Middle Class SUV Challenge:Mazda CX-5 vs Ford Kuga vs Honda CR-V

SUV segment is hotly contested in Malaysian market. It has evolved from the off-roader ancestor like Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Pajero to the likes of soft roader, thanks to Honda CR-V back in mid 90's. This year, you can have it almost every sizes, from small to big luxury ones. Among the hottest option for middle class right now is Honda CR-V, now in fourth generation and hot in its heel is the turbocharged Ford Kuga and super stylish Mazda CX-5. Paultan compares them in the DRIVEN. Check it out below.

New Toyota Vios Tested - Polished Gem

Toyota Vios is no stranger when it comes to Malaysian sedan market. Since 2003, some 265,000 units has been sold between the first and second generation model. Despite the relatively young model for Toyota, the four generation (including Vios Soluna from late 90s) is a product which has been massaged over the years to meet the expectation of ever more demanding customer group. Over the years, Toyota Vios has grown from somewhat a recycled-old-Corolla (1st gen Soluna Vios) to a better product for the last generation which is more refined and lack the cheapskate look of the older model. The 2013 Toyota Vios is a further finesse of these, whereby Toyota has deployed in engineering and design prowess to come up with a better entry level sedan. MMN drive impression and lengthy observation on the car detail design yield a conclusion : This is a very polished product with full of high perceived quality and refinement way beyond the previous generation ever achieved.

First is the look. Gone is bulbous look of the previous generation, and in comes a more angular design that wears more intricate detailing for that pricier look. The headlamp, particularly the top two model, is a projector unit with inner detailing that extended from the grille. Expansive chromed bars has been used for the grille treatment, which is further helped by the angular bumper with textured central insert. Toyota tries here, it has not relaxed contrary to people's perception about Toyota stylist. The exterior panel is more chiseled with sharp character line and gives a sharper look to the new Vios. The side profile is also garnished with stronger character which more angular towards the back. The rear end has a mini Toyota Camry look with its chromed garnish and tail light with fancy lens detailing. In terms of dimension, the new Toyota Vios is 110mm longer than its forebear at 4,410mm and slightly taller at 1,475mm. Although the wheelbase is retained from previous car at 2,550mm, a newfound spaciousness can be attributed to cleverer packaging given the the increased in length. 

Second major upgrades over the current car is the interior. It is as if the old bunch of the senior designer/engineer has either retired, died or has been given the bottom 10% position of their appraisal and subsequently been given "Career Transfer Out" option and in comes a more enthusiastic and artistic bunch of motivated designer/engineer who is keen to produce a winner at a given cost constraint. First one to go is the central mounted meter binnacle, now repositioned in front of the driver. 

There is much more flair to the design. The meter is cowled while the centre console is mounted high up with the airconditioning vent and audio system encased in silver trimmed housing and trimmed with creative texturing. As can be seen above the dashboard is multi tiered, with the top surface adopt a simulated stitching edge, lend by Toyota Camry. Silver strip separates this part from the lower dash (G and E trim, black on TRD and unpainted on J trim), the same finish extend the the door trim as well (except for E which terminates at the vent). 

Despite having similar wheelbase to the current Vios, the new cabin is roomier thanks to a re-positioned A and C-pillar. Leg, head and shoulder room is class competitive, with comfort further aided by an enlarged seat surface. Seating position is great, and all control surfaces are within the ergonomics bound. Feel good factor is high. The chunky steering wheel has a fat rim, and the button feels substantial. Audio button and aircond vent feel solid, while the rotary dials for the manual aircond has a tactile rotation inertia. The gear knob is palm-full to grab, however it is too light in its movement for my liking.

Storage space is abundance. There's a slot in front of the gear console, sizable glovebox with partition and this is where the increased in length is justified. The boot volume has grown tremendously to 506L from 470L previously. This puts Toyota Vios boot space on part with Proton Preve (Read all about Proton Preve here) and Honda City which just 2L separates them. More juicy discussion after the jump.

Proton Suprima S Review & Test Drive: The Unpolished Gem

It has been two weeks since Proton Suprima S hits the ground, and Proton itself said Suprima S is about to surpass its target of 750 units sold permonth, so I guess it is quite well received for its niche. I had a go in the car and thinks Suprima S is quite well conceived, albeit still needs some polishing, preferably from the experienced-global hand. There's a lot of likeable points and it represent the best Proton to date.

As an introduction, repeating the launch article (Read all the details of Proton Suprima S HERE) , Proton Suprima S is the hatchback derivative of Proton Preve. It is 107mm shorter while other dimension remain status quo. It comes in two version, all powered the turbocharged 1.6L mill punching 140PS and 205Nm of power and torque and can only be had with CVT gearbox. The cheapest version goes for RM76,388 while the top version won't give much change for your RM80,000.

Now lets unravel Proton Suprima S slowly,start with the styling. Firstly, styling is subjective so there's no correct ugliness or wrong beauty. Personally, since Proton Gen2 and Proton Satria Neo, Proton hardly makes good looking car, as it keeps churning something close to mid 90's Korean design effort from Saga BLM onwards. Things in for a change for Proton Preve, the claim was it was penned by Italdesign Giugiaro although one wonder how dominant that legendary Italdesign was during the process. Fortunately, Suprima S saves Preve element pretty well, as if Preve is the booted version of Suprima S instead of the de-booted of the former. It has to be appreciated under the light reflection of the environment instead of the camera lens. The intricacies of the rear fascia with its intertwined of protruding lights and multi-faceted surfacing actually works well. Trust me, look for one on the road instead of showroom and you'll know it.

Proton redesign the upper and lower grille insert,as well as fog lamp housing

It appears solid, somewhat further accentuated by the 17' alloy wheel which gives it a ground hugging stance. The reverse-angled rear door, chunky C-pillar and the tailgate spoiler gives it a sporty pretension. The over-sized rear bumper lower garnish helps in breaking the visual mass and lightened the rear end appearance, but the totally hidden exhaust make it subdued again. It is visually acceptable, although not arresting one like the Korean, or impart tense-solidity like the European. I still think Proton should employ Royal College of Art student which makes up a good statistic of global-level designer instead of sticking to employing people who graduated from the same town all the way.

The interior wears similar clothes to the 2012 Proton Preve. Key differentiation come by playing color palette. I am not a fans of Preve dashboard, as it has a vast emptiness on its fascias. There's so many unfilled voids as Proton is running out of features that have its switch/button on the dashboard. The dark trim on Preve somewhat masked this (although the small screen infotainment is a glaring flaw), but the cubic-motif silver trim on Suprima S makes the emptiness more obvious. The single surfacing for the dashboard fascia further accentuate this. I am sure if the fascia is broken into at least two planes, one for the audio system while the lower one pushed slightly inwards while accommodating the dials for air conditioning will reduce the empty feeling somewhat. However, good quality plastic used throughout the essential surface and the infotainment is now 7' in size so there's plus points to note.

Although Proton stylist has brightened the central fascia by silver insert, the new found light was clawed back by the high gloss black trim used on the gearknob and steering wheel. The paddle shifter is finished in the same dark color. However, all is not lost. Out goes the water repellent fabric upholstery and in comes a soft leather with good quality feeling. It occupies the seats, door trim and handbrake lever (Premium version only).

Practicality is very good. None of Preve cabin spaciousness is lost in the de-booting process. Not un-like many cars in the budget segment, the painted metal can still be seen in the cabin particularly on the untrimmed surface of the door frame, both front and rear. The boot volume has been reduced by massive 200L down to 309L VDA although the swept volume is still significant 427L provided you can pack your things in plastic bag so that it can be squeezed around. The fully-flat rear seat folding mechanism will come handy when needed.

Driving is height adjustable, but I feel it is a tad too high even at its lowest position. The correct combination of seat and steering could be better but this is no deal-breaker. At all. More discussion point after the jump.

Peugeot 208 1.6VTi Reviewed

Peugeot 208 made its debut in Malaysia last April, available in sole 1.6L powertrain option but with two bodystyles, 3 door and 5 door hatchback. It has been a long time for us in Malaysia to get a small Peugeot, as the previous smallest offering is the 308 series. If one goes back longer in time, we used to have the 206 as well, albeit later in rebadged Naza Bestari form. We skipped the 207 model that came after that.

Nasim has priced the 208 series well below its bigger 308 brother, but pricier than its booted older predecessor at RM85,888 for the 5 door and RM95,888 for the 3 door version. Both version are powered by similar 1.6L mill punching 122PS and 160Nm of power and torque respectively. It is sufficient to propel the chic hatch to 100km/h in 10.7 seconds on its way to 190km/h top speed.

In tune with the latest trend in downsizing of "stuff", the new small Peugeot is smaller and lighter than the car it replaced. Compared to the outgoing 207, Peugeot 208 is 70mm shorter, 25mm lower and whopping 110kg lighter. It now measured 3,960mm long, 1,492mm tall, 1,748mm wide and sits on 2,540mm wheelbase.

The dimensions are enough to supply a cosy cabin and 285L of boot volume. It is actually 15L more than 207 with 50mm more legroom, quite a significant feat considering the reduction in length. The interior is styled in the latest Peugeot cabin language, with prominent switch gear, stubby lever, stylistic meter binnacle, and in this case, a centralized touch screen that has a responsive touch control.

Coming to the car, the operation of the handles and door weight has a "european" heaviness to it. The door swing out with hefty of effort, so it the seat padding, gear lever slide and steering twirl resistance. While it exudes a high perceived quality impression, it could be tiresome for some.

You sit high up in the 5 door cabin. The ergonomics is good, with high gear lever and high mounted audio control, but the non-circular steering wheel takes some time to get used to. Ditto the highly-positioned meter binnacle which is meant to be read above the steering wheel. There is also an issue with the front centre arm rest because it virtually block the access to the handbrake. But since we are using it only during the the start and end of each drive, it is relegated to minor foibles. Other than that, other aspect of the car is quite sound. Space is great for small family and their belongings with decent rear legroom and boot space.

The car moves with the solid feeling you can expect with European makers, something the Japanese still need to learn. On my test route in late morning in high ambient temperature, I found that the aircond is reasonably effective to cool down the cabin although it is not arctic cold like some cars. The side mirror is close to the eye as it is positioned well back in the door but the steering wheel really takes sometime to get used to due to its abnormal shape.

On the moves, the car feels solid and heavy, with good bump tolerance to the road undulation. Pick-up and throttle responsiveness can only be described as  adequate, and so is the isolation of the engine sound from the cabin.  

A good buy? Well Peugeot 208 has a certain charm to it. This is especially true in terms of aesthetic of the new Peugeot design language. You'll get the "in-thing" at the moment like the funky LED DRL eye-brow, and elaborative body panel design features. You've get to evaluate the Euro-feeling to see if you like it. Or else, there's nothing wrong to try out the new Kia Rio and Ford Fiesta before setting your verdict.

Small gallery can be found after the jump.

Mazda6 2.0 Skyactiv Reviewed - A Drive Out of Hiatus

The third generation Mazda6 made an official inroad to the Malaysian market on 20th March 2013, and what a strange entry it was. The car kind of slipped quietly into the market, whereby the media test drive and customer test session started way back from the end of January. Delivery started in early March also in a quiet manner and the March launch was also a relatively no big event. This is totally in contrast with the car, which is anything but low-key.

It has a kind of styling that make you wonder whether Honda and Toyota stylist designed car during their part-time job, half-awake or purely, that. It clearly deviates from the safe, bland and unadventurous design that many of its Japanese or even European rivals seems to stick to. Second in the Mazda line-up to wear the evocative Kodo design language, Mazda6 is one sleek looking machine. The front end is dominated by the swept back headlight, with the chrome whisker that runs from the gigantic front grille. Take the Mazda CX-5 front end, lowered it a little and flatten the top part along the hood and you won't stray too far in describing the leading end of the new Mazda6.

The side profile is garnished by the strongly creased fender, a hallmark styling features found on every Mazda from RX-8 sportscar down to Mazda3 which is a familiar sight on our road. The waistline is tall, forming the significant portion of the car total height. The glass-house is shallow, with sports-car like steeply raked A and C-pillar, resulting is a very slim window opening. Those who love the airy feeling of the environment will find it a bit claustrophobic, the small rear door aperture won't help to eliminate those perception too. But we are missing the point here if that is the selling point. The point is that the car is/will be bought by people who wants a D-Segment sedan, with a touch of pizzas to the styling with adequate space for a family of five with reasonably sized boot volume.

The rear end is characterized by the wraparound taillights, which is joined by the chrome bar that run along the width of the car. The rear side panel is bulged, which carries the volume from the expanding rear end from the wheelarches rearward, before being tapered, tucked in towards the rear fascia to improve the overall aerodynamics. Speaking about aerodynamics, the new Mazda6 has a drag coefficient of 0.26, an impressively low figure. This is achieved by clever surface design, as well as the fully covered floor panel to reduce flow disruption.

For Malaysian market, the third generation Mazda6 is offered in two bodystyles of sedan and wagon, while the all-petrol line-up is offered in 2.0L and 2.5L Skyactiv-G version. Both are high-compression ratio direct-injection engine. The former produced 155PS@6,000rpm and 196Nm@4,000rpm while the latter kicked out 188PS@5,700rpm and 250Nm@3,250rpm.Both are paired with 6 speed automatic transmission. The version tested here is the 2.0L model. 

Dimension-wise, the sedan is 4,860mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,450mm tall. The wheelbase is 2,830mm long. The Grand Touring has a shorter wheelbase of 2,750mm. It is also shorter at  4,800mm and taller at 1,480mm. In comparison, the old 6 Sedan measures 4,755mm,1,795mm, 1,440mm and 2,725mm in these dimensions respectively. As a results of this, there is 43mm more knee room at the back while the rear seat cushion has been increased by 20mm for added comfort. 

The new body structure is 50kg lighter that the car it replaced. Typical to Skyactiv epitome, chassis design is optimized with multi-load bearing structure, which when combined with the higher tensile steel giving out an overall weight reduction compared to the outgoing model. 

Mazda6 rides on McPhersons struts up front and Multi-link setup at the back. Wheel size is 17 inch for the 2.0L and 19 inch for the 2.5L, wrapping  225/55 R17 and 225/45 R19 tyres respectively. Apart from wheel and tyre combo size, the 2.0L and 2.5L are differentiated by the equipment level too. All version gets 6 airbags, starter button, auto air-cond, auto wipers, cruise control, TFT touch screen audio system, reverse camera and start stop system. Opting for a higher grade 2.5L will get you 11-speaker BOSE system, i-ELOOP regenerative braking system, satnav, sunroof, paddle shifter, Bi-Xenon headlight, nicer LED DRL with even nicer headlight inner graphic and a host of adaptive driving monitoring systems.

The interior is an dark affair, upholstered in all-black leather seats, black dashboard and door trim. The monotonous interior them is punctuated by the red stitching in the seat and door trim, some chrome bezel around the gear lever, aircond outlet surround and steering wheel. The dashboard fascia is garnished by the plastic trim in harmonically-contrasting plastic panel. Overall space can be described as cosy, large enough but you'll feel cocoon by the high floor console and high window sill. The dissapointing part is the dashboard is almost direct carry-over from CX-5. I personally think a lower fascia will make it a better driving environment, more suited to its sport sedan moniker. Imagine it low fascia, i.e bring down the touch screen ICE and squeeze everything from there downwards.

Driver seat is firm, and it has more bolster for your shoulder and side. I however think the seat bottom/squab is shorter than I expected from a D-Segment car. Otherwise, ergonomics is pretty good, driving position is spot on. Bending the current trend among Japs maker to flood the car with hard plastic, Mazda has equipped the 6 with softly padded material on the dashboard and door trim top. No fake leather stitching on the dashboard here.Rear passenger won't be complaining about space too, and despite the rakish roof-line, the rear headroom is still sufficient. There's also several storage cubbies, there's bottle holder in every door trim, while additional cupholders can be found respectively in the gear console and rear armrest.

Dual-zone automatic airconditioning is standard even on the 2.0L version and they are very effective in cooling down the cabin. Passengers are very likely to be very comfortable in here even for a long journey. MMN has been with the car for 5000km for over 3 weeks, and it can be concluded that the drive is fatigue-free.

Now lets go to the best part. How does it drive? Upon the first encounter of starting up the engine via the starter button, you'll notice the engine is anything but quiet, particular during cold-start. The engine then settles into the rattling note which is close to something we can called quiet-diesel. The sound characteristic seems to be consistent with the rest of gasoline direct injection lump, very much like the N20 units in the BMW.

A glide past the engine bay, and gracefully slid into the driver seat (electrically operated with 2 memories sets) and shut the light-ish door, you'll be isolated from the rattling petrol mill up front. Depress the organ-type gas pedal, the car moves with a great composure. The suspension setting is quite firm, not sportscar-firm, but firmer than the typical floating setup of the D-Segment sedan. The steering is however quite too light for my liking but it makes treading the car past the cramped parking area a breeze.

On the slow ride, you can be forgiven if you think the 2.0L might be a little sluggish. While it bite right from the very first prod on the throttle, the progress after that is serenade if you just pushed the pedal naturally. The Skyactiv-G is clearly tuned for economy. How long a car enthusiastic can last like this, especially when the Soul Red exterior is akin to pouncing cheetah.

Worries you not. Floor the gas till you hear the "tick" sound, indicating you've signaled your intention to your car. It will kick-down immediately and swing the rpm needle to the redzone, giving you the dose of acceleration you so desire. However, the power available is similar to other D-Segment with naturally aspirated 2.0L lump, which you can't expect to be miraculously powerful.

Fuel consumption wise, Mazda6 2.0 can be described as commendable. I managed 7.8L/100km for a spirited highway driving, where most of it is a high speed run. For the city driving, I managed to get around 8.5L/100km. Some forummer in the internet quoted lower fuel consumption, i.e something like 7.3L/100km. So I bet it depends on your right foot. My personal conclusion, this car amazingly beat my 1.5L national car that I used to drive, by quite a margin!

On the highway cruise, Mazda6 is refined is terms of ride despite the slightly firm suspension setting. However, pass the legal cruising speed, the wind noise start to intrude. The Toyo tyres are not the last wod in refinement either as their sound can be heard in the cabin. This is one of the spoilt for the overall driving experience, as the executive sedan should be more serene inside.

Mazda6 2.0 is an adequate tool even if a 180 km/h cruise is required. The big sedan seamlessly sliced through the air with its excellent aerodynamics and the suspension composure for your to enjoy a relaxed high speed cruise. The suspension won't dissapoint you upon the encounter with bend. The steering is precise, even if it lacks the meaningful weight. It however make the car feel nimble, light on its feet. The suspension setup controlled the roll very well, giving you enough confidence to attack the bend.

As a family car, Mazda6 scores well in terms of cabin space, while the exterior styling adds the panache to the overall package. The ride and handling will pleased the driver, although he will slightly dissapointed with the external noise intrusion. The boot also is on a small side, nowhere near the previous model 506L volume. While the boot itself is long, it is quite shallow, which is unforgivable for car which even lacks the spare tyre under the boot floor! There is also an evidence of cost cutting in the boot, where the outgoing Mazda6 multi-link trunk lid hinge has made way for the goose-neck hinge which eat space, but cheaper to manufactured.

As described earlier, buying the 2.0L won't get you the amenities such as sunroof, paddle shifter, LED DRL (totally different headlamp design), a stunning 19 inch alloy wheel, satnav system and a host of Mazda active driving aids. You'll still get the essentials such as the dual-zone automatic aircond, leather upholstery, 6 airbags, typical ABS+EBD+TCS, starter button and RM30k price difference. For information, Mazda6 range starts with 2.0L Sedan at RM159,440.20, moves to 2.5L Sedan at RM187,659.30 and topped by the 2.5L Grand Touring at RM191,763.30.

Gallery of the new Mazda6 can be found below:

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Mitsubishi Mirage - Design & Drive Impression

Mitsubishi Mirage is the latest newcomer in the small car segment crowded with many brands offering product that is designed as exquisite as the palm tree with frill-free design element in the interest of cost. Mitsubishi is set to challenge that with a small car offering big car design and features at a price that will shaken the national boys. Mirage also is classified as an eco-car, and capable of sipping fuel at a really slow rate to post a 21km/L figure, something that the local/Korean boys can't quite deliver.

Model-wise, to recap, Mitsubishi Mirage came in 2 specs, the low-spec GL and the loaded GS. The GL can be had with either 5 speed manual or CVT, while the GS is CVT only. Standard equipment across the board include dual SRS, ABS, all-around power window, immobilizer, chromed door inside handle, 3 cupholders in the floor console and a 2 DIN audio system. Opting for GS trim will unlock a host of convenience features that is big-car like including fog lamp, rear spoiler, digital automatic air conditioning, starter button , keyless entry, tonneau cover and leather upholstery for the gear knob and steering. All these accessories weight up to the RM63,375 for the full-fat version while the leaner GL version is pitched at RM55,583 and RM60,453 for the manual and CVT respectively. The price put Mirage right at the competition with the top-range Myvis, comprises of the 1.5L Myvi SE and Extreme.

Where the Lancer (and Inspira), ASX and the never-been-to-Malaysia Outlander and Colt wears the distinctive shark-like nose conforming to the then-up-to-date Mitsubishi design language, Mitsubishi Mirage wears the newer theme, consistent with the new Outlander. Aesthetic is always subjective, so verdict is an open ended question. Anyhow, the styling of Mirage is clean-looking with triangulated headlamp, slim grille opening and the lower intake adopts a soft radius but strengthened by the protruding lower lip. The rear end meanwhile is vertical with the rear light follow the same design shape as the front item. There is no fancy LED here, just a good old bulb. Overall, Mitsubishi Mirage looks quite sleek unlike the tall-boy appearance of the two-generation of Myvi, courtesy of its lower stance at 1,500mm. Total length is 3,710mm, width is 1,665mm and wheelbase is 2,450mm.

It is the interior design that sets Mirage apart from all its rival, relatively speaking of course. Where Perodua Myvi interior is dominated with the flattened plastic panel with reduced curvature to minimise the material usage and tooling cost, Mirage triumphs with the stylish centre console wrapped by the glossy black finish. The audio is high mounted and beneath it is the air cond control. For the GL version, the manual control comprises of two rotary dials and two sliding bar. Storage space is provided by the cubby at the top of the glovebox. The gear knob is of the gated type, sits behind the two cupholders. The remaining one cupholder is behind the handbrake lever, closer to the rear passenger.

The front seat is comfortable and you are cocooned quite well in the car. The feeling of well-contained is accentuated further by the dark cabin color which prevent it from becoming any airier. Space for front passenger is great and the width of the cabin is generous. Moving to the back of the cabin, the leg and head room is sufficient although it is a bit less than Perodua Myvi. Due to the width, 3 abreast will a bit tight, but so do the oppositions. Disappointingly, not unlike many car priced under RM100k, the rear passenger comfort is treated as fourth class citizen. While nicely padded, the rear bench is flatter than your neighbour garden bench. You can slide around uninterruptedly under the cornering force. The boot capacity is 245L, and can be made more practical thanks to the split-fold mechanism of the rear seat.

In terms of engineering, Mitsubishi Mirage is clearly designed with the strict cost control in mind. For example, while the interior design is quite modern in the look department, Mitsubishi has cut the corner where it can. The door trim for example make do without the fabric insert. It is just plastic, albeit it is textured. Another cost saving measures visible is the lack of body paint in the engine bay. The engine bay is left with the base coat. Quite clever and I think it should be adopt by other OEM too. The car is lightweight at 825kg, and certainly the weight saving can be seen in the engine bay. Take a look below, the side beam just stop in front of the wheel and mounted pretty low to join the rest of the load bearing element underneath. There's also massive space between the inner structure to the fender outer panel, it should be good not only for the weight reduction, but also for the pedestrian impact rating.

Driving experience and satisfaction varies depending on the expectation. The 78PS and 100Nm of power and torque offered by the 1,193cc engine is sufficient to propel the car along in a leisurely manner. If you are the eco-person, and need the system intervention to prevent your right foot from damaging the environment (and your fuel comsumption), then this car is for you. The CVT and engine management is clearly tuned for fuel economy and together they resist the request for hard acceleration. Stand on the gas at low speed, the CVT drone, the engine groan, and you'll be moving forward with slightly added dose of acceleration.

On the move, the cabin is fairly quiet. There's little road roar, much better than the local product. The steering is light and offer not much feeling, but it is ok for city car like this. I can recall the new Myvi has a  meatier steering feel despite being the EPS type. The suspension is a bit on the soft side, so handling is, well, lets just say it is biased towards ride comfort. It is just OK, and will make the cut desired by everyone with nothing outstanding in particular.

How does Mitsubishi Mirage fares? Well, it is as competent as Perodua Myvi, with no serious advantages or disadvantages. While it is smaller on the cabin, it gains hefty advantage in the boot volume. While the cabin is a little less airier, the overall design has more flair to it and it lack the feeling of so-2005 to it. The glossy centre console in particular, with well-curvaceous panel is more commendable than the local product can ever manage to become. The overall driving experience however is a little mixed. Although it has a thoroughly modern drivetrain, the drive itself does not feel that sophisticated, just on par with the car in the segment. All in all, Mitsubishi Mirage is a safe option for those would like to try something non-nationals.

More photos of Mitsubishi Mirage can be found after the jump.

Ford Focus - design and drive impression

Overview

Ford Focus was introduced to the world market in 1998, signalling the end of an era for the long-living Escort model. The then new first generation Focus brought a new hall mark in the C Segment hatchback/sedan, where the new benchmark for styling, space and handling finesse has been redefined. Such is the phenomena that the first generation Focus has set, that all the new comer after that were judged based on this standard. The second generation arrived in 2004, bringing about a bigger and more spacious body. The styling is more restrained, and later adopted the Kinetic Design philosophy during the 2008 facelift. The third generation arrived in late 2010 where market entrance commenced in 2011. This is the generation we are getting today (or more accurately this September). Assembled in Rayong, Thailand since late June 2012, the new Ford Focus is set to shake the C Segment in the Asia region hard unlike its predecessor which was never capable enough.

The right essence is there. The exterior styling is modern interpretation of Ford design language. It can be termed as the big brother to chic-looking Fiesta, especially the Focus hatchback. Comes in two body styles, the hatchback is named as Focus Sport, while the sedan is called Focus Ghia. Two trim levels are available for both, Sport and Sport+, and Titanium and Titanium+. Thus, there are four variants altogether. Sime Darby is yet to fix the final price, but the indicative pricing is RM135,000 for the + variant, while the cheaper version is good RM15,000 less. Equipment level can be described as generous, especially compared to the sparsely-equipped Japanese challenger launched last month.

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Exterior

The new Ford Focus wears the new Ford corporate face which is an evolution from the Fiesta. The front end is dominated by the large headlight which is is very formal looking as it lacks the inward sharp thrust edge that usually lends some aggressiveness to the outlook. Instead, the inner lower edge of the light is curved back upwards. Similar concept is applied to the front bumper too. Instead of trying to inject some air of sportiness via massive and meshed air intakes, Ford applies a 3-segment setup, with the outer 2 triangular in shape and the inner one rectangular is outlines and run all the way to the top, almost joining the upper grille. Mild chrome is applied here. Its quite pleasing to look at in flesh, as the car is really one of the most non-photogenic that MMN has come across.

The side profile is dominated by the cab forward stance. The A-pillar is outreached far  to the hood area, and the hood trailing edge shut line is almost nearly at the front wheel centre axis. There is a strong belt line, that character-fully run crisper near the fender where it joins another line that subtly exist on the door panel. There's some character line too on the door lower edge, making the side panel of the new Focus as sleek as it can get.

It is the rear end that significantly sets the sedan and the hatch apart. The hatchback is far more sporty, almost as rakish as the smaller Fiesta, albeit in an inflated form. The gigantic rear light blends all the planes well. The interplay of different surfaces in intricate here, but effective in application. The rear end of the hatch back is finished with the nice-looking spoiler. The sedan meanwhile is more sedate. The tail is more elongated looking, with similarly horizontally stretched rear light (instead of vertically stretched for the hatch). The overall stance is still acceptable, and if it still does not convince you, you won't see how your car boot looks like from the driving seat! This is an important criteria as the difference in boot space between the two version is significant.

Interior

When MMN tested the new Honda Civic last month, MMN concluded that it is spacious, despite the slightly sparse looking. The new Ford Focus is totally opposite of those. It has adequate space (1094mm front legroom, 848mm rear legroom) but it is cocooningly cozy instead of letting you lose inside like the Civic. The seats too is more bolstered, more cushioning in the padded material and generally slightly larger to the Japanese competitor.

The dashboard is really orgasmic. Where the Japanese competitor is as exciting as tree, the Focus item is chunky, with prominent meter binnacle with elaborative housing. The centre console is hooded, housing a 4.2" display screen. The aircon vent is substantial, and chromed lined. The audio actually has a lot of button (listen to this Honda!!!!), highly glossy in finishing and the buttons are tactile to press. The climate control variation of button and dial sizes that impart some classiness. The climate control is dual zone by the way. The floor console is high, increasing the sense of cocooning as aforementioned. The gearknob is snazzy, while the hand brake arm is as per the abandoned FD Civic item. If you are really considering the age of the car, the new Ford Focus is actually an older car compared to the new Civic. When the European Focus was unveiled, the new Civic is pounding the dessert under the watchful eye of the spy photographer. So technically, the Ford engineers could be looking at benchmarking the Civic FD cabin at the time the Honda engineers are thinking of abandoning some of the costly concept.

The application of soft touch padded plastic is strategic,namely on the dashboard upper section and the front door trim upper part. The rest of the interior is moulded from the harder material, but thankfully garnished in expensive looking texture pattern. The door trim design is visibly different in philosophy from the Japanese. It has large plastic area, with minimal section wrapped in fabric/leather. There's also an ambient lighting shining from the door inside handle housing. The power window panel is blessed with chrome insert, tastefully lifting the interior classiness.

There floor console has some storage space behind the gear console, which is partitioned by the twin cupholder. There's however no aircond vent, but the front vents are already quite substantial. The seat upholstery is nicely done, especially around the back of the front seat where no zipped section is visible. The same cannot be said about some of the Japanese competitor.

The color scheme for the Sport and Ghia (hatch and sedan) differs greatly. The hatchback interior is nicely done in all-black plastic material. The centre console is silver-trimmed, with dials set in contrasting black. The seats are half-leather, with dark fabric insert in the middle.

The sedan meanwhile gets a two-tone cabin. The main theme is slightly brownish. The lower section is lighter in its hue. The seats are full leather covered instead of partially. The seat color scheme is similar to the dashboard, light hue, perhaps can be describe as a light watery brown, but definitely not beige. Subjectively speaking. The climate control panel is silver instead of black like the hatchback.

Steering wheel for both version is rich is features. The right button panel is for the screen in the meter binnacle displaying the driving parameters (fuel consumption etc) while the identical left panel is for the Ford SYNC panel  displayed in the central 4.2" screen. There's also chunky lower button controlling the cruise control and voice activated and bluetooth phone respectively on the right and left. The wheel rims is thickly padded giving a real firm grip, essential when navigating the car that can corner this hard. More after the jump.