I’ve done the northbound road trip to Malaysia more times than I care to admit, sometimes for the scenery, sometimes for the satay, and almost always with the silent mission to “beat the GPS estimate”.

But this particular trip was different. This Audi-led drive wasn’t about making good time. It was about making good kilometres, a fuel efficiency challenge stretching from Singapore to Ipoh, and looping back to Kuala Lumpur.

No gimmicks. Just one car, one tank, and a surprisingly competitive bunch of automotive journalists with too much pride and too little sleep.

Flag-Off at Dawn and the Battle of the A/C

We began, as all sensible efficiency drives do, at an ungodly 5am, flagged off at Shell Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim. My co-driver for this journey was James from Oneshift, armed with caffeine, caution, and the quiet hope that the air-conditioning would stay on.

Fortunately for him (and our friendship), I was determined to keep it on as well; low fan speed, Eco mode, windows up.

Our competitors? Far braver. Or madder. They have opted to go the entire way without A/C. Windows up. Cabin sealed. The car effectively became a convection oven with leather upholstery.

Major respect, though I’m fairly certain at least one member emerged from their car medium-rare afterwards.

We, on the other hand, kept things civilised. Tyres inflated to near bursting, trip computer reset, pep talk given.

We figured we needed our belongings for check-in, too, so no unnecessary luggage or cabin dumping was conducted. Just good, honest efficiency.

Meet the Machine

The car we were preparing to set off in was the Audi A3 1.5 TFSI. Showroom stock and untouched, save for a full tank of fuel. Its secret weapon was a refined mild hybrid system, a clever coasting mode, and an uncanny ability to sip fuel like a polite guest at a wedding tea ceremony.

From the get-go, the A3 impressed. Even without engaging the Efficiency mode, it was eager to slip into coasting, the revs dropping like a well-timed mic. Within the first hour, we were already seeing fuel figures north of 20km/litre.

Acceleration was measured. Braking, minimal. Speeds hovered around 70–80km/h, torturous in a country where 110km/h is legal and tempting. But in the pursuit of consumption glory, restraint is the real flex.

Snacks, Sun, and Surprises

To keep our spirits up, we turned to a predictable playlist of cheesy pop hits and suspiciously preserved snacks. James even rewarded himself with a Ramly burger, half for sustenance, half for morale. Stopping was rare; momentum was precious.

Even with the sun climbing and temperatures rising, the A3 soldiered on without complaint. Eco mode air-conditioning set at 26 degrees kept us cool enough, and more importantly, it didn’t seem to punish us fuel-wise. Quite the opposite, in fact. The further we went, the better our consumption got.

Credit where due, Audi’s mild hybrid system is leagues smoother than its predecessor. Engine stop-starts were barely perceptible, and noise levels stayed muted throughout.

Up North to Ipoh

The journey towards Kuala Lumpur was relatively smooth, but as soon as we hit the big capital of Malaysia, our efficiency took a hit thanks to traffic congestion. It was tempting to weave through traffic, but keeping our dainty little A3 behind larger vehicles was always going to be better for efficiency.

After tackling suburban sprawl, expressway monotony, and the barrage of impatient lorry drivers wondering why we were the slowest moving thing that morning, we approached Ipoh after almost 9 hours of driving, fatigued, famished, but proud. The GPS said we’d arrive early. It lied.

Turns out, when you’re trundling along well below the posted limit, that ETA shrinks faster than your enthusiasm in a jam. We rolled in with 15 minutes to spare.

Just enough time to marvel at the ingenious optimisations our rival team had done to their car; they taped their A3 to within an inch of its life in a bid to reduce drag.

The Plot Twist

Ah, but the journey wasn’t done. You see, this was a tag-team challenge. From Ipoh to St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, our teammates who first took the Audi A5 (used in a concurrent photography challenge) took over the A3, while we, blessedly, took over their air-conditioned lounge for photography duties.

Did our teammates stop for a break as scheduled? No. Rather, instead of heading straight to the pre-determined lunch spot, they instead opted to head straight for the final meeting point at the hotel, and doubled back for food in the A5 after we picked them up.

Why? Because why waste fuel when the competition’s this tight?

So, Who Won?

Let’s be real – our stock, weighted, and air-conditioned A3 was never going to win the other team, and they deserve every inch of victory for braving the sweltering heat in their makeshift aerodynamic sauna.

The question now is, how close were the two teams?

Here’s where it gets interesting. After more than 750 kilometres of driving with luggage, functioning air-conditioning, and two moderately sleep-deprived adults onboard, our A3 returned 26.689km/litre.

The winning team, in their minimalist, A/C-free chariot of sweat and sheer willpower? 27.645km/litre. That’s a difference of just under 1km/litre.

Was the heat worth it for the other team? Absolutely, they walked home with a stack of vouchers and smiles, and you’ve got to hand it to them for going through the“torture”.

But, for all the efforts to strip weight and endure tropical self-basting, we came within touching distance using… creature comforts, which proves an interesting point. Modern cars like the Audi A3 are absurdly efficient by default. You don’t need to turn your car into a wind tunnel or sacrifice sanity to go the distance.

The A3 was composed, capable, and criminally efficient, even under real-world, real-human conditions. It proved that range doesn’t have to come at the expense of ride, refinement, or the divine blessing that is air-conditioning.

Photo Credits: Al Han (@sgcarshooter)

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In July 2023, I reviewed the Citroen e-C4 and needless to say, came away impressed. So, when the e-C4 X was first shown at the Singapore Motorshow 2024, I started chomping at the bits to see what this new variant would bring to the table.

As for the question asked at the beginning of this article, we invite you to answer that for yourselves. After what we went through during ACOTY 2024 with the Peugeot 408, we’re not going down that rabbit hole again!

L’extérieur

The e-C4 X’s face is distinctive, and one that will cause people to turn their heads and look. Tri-LED headlights sit ensconced into the bumper while sleek LED daytime running lights sit atop and seemingly carry on into the headlight cluster.

The dual chevrons mark this face out as distinctly Citroen, and one that we’ve seen before in the e-C4, sans anodized blue trims to signify it as an electric vehicle (EV). No, the e-C4 X carries its EV cred quietly, and is better for it.

18-inch rims wear rather narrow but rolling resistance-friendly 195/60 R18 Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres, but don’t let the name or its relative narrowness put you off. These babies can grip very well should the mood strike to string a series of bends together.

The rear end is made distinctive by the e-C4 X’s taillight clusters as well as its sloping roofline that kicks up into an integrated spoiler in the boot lid. It’s definitely something other road users will take note of while on the move.

Otherwise, the exterior design aesthetic is clean, interspersed by bits of black plastic trim to signify its better-than-other-sedans ground clearance.

L’intérieur

Swing open the sedan boot lid to reveal 510 litres of luggage capacity that’s both deep and wide. Before anyone bemoans the lack of a liftback, which no doubt would have made the e-C4 X more practical, I get why they did it.

It’s most likely for sound insulation, which is important in an electric vehicle. With a liftback, the boot area would be exposed to the cabin space, thereby making it a little noisier.

The rear seatbacks fold down in a 60:40 split to liberate more space if longer or more numerous items need to be carried.

The rear seats themselves are pretty comfy, although being a ‘C4-class’ vehicle, legroom is just about adequate with the driver’s seat almost all the way back and some ways up for my seating position.

The rear door aperture is a tad small, which requires a little more contortions to negotiate, especially for taller people. Once inside though, headroom is way more than sufficient.

Rear occupants get a couple of air vents and USB ports, one Type-C and one Type-A, to keep their electronic gubbins juiced up.

The front seats are manually operated, which in my opinion is good because fore-and-aft adjustments are much faster and there’s one less electrical item to go wrong.

The seatback angle and lumbar-support adjustments are done courtesy of two knobs on the side of the seatback, and knuckle-bashing on the B-pillar may ensue. Once set though, it’s off to the daily grind.

Being a Citroen, you can expect these seats to be nice and comfy over many thousands of miles. I came away from the review loan period feeling refreshed after every drive.

The steering wheel is perfectly sized, and manually adjusts for reach and rake. Controls for adaptive cruise and audio/telephony are clearly laid out on either spoke of the steering wheel.

Yep, the e-C4 X has adaptive cruise, which is very nice. Initially, I couldn’t figure out how to change the following distance, but Sean leaned over and said, “Can the speed-adjustment rocker be pressed?”

Voila! Just depress the rocker multiple times to change the following distance to your preference.

There’s only one chink in this really nice steering wheel. See the bit of brightwork on the bottom spoke? It caught the sun’s rays between 11 AM and 2 PM and reflected the glare into my eyes.

This could also be due to my unique seating position, so if this is you also, a little bit of vinyl wrap professionally applied should do the trick.

The main instrument screen may seem quite small at first. It can be configured in three ways, and the trip readouts are momentarily activated by pressing a button on the wiper stalk. Otherwise, it is minimalist, for good reason.

And that reason is because the e-C4 X has a head-up display or HUD. Turn the vehicle on, and the HUD screen rises out of the dashboard.

Why not just project it onto the windscreen? Because HUD-compatible windscreens are more expensive than their regular counterparts. See, Citroen engineers were thinking ahead, since windscreen replacements are pretty commonplace.

The HUD itself is pretty simple too, displaying speed, adaptive cruise and speed-sign information. Adjustments for the HUD can be done via a set of controls near the driver’s right knee and next to the door.

The infotainment screen in the e-C4 X measures 10 inches across, features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and from what I remember, appears to be of a crisper resolution and responsiveness than the e-C4’s.

Also, a complaint I had about the latter’s ever-present menu functions while Android Auto is operating is not the case here, with the full width of the screen’s real estate being utilised. NICE!

Thankfully, aircon controls are physical! There’s also a wireless charging tray just below the aircon controls, and USB Type-C and Type-A ports. Use the former if you prefer wired Android Auto.

La Conduite

Let’s first get to the reason Citroen is famous – its world-class suspension that lets the e-C4 X float down the road. In case you haven’t read the e-C4 review, here it is again in brief.

It’s called “Citroen Suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions,” and I still maintain that the French engineers must have dabbled in sorcery and witchcraft to come up with a relatively simple suspension system that rides THIS well without resorting to air ride or the problematic oleo-pneumatic system from Citroen’s past.

Just to prove a point to Sean in the back seat, I flew over a small but sharp speed hump without slowing down just like I did with Joel in the e-C4.

Folks, we didn’t feel a thing. We heard the tyres thumping over the speed hump, but that was it. Sean was noticeably impressed. The ride comfort of the e-C4 X, just like the e-C4 is 85-90% that of a BMW 735i with air suspension.

Don’t take my word for it. Go for a test drive and experience it yourself.

Just because it’s cushy and comfy doesn’t mean that the e-C4 X leans over like a land barge when negotiating corners. Quite the opposite, because it will dance through the twisty stuff in a sure-footed manner.

An area that sees improvement over the e-C4 is its efficiency. The e-C4 X has a 4kWh larger battery pack than the former, and power and torque from the electric motor are slightly up to the tune of 2hp and 10Nm respectively.

It isn’t going to win any traffic-light drag races. Acceleration is adequate for the daily-drive duties, and it’ll get the job done competently.

Charging the battery pack from 20%-80% is claimed to be done in about 30 minutes, and from my experience charging from just over 30% to 90%, which took 31 minutes at a 120kW DC charger, is a realistic claim.

Citroen claims 14.1kWh/100km or 7.1km/kWh WLTP energy efficiency and 436km of claimed range.

My own experience bettered their efficiency claim at a normalised average economy of 12.7kWh/100km or 7.9km/kWh, meaning over 400km of range from the 54kWh battery pack is entirely doable.

To put things in context the e-C4 X is the second most efficient EV we’ve ever tested at the time of writing, and dethroned the popular BYD Atto 3 100kW for the silver medal. As usual, your mileage may vary with driving style and conditions.

If you’re looking for a quiet comfy EV that has its own charm in a sea of generic-looking vehicles, the e-C4 X is a good place to start. There’s but the slightest of wind-rustle at highway speeds emanating from the top of the A-pillar, but that’s it.

Even the stock sound system is rather good and can play loud without becoming tiring on the ears. Sure, it’s not got tech up the wazoo, but that simplicity adds to its charm. French charm, might I add.

Just like the e-C4, no one can ever accuse an e-C4 X owner of driving something mundane-looking. It’s a really sweet car to daily-drive, and once again, kudos to the French engineers who made it happen.

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

Technical Specifications

Citroen e-C4 X

Unladen Weight: 1,584kg
Battery Size: 54kW
Power: 134hp
Torque: 270Nm
Drive: Front wheels
0-100km/h: 10 seconds (claimed)
Range: 436km (claimed)
Energy Economy: 14.1kWh/100km or 7.1km/kWh (claimed)
Price: S$164,999 with COE (accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Citroën Singapore

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The new Porsche Macan will soon make its global debut. Until then, leading up to this launch saw Porsche putting Macan prototypes through gruelling tests in extreme conditions to ensure reliability, performance and efficiency.

Ten years after its launch, the Macan is now in its second generation in all-electric form. As the first Porsche model built on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE), the SUV is a completely new development.

The test process to ensure the perfect coordination of all components and systems is accordingly meticulous. Naturally, camouflaged prototypes were deployed in various locations for testing.

“When we develop a new model, it’s always about the driving dynamics and precision. That’s Porsche. It’s in our DNA. But it’s always about efficiency too. And design,” said Jörg Kerner, Vice President, Product Line Macan.

One challenge was to maintain the product identity of the successful Macan model series while at the same time meeting the aerodynamic requirements needed to ensure high efficiency and therefore also a high range. Well, a drag coefficient of just 0.25Cd means the designers and engineers worked in lockstep to produce a slippery sports SUV. The previous generation Macan’s drag coefficient was 0.35Cd in comparison.

“Finding the optimal connection between our design principles and the specifications given to us by the aerodynamics engineers is certainly a challenge,” said Peter Varga, Director, Exterior Design at Style Porsche. “We’re working together on every millimetre to achieve the optimal balance between aesthetics and function.”

Through this teamwork, Porsche succeeded in combining its design DNA with range-optimised aerodynamics. This was achieved not only through a striking silhouette but also through the components of Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA) and other targeted measures.

“The active aerodynamic elements all significantly contribute to the range,” said Thomas Wiegand, Director of Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics. “We have an automatically extending rear spoiler and active cooling flaps on the front air intakes.”

Variable elements also exist out of sight in the undercarriage. The vehicle floor is flat and closed like that of a racing car, even in the rear axle area. The fairings there are flexible and also ensure low air resistance when rebounding.

During normal cruising, the Macan automatically assumes its ideal streamline. The rear spoiler moves into the eco position, the air flaps close and the chassis level lowers. This, according to Porsche, allows for a WLTP range of more than 500km for all variants.

The Macan’s electric motors are powered by a lithium-ion battery pack with a gross capacity of 100 kWh, of which up to 95 kWh can be actively used. The battery’s 800-volt architecture enables high-performance fast charging at up to 270kW, which is being tested worldwide as part of the development process.

According to Porsche, the battery pack can be charged from 10-80% in less than 22 minutes at a 150kW 400-volt charging station. This is because a high-voltage switch in the battery enables bank charging by effectively splitting the 800-volt battery into two batteries, each with a rated voltage of 400 volts.

Prototype testing doesn’t just involve driving around in different conditions. “There are different charging standards in our main markets. A major focus of the testing has therefore been on checking these different framework conditions in the different locations with our prototypes and adapting the technology accordingly where necessary. Charging simply has to work, wherever and whenever,” said Kerner.

However, driving around in different extreme conditions is, naturally, par for the test process. Through the various test stages, the objective is to coordinate the newly developed components and systems and to ensure the operational stability and smooth functioning of their interaction.

In endurance tests, a vehicle’s service life is simulated under the kind of harsh operating conditions that will later only be experienced by customers at the absolute limit. To date, the camouflaged prototypes of the all-electric Macan have completed more than three and a half million test kilometres on test tracks and public roads.

To test the interaction of all active driving components under extreme climatic and situational loads, the test cars are used all around the world. “We cover all temperature ranges. From minus 30 degrees Celsius in Scandinavia to plus 50 degrees Celsius, as we experienced in Death Valley in California,” continued Kerner. “Of course, an SUV also has to work on any surface. That’s why we test not only on roads but also off-road, on gravel, snow and ice.”

Any Porsche, even in SUV form, has to be an engaging drive. The rear-focused all-wheel drive in the all-electric Macan models is always on home turf in this regard. Porsche exclusively uses the latest generation of permanently-excited PSM motors on the front and rear axles. They provide an overboost power of more than 612hp, offer excellent efficiency and enable optimum reproducibility of the power output.

The electronically controlled Porsche Traction Management manages the distribution of more than 1,000Nm of torque with Launch Control in the top model in almost real-time.

A Porsche SUV needs to handle well and also be comfortable.

To this end, Porsche’s engineers have deployed a Porsche Active Suspension Management system with two-valve damper technology, air suspension, rear-axle transverse lock and, for the first time, rear-axle steering with a steering angle of up to five degrees.

Prototype-testing successfully completed and signed off, the new Porsche Macan will soon be launched. Excited yet? More to come. Stay tuned.

Photo Credits: Porsche

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The upper mid-size sedan/four-door coupe class is now seeing more competition in the electric vehicle (EV) segment, and Volkswagen (VW) has thrown its hat into the ring with the ID.7.

Make no mistake about it, the ID.7 is pretty long at almost five metres, a size where luxury sedans would usually sit in standard wheelbase format.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars is quoted as saying “With the ID.7 we are taking the next step in our electric offensive. The limousine offers a high level of comfort and long ranges. Already by 2026, we will offer the widest electric range of all manufacturers in Europe – from the entry-level model for less than 25,000 euros up to the ID.7 as the new top model within the ID. family. Our goal is to achieve an electric car share of 80 per cent in Europe by 2030. As from 2033, Volkswagen will produce only electric vehicles in Europe.”

So now we know where the ID.7 sits on VW’s electrified totem pole.

The ID.7 is the first model built on the modular electric drive matrix or MEB platform, and sports a brand new electric drivetrain that is said to be more efficient than those that came before.

With 286bhp on tap, this drive motor is the most powerful and torquey-est electric motor that VW has ever used in its vehicles.

Depending on the size of battery fitted, range of up to 700km and a maximum charging capacity of up to 200kW are not out of the question. In order to achieve its impressive range figure, VW has made the ID.7 aerodynamic with a drag coefficient of around 0.23. Interior space is catered to via its long wheelbase and short overhangs, meaning the ID.7’s interior packaging is done uber efficiently.

On the inside, the ID.7 is festooned with technology as expected. A 15-inch infotainment screen sits proud on the dashboard and is able to control all manner of creature comforts and tech gizmos via its touchscreen. It is a tad disappointing to see VW doubling down on touchscreen climate controls though, although the temperature sliders are now backlit.

The seats are of the massaging variety, and optional adaptive seat Climatronic can also be specified to heat and cool the bum and back as needed. A dimmable panoramic sunroof allows natural light to bathe the ID.7’s cabin, making it feel more airy and roomy than it already is.

One can also rock out to a 700-watt sound system courtesy of long-time VW audio partner Harmon Kardon, with 14 high-end speakers including a boot-mounted subwoofer.

The ID.7 will also feature something that VW calls “Travel Assist”, which uses swarm data to take over lateral and longitudinal control of the EV when activated – in other words, a smarter version of adaptive cruise control, but this will only be available in select European countries.

Also available is parking with memory function which, over a distance of 50 metres, allows the driver to park the ID.7 while sitting inside, or while standing outside via the smartphone app.

We’ll report back if and when the ID.7 comes to Singapore and becomes available for press review.

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