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So what did BMW do to improve on the excellent 5-er? As with any self respecting German Automaker, BMW added more luxurious features and a lot more power to the car. The turbocharged V8 in the 550i makes 45 bhp more than the outgoing 5-er. The extra power means that the car is capable of launching itself towards the horizon and hit 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, which is not too far off what the M5 can achieve. All engines are mated to an eight-speed auto, although a six-speed manual is offered as a no cost option on some models. Keeping in tune with downsizing trends, BMW has inserted a new, entry-level diesel powerplant in the F10 shell. The turbocharged 2.0-liter 4 cylinder in the 518d produces 143 bhp and 360 Nm of torque.
Happenings

BMW Refreshes The 5-Series For 2014

IN BMW, Facelift, 5-series, F10

BMW adds a diesel, refines its interior


A mismatch though it may be, the engine is still a great unit. It produces just 94bhp, which admittedly isn’t fantastic, but makes up with 230Nm of torque. That’s more pulling power than some NA 2.4-litre engines! An even bigger selling point though, is its cleanliness — just 99g/km of CO2. Perhaps this why only this engine is being imported here — it gets the maximum $20,000 CEVS rebate, a useful saving in Singapore’s problematic car market. And naturally, being a diesel, fuel consumption is excellent too; I managed just under 17km/l over 370km of not-particularly-economic driving.
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Call Of The Jungle… | Peugeot 208 e-HDi

IN Peugeot, 208, 1.6 e-HDi, Diesel

… The urban one, that is. Peugeot’s latest baby has landed and, curiously for this end of the market, it’s a diesel!


Exterior-wise, the car looks pretty much looks like a mix of the Grand Turismo and a shrunken Quattroporte; the combination has produced a car that is dotted with sleek lines and sexy curves. The same cannot be said about the car’s rear end; the Kia Cerato-esque lights just do not fit the curvature of the Maserati bodyshell.
Happenings

Ghibli Is Ready To Take On The Middle-Weight Champs!

IN Maserati, Ghibli S, Diesel, Quattroporte baby, Luxury,

Maserati shrinks the Quattroporte and slaps in a V6 diesel.


With that, say hello to the new C4 Picasso. Previewed earlier this year in Geneva by the Technospace concept, the production version doesn’t look like it’s changed one bit, save for the non-body coloured rims. According to Citroen, the egg-shaped cab-forward shell (geddit? Shell? Egg? Never mind) is 40mm shorter than the old car, yet has a 55mm longer wheelbase for added legroom. The new Picasso has also shed 140kg in the quest for lower CO2 emissions.
Happenings

Art For All The Family

IN Citroen, C4, Picasso, MPV

MPVs don’t usually have a right to look stylish, but Citroen clearly disagrees.


Exterior wise, the car has a long bonnet and a long wheelbase and is slated to be a “next-generation luxury sports coupe.” The bold styling of the car includes details such as fluid surfaces courtesy of Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design language, muscular body lines that run the length of the car, and Hyundai’s trademark hexagonal radiator grille. To make the car stand out even further, Hyundai has equipped it with butterfly doors and aggressively styled 3D rear lights. The rear is rounded off with a pair of exhaust tips on both sides of the car. The attractive body sits on lightweight 22-inch alloys with carbon trim to help keep the weight down.
Happenings

Hyundai Launches Radical HND-9 Concept

IN Hyundai, HND-9, Seoul, Concept, Coupe

Stunning looking concept launched at Hyundai’s home motor show.


On the outside, it may look like very little work has been done. But look a little closer, and you will realise that Kia has lengthened the Soul, tweaked its headlights and front bumper, and smartened up its rear end. The rear taillight cluster has been replaced by a much smarter and more modern unit, while the rear tailgate has been widened and is now made up of a single piece of glass, with the centre decked out with a piece of body-coloured trim.
Happenings

Kia’s Got A New Soul!

IN Kia, Soul, New, Supermini, New York

Kia ditches the ‘boy-racer’ look and goes for a more matured look in the facelifted Soul.


Aesthetics wise, Volvo has got the formula right. The very thing that captures your attention first would be the very sporty looking bonnet with its cuts and creases, and the extremely rakish windscreen. Throw in unpainted plastic cladding that runs all round, faux scuff plates (front and rear) and sleek silver roof rails, what you get is a jacked up hatch back with an off-roader presence. 
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Dull And Drab No More | Volvo V40 Cross Country

IN Volvo, V40, Cross Country, Hatchback

Volvo's V40 Cross Country is style and substance all rolled into one.


Happenings

Eurokars City Centre Revamped And Unveiled

IN Eurokars, Group, Centre, MINI, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Showroom

With Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran as the Guest of Honour, the Eurokars City Centre opens its doors to the public.


No need to hunt for a parking lot or wonder where to go, the Basement 2 car park is dedicated to receive you. Just pull up at the service reception bay and a service advisor will attend to you promptly. He will then run through the areas that your car will be worked on for the day, and proceed to give you a cost estimate.
Happenings

Audi Service Excellence 'Test Driven'

IN Audi, Audi Centre, Aftersales, Service, Premium Auto

They could have sent out a press release saying that they've got a great aftersales service program. But Audi went one better and invited us to experience it for ourselves.


Combine that brief with Tilke's characteristic safety features and tarmac run-off areas (less exciting for professional racing, much safer and friendlier for trackdays), and everyone's a winner. As a car enthusiast in Singapore caged by endless rules and taxes, this news comes at a perfect time to give us hope and take our minds off the recent ridiculous trends in our car industry. If you'll excuse me, I've now got to start saving for my own trackday monster...
Happenings

FASTrack Iskandar Appoints Hermann Tilke As Track Designer

IN FASTrack, Iskandar, Johor, Malaysia, Track, Racetrack, Motorsports, Trackday

Motorsports fans and petrolheads rejoice. After news of the Changi Motorsposrts Hub's demise left car enthusiasts disappointed, there now seems to be hope for the local motorsports fraternity.


Of course, the car is nothing more than a concept at this point in time. That said, if the Provo ever entered production, how much of the radical design would actually make it into the final product? The car in its current form is certainly quite striking though, thanks to the contrasting roof color, one-piece headlight and taillight housings, and oversized wheel arches paired with radical wheels.
Happenings

Hot Korean Model Rivals The British And Germans

IN Kia, Provo, Concept, Geneva, Hybrid, Sports

Kia’s Provo Concept is set to be serious contender in the compact car category. MINI, watch out!


Now, I can bet with you that Lamborghini would like to be known as the manufacturer that makes wild supercars again. At the Geneva Motor Show, they made sure that that nickname stuck by launching the Lamborghini Veneno. Underneath the radically styled carbonfibre body, lie the chassis and the running gear of the Aventador.
Happenings

Ultra Rare Aventador-Based Supercar Launched!

IN Lamborghini, Veneno, Anniversary, V12, Geneva

Lamborghini builds the insane Veneno to celebrate its 50th anniversary.


Two models of the A-class will be available here, both powered by turbocharged 4-cyl engines: the 1.6-litre A200 with 156 hp and 250 Nm of torque, and the 2.0-litre A250 Sport with 211 hp and 350Nm. Claimed performance figures for both models are 8.3 s and 6.6 s respectively for the 0-100 km/h dash, and top speeds of 224 km/h and 240 km/h. Thanks to Mercedes' BlueEFFICIENCY engineering philosophy, both cars are rather fuel efficient at 5.8 and 6.4 l/100km, while CO2 emissions of 136 and 148 g/km ensure up to $10,000 in CEVS rebates.
Happenings

All-New Mercedes A-Class Launch

IN Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, A-class, A200, A250, Hatchback, Cycle & Carriage

The previous Mercedes A-class was an innovative exercise in compact packaging and practicality, but suffered from ungainly looks and the results of the infamous Elk Test. Will the new one redeem it?


The stats, though, really do make for quite some startling reading. The 6.3-litre V12 is a development of the unit from the F12 Berlinetta, but massaged to produce 790 bhp at a screaming 9000 rpm. Coupled with Ferrari's HY-KERS (HYbrid-Kinetic Energy Recovery System), the LaFerrari manages a grand total of 950 bhp and 970 Nm of torque, eclipsing the McLaren by about 50 bhp, and murdering the Porsche's 785 bhp. As a result, 0-100 km/h is done and dusted in less than 3 sec, 0-200 in less than 7 and 0-300 in 15 sec. The mighty Bugatti Veyron SS, with around 200 bhp more, can only manage those benchmarks in 2.5, 6.7 and 14.6 sec respectively.
Happenings

The New LaFerrari - LaAwesome, Or 'Come On lah'?

IN Ferrari, LaFerrari, Geneva, Hybrid, Hypercars

Years of planning, research, testing and teasing have led to this. The War of the Hypercars is upon us and Ferrari wades into battle with the biggest arsenal. It's gonna be an exciting year ahead...


The new Mazda 6 has adopted the 'KODO — Soul of Motion' design theme the most. Inspired by the movements of the cheetah in the wild, the new model features the signature wing grille, the new family face of Mazda. Headlamps incorporate LEDs and a new halo ring light, while linking the face to the side character lines and onwards to the signature tail lights.
Happenings

Mazda Launches The New Sexy 6!

IN Mazda, 6, SkyActiv

The Mazda TAKERI and SHINARI (sounds like sushi) concept cars were great. The actual car while not as wild, is certainly a worthy interpretation. But will it sell as well as its predecessors?


Stomp on the pedal from standstill and the new GTI will accelerate to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 246 km/h. The GTI Performance will edge ahead a little at 250 km/h and 6.4 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h.
Happenings

New Volkswagen Golf GTI To Grace Geneva Motor Show

IN Volkswagen, Golf, GTI, Geneva Motor Show

Following the news on Volkswagen's GTD diesel hot-hatch, their iconic GTI has officially been announced and will make an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show.


Ok, so we've driven it on curvy italian sweepers, but how does it fare on our local roads. We grab the keys to a Golf Sport which packs 140 bhp and 250 Nm of torque. The 1.4 TSI turbocharged engine will enable the Golf Sport to hit 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds from standstill, and onto an impressive 212 km/h, where roads allow.
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Hole-In-One | Volkswagen Golf Sport 1.4 TSI

IN Volkswagen Group Singapore, Volkswagen, VW, Golf, 1.4 TSI, TDI, DSG, Mk 7, 7, 1.6 TDI

Volkswagen scores a hole-in-one with the new Golf. We drive it, only to find out that it has just bagged the coveted Car of the Year award. We couldn't agree with the judges more.


The Audi A6 is one such car that has really impressed me. With a powertrain that is made up on a combination of the 211 bhp, 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated with a 54 bhp electric motor, it pushes a total output of 245 bhp. Pretty decent for this sedan, and more than what you would need on a daily basis.
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Clean Performance | Audi A6 Hybrid

IN Audi A6, Audi Singapore, Premium Automobiles, Hybrid

Audi's A6 Hybrid packs a combined power of 245 bhp and will save you some money too (if you drove it like it had 120 bhp)! But for the price, wouldn't a 3.0 TFSI make more sense?


The Tokyo Auto Salon that was held in Japan back in January was the largest one yet with a 30% space expansion over the previous years, and over 832 cars spread out over 8 halls, with a total of 28 million visitors.
Happenings

Tokyo Auto Salon 2013 Rolls into Singapore!

IN Tokyo Auto Salon, TAS, Singapore

It’s the first time that the awesome Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) comes to Singapore, but will it be as vibrant as the one in Japan?


I've always been fond of Peugeot's car designs. The 308, RCZ and the new 508 GT in particular are my personal favorites. I can't say the same for the 408 though. Somehow, the proportions look a bit wrong to me. That said, I could be the only one with that view, because almost everywhere I took the 408, people were staring - no kidding - this regular sedan was turning heads!
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French Kiss | Peugeot 408 1.6 Turbo

IN Peugeot, 408, Sedan, AutoFrance

The new Peugeot 408 has a lot of room and packs some 'vroom' too. Can it take the game to the Germans and the Japanese though?



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