Why buy Kia Forte Koup? A detailed review and full Test Drive on Kia Forte Koup.

A detailed review and Test Drive on Kia Forte Koup brought to you by Chris Ng from paultan.org as he reviews the Kia Forte Koup. Here is the review.

Metaphorically speaking, if you close your eyes and drive this car, you’d have a hard time telling where this car is from. You see, every car out there, no matter the brand, hints at the country in which it came from.

For example, the interiors of Japanese cars usually feel bright, filled with synthetic materials, rides on the softer side, have good handling and are more reserved with the steering. German cars, on the other hand, are over-wrapped in skin and loaded with buttons placed in a very organised manner. Cars from Deutschland ride firmly, have excellent handling and the steering is always full of banter.

And Korean cars, well, they were lacking ideas in every department. In recent years though, they have proved that they can pull up their socks and make a car loaded with features, enjoyable to drive and with a head-turning design. The difference between then and now is really night and day. They have, somehow, integrated the cost-friendliness of the Japanese with the driving dynamics of the Germans. It’s not perfect but it all signs are pointing in the right direction.

This brings me to the car here: the Kia Forte Koup, which was launched in Malaysia sometime late last year with a price of RM115,800 on-the-road with insurance. Finally a two-door coupe that does not cost both kidneys, and it has good value too.

At this point, you might expect me to somehow tie in Peter Schreyer but I am not going to. I leave its design to your own mind and judgment. Personally, I think that the loss of two rear doors, the lowered roof and the redesigned bumpers make the car look appropriately aggressive; bigger wheels might even give it more street cred. The dimensions of the Koup is made tauter too – 4,480 mm in length, 1,765 mm in width and 1,400 mm in height – compared to its four-door sibling.

As for the interior, well, I leave that to you as well. The point of contention here is the red two-colour interior. Some have warmed to red-accented dashboard you see in the pictures while others run the other way.

Besides the colour scheme, the interior does lean toward the Japanese. The whole catalog of interior plastics is here – from the soft and malleable to the hard and shiny. What’s more important is that these plastics are put into their appropriate place following function.

Both front seats are bucket type and have adequate thigh and body support. Sitting in the driver’s seat, I can tell that there has been some thought that went into the ergonomics. All buttons are easy to reach and those that are further than my finger can be controlled from the steering. The steering feels thick and substantial. The meter cluster is huge; speedo is in the middle, rev meter flanks the left and the fuel gauge is on the right.

A surprising thing to note about the interior is its spaciousness and I don’t mean the space in the front. What is quite unexpected is the legroom at the back. The Koup’s wheelbase of 2,650 mm matches that of its four-door sibling. This also means that you’ll be able to fit two full-sized adults in the rear without the need to detach their legs. But the getting-into will be tight head-wise; the Koup loses 60 mm of headroom due to the sloping roof.

But enough of measurements and design and spaciousness… what you are really here for is to know how the Koup drives.

Both front seats are bucket type and have adequate thigh and body support. Sitting in the driver’s seat, I can tell that there has been some thought that went into the ergonomics. All buttons are easy to reach and those that are further than my finger can be controlled from the steering. The steering feels thick and substantial. The meter cluster is huge; speedo is in the middle, rev meter flanks the left and the fuel gauge is on the right.

A surprising thing to note about the interior is its spaciousness and I don’t mean the space in the front. What is quite unexpected is the legroom at the back. The Koup’s wheelbase of 2,650 mm matches that of its four-door sibling. This also means that you’ll be able to fit two full-sized adults in the rear without the need to detach their legs. But the getting-into will be tight head-wise; the Koup loses 60 mm of headroom due to the sloping roof.

But enough of measurements and design and spaciousness… what you are really here for is to know how the Koup drives.

Under the bonnet is a 2.0 litre THETA II engine with CVVT that generates 156 PS (or about 154 hp) at 6,200 rpm and 194 Nm at 4,300 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed torque-converter automatic transmission that allows for manual shifting of the gears that drive the front wheels. However, if you’re hankering for earth-burning acceleration, don’t. The partnership does not make the car quick.

Given the natural-aspiration nature of the engine, most of the power lives in the median of the rev range. Not to say that the Koup is a slouch, it is just that you need to spur the Koup into the middle rev range before things get really exciting. The challenge then becomes a game of keeping the revs in the sweet spot, which can be achieved with surprising ease. The manual shifter is snappy and locks in the gears with minimal delay and all you really need to do is to hold the throttle. Done.

Although the Koup is not quick getting to 100 km/h, it does have the legs to run once you settle in. And when the urge to get ahead of the car in front overwhelms, the Koup proves that it has still plenty of fire in its belly to complete the mission. Hitting near double-century figures on the speedo becomes all too easy.

At speed, the Koup shows its worth. It is also where the Koup feels like a car from continental Europe. Armed with MacPherson struts at the front and a coupled torsion beam axle at the rear, the Koup dispatches high-speed sweepers with a predictably flat and stable behavior that simply builds confidence to get from apex to apex until the tyres start talking back. The steering feels properly weighted and alert so it is easy to keep the car tracking the way you want it to.

Find yourself understeering? Not a problem, feed the steering a bit more turn, just lift off the throttle for a bit and let the Koup’s weight, grip and the electronic stability program keep you on the black stuff.

The trade-off with the brilliant handling is that the Koup gets a rather unyielding ride. You will feel every inch of the road, flat or otherwise, yet it is not hard enough that it crashes into every hole it rolls over.

When everything is taken into consideration, the Koup drives as how a sporty coupe should. I do think the Koup is less of a road warrior and more of a long-distance B-road runner. If you’re not packing to much people for a weekend, here’s the ride you should take.

So, if you’re looking for a reasonably priced car that hasn’t got too many doors, strides well in the city and have the endurance to go interstate, then say hello to the Kia Forte Koup.

Read more at http://paultan.org/2012/04/08/kia-forte-koup-full-test-drive-review/

Why buy the RM 99,888 priced Volkswagen Polo Sedan vs Volkswagen Polo? A detailed review and Full Test Drive on Volkswagen Polo Sedan

A detailed review and Test Drive on Volkswagen Polo Sedan brought to you by Chris Ng from paultan.org as he reviews the New Volkswagen Polo Sedan. Here is the review.

Unlike other car manufacturers out there, Volkswagen Malaysia has found itself in a very unique situation. It now has a car for pretty much every segment of the market, with prices that start from a hair under RM100,000, right up to a few strands under RM400,000.

The company’s latest is also the least expensive of its offerings. This is the Polo Sedan, and it’s made in India, one of the many Volkswagen factories in the world that produces cars to the exact specification and quality directives that come from Wolfsburg.

The car you see here is also sold in Russia, South Africa, India and China. It comes at a price of RM99,888, to make it a viable choice to those who want a starter Volkswagen, but need something bigger than the pocket-sized Polo.

But earning 454 litres of boot space is not as simple as taking a Polo and gluing a boot behind it; that would just make the car look awkward. Instead, the Polo Sedan has been designed from a clean-ish sheet of paper.

Clean-ish, because the sedan sits on a stretched version of the PQ25 platform that the hatchback is currently running on. It gives the sedan another 82 mm to the wheelbase, for a total of 2,552 mm. Elsewhere, the car measures in at 4,384 mm long, 1,699 mm wide and 1,466 mm tall.

Truth be told, the look of the Polo Sedan is not one you’d call awe-inspiring. In fact, the car has the same subdued tone and manner similar to the Passat. That said, I do think that the look of the headlight assembly is one of the best in the market.

The interior looks simple as well. One glance is all you need to see most of the car. All amenities are in here and accounted for, and there are quite a number of storage areas. Two catches my attention – the bottle holder on the door panels can fit a 1.5 litre bottle snugly, and the pocket underneath the radio is surprisingly deep. If you need to know more of what the Polo Sedan has inside, I’ve already covered that in the launch report.

There’s also quality in here. While most of the materials used for the dashboard and the door cards feel inflexible, they are well textured to cheat the eye into thinking otherwise. The bits of chrome also successfully elevate the status of the interior. The pieces of the interior are well joined together, with no glaring gaps that commonly plague cars in the similar segment.

Let me side track a bit, still going about its quality. The doors open with the slightest of touches and it takes getting used. You’ll pull the door too hard at first, expecting something heavy to move, but the door is light feel like feather at the handle, yet gives a satisfying solid thud when you shut it close.

The sedan also ticks the ‘comfort’ box. The foam is not too firm and the fabric holds quite well. Importantly, there is space in here. Admittedly, I am one of those who feel like a gorilla in a cage whenever I get into a Polo hatchback. Not so with the Polo Sedan. Space in here seems to have been expanded … as if it has been pushed outwards, none more obvious than with the rear seats. Not only I can easily get inside, there is also significant legroom that actually allows my knees some breathing room. Headroom is adequate, although you might find it nearer if you’re above six feet in height.

You can also turn the rear seating area into an extension of the boot. The seats folds flat and fit flushed to the boot floor without much fuss. And figuring out what folds where is easy. Here’s a paultan.org seat-folding top tip: tilt the seats forward before removing the headrests.

Move to the front and we’re at the bonnet. Pop it skyward and you’ll notice how light the lid is. Inside the engine bay is a controversy, in this case a 1.6 litre MPI (multi-point injection) powerplant that does 105 PS at 5,250 rpm and 153 Nm at 3,800 rpm. The engine comes with its long-standing partner, a six-speed conventional automatic transmission with tiptronic.

The Polo Sedan clocks its 0-100 km/h in 12.3 seconds and has a top speed of 183 km/h. The numbers are not extraordinary, but they are what you would normally squeeze out from a 1.6 litre naturally-aspirated engine.

If these facts make the Polo Sedan feel like its less compensated, well, it isn’t. There’s a reason this choice has been made. For one, Volkswagen has employed the engine and transmission partner many times, and the pairing has proved reliable. Also, if you stop to ponder about it, the maintenance will also be easier, because the engine and transmission is less complicated. Still, does this mean that Volkswagen’s latest pride and joy is any less ‘momentous’?

A step on the accelerator proves that it is not. It feels more powerful than the quoted 105 PS, and it definitely feels more able than examples that boast 120 PS with their petrol burners. The six-speeder picks up the power quickly and makes for a lively push away from zero.

So, maybe a slushbox transmission with a non-charged engine isn’t the end of the world, as you might think. You’ll barely notice the transmission going through up or down the gears. The engine noise is muted until you stand on the accelerator, at which point do you begin to hear the engine straining to meet your demands.

You’ll also hear wind noises coming in at around 100 km/h, and you’ll hear the road noise throughout. No shakes and rattles from the dashboard though, even when the car is traversing on a particular piece of craggy road. Then again, Langkawi does not have beaten up roads like the rest of Klang Valley.

The ride has that signature Volkswagen pliability, dialed in enough to make the spring and dampers firm without forgetting creature comfort. Handling is respectable too. The Polo Sedan does well in restraining body roll and understeer does not kick up a big fuss.

The car also feels sure-footed, a sign that the unfamiliar-brand tyre is up to task. There’s enough communication through the steering, which also feels immediate and sharp. It is a class above than the rest of the B-segments, with the exception of the Fiesta.

In spite of the fact that the Polo Sedan is a basic car, it also has the same Volkswagen vibe that a high-range Passat gives. There is no denying that it is better than most of the crop out there, and my initial impression of it has been a positive one.

Still, there’s only so much you can take back from a one-hour test drive around a small island on the Straits. A preview drive indeed; a more complete four-day test drive is in the works, and we’ll be giving you a full report once that happens

Read more at http://paultan.org/2012/05/04/driven-volkswagen-polo-sedan-sampled-in-langkawi/

Why buy Proton Preve Turbo CVT? A detailed review and full Test Drive on Proton Preve Turbo CVT and IAFM

A detailed review and Test Drive on Proton Preve brought to you by Danny Tan from paultan.org as he reviews the Proton Preve. Here is the review.

I’ve had a go at the Proton Prevé, finally. After hearing so much about it from my colleagues (raves and rants, but more of the former) who attended the preview drive, and seeing the latest Proton in the metal at the launch, a drive event to Cherating in THE car of the moment was not to be missed!

The media drive was divided into two groups, and I drove the Prevé on the return leg from the East Coast to KL. Two variants out of three were brought to the event – the range-topping Preve 1.6 CFE (turbo engine and CVT gearbox) and the entry level 1.6 Manual, powered by the Campro IAFM+ engine.

No need to go all technical – after months of teasing, a detailed launch report and drive impressions from two testers, I believe you already know what you need to know, technically.

To briefly recap, the C-segment Prevé is available in three variants – the 1.6 CVT Premium, the 1.6 Executive CVT and 1.6 Executive Manual. The Premium CVT is powered by a turbocharged CFE engine with 138 hp and 205 Nm, while the Executive models come with the naturally-aspirated CamPro IAFM+ engine with 107 hp and 150 Nm.

The turbocharged range-topper does 0-100 km/h in 9.6 seconds and has a top speed of 190 km/h. The cheapest manual variant manages 0-100 in 12 seconds and 180 km/h. The IAFM+ CVT combo is the slowest with 12.5 seconds and 170 km/h.

The most-booked variant so far is the Premium, by a huge margin. In contrast, the stick-shift Prevé is stuck in single digits, percentage wise.

We started the day driving the 1.6 Manual on twisty trunk roads, before upgrading to the Turbo CVT, a good sequence. The base stick-shift Prevé is slow as expected, with acceleration found wanting. This is evident when pulling off from low speeds and when momentum is broken.

Maintaining momentum is key in this variant, and the peaky engine needs to be worked hard in any case. More low to mid-end torque would definitely be welcome.

That said, bear in mind that media drives often involve all-out driving and fast convoys. We were also “chasing” the lead group in the Turbo (and even managed to hang on to some poorly driven examples), so the lack of grunt, especially at the low end, was amplified. The M/T Prevé is slow in context, but is usable in normal driving.

A car is so much more than “power” though, and the Prevé fares very well in other driving aspects. Especially nice is the balance between ride comfort and handling, as well as subjective things such as the feel of the controls.

What stands out the most for me is ride comfort and damping, which is unrivaled in the Asian C-segment sedan class. Many will say “Continental feel,” but I can think of some Euro hatches that could do with this level of composure. It makes bad roads feel good, the Prevé

This unflappable feel extends to the road holding. Hit a dip or bump mid corner and you’ll know what we mean. The Proton sticks to its line, doesn’t gets thrown off course and the rear end doesn’t hop across horizontal obstacles.

This, combined with the natural feel of the steering and brake pedal, means that Prevé is a car that inspires confidence when driven fast – you always know what the car is doing, and can gauge how much it has in reserve. Not easy to measure, or explain for that matter, but I rather this than plenty of cold hard grip without the confidence.

Since this is a family car, the suspension is on the soft side of the scale, so there’s some roll in tighter bends, but nothing off-putting or too dramatic. The observations above were gleaned from fast country road driving – short customer test drives around the block will reveal a “comfortable” and “easy to drive” car, which is accurate.

What didn’t I like? The instrument panel. The fonts are too flat and stylised for me – difficult to read at a glance. If Proton was trying to achieve a “sporty” feel, they should note that Audi dials, and even those in the Lancer/Inspira, look good and are very legible. Jogging through the multi-info display, I noticed that the “TRIP A” font size is larger than the km reading, when it should be the other way round.

More on the interior. The Turbo comes with a head unit complete with sat-nav, and while this is a good addition, it’s could be better designed. It’s not efficient use of space when the border is so wide, and the screen so small. They could have easily put a bigger screen and just two vertical strips of buttons/dials, VW style, but I’m told that this is an off-the-shelf head unit, and not a clean sheet design.

I’m also not too keen on the gold-ish trim colour in the M/T, preferring the dark wood of the Turbo. No complaints on the ergonomics, though. Everything is on hand and the driving position is good.

Moving on, the 1.6 CVT Premium is a much faster car, obviously. But fast is not the first impression I get, and it’s most probably due to the stepless gearbox. I may not be a fan of CVT, but I recognise that this type of transmission – chosen here for both cost and fuel economy – can be painless and relaxing when done right. Nissan does CVTs well, and the Sylphy is a great example of how the ‘box can add to the driving experience.

Acceleration in the Turbo feels labourious. The key word here is “feels,” because a glance at the speedo needle shows that we’re making good progress. Initial lag, a low-rpm drone and a faint whine throughout means that the Punch CVT isn’t the most “regular automatic-like” CVT in the market. The manual mode feels artificial as well, and the steering paddles work with toy-like tactility.

The 1.6 CFE could be a great engine, but we’ll only get to know it better with a proper manual gearbox or a regular torque converter automatic. The latter is unlikely, because a five- or six-speed unit is costly, and Proton has already gone well down the CVT route.

I reached KL with mixed feelings. The Prevé is a good car to drive and live with (decent looks, lots of space, good NVH), and it has a great package of comfort, handling and feel. Many will be well served by Proton’s latest, I’m sure, but there’s not one variant that’s “just nice” for Mr. Picky here.

The CFE has the kit list, nicer cabin and pace, but its CVT isn’t on par with the best out there. The entry-level manual, on the other hand, has the correct gearbox (I own two manual cars) but lacks pace. I didn’t get to try the CVT/IAFM+ combo, but Anthony and Chris told me not to bother!

So my ideal Prevé doesn’t exist yet – as you can probably guess by now, it’s a 1.6 CFE Manual!

Read more here: http://paultan.org/2012/05/15/driven-proton-preve-turbo-cvt-and-iafm-manual-tested/

Why buy Nissan Leaf? A detailed review and full Test Drive on Nissan Leaf.

A detailed review and Test Drive on Nissan Leaf brought to you by Danny Tan from paultan.org as he reviews the New Nissan Leaf. Here is the review.

I stepped in and was immediately impressed with the Leaf’s cabin. It feels light and airy inside and the seats are comfortable, something one can also observe in the Sylphy and Latio. It feels special enough, too, so there’s no mistaking the Leaf for a normal car from behind the wheel.

There’s a Civic-style upper tier speedo, and the main binnacle is a multi-coloured blend of various displays. There’s a power bar made of dots, almost like an F1 style rev meter, flanked by battery charge level and battery temp. Planted between the seats is the special looking gear knob. Push up to reverse, down to drive, press to park – simple.

The piano black centre stack looks like a tablet stuck on the dash, and the central colour LCD shows a wealth of information such as real-time power consumption, with a break down to see how much juice the climate control and accessories are actually sucking. You can also check consumption history here.

Off we went from Jalan Kemajuan heading towards the Sprint Highway. I’ve driven a few EVs now, so the Leaf doesn’t shock, but I’m impressed with the lack of rolling noise/tyre roar compared to some other EVs. If you haven’t driven one before, the lack of noise and vibration will be the most jarring difference from a regular vehicle. It’s very serene and peaceful in the Leaf.

The Leaf’s controls are lightweight and effortless to operate, as one would have guessed. I wasn’t expecting so, but ride comfort is rather good – the suspension damped away the harsh effects of rumble strips and manholes served up by Jalan Dato Abu Bakar.

We got to stretch the EV a bit once on the Sprint, and acceleration is very strong off the mark thanks to 280 Nm of torque from standstill. The pick-up rate slows down once up to highway speeds, but I can already see the surprised faces of unsuspecting hot hatch drivers!

The wave of acceleration is accompanied by a faint “woooooo” sound – no drama involved. There’s also a distinct “lack of resistance” from the drivetrain, which contributes to the feeling of effortlessness. Top speed is “over 140 km/h” but we didn’t have the chance to try

Back at base, I hopped into the rear quarters to find my 175 cm frame fit nicely, which means that taller folks are likely to face headroom issues. No such issue up front, since the rear seats are slightly elevated “stadium style”.

I also noticed that while there’s good knee room, there’s no gap for my feet to slip under the front seats. By the way, the 24 kWh laminated lithium-ion battery pack, consisting of 192 cells, is spread out beneath the cabin. In the US LA4 mode, which Nissan says is realistic, a full charge of eight hours delivers a 160 km range. A full charge will add about RM7.90 to your TNB bill, so it’s cheap to run.

No commercial sales yet though, and public awareness is the main goal for ETCM now. Full EVs are a different kettle of fish from hybrids, which requires no compromise on the buyer’s part. But I’m sure you and me can buy a Leaf some day – you don’t register 10 costly EVs and start a pilot program without the intention to sell, right?

Speaking of which, ETCM is on the lookout for ambassadors to drive the Leaf for up to six weeks – no celebs, real people, real routines. This will go on for the rest of this year. Register your interest at this weekend’s event or online.

Read more here http://paultan.org/2012/05/04/nissan-leaf-driven-around-the-block-you-can-try-it-too/