Remember the Skodabrand? It used to be a lot more prominent in the country some time ago, but it seems to have faded into obscurity hasn’t it? Pity because I thought this Skoda Superb was, well, superb…
I do get a feeling though that the brand might be poised for a resurgence locally, especially with the likes of the new KaroqSUV (below) in the pipeline.
Globally, Skoda plans a “significant sales increase” by the year 2025, and this new Karoq is supposed to spearhead that charge, as it replaces the very popular (in Europe) Yeti mid-size SUV (below).
“Latest to arrive on the scene is the new Skoda Karoq, a model which has an integral role to play in the firm’s long-term plan to significantly increase sales by 2025. More than that, though, it has a hard act to follow, replacing the much-loved Yeti as the company’s contender in the mid-size SUV class.” – Auto Express.
Diesel vehicle owners in Sarawak take note! You can now get Shell FuelSave Diesel Euro 5 at stations in Bintulu and soon to be followed by other major cities in Sarawak namely Miri, Kuching, and Sibu.
Shairan Huzani Husain, Managing Director of Shell Timur Sdn Bhd said, “We are proud to announce the availability of our Shell FuelSave Diesel Euro 5 in Sarawak. Here at Shell, our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are on a mission to make their life’s journeys better. Hence, we are bringing our best diesel fuel to Sarawak that will give our customers one less worry on the road and help them leave happier for their journey ahead. This is also in line with our strategy of providing cleaner and innovative energy solutions, leveraging on our leadership in fuels technology.”
Shell FuelSave Diesel Euro 5 is formulated with DYNAFLEX Technology, with new dirt-busting molecules for a clean and efficient engine. The technology helps to clean and protect key fuel system components, such as fuel injectors, from build ups that may reduce engine’s performance. In addition, the new Shell FuelSave Diesel Euro 5 contains less than 10 mg/kg of sulphur, making it suitable for modern diesel engines which requires low sulphur diesel fuel.
Motorists can now enjoy the benefits of the all new Shell FuelSave Diesel Euro 5 at selected stations in Sarawak. For more information, please visit www.shell.com.my/SarawakE5
According to Auto Express, Toyota is “set to excite car enthusiasts around the world” at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, and AE have given us the first glimpse of the new Supra in a ‘modern racing concept’ form, seen undergoing testing at the famed Nurburgring.
It also appears the production car’s all-important powertrain details have leaked out via a scanned copy of the March edition of Japan’s Best Car magazine, posted on the VW Vortex forum.
It reveals that the Japanese-spec car features a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine putting out 330bhp and 450Nm of torque, with an extra 50Nm added thanks to an overboost function.
A 0-100kmh time is quoted at 3.8 seconds. Power is said to be put down through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, though it’s not clear yet if a manual will also be available.
“The leaked report also suggests that the new Supra is 4.38m long, 1.86m wide and 1.29m tall, with a 2.47m wheelbase. The six-cylinder variant is said to weigh just under 1,500kg. Previous reports have suggested that a 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder motor would also be offered, and shared with the next BMW Z4.” – Auto Express.
2018 Toyota Supra Photo Gallery (All images courtesy of Auto Express)
Would you believe that the Kia Optima GT has air-conditioned seats? Hard to imagine a car in this segment having such a feature, but I guess it came part and parcel in its CBU form, which also boasts a heated steering-wheel. No, really, I tried it, and it works…
Now apart from the Kia Stinger, which we featured here taking on a Porsche and BMW, Kia isn’t really a brand known for making exciting cars, I mean seriously, can you remember back in the year 2000 when Kia debuted the Optima looking like this?
Fast-forward to 2018, and now it looks like this:
Quite an amazing transformation over the last couple of decades wouldn’t you say? You can thank Peter Schreyer for that. But you know what, it’s not just in the way the car looks that’s mind-blowing, it’s the whole package really…
Powering the Optima GT is a 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engine (T-GDI) with three drive-modes (Normal, Eco & Sport) that churns out a whopping 252bhp and 350Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels via a torque-converter 6-speed auto-tranny with paddle-shifts. This allows the Optima GT to complete the 0-100kmh sprint in 7.4sec.
The icing on the cake though, is the ‘manufactured’ engine note, that comes off sounding more like an old-school burbling V8 than an in-line four. This raspy and rumbling sound, clearly audible from the cabin, can be suppressed by selecting the ‘Eco’ drive-mode, but becomes even more pronounced when ‘Sport’ mode is selected.
It’s a brilliant car to drive, and here’s a short video of my take on it:
Perhaps the only downside to this car is its price tag. Coming in at around RM175,000 on the road without insurance, it falls squarely in Teana, Camry and Accord territory, and those 3 have dominated D-seg sales for the longest time haven’t they? Rhetorical question.
The funny thing is though, I reckon Kia knew this full well; I mean who wouldn’t know the market they’re trying to penetrate right? And yet, here it is, the Optima GT. It’s a lot of money to pay for an Optima, or even a Kia for that matter, a brand that has nowhere near the presence and steadfast-solid reputation of the aforementioned Big Three.
But maybe it’s exactly that bravado, that unabashed gall to even think of taking on the Big Three that sets this car apart from the rest. It had to be different, and it is. Unapologetically so.
There’s no denying it looks very good, but it also goes really well and offers the kind of NVH suppression that’s right up there with the best of them. And it also has the plus point of being absolutely, unbelievably bonkers when it comes to sheer power.
I doubt it’ll sell in vast numbers, and maybe it shouldn’t, for it’s own sake.
Being exclusive and brilliantly, unabashedly different in a segment that’s bordering on staid, the Kia Optima GT certainly stands out head and shoulders above the rest. – Chris Wee.
Thanks to Auto Express, here’s the first-look at the new Ford Focus! The latest edition of Ford’s immensely popular family hatchback and hot-hatch is scheduled to be revealed in full in very soon, but an image that appeared on a Hungarian website has let the cat out of the bag early.
“The new Focus was snapped on a location shoot in Portugal and you can see from the image that the car’s minders would rather it hadn’t been. The rear spoiler, large alloy wheels and red brake calipers on the car in the picture suggests that this is the up-spec Ford Focus ST-Line model that’s set to head-up the range alongside the more luxury-orientated Vignale before a full blown Focus ST hot hatchputs in an appearance.” – Auto Express.
2018 Ford Focus Photo Gallery… (All images courtesy of Auto Express)
Three years ago in the pages of The Financial Times, Rolls-Royce announced to the world that it would create an all-new, high-bodied car that would redefine luxury travel by making it Effortless, Everywhere. Since that day the world has waited, anticipating the arrival of this mould-breaking new Rolls-Royce.
Today, the wait is almost over as Rolls-Royce confirms that its new motor car will be called Cullinan.
“The name Cullinan has been hiding in plain sight since we revealed it as the project name some years ago,” comments Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce. “It is the most fitting name for our extraordinary new product. Cullinan is a motor car of such clarity of purpose, such flawless quality and preciousness, and such presence that it recalibrates the scale and possibility of true luxury. Just like the Cullinan Diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever found, it emerges when it is perfect and exists above all others.”
The story of how this new Rolls-Royce came to be named Cullinan is itself one of the pursuit of perfection. Like the diamond, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has undertaken a fascinating journey. From the searing deserts of Africa and the Middle East to the freezing snows of the Arctic Circle; from the grassy glens of the Scottish Highlands to the towering canyons of North America, the designers, engineers, craftspeople and artisans of the House of Rolls-Royce have shaped, tested and polished this unique motor car to eliminate any flaw and make it Effortless, Everywhere.
“We were inspired by the epic processes, over many millennia, which went into the creation of the Cullinan Diamond. The name embodies the many facets of our new motor car’s promise. It speaks of endurance and absolute solidity in the face of the greatest pressures; it tells of rarity and preciousness and it alludes to the pioneering, adventurous spirit of The Hon. Charles Rolls and the engineering innovation of Sir Henry Royce; and, of course, it speaks of absolute luxury, wherever you venture in the world” continued Müller-Ötvös.
Cullinan is the second Rolls-Royce to sit atop the company’s recently announced all-new proprietary aluminium spaceframe ‘Architecture of Luxury’. Unique and unequalled in its brilliance, every facet of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan scintillates.
Müller-Ötvös concludes: “Quite simply, the name Cullinan is perfect and brilliant.”
What is the “Cullinan”?
The Cullinan Diamond (below) was extracted from a mine deep in South Africa’s Magaliesberg Mountains in 1905, and at 3,106 carats, remains the largest diamond ever discovered. Cleaved into nine stones, cut and polished, the two largest portions of the Cullinan reside in the British Imperial Crown and Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross.
The alleged story of how the Cullinan diamond travelled to take up its place in the British Crown Jewels is as interesting as the diamond itself. The Transvaal government of the day purchased it for £150,000. A prize surely fit for a King, their plan was to present it to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday, in the hope that such a gift would help heal the wounds of the recently ended Boer War.
Its journey to England would prove to be the diamond’s next big adventure. Given its size and value, it was bound to attract much unwanted attention. So detectives were sent from London to provide a visible and secure escort for the diamond on board a passenger steamboat bound for Britain. The treasure was ceremoniously placed in the ship’s Captain’s safe and guarded throughout its entire journey.
Or so it appeared…. Legend has it that that was all a sleight of hand. That the police and the safe were just an elaborate ruse. The diamond in that ship’s safe, protected by those police officers, was said to be a resin replica, whilst the real Cullinan was simply sent to London by registered post to the Foreign Office to be presented to the King. (Brilliant! – CW)
I do get a feeling though that the brand might be poised for a resurgence locally, especially with the likes of the new Karoq SUV (below) in the pipeline.
