EOCM GENTING HIGHLANDS ROAD TOUR

The 1.6 liter Campro CPS engine used in the Proton Exora has been the subject of much criticism, whether called for or not. Yes, having a relatively small engine in a large vehicle is bound to require a little more pedal to the metal but everytime there is a story about the Exora or the Alza on this site there is bound to be those who pop up and say that they’ve tried the Exora in so and so situations and the MPV failed to deliver.

I think other than Proton themselves, the next group of people who are likely to be infuriated by such allegations are the Proton Exora owners themselves. After all, they’ve committed to years of monthly repayments to the Proton family vehicle of their choice and having a personal connection with their car, insulting the Exora is almost like insulting their logic or choice of picking the Exora over its competitors.

Quite interestingly, the Exora owners over at protonexora.com.my (Exora Owners Club Malaysia) have decided to take the matter into their own hands. They’ve actually organised a convoy together up to the Genting Highlands Resort. The EOCM 2010 Genting Highlands Road Tour convoy began last Saturday at the Genting Sempah Rest Area. The Exora went up and down (with no sweat) and the members had a great time. The “Jom Ronda Bersama Proton” crew from TV3 also joined in to feature the convoy in an upcoming segment.

It’s nice to see how much passion these guys have for their Proton Exoras. It’s one vehicle that Proton has managed to tick all the right boxes for its intended target customer – space, comfort and price. It just shows that although you could say Proton has failed us in the past with products that don’t quite right hit the sweet spot, when Proton delivers something good, Malaysians will reciprocate.

PROTON EXORA VS GRAND LIVINA VS CHERY EASTAR VS NAZA CITRA VS KIA RONDO?

Many of us will be confused whether to buy the latest affordable Proton Exora 1.6litre CPS RM65k or the fuel economy Grand Livina 1.6l/1.8l from RM80k to RM100k or Chery Eastar with its Mitsubishi engine 2.4l from RM78k to RM88k or another cheapest MPV Naza Citra from RM65k with 2.0l engine or Luxury style Kia Rondo from RM83k with its 2.0l engine.

To be truth and to be fair, every MPV got its own speciality. Many people like to compare and comment this 5 MPV as if they got the best MPV in Malaysia. Just accept the facts and know that all MPV cannot be compared in terms of “what you want” to say other MPV is not good whatsoever.

I read many of car forumers arguing and protecting their MPV and beat other brand’s MPV. For what? It doesn’t make sense.

In Chery forum they said Livina is small, in Livina Forum they said Chery is low quality China made MPV, in Rondo forum they said Exora is underpower car.. Better don’t judge an MPV emotionally. If you want to buy, go test drive it yourself, compare the specification of MPV with what you want and what really suit your needs and buy it.

For example, if you want a big MPV that really can fit 7 people inside, go for Proton Exora or Chery Eastar. Rondo is ok than Livina and Citra 3rd row space. If you prefer performance and fuel efficiency best MPV fuel consumption, 1.6litre & 1.8litre Grand Livina is the solid answer instead of bigger engine capacity Chery Eastar 2.4 litre. If you want more luxury and nice interior finishing, go for Kia Rondo because the interior is very good with black leather and nice dashboard. If you want a cheap MPV but you also need a higher performance engine, get the Naza Citra. If you need a value for money MPV, go for Proton Exora with acceptable 1.6litre CPS engine, bigger space and good looking MPV.

Credit to KDI.

2010 PROTON PERSONA FACELIT NEW ON TEST NOW!

Wow! New PROTON PERSONA FACELIT on test now! What u can see is

1. new front bumper ‘like’ Gen.2 CPS, with modified grille (chrome + matte black).
2. new wing mirrors with blinkers, fender blinkers removed.
3. new aerokit including front, side and rear skirts, plus a new spoiler.
4. new alloy wheels, size unchanged.
5. smoked headlamp (like the current Persona SE).
6. all new LED tail lamps (unlike the Envy prototype, which is just an aftermarket product)
7. new audio headunit with wider LCD screen, with unknown features.

What you don’t see here (but informed by the engineers):
8. IAFM engine remains, with new 32bit ECU, that’s equipped with a new sensor (undisclosed function), that handles a wider fueling and ignition mapping, for a more refined performance and fuel economy.
9. special features on the headlamps and cabin lamp, sorta like a timer/dimmer, like the Exora, but only on the HL variant.

On some related development, I am informed about:
10. the NEXT NEW Persona will be based on a new platform, equipped with a ‘new’ engine.
11. Waja replacement model is confirmed and on the pipeline, based on a Japanese model (hope you get my hint).

NEW PETROL AND CAR PRICES IN MALAYSIA?

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 8 – The mechanism for fuel pricing in Malaysia has finally been finalized and controlled under

one mechanism, which also takes the high and lower income group people into consideration,according to

Finance Trade Minister Tan Sri Anuar Ali.


“From May 1, the fuel will be pegged at RM 3.90 per litre for RON97,while RON95 will increase to RM 3.70 per

litre. However, the prices of national-made vehicles will be lowered by at least 40 percent. For example, a

full-spec family sedan Proton Persona 1.6 litre engine will cost around RM 23,000.00 excluding road tax and

insurance. Import tax and excise duty will be revised to only 30 percent, from the current 200 percent.

Imported vehicles such as the new Toyota Camry 2.4 litre engine will cost around RM 65,000.00.” he said.


The mechanics has been said to be undertaken by a team of experts from Australia and Canada who were

earlier briefed on the issue of subsidy in this country, whereas after consideration by the transport minister,

they have signed the constitution that the system will be made on May 1, the day it goes into effect.


Under the new system, there will be a major effect on the existing consumers who have already purchased a

vehicle and to those who are inthe midst of repaying the loan of their vehicle to their financial institutions.

Ahmad Tajuddin said the government might also re-introduce a cash return annually to Malaysians who own a

1,500 cc and below vehicle. The amount have yet to be decided but he assured that the amount will compensate

the price of fuel by at least half to eligible Malaysians based on bumi quota.

From, Skynet News Asia

PROTON EXORA VS. PERODUA ALZA

KUALA LUMPUR 14 Jan. - Pembelian kereta baru sebagai menggantikan kereta yang dibeli bagi tempoh antara tahun 2003 hingga 2005 menjadi salah satu faktor pertumbuhan penjualan kenderaan pada tahun ini.
Frost & Sullivan mengunjurkan jumlah keseluruhan industri (TIV) mencapai 555,000 buah atau pertumbuhan 4.5 peratus itu, sambil menggariskan pelancaran model baru, kadar faedah yang rendah, pemulihan ekonomi serta pembeli daripada golongan muda sebagai penyumbang kepada pertumbuhan tersebut.
Ketua Amalan Automotif dan Pengangkutan Frost & Sullivan (Asia Pasifik), Kavan Mukhtyar berkata, kenderaan pelbagai guna (MPV) dijangka mencatatkan pertumbuhan tertinggi sebanyak 12.7 peratus, dengan penjualan 68,000 buah yang menyaksikan persaingan sengit antara Proton Exora dan Perodua Alza.
''Pembeli berpotensi yang menangguhkan pembelian pada tahun lalu juga dijangka menggantikan kereta mereka pada tahun ini kerana keadaan ekonomi yang lebih baik,'' katanya.
Beliau yang juga Rakan Kongsi Frost & Sullivan menyatakan demikian ketika membentangkan tinjauan industri automotif Malaysia 2010 di sini, hari ini.
Pada tahun lalu industri automotif tempatan diramal mencatatkan TIV sebanyak 531,000 buah.
Kereta penumpang dijangka mencatatkan pertumbuhan paling perlahan tahun ini dengan 3.2 peratus berbanding tahun lalu berikutan kekurangan model baru selain pembeli lebih cenderung memiliki MPV. bagaimanapun, ia kekal menjadi penyumbang terbesar kepada penjualan kenderaan dengan menguasai 75.3 peratus daripada TIV.
Menurut Kavan, pelancaran Perodua Alza, Kia Forte, model baru Proton, Proton Persona yang dipertingkatkan serta beberapa model baru Nissan, Kia, Peugeot dan Audi turut membantu menjana penjualan kenderaan pada tahun ini.
Tambah beliau, golongan muda akan menjadi pemangkin kepada pertumbuhan penjualan kenderaan untuk jangka masa panjang selain bilangan pembeli kereta untuk kali pertama yang dijangka meningkat bagi tempoh beberapa tahun akan datang.
Sementara itu, Kavan memberitahu, Proton berjaya meningkatkan penguasaan pasaran sebanyak 1.9 peratus pada tahun lalu berikutan pelancaran Proton Exora.
''Bagaimanapun, Perodua terus mengekalkan kedudukan nombor satu pembuat kereta utama Malaysia pada 2009 dengan jangkaan penguasaan sebanyak 33.4 peratus diikuti rapat oleh Proton sebanyak 30.4 peratus,'' jelasnya.
Tambah beliau, bagi segmen kereta bukan nasional, penguasaan pasaran Toyota dijangka berkurangan sebanyak empat peratus kepada 13.6 peratus pada 2009 berikutan persaingan sengit dalam segmen MPV dan kereta penumpang bersaiz sederhana.
Katanya, penguasaan pasaran Honda tumbuh sebanyak 1.6 peratus kepada 8.1 peratus ekoran pelancaran Honda City baru untuk tempoh tersebut.

Sumber

PROTON BOLEH GUNA MINYAK RON 95?

Proton’s powertrain department have tested all of their engines including the Mitsubishi models and have stated that all Proton cars can run on RON95, despite what they’ve stated in their manuals (why???). This includes the old carburetor cars, the Renault engines, and the new Campro CPS engine.

There is only one issue. They acknowledge some of the old carburetor cars may experience knocking depending on the condition of the engine and needs to go into the Proton service center to adjust the engine’s ignition timing.

This happens to carburetor engines because a carburetor cannot inject fuel as accurately as a fuel injection system, thus sometimes the air-fuel mixture is too rich. All the unburned fuel results in lots of carbon deposits, which change the shape of the combustion chamber and causes pre-mature ignition, which results in engine knock. Any high mileage engine may also have the risk of carbon deposit build up.

So if you have an old Wira or Satria with a carburetor, you are at a higher risk of engine knocking if you use RON95, if you didn’t have it already with RON97 of course. Any other high mileage car is also at a risk because of carbon build-up that can happen over time, even with a fuel injection system. For those that are a little adventurous, RON95 is now available at the Petronas stations in Precinct 9 Putrajaya so you can go try it out.

And of course, saying your cars can run on a certain fuel octane grade without knocking is one thing, but it’s another to say it would run at the same level of performance and fuel economy because of the ignition timing adjustments, whether manual or automatic.

Honda Challenging Spirit

PROTON WAJA BARU 2010 LAUNCH?

Adakah ini gambar sebenar kereta Proton Waja baru yang digembar-gemburkan pihak Proton? Apapun kemunculannya bakal dirasai pada 2010 ini. Menurut Proton, kereta ini akan menggantikan kereta Proton Waja lama. Bagaimana dengan harganya? Masih belum diumumkan. Tunggu......