Carsut - Understand cars and drive better

Carsut – Understand cars and drive better

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Mitsubishi Mirage launched – from 380000 baht with 22km/liter

The Mitsubishi Mirage is now officially launched in Thailand and the sales will begin end of March. Starting from 380,000 baht, consumers now stand a chance to own an affordable eco car with high fuel consumption at 22 km/l (51.75 mpg), which is among the best in its class. The new Mirage is a brand new idea from Mitsubishi to target the growing small car market in Thailand as well as global markets. It is a small car with more saving, more utilities, more entertainment, more safety, and more colors.

The Mirage is about the size of a Nissan March or a MINI Cooper hatchback. It is powered by a 1.2-liter three-cylinder MIVEC engine which is powerful enough to bring five passengers from one place to another. The power is sent directly to the front wheel through the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The five-door subcompact may look small but it is complete with everything that is needed – a small trunk at the back, a transmission, an engine with good fuel economy, air-conditioning, four wheels, some electronic equipments, and of course a steering wheel.

MORE Utilities

There are five special utilities come together with this car that really attracts the buyer. Start from the KOS (Keyless Operation System), owner can open the car door and also start the engine with one push-engine switch button as long as he has the remote key within 70cm from the sensor inside the car. Other than these two high-tech utilities, the Mirage also features a 60/40 spilt-folding rear seat to create more cargo room. Inside the car, there is a 7-inch touch screen multimedia player for DVD, CD, MP3, and navigation system.

MORE Safety

Safety is what consumers always concerned about for subcompact car. The reinforced impact safety evolution body (RISE) enhances passenger protection performance and improves collision safety performance. The body also uses high tensile steel plates to create a high rigidity and light weight body for better performance. That is one reason how the Mirage achieves more than 50mpg.

MORE Colors

The Mirage will be available in eight exterior colors, these include Lemonade Yellow Metallic, Red Metallic, Pop Green Metallic, Cerulean Blue Mica, Pearl White, Cool Silver Metallic, Eisen Gray Mica, and Black Mica.

Mitsubishi Mirage line up in different colors

Trim Levels

In Thailand, the Mirage is available in five different trim levels including:

Mitsubishi Mirage GL (M/T) 380,000 baht – Piano black interior, No KOS, no 60/40 spilt-folding rear seat, only one driver’s airbag, manual air-conditioning, normal wheels with no wheel cover, and 165/65 R14 tires.

Mitsubishi Mirage GLX (M/T) 426,000 baht and Mitsubishi Mirage GLX CVT (A/T) 460,000 baht – Similar with GL model but added with ABS/EBD,KOS, CD/MP3/AUX-in, electric folding mirror, and disposable wheel covers.

Mitsubishi Mirage GLS CVT 506,000 baht – Similar with GLX but added with dual front airbags, fog lamps, 14” alloy wheels, rear spoiler with third LED brake light, push-start switch button.

Mitsubishi Mirage GLS Ltd. CVT 546,000 baht – Similar with GLS CVT but added with automatic air-conditioning and a complete multimedia/navigation system with Bluetooth.

Updated: Click here for more details and specifications.

Competitors

Mitsubishi Mirage’s competitors or similar cars: Nissan March, Honda Brio, Ford Fiesta, Suzuki Swift, Mazda2, Toyota Yaris, Chery QQ, and Nissan Almera.

Fuel economy’s main challenger: Toyota Prius and Toyota Prius C.

Mitsubishi will start taking orders for the Mirage starting from March 28 in conjunction with the 33^rd Bangkok Motor Show. For those who are interested to be the first few owners of the Mirage, you can walk into any Mitsubishi showroom in Thailand to book the car now or just bring your cheque book to the Motor Show.

What Carsut Says

The Mitsubishi Mirage is a respectable small car with good fuel consumption. The price of the basic model could be attractive but lacks of many things that consumers expect. It is without doubt a good first car for anyone who needs a simple and basic transport. Click here to see Mitsubishi Mirage Video.

March 26, 2012
All-New Chevrolet Trailblazer launched in Thailand

The all-new Chevrolet Trailblazer is out! It makes world debut in Thailand at a very special event. It is special because the event is also available through an online live channel at Chevrolet.co.th. The debut of the Trailblazer is few days ahead of the 33rd Bangkok International Motor Show which is just around the corner. It is the same car that many Chevrolet fans have viewed it in concept at the 2011 Dubai Motor Show.

“True to its name, the Trailblazer will ‘blaze’ the trail for new Chevrolet vehicles coming into the market. It has been built tough to offer Chevrolet customers everything they need from a heavy-duty SUV,” said Martin Apfel, President of GM Southeast Asia and Chevrolet Sales Thailand. “It will hit the ‘sweet spot’, not just for consumers in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia, but in every place around the world where it will be sold.” he continued. (more…)

March 24, 2012
What do CBU and CKD mean in automobile?

A CBU Toyota Prius

Often when you are buying a new car or reading the information about your desired cars, you may have come across some weird terms such as CBU and CKD. These terms usually appear in some countries that impose excise duty on imported vehicles such as Malaysia, India, China, and Thailand. What is actually CBU? What does CKD means? In this article we will explain what they mean and the differences between CBU and CKD.

Generally, CBU and CKD are terms used to describe the way of importing a vehicle into the country. CBU stands for Complete Built Up and CKD stands for Complete Knock Down.

CBU – Complete Built Up

A CBU import means a vehicle is completely built out of the country. The vehicle is tested and it can be driven once it lands on the shores. If a vehicle is tagged as CBU import, it means the vehicle is imported to the country as a whole piece. A CBU import does not mean that the vehicle is 100% built in its origin country. For example, a CBU Honda Civic imported to Malaysia can be assembled in Japan (Honda’s origin country) or some other Honda plants in either Thailand or Indonesia. However, most of the time but not always, the import will be done by picking the nearest country. Most Hondas in Malaysia are imported from Thailand due to the geographical location. The quality of a CBU vehicle very much depends on the QC (Quality Control) of the plant.

CKD – Complete Knock Down

A CKD vehicle means a vehicle is assembled locally using all the major parts, components, and technology imported from the country of its origin. Government imposed excessively high taxes on CBU vehicles to encourage foreign car manufacturers to build factories and produce their vehicles in the country. This would help the country’s economy as well as to increase the employment rates. This is the reason why we see more and more CKD vehicles available in the country.

CBU vs. CKD

The biggest difference between CBU and CKD is the taxes. A CBU unit could have cost 30% more of a CKD unit. However, quality of the vehicle is the first concern of consumers. A Mercedes-Benz completely built in Sindelfingen plant will definitely have some difference with other Mercedes-Benz’s plants. This has also explained why the Sindelfingen plant was presented with the J.D. Power Award by the renowned U.S. market research institute J.D. Power and Associates.

Popular CBU vehicles in India:

Aston Martin DBS, Audi R8, Bentley Continental GT, BMW Z4, Ferrari 458 Italia, Fiat 500, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda CR-V, Lamborghini Aventador, MINI Cooper, Nissan GT-R, Porsche Boxster, Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Tiguan, Volvo S80, and others.

Popular CKD vehicles in India:

BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, Ford Figo, Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Tavera, Honda Brio, Honda Jazz, Honda City, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Accent, Suzuki Swift, Nissan Sunny, Toyota Corolla Altis, Toyota Fortuner, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, and others.

March 23, 2012
Toyota Prius C – You Drive Me Crazy!
It was Sunday yesterday and we had finally put our foot on the pedals of a brand new Toyota Prius C. Here we will describe the car from head to toe and from inside out. First impression and first observation, it looks really beautiful standing in the showroom and it is really small when compared to its elder brother Prius beside it. It looks like Jacky Chan standing beside the NBA player Yao Ming.

In the U.S., the Prius C is made available in four variants – Prius C One, Prius C Two, Prius C Three, and Prius C Four. The one we are reviewing here is the only model available inMalaysiawhich is the Prius C Four or better known as Toyota Aqua in Japan.

Exterior

The 2012 Prius C is an all-new hybrid model for the B-segment. It is something new, something different, and something fresh. The front bumper is fitted with a pair of integrated fog lamps that looks like dimples on a smiling face. What makes it different from other cars is the crystal clear rear lamp that combined with LED stop lamps in a unique shape. A good looking car should not lack of a set of cool wheels. The Prius C features a set of 15-inch 8-spoke alloy wheels with P175/65R/15 83V tires. It is not only cool but also helps to reduce the total weight of the car and perform well on different kinds of road surfaces. It is only three steps in length. Getting around in the city with this size could be fun and easier for parallel parking or reverse parking. As for the trunk, it may be small but some DIY furniture can still be loaded easily into it.

Toyota Prius C logo with blue light-emitting diode (LED) illumination

Interior and Technology

We have to admit that the Prius C features a lot of new technology that will be fun to own. Key ignition seems to disappear from the Prius C. It features a Smart Key System with one power button for you to start the car like that of a computer, provided the key is in your pocket. The interior is nicely designed with a few florescent lights that make it look like a future car. The steering wheel is similar to that of the Prius minus the two buttons for phone calls. You can control the audio and climate from the steering wheel.

Interior of Toyota Prius C

There is also a 6.1-inch multimedia screen at the middle of the dashboard that offers a few popular mobile apps, navigation systems, and data services to the driver. You can customize the setting of your car including GPS, voice recognition, radio features, and wireless features. Together with a reverse camera that hides behind and above the registration plate, the multimedia screen will show the image of what the camera catches at the back of the car.

Reverse camera hidden in the Prius C

Performance and Safety

The Prius C is powered by Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive System that can be found in the Prius. A 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motor giving a total combined output of 99 hp sent directly to the front wheel through the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). On the gasoline engine itself, it produces 73 hp at 4800 rpm and 82 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. A 144-volt nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery is located under the rear seats that give a maximum output of 19.3 kW. Light body, great aerodynamic, and great technology give a combined fuel economy at 50 mpg, making it the highest in the non plug-in hybrid available in the market.

The Prius C sits on an independent MacPherson strut front suspension with stabilizer bar and torsion beam rear suspension. Together with the Electric Power Steering (EPS) and 31.4 turning circle diameter, the car is without doubt fun to drive. Inside all four wheels, it is equipped with power-assisted ventilated disc brakes for the front and drum brake for the rear.

As for safety, the Prius C is equipped with a total of seven airbags including front airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, and a driver’s knee airbag. Other safety features such as traction control (TRC), ABS, EBD, auto climate control, cruise control, and Toyota’s famous VSC (vehicle stability control) can be found in the car too.

Click on the image to enlarge it

Fuel Economy

53 city/46 highway/50 combined mpg; 53 city/46 highway/50 combined mpg; 22.5 city/19.6 highway/21.3 combined km/l.

What could be better?
- The dashboard is superbly designed but it is covered with cheap plastic. Just knock a few times and you will know what we mean.
- It is a few thousand dollars cheaper than the Prius but many things are not there. In the Prius C, you don’t get the feeling of Prius. It is much smaller and very cramped. A person taller than 175cm or 5’ 8” may hit the roof if he sits in the middle of the back seat.
- The luxurious feeling in the Prius could not be found here.
Price
- United States: Prius C One (MSRP $18,950), Prius C Two (MSRP $19,900), Prius C Three (MSRP $21,635), and Prius C Four (MSRP $23,230).
- Malaysia: Simple and easy, RM97,000 OTR (On The Road) with metallic paint.
Toyota Prius C’s competitors and similar cars: Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Honda Insight, Honda CR-Z, Honda Jazz/Honda Fit Hybrid, Lexus CT 200h, Honda Brio, and Nissan March.

In a nutshell, the Toyota Prius C is a better version of the Yaris and smaller yet cheaper version of the Prius. It will be the number one buying choice for savvy consumers who need a small car but super huge gas mileage. Toyota Prius C, You Drive Me Crazy!

Click on the image to enlarge it
March 20, 2012
How To Parallel Park (Video)

This is a two-minute short video to show you how to parallel park a car in few easy steps. It was taken in HD mode and the resolution can be enlarged to 1024 x 576 . Follow these steps and you can learn parallel parking easily. Click here to read more about how to parallel park a car with detail explanations as well as special images.

March 19, 2012