Try test drive the smart #1 EV on the 30 September & 1 October 2023 at smart Balakong and smart Ipoh

More teasing of the smart #1 ahead of its official launch in Malaysia. smart Balakong (Hap Seng) and smart Ipoh (GB Auto) would like you to join them this weekend for an exclusive opportunity to get behind the wheel of the all-new smart #1 EV crossover.  You can place your booking if you are happy after trying out the soon to be launched car and if you are one of the first 501 customers, you can be privy to the exclusive #1 Early Bird offers which includes RM1,001.00 in charging credits via the Hello smart App.

Upcoming Test Drives, a review on an auction center and a farewell to a trusted friend (Subaru Impreza TS Sold!)

I've had my hands full these couple of weeks. Tested lots of cars, both from the manufacturers as well as those that belonged to people I know. So far I've already published the reviews on the Volkswagen Golf R Mk6 and the Audi A6 3.0 TFSI Quattro C7. I've yet to publish the one on the crackingly good Ford Fiesta ST and the one on the polished, small engined Volkswagen New Beetle 1.2 TSI. The Fiesta ST is indeed one of the best supermini sized hot hatches around. It is so adjustable, so chuckable and engages you in it. The Volkswagen Beetle 1.2 TSI shows you how iconic it is and how accomplished a tiny 1.2liter engine can haul and do things these days. I will get them published as soon as they get done.

Suzuki Kizashi may not be directly replaced when the time comes - A Shame as we've driven it and it's quite nice.

According to a report by drive.com.au the Suzuki Kizashi is unlikely to have a replacement in the future. It is likely to soldier on for a while longer and may fade out into the annals of automotive history. The reason is that reception to this mid-sized car has been pretty cold. In the report, the MD for Suzuki Australia said that even at launch, the Kizashi was compromised by the American financial crisis in 2009.

With American once Suzuki's largest market being wiped out (Suzuki America declared bankrupty in 2012), sales for this (almost) large sedan dwindled as even in markets like Australia and the UK it was overpriced and underspecced compared to its rivals like the Honda Accord and the Mazda 6. The Suzuki Kizashi is also a tad undersized if compared to the current crop of Japanese mid-sized / full sized sedans. If you compare its size it is closer to cars like the seventh generation Honda Accord (2003-2007) instead of the larger eighth and ninth generation Accords that we're familiar with. You add competition like the huge Toyota Camry and Nissan Teana to the picture and you can see why Suzuki isn't really selling any Kizashis even here in Malaysia. But we've driven it and we like how it drives as well as how it looks. The car looks squat with a wheel at each corner. Very athletic looking and taut.

The Hyundai Veloster 1.6 - Not for performance, just for looking good.

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There are times when we feel the need for something a little more flashy than the normal cooking hatchbacks, small ugly sedans or even large uncle-mobiles. Even housewives, family men need that urge to feel young and free again or that those who are indeed single and young at heart want a car that actually shows off that side of them. Sometimes, I feel that urge too when it comes to personal transport. In the quest to find a decent second (or third) car for the family I actually stopped to look at those priced below rm140,000 and with something less than four doors. 

I looked at the Honda CRZ, a fantastic car for people who want a sporty urban runabout. It has a 1.5liter engine coupled to an electric motor and makes more than 130hp. It also drove well but I have reservations as regards its running costs after five or more years. Whilst Honda is giving a guarantee that the electric motor's battery pack will last at least ten years I am not convinced that it will do so. Why? You may ask and the answer is because we live in a country where humidity is extremely high and I have never really been confident about any electrical product that sits, whether occasionally in the rain and then the sun will actually stand this constant cycle of hot and cold and of condensation of water vapour in the long run. I may be just ultra paranoid, but there could be a valid reason for me being as such.  Anyway, when Hyundai launched the Veloster recently, I was curious at this single rear door five seater coupe. Could it be the the flashy coupe for small families and for paranoid motorheads like Yours Truly?