There was once a time when you wouldn’t take a Korean car seriously. Designed and engineered with seemingly zero sense of passion, they were a source of derision in many mature car markets, as much for the cars’ sometimes odd looks and oftentimes even odder names.

One such car was the Hyundai Grandeur, a large saloon that hoped to compete with Lexus and Mercedes on stature, but in reality were snubbed by even Toyota Camry or Honda Accord buyers; the only thing grand about it was Hyundai’s lofty ambitions for the model. But with the just-unveiled 7th-generation Grandeur, well, it has finally earned its name.

Hyundai and Kia have been absolutely killing it in terms of car design in recent years, and the new Grandeur is one of the best yet. In essence, Hyundai has grafted the nose of the Staria spaceship MPV onto a sleek and rakish four-door body and given the rear end the same Robocop-visor treatment.

Inside, the dashboard gets a similar treatment, with the aircon vents spanning the full width of the cabin, and a retro-futuristic treatment for the steering wheel and display screens.

Sadly, Hyundai hasn’t revealed any technical details yet, but we do know the Granduer uses a version of the platform that underpins the Staria, Santa Fe, Tucson, as well as the Kia Carnival and Sorento, so potential engine options would include the Santa Fe’s 1.6L hybrid setup, or the Staria’s creamy-smooth (if thirsty) 3.5L V6.

No word either on which markets outside of South Korea the Grandeur will be sold in (its 4th-gen predecessor was sold in Singapore as the Azera in the late-’00s), but our fingers are crossed Komoco Motors brings it here. After all, God knows our roads need some eye salve to offset the increasingly searing designs coming out of Germany these days…

Everyone knows that cars need regular maintenance, as parts wear out and degrade over time. But whereas forgetting something like your usual 10,000km oil change probably wouldn’t cause any major safety issues (although it absolutely shouldn’t be neglected), failing to change your tyres in a timely manner could lead to an accident, or worse. 

But how would you know when’s the right time to swap for a new set of rubber? After all, modern tyres are very durable, and you wouldn’t want to waste money throwing them out when they still have life in them. Well, most general advice tends to agree with 40-50,000km or 5-6 years as the rough guideline, but depending on your driving patterns, those figures could change drastically. Here’s AutoApp’s guide to spotting the signs that your car needs new shoes:

Tread depth

From a safety perspective, the most crucial aspect of a tyre is its tread depth. The tyre’s tread (or grooves) is what allows it to disperse water underfoot, thus keeping you on the road in wet weather. As your tyres wear out, the height of the tread blocks decreases, which means they can’t evacuate as much water, which means aquaplaning – and therefore a loss of control – occurs more easily.

The Land Transport Authority’s legal limit for tread depth is 1.6mm, which you can very easily check if you know how. Helpfully, most tyres sold these days have wear indicator bars – little ridges in the bottom of the tyre tread – which are exactly 1.6mm tall. When they become flush with the surface of the tyre, as seen above, that’s when they absolutely need to be changed.

If your tyres don’t have these wear indicators, an alternative method is to stick a coin in the groove and see how deep it goes. If the tread doesn’t cover up the “Singapore” on the back of a $1 coin when viewed from the side, or doesn’t meet the inner circle on the front of a 20c coin, then it’s time for a trip to the tyre shop.

Age

Even if you cover only low mileage annually, and thus don’t use up much of your tyre’s tread, tyres can’t last forever. As they age, the rubber compound hardens, which means they grip the road less effectively, increasing your chances of losing control if you have to make an emergency maneuver. And this applies both in the wet and dry.

Most experts agree that 10 years is the absolute limit for a tyre’s shelf life, although after 5 years, it’s a good idea to start doing regular visual checks for defects, which we’ll get to next. You can determine your tyre age by looking for the four digit date code on the tyre’s sidewall – check out our sister site Asia’s Ultimate Tyre Awards’ handy guide on how to decode tyre markings.

Visible defects

Just because your tyres are still young and haven’t covered much distance doesn’t mean they can’t go wrong. Poor alignment, aggressive driving and debris such as screws and nails – all of these are factors that can lead to premature wear on your tyres.

Some of the signs to look out for and their causes include:

• Uneven wear across the tyre’s width – indicating bad alignment (see how the outer edge of the tyre above is a lot smoother than the inner edge)
• Small cracks on the tyre shoulder or sidewall – indicating they’ve become too old and brittle
• Bulging sidewall – indicating internal damage to the tyre’s structure, usually as a result of hitting a pothole or kerb too hard
• Tears or missing chunks in the tread – indicating overly aggressive driving and steering inputs
• A tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik sound while driving, especially audible at low speeds – indicating a foreign object might have embedded itself in the tyre. If you’re lucky, the object might be plugging the hole and holding off the tyre going flat, but it’s still best to visit a tyre shop to have it removed and the hole patched before it gets worse

Driving feel 

Lastly, just as how doctors tell you to listen to your own body to know if you’re falling sick, so too should you pay attention to feedback from the car to know if anything’s amiss. More tyre squeal when cornering in the dry; a more nervous, unstable feeling when driving in the rain; more road tyre roar when cruising down the highway – all of these are sensory cues that your tyre’s performance is starting to deteriorate, and should warrant at least a precautionary check to determine if you actually need to change your tyres.

If it feels to you like the current generation of Mini has been around forever, that’s because it pretty much has. First introduced in 2013 and having undergone two facelifts, its replacement isn’t due till late next year, which means its life cycle will be a decade old – well past the usual sell-by date (typically 7-8 years) for a modern car.

That explains why, even in the sunset of the car’s life, the brand has just unveiled special editions of pretty much its entire model range. With no significant mechanical improvements on the horizon for the Mini family, this is a quick and simple way to keep the cars in the headlines and generate some buzz over them.

Paint-and-sticker specials they may be, but that doesn’t mean you should just write them off as just a cynical marketing exercise.

Mini Cooper S Pat Moss Edition

Our favourite of the bunch is this, the Mini Pat Moss Edition, available as a 3-door or 5-door hatch. Just 800 of these will be made worldwide, with 5 of them coming to Singapore.

Essentially a boggo Cooper S with John Cooper Works parts, this car celebrates the 60th anniversary of Mini’s first international rallying victory in 1962 at the 2,500km-long Tulip Rally, in the hands of Pat Moss – younger sister to the legendary Sir Stirling Moss.

In addition to the JCW bodykit, 17-inch wheels, and sports seats, this edition also adds a red-silver-black roof and a horizontal bonnet stripe just like on Pat Moss’scar, as well as a bunch of cool details that reference the rally. The front fender features info about the rally’s key facts, a stylised tulip motif can be found dotted around the car (including on the floating wheel centre caps), and Pat’s signature adorns the front bumper and dashboard. 

The absolute best thing about this car though, is its backstory. BMW Asia’s press release summed it up perfectly, so I’ll just quote from there:

In May 1962, the classic Mini was added to the list of winners of an international rally event for the first time. In the international Tulip Rally – from the Dutch municipality of Noordwijk to the French Riviera and back again – Pat Moss achieved the best time over the distance in the classic Mini Cooper. Success in the Netherlands turned the classic Mini, Pat Moss, and her co-driver Ann Wisdom into enduring heroines in a discipline otherwise dominated by significantly larger vehicles and at the time entirely the preserve of men.

One of the remarkable details of the first rally triumph for the classic Mini is the fact that Ann Wisdom insisted on taking part in the Tulip Rally despite being pregnant: she went on to provide her teammate Pat Moss with unerring navigation guidance over the 2,500 km route. Mossie and Wizz – as they were known in the paddock – formed a successful duo for seven years. The two women had the courage to compete in a male-dominated sport – and they brought about fundamental changes, too. The younger sister of Formula 1 driver Sir Stirling Moss, Pat Moss also won the Sestriere Rally in Italy in 1968, achieved a podium finish in numerous other international competitions, and was crowned European Ladies’ Rally Champion five times. Ann Wisdom is considered the first professional woman co-driver in the history of rallying. As successful sportswomen in their own right, the two viewed their courageous foray into a male-dominated domain with typical British understatement. “We didn’t see ourselves as pioneers back then,” said Ann Wisdom years later. “We were just entering a rally.”

Mini Electric / Cooper S Resolute Edition

From a tribute to women in motorsport to something a little more traditional – the Resolute Edition. Like the Pat Moss Edition, the Resolute is available as a 3-Door and 5-Door Cooper S, or the 3-Door Electric.

Dark green is as traditional a colour as they come for British cars, and the Rebel Green paintwork (previously exclusive to the high performance John Cooper Works) with white roof certainly fits that bill. 

Even more eye-catching are the gold accents (Mini calls it Resolute Bronze, but really, it’s a muted gold), which replaces everything that’s normally chrome on the exterior, like the grille and headlight surrounds, and door and tailgate handles. The Resolute marks the discontinuation of chrome elements on Minis from here on, which the company says is for environmental reasons.

The gold highlights continue on the bonnet stripes as well as the dashboard panels inside.

Mini Countryman Cooper S Untamed Edition

Unsurprisingly, Mini’s “off-roadiest” model gets the most rugged-looking treatment, even if the car itself (like most crossovers) won’t actually take you that far off the beaten track. 

Visually, the Countryman Untamed Edition is the least eye-catching of the four cars introduced here, as its Momentum Grey paint is rather on the muted side. Instead you’d be relying on the matte blue side stripes and two-tone wheels to spot this in traffic, the latter looking in particular like the wheels that are popular with serious off-roaders.

Inside is where the biggest and most appealing changes lie though, with the seats trimmed in an exclusive Highland Green leather with green and blue contrast stitching. 

Much of the dashboard trim pieces are painted in the same matte blue as the exterior stripes, and there’s an illuminated Untamed logo with mountain landscape motif ahead of the passenger seat.

Mini Clubman Cooper S Untold Edition

Last but not least is the Clubman Untold Edition, a sportier yet slightly more understated number.

Like the Resolute, the Untold sports a green and gold colour theme, although here it’s Sage Green (previously only available on the Countryman) and Refined Brass instead, with the latter making for some particularly classy highlights across the grille, wheels and rear badging. 

The bumpers meanwhile, are similar (but not identical) to the Clubman JCW, and the cladding down the wheelarches and side skirts are dark green instead of the usual matte black.

The same colour scheme extends to the interior, with the seats upholstered in Sage Green leather, and Refined Brass for the aircon vents and door sills.

Pricing

As has been the case with many Mini special editions over the years, the Pat Moss, Resolute, Untamed and Untold don’t cost a huge deal more than their standard counterparts despite their exclusive nature and higher equipment count, with the Untamed in particular actually being cheaper.

Mini Cooper S Pat Moss Edition 3-Door – S$237,888
Mini Cooper S Pat Moss Edition 5-Door – S$240,888

Mini Electric Resolute Edition – S$221,888
Mini Cooper S Resolute Edition 3-Door – S$237,888
Mini Cooper S Resolute Edition 5-Door – S$240,888

Mini Countryman Cooper S Untamed Edition – S$247,888

Mini Clubman Cooper S Untold Edition – S$240,888

Skyrocketing Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices made the headlines in Singapore recently, when they hit $99,999 in early April, the most expensive in over 27 years. Not only that, but the gulf between Cat A and Cat B COEs of nearly S$30,000 has proven infuriating for certain cars and brands. Take, for instance, the new Honda HR-V, whose far superior hybrid model is just 1 horsepower over the Cat A power cap, slapping it with a wildly disproportionate price penalty in the price lists.

BMW is another company faced with a similar situation until only just recently — up till this announcement, its smallest four-door model, the 2 Series Gran Coupe, made a minimum of 138hp, putting it in CAT B despite only having a 1.5-litre engine. Now though, BMW seeks to regain parity on the forecourt against its rivals, with the new, Cat A-friendly 216i Gran Coupe.

Like the 116i hatchback, the 216i GC features a detuned version of the same turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. It’s borrowed from MINI’s “One” range, and makes 109hp and 190Nm of torque. You could think of it as something of a Singapore Special; nowhere else in the world will you find this engine paired with this car. Just like the Honda Civic’s detuned engine, it’s all a result of our *ahem* unique car price structure thanks to COE.

There’s more to the BMW 2 Series range than the Gran Coupe… Check out the rest of the family here. Read More >>>

Naturally, performance takes a big step backwards (0-100km/h 10.8s compared to the 218i’s 9.1s), but so too does the price: at publication time, the 216i is priced at S$203,888 with COE, S$22k less than the 218i. 

But while yes, BMW’s most affordable four-door just got more attainable, it’s not all sunshine and roses. That $22k is roughly the difference between Cat A and B COEs at the moment, but curiously, the savings from the 216i’s S$15k VES rebate is lost to the wind.

It’s not like the 216i features extra equipment either, with BMW’s spec sheet showing the two roughly on par. Cruise control becomes an option instead of standard on the 216i, and the leather upholstery becomes synthetic, but having said that, it’s still a strong list of goodies: BMW Live Cockpit Professional; Lane Departure Warning with steering intervention; auto emergency braking; adaptive navigation system; electric seats; Parking Assistant – all of these are standard features.

If you like the way the 2 Series Gran Coupe looks, then this announcement will be good news for you. But if all you’re looking for is a compact C-segment car with a posh badge, then our buyers’ advice is to steer elsewhere. The 116i hatchback is S$10k cheaper and more practical for hauling both people and cargo; the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is $4-6k cheaper, looks better, and is also more spacious. The Audi A3 meanwhile, despite having a much more powerful CAT B engine that’s also more economical, is also $4-6k cheaper.

Get more of the latest on BMW here, or check out our latest car reviews here!

When it comes to its product lineup, Lexus is almost like Jekyll and Hyde. On the one hand you’ve got the ultra-plush, ultra-luxe ah pek chias like the ES, LS and RX; but on the other, you have the super sporty, totally thrilling performance cars that get enthusiasts drooling, like the IS, LC, LFA, and all the various F variants that have come before. But what happens when you try making those two extremes meet in the middle?

The Lexus ES250 F Sport, it would seem, is one answer: take the historically least sporty Lexus saloon — the FWD Toyota Camry-based ES — and apply a racy garnish to it. And in case you thought this was just some cynical window dressing, there’s some legitimacy to it: a couple years ago I interviewed the ES’s Chief Engineer Yasuhiro Sakakibara, who said the current-gen ES was engineered to be a sharper drive than before to cover some of the ground lost when the RWD Lexus GS was discontinued.

This is in fact also the first time a sporty trim of any sort has ever been available for the comfort-oriented ES, which has been around for as long as Lexus itself has existed. F Sport differs from the other ES trims by way of a mesh radiator grille (instead of slats), gloss black 19-inch rims (instead of 18s), a small boot spoiler, two-tone leather sports seats, and stiffened dampers.

So, has enough been done to make the ES250 F Sport a tempting alternative from, say, a BMW 5 Series, in the same vein as the manic RC F is from an M4, or svelte IS300 from a 320i?

For starters, it’s quite the looker. The ES was already the only car in this segment that looked like effort was actually put into styling and sculpting it, instead of just slapping a corporate grille onto a 5m lump of car, and the F Sport trimmings make it stand out even more. The darker grille, enlarged bumper intakes, and twin 5-spoke wheels all give it a very subtle and classy aggression, and the F Sport-exclusive Heat Blue paint really pops in the sun.

Open the door though, and the Flare Red leather interior has even more wow factor, and contrasts brilliantly against the exterior paintwork. It’s all a very welcome and refreshing change from the usual silvers, greys and blacks that you normally find cars of this ilk in.

In fact the interior is probably the best thing about the car: sumptuous materials and build quality, tons of space in the back, an improved infotainment system (now touch-controlled, though Lexus’s OS is still far from the best), a kicking Mark Levinson stereo (with CD/DVD player – how quaint!), and air conditioning and ventilated front seats that could probably cool even the tensions in Ukraine right now…

But it’s the details that really make being in the ES such a delight. Lexus keeps banging on about “Takumi craftsmanship” in their products, but far from being just marketing spiel, you really do sense that a modern Lexus is built to a higher standard than other cars.

It’s all in the tiny touches you don’t think about but which bring joy when you encounter them: the complete silence of the windows going up and down; the oily smoothness and precision clicks of the knobs on the dashboard; the delicacy of the door handles and plushness of the door pulls whenever you open and close them; or the analogue clock that takes pride of place up by the big display screen.

All of that adds up to an ambience that’s much more personable than the cold business-like demeanour of its German rivals, one that actually makes you feel good rather than merely satisfied, sort of like being attended to by a geisha instead of a waitress.

However, once you get moving, that air of serene homeliness is disrupted somewhat, which is primarily due to the ES250’s naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-pot engine. It’s fine in a Camry, but isn’t quite up to the levels of refinement one normally expects from a Lexus. It gets gruff and vocal when worked hard, and lacks torque at low revs compared to competitors’ turbocharged engines, often requiring the 8-speed auto transmission to kick down 3-4 gears (it’s very smooth though, in fairness) to perform merging or overtaking maneuvers. 0-100km/h acceleration is a relatively leisurely 9.1 seconds too, compared to the sub-8 second times posted by its closest European rivals.

At least its ride should be plush and cosseting like a Lexus right? Well not quite, and it’s the F Sport mods that are to blame this time. I’ve never encountered a Lexus that rode badly before, and the ES250 F Sport doesn’t break that tradition, the 19-inch wheels and stiffer suspension impart a niggly harshness at city speeds and across rough ground like MRT construction zones. You can’t call it uncomfortable, because the car still deals with big humps and long-wave undulations beautifully, but it does mean the ride is merely good rather than Lexus-like.

And it’s not like the mods transform the ES into a car you’d bring to a B-road either; the TNGA GA-K platform that underpins the ES may be sharper than before, and the F Sport may be a touch more responsive still, but it’s certainly no corner carver. Its dynamic attitude is best described as obedient rather than engaging, turning when you want it to, but never goading you into picking up the pace for the sake of it.

So that pretty much raises a quandary, who’s the ES250 F Sport really for? The ES’s traditional customer base doesn’t care one iota about sportiness, yet if you’re the sort of enthusiast driver Lexus was hoping to recapture after dropping the GS, not even the F Sport parts can overcome the inherent “wrong-wheel drive-ness” of the FWD architecture.

Don’t get me wrong, the ES as a whole is a pretty fantastic luxury car: silent, spacious, comfortable, and exquisitely crafted. But as much as I am a fan of fast cars and faster driving, even I can see that the F Sport trim is at odds with the ES’s softer, pulse-slowing character.

Yes, the sharp looks and exclusive paint and leather options have major aesthetic appeal, but shorn of that, all of the feel-good interior stuff described above applies to other ESes as well, so there’s not much you’re missing out on. It’s for this reason that instead of the ES250 F Sport, my money would go for the hybrid ES300h, where its softer suspension and electric boost capitalises on its strengths and goes all-in on the luxury experience. The ES250 F Sport is desirable, but here it’s a case of mistaken identity.

Read more of the latest car reviews here.

The new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and 2 Series Coupe have just arrived in Singapore, joining the 2 Series Gran Coupe which has been on sale here since 2020. With that, the 2 Series family, as well as BMW’s entire compact model lineup, is now complete. 

But while they might not be as affordable as the 1 Series Hatchback, nor as ubiquitous as the 3 Series saloon, nor as eco-friendly as the electric iX3 SUV, nor as luxurious as the flagship 7 Series limo, the 2 Series Active Tourer and Coupe are still vitally important to the brand in their individual ways.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

What is it?

Ostensibly BMW’s most family-oriented model — a 5-seater compact MPV. Unfortunately, BMW hasn’t announced a 7-seater Gran Tourer version, although we wouldn’t be surprised if it does eventually happen, given the predecessor’s popularity. We drove it at its international premiere in Spain, and you can read about our impressions here.

Versions and pricing

The only engine variant for the 2 Series Active Tourer is the 218i, which has a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder engine shared with the 118i and 218i Gran Coupe. Max power and torque are 136hp and 250Nm respectively, fuel economy is a claimed 14.5km/L, and its VES Band is B (neutral). 

Two trims are available, the standard Luxury Line (S$220,888, or S$229,888 for the Launch Edition) and optional M-Sport, which includes a sportier bodykit and lowered suspension (pricing TBC). 

What’s new?

Virtually everything. It’s bigger all-round, which means more space (good); a very different and minimalist interior concept (kinda good); a more, erm, striking face, thanks to the massive kidney grilles (bad), and it’s only the second BMW to debut the new iDrive version 8.0, after the big iX EV SUV (probably good).

That last one is the major highlight, because it’s a much more powerful system that allows for increased digital functionality. There’s augmented reality navigation instructions, 5G connectivity, more detailed personalisation options with the My Modes function, over the air (OTA) updates, and smarter machine learning, for more accurate navigation and semi-autonomous driving assistance in the future.

All of that’s wrapped up in what BMW calls the Curved Display, the collective name for the 10.7-inch instrument panel and 10.25-inch infotainment screen. For the first time in 20 years, there’s no longer an iDrive rotary knob in the centre console, which means almost everything has to be done via the touchscreen, although thankfully there are still a few physical controls on the floating centre console.

Why it’s important

One of the more compelling statistics BMW revealed when the 2 Series Active Tourer first broke cover is that over 80% of the 430,000 first-gen cars sold were actually conquest sales, meaning buyers completely new to the brand. This is significant because it’s much harder to attract a customer than retain one, who are more likely to continue supporting a brand and buying its products further down the line.

Furthermore, in the local context the old 2 Series Tourer was one of the best-selling BMWs in Singapore for the past 7 years (mostly because it was one of the few Beemers available with a CAT A COE, but we’ll gloss over that). In fact, its success here was so great that Singapore was even specifically mentioned by BMW management as one of the model’s major Asian markets during its global reveal, and its arrival here just one month after its initial international press launch (which is incredibly prompt; normally new models typically take half a year to go on sale here) is testament to that.

BMW 2 Series Coupe

What is it?

A compact, two-door, rear-wheel drive coupe in the best BMW tradition. A manic and exciting M2 range-topper is definitely coming, although a drop-top convertible version of the new 2 Series is still up in the air.

Versions and pricing

For the foreseeable future, the 2 Series Coupe will likely come in two flavours: 220i and M240i xDrive. The former gets the B48 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 184hp and 300Nm of torque, giving it a 0-100km/h timing of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 236km/h.

The M240i on the other hand, utilises the 3.0-litre six-cylinder B58 engine that also does service in the M440i and Toyota Supra. This one produces 374hp and 500Nm of torque, allowing it to do the century sprint in 4.3 seconds on the way to an electronically-limited 250km/h top speed. It’s also all-wheel drive, unlike the rear-drive only 220i, although a BMW product specialist at the launch said it’s almost always rear-biased, shuffling power to the front only when traction is lost. This means it’ll still go sideways, with the term “drift machine” being thrown about in much of the 2 Coupe’s product presentations so far.

What’s new?

If you’re comparing with the rest of BMW’s 1 and 2 Series compact family, nearly everything. But if you’re looking at the new 2 Series Coupe’s bones, then not very much at all. That’s because the new car is basically a shortened version of the 3 and 4 Series: with the latest 1 Series turning front-wheel drive, it didn’t make economic sense for BMW to build a compact rear-drive platform just for the 2 Coupe, so it’s borrowed heavily from its bigger siblings’ CLAR platform instead.

That’s why the 2 Coupe has grown quite a lot compared to the old model: 105mm longer and 65mm wider, with 51mm more distance between the axles. It’s also put on the pounds: a whopping 200kg on average compared to the outgoing model, which leaves the M240i xDrive weighing in at 1,765kg, more than a 5 Series!

Engines, chassis components, even the interior, are all carried over from the 4 Series. The only thing that’s different mechanically is the suspension tuning, to account for the weight and size difference.

Why it’s important

Two-door sports cars have never figured hugely in the grand scheme of any car manufacturer (apart from sports car-specific brands, obviously), but while they don’t directly contribute much to the bottom line, they can still be important as image-builders. They’re the eyeball and headline-grabbers that sprinkle a bit of that desirability dust across the entire lineup and make other models more appealing by association, which is why nearly all mainstream manufacturers had at least one attractive two-door number in their lineup in the 1990s and early 2000s. Clearly, that’s no longer a belief held by most marques these days as everyone has gone all-in on crossovers and SUVs instead, but BMW has stuck with it.

Sports cars, performance, motorsports — they’re all a core aspect of BMW’s identity, so the 2 Series Coupe has more to do with respecting the brand’s heritage than anything else. BMW’s modern reputation was built upon compact, coupes like the 2002, E21/E30/E36/E46 3 Series tearing up the racetracks and giving the average enthusiast affordable access to some of that Sheer Driving Pleasure, and the new 2 Series Coupe aims to continue that tradition.

Can’t quite get enough of BMW? Get your fix right here!

It seems like it’s been a lifetime in the making, but the wait is finally over. The Type 2, Kombi, Microbus, Transporter, Bulli; call it whatever you want, but after plenty of hiccups and false starts, a new Volkswagen Bus has arrived. And it’s called… the ID Buzz. (Because it’s a Bus, but also it’s buzzing with electricity… Geddit?)

Punny name aside, the ID Buzz is something the market has demanded for two decades now: a charming retro-styled spiritual successor to the beloved VW Kombi (as it was known in this part of the world). With its buff, upright stance, two-tone paint and oversized VW badge on its nose, the ID Buzz’s links to its legendary ancestor are plain to see. 

Like the original Type 2 (its official name), the ID Buzz comes in people-carrying and cargo-carrying versions, and it’s the former we’re focusing on.

The ID Buzz is the latest member of VW’s “ID” range of pure-electric cars (above), following on from the ID 3 (a Golf-sized hatchback), the ID 4 (a Tiguan-sized SUV), and the ID 5 (a coupe-SUV version of the ID 4). Like the rest of its siblings, it utilises VW’s MEB platform for EVs, which integrates the battery pack into the floor for better space efficiency. 

As a result, this initial standard wheelbase model will seat five people with a minimum 1121 litres of luggage capacity — all packed into a length shorter than the Passat. Next year, a long wheelbase version will be introduced, with seating for six or 7 people across three rows of seats. 

Like the exterior, the cabin is a bright and cheerful place to be. Premium versions get a white dashboard and steering wheel that harks back to the old Kombi, along with body-coloured inserts and a trim insert of a number of different materials (open-pore wood in this case). The seats and door panels are two-tone too, and is, VW proudly adds, completely leather-free. 

Quite distinctly un-retro though, are the screens, a 5-inch one for the driver’s display and either a 10 or 12-inch one for the infotainment. And yes, that means everything, including the volume and climate controls, are controlled purely by touchscreen, just like in the VW Golf. Booooo.

In another nod to the original, the ID Buzz is also rear-engined and rear-wheel drive. Well, “engined” is perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but the electric motor is definitely rear-mounted, producing 201hp and 310Nm of torque in this initial launch spec. The floor-mounted 77kWh battery is one that’s shared with VW’s other ID products, and in the ID4, gives a real-world range of about 400km. Expect different versions with higher and lower levels of power and battery capacity in due course.

The original Type 2 was VW’s 2nd (and 2nd-most iconic) vehicle after the Beetle, and the adoration for it meant there was always demand from the public for a spiritual successor. Efforts to revive the model since 2001 resulted in three enthusiastically-received concepts, followed in short order by three failed production attempts. It wasn’t until 2017’s ID Buzz concept (with people still clamouring for its production) that the revival of the VW Kombi finally got off the ground, finally culminating in the production version you see here.

If a mini bus isn’t what you’re looking for, check out these other Volkswagen models that might just suit your tastes!

What’s the best car in the world? For 2022 at least, that’ll be the Kia EV6, according to the judges at the European Car of the Year awards.

The electric premium crossover scored a total of 279 points, fending off a shortlist that was almost entirely comprised of pure EVs, a clear indication of the direction the automotive industry is trending towards. This is the first time that Kia, or any other South Korean car manufactuer, has won the prestigious title, and the third time for an EV.

Quotes from the judges on the EV6’s winning performance included:

“Sportier driving, firmer suspension, high range and excellent quick charging, because of 800-volt system, huge space, good package (frunk), nice details in the interior like the double-mode switches for navigation and climate control, no leather trim anymore, V2X-charging possible”

and

“The best electric car of all the finalists. It has the same virtues as the Ioniq 5, but it is an even more balanced car, more refined in the set-up, more attractive in design, with higher quality finishes… And knocking on our emotions we have the 585 hp of the GT developed with Rimac”

The other finalists in this year’s ECotY were, in descending order: the Renault Megane E-Tech (265 points); the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (261 points); the Peugeot 308, the only non-EV in the running (191 points); the Skoda Enyaq iV (185 points); the Ford Mustang Mach-E (150 points); and the Cupra Born (144 points).

The EV6 is Kia’s first purpose-built EV, sharing its platform and major components with the Hyundai Ioniq 5. There are five powertrain options available, mixing 2WD and 4WD capability, as well as short and long range battery options. Power figures range from 168hp in the 2WD Short Range model, all the way to a Porsche-rivalling 577hp in the high-performance GT version (which, by the way, also makes it the most powerful Korean production car ever).

Unfortunately, there’s still no word yet on when this striking EV will be making its way to Singapore.

About ECotY:

European Car of the Year is arguably the most prestigious of all the various Car of the Year awards worldwide. It’s an annual competition to find “a single, decisive winner” regardless of class or category, and organised by prominent car magazines from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom.

The jury, which is comprised of up to 65 automotive journalists from 23 European countries, judge the nominees based on: general design, comfort, safety, economy, handling and general roadworthiness, performance, functionality, general environmental requirements, driver satisfaction and price. Technical innovation and value for money are major factors. Each jury member then has up to 25 points to award to the seven finalists of any given year. No more than 10 points may be awarded to a single car, and the points must be spread across at least 5 cars.

The award was first held in 1964. Since then, notable winners have included the NSU Ro80 (first car with a Wankel rotary engine), the W116 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the quirky Citroen CX executive saloon, the Porsche 928 (only sports car to win), the Mk3 VW Golf, the K11 Nissan March from the ‘90s, the Renault Megane Scenic (first-ever mini-MPV), the original Ford Focus, the 2nd-gen Toyota Prius, the original Nissan Leaf, the Mk7 VW Golf, and the Jaguar I-Pace.

Want to join the EV revolution but worried about range and charging? Put your mind at ease with our Guide to EV charging!

If there was a car that could perfectly exemplify the intense pants-on-head idiocy of the decisions made at the LTA, the 2022 Honda HR-V would be it. 

One of the core tenets of industrial design is that a new product should always be better than the one before it, and so it has transpired: the new HR-V is available not only with a trusty 1.5-litre petrol engine (S$127,999), but also with the excellent e:HEV hybrid system that we so loved in the Jazz hatchback. 

Except you can’t have it. Well you could, but you’d have to fork out an extra S$30+k for the privilege. 

You see, in their infinite wisdom, the policymakers at the LTA decided a decade ago that the COE system needed a tweak. So instead of the categories being classified solely on engine capacity, Category A would also have a power cap of 130hp. Why that arbitrary number? Who knows? But the upshot is that, with its specially detuned engine, the new Civic sold in Singapore is the slowest in the world, and the HR-V e:HEV (below), with its total power output of 131hp, just slips into Cat B and hence is worth a full HDB downpayment more than the base petrol version. Once you consider the fact that the hybrid is significantly more fuel efficient and kinder to the environment too, and you quickly start to realise how absurdly asinine this policy that effectively discourages technological progress really is.

With the cards stacked so formidably against it, how does the new, 3rd generation Honda HR-V fare in light of 2022’s skyrocketing car prices?

Hobbled by happenstance

On first impressions, not that well unfortunately, because the new HR-V is hampered by circumstances not entirely of its (or Honda’s) own doing. 

For example, a look at the spec sheet shows that, though the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine is retained from the old HR-V, it’s actually down on power (from 130 to 118hp), torque (155 to 142Nm), and fuel economy (17.5 to 17.2km/L), and is consequently pretty slow (0-100km/h in 12.1s). You can blame emissions standards for that. Those losses emanate from the engine switching from direct fuel injection, which gives better power and efficiency, to port injection, which is an older, simpler technology, though slightly cleaner in terms of particulate emissions (aka soot).

The other unmissable shortcoming is the infotainment screen. Unlike the Jazz and the Civic, which come with Honda’s own clear and intuitive Display Audio infotainment system, the HR-V instead has an aftermarket locally-fitted unit from Alpine, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. 

A Honda representative I spoke to said having the cars come without the Display Audio factory-fitted was not their decision, and that they didn’t have a choice in the matter. My guess: another victim of the global chip shortage? Which hopefully means the screen situation can be rectified in a year or two.

Reassuringly familiar

Happily however, despite these handicaps (and the new looks), buyers will find that the HR-V retains the same formula as before: it’s a practical and frugal compact SUV that’s easy to use and probably painless to own. 

For starters, it still combines compact car dimensions and maneuverability with the high seating position which I know has been a selling point for many, my HR-V-owning friends and relatives among them. 

Next, the HR-V continues to be economical. The petrol version might not be as efficient as before, but a claimed fuel consumption figure of 17.2km/L is still a pretty good score — if not as amazing as the HR-V Hybrid’s 23.3km/L. Given that the naturally-aspirated engine is mechanically relatively simple and a tried-and-tested unit found in many Honda products, it’s highly likely to continue being reliable as well.

Finally, the fantastic Ultra (or Magic, depending on market) rear seats still feature. Flip them up and lock them in place, and you have a cavernous area for tall objects that might not fit in the boot, such as potted plants, furniture, or bicycles. You could even let your dog lie there without worrying about having to clean your seats!

The good stuff

Going back to my point about the progression of product design, Honda has improved the HR-V in a number of key areas. 

The most valued one is ride comfort; the previous HR-V was notorious for having a very bumpy, unsettled ride, especially in the back seat. If you’re a regular Grab or Gojek user, you’d probably know this. 

But now, with a lightened and stiffened bodyshell along with retuned suspension and bushings, the difference in ride comfort between new HR-V and old is night and day. Even before you’ve exited the carpark you can feel the increased pliancy and cushioning, and is something that shows in all driving scenarios, from urban areas (construction zones and humps were the old HR-V’s kryptonite) all the way up to the highway. 

Another thing that will be appreciated by anyone passengering in a HR-V is the fact that the rear seat is now a better place to be. Thanks to the cavity for the hybrid’s batteries being located towards the boot, an extra 35mm of legroom has been liberated, and the seats are reclined two extra degrees for more comfort. The HR-V also has aircon vents in the back (in addition to a nifty new diffusion system that channels cool air from the dashboard vents rearwards along the sides and ceiling), and the rear door panels have more convenient cupholders and a larger door grab cum storage pocket.

Lastly, safety has also made a great leap forward, as the new HR-V comes with a laundry list of active safety tech that the company collectively calls Honda Sensing. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, and autonomous emergency braking are all features that will keep you safe by preventing a crash before it happens, and we applaud Honda for making it standard on even the basic HR-V variant. 

The not-so-good stuff

Unfortunately, not every change made to the HR-V has been a win. The flatter, more geometric styling certainly looks distinctive (I especially like the LED taillights that look like sci-fi swords), but the lowered roofline intrudes on headroom. Anyone sat in the back row will be brushing the headliner if they’re 175cm and up, but if they’re sitting in the middle, their heads will be positively jammed into the ceiling due to the tall hump in the seat base.

It’s a shame too that provisioning for the hybrid gubbins in the floor has eaten into cargo space: boot capacity has shrunk massively, from 437 to 319-litres. Thankfully, when they fold down they form a completely flat load bay, and there’s some under-floor storage as well.

And coming back full circle to the infotainment screen — this is something I hope gets rectified quickly because, frankly, it’s distracting to use on the road. The touch-sensitive controls for volume and playback on the base of the screen are absolutely miniscule and hard to hit, and it’s an issue exacerbated by the absence of audio controls on the steering wheel. That said, the HR-V does score points with solid, tactile dials for the aircon controls, something even the likes of mighty Volkswagen can’t get right these days.

Rivals and verdict

The compact crossover segment is one of the most hotly contested in the market, and the Honda HR-V  faces a multitude of competitors from both Asia and Europe. At S$127,999 it’s not as overpriced as Hondas traditionally can be, and the safety tech and promise of Honda reliability and residuals are a big draw, but it’s worth noting that its closest rivals all have their own USPs. The same money could get you a Citroen C5 Aircross, which is bigger and rides like a carpet of the magical variety; or a Kia Niro Hybrid, which can go 1,000km between fuel stops; or a Nissan Kicks, which gives three quarters of an EV’s driving experience with none of the anxieties.

Overall, the new Honda HR-V still stands for the same values that made its predecessor so ubiquitous it was practically Singapore’s de facto peoples’ car: practicality and economy, while adding more safety and comfort to boot. It may not be as good as it could be, but we don’t doubt that its fans will find what it does already offer to be quite enough.

Fast Facts

Honda HR-V 1.5 DX

Engine: 1,498cc in-line 4

Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm

Torque: 142Nm @ 4300rpm

Gearbox: CVT

Top Speed: 180km/h

0-100km/h: 12.1 seconds

VES Band: B (Neutral)

Price: S$127,999 with COE (as of Feb 2022)

Contact: Kah Motor, 6840 6888

Enjoyed this article? Read more reviews of the latest cars here.

Alright, so you’ve taken all the steps we suggested in our previous wet weather driving article and are now as prepared as ever for a sodden journey. But as we’re all too familiar with in Singapore, sometimes the rain can be so intense that the drains are overwhelmed with water, and thus flash floods can pop up in an instant.  

So what’s a driver to do when the road ahead looks more like they need a boat than a car? Here are our pro tips:

Avoid it if you can

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and that holds true here as well. The best way to keep your car from being damaged by floodwaters is to not drive through them at all!

Not only do you run the risk of your engine cutting out, but even if you make it out the other side, driving through deep water can have lasting effects, like corrosion on the mechanicals or underneath the body; contaminated fluids; intermittent electronic issues if the wiring gets wet; or a damp and musty interior if water gets in. 

Thankfully, unlike other countries where flash floods can occur because of an overflowing river, in Singapore the underlying causes are almost always an inundated drainage system, so there are rarely any serious safety risks to floods here (fun fact, 15cm of moving water is enough to sweep a person off their feet; just 30cm is enough to move an entire car).

Listen out for traffic updates on your car radio, monitor the traffic situation on Google Maps or Waze, and check the NEA’s myENV app or PUB’s new Telegram channel for up-to-date flood warnings. Armed with such information, hopefully you’ll be able to alter your routes or modify your plans to avoid going into flood zones entirely. Much better to be stuck in traffic than stuck in water!

If you’re already in an area where the waters start rising though, or going through a flood is otherwise unavoidable, these are some things you need to note.

Know your car well

Being familiar with the ins and outs of your car has many benefits in general, not just when dealing with floods. But in this particular situation, it’s especially crucial to know where your air intake is, because that’s the easiest way for water to get into your engine. And once that happens, it’s game over. 

Pop the bonnet and have a look at where the intake tract originates – in most modern cars, it’ll be a plastic duct attached to the radiator grille, leading to a large black box (which houses the engine air filter), and then into the engine itself. But in some cases, that intake duct might route to the lower portion of the bumper.

Analyse the conditions

Armed with that knowledge, you can then make a better assessment of the situations you can and can’t attempt. Try your best to estimate the depth of the flooded area based on the road furniture or the cars around you. 

As long as the water doesn’t rise up above kerb height, or halfway up a car’s wheels or up to its sills, then it’ll generally be ok to attempt driving through. But if you can’t see the road surface or lane markings through the water, that’s usually a good indicator not to try. As a general rule, if you have any doubt at all, then it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Driving through the flood

If you’ve assessed that the water levels are low enough to make an attempt, try to stay in the middle of the road. Roads are usually crowned, which means that the middle is slightly higher than the sides where the kerbs are, to facilitate water drainage. Unless the road is undulating, the crown is where the water level will be at its shallowest.

Unless your car has a snorkel and looks like either of these…

… don’t even think about charging through the water full speed ahead. In addition to the obvious, which is water splashing too high, getting into your engine and knocking it out, you might also do physical damage to your car. Water may be a liquid, but it actually behaves momentarily like a solid if enough force is involved, and too much speed can easily break plastic clips or dislodge body panels.

Instead, select a low gear (1st in a manual transmission; “L” or “S” in an automatic/DCT/CVT, or 1st as well if it has a manual selection function), enter the water at a moderate speed, and “push” it aside with the nose of your car. Wait till a bow wave has formed in front and stay just behind it. The height of the water immediately behind the wave is slightly lower, which will improve your chances of making it through. 

Do not get greedy with the accelerator and overtake the wave, as the water level will probably build up above your intake. Yet, it’s also important to keep your momentum up, so don’t completely get off the throttle until you’re out of the water up, even if the wheels are spinning. 

This video of Rufford Ford in Nottinghanshire, England, shows textbook examples of what you should and shouldn’t do:

Despite driving an SUV from the best off-road vehicle manufacturer in the world, the driver of the red Range Rover Velar at the start of the video still gets defeated by the water, especially with so much of it splashing over his bonnet. Contrast that to the white VW Scirocco driver at 3:03, who slows slightly after entering the crossing, always ensuring he can see the bow wave in front of, and makes it out despite driving a fairly low car.

If you survived the watery onslaught, congrats! Just make sure you do a couple of hard stops at low speed to dry the brake discs and pads. You don’t want wet brakes to prevent you from stopping at higher speeds.

Worst case scenario

If you got it all wrong and your car did die, don’t panic. Your best solution is to turn on your hazard lights, sit inside or get out and seek shelter (depending on the situation), and wait for help to arrive. 

Whatever you do, don’t try to restart the engine. Unlike the air/fuel mixture that gets sprayed into your cylinders, water doesn’t compress, so when the engine turns over and tries to force the pistons up during its compression stroke, it’ll simply stop in its tracks at best, or at worst, bend or break something within the bowels of your engine, like a connecting rod. 

If the engine stopped purely because of water entering the cylinders, it can still be flushed out with minimal long-term effects. But if attempting to fire up the engine caused something else to break, you’re looking at replacing your entire motor.

AutoApp can prepare your car for the year-end monsoon with our wet-weather packages. Download the app here or in case of any emergency, contact our hotline at 91 028 028 and we’ll be happy to advise accordingly.