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It seems that neither is there a perfect automaker or a perfect car. As the saying goes, "Nobody is perfect". You see, even such a huge and highly reputable automaker as Toyota can sometime overlook things while manufacturing its cars. The Japanese automaker has made an announcement in which it states its plan to recall 185,000 cars in total globally. Yes, that means that some of the Toyota cars on our shores will be affected by the recall as well. The recall is said to involve the Toyota Yaris (also known as the Vitz in some regions) from the 2010 to 2012 model years. In addition to those, the Ractis and Verso-S from the 2010 to 2011 model years will also be recalled. It is said that this global recall is due to a power steering failure. Toyota mentions that in case water happens to reach the inside of the power steering module, a short circuit could take place and the power steering will fail, forcing the driver to give more efforts while trying to turn the steering wheel. The Japanese automaker also mentions that when the failure emerges, the cars in question will switch on the Electronic Power Steering warning indicator as well as give out a buzzing sound. The recall affects 130,000 Toyota cars in Japan itself, 22,450 cars in Europe, 74 cars in the U.S., and the remaining 32476 cars in other parts of the world. So, if you own a Toyota, prepare yourself for the recall as the Japanese automaker will mail you (besides other Toyota owners, of course) and your dealer will be more than happy (well, they should, anyway) to replace your power steering module. While most automakers will normally recall their cars due to some safety issues, it's nice to see that Toyota recalls its cars due to some issues that are more likely comfort-oriented, as a power steering system is not absolutely needed to drive a car. You see, in the old days, cars didn't have this particular feature at all. But of course, most of us will feel like something's missing if we drive a car without a power steering feature these days.
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It seems that Asian automakers somehow have the ability to manufacture pretty interesting super-mini cars. Take a look at the Mitsubishi Mirage, for example. It seems like Mitsubishi tried to shrink the car so that it can just fit into the A-segment. However, with Honda, things seem to change a little bit as the Japanese automaker seems to be lean towards practicality. You see, instead of competing in the A-segment as well just like the Mirage does, the Honda Fit (also known as the Jazz here) plays in the B-segment and it's quite big too. Carrying a chunky boot capacity of 335 litres, I think the Fit is a leader in its class. However, if you are satisfied with the boot capacity of the current generation Honda Fit, you may feel happier to know that Honda is already preparing the next generation Honda Fit that carries a total of 400 litres when it comes to bringing along your stuffs. Yes, you heard it right, it's the 2014 all new Honda Fit that's in the works! The car will make its first bow to the public of its home country by the end of 2013, after which it will also go global. But thanks to these accompanying Japanese scans, we're not going to have to wait that long just to know how the car will possibly look like. These scans manage to show us some parts of the car, including the interior and possible colour choices - two of which seem to be very bright neon colours - that Honda will be offering for its latest Fit. While the car is supposed to play in the B-segment still, it has grown a little, by 60mm (that's around a little above 2 inches). So, the car now measures 3,960mm. Well, don't be disappointed if you're keen on practicality that comes from a smaller size. The smaller the size of the car is, the easier it is for you to manoeuver through traffic, right? But, the good news is that passengers will have more spacious legroom, thanks to the wheelbase that now has a length of 80mm. This growth in size is probably partially due to the new architecture the car is being built upon. I believe it is this new architecture that Honda will also use in order to produce its very first SUV/crossover in the B-segment. Well, honestly, the car looks modern and is also prettier than the previous generation Honda Fit, although it does look kind of boxy in a few spots. The car also borrows a transparent nose that we've come to know from the Honda Civic hatchback of the previous generation. Now, let's get to the most important part of a car - under the hood. With the 2014 Honda Fit, we'll have the privilege to choose between a 1.2-litre and a 1.4-litre VTEC petrol engines. And, if we choose the latter, we'll also be able to choose a six-speed automatic transmission. Yet, for those who live in the European continents of this world, a 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that produces 120bhp is also an available option. Actually, I would say that there's still one engine that Honda will probably offer with its 2014 all new Fit. That would be the hybrid engine with a total capacity of 1,500cc in addition to a power output of 110bhp. This engine is previously used by the Civic as well. However, this engine will only see the light of day provided that the seemingly hybrid car pictured in the scans is actually a hybrid car indeed. Despite a bigger size than its older brother, the car maintains a light weight. This is possible thanks to the fact that the head and block utilises aluminium alloy. So, with its bigger size that makes for more spacious legrooms, do you think that the 2014 All New Honda Fit is still practical enough for you to be interested in? If you feel like sharing your thoughts, the comment section below may be your best friend.
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205,000 Suzukis may face potential recall due to airbag sensor flaws
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
If you live in the USA and you're a proud owner of either a Suzuki Grand Vitara (MY 2006-2011) or the Suzuki SX4 (MY 2007-2011), it is likely that these vehicles are in for a recall. Yes, you heard it right. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), either of the aforementioned models has some flaws regarding seatbelt and airbag sensors. There have been at least 128 complaints filed related to seatbelt lights, airbag indicators, and airbag warning lights. In total, the number of troublesome Suzukis has reached 205,000 units. Fortunately, Suzuki - as it is supposed to, I think - seems to be aware of the issues. The Japanese automaker has confirmed that the passenger seat load indicator on their lineups for the 2009 model years has an error in its programming indeed. In addition to that, there's also this open-circuit problem that prevents the sensor mat from appropriately determining whether a person sitting in the front seat is an adult or a child. Bad news for Suzuki, these issues affect both the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the Suzuki SX4. Aware that their cars have airbag issues besides the ones mentioned earlier, the Japanese automaker has taken necessary action by upping the seat cushion bottom warranty for its cars to either 10 years or a total of 120,000 miles. Fortunately, it seems that there has yet to be any report of injuries. Nonetheless, you should still expect a recall from the automaker from the land of the rising sun. Well, it seems that Suzuki is really in trouble. Aside from this potential recall issue, the company has also filed a bankruptcy plan not so long ago and it has been court-approved. -
Toyota MR2 Well, it's no longer a secret that the Bugatti Veyron is the world's fastest production car. With that being said, I can understand why there's a fair number of people in this world who desire to have one example of the supercar of their very own. Unfortunately, such a fast supercar bears a very high price tag and thus, not every single person in this world can afford to buy one. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that there's no solution to it, as in the case of this Toyota MR2. Bugatti Veyron plastic body kit Well, I can say that the owner of the car must really desire the Bugatti Veyron. He prepared everything to make his car completely look like the world's fastest production car ever built. The owner wraps his Toyota with a plastic body kit resembling the body of the Veyron. Mind you, the plastic body kit even comes with a fake rear engine compartment as well! Well, I think the owner is quite satisfied with his work. His original Toyota MR2 now looks just like the supercar he's always dreamed of, except for the somehow rather long wheelbase, perhaps. While the owner may have successfully transformed the exterior of his Toyota MR2 into that of the Bugatti Veyron, I wonder how he feels when people notice that the engine doesn't sound as awesome as that of the real W16 engine implanted on a Veyron. But then again, not everyone is aware of how a Bugatti Veyron really sounds, I guess. Toyota MR2 Spyder Although there's no mistake in pursuing one's dream, I would rather stick to the original MR2 or, maybe even better, the owner should have transformed the car into the Toyota MR2 Spyder instead as it will give him a better result, I believe.
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Well, if you're quite a fan of car movies, especially the ones intensely packed with actions, doing some stunts in or probably around a car may sound familiar. However, we all know that you shouldn't try those kinds of stunts at home. Yet, the young teenage boy in the accompanying video doesn't seem quite knowledgeable about it. Well, either that, or he simply doesn't really agree at all that those stunts are not to be tried independently - without any safety precautions, too. You see, the young boy managed to persuade a young girl to drive a Nissan Sentra right into him at a speed that I would say is no less than 60km/h. Honestly, I don't know how he could have persuaded that young girl, keeping in mind that most girls are not bound to do something so dangerous. At first glance, I thought that this boy would definitely end up in a hospital, maybe even getting himself to the ER (Emergency Room). However, it turned out that I was totally wrong. The boy actually managed to spin in the air and come back again on his feet. Well, I think I should give the boy a thumbs up at least. However, I don't understand why the girl driving the Nissan Sentra mentioned that she couldn't drive and that she couldn't see a thing. For things to make sense, I think it should have been the boy who should have said such things. Well, it's confusing but it's also hilarious on one hand, isn't it? Still, though, keep well in mind that this is not something you are supposed to try at home!
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Recently, we've been getting some teaser images from the Japanese automaker Toyota for its upcoming 2013 model year Corolla in New Zealand. Well, for those of you asking yourselves how much longer you are supposed to wait to see the whole thing, worry no more as your wait is about to be over. Toyota has released quite a few commercials unveiling the latest generation of its Corolla lineups. However, if you happen to keep a pet cat, you may want to consider putting your cat away from the car. You'll definitely find out the reason as soon as you have watched the accompanying videos. In these videos, there's this Persian pet cat which just can't seem to get enough of the comfort that the all new 2013 Toyota Corolla (NZ) is capable of offering. As a result, it keeps wanting more and more to be inside the car over and over again. Funny thing is, the cat is really willing to do whatever it takes just in order to be taken by its owner to the vet in the car it just seems to love so much. Oh, how cute
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Well, I won't argue that there are plenty of sports cars out there with retractable roofs. However, among all those convertibles, the MX-5 (Miata) from Japanese automaker Mazda may be one in particular that you should put your eyes on. Not only does it offer hair winding fun, but there's actually more to it than you might possibly imagine. Well, here's some proof. Recently, Mazda U.K., in collaboration with some Frisbee freaks and pro stunt drivers, just made this video which I would say is pretty cool. Watch the video and I believe you will think playing Frisbee on a car is something you should try too. At a glance, what these people did in the video may seem impossible. However, they managed to pull it off - and with a huge success in my opinion. Although the Mazda MX-5 isn't the type of car you can really count on when it comes to speed, it does offer you a fun steering, braking, gear shifting, and suspension. As a result, it makes something as fun as throwing the Frisbee disk from the car in front such that it lands in the car behind possible and it's unimaginably fun. To top it off, it can all be done while drifting, too! Hehe, I think you may even get addicted to it over times. However, don't swallow my words for it in an instance. Go check out the action and the fun yourself in the video.
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If you're a fan of the Italian supercar brand Lamborghini, well, I believe you must have heard of the Urus, the SUV the Italian automaker is planning to build by 2016. It looks aggressive and attractive. However, you aren't likely to get your hands on one, at least not until 2016 at the earliest, even if you have the amount of money it demands, which is US$200,000 (approximately S$251,000). But worry not as the Italian automaker's parent company, Volkswagen (VW) has already given the green light for the mass production of the model. At least, that was stated by Rupert Stadler, Chairman of Audi AG, during the gala dinner of the Grande Giro 50th anniversary tour. For those who don't know, the Grande Giro was Lamborghini's celebration of its 50th anniversary which took place just recently. Nevertheless, if you don't think you can wait any longer, a Chinese automaker known as the Sichuan Yema - which means 'Mustang' - may have an interesting offer. The Chinese company is building an SUV with inspiration from the Lamborghini Urus. It seems that the Chinese version of the SUV may be using a platform similar to that of the Austin Rover Maestro. Two years ago, the company, based in Chengdu, South West China, made a purchase on the platform of the Austin Rover Maestro. Then, not long afterwards, the company began using the platform for its production models. However, since it isn't the actual Lamborghini Urus, I would suggest that you do not expect 100 percent similarity between the Chinese and the actual Italian version of the Urus SUV. Well, it isn't that the Chinese one is totally ugly. Looking at the sides, the sloping roof, and also the rear quarters, it does remind me of the actual Urus. However, the headlamps and taillights are kind of different from the real car. In addition to that, it is in your best interest that you do not expect such a powerful engine (potentially a 600bhp V12 engine) as that of the real Urus. Instead, the SUV from the Chinese 'Mustang' will carry a 1.5-litre engine from Japanese automaker Mitsubishi. This engine will help the Chinese version of the Urus to cruise around Chengdu with a total power output of 143bhp and a peak torque of 200Nm. This SUV from Sichuan Yema is the company's latest SUV. Formerly, the company had also announced quite a lot of new models, all of which were SUVs. Just for your information, the licence possessed by Sichuan Yema only allows it to build SUVs. Unfortunately, keeping in mind that the Chinese automaker has never really managed to deliver their cars to the streets, I wonder if the same will happen to this latest Chinese Urus as well. If you want a comparison, the red SUV you can see in the images is the actual Lamborghini Urus SUV from Italy whereas the white one is its Chinese counterpart.
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Toyota officially appoints Indonesia as Yaris production base
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
After the on-and-off rumours circulating around the web for some time about the latest Yaris being produced in Indonesia, I now know for sure what will actually happen. The world renowned Japanese automaker, Toyota, is finally about to officially appoint Indonesia as the production base for the latest Yaris. Toyota's headquarters, the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), will announce its decision to make use of the second plant of PT Toyota Motors Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) which is situated in Karawang, West Java, to manufacture the aforementioned hatchback variant within the next two months. As of today, the plant is only manufacturing the automaker's Etios Valco, which is an economical car, up to 70-80 thousand units per month. The production capacity of the plant itself is actually higher than that and totals up to 140 thousand units per month. As such, it seems wise for Toyota to choose this plant to produce its next model. Judging from the Japanese car manufacturer's decision to switch the production of the Yaris to Indonesia, it seems that the company doesn't want to depend too much on a single country anymore, especially after having to suffer from considerable losses due to the recent flood disaster in Thailand. For your information, Toyota also switched the production of the Fortuner to Indonesia from another country last year. Toyota's decision to manufacture the Yaris in Indonesia also further emphasises its commitment to invest in this developing country. As of the end of the fiscal year 2012, President, Director and CEO of TMC, Akio Toyoda, announced that the Toyota Group was well prepared to spend a total investment value of Rp 26 billion(S$3.3 million) in Indonesia until 2020. For starters, the company had already spent up to Rp 13 billion (S$1.6 million) for the next five years and the investment was spread across six companies, the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) itself, Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd. (TAB), Denso Corp., Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (AS), Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TT), and the Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (DMC). To support its long term plan in Karawang, West Java, Toyota has also prepared a site measuring 150 hectares. Plan is, the site will be used to establish a new engine plant and the third Toyota plant in Indonesia, provided the company's car sales keep on showing a positive trend. Well, it seems that Indonesia may finally be developing for real, indeed. -
The all new Toyota Vios has finally been launched in Indonesia. The launch took place at the Ballroom of the Djakarta Theatre on Tuesday, 7th May 2013. Speaking of this latest generation Toyota Vios, do you remember I once said it's not likely to become a taxi? Well, it seems that I may be wrong as Toyota seems to be thinking differently. I once said the latest Toyota Vios wasn't likely to become a taxi not without a reason. This third generation sedan from Toyota comes with various high end features and modern, if not futuristic, styling cues. Projector headlamps and combination taillights are just a few to name. Not to mention that Toyota is also sticking quite a high price tag for the model, around Rp 242,500,000 (S$30,555) for the manual transmission in Indonesia. That's about Rp 20-25 million (S$2,500-S$3,000) more expensive than its predecessor. Toyota offers two trims - E and G - for its latest generation small sedan. As usual, E is the base trim. However, this time, customers can opt for an automatic transmission while purchasing the base trim. This automatic transmission variant will cost them Rp 252,000,000 (S$31,750). As for the G trim, it comes with either manual or automatic transmission, priced at Rp 259,900,000 (S$32,747) and Rp 272,500,000 (S$34,335) each, respectively. As you can see from the prices alone, it doesn't really make sense for Toyota to convert the All New Vios into a taxi. However, according to Toyota, there will be some adjustments to the features and the exterior design for the taxi version of the model. What's been revealed so far is that the rims and front grille will be different from those of the non-taxi version. Power windows - which are available on the non-taxi version - will also be disposed of. The adjustments have been confirmed by Johnny Darmawan, President and Director, PT Toyota Astra Motor (authorised Toyota distributor in Indonesia). "Yes, we'll keep on using the all new Vios as the development base for the Toyota Limo taxi, but it'll be different with a few adjustments, considering the latest generation has been equipped with classy features and the price is already high, too high to be converted directly into a taxi," said Johnny. He also added that there are already three huge taxi operators in Indonesia which are interested in using the Toyota Limo as their taxi fleets. According to him, the taxi operators are interested in the Toyota Limo thanks to the comfort, efficiency, reliability, and the roomy cabin the model has to offer. Now I understand why Toyota persists in converting its latest sedan model into a taxi. Without the adjustments, it will certainly ruin the image of the all new Toyota Vios as a small size premium sedan. As a result, there will be less people interested in spending their dime on the newly released sedan model.
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Infiniti is the luxury car division under the Japanese automaker Nissan and as of Tuesday, 30th April 2013, Hong Kong citizens, especially those Infiniti fans out there, could be grateful as Infiniti has officially opened its first showroom in the country. Known as the Infinity Gallery, the showroom was officially opened by Johan de Nysschen, President, Infiniti Motor Company Ltd., and Donald Yip, CEO, Dah Chong Hong Limited. Dah Chong Hong Limited is a local dealership that Infiniti has partnered in Hong Kong. The opening of the showroom saw the Essence, the latest sleek concept car from Infiniti, receiving the spotlight. For your information, the Infiniti Essence was also introduced to the public for the very first time in China. Besides the concept car, the showroom opening also saw a famous local actress and model, Jennifer Tse in the spotlight, posing right next to the car. According to Nysschen, the opening of the Infinity Gallery marked Infiniti's latest milestone that with a total of 50 markets all over the world. This first ever Infiniti showroom in Hong Kong is situated at 10 Harcourt Road, G/F Hutchinson House, near Hong Kong's business centre. So, for those that live in Hong Kong, what are you waiting for? Start visiting the Infinity Gallery now.