choice of Malaysian today, the Perodua MyVi was just launched and Kancils reigned on the roads. At that time, I still remembered the CBU Swift was asking for about RM82k and while it wasn’t cheap (heck, what car is cheap in Malaysian anyway?), it was one of the most affordable CBUs with Japanese reliability, continental-like cornering ability and a good all-rounder for a small family.

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Still, one has to wonder how much people are willing to pay for a particular segment, barring luxury marques such as the Mini, of course. Back when the Swift was launched, naysayers (regardless of era, there shall always be those who practice Murphy’s Law) commented how the Suzuki brand was more popular with the Jimny and Vitaras and the last Swift introduced was back in 1991 … too far behind to have any link with the present then. Fast forward today, we see Swifts almost as much as we see Kancils

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Coming soon would be another hatchback set shake the segment (if rumours of its pricing are to be believed). The Peugeot 208, the supermini that first appeared in 2011 is said to be launching in Malaysia and kensomuse is proud to be one of the first automotive sites to bring you some interesting tidbits on the car(s) we’re due to see in Peugeot showrooms nationwide soon.

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Design

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We’ll be getting not one, but TWO variants: a two-door (well, three if you count the boot) and a four-door (five with the boot). Measuring 3,962mm in length, 1,739mm in width and 1,460mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,538mm, the 208 is only about a finger nail longer, wider and higher than the Ford Fiesta. The wheelbase is significantly longer as the 208 trumps the Fiesta by 49mm but that does not necessarily mean a larger cabin. It all depends on how its designed inside.

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Tell me which has a prettier ass? The red 208 or the white Fiesta? Hmmmm.

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On second thought, I can think of no other B segment hatch that has LED tail lamps as sexy as this. Those 3 curved lines …. reminds me of what you’d find on a guy’s back after a rough night with a French vixen.

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Nor would you find another car in the segment with DRLs as provocative as this.

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Other areas include 17″ wheels for the 3 door while the 5 door gets 16″.

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Performance

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Nothing conclusive but rumors seem to point to one engine variant being offered and it’s not a turbocharged unit. The 208 is likely to get the relatively problem-free 1.6litre VTi engine as found in the 308 VTi, serving 120bhp and 160Nm of torque (pretty much on par with the Fiesta’s 120PS/152Nm output). The engine is mated to the same 4 speed gearbox as found in the 308 and unlike the 308 (which we have tested HERE), the 208 should benefit from the lighter weight, thereby giving better power. Until the official launch, we don’t have any official 0-100kph nor top speed numbers.

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Cabin Convenience

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And this is probably where the 208 makes its biggest case. The 3 door comes with panoramic roof which has a blue light rail that lights up like this:-

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Not sure if we can choose the color or not though but guys, if you wanna create that romantic moment, no other Peugeot gives you the ambiance as this.

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Also rarely seen in this segment is a touchscreen head unit. Too bad it does not come with GPS. The sound system has Arkamys processing and is relayed trough a 6 speaker system.

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3 door buyers can also expect semi bucket seats that looks semi leather, semi fabric.

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Small little car also gets dual zone air conditioning. Not bad.

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The meters looks easy enough to read. I’m guessing the blue line we see in the center corresponds to the rail lights.

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Ownership and Maintenance.

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No one knows for certain how much each variant costs but if I were to guess, I’d say the 3 door would be slightly higher than the 5 door …. and prices is said to be north of RM90k which is certainly a whole lot more than, say a Fiesta and encroaches into the VW Polo Sport which are the 208′s closest rivals.  Looking at how Peugeot models are being offered here in Malaysia, a 5 year warranty with unlimited mileage is almost a sure thing.

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So, between a 208, Polo Sport and a Fiesta, which would you pick?

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The 7th Generation Volkswagen Golf has just been launched in Malaysia and its got huge shoes to fill, particularly when considering that in the past 36 years since the first Golf was put to the streets, more than 29 million units have been produced in various incarnation. Aside from the Beetle, the Golf is probably the only other car in VW’s line-up that has achieved cult status with huge number of fans worldwide.

Design

Measuring 4,255mm long, 1,799mm wide and 1,452mm high, the Mark VII is 56mm longer, 13mm wider and 28mm lower compared to the 6th Gen. Wheelbase is similarly increased by 59mm to 2,637mm and this translates to a larger cabin. The lowered roof line and design also helps reduce the Coefficient Drag value to 0.27 (for comparison sake, a Porsche 911 Carrera has a cd value of 0.29 and this means the Golf is more slippery in the wind compared to the Porsche)

Up front, the design of the Mk VII has the following features:-

• Lines of the bonnet that forms a V-shape.

• Redesigned headlights with new xenon headlight’s LED daytime running light

• Narrower band of the radiator grille.

• At the bottom the radiator grille is bordered – to the left and right of the chrome Volkswagen badge – by a chrome bar

• Bottom air inlet is now body-coloured beneath the headlights & has more horizontal lines

At the sides, you’ll note the following design cues:-

• Front wheels moved 43mm further forward which creates an image of a longer bonnet & cabin moved backwards
• Character lines below the door handles that starts and stops at the front and rear wheel arches. The lines, together with the lines found at the rear and front bumper lends an impression of a car with a lowered center of gravity
• C pillars look thicker and more solid as no lines mar its surface
• Redesigned roof contour
• A more prominent wheel arch that can accommodate wheels up to 18″

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At the back, the Mk VII comes with redesigned rear light clusters with striking L-shaped contours, narrower on the inside and ending at the C-pillar on the outside and to the tailgate. A horizontal light-refracting edge near the bottom of the tailgate that continues on the bumper, and the boot sill running parallel below this underline the full width of the car. The bumper itself is fully painted right down to the bottom, with only the centrally integrated diffuser, which also incorporates the exhaust pipe, kept black. I don’t know … I prefer to see the exhaust pipes …. keeping it hidden is kinda like working so hard to have a 6-pack abdomen only to cover it with layers of clothes everyday.

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And these are the rims we’re getting here; Dover 16″ wrapped in 205/55 tires which are the same size as the previous non-SE Mk VI

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Performance

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In the engine department, Volkswagen Malaysia offers only one variant which is the 1.4-litre TSI 140 PS. In other countries, the engine comes with Active Cylinder Technology, which can deactivate two of the cylinders. Unfortunately, the Malaysian spec-ed unit has this feature removed …. presumably to keep the cost down.

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There will not be anymore more TwinCharged 1.4litre TSi engine like in the Mk VI (too expensive, too complex, apparently) it’s paired to a 7 speed DSG gearbox

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VW seems to be taking emissions and fuel consumption very seriously as they introduce BLUEMOTION technology in the Mk VII, a system consisting of engine start/stop function, and regenerative braking. Despite not having the Active Cylinder Technology, our 1.4s still manages an impressive 5litres per 100km combined fuel consumption and a CO2 output of only 116g/km

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A video of how it works, HERE

 Ride and Handling

Like every new generation, the Golf promises better handling and ride precision and shaving weight off the car has always been a focus of every manufacturer. VW seem to have done some pretty serious liposuction on the MkVII by throwing 100kg out of the MkVI window. The areas where the reduction took place is as follows:

• Electrical – up to -6kg
• Engines – up to -40kg
• Running gear – up to -26kg
• Superstructure – up to -37kg

The MkVII is able to achieve so much is largely due to a new lightweight platform called the Modular Transverse Matrix (or MQB of short) which is the 2nd model in the group after the Audi A3 to use it. The MQB will be used in virtually all types of vehicles (hatchbacks, sedans, SUV, etc) of Volkswagen Audi Group’s future car lineup …. from VWs to Skodas and Proton …. wait, they haven’t decided on getting Proton yet. Sorry.

What on earth is an MQB? Think of it as a piece of Lego platform where you can change the width or the length of wheelbase (like from a Polo to a Toureg) at whim. The engine and gearbox mounting positions will be identical and considering everyone is spawning model variants with just a handful of engine types (think Prince engine and Peugeot), having a platform that has the same mounting points makes a lot of sense.

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As part of the MQB set up, the new engine is inclined 12 degrees towards the firewall. This new mounting position standardizes the exhaust line, drive shafts and gearbox mounting positions.

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The VW Golf’s steering now uses a variable ratio system that offers more agile steering in dynamic driving situations and if you specify the latest generation Park Assist, the new Golf VII will even park itself in a space no more than 80 cm longer than the vehicle (Ford Focus beware). Sadly, if you do want the Park Assist, you’d have to retrofit it elsewhere like in Singapore.

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Cabin Convenience

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Interior wise, this generation offers the largest cabin yet. The following seating improvements can be found in the Mk VII:-

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• Front seats have been moved 20mm further behind
• Rear legroom can still be improved by 15 mm.
• Front shoulder room is improved by 31 mm to 1,420 mm (at the rear it is 30 mm wider which means ladies can stuff more cuddly bears behind)
• Elbow room by 22 mm to 1,469 mm (20 mm wider at the rear).

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As you can see in the cockpit picture above,  the centre console is now angled more towards the driver, giving them easier, more ergonomic and direct access to auxiliary controls, including the new generation of touchscreen infotainment systems that is available on the Volkswagen Golf.

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There is a marked difference in the steering wheel design of the MK VII compared to the MK VI. There are more buttons neatly arranged with each other. I am guessing the left set of buttons control audio and cruise control whereas the right are the Multi Info Display toggle buttons as well as telephone (Still find it hard to believe that we’re getting BT finally)

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The meters looks similar but the Reset button is now in the middle instead of the right in the MK VI.

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From the picture above, we can conclude that:-

1. The car has front and rear fog lights
2. Auto leveling headlamps as there is no manual adjusters

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Touchscreen systems will be a norm and the Mk VII offers a 5.8 inch “Composition Media” color touchscreen infotainment system with its menu keys and dials. Features include DAB digital radio, auxiliary inputs (including USB, SD card slot), access to vehicle trip information and Bluetooth connection (did I read right? The first VW model sold in Malaysia with Bluetooth??). The system keeps passengers entertained via an 8 speaker system set-up. I wonder if I can retrofit a Mk VI headunit (such as the RNS 510) to the Mk VII and vice versa.

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Air conditioning controls are as simple as it can be for a Dual Zone system.

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Handbrakes are so old school …. the Mk VII has electronic parking brakes with Auto Hold function.

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It is interesting to discover that the CD and SD card slot is found within the glove compartment (which still remains huge)

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On top, the controls are painted black and this adds a touch of class in the overall feel of the car’s ambiance.

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One of the improvements over the Mk VI I am glad to see is the side mirror controls which are angled more posteriorly and facing the driver better instead of it aiming too far forward.

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Rear legroom felt roomier but the rear seat incline remains the same, somewhat upright position. Also found behind are ISOFIX latches as well as rear air conditioning vents found at the back of the center console.

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An interesting discovery on the B pillars …. a rudimentary tire pressure monitoring system?

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The boot is 30 litres larger, at 380 litres and perfect for ladies with shopping bags is the Mark VIII has a low 685 mm sill to make loading effortless (incidentally, the Mk VIII has the lowest boot sill height in its class at 665mm). The front passenger seat can also optionally fold fully forward, creating a loadspace which is up to 2.4 mm long; you could probably stuff a street light pole in there.

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Safety

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In some markets, the Golf has a slew of  active and passive satefy features that was previously only available in their higher range models:-

• Doubt we’ll get this – Multi-collision brake system that automatically brakes the vehicle after a collision, to reduce kinetic energy significantly and thus minimise the chance of a second impact. Video of how it works HERE

• Nope – PreCrash system that detects the possibility of an accident, it pre-tensions seatbelts and closes the windows and sunroof, leaving just a small gap, to ensure the best possible protection from the airbags.

• Don’t think we’re that lucky to have this – Adaptive Cruise Control that uses radar sensors to maintain a set distance from the vehicle in front. If a car suddenly decides to overtake at a slower speed than what you were traveling, the system automatically slows down and accelerates to the set speed once the car cuts back into the slow lane. Here’s a video that explains ACC very well: Borsch

• Nope, I suspect not – Front Assist System that can bring the vehicle to a complete stop and operates at speeds of up to 150 km/h. Video of how it works HERE

• Nope, I think the Ford Focus need not worry the Golf will have this – City Emergency Braking that operates at up to 30 km/h (approx. 19 mph), and can reduce or prevent the chance of accidents occurring . Video of how it works HERE

• Maybe the 2.0litre  GTi can have this but I don’t think the 1.4 TSi will get this – Driver Alert System, as introduced on the Passat, that monitors the driver’s inputs to detect any signs of tiredness and alert you via audio signals and a message on the MFD

• Nope, we’d be paying through our noses if the car comes with these – Camera-operated Lane Assist system can help keep the car in a specific lane, providing countersteering assistance where necessary

• Nice to have but uh uh – Dynamic Light Assist system optionally masks the vehicle’s high beam lighting through the use of a camera on the windscreen. This function is technically implemented by a pivoting masking aperture between the reflector with the xenon filament and the lens. Along with lateral swivelling of the entire module and independent control of the left and right headlights, this additional aperture geometry is able to mask the light source and thereby avoid dazzling traffic ahead or any oncoming traffic. Previously available in the Toureg, it has made its way to the Golf and the video of how it works can be found HERE

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Here, we get the following:-

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• 7 airbags
• ESP
• ABS
• EBD
• BA
• Park Assist (parking sensors front and back)
• Multi Collision Brake

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Ownership and Maintenance

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The 1.4 TSi Mk VII retails for the price of RM157,888 (excludes insurance) and comes with 5 years unlimited mileage warranty. No idea about its maintenance costs yet.

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Against its competitors, here’s how the new Golf stacks up:

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So in summary, you get a car that’s:-

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• Longer
• Wider
• Saves you more fuel
• Less ponies
• More torque

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Sounds like a good package to me

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