Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i TopGear Malaysia

If the headline didn’t contain the word Kuga you might not have spotted it, but this is the new one. Ford’s sucked it like a lozenge, smoothing off the edges, and the result is… well, a bit drab. What’s more exciting are the power options. Top of the bill is a plug-in hybrid. The electric-only range is 50km, enough to net it some handy tax breaks. Overall power output is 225bhp when everything’s pulling together. There’s also a standard hybrid, good for 5.7l/100km, but that won’t arrive for over a year. And just as you thought diesel had gone to hide under a rock, here it is. Ford has added 48-volt mild hybrid tech so you’ve got 59mpg from the 1.5-litre and 5.7l/100km from the 2.0-litre, which can also be…

THE GOOD Looks stunning – even in that orangey red colour. £65k is a bargain too Kamelo Itsniiice This is, in my opinion, the best looking coupe SUV. But that’s like saying you have the best looking bulldog. As long as these cars keep the 911 cashflow coming in, I’m all for it. I THINK I LIKE IT, WAS EXPECTING THE WORST LEAST STUPID LOOKING SUV COUPE THING SO FAR THE BAD Panamera 3D on computer *click scale button, drag up from right corner, click file, save as Like someone took sandpaper to an Urus. Pass THE UGLY NOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOO A GLOBAL WARMING MONSTROSITY AND BAD TASTE ROLLED INTO ONE It looks dumpy… It’s not a coupe. If I call a chicken a swan, it’s still a chicken When…

Now in their fourth year as partners, Bell & Ross and the Renault F1 Team are racing into 2019 with yet another special timepiece series that commemorates the affair. Adding to the occasion is the latter racing team’s appointment of new driver Daniel Ricciardo, with the Australian giving his input to these special timepieces alongside German teammate Nico Hulkenberg. As before, each timepeice embodies the shared passion and drive held by both the French-Swiss watchmaker and French racing outfit in their respective fields. This year’s line up sees Bell & Ross delivering two carbon-faced driver’s chronographs, namely the BR V3-94 R.S.19 and BR 03-94 R.S.19. Alongside them comes the BR-X1 R.S.19 skeletonised special as well. Besides bearing a signature and distinctive outlook inspired by the racing team and the R.S.19…

HAS THE AUDI R8 GROWN UP MUCH? The recipe hasn’t changed, really: build the most user-friendly, easy-to-drive supercar on the planet. But the numbers have been rocket-boosted into orbit. Now packing a V10 with 612bhp, it monsters ye olde R8’s 414bhp, from an RS4-pinched non-turbo V8. WHY WAS THE OLD R8 A LANDMARK? Because it made us take Audi seriously, beyond repmobiles. The R8 was a driver’s car. An anti-understeer device. Basically an entry-level Lambo Gallardo with an engine swap, smarter interior and ultra-crisp V8/open-gate manual combo taking centre stage. Like the Honda NSX, it shifted the needle for everyday-liveable exotica, and it gave the Porsche 911 a much sexier rival to chew on. Later on, Audi added a 5.2-litre V10, a terrible paddleshift gearbox (R tronic) a way better…

The first Evoque needed explaining, all right. A sport utility vehicle deprived of the utility… what was that all about? Well, it turned out that the world adores this mysterious idea. And so it came to pass that over the course of a single eight-year generation the Evoque went from the car that nobody understood to the car that needs no introduction. As the car industry loves to do with a successful format, the Evoque has been boxed into a stereotype and made a ‘sector’. BMW made the X2 as a direct rival, so we brought one along. Lexus has its new UX. Audi is on course for its own rival, a lowroof Q3 counterpart called the Q4 (not to be confused with the all-electric Q4 e-Tron which it’s also…

£30,950 ↑ FOR Decent dynamics and strong comfort, cabin design dares to be different ↓ AGAINST Once you get the kit you need, it starts becoming pricey, lack of visibility in the back “IT’S A BIT BLINGY, BUT YOU MIGHT FIND IT REFRESHINGLY DISTINCTIVE” One look at the DS 3 Crossback tells you that it’s no replacement for the DS 3. Indeed that little hatch, an old fave around here, lives on for a while. But the big picture is that three-door supermini sales are wilting as small crossovers rage across their turf. While the bigger DS 7 Crossback wears conservative sheet metal, the little 3 rocks a freestyle shape. The surfaces are rippled, the openings florid. Family DNA shows in the nose’s LED sideburns, and in the shark’s-fin side…

“IT’S TARGETING THE LESS SEXY END OF ONE-STOP-SHOP FAMILY CAR” £18,580 ↑ FOR Inoffensive, quality mid-sized hatchback for small hatchback money ↓ AGAINST Excessive optioning misses the point. Conservative Scala is the best Scala Just what the world needed; another mid-sized hatchback. This time spun intricately by Skoda from the A0 (think Polo) subset of endless carmaking Lego that is the VAG MQB platform, aiming once again at the practical end of the market. It’s called the Scala. Mind you, this makes sense for Skoda, because the Scala slips neatly into the gap left between Fabia (small hatch) and Octavia (big hatch/saloon/estate). Gap, plugged. It’s targeting the less sexy end of one-stop-shop family car, so think Ford Focus, Kia C’eed, that sort of thing, trying to make a new VW…

The Toyota Avanza has been facelifted yet again. For 2019, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) is putting three variants of its heavily redesigned compact seven-seater up for sale, namely the Avanza 1.5E, 1.5S and 1.5S+. They are priced at RM80,888, RM83,888 and RM87,888 respectively. For the money, you get a thoroughly revamped front end defined by new bi-LED headlamps and sharp body creases which make the Avanza look like a baby Vellfire of sorts. Also new is a shark fin antenna and reshaped side mirror casings which supposedly restrict the area of negative air pressure, thus lowering wind noise. All variants ride on 15-inch alloys, with two designs offered to differentiate the models. Inside, the dashboard sports a two-tone finish while the seats get a dash of red to symbolise sportiness…

There’s a new Subaru in town and its name is XV GT. The GT is a special edition produced in collaboration with Giken and Masahiko Kobayashi who at one time was the Chief Designer (Head of Global Advanced Design Studio) at Subaru Corporation. Among the vehicles he helped pen was the WRX STI. Back to the XV GT, the dressed up crossover differentiates itself from the standard car with a front bumper lip extension with integrated canards, side skirts, roof spoiler and rear bumper extension. It rides on 17-inch alloys designed uniquely for the GT. Inside, you get bespoke carpets and seat leather design inspired by the “cabins of high-performance grand tourers from Germany and Britain”. We’ll let you be the judge of that. There’s also a dual side view…

From the large, stylish, techladen, vehicle-you-can-talk-to SUV called the X70, does the Iriz and Persona models still command attention? In reality, of course they do; while the Iriz may not shine as much because it fights in the same room with Perodua’s best-seller, the Persona on the other hand – based on sales figures – still has some legs in it. And I’ll straight away say that it’s the new Persona that impresses me more compared to the hatchback sibling. For some reason that I still cannot explain the throttle behaves rather differently than in the Iriz. It accelerates better and the top of the throttle feels keener to respond. Let me make this clear though – this is entirely based on feel. But being the lighter car, it is…

AN ENDURANCE RACING LEGEND… IN HIS OWN BEDROOM WHO: ROWAN HORNCASTLE, EDITOR-AT-LARGE My first GT-R experience got me grounded. As a hormonally unstable prepubescent, I’d spent a whole week completing Gran Turismo’s enduro league to win the GT-R to beat all GT-Rs – the rarest road-going GT-R on the planet, the LM. But, having not seen sunlight in a week, my mother stormed in mid-six-hour race and yanked the plug out of the back of the PlayStation. At this point, I regretfully called her something I shouldn’t have. “YOU’RE GROUNDED!” she replied. Fast-forward 15 years and I was lucky enough to have a one-on-one meeting with the homologation special that got me in the doghouse. I begged and begged to drive it but that was out the question. Even Carlos…

WHAT: MERC A-CLASS(ES) WHERE: SEPANG CIRCUIT Shuttle cars lining up on the track during a recent AMG launch look like they’re in the starting grid of a one-make race WHO: TOM FORD AND FRIENDS WHERE: MARANELLO, ITALY To the family who gave up hours of their Italian holiday to help Wookie do tracking photographs of the Pista, TopGear salutes you. Thanks guys WHAT: AN ARREST WHERE: INGLEWOOD, USA That unpaid parking ticket finally catching up with Rowan. We joke! But still, proof the BBC only puts us up in the very safest parts of town WHAT: FAST FOOD WHERE: SUSSEX, UK Waiter! Waiter! There’s a large lump of cheap-looking plastic in my chips! The only way to make your ploughman’s lunch Insta-ready WHAT: JACK’S LEGS WHERE: ÄNGELHOLM, SWEDEN Visit Koenigsegg’s…

PART ONE When TopGear’s editor asked me if I’d write a diary of my life as a development driver, I immediately said yes, even before he got to the bit about not being able to pay me on account of recent budgetary restrictions. Firstly because I hope that, in some small way, my story might inspire schoolkids to consider a career in the exciting world of automotive testing. But also because I have been stuck in Finland’s frozen Kokapu testing facility, on my own, since September. The wi-fi went down six weeks ago. I need something to pass the time or I fear I may go crazy. My friend Niiko agrees. Niiko is an elk. Growing up, I dreamed of being a development driver, risking my life to push the…

01 BMW 7-Series BMW says the new 7’s monster-pig nostrils mean the lower bumper is less fussy, and the car looks more imposing. We think the designers didn’t stand back and look at the whole car after they’d finished grafting on this conk. Angry Birds, anyone? 02 Audi Q8 Lots of marques use their flagships to make a massive grille statement. Audi especially loves making merry with mesh, and the A7 and A8 do just that. But the Q8’s jutting gob takes the mickey. Come on, how insecure must you be to drive one of these? 03 Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury This odd jacked-up luxo-saloon sports one of the all-time giant grilles. What is the point of making the headlights such slim, intricate units, then clogging up the whole front…

Toyota: a brand that, until the GT86 and Supra, you probably associated with dependability. Sense. Tedium, perhaps. But now there’s this. ‘This’ is a pressurised lunar rover, powered by fuel cells (like a Toyota Mirai) and able to travel 10,000km, or over 6,000 miles. Not on Earth, but in space. That’s because Toyota has teamed up with JAXA – the Japanese equivalent of NASA – to design a vehicle that’ll accommodate up to four people on the Moon’s surface, and with enough energy to drive a full lap of its chunkiest part. Perfect, then, for an average commute on UK’s pockmarked roads.…

Swiss luxury timepiece house Tudor has ramped up its 2019 line-up, previewing a series of new offerings locally recently during a swanky-tea time affair held in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Amongst the firm’s new wares featured during this preview was the new-for-2019 Black Bay Chrono S&G. Aptly, this offering sees Tudor’s pioneering chronograph receive its stylish S&G (short for ‘Steel & Gold’) treatment, bringing forth a daring yet stylish hybrid timepiece. Remaining faithful to the classic Black Bay aesthetic, the new S&G model makes the famous “snowflake” hands - the signature of Tudor divers’ watches since 1969 - its own in a gold version refined for optimum readability against the domed matt-black dial. Its counters are hollowed and finished in a champagne hue for optimum contrast. The main characteristics…

RM399,888 ↑ FOR EQ Boost gives the E-Class lots of low-end pep without the need for charging ↓ AGAINST Four-pot engine sounds coarse at times while the ride is a little firm There was once a time when carmakers would jump at the opportunity to slap a hybrid badge onto a new product, even if the electric component in question was just an additional battery to power ancillaries like the radio and wipers separately. Yes, Nissan. We’re looking at you. Fortunately, the Japanese carmaker has progressed beyond such gimmicks if the X-Trail Hybrid on page 62 is anything to go by. It’s also good to know the habit never rubbed off on industry partner Mercedes-Benz – the Germans are surprisingly much humbler where electrification is concerned. This brings us to…

“A BLAST IN A PISTA SPIDER ON A SUNNY DAY WILL REMIND YOU WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT LIFE” £252,765 ↑ FOR Just like the Pista Coupe, but with a neat folding top. Now with added vitamin D ↓ AGAINST Some may see the Coupe as more ‘pure’, but there are few compromises here Let’s get straight to the point: the Pista Spider is exactly the same as the Pista Coupe in most respects. It’s got the same ballistic, race-derived 710bhp engine, the same complicated set of e-diffs and electronic managers, the same joyously technical weave of aerodynamics and the same uncanny ability to make you worry you may actually swallow your tongue under full-bore acceleration. Depending on the position of the manettino (wheel-mounted mode switch), it smacks through the gears with…

BMW M850i CONVERTIBLE £107,045 ↑ FOR Best-sounding BMW for ages. Doesn’t ruffle your hair ↓ AGAINST Neither a thrilling sportster, nor an opulent GT BMW puffs outs its chest and declares that the new 8-Series drop-top is only two per cent less stiff than the coupe and “just as much of a proper sports car”. Problem is, the 8 isn’t a sports car – with or without a roof. It’s in a no-man’s land between a 911 or AMG GT, or true luxo GTs like DB11s, Contis or S-Class coupes. Apart from a few bits of chintz, the interior could’ve come from the new 3-Series. It’s brutally fast, but not special enough for £100k. OK MERCEDES-BENZ E400d ALL-TERRAIN £64,445 ↑ FOR Even better than the normal estate it’s based on…

On Saturday 13 May 1950, in front of His Royal Highness King George VI and 120,000 other wildly excited spectators at a dry and sunny Silverstone, Formula One held its first ever grand prix. That day’s driver line-up was, by modern standards, a bit weird. Among those taking their places on the grid was a popular jazz musician (who would soon drop dead of tuberculosis), a Swiss baron and a Thai prince named Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh. But the most striking thing of all wasn’t their health, wealth, nor their exotic names, but their age. Of the 21 starters in that inaugural race, three were in their fifties and five were over 40. The winner, former Italian cavalry officer Nino Farina, was knocking on 44 years old. On Sunday 17 March…

“It’s the first gasoline car that’s ever been down here. Actually, it’s the first car. Definitely the first Bentley,” ponders Teitur Samuelsen, CEO of P/F Eystur-og Sandoyartunlar as we gingerly drive a brand-new Bentley Continental GT into a giant and appallingly dirty hole. “Are you sure it’s going to be OK? It can get pretty rough.” “Everything is fine,” I mutter back through the walkie-talkie, quietly yet firmly stabbing the lift button on the Conti’s air suspension. “We have raised the suspension and have four-wheel drive. This car is essentially made for this kind of environment.” I can feel the side-eye through 20ft of clear air and a double-glazed, 70kg car door. Probably because I’m lying. The Continental – in this spec – is a £202k super-sports GT, and I’m…

“WHEEL IS LOZENGE-SHAPED, LIKE THE RED BULL F1 CAR’S” Do you remember the Bulldog? Like the spaceship-shaped Lagonda, this was another of Aston Martin’s Seventies forays into crazy town – long, low, absurdly fast, and mooted for a limited production run but destined to exist only as a lonely one-off. It was also mid-engined, a format Aston toyed with again in the early Noughties when the Vantage was being conceived. A full-size mock-up was built but, as we know, the production car was defiantly front-engined. The boss at the time, Dr Bez, wasn’t keen on it. Ensconced since 2014, boss Dr Andy Palmer is no longer strictly new, but the next phase of his ‘Second Century Plan’ certainly feels it. The forward progress is relentless, to the extent that when…

“THE AURORA BLUE UPHOLSTERY IS REMINISCENT OF THE FIRST-GEN PROTON SAGA’S INTERIOR, BUT IN A SIGNIFICANTLY UPMARKET FASHION” Having the AM-RB 003 and Vanquish Concept laid out nicely on these pages makes it clear how significant they were as far as Geneva debuts went. But things weren’t as obvious within the walls of the Palexpo convention centre that hosted the big show. It took me a moment to realise that the AM-RB 003 and Vanquish Concept were different cars at first in an exhibit sprawling with journalists and their bulky photography equipment. And this was after I realised they were actually new to begin with, and not just iterations of the Valkyrie dressed up in new colour swatches and styling options. Aston Martin has always been attuned to the art…

No Ferrari celebration is complete without a spirited jaunt around a circuit, hence the trackday specially organised for owners at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) by Ferrari Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand during their recent joint 10-year anniversary celebrations. Apart from the landmark occasion, this was no ordinary trackday as it doubled up with a special time attack challenge specially organised for the owners as well. Adding to that was the fact that it was held under the starry sky, with SIC’s still-new floodlights illuminating the asphalt. In this midst of it all was us; as Ferrari Malaysia kindly handed us the keys to a rather familiar looking Rosso-hued Portofino demonstrator for us to join in on the fun. Naturally, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to finally be able to chart…

KTM Malaysia has bolstered its local big bike line-up with the simultaneous introduction of the 2019 KTM 790 Adventure and KTM 1290 Super Duke GT. The 790 Adventure soldiers on with the Austrian manufacturer’s renowned 799cc LC8c liquid-cooled parallel twin engine which puts 94bhp and 88Nm through a six-speeder equipped with a Power Assist Slipper Clutch. KTM claims that this mill has been tweaked for better low RPM tractability, smoothness and higher load capability. The powertrain is encased within a lightweight (the bike weighs 189kg dry) and compact molybdenum steel chassis, which is hooked up to specially-developed 43mm upside-down forks with a steering damper and a pre-load adjustable rear shock combination, all sourced from WP. The adoption of 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels add to this middleweight’s off-road credentials…

# NEW CARS # ENTERTAINMENT # CAR CULTURE # CELEBRITY # GADGETS # GAMING This is the P80/C, the latest in Ferrari’s client-driven one-offs, and we’ll stick our necks out and call it the best yet. Sure, any new Ferrari will provoke a debate so fierce it can get more heated than the sun, and these totally bespoke SP (special project) cars are often very personal interpretations of a theme. Former Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa says that the SP clients “effectively embody the marque, and go beyond just being a collector”, and they certainly need to have the funds to back up the vision of designing their own car. Previous examples include 2009’s P540 Superfast Aperta, a gold tribute to one of Federico Fellini’s less successful films, as commissioned by…

Audi doesn’t specify exactly when you’ll be able to summon this AI:ME self-driving city car to pick you up from bingo, probably because (as Paul Horrell explains on page 44) our driverless promised land is constantly slipping further into the future. However, it does paint a very clear picture of what its autonomous version of the Audi A3 will look like, once technology and legislation catches up. Unlike the 2017 AIcon concept (AI is Audi’s autonomous sub-brand), which focused on long-range journeys and ditched the steering wheel altogether with Level 5 autonomy, the AI:ME is aimed specifically at urban driving. It’s Level 4, so equipped to handle hands-off driving in designated parts of cities, but has a steering wheel and pedals to hand back control elsewhere. It’s rear-wheel drive, all-electric…

1 A Geneva stand with three concepts. Is this a business, or a rerun of the Lotus Paris 2010 vapourware-fest? We’ve delivered three cars – DB11, Vantage, DBS – since I started our plan. The DBX is in pre-production so that’s largely paid for. This flattens away the investment peaks. 2 So why is your share price falling? I’m a petrolhead dreamer, but also, I like to think, a shrewd businessman who can prove the City wrong. There’s been no new car company on the London Stock Exchange for 30 years. They don’t understand we’re not the same as the normal car industry. 3 Doesn’t making a new car always require huge investment? There’s more carryover between cars than you’d expect – between the Lagonda and the DBX, or the…

Why are we showing you a photo of a McLaren pixellated and sent down a 56k modem? We’re not. It’s something vastly more wonderful. A Senna rendered in full size out of Lego. And it looks better than the real thing. Not entirely out of Lego, mind. You can sit in its real Senna driver’s seat, and twirl its real Senna steering wheel. The starter button is mounted in the correct position above your head. Press it and then tap the real Senna accelerator for a sampled V8 rev-up. Although the wheels and tyres are actual McLaren and Pirelli items, the brake discs and calipers behind them are plastic. The statistics are quite mind-boggling. It uses 467,854 Lego pieces, and took 30 modelmakers 2,725 hours to build. Design and development,…

01 MICK SCHUMACHER The 20-year-old son of Michael has announced himself at the top level – going second fastest in Bahrain in his first outing as a Ferrari F1 test driver. Chip off the old block. 02 BLOODHOUND IS BACK The mission to go beyond 1,609kph is back! To celebrate, Bloodhound’s had a makeover. Credit to entrepreneur Ian Warhurst, who’s saved the project with his own beer money. 03 LOTUS TYPE 130 No, not a slow-motion sneeze, but a cryptic glimpse of Lotus’ first all-new car since 2008. An electric hypercar, no less, it’ll be revealed in London later this year. 04 ARES PANTHER Ares’ 610bhp Huracán-based homage to the DeTomaso Pantera has finally shed its camo, and it looks as good as we hoped it would. Seven sold, 10…

£31,835 ↑ FOR Crisper, much improved 1.8-litre engine, huge grip and suspension control ↓ AGAINST As a road car it’s too stiff and the four-wheel-steering integration is flawed We’ve pretty much driven this car already. The Trophy is the hardcore version of the RenaultSport Megane, but its suspension is carried directly over from the Cup chassis you could already option on the standard car. There, it’s a £1,500 option (which includes Torsen limited-slip diff, red brake calipers and hydraulic bump stops as well as stiffer springs, dampers and anti-roll bars), while the Trophy costs £4,000 more. You get more stuff, obviously: unique (and dubious) 19in wheels, sports exhaust, grooved bi-material brake discs, the RenaultSport performance monitor, a leather/Alcantara steering wheel and an 8kg lighter battery. But the headline modification, unusually…

RM159,888 ↑ FOR Added refinement and efficiency through its newfound electrification ↓ AGAINST Still feels dated compared to its key rivals Nissan finally gave its mid-sized crossover SUV a mid-life refresh, and featured here is the brand new hybrid petrol-electric flagship in the range. Having sampled it on an overnight road trip to the Belum Rainforest in Perak recently, things aren’t looking too bad with this recharged refresh of sorts. Typically, a mild nip-tuck comes as part of any mid-cycle update. Key in this new flagship Hybrid is the redesigned grille up front, flanked by a set of new all-LED headlights with a striking new LED DRL design. At the back, little has changed apart from the redesigned taillights. Climb into the cabin and things haven’t strayed far from before…

£41,005 ↑ FOR Quiet and comfy yet brilliant fun to drive. Lots of new tech to play with ↓ AGAINST Adults will be squeezed in the back, no estate version The Jaguar XE launched four years ago to great fanfare and huge praise, and proceeded to sell a mere fraction of what its big three German foes do. Thus there are a few changes for the facelift, to right some of its predecessor’s wrongs. First up, sharpening its appearance, important when a whole new Alfa Romeo has since joined the class. While the XE still looks familiar, neater lights, reshaped bumpers and an optional lip spoiler have turned it into a fantastically handsome thing. Next, a wealth of new technology and plusher materials inside. Most notable are its four screens:…

RM85,900 / RM87,900 ↑ FOR Gorgeous styling backed by top-shelf hardware and good performance ↓ AGAINST Not the quickest retro around, and rides better on the road than off it It goes without saying that modern retro bikes are cool. Ducati knows this, thus explaining the celebrated Italian institution’s move in creating its Scrambler series. Though the main 803cc-powered range has fulfilled the hipster fantasies of many worldwide, there were still those who yearned for more. Ducati rightfully answered those calls by introducing the larger and more powerful Scrambler 1100 series. Having sampled it in both Special and Sport forms over a weekend recently, we’re certain that the Italian powerhouse has indeed struck gold once again with this version of its popular modern retro. On the surface, this Scrambler retains…

Rewind the clock by about ten years and you’ll arrive at the start of something special. The mighty Italian prancing horse entered a modern era of success in 2009 led by things like the F430 sports car and the 599 GTB Fiorano grand tourer – arguably great cars altogether. Fittingly, it was also the time when the celebrated Italian institution found itself properly established in the heart of South East Asia, or more specifically in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand by official importers Naza Italia, Ital Auto and Cavallino Motors respectively. Yes, it has been a decade since all three firms set up shop, delivering Maranello’s finest to passionate owners here, and what a ride it has been. To mark the occasion, all three official importers got together recently for a…

Audi’s activity in Malaysia has picked up of late. And it’s most recent launch sees the facelifted A3 Sedan land on Malaysian shores to fend off competition from the recently-introduced Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan. Updated with a bit of nip-tuck for 2019, the A3 Sedan is powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-banger that’s good for 150bhp and 250Nm. A seven-speed S-Tronic DCT sends this output to the front, propelling the A3 Sedan from 0-100kph in 8.2 seconds, all the way to a 224kph vmax. Kit-wise, the A3 Sedan is dressed up in 18-inch alloys and restyled LED light clusters outside while the interior gets a 12.3-inch interactive instrument display, a seven-inch screen for the infotainment, dual-zone climate control as well as keyless entry and ignition. All of this is yours for…

Having set the benchmark in the growing small-capacity sport and dual-sport segment with the G310 series, BMW Motorrad seeks to repeat a similar feat in the sub-500cc premium scooter segment with its all-new C400 X and C400 GT duo. Launched just before Ramadan began, BMW Motorrad also took the effort in organising a brief test ride for both. Though the route was short and saw us traverse out of TPC KL through Damansara towards Istana Negara and back, it was enough for us to get a good feel of things in both. Aptly, it’s easy to easy how the X and GT differ from each other despite sharing similar bones and the same heart. For the uninitiated, we’ll keep things simple by pointing out that the X is built with…

The Yaris is back. Some may remember that it was once sold by UMWT, but being fully imported it was unappealingly expensive and thus sold in small numbers. A decade or so after, here it is, assembled at UMW Toyota’s all-new factory in Klang and free from the ghosts of Yaris past. You can now get one from RM71,000, which of course is bang in the same neighbourhood as the Honda Jazz. As far as design goes, that’s a matter of personal taste but the Honda is immediately more interesting in my book. However, that’s the POV of my 40-plus-year-old brain. A more youthful mind would perhaps prefer the sharp lines of the Toyota; if not, it also comes in more vibrant colours (would celebrity Janna Nick being the ambassador…