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2MOTORINGStarSpecial, Sunday 8 December 2013

Marketplayers

optimisticabout 2014

New vehicles sales are projected to hit a new record of 640,000 units this year.

WITH this year almostdrawing to a close, thefocus will be on the total

sales tally for the year. Accordingto forecasts by the MalaysiaAutomotive Association (MAA),new vehicle registration is expectedto break the previous record of640,000 units.

The final sales tally will only betabulated at the end of January, andalready market players are plottingthe chart for the next year.

Despite MAAs positiveexpectations for this years results,certain quarters have pointed outthat the past few months haveproduced a number of speed bumpsthat might derail the associationsinitial projection, which wereannounced in July this year.

For almost the entire monthof November, car companiescomplained about glitches at theRoad Transport Departments(JPJ) new MySikap online vehicleregistration, which has causedsignificant delays to their businessdealings.

Usually, it would take a dealerabout one or two days to register

a new vehicle, but recent hitchesin the system has led to manybacklogs, stretching the timerequired to about a week.

Although the situation isgradually improving, Dave LimKeat Hiin, Deputy President ofthe Federation of Motor & CreditCompany Association of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, saysthat the system is only expected tonormalise by January next year.

Meanwhile, the best sellingnon-national brand Toyota, whichaccounts for about 15% of all newvehicles sold, has experienced aslow year.

In October, UMW Toyotaannounced that it is only expecting

to sell 90,000 vehicles by the end ofthe year.

The target is significantlylower than the companys record-breaking performance in 2012,which saw 105,100 vehicles sold(excluding Lexus).

Company president Datuk IsmetSuki attributed the lower targetto the phasing out of the previousgeneration of the Toyota Vios, thecompanys top selling model.

The company had to sacrificenearly two months worth ofproduction for the Vios, as itretooled its assembly plant to caterto the new third generation model.

However, run-out salespromotion for its Corolla Altis model

has been better than expected,resulting in a dearth of modelsbetween now and the all-newCorolla Altis model, to be launchedin January.

On the financing front, severalbanks, especially the more prudentones, are starting to tighten up oncar loans.

Although there have beenno changes to Bank NegarasResponding Financing Guidelineslimit of a nine-year tenure period

with 90% margin, several banks areadopting a cautious approach goinginto the new year and are vettingborrowers under their own stricterinternal guidelines.

Going into next year, macro-economic indicators are pointingtowards a mildly strong year ahead.

The Malaysian Institute ofEconomic Research (MIER) isforecasting a GDP growth of

between 5 and 5.5% for next year,slightly higher than Bank Negarasforecast of 4.5 to 5% for last year.

While these indicators seemhealthy, MIER has cautioned againstweakening private domesticspending, which is more relevantto discretionary spending like newvehicle purchases.

The result of MIERs thirdquarter 2013 Consumer SentimentsSurvey has shown a ConsumerSentiments Index decline of 7.7

points quarter-on-quarter, to settlea lower benchmark of 102.0 points,the lowest since the first quarter of2009.

In the past, new vehicle salesin Malaysia have shown greatresilience against a backgroundof difficult economic conditions.Between 2010 and 2012, theMalaysian car market had set newsales records twice.

In 2010, total industry volumesmashed through the 600,000 unitsper year barrier to register 605,156vehicles.

Year 2012 raised the bar evenfurther by registering 627,753vehicles.

Much of this is attributed to easyavailability of credit, which fuelledthe countrys seemingly insatiableappetite for new cars.

For better or for worse, Malaysiaspractise of offering an unusuallylong maximum loan tenure periodof nine years at low interest rates ofbetween 2.5 and 3.5% is an anomalywhen compared with othercountries.

The subject of high car prices and

the high dependence of private carsamong Malaysians only serves tointensify scrutiny on the subject.

Still, Bank Negara is notexpected to change its overnightpolicy rate (OPR) of 3%. While themove is in line with the need tosupport growth of the economy,concrete measures for short-termstabilisation are urgently required,as the depreciating ringgit andweakening terms of trade affect

domestic consumer prices andinflation, says a source from MIER,in relation to Bank Negaras policy ofmaintaining the flat OPR for so longdespite healthy growth.

There could also be anintensifying struggle betweenToyota and Honda in the comingyear.

Of late, several Toyota modelshave come under intensecompetition and the brand riskslosing market share, especially inthe passenger car segment (Honda

does not compete in the commercialvehicles segment).Going into the new year, Honda

is widely expected to shock themarket with an offensive led bya series of competitively pricedproducts.

The upcoming all-new fourthgeneration Honda City, which wasrecently previewed in India, ispromising segment-leading cabinspace and fuel economy, wrapped ina package that is the best looking inits class.

Expected specificationsinclude legroom that matchesvehicles positioned two classeshigher, touch-panel automaticair-conditioning with rear air-

conditioning blower, eight-speakeraudio system, plus an economicalhybrid variant.

Other new models include anew hybrid variant of the HondaAccord, a very forward-lookingthird-generation Honda Jazz and acompact crossover derivative modelcalled the Vezel.

An entry-level, seven-seatermulti-purpose vehicle called theMobilio may also be introduced.

The Mobilio is aimed atcompeting with the Nissan GrandLivina and Toyota Avanza.

Judging by the trend establishedby recent Honda models, industryplayers are bracing themselves fora price war with Hondas upcomingofferings.

In March this year, HondaMalaysia ruffled some featherswhen it introduced the fourthgeneration Honda CR-V at a lowerprice than the outgoing model RM1,180 less to be specific.

It has always been a norm forcar companies to marginally bumpup prices of every successive newmodel, justifying that new modelscost more to develop, because it isa better product and comes withmore features.

However, in July, Honda Malaysiadropped a bombshell in the form ofa locally assembled Honda Jazz andshocked the industry by pricing itat RM74,800, with a decent list offeatures to boot.

Finally in September, Hondawrapped up its new models with aninth generation Honda Accord thatstarts RM3,000 below the previousentry price.

And this is despite offering a far

more comfortable ride and muchmore features than the precedingmodel.

There is little reason to believethat the pace of price for upcomingHonda models will taper off nextyear.

Currently, all of Hondas modelsthat were launched recentlyincluding the Civic, CR-V, Jazz andAccord, are best sellers in theirrespective segments.Honda Mobilio may spring a surprise in the MPV segment.

The fourth generation Honda City is set to be next years highlight.


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Sunday 8 December 2013 StarSpecial 3


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Well-prepared for market liberalisationCOMEDec 31, 2015, Malaysiawill join the ASEAN EconomicCommunity (AEC). The tradebloc aims to create a singlemarket and production baseto boost ASEANs economiccompetitiveness.

Compared to the existingAsean Free Trade Area, AEC isa more broad-based exerciseto enhance the regionscompetitiveness by enforcinga strong competition policy,developing infrastructure,strengthening the IntellectualProperty Rights (IPR), ecosystemand realigning taxation policies.

The move is importantto safeguard the future

competitiveness of the region,especially in the face of rapidlygrowing economies like Indiaand China.

While AEC offers a muchwider market for Malaysianproducers, it also exposes localcompanies to greater foreigncompetition.

Perodua is keenly aware thatits days of surviving by tappinginto the domestic market alone

are fast coming to an end.Managing director Datuk

Aminar Rashid Salleh has longwarned against complacency andthe urgent task ahead.

Last year, Aminar said that inpreparation for liberalisation post2016, Perodua has formulatedplans to embark on a structuraltransformation across its group.

We need to kick-startimmediately. If we dont doanything, our sales will beseverely hit, continued Aminar,who once served as executivedirector at UMW Toyota.

Central to Peroduas five-yearroadmap plan is a RM790milmanufacturing plant capable of

outputting 100,000 units a year,which will be operational by thesecond half of next year.

The new plant will bePeroduas second, and will belocated next to its current plantin Rawang, Selangor. It will be themain pillar supporting Peroduasexport expansion ambitions.

The plant will be modelledafter technical partner DaihatsuMotor Companys Nakatsu Plant

No 2 in Kyushu, Japan and it isdesigned to be a world-classmanufacturing plant one of themost advanced in region.

Apart from severaladaptations to meet localrequirements, it will be almostidentical to Plant No 2, whichhas been in operation sinceDecember 2007. Built under theconcept of simple, slim andcompact, the 230,000 units perannum plant currently producesthe Daihatsu Mira model for theJapanese market.

Upcoming models expectedfrom Perodua between next yearand 2015 are a new generationof Perodua Vivas and an all-new

compact sedan model.At the recently concluded

Kuala Lumpur InternationalMotor Show 2013, Peroduagave a sneak peek into what toexpect from the next generationPerodua Viva, with a mockinterior display of the GlobalModel A-segment Concept.

The Buddyz Concept is also apreview of Peroduas upcomingsedan.

As Daihatsu does not haveany sedan model in its currentline-up, this sedan will likely bedeveloped from the ground up.

Few details are known aboutthe upcoming sedan, but sourcesat Perodua say that it will have aboot space that is large enough

to match the Nissan Almera, andat the same time, deliver goodfuel economy from a 1.3L or a1.5L aluminium engine.

The new sedan will no doubtbe the one of the major modelintroductions to look out for nextyear.

Peugeot is offeringthe Perfect GiftThis Festive Seasonl With fantastic savings on thePeugeot 408 and the Peugeot 508Turbo S

lThe 408 (2.0) is now priced at onlyRM 95,000 (without insurance)

lThe 508 Turbo S can be drivenhome for only RM145,000 (withoutinsurance)

l Due to popular demand, thispromo has now been extended tillDec 31, 2013.

lValid from now until Dec 31, 2013.lSpecial offers and fantastic sav-ings are also extended to the rest ofour range during this period only.More details at our showrooms.

Driving the FrenchRevolution forwardI

T has been a busy and eventfulyear for Naza Group subsidiaryNasim Sdn Bhd. Not only has

the company launched five newexciting Peugeot models the308 GRIFFE, 208, 208 GTi, RCZfacelift, and 408 GRIFFE, it hasalso increased its nationwidedealership network to 30 andaunched the Peugeot Lounge at

the Subang Skypark airport, thefirst of its kind in the world.

With an ambitious sales targetof 7,000 units by the end of thisyear, Nasim admits that it has hitsome obstacles in achieving itstarget due to shortages of certainmodels such as the 208.

That being said, Nasim addsthat the success of the 208n Malaysia has exceeded all

expectations, and its worldwidepopularity has contributed to theimited supply of units it can get.

As of October, total registration forNasim is 5,500 units.

Nasim remains bullish onprospects for next year, aimingfor a slightly higher sales figureof 7,500 units and expects thencrease of European car sales

trend to continue.However, it believes that one of

ts key challenges is to change theperception of Malaysians towardsEuropean makes, especially thepublics perception that European

models are expensive, consumemore fuel, and have no resalevalue as compared with theapanese makes when in reality

this is not so.The company will also continue

ts strategy of expanding itsservice and sales network,with plans for 10 new outletsn selective areas, which have

sales potential, as well as carryout branding and promotionalactivities to increase the brands

across Peninsular Malaysia.Naza Euro Motors targets to sell

more than 170 units by the endof this year. Considering that thecompanys two new models arefrom Citrons premium DS-linerange, Naza Euro Motors plansto position Citron as a premiumbrand. Next year will see NazaEuro Motors creating brandawareness for Citron.

The model range will also beexpanded with the addition of theDS3 three-door compact car earlyin the year to complete the DS-lineofferings in Malaysia, followed bythe introduction of the Grand C4

Picasso MPV later in the secondhalf of the year.

The DS3 is aimed at a youngeraudience, whereas the feature-rich Grand C4 Picasso willbe positioned as a premiumexecutive MPV.

Considering Nasims trackrecord in raising the Peugeotbrand to prominence in Malaysia,the future of the Citron brandalso looks to be in good handswith Naza Euro Motors.

presence in the market.For now, the only new Peugeot

model in the pipeline for aMalaysian launch is the new 2008Urban SUV. Based on the 208, the2008 was recently previewed atthe Kuala Lumpur InternationalMotor Show and receivedfavourable responses from thepublic.

Even so, Nasim believes that

the largest sales contributor nextyear will be the 208 compact carsand the 408 family cars, bothamong the largest segments in theMalaysian automotive sector.

Besides Peugeot, theNaza Group also took on thedistributorship for Citron inMalaysia in January this year,through its new subsidiary, NazaEuro Motors Sdn Bhd.

The acquisition of theCitron franchise is part of the

PSA-Peugeot Citron Groupsrestructuring of its overseasdistribution network byconsolidating distributors of bothPeugeot and Citron into a singlecompany.

Naza Euro Motors launched theDS4 and DS5 models in Februaryand currently operates six outlets,three of which are 3S centresstrategically located in the central,northern and southern regions

Citron DS5.

Peugeot 208.

The Buddyz concept.


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StarSpecial, Sunday 8 December 2013 MOTORING 5

KIA fuelled byoptimism forcoming yearN

aza Kia Malaysia is expectingto finish off this yearrecording 5% less sales than

t did in the previous year.According to Naza Kia

Malaysias chief operating officer,Datuk Syed Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar,part of this decline in sales is alsodown to the issue of supply, whichhas limited sales and deliveries ofnew models as well.

In the last two years, Hyundai-Kias global sales have goneup by nearly 50%, raising a bigchallenge concerning supply asthe companys production rightnow cant meet global demands,explains Syed Hafiz.

That being said, as at the monthof October, Naza-Kia Malaysiarecorded a total sales figure of8,000 units so far for this year.Despite the challenges, Syed Hafizs optimistic about next years

prospects.Next year, we are confident

that we can achieve 20 to 30%higher sales. The Kia brand hasbeen rebranded to be strongern Malaysia with a top-down

strategy where we started withthe D-segment Optima, and havenow worked our way down tothe launch of the new A-segmentPicanto, he says.

With the launch of the Picanto,Syed Hafiz says that the companyhas refreshed its entire Naza-Kiapassenger car model range and isin good stead for the coming year,with the new Cerato expected toaccount for nearly half of Naza-Kias sales next year.

Even so, Syed Hafiz believesthat the total industry volume willbe maintained around this yearsfigure of 640,000 vehicles, as hefeels the Malaysian car market isalready saturated with a lot morecustomers that are replacementcar buyers rather than new carbuyers.

Malaysias car market issteadily becoming a buyersmarket. You will soon see carcompanies launching more andmore variants and expandingtheir model line-ups next year,thus widening customer choicesin the market, he continues.

One area that we will beexploring next year will be theintroduction of an MPV model.Right now that is the only modelthat is lacking in our refreshedrange of passenger cars.

To spur company growthnext year, Naza-Kia will alsobe focusing on expanding theirdigital marketing to more onlineplatforms as well as carryingout more experiential marketingcampaigns.

These campaigns will involvehosting more roadshows atshopping centres around thecountry, including Kuching andKota Kinabalu.

As part of its experientialmarketing efforts, Naza-Kiaopened the first test drive centrein Malaysia, located in Bangsar,

Kuala Lumpur, where customerscan book a test drive online and gothere to test drive a Kia from thecentre.

Naza-Kia has plans to openmore of such test drive centres inAlor Star and Johor Baru over thecoming year.

On top of that, Naza-Kia willalso be continuing its sportsmarketing by leveraging onHyundai-Kias sponsorship of the2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.Naza-Kia will be organisingYouTube contests, variouscompetitions, and more customerengagement campaigns inconjunction with the World Cup.

On the after-sales front, Naza-Kia has been bucking the trendby downsizing its showroom andservice centre count in Malaysia

over the last three years.We have reduced our

showroom count from almost 80to 51, and cut our service centresfrom 100 to 58 today.

The idea is to build on qualityrather than quantity, explainsSyed Hafiz.

He adds that Naza-Kia isnow focusing on upgrading itsexisting outlets to adopt Kiasnew corporate identity, as well asrelocate some to more prominentlocations to get more exposure.

Currently 55% of its 51showrooms have already beenupgraded to 3S centres, with plansto open three more flagship RedCube 4S centres over the comingyear. This brings the total RedCube outlet count in Malaysia tosix.

The new Cerato is expected to account for nearly half of Naza-Kias sales next year.


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Mazda back on the riseONLY a few years ago, Mazdaseemed to be facing an uncertainfuture when American giant Ford

relinquished its control over theJapanese car maker due to the2008 world financial crisis.

But, as it turned out, Mazdassubsequent gamble of investing innew fuel-efficient technologies haspaid off well for the company.

Recently, Mazda announcedpositive results for the first-half ofthis year with the company rakingin a healthy operating profit of74bil (RM2.3bil) and achievinga substantial revenue growthto 1,254bil, with a global salesvolume forecast of 1.335 millionunits for the fiscal year endingMarch 2014.

News from across the globe hasbeen largely positive, especially

in Malaysia where the brand hasexperienced its highest ever salesso far.

Under the leadership of DatukBen Yeoh, executive director ofBermaz Motor, the sole distributorof Mazda cars in Malaysia, theMazda brand is expected toexperience a strong resurgencein the country over the comingmonths.

The biggest highlight of the

year for Mazda is the formationof Mazda Malaysia, a jointventure company with the

Mazda Corporation, to undertakemanufacturing activities on ourshores.

The local assembly of the CX-5has proven to be a success, withmore than two-thirds of theunits produced in Malaysia nowbeing exported to Thailand thisincludes the 2.2L diesel variants,2.5L petrol variants as well as the2L petrol variant.

The success of the localassembly operations will lead tomore completely knock-down(CKD) programmes being plannedfor both the Malaysian and Thaimarkets, says Yeoh.

On the local front, BermazMotor has announced that it

achieved its goal of selling 8,000cars this year in October, andthe company is bullish aboutnext years prospects with theintroduction of the new Mazda 3C-segment sedan.

Yeoh believes that Mazdascurrent and upcoming productline-up is in the right stead tobenefit from the policies thatwill be laid out in the upcomingNational Automotive Policy (NAP),

which industry rumours suggestwill be focused on energy-efficientvehicles (EEVs).

With the introduction of thenew NAP, we believe there will bechanges in certain legislation andtariff composition to encourageenvironmentally friendly vehiclesand EEVs. By next year, all Mazda

products will have SKYACTIVtechnologies and to meet thegovernments objectives forlocal industrial activities, MazdaMalaysia will embark on a fewmore CKD programmes, he says.

Minister of International Tradeand Industry, Datuk MustapaMohamed recently said that the

new NAP will be announced onJan 15.

Besides adding new models totheir line-up, Bermaz Motor willalso be continuing their effortsin enhancing their ownershipprogrammes by improving theirfacilities and expanding theirgeographical coverage in Malaysia.

New models spark Volvo revival

The V40 is at the heart of the brands revival, appealing to a new breed of buyers.

AS a brand, Volvo has seenbetter days. In the early daysof the Malaysian automotive

ndustry, it was the top-sellingpremium brand, outselling BMWand Mercedes-Benz by a hefty

margin.While other Europeanmodels were known for quirkyemperaments and required a lot

of mechanical attention to keephem running, older Malaysians will

remember Volvo for its reliabilityand solidity, earningt the moniker the Swedishank.

Indeed until today, you can stillsee early generation Volvo Amazons120-series) in many small towns,

still trusted by their somewhatelderly but loyal owners.

Volvo was also the first companyo support Malaysias push forndustrialisation. In 1967, Federal

Auto, together with Volvo, jointlybuilt the Swedish Motor AssemblySMA) plant in Shah Alam the first

and oldest car plant in the country.It should also be noted that apart

from Sweden, Belgium and China,Malaysia is the only other countrywhere Volvo has an assembly plant.

Today, the Malaysian-madeVolvo V40, V60, S60, S80 XC60 andXC90 are exported to Thailand andndonesia.

Although the brand has hada long and respected history onour shores, a series of unfortunateevents in the 1990s caused thebrand to lose much ground toGerman and Japanese marques.ts lustre waned as a result, andts presence became less and lessnfluential among the younger

generation of car buyers.But that is the past and Volvo is

now back in form. At the helm of itsreinvigoration is managing directorKeith Schafer, who is the rightman for the job because of his longhistory of working in Malaysia.

Between 2005 and 2009, Schaferserved as regional vice presidentbefore temporarily moving to a newpost in Russia.

Over the last 12 months,our main achievement was thesuccessful launch of the V40and V40 Cross-Country model,which have been well receivedby the Malaysian public. This has

gone some way towards our keychallenge of creating awarenessfor Volvo in a competitive market,Schaefer says. He adds that Volvoproducts have always had verystrong appeal, but the challenge isgetting people inside the car.

We have found that whenpeople actually drive a Volvo, theyseldom want to leave, however, thecompetitiveness in market means

that we are tasked with finding newand innovative ways to market ourcars.

Schafer was especially proud ofthe V40, which is being hailed asVolvos most successful car to date.

The V40 was recently awardedthe 2014 Import Car of the Year bythe Automotive Researchers and

Journalists Conference of Japan(RCJ). The V40 was also responsiblefor lifting Volvo Japans sales by 25%.

Last year, the V40 scored 15.7over 16 points in a crash test byEuro NCAP (New Car AssessmentProgramme), the highest everrecorded by Euro NCAP, making it

the worlds safest car.We are pursuing a goal to

provide Malaysians with affordableluxury, through our automobiles.For example, for the Volvo V40,we looked at the local market and

designed the features and optionsthat would be of greatest use toMalaysians while still launching at aprice point that would be affordablefor most. Bear in mind that this istechnologically, the safest car evertested by Euro NCAP, says Schaefer.

Last year, the SMA plant wasupgraded with a laser body-weldingfacility, allowing vehicle body shellsto be welded here. In the past, all

the body shells were imported fromSweden.

SMA is the first car plant in thecountry to adopt laser welding. Thereason for this is simply that theV40 had to be built according to a

higher standard of quality and allV40 bodies required laser welding.

This also explains why the roofstructure of every V40 is seamlessand there are no conventionalrubber strips on the sides runningacross the entire length of the roof.

Schaefer says that Volvo will belaunching a new XC60 next year,which it hopes will have a similarimpact with the buying public.

The new Mazda 3.


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Sleek design.

Stylish interior.

Foglamp. LED rear light. Elegant alloy rims.

User-friendly instrument cluster.

Suprima S able to withstandeven the toughest challengesD

URING its developmentalphase, the Proton SuprimaS underwent a series of

rigorous tests. The car was takento Sweden to undergo a cold testto ensure that could still performn harsh -40C weather.

Protons Homologation andTesting team also took the car tothe deserts of Oman to test the carn extreme conditions, where the

heat can rise to a scorching a 40C

to 60C.The Suprima S also underwent

further testing at the AustralianAutomotive Reserach Centre inVictoria, Australia. There, theSuprima S was awarded themaximum five-star safety ratingn the Australasian New Car

Assessment Programme (ANCAP),with the implementation ofthe Hot Press Forming (HPF)technology in its body being oneof the contributing factors.

The HPF process begins whenthe sheet metal is heated toaround 900C for approximatelyfive minutes.

The sheet metal is then pressedand quenched simultaneously at atemperature of at least 30C.

The change in the metalstructure of the HPF steelis affected by the heattransformation throughout theHPF process.

There are three main factorsthat are taken into account andstudy before the HPF process is

implemented and utilised:

lWeldability The weldabilitytest result has shown that the HPFparts are possible to be welded inthe normal production conditions,with up to three layers of welding.lCrashworthiness tomeet EuroNCAP 5 Stars safetyrequirementslBIW Lightweight Target toconform to acceptable fuel-consumption levels. A study wasconducted where four types ofmaterials have been benchmarkedfor usage to meet the requirementof Euro-NCAP 5 Stars.

Ample luggage space.


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10/20


Father and daughterblaze the tracks in Macau

THAI racer NattavudeCharoensukhawatanacelebrated his win of the

recently concluded Lotus GreaterChina Race, a Lotus support race forthe 60th Anniversary Macau GrandPrix, with his 19-year-old daughter,Tanchanok Charoensukhawatanawho finished third.

Nattavude finished 1.5 seconds

ahead of rival Ho Hon Keong ofMacau to clinch his fourth victoryin Macau.

Ho on the other hand, impressedspectators with his performance,which saw him surge from hisstarting position of 24th from theback of the grid to clinch a secondplace finish.

Tanchanok, who started insecond place on the grid led poleposition sitter Nattavude from earlyon.

However, a first turn crashinvolving Alain Li, Kevin Chen, andJames Tang saw the deployment ofthe safety car.

The disruption of the safety carallowed Nattavude to take the lead

from Tanchanok, with Wei Chao Yinand Vincent Chao also challengingfor a top spot.

Tanchanoks position was laterchallenged by 77-year-old 1964Macau Grand Prix winner AlbertPoon who overtook Tanchanok, butunfortunately crashed out of therace, resulting in Tanchanok losing

places, allowing Ho and Wei tomove into second and third place.

Despite her difficulties,Tanchanok was able to regain her

composure and reclaim the thirdspot in the pecking order and fini-shed 6.4 seconds behind her father.Wei, Sin, and Chao in the meantimecompleted the top six results.

Everyone knows that Macau isa very challenging circuit. I taughtmy daughter to be careful. In thesecars you have to be quite gentle. Shelearnt well in local races and she hasnow surprised me, said Nattavude,whose family was one of fourfamilies competing in the race.

This is my first time in Macau.

I am very excited to be here and itis a good experience for me. I amvery surprised to be on the podium.My father is a good teacher, saidTanchanok.

The first place trophy waspresented by the vice president foradvertising and brand managementfor Sands China, with Lotusdirectors Habibul Rahman KadirShar and Datuk Lukman Ibrahimpresenting the trophies for second

Father and daughter racers Nattavude (middle) and Tanchanok (right) on the podium.

Participants pose for the media.

Gruelling race in Macau recently.

and third place respectively.This weekends racing was

truly excellent. We are thrilled thatso many Lotus racers took part inwhat marks the beginning of theLotus Cup Asia series, said AslamFarikullah, Group Lotus ChiefOperating Officer.

Lotus Cup continues to growaround the globe, and a newlylaunched Lotus Cup Asia seriesannounced in Singapore by GroupLotus chairman, Datuk Mohd

Khamil Jamil, is integral to that.The Lotus Greater China Race is

a one-make series. It is where allcompetitors will compete on equalterms in lightweight Lotus Elise ClubRacer cars.

The series will run throughoutChina in the coming year. It is opento competitors of all ages fromacross the Asian region and will berun by Singaporean motoring giantRichburg Motors.

HOW LOTUS REVOLUTIONISEDFORMULA ONE

l No other car company has influencedmotorsports technology the way LOTUS has.First to use aerofoil wings - Lotus Type 49(1968)

l First to use a multi-element rear wing -Lotus Type 72 (1970)

l First to use a semi-monocoque chassis -Lotus Type 25 (1962)

l First to successfully use the engine as astructural member -Lotus Type 43 (1966)First to use a fully stressed monocoque -Lotus Type 38 (1965)

l First to adopt an extreme reclined drivingposition - Lotus Type 21 (1961)

l First to use side mounted radiators -LotusType 72 (1970)

l First to use aerodynamic bargeboards -Lotus Type 97T (1985)

l First to design a carbon fibre monocoque- Lotus Type 88 (1981)

l First to adopt a sponsors full colour sche-me - Lotus Type 49 (1967)

10 THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOWABOUT LOTUS

l The first Lotus was built in 1948 and sincethen, just more than 90,000 cars have beenbuilt, with 40,000 built in the last 18 years.

l Lotus is unique in its motorsports succes-ses. No other car marque has had so muchglobal success as Lotus, winning Formula

One World Championships,The World RallyChampionship, Le Mans (in class), EuropeanTouring Cars, The Indy-500 and numerousendurance and GT racing championships.

l Lotus is acknowledged as having revo-lutionised Formula One over the last 50years, pioneering most of the innovationsused in a current F1 car including carbonfibre, sequential transmission, strong andsafe structural monocoque, wedge-shapedesign, side-mounted radiators, using theengine as a stressed member becoming partof the chassis, multi-element rear wings andmany more.

l Lotus was first to reach 50 grand prixwins, reaching the tally before Ferrari whostarted in Formula One, 10 years before.Lotus was the first in Formula One to designand test a carbon fibre Formula One car in1981.

l Some of the greatest racing drivers ofall time have driven for Lotus including JimClark, Graham Hill, Stirling Moss, EmersonFittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell,Ayrton Senna and Kimi Raikkonen.

l Lotus is famous world over for its sportscars but the top secret engineering consul-tancy side of the company, Lotus Enginee-ring, has worked for almost every other carcompany in the world under the strictestconfidentiality.

l The Lotus Elise was the first productioncar in the world to have a bonded and ext-ruded aluminium chassis and a composite

front crash structure. This technology iscommonplace in super cars today.

l The paint used on a Lotus sports car isenvironmentally sound, water-based andhas self-healing-scratch properties.

l Lotus cars are tested and developed insome of the harshest environments in theworld, from the high altitude of the Euro-pean Alps, to the sub-zero Arctic of Swedento the scorching heat of Australia, DeathValley (US) and the Middle East.


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Excellence in motorsports OTHER PROTONMOTORSPORTSACHIEVEMENTS1992 Rally of Thailand

1st Overall1992 Dubai International Rally 1st Overall1995 Rallye Ng Philipinas 1st Overall

1996 Rallye Ng Philipinas 1st Overall1997 Rallye Ng Philipinas 1st Overall2000 Merdeka Millennium Race 1st Overall, Proton PERT2001 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion Overall2002 FIA Production World Champion Proton PERT2002 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion Overall2004 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion Overall2005 Merdeka Millennium Race 1st Overall, Team Proton

R32006 Merdeka Millennium Race 1st Overall, Team Proton R32008 Merdeka Millennium Race 1st Class B, Team Proton R32011 Malaysian Super Series Champion MTC category2011 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion 2WD category2011 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion Overall2012 Sepang 1000KM Race 1st Overall2012 Super World Rally Championship 2nd Overall2012 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship

2nd Overall2012 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship

2WD category2012 Malaysian Super Series

Championship MTC category2013 Malaysian Super Series

Championship MTC category

RACE, Rally and Research,also known as R3, is themotorsports arm of the

Malaysian National car maker

Proton. Over the last decade, TeamProton R3 has participated in racingand rallying events across theworld and in some of the toughestconditions.

In the local motorsports scene,Proton has dominated circuitracing in recent years, winningthree Malaysian Super SeriesChampionships consecutively. Italso bagged the Sepang 1000 KMChallenge Trophy in 2012.

As a racing brand, Protons madets presence felt internationally

when the team won the Asia PacificRally Championship in 2011 andtook second place in the Super2000 category of the World RallyChampionship.

The team also won the Rally ofSweden and the Rally of Finland two of the most iconic events in theworld of rallying.

The vast experience gainedby Proton from competing andwinning in the global arena isshared with Proton owners througha range of R3 performance tuningparts and sporty styling accessories.

Motorsports participation is akey brand driver for Proton.

The tough and fast-paced worldof motorsports is an ideal platformto physically demonstrate theperformance, strength, durabilityand technology of its cars.

Motorsports has been a key partof the brand since its inception withthe company actively participating

n circuit racing since 1987.This year, Team Proton R3

participated in both the MalaysianSuper Series Championship andthe Malaysian Rally Championship.Both events are premiere nationalmotorsports championship eventsfor circuit racing and rallying.Additionally, the team alsoparticipated in the prestigiousand gruelling Sepang 1000KMEndurance Race.

Proton Satria Neo

The Satria Neo is the backbone ofProtons motorsports success.

Its Lotus-designed chassis,compact dimensions and handling

dynamics have proven to be awinning combination on the roadas well as on race tracks and rallycircuits across the world.

This latest interpretation of achampion, the Satria Neo R3 is the

modern interpretation of the iconic

Satria Gti that was launched in thelate 90s.

It has a stunning sporty andstylish look in its R3 race-inspiredbody-kit and rims, CAMPRO CPSengine and Lotus Ride and Handling all elements to give the driver athrilling driving experience.

These same elements alsocontribute to very high levels ofsafety, with a strong rigid chassis forimproved crash protection.

Motorsports achievements:l2008 Class B Champion Merdeka Millennium EnduranceRace.lThree-time Malaysian SuperSeries Champion - 2011, 2012, 2013

Malaysian Touring Car Class.lOverall Champion, 2012 Sepang1000KM Endurance Race Malaysian Touring Car Class.lTwo-time Asia Pacific RallyChampionship 2WD winner

2011, 2012 Group N Satria Neo.lWinner of Rally Malaysia 2013,2012, 2011, 2WD Category GroupN Satria Neo.l2011 Asia Pacific Rally OverallChampion Satria Neo S2000 rallycar.lSecond place at the 2012 Super2000 World Rally Championship Satria Neo S2000 rally car

Proton Prev R3

The Proton Prev R3 race car isthe latest competition vehicle builtby Team Proton R3.

Making its race debut in thegrueling Sepang 1000KM Endurancerace in December 2012, the Prevcompleted the race in second place

overall behind the Satria Neo R3Race Car giving Proton a one-twofinish in a field of more than 50competitors including vehicles fromHonda, Suzuki, Toyota and Mazda.

The Prev has proven to be an

exceptional race car despite its largesize.

It has shown amazing stabilityand speed through the corners andgreat strength and durability in theharshest of racing conditions.

Motorsports achievements:lSecond place overall 201

Sepang 1000KM Endurance RacelSecond place Malaysian

Super Series 2013 Championship Malaysian Touring Car Class

After over20 years ofrallying anddriving manydifferenttypes of cars,

I am still asexcited andmotivatedtoday driving my R3-preparedProton Satria Neo rally car.It never fails to impress mewith its agile handling on alltypes of terrain.

Karamjit Singh

I startedrallying inthe firstgenerationProton Satriawhich wasgreat for abeginnerwith its fun,

easy and forgiving handling.When I first started rallyingin the Satria Neo, the samecharacteristics that I likedabout the Satria were stillintact except that the limitsare now much higher, allowingme to drive even faster!

Kenneth Koh

Racing hasalway beenmy passion,and winningin my blood.Driving the

Satria Neorace car forTeam ProtonR3 and winning the MalaysianSuper Series three years in arow has definitely been thehighlight of my career.

Syafiq Ali

Drivingthe R3ProtonPreverace carhas been

great funfor me. Itshigh speedstability allows me to becompetitive even against thesmaller and more agile carson the track.

James Veerapen

The Protonvehicleplatformsareinherentlywell-packagedwith a goodbalance

of handling prowess andpower train, which translatesvery well for Team ProtonR3s racing application. Thishas been demonstratedmany times with the teamachieving multiple race winsand championships.

Tengku Djan

Drivers speak about their Proton experience


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StarSpecial, Sunday 8 December 2013MOTORING 15

Industry captainshope for more clarity

Volvo Car has big plans for Malaysia, but is held back by the lack of suitable grade fuel.

NEARLY two years havepassed since the Ministryof International Trade and

ndustry (MITI) first mentionedthe introduction of a third NationalAutomotive Policy (NAP), and stillwe wait with bated breath.

Last April, MITI Minister DatukSeri Mustapa Mohamed said:Weve done our consultations. Thistime around, it was an extensiveone where it included all branchesfrom the car companies, to vendors,banks and the consumers. We willbe presenting the papers to theCabinet soon.

At the same time, the MalaysiaAutomotive Institute (MAI) hasrepeatedly mentioned that the thirdNAP will be brand- and technology-neutral, adding that there will bencentives towards the promotion of

energy-efficient vehicles (EEV) thatmeet a certain level of requirementfor fuel economy and exhaustemission.

The institute also adds that itrecognises many structural issueshampering the industrys progressand that the upcoming NAP, whichhas been drafted by MAI, aims toaddress snafus made by the earlier2006 and 2009 NAPs.

Since then, EEV has becomean often-repeated buzzword bygovernment officials and mediaalike.

Ironically, although bureaucratsfrom all levels of the administrationike to talk about EEVs, nobody

seems to have a clear grasp of whatan EEV actually is.

Both MITI and MAI dangledEEV incentives to convincemanufacturers to invest inMalaysias automotive sector, butwhen asked what defined an EEV,MITI or MAI have not managed tooffer a clear answer.

So far, EEVs have been describedn vague terms. To date, neither

party has been able to answer thevery simple question of what theminimum standard is, or how thesenumbers will be verified.

After several rounds of delay, the

atest date announced by MITI forthe revelation of the third NAP is Jan15, 2014.

While we keep our fingerscrossed that there will be no furtherdelays, several car companies havevoiced what they would like on theirwish list for NAP 2014.

We are looking forward to moreclarity on the incentives for EEV.There should be more liberalisationn the auto industry to encourage

foreign investment in Malaysia,says Datuk Ben Yeoh, the executivedirector of Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd,which represents the Mazda brandn the country.

Yeoh is an industry veteran withmore than 40 years of experience.

Starting out on greasy workshopfloors as a technical executive forCycle and Carriage (Mercedes-Benz) in 1972, Yeoh is known forhis hands-on approach and deepunderstanding of the industry.

He was also central to revivingthe Mazda brand and built aconvincing business case forMazda Motor Corporation to makeMalaysia its export hub for theASEAN region.

Mazda currently exports theCX-5 from Malaysia to Thailand.

Despite equipping the CX-5 witha full suite of Mazdas proprietarySkyActiv fuel-saving technologies,the locally assembled CX-5 did notreceive any special incentives.

It should also be highlighted that

Mazda assembles a diesel-poweredCX-5 variant, with a SkyActiv-Dengine that is even more fuelefficient than the petrol variant.

Ironically, although this variant

is exported from Malaysia, it is notsold here because the Malaysiandiesel quality is not high enough forthe car to run on.

The introduction of Euro 4 gradediesel, considered to be a bareminimum by global standards, hasbeen delayed numerous times.

The initial schedule was 2012,but this has since been pushed to2015.

In Europe, manufacturers aregetting ready for Euro 6, which will

be enforced in September next year.In the coming years, availabilityof engines that are compatiblewith Malaysias existing Euro-2Mstandard is going to be an issue.

Also, more and more new modelswill be launched with sophisticatedengines that require a higher gradeof fuel to operate on.

Other car makers are forcedto put their investment planson hold simply because many

of their planned models cannotbe introduced in Malaysia untila higher quality of diesel isintroduced.

Keith Schafer, managing directorof Volvo Car Malaysia says thecompany has plans to introducemore diesel-powered models,but this is dependent on theintroduction of Euro 4 diesel, whichthe company is eagerly awaiting.

Once a better quality fuel islaunched, we will be able to expandour engine range considerably, hesays.

Schafers hopes are shared byhis counterpart at BMW GroupMalaysia.

We hope that Malaysia willadopt the internationally recognisedfuel at the Euro 4 standard, which isa cost-effective fuel alternative thatalso reduces harmful gas emissionsto the environment, says companypresident Dr Gerhard Pils.

He adds that Malaysia has apotential to become a regional hubfor electric vehicle (EV) production,but persistent measures must beimplemented to adopt the latestinnovations in green technology.

These are measures such asextending incentives for fullyimported hybrid vehicles, notlimiting the incentives to certainengine sizes and also incentives forclean diesels and electric vehicles.

Tax breaks should be createdbased on emissions and efficiency,

and not solely on engine size, hesays.

Pils comments on support forEVs are echoed by Hoffen Teh, vice-president of Mitsubishi Motors

Malaysia.EVs still present many

challenges, especially onthe changing infrastructuredevelopment front. To fur therfacilitate the popularisation of EVsin Malaysia, we hope that full-dutyexemption will continue for all full-imported EVs, for the next five yearsperhaps.

As for the aforementioned EEVs,Teh echoes Yeohs sentiments.

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysiasupports the idea of EEVencouragement, but EEV policiesneed to be more concrete, he says.

He adds that EEV criteria shouldbe better defined.

For example, affordable A- andB-segment models with a fueleconomy of at least 20km per litreshould entitled to reduction ofexcise duties.

Teh explains that thegovernment can consider a gradualreduction of excise duties formodels that meet such criteria, sayfrom the current 75%, to 70% nextyear and 65% in 2015.

This will further encourageprice competitiveness for EEVsin the next few years within theautomotive industry of Malaysia,he says.

It should be highlighted that itwas Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia(MMM) who made it possible for allcar companies to introduce EVs inMalaysia.

In the past, definitions used inthe Malaysia Road Transport Actdid not reflect the Road TransportDepartments vehicle-type approvalprocess (a compulsory process forall newly introduced models to gothrough) to register an EV model,as EVs do not have an enginenumber.

There were also othercomplications with regards to theCustoms clearance processes.

Working closely with severalgovernment agencies, MMM pavedthe way for EVs, including thosemade by companies such as Nissanor BMW.

Excise duties for affordable fuel-efficient cars that go 20km per litre or more shouldbe reduced in phases.


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European carsand the bravenew worldU

NBEKNOWNST to thelayperson, car companies takea long time conceiving and

giving birth to a car.It is said that by the time a new

car is launched, car companies willhave already begun work on itsreplacement.

Now we begin to see cars

from Europe that were conceivedn response to the 2008 spiken fuel prices and the futuremplementation of carbon

emissions taxations, as well as the2008 world financial crisis thatfollowed thereafter.

Some car companies haveadopted a brave strategy of delvingnto new powertrain technologies

and alternative fuels for theirupcoming model, BMW being oneof them.

This year the German premiumcar maker launched the first twomodels of its new BMW i sub-brand, the i3 all-electric car and the8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

Both cars were revolutionary

n the adoption of new carbon-fibre production and constructionmethods, which was to reduce theprice of its construction to make itmore affordable to the layperson.

The i3 is a four-door, all-electriccar that boasts a range of between130km and160km, or 240km and300km, with the addition of anoptional 647cc two-cylinder range-extender engine.

The use of carbon-fibreconstruction enables the i3 toachieve a kerb weight that is 1,195kgighter than most conventional

petrol-powered compact cars.The i8 sports car uses a 231hp,

1.5L three-cylinder turbo-chargedpetrol engine to drive the rear

wheels, while a 131hp electricmotor drives the front.

According to BMW the i8s capable of going from 0 to

100kmph in just 4.4 seconds, andyet, it has a rated EU test cycle fuelconsumption of only 2.5L/100km.

While this year was the yearMercedes-Benz introduced its newflagship the S-Class which wasdesigned as a long-wheel basevariant to appeal to the Chinese

market, the expansion of itscompact model range has provento be far more crucial to the three-pointed star.

Seeing that its premium rivalshave gained plenty of groundby offering more affordable andcompact models that appeal to ayounger demographic, Mercedes-

Benz has begun to focus itsattention on expanding its compactmodel range to make up for lostground.

Derived from the platform thatunderpins the third-generationA-Class, Mercedes-Benz introduceda new compact sedan model rangeknown as the CLA in January inNorth America and, more recently,the GLA compact SUV.

However, there was one modelthat was the centre of attentionthis year the seventh-generationVolkswagen Golf hatchback.

Having already earned the 2013World Car of the Year and 2013European Car of the Year titles, theGolf Mk7 recently became the first

foreign car to win the 2013-2014Japan Car of the Year award in its34-year history.

The new Mk7 Golf, is the productof the Volkswagen Groups newMQB platform, which was designedto underpin a variety of new smallto mid-sized models from theVolkswagen Group.

The platform is not onlylimited to Volkswagen as it alsoencompasses Audi, Seat, and Skoda,as well as accommodating a varietyof drivetrains and fuel systemsincluding an all-electric drivetrain,FlexFuel, compressed natural gasand liquefied petroleum gas.

While BMW has beenchampioning the use of carbon-

fibre bodied electric cars,Volkswagen introduced the all-electric e-Golf at the FrankfurtMotor Show in September.

The metal-bodied electric car issaid to achieve a range of 190kmon a single charge and still offersall the cabin space to sit five adultscomfortably, with room for luggageat the back.

While Volkswagen seems to beon a high, things are not as rosy

for its premium brand, Audi asthe company seems to be headingtowards uncertain waters.

Audi reportedly fired tworesearch and development headsin the past 16 months and the mostrecent casualty was WolfgangDurheimer in June this year.

After just nine months onthe job, there were speculationsabout his lack of confidence inAudis future all-electric models,which stirred the ire of the parentcompany Volkswagen Group.

Reports are also emerging thatAudi is experiencing a brain drain,as many research and developmentefforts are being relocated back toVolkswagen.

With no alternative drivetrains

for their model range, industryexperts are saying that Audissales cannot hope to stay in frontof Mercedes-Benz if such a trendcontinues.

If there is one brand that clearlylooks set to make a comeback nextyear, it has to be Volvo.

After a prolonged periodof silence, due in part to theacquisition of the Swedish brandby Chinese car maker GeelyAutomobile in 2010, Volvo seems tobe bringing several new innovationsto the table of late.

Earlier in June, Volvo began trialruns on the use of a completelyautonomous parking system, wherethe car goes off in search of anempty parking lot and proceeds to

park itself without any input fromthe driver.

More recently Volvo announcedthat it is involved in the research ofa new super capacitor technologythat is integrated into a carbon fibrebody shell.

Volvo also announced the

development of a new 2L four-cylinder twincharged enginecapable of producing 306hp and400Nm of torque, and be the firstengine in its segment to produce2hp per gram of carbon dioxide.

In the coming year, Volvoenthusiasts can expect to see thefirst new model from Volvo underthe purview of Geely, the yet-to-be-named replacement of the XC90SUV.

Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Mercedes GLA 45 AMG.

The BMW i3 (left) and the BMW i8 Concept Cars.


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More space and just as economicalW

HEN Mitsubishi introducedits 1.2L Mirage hatchbackwith a starting price of

RM56,980, many Malaysians foundt difficult to grasp the concept of

having such a tiny engine in a carof this class, which is dominated by1.3L models.

This perception of judging a carsvalue based on engine capacity hasto change. Motorists around theworld are now evaluating cars basedon performance and power outputrather than the size of the engine.

Mitsubishis Mirage may be aittle pricey for a car of its size butt consumes just 4.7L per 100km,

which Mitsubishi attributes to thentelligent use of lightweight but

strong high tensile strengthsteel and energy efficient enginedesign.

Ryujiro Kobashi, MitsubishiMotors Corporations vice corporategeneral manager for Asia and Aseansays that in Japan and Europe,the Mirage is powered by an evensmaller 1.0L engine.

Considering the global trendtowards down-sized enginewhile maintaining body size, weare confident that the low fuelconsumption 1.2L engine offerssufficient performance for ourtarget customers, he says.

Nearly every major carmakernow has a small 1.0L, three-cylinder engine on offer includingVolkswagen, Ford, Toyota andHyundai-Kia. It should also benoted that the winner of the 2013nternational Engine of the Year

award went to a fuel-sipping 999ccengine.

The demand for clean, energy-efficient engines is increasingbecause of the high costs of fuel andstrict government regulations onvehicular exhaust emissions.

In Malaysia, the demand forsmall, fuel-efficient, down-sizedengines has yet to catch on.

Part of the reason is because fuelprices in Malaysia are still relativelycheap, even after considering thelatest round of subsidy cuts.

Putting aside for a moment thedebate on the high cost of new carsin Malaysia, the lax standards onfuel quality and exhaust emissionscoupled with cheap fuel means thatMalaysian consumers have fewer

incentives to adopt fuel-efficienttechnologies.

Thailand for example, will beintroducing a carbon tax system in2016. Notwithstanding Malaysiasenergy policy, car companiesbelieve that the trend towards fuel-efficient small engines is a certainty.

This was probably the motivationbehind Mitsubishi Motors Malaysiasdecision to expand its compact-car range to include the Attrage,a sedan derivative of the Mirage,powered by the same ultra-efficient1.2L engine.

Like the Mirage, the Attrageboasts a claimed best-in-class fueleconomy of 21km per litre (NewEuropean Driving Cycle).

With a starting price of just

RM59,212.50 for the base model GLmanual transmission model, theAttrage is currently the cheapestnon-national sedan you can buy.

The higher range GS CVT modelis priced at RM67,978.50, while thetop-of-the-range Attrage SE costsRM 75,796.50. All prices are on-the-road without insurance.

The Attrage does not skimp onfeatures either. Standard featuresinclude dual-airbags, Anti-LockBraking System (ABS), ElectronicBrake Distribution (EBD), 15-inchwheels and fog lamps.

The higher range GS model addson Smart Key (keyless entry) andpush start button, remote trunkrelease, digital automatic air-conditioning and a leather-wrapped

steering wheel.The range-topper SE model

builds on this list to include LEDdaytime running lights, a sportybodykit, security window film,

leather seats and a 2-DIN audio headunit with reverse camera.While the Attrage may have

a small engine, there is nothingsmall about its interior dimensions.According to Mitsubishiscalculations, the Attrage boastsmore combined front and rearlegroom than a Honda Civic, ToyotaCorolla Altis, and Volkswagen Jetta,with the Nissan Almera beingthe only one which exceeds itsdimensions.

The Attrage is no sports car butit drives quite well. Earlier thisyear, Mitsubishi unveiled a fleetof Attrage at Thailands Bonanzacircuit to be compared with theNissan Almera.

On the tracks long, fast sweepingbends, the Attrage has controlledamounts of body roll withoutbeing too stiff that the wheels hopprecariously over any undulationson the track surface.

Even with the Attrage tiltingaway at uncomfortable angles, thetyres do not seem to let up its firmgrip. Suffice to say, the Nissan couldnot match the Attrages balance inthe ride and handling department.

The Attrage may not haveattention-grabbing looks, but it maysurprise you in more ways than one.Buyers looking for an entry-level,compact sedan should include themodel in their consideration list.

From left: Senior executive officer of MMC, Morikazu Chokki and chief executive officer of MMM, Tetsuya Oda.


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star motoring december 2013

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