2011 Hyundai Elantra prices and details for Australia

Hyundai Australia has revealed the prices for the all-new 2011 Hyundai Elantra, which will be launched at the Australian International Motor Show on July 1.

Prices for the new Elantra will range from $20,590 for the entry-level Active manual to $28,990 for the top-spec Premium automatic.

The starting price is $1000 more than the base model Hyundai i30 hatch, although it is equal to the 2.0-litre i30 SX, which is a closer comparison in terms of performance.

The 1.8-litre four-cylinder MPI petrol engine in the Elantra produces 110kW of power and 178Nm of torque (5kW more, 8Nm less than the i30 2.0). A six-speed manual transmission will be available only in the Active, while a six-speed automatic will be optional in the Active and standard in the Elite and Premium models.

When teamed with the manual, the Elantra achieves 6.6 litres/100km on the combined cycle (8.4 litres/100km city, 5.6 litres/100km highway) and emits 158g/km CO₂.

Auto Elantras will use 7.1 litres/100km on the combined cycle (9.4 litres/100km city, 5.7 litres/100km highway) and emit 169g/km CO₂.

These figures make the Elantra more efficient than the i30 2.0-litre hatch, which uses 7.2 litres/100km with the five-speed manual and 7.6 litres/100km with the four-speed automatic.

The Elantra will also be more fuel efficient than the petrol versions of the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer, Kia Cerato, Holden Cruze 1.8-litre and the new 2.0-litre Ford Focus. The turbocharged Cruze 1.4iTi will better the Elantra, as will the entry-level 1.6-litre Focus Ambiente, which arrives in Australia in August.

The all-new Elantra is 4530mm long, 1775mm wide, 1435mm tall (for comparison’s sake, the Holden Cruze is 67mm longer, 13mm wider and 44mm higher). The boot will have a cargo carrying capacity of 402 litres.

The Active will come with 15-inch steel wheels, cloth interior trim, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and audio streaming, six speakers, AUX/USB/iPod inputs, steering wheel audio controls, manual air conditioning and cruise control.

The mid-spec Elite adds 16-inch alloys, auto headlights, front fog lights, rain sensing wipers, rear park assist, piano black interior highlights, push button start with proximity key, dual-zone climate control, premium steering wheel and a luggage net with hooks.

The Premium steps up with 17-inch alloy wheels, dark black chrome grille, tilt and slide sunroof, leather upholstery, electric driver’s seat with lumbar adjust and an electrochromatic rear view mirror.

All models come with full-sized spare wheels (alloys for Elite and Premium) as well as a safety package that includes six airbags (dual front, side and curtains), electronic stability control, traction control and seatbelt reminders for all passengers.-caradvice.com.au

2011 Hyundai Elantra manufacturer’s list prices (excluding government and dealer charges):

• Active manual – $20,590
• Active automatic – $22,590
• Elite automatic – $25,590
• Premium automatic – $28,990

The latest Garmin map for Malaysia & Singapore dated 16th June 2011

The latest Garmin map for Malaysia & Singapore dated 16th June 2011 is now available for downloading. 

Click HERE to download.

Ubek-ubek Proton Exora Termurah

Meski merupakan Proton Exora dengan grade paling rendah alias termurah, bukan berarti Proton melakukan downgrade berlebihan pada Exora Star.

Dengan banderolan harga sebesar Rp 154 juta Proton sudah menyediakan Exora Star dengan standar yang pas untuk keluarga meski minus fitur canggih seperti airbag, ABS, EBD, dan tanpa pelek alloy. 

PT Proton Edar Indonesia (PEI) memberikan satu unit tes Exora Star untuk dites jurnalis otomotif yang mengikuti jumpa pers pada Sabtu (11/6/2011) lalu di Hotel Borobudur. Test drive dilakukan dengan mengelilingi hotel tersebut.



Kesan pertama melihat Exora Star, mobil ini terlihat tidak mengalami perbedaan jauh dengan Exora varian lainnya. Perbedaannya kalau dari luar adalah penggunaan steel wheel ketimbang pelek alloy pada model lain.



Namun fitur seperti tinted glass, side body moulding, mud guard dan door visor sudah tertanam di Exora Star.

Perubahan lainnya pada lis chrome belakang dihilangkan dan diganti dengan cat hitam. Tetapi itu tidak menanggalkan kesan sporty pada Exora Star.



Apalagi di bagian belakang kirinya terdapat emblem Ride & Handling Lotus. Proton seakan-akan ingin memberikan jiwa mobil sport Lotus ke Proton Exora.

"Untuk mobil MPV, Exora termasuk best in class. Saya sudah mencoba MPV lain namun Exora menurut saya handlingnya paling bagus. Bodinya tidak membuang ketika mobil berada di tikungan," ujar pembalap penguji F1 LRGP (Lotus Renault Grand Prix) Fairuz Fauzy yang mendampingi para wartawan melakukan test drive.



Melihat kabin mobil, Exora Star menawarkan kabin lapang untuk kelas MPV. Sayang, Proton hanya menyediakan varian manual untuk Exora Star. "Tidak ada versi otomatisnya," ujar Head of Product Strategy Sales & Marketing PT Proton Edar Indonesia Robby Prakoso.

Sedangkan bahan joknya masih menggunakan fabric. Fitur untuk kenyamanan pengendara dan penumpang seperti power steering, central door lock, power window, alarm system, driver seat height adjuster sudah dipasang. Rear blower pun tersedia di kabin belakang agar penumpang tidak kepanasan.

Bagasi belakang pun luas, dan untuk membantu barang-barang yang disimpan di bagasi teratur dengan rapi, Proton menyediakan jaring yang terpasang di bagasi.

Menariknya lagi, beberapa bagian dari Exora Star ini sudah menggunakan parts dari Indonesia. Robby mencontohkan head unit yang terdapat di Exora Star sudah menggunakan part lokal.



Proton pun berjanji akan lebih meningkatkan lagi kandungan lokalnya.

Sementara mesinnya masih menggunakan mesin Campro CPS 1.600 cc 4 silinder DOHC dengan 125 tenaga kuda (pada 6.500 rpm) dengan torsi 150 Nm pada 4.500 rpm. 

Dengan transmisi manualnya tarikan Exora Star lebih responsif. Koplingnya tetap terasa enteng. Jika dipacu di jalanan, Exora Star bisa ngebut sampai 165 km per jam.



Untuk ukuran MPV 1.600 cc dan harga Rp 154 juta, tentu cukup menggiurkan bukan?-oto.detik.com

Rolls-Royce Phantom Electric Vehicle production unlikely

Earlier this year, Goodwood-based luxury automaker Rolls Royce unveiled an experimental electric vehicle built atop of the Phantom platform.

The one-off 102EX serves as a test bed to gather data which will be crucial in future decisions around electric models going into production. And the first feedback is in. According to Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes in an interview for Auto News, customers have had mixed feelings about potential electric versions of the automaker’s vehicles. Mueller-Oetvoes also said that buyers of the $380,000 Phantom and $245,000 Ghost models often live on the outskirts of major cities and may not accept an electric car’s 100-mile range.

Furthermore, the company has said it has no plans at present to produce EVs.

Ever since its unveiling at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Phantom 102EX was part of a global tour, allowing owners and enthusiasts to test drive the EV and provide feedback. No customers have approached the automaker to ask for electric versions of the cars, which now feature 12-cylinder engines, Mueller-Oetvoes said for Auto News.

The long-time rumored Rolls Royce hybrid might be an option for production due to their capability to deliver both electric driving combined with a combustion engine.

In  the Phantom 102EX, engineers replaced the 6.75-liter V-12 with a massive 71-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery housed within the aluminum spaceframe. Rolls-Royce is using large-form NCM pouch cells, or lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese-oxide to be exact. Due to its experimental nature, the 96 cells are separated into 5 modules (38-, 36-, 10-, 8-, and 4-cell units) and arranged in such a way that the overall battery takes on the shape of an engine and transmission. The battery weighs 1,411 pounds.

The battery outputs 850 amperes at 338 volts to two electric motors linked to a rear transaxle. The single-speed gearbox takes each motor’s 145 kilowatts (194 horsepower) and sends up to 388 horsepower to the rear wheels. Given its electric nature, the two motors will have up 590 combined pound-feet of torque on demand. The 0-60 mph time is quoted as being under 8 seconds, and there’s a governed top speed of just under 100 mph. A quite impressive performance for such a massive vehicle, around 3,000 kilograms.

The driving range is said to be up to 124 miles. In order to charge the battery, a three-phase charger would need 8 hours, while a single-phase (presumably 220/240V) would take 20 hours.-bmwblog.com

2012 Beetle RS Project-Stage I by VWvortex

After just a few months from the major release of Volkswagen Beetle on three continents, some of the tuners have got hold of it, giving a look that resembles a bit to the Porsche GT3 RS.

It is VWvortex who have turned this 2012 vehicle into Beetle RS project - Stage I, as they have named it.

Well, this is somewhat like a cosmetic project rather than calling it a performance upgrading project.

However, there is a specific reason of calling this project a cosmetic one, because the team of tuners could only get a chance to work on a preproduction autoshow car. Despite upgrading its turbocharged kit, the car will receive a hot look without any registration, airbags or plates. This car cannot be driven and so there is no need of finishing it and moving so far with pace.

Well, this is not just the reason; another reason also lies behind that says it is a rush-job. The tuners cannot simply take their own time. They just have 2.5 weeks time to finish their creation before Volkswagen releases vehicles to its dealers this week. In limited time they have to finish this job so that they could get an idea of how much the tuning world possesses potential and what they can do with this 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.

After grabbing the idea of GT3 RS Beetle, VWvortex looked after the 35 offset VMR710 20″ x 9″ wheels from Porsche, which were finished in orange and were covered in Continental ExtremeContact DW 245-35ZR20 tires.

Next step was of installing a set of H&R standard Golf/GTI 6 suspension in the 2012 Beetle. They have also fitted a Borla exhaust that assured no further alterations required except the slight extension which was needed since the Beetle was a bit longer at rear.-inautonews.com