Japanese-based Toyota has revealed that it has added a sportier Toyota Corolla Altis with a 2.0 liter engine to its Corolla Altis line-up in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The new model, which also features a new mesh grille, is powered by an updated 3ZR-FE powerplant with Dual VVT-i (variable valves for both the intake and exhaust).
Different countries will get different version of the engine, each with different output figures. Indonesia gets the 150HP at 5,600 revs and 208Nm of torque at 4,400 revs version, while a 140HP at 5,600 revs with 189Nm of torque at 4,400 revs version is offered in Thailand and the Philippines.
More changes include the addition of steering mounted paddle shifters and revised gear ratios. The ratios for the 1.8 Altis is set at 2.847, 1.552, and 1.000 for the first three gears and an overdrive of 0.700 with a final drive of 4.237, while the 2.0V gets 3.943, 2.197, 1.413 and finally a fourth gear ratio of 1.020 with no overdrive gear as well as a final drive of 2.923.
The new Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0V should be added into the line-up in Singapore soon. Thus far, the most powerful Altis is the 1.8 variant with 130HP and 170Nm of torque. Continue reading to view more images of the Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0V.
Malaysian based auto manufacturer Perodua has launched the new Myvi, which essentially is a Daihatsu Sirion, for the Singaporean market. The Myvi which has been on sale in Malaysia since 2005 comes with some of its own design cues and features including a reworked hood as well as revised front and rear bumpers. It also features slightly different head lights and LED tail lights.
The Myvi is powered by a 87HP 1.3 liter engine mated to a 5 speed manual transmission or a 4 speed automatic. Other equipments offered with the new Myvi include; integrated audio unit with mp3, USB and Bluetooth capabilities, remote central locking with immobilizer and alarm, reverse sensor and 14 inch alloy wheels. The Myvi is on sale for S$ 40,999 for the manual and $42,999 for the automatic. Both prices are inclusive of COE.
The very, highly anticipated Proton Exora MPV was recently launched and thus far, it has taken the MPV market by storm, thanks to its attractive design, practical interior and most importantly, thanks to its extremely competitive price tag. The new 7-seater MPV is set to bring Malaysian auto maker Proton to a whole new level with this ground-up-new people mover. For now, there are two trim levels to choose from including the base M-Line as well as the top-of-line H-Line. It took 18 months for the auto maker to get the Exora on the road, and lets see how the Exora lives up to its high expectations.
Design.
The Proton Exora is a good looking MPV from what ever angle you look at it from, and Proton has done a pretty good job in this side of things, especially when the auto maker has to balanceout high practicality and a competitive price point. At the front , its features a grille design that is inspired by the Proton Persona sedan and a V-shaped low slung hood with triangular-styled head lights. The lower bumper is flanked out with fog lamps, although this is only available on the range topping H-Line variant.
The side profile looks as good as the front, with a shoulder line that angles upwards towards the rear and a roof line that stabilizes towards the rear as well. Both the shoulder line and roof line help give the Exora a lowered look, which is something important, as the MPV would look taller otherwise. There is also a nice stroke along the door handles. More character is given with wheel arches that are slightly flared and character lines at the lower side of the car which are also consistent on the front and rear bumpers. The side mirrors also feature LED indicators and are also operated. Continue reading for the rest of the report and to view an image gallery. We have also performed a fuel consumption test.
Both models are also finished with 15-inch alloy wheels that are shod with 195/65 tires. The rear end is finished with a wrap-around bumper and of course a tail gate. The most apparent design feature of the rear are the LED tail lights, which apart from giving a nice, distinctive glow in the dark, both also serve as a safety feature since the glow is more intense for motorists at the back. The only issue I have with the rear, as well as with the entire exterior design, is the conventional rear indicators.
At night, the tail lights look a little odd when both the LED brake lights and the conventionally-glowed rear indicators are lighted up. It would be nicer if the tail lights incorporated LED indicators as well (even if the cost is bumped up slightly). With the H-Line, you would also get a rear spoiler which helps the Exora look sportier. Overall, I like what Proton has done with the Exora, with the point being that, it is still attractive without compromising on the practicality. Although both the Nissan Grand Livina and the Toyota Wish are rather competitive in the looks department, but for the Exora’s price, it is very easy to forget about the good looks of its competitors.
Interior & Practicality.
Before you get into the Exora, you would need to open the doors, and I must say, the tactility of the door handles are just about right, not too light. There is also an improvement in terms of the “door shut feel”. When the door shuts, there is a nice thump which is always good to hear. These doors also open wide enough to ease entry and exit of passengers. The Exora is quite a nice place to be in, with an airy atmosphere for a person of my 178-cm height. Leg and head room is ample for the driver and for the front passenger. Its seating position and steering angle is just about right as well for an MPV, with seats that are not mounted too high. The hand brake lever as well as other controls are within reach as well. The seats also offer good support, which is vital for long distance journeys, something the Exora would definitely do a lot.
The same can be said for the second row. Even if the seats can’t be adjusted backwards / forwards, there is enough leg room. The third row isn’t bad either although leg room is reduced a little while headroom is adequate. You can also recline the back rests to improve comfort, as long as the trunk isn’t over stuffed with bags and what not. Two adults of my size can fit in nicely. Overall, seating wise, the Exora does its job right, as it can sit up to seven adults without a fuss. But to maintain high comfort levels, I would personally keep the second row to two adults and a child at most, however for those days when you just have to stuff seven averagely sized adults, it can definitely deliver.
Both second and third rows can be folded down flat to improve luggage space, thus maximizing its practicality. The second row can be folded by rotating the knob on the sides while for the third row, you would just need to pull a lever mounted at the top of the backrests. You can also use these levers to recline the backrests. It is easy for your children to find their own way to the third row without getting the parents to help them (you probably would for the first time). With those rows down, you even have enough room to turn it into a temporary bed, and two would fit just fine too. Talking about practicality, the Exora has ten cup holders and a compartment on the floor in luggage area to fit tools and a First-Aid kit. There is also 12V power socket for in the luggage area.
Proton has come a long way from the days of uninspiring interior quality. You can definitely see improvements in the quality with the Exora, unfortunately, Proton still has some tuning up to do to improve in this segment. In my opinion, the Exora is best Proton in terms of the interior quality, but there are still some uneven gaps here and there on the dashboard that features a somewhat, dual-layer design. The tactically of the controls and buttons which include air vents, climate control, power window switches and so on are decent I would say. What I like about it though, is the surface design on the plastic components.
I wouldn’t say that it makes the interior look more luxurious, but definitely more stylish. The plastic components look much better now, which really help to evoke a stylish atmosphere on the inside. I also like the way the instrument lighting gradually loses its intensity whenever you turn the head lights switch on. Apart from the more-than-enough cup holders, there are more compartments in areas like the door cards, below the steering wheel, centre console and more. In front of the front passenger, there are two compartments mounted on the dash. The top compartment however, makes an intrusive sound when it closes which at times, can distract the driver. There is also a “teh-tarik” (drink) hook for Malaysian and Singaporean customers. You also use it to hook other plastic and non-plastic bags.
On the driver’s side, there is also a small compartment to fit your mobile phone as well as a slot to fit your “Touch N’ Go” or “EZ-Link” cards (when you slot the card in, there is enough pressure to hold it and keep it from dropping the card). The mobile phone compartment is also nicely padded with rubber (at the bottom) to make sure your phone does not get scratched. The Proton Exora also comes with Bluetooth connectivity. Its easy to set up the connection with your mobile phone. It also has decent usability since you don’t have to raise your voice too much to talk via system, just a little bit which is fine. It can also play music that is stored in your phone.
With the H-Line, you get a number of extra interior fitments including a front seat armrest, tinted glass (although I feel the there should be a little more tint with the weather these days), cruise control and a GPS navigation system (separate unit) which works decently. It also has leather treatment on the seats and on the door trims while the M-Line gets fabric. The H-Line also gets a DVD/LCD Monitor that is mounted on the roof from the second row onwards. The player also has an SD or MMC slot, as well as a USB outlet. The dual-blower (front and rear cabin) air conditioning system works like a charm as well as it cools the interior in a quick fashion, being true to Proton’s nature with individual outlets in each row. Overall, I am quite pleased with the interior styling, its functionality and practicality. My only complain is the finish quality which can be improved a little more. But then again, this issue is, without a doubt, justified by its price tag.
Driving Experience.
The Proton Exora is powered by the auto maker’s CamPro DOHC 16-valve 1.6 liter powerplant with CPS (Cam-Profile Switching). Horsepower is rated at 125HP at 6,500 revs while torque is figured at 150Nm at 4,500 revs. This, mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission and a kerb weight of 1442 kilograms for the H-Line and 1422 kilograms for the M-Line, enables the Exora to accelerate to 100 km/h in a rather modest 15.5 seconds to a top speed of a decent 165 km/h. Although on paper the powerplant pumps out 125HP, the fact is that the Exora takes a while to get up to speed. The CPS powerplant definitely works much better in the Gen 2 CPS and in the Satria Neo CPS, but in the Exora, sprint performance is rather sluggish, even with a not-too-heavy weight.
This proves to be a little irritating when you want to accelerate from a standstill as the lights turn green. This means that even at normal circumstances, you would have to be a little heavy on the accelerator. Once it reaches a cruising speed of say, 100 km/h, acceleration from this point becomes better, so overtaking on the freeway can be performed without a fuss. The revs settled at about 3,400 rpm when I was cruising at 120 km/h. With 6 adults, the acceleration performance was slightly reduced, but it was still manageable. Since you would have to be harder on the accelerator, fuel consumption is affected a little. We have traveled 349 kilometers with a full tank, and the Exora returned 100 kilometers with 13 liters of fuel.
This may seem a little on the high side of things, but we gave the engine a work out too. The calculation included a combination of slow and hard acceleration, low and high speed cruising and traffic jam situations. We also had a combination of passengers, ranging from just the driver, to 6 averagely sized adults, so with that, 13 liters per 100 kilometers looks good. Proton may offer a turbo variant probably next year, so that might help the acceleration issue. The transmission also works well on downshifts. It kicks down automatically when you are applying the brakes which is good.
The Exora comes with MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the back. Fitted with a not too heavy or light hydraulic power steering system, the Exora definitely excels in its handling and ride comfort categories. With a nice seating position, you can push the Exora around corners, as it doesn’t really handles like an MPV, more like a sedan I must say which is music to my ears. The Exora is soft enough to absorb bumps for a comfortable drive, but whenever you want to have fun with it, it can deliver with very predictable handling. Body roll is minimal for an MPV and you would get controllable understeer at its limits, which can be reduced if you use higher quality tires. The suspension also does its job well at high speed cruising. Wind noise which can be heard at higher speeds (above 110 km/h) but isn’t intrusive. I have also tested the cruise control system (H-Line only) and it offered good functionality. When increasing and decreasing speeds via the control stick, it downshifts and upshifts as well.
The good ride comfort can also be felt at second and third rows. Usually with MPV’s, passengers in the third row would complain about a bumpy ride, but with the Exora, the “bumpy-ness” is very much reduced. Even I my self who tend to get car sick easily did not complain. The weight on the steering is just about right, although I would prefer a steering wheel with a slightly thicker rim. The one it has now feels a little too thin. With a turning radius of 5.4 meters and a measurement of 4592 mm long, 1809 mm wide and 1691 mm high, the Exora is also easy to park, and easy to get in and out of traffic with. It doesn’t make you feel as though you are behind a wheel of a bus.
Brake power is also above average, with its ventilated discs up north and drum setup down south. The stopping system also features ABS and Electronic Brake Distribution Force (EBD) as standard. Overall, the Proton Exora drives well and offers door ride comfort as well. The suspension setup is just about perfect and it gave me to the confidence to “toss” it around at bends, and at high speeds, it felt very composed. NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) absorption is reasonable. I am very happy with that the handling and ride comfort, and as mentioned earlier, the only issue I have is with the sluggish acceleration performance, especially at lower revs. But, just like my other issues, it is justified with its very competitive selling price.
The Exora also comes with a Body Control Module (BCM) which enables the MPV to offer features like programmable wiper speed, programmable door lock, battery saver function, follow home function, auto door unlock, auto hazard lights function, auto block door lock function and more. To learn more about the Exora’s Body Control Module (BCM). Other features offered as standard include dual SRS airbags, pre-tensioner seat belts, immobilizer, reverse sensor, audio player with MP3 and WMA playability, front and rear electric windows and more. It is offered with six different body colours, including Gaia Blue, Pyrite Brown (seen above), Solid White, Tranquility Black, Blue Haze and Genetic Silver.
Pricing wise, the Proton Exora 1.6L A/T M-Line Metallic is priced at RM69,998.00, Proton Exora 1.6L A/T M-Line Solid at RM69,548.00, Proton Exora 1.6L A/T H-Line Metallic at RM75,998.00 and the Proton Exora 1.6L A/T H-Line Solid can be fetched for RM75,548.00. All prices are OTR and are inclusive of insurance. The manual transmission for M-Line is expected to be available from July onwards.
Pricing for its competitors include RM 156,894.70 for the Toyota Wish, RM 109,800.00 for the Toyota Innova (2.0G A/T), RM 88,600 for the Nissan Grand Livina (1.6L A/T), RM 74,300.00 for the Toyota Avanza (1.5G A/T) and RM 84,888.00 for the Naza Citra 2 Rondo (2.0 EX A/T). This means that the Exora definitely has a lot going for it thanks to its every competitive price point. If I were to get an MPV right now, it will definitely feature a Tiger’s head on the front grille!
The Proton Exora MPV performs well for short distance travels as well as for those long “balik kampung” journeys. It is also easy to maneuver in traffic jams situations. All this thanks to its balanced ride comfort and handling, as well as its almost unrivaled practicality. It does all of the above well, even with a full load which is extremely important for a vehicle of this nature. This is what the masses need: A very practical good-looking 7-seater vehicle that is rather cheap to run, and filled with modern amenities. So what if the acceleration is a little mundane? Its an MPV the costs about RM 69,000!
