Proton Exora Bold (Turbo) tested

There is this often heard saying of old wine in a new bottle. Also, such old wine may have been aged longer to perfection to blend in better with the new storage vessel.

Such may be the case of the long-serving Campro 1.6L petrol engine from Proton - powering the Gen-2, Satria and Persona. Now BOLD-ened with a low-pressure turbocharger and mated to a CVT transmission, plonked into this latest Exora variant.

Although no longer new in the market, the Exora Turbo (as it is known in Thailand) still serves up quite a few tricks up its sleeve. One being more cavernous/versatile than the ubiquitous Perodua Alza. Second, it is now packed with a more grunty 205 Nm of twist to things.

In this age of downsizing with turbocharging, Proton seems to have done the right thing by going the way of CFE (Charged Fuel Efficiency) along with a more efficient CVT tranny. However, direct fuel injection is discreetly absent although the 4-pot sounded clattery, much like a DFI unit on idling. Also mysteriously absent in its upgrade is the timing chain for the cam-shaft drive and the omission of CPS, variable valve timing.

Interestingly, this petrol lump behaves much like a turbodiesel. It's coarse on initial take-off with good low-end pull from 1,700rpm onwards. Then, it runs out of breath by 4,500rpm or so. In the course of accelerating, the engine note changes from being buzzy to a growl -which will be more-at-home in a Satria Neo - to a boomy hoarseness circa 5,000 rpm. The redeeming factor though is there is adequate power for a sprightly drive, overtaking and maintaining momentum even up gradients.

Comfort and suspension-pliancy wise, there is no complaint whatsoever, seeing that Lotus Engineering has sprinkled its suspension-tuning wizardry here nonetheless. It's firm yet pliant, with a manageable roll into corners, but that's fine since this a family-oriented, entry-level MPV. No excessive pitching or dips on hard-braking, no nasty surprises. Similarly, braking power is sufficiently assuring, unlike the old Gen-2' items. Like before with the 'old' Exora, I haven't discovered the fame "Handling by Lotus" DNA in this MPV - as expected.

What is glaring though is the creaks, rattle and squeks abound in the cabin of this tester. For the record, this Exora Bold CFE has only done some 5000kms. Also annoying is the - possibly - front right lower suspension arm grunting/groan at certain steering position and going over some road humps. Perhaps this particular test unit has been abused much and prematurely in its service life.

The Exora is quite a big vehicle actually, longer from bumper-to-bumper than a Toyota Innova. Its interior is also airy and capacious. With the last row of seats folded down, luggage lugging capacity is usefully flat and wide. Once again better than Innova and of course, the Alza which don't offer split folding of its 3rd row at all.

These practical factors alone scored good points for the Bold CFE, along with turbocharged zippiness still makes it a relatively good buy as a budget 2nd car (MPV) in a family. Pity there's still some doubt about its build and fit quality though.

Honda Freed is a 4-seater MPV now!

This is an 'official' JPEG image in my inbox from Honda Malaysia.
Strange how all of a sudden it becomes a 4-seater PREMIUM minivan.

In which case, it makes better sense to just get that Perodua Alza since it seats five, unless you're a diehard for Toyota Aphard-esque powered sliding doors!

Driven: Toyota Passo Sette! (Perodua Alza EZi)

A little imagination can do wonders. You could be having a bite at McDonald's right in downtown Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle (corner of Bukit Bintang and Sultan Ismail) and yet think you're in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. Pardon me for the inaccuracy in the title of this blogpost but it's deliberate.

"Why?" you may ask. Well, Perodua has got it so right in their product mix that their latest Alza, so much feels like a Toyota, looks like a Toyota, drives likes Toyota; but not a Toyota. (Hmmm...sounded like one famous lawyer's testimony on court recently) And in Bolehland context - pricing it cheaper than even the base model Toyota Vios J-spec - that can be a good thing, a very good thing. Though frankly, I am of the opinion that the Passo Sette clone should not have crossed the RM60k mark, even for this Ezi spec version - to make it a truly value-for-money buy for the rakyat. But we are not here to to debate about social service, are we?




Admittedly, my initial enthusiasm was lacking upon picking up this COTY tester from Perodua. However, that soon changed as I got bitten by the travel bug soon thereafter. Loaded with 3 adults, one almost-adult teenager and three kids, we soon headed up to Cameron Highlands. On the following day, back through to Ipoh and returning to KL. The 3SZ-VE doesn't disappoint, being adequately responsive with an eloquently paired 4A/T, which resulted in decent tractability and driveability. On the downside, the naturally aspirated 4-pot 1.5L lump were often caught thrumming a little too loud - somewhat hoarse - as you venture near 6000rpm for that little extra top-end grunt. The other pleasant little surprise was that its average fuel consumption worked out to about 12km/l over some 863 km travelled. (That's roughly 15- 16 sen per km, running on RON95 @ current retail price of RM1.80/litre) Win some, lose some.





In all, there isn't much to complain about the Alza, expect for maybe absence of 2nd row a/c vents. A passenger in the 2nd row was complaining of getting hot and bothered even with the a/c blower set to fan speed #"3" during an afternoon drive. A full blast to #"4" did cure things but it was a hurricane for both occupants up front! I was getting a bit flustered and bogged down with so much of TURBULENT cold air enveloping my cheeks and temple, even with the vents angled upwards and away.

Could Perodua please add a 2nd ceiling mounted blower for the 2nd row? While at it, can the 3rd row of seat backrest be spilt into a 50:50 fold down to enable 2+3+1 seating with a little more luggage hoarding capability?

Back to the climatic indices of thermal comfort, I am sure there is enough cold air-conditioner gasses for a small 2nd auxiliary cooler coil. Seeing that, no imagination will be able to execute cooling comfort for 2nd and especially 3rd row passengers. Not even Toyota, which at this very moment happens to be a goliath of an automotive company busy with its tagline "Moving Forward...Non Stop!".

Honda Freed to be an ambitious RM118,000 compact 1.5L MPV in Malaysia?

Right this moment, the online automotive news scene is abuzz with Honda Malaysia's latest ambitious Indonesian project worth RM115,000 to RM118,000 a piece. Well, certainly the media has 'just' known about it "as and when they were told so" - the time is ripe since we're already into month of March and soon into Q2 2010.

When this piece of expensive utter rubbish gets on the road, I shall enjoy seeing what press release that specific 'Head' of PR/Marketing will issue, following how good acceptance (blah! blah! blah!) this will be.. since the launch was such a well-kept secret allegedly by Honda Malaysia.

Anyone wants a fancy - but taller, Merc A-Class-like stationwagon - Perodua Alza-esque MPV at almost twice the price? I certainly don't see the point since the Alza EZi drives almost like a Toyota Vios.

Related post:
Honda Malaysia's new Freed to be nudging slightly under RM120k?

Hyundai Grand Starex undergoes Royale treatment

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd (HSDM) recently launched the new look Grand Starex MPV after having undergone the Royale full bodykit treatment, in Malaysia.

The Grand Starex Royale sports a more in-your-face grille at the front as well as added skirting throughout the MPV’s 5.1-metre body. The side wing mirrors now have integrated L.E.D indicators. Apart from that, the remarkable crystal headlamps also lights up automatically in dim surroundings.

Reversing the Grand Starex Royale has never been easier with its rearview camera that shows you precisely how much space you have to reverse. Parking problems will be solved with the camera and existing 4 reverse sensors neatly tucked into the rear bumper. A rear windshield wiper is also added onto the rear windscreen for better visibility when it rains.

The in-car entertainment is also upgraded with a brand new Pioneer LCD touch screen DVD player linked to a 7” LCD screen located in the middle top of the MPV for rear passengers. This DVD Player streams wide and crisp clear movies with one touch for maximum enjoyment. The 2.5 litre CRDi diesel engine that comes with a Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) and a turbo intercooler remains unchanged. This power plant unleashes a maximum power output of 125 kW (170 ps) at 3,800 rpm and maximum torque of 392 Nm (40 kg-m) at 2,000 to 2,500 rpm for high-speed performance. This second generation CRDi diesel engine system from BOSCH is an improved engine with computerized system to adjust to the condition appropriately when necessary.

Mated to a 5-speed shiftronic transmission, the Grand Starex Royale delivers sports-mode exhilaration for dynamic driving, while improved front and rear suspension supported by MacPherson strut type and multi-link layout respectively, affirms long distance comfort. Despite having a length of more than five meters, the turning radius of the Grand Starex Royale is no more than 5.6 metres, making tight spaces in any setting easily negotiable.

The Grand Starex Royale is the winner of the large MPV Category at the Autocar ASEAN Awards 2008. It has also won the BOSCH 1^st Asian Auto Fuel Efficiency Award 2008 for luxury MPV.

Available in 4 varying colours – Crystal White, Stone Black, Sleek Silver and Carbon Grey, this full-size MPV is available for viewing and test drive at all Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Showrooms nationwide. The Grand Starex Royale 2.5GLS Diesel (A) VGT is priced at RM 148,888 (OTR) in West Malaysia and RM 153,997.50 (OTR) in East Malaysia.

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors offers its customers a 5 years or 300,000km extended warranty that assures all customers of any unexpected repair or cost due to manufacturing defect. This is the longest warranty offered by any automaker in Malaysia.

Malaysian motorists can place their bookings at the nearest sales outlet or call its Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000 for more information.

Related post:
Grand Starex Road Test

New Proton Exora plays the value-buy card to the hilt!

By now, most of you motoring enthusiasts would have known that Proton's new Exora is retailing for RM69,998 and RM75,998 (metallic colours, OTR) for the M-Line and H-Line respectively. Both specs are currently available only in 4-speed auto guise. Responsibly, both M-Line and H-Line also have dual frontal SRS airbags and ABS+EBD as standard fitment.

Proton's high performance 150Nm capable Gen.2 facelift', Waja facelift' and Satria Neo CPS' engine is carried over to lug close to 1.4 tonne and the debate is still on whether this will satisfy the many young families' drivers out there.

Whatever it may be, I am impressed with the extreme value that this MPV represents. Good job Proton! Personally though, here's to wishing there's a Campro CPS LPT (light pressure turbo) in the making...meanwhile, I absolutely loved the slow-mo (dampened mechanism) opening of the lower glove box. Splendid.

Go check it out, even if you do not intend to buy one. This may just as well represents the value-buy-of-the-year...or possibly even this decade!








*pictures courtesy of paultan.org (Thanks Paul!)

Proton Exora MPV undisguised!

First and foremost, my sincere apologies to my readers (if anyone left!) for the recent comatose state of my blog. There are many excuses from being caught up in frenetic clinical work & hectic family life, writer's block to the fancy excuses given by TM Net's Streamyx for not giving me a broadband home connection. It has been more than 6 months since I last applied for one! I have been running to the nearest TM Point more than half a dozen times...and it's always "No Port" excuse.

Anyway, here I am on Maxis broadband, trying to recuscitate my little online automotive journal...with possibly the hottest topic for the month of April 2009.


Click on all pictures to enlarge

Thanks to faithful fan Darren & reader Justin, we have here some email pictures of the Exora in its natural state, uncamouflaged. Judge for yourself how the new Proton Exora has maxed out on its size. Visualise it as big as the Innova, except for the wheelbase and height. Yes! It's even longer than the Innova from bumper to bumper. As you can see above, it 's definitely larger than both the Toyota Avanza & Nissan Grand Livina.

Intial preview drive by noted blogger Paul Tan seemed to have suggested that the Campro 1.6 CPS with Auto tranny is barely adequate to move it, more so should you wanna hurry things up. Well, you can judge it for yourself soon - before this month is over - after the Exora's official launch.

In the meantime, you can point your browser to paultan.org and search for all its glorious details. Alternatively, there are some articles on the same preview drives by Hezeri Samsuri of cbt.com.my and Chips Yap of MTM online.

Indicative pricing for the Exora 1.6 CPS Auto is RM72k and RM76k for M-Line and H-Line respectively, judging from some pre-applied bank loans figures. The manual versions should be cheaper by some RM3k to RM5k, spec for spec.