The Honda Jazz has always been an economical little car, but this new hybrid version is little short of miraculous. Light weight, and a small engine — these are the biggest friends to fuel economy, which is why small hatchbacks tend to be fuel-sippiest cars out there. But even with that in mind, I still wasn’t prepared for the range estimate staring back at me on the new Honda Jazz Hybrid’s ...
Read More
With a range of over 420km and 408hp on tap, Mercedes-Benz gives us an idea of what to expect from its forthcoming EV models with the Mercedes-Benz EQC. Mercedes-Benz has (at last), thrown its hat into the Electric Vehicle (EV) arena with the launch of the EQC. Like its compatriots, Audi with e-tron, and BMW with i, Mercedes-Benz's EV sub-brand is EQ, hence the moniker of the car driven here. Given that ...
Read More
The Lexus UX300e, the Japanese automaker's first full-electric model, is all you’d expect from a proper Lexus. Unfortunately, it does come with some little foibles… Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has long made his stance clear on electric vehicles (EVs). A strong proponent of hybrids and plug-in hybrids, he’s candidly spoken out against the shift toward full electric transportation. In a Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association press conference, he’s gone as far as to ...
Read More
The perennial MPV gets a timely facelift to keep it fresh and relevant as the 8-seater market heats up. If you’ve been in the market for an eight-seat people mover, there haven’t been really many choices. There’s the Toyota Previa, and er, that was more or less it, really. At least, until Hyundai and Kia unveiled the Palisade and Carnival respectively within a day of each other. Incredibly, within the same ...
Read More
Volvo’s latest XC40 Recharge PHEV crossover provides a semi-EV experience, but works best if you have a private charging point. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are a less common, but steadily increasing, variant of hybrid vehicles. They behave similarly to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) like the Toyota Prius, except that their batteries can be recharged in two ways. Drive it like a HEV, and the battery charges itself up with regenerative braking. This ...
Read More
19 years ago, the original Sorento marked the beginning of Kia’s transition from bargain basement dweller to mainstream player. Now, the latest Sorento edges that evolution into premium status. Korean cars — for a long time, a fairly consistent source of derision in the auto industry. Remember such highlights as the Kia Sephia, Hyundai Excel or Daewoo Leganza? Of course you don't. Koreans used to be cut-price versions of already average mainstream ...
Read More
The BMW 420i M Sport gives the term ‘personal mobility’ a whole new meaning. A drive around Singapore proves that even the entry point to the two-door range has an appeal that is all its own. Beauty can be a fickle thing. For starters, it is completely subjective. Remember the rom-com Shallow Hal? The horribly superficial Hal Larson (Jack Black) gets hypnotised to appreciate the inner beauty of women rather than ...
Read More
Want a large luxury sedan that can do it all? The cleverer and ostensibly greener facelifted BMW 5 Series takes some beating. The BMW 5 Series - has there ever been a more complete car in the history of the automobile? Posh, yet not ostentatious; techy, yet not gimmicky; handsome, yet practical and spacious. It’s a reputation that goes back further than any BMW you’d recognise today. Nearly 50 years ago, ...
Read More
The facelifted Hyundai i30 has a smaller engine in the name of emissions, but the equipment list has remained properly sizeable! Downsizing is all the rage today. In the race to make cars more efficient and less polluting, car manufacturers have taken the catchphrase ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’ and chucked it out the window. The trend started with European manufacturers such as Volkswagen and SEAT, before Asian manufacturers began to follow ...
Read More
Have you heard the one about the EV that charges itself and runs on petrol? Like the idea of driving an Electric Vehicle but are still concerned about the range and lack of charging infrastructure? Or maybe installing a wall box is out of the question because you live in an apartment? One car that might be an ideal solution for such folks is the Nissan Note e-Power driven here. It has ...
Read More
Two new compact contestants to Singapore’s car market provide buyers new entry-level European options, in the Skoda Scala and Kamiq. 2020 was a quiet year for Skoda Singapore, but it's starting 2021 with a bang, launching not just one, but two new cars. And they really are new, with both models filling hitherto unoccupied gaps in the line-up. Meet the Scala hatchback and Kamiq crossover. The what now? The Scala and Kamiq, the ...
Read More
With a willing engine, lively handling, and a good bit of kit, entry level doesn’t feel quite as such in the new BMW 318i. Buying a car is a bit like portion sizing your lunch. Do you saunter up to the aunty at the counter and ask for the basic $3 bowl of fishball noodles? Or do you go all out and ask for the $6 bowl with more noodles, more ...
Read More
The fourth-generation Toyota Harrier may just be the quietest and most comfortable car for its price. Singapore might be a little late to the Toyota Harrier party as it was only officially introduced 3-4 years ago. However, the market has more than made up for lost time as this Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) has quickly become a firm favourite. The sheer numbers seen on local road will attest to that. The style ...
Read More
Stylish, fuel efficient and well-equipped, the self-charging Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid ticks (almost) all the right boxes. Some of you may be old enough to remember a tagline that the official Toyota dealer for Singapore used on its cars’ license plate frames: “Life with Toyota is a standard living”. I might be paraphrasing, but it was something to this effect. These words came to mind when I stepped into the Toyota ...
Read More
Subtle exterior design changes and modernised interior equipment make the MINI Countryman better than ever. A large mini. As much as an oxymoron this is, the largest MINI on sale is seeing a steady increase in demand globally. For every 10 cars out the door of a MINI showroom these days, 3 are MINI Countryman crossovers. This is congruent with patterns across the new car buying landscape, though. What's different is that ...
Read More