Weststar Maxus G10

Maxus G10 now in Malaysia.

2.0 Turbo 225 horse power and 345 Nm for output, top speed 190km/h.

6-speed ZF automatic transmission with manual mode.

Size measures 5,168 mm long, 1,980 mm wide and 1,928 mm tall, and has a 3,210 mm-long wheelbase.

-16-inch alloys and 215/65 tyres.

-DVD Player

-Six Speaker Audio System
-Leather Seat
-Parking Sensor
-Front/Rear Fog Lamps
-Reverse Camera
-ABS with EBD

Do you own a Nissan Elgrand?

Early sketch of Nissan Elgrand

The Nissan Elgrand is classed as a luxury MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) which is produced by the the Japanese automobile manufacturing company Nissan. In Japan, its also categorized it as super-mini-van. 

Early sketch of Nissan Elgrand

This vehicle has been in production since 1997 and is currently in its third generation (still in 2016). They are very popular among celebrities in most Asia including Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. Plus Australia, UK, Georgia, and many other country due to their luxurious feel.

Early sketch of Nissan Elgrand

The main competitor of the Elgrand is the Toyota Vellfire. These vehicles are very spacious and can seat up to 8 in the rear.

These vehicles are large, giving good storage space as well and they are extremely comfortable too. 

There are some great features in this luxurious car, including all round cameras which give you a birds eye view of the vehicle. 

The steering and handling are pretty good for such a large vehicle and is definitely worth considering. Does this sound like your experience of the Elgrand?

NISSAN ELGRAND HISTORY

The first generation E50 (1997-2002) was introduced in 1997 as Nissan wanted to compete with the Toyota Vellfire/Alphard in the luxurious MPV class. The Nissan version is larger than the Toyota version which had a stranglehold on this market at the time.

The second generation E51 (2002-10) received a new styling design, with a new front end and some added luxurious features.

The third generation E52 (2010-present) is the current version on the market.

MODEL TYPES

V, VG, X, XL, Highway Star, Rider, Caravan and Homey.

FUEL ECONOMY

The Nissan Elgrand has been available in the following engines: 2.5, 3.3 or 3.5L petrol and 3.2 or 3.5L diesel engines. The diesel engines are the more economical, offering around 40 miles per gallon. Which engine do you have and how does it perform in terms of fuel economy? Remember to think about the engine size, age and fuel type when considering fuel economy.

TRANSMISSION

The current version of the Nissan Elgrand is available with a CVT gearbox. The earlier versions were available with either a 4 or 5 speed automatic gearbox.

PARTS

Have you experienced problems buying or searching parts on Nissan Elgrand? No worry, you can try to find it from some of the Nissan Elgrand Group listed below. Happy surfing and meet new friend!

Nissan Elgrand Malaysia Group 

Nissan Elgrand Malaysia Group Trading

E51 Nissan Elgrand Owners Group

Nissan Elgrand Japan

Elgrand Wolrd Club

Elgrand World Trading and more.... ヾ(´▽｀;)ゝ

Lotus MPV

It’s Lotus’s light show!

British firm reveals weight-saving study, result is improved economy for minimal outlay

The future is light for Lotus! The Norfolk firm’s engineering arm has created a flyweight concept, demonstrating how its weight-saving philosophy can be applied to passenger cars of the future. And the results are startling.

For only a three per cent increase in production costs, Lotus claims it can achieve an astonishing 38 per cent weight reduction. That’s enough for a 23 per cent improvement in fuel economy while retaining all key interior and exterior dimensions.

The process was completed by stripping out and noting every component in a Toyota Venza – a US-only MPV – to pinpoint where lighter, stronger materials, or fewer components, could be used.

This study investigated two potential scenarios: a car which would be feasible to put into production in 2017, and a more extreme example that would be ready to roll in 2020.

The former is designed to be assembled in existing factories. Improved materials and fewer parts reduce its weight by 21 per cent (powertrain excluded), while it costs two per cent less to build. The 2020 model slashes weight by 38 per cent, yet is only three per cent more expensive to produce.

Steel is replaced by aluminium, magnesium and composites to cut the unpainted body from 382kg to 221kg. The doors and tailgate also use strong but light metals to weigh 41 per cent less. Lighter suspension and brakes can be fitted, while intelligent driver and passenger control modules mean there is no traditional instrument cluster. Windows will be fixed in place to allow thinner glass.

Dr Robert Hentschel, director of Lotus Engineering, explained: “Lighter vehicles are cleaner and more efficient. We believe this approach will be common in the industry for future vehicle design.”

The idea is nothing new for Lotus, which makes a priority of low kerbweight. This is mainly to aid handling, but emissions are boosted, too. For example, the 876kg Elise covers 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds, yet returns fuel economy of 45mpg.

Fiat 500L

Fiat’s new 500L five-door MPV will go on sale in 2013, after debuting at the upcoming 2012 Geneva auto show. Fiat had already confirmed that such a model was coming, but now it has released photos.

The “L” in its name stands for “large,” and the 500L lives up to its moniker by offering two more doors than the regular 500 hardtop as well as seating for a fifth passenger. European 500L is 163.0 inches long, 70.1 inches wide, and 65.4 inches tall; that’s a little longer and taller than and roughly the same width as a Mini Countryman. The measurements will be essentially unchanged. Cargo room, is sure to increase beyond the pitiful 10 cubic feet available behind the smaller 500’s rear seats.

Styling-wise, the transition from 500 to 500L reminds us of the relationship between the Mini Countryman and the Mini Cooper hatch; the 500L looks like a 500 that stuck its thumb in its mouth and an air hose in its tail. That said, it’s not totally unattractive, and details like the bulging fenders and the wraparound windshield add some zest. The enormous front quarter-windows are somewhat debatable, however. The front end’s big black bumper and chunky plastic trim on the doors and rear end add some crossover-ness to the appearance.

Speaking of crossover pretensions, the 500L will be front-wheel drive—but we expect an optional all-wheel-drive system adapted from the architecturally related Fiat Panda to be worked into the mix eventually. We’re hoping the 101-hp, 1.4-liter four from the standard 500 isn’t in the running; the 160-hp, turbocharged four from the 500 Abarth would be a nice alternative. The Euro-spec model gets Fiat’s TwinAir two-cylinder and a 1.3-liter turbo-diesel among its options.

Toyota Prius+ (PriusPlus)

For the first six months of 2012, the Prius was third in the global sales chart, trailing only Ford’s Focus and Toyota’s Corolla. 

It’s been a meteoric rise for the Prius since it launched 15 years ago, and Toyota’s dominance of the hybrid market looks set to continue with the Prius+.

Toyota is keen to stress that this is a whole new vehicle from the ground up, not just a swollen version of the standard car. 

Measuring 155mm longer, 30mm wider and 85mm higher, with a wheelbase extended by 80mm, the Prius+ is substantially larger, but the overall look is familiar. The front end gets a much wider, lower grille with sharp corners either side to improve airflow, while a roof spoiler reduces drag at the rear. It’s the higher, elongated roof that catches your eye, though, giving the car a classic MPV silhouette. 

Toyota has capitalised on the extra interior space by cramming in three rows of seats, each mounted 45mm higher than the row in front, for a stadium view of the road ahead. Headroom and legroom are generous, even in the back row, which can comfortably fit a couple of adults. 

With all the seats occupied, there’s 200 litres of boot space. Fold the back row flat into the floor and that increases to 505 litres, and with the second row forward, there’s 1,750 litres to play with. An extra storage tray under the boot floor is handy, while the tailgate opening is 95mm wider than the Prius’, making larger objects easier to load.

An all-new dash design features a more upright centre stack, with a large rotary dial for controlling the air-conditioning, a trademark miniature gearlever and the electronic parking brake. The centre console is reserved for a cup-holder, storage bin and buttons for the three driving modes – EV, Eco and Power.

This is the first Prius model – besides the plug-in Prius, to use lithium-ion batteries, instead of a bulkier nickel-metal hydride pack. The switch isn’t just about saving weight, either – the batteries slot neatly under the centre console, between the driver and passenger, so there’s no compromise to interior space.

Prius+ compared to Prius size.

Besides the uprated batteries, the powertrain is identical to the smaller Prius’, and combines a 1.8-litre 98bhp petrol engine with an electric motor for a total of 134bhp. In T4 spec, it emits only 96g/km (better equipped T Spirit models emit 101g/km) – amazing, considering it weighs 75kg more than the standard Prius.

Mercedes CSC

Could this be the most desirable compact executive car yet? This stunning, four-door, four-wheel-drive coupe will be the star of Mercedes’ stand at the Beijing Motor Show next week – and it’s set to make the likes of the BMW 3 Series look very bland indeed.

The Concept Style Coupe (CSC) is part of a growing family of models based on the new A-Class. In essence, the CSC is a shrunken version of the CLS – a car that took the E-Class as its basis and added a sleeker shape. It carved its own niche, and now Mercedes hopes the CSC will do the same thing.

If the shape looks a little familiar, that’s because there are shades of the F800 Style Concept (revealed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show) in the sweeping roofline.

Although it’s based on the new A-Class, the CSC is longer, wider and lower than a C-Class. Designers have removed the B-pillar to give the CSC a cleaner profile, with frameless door windows just like on the CLS.

There’s exquisite attention to detail in the front grille, which is just like that of the Vision A concept – the car that previewed the A-Class last year. It’s made up of tiny, shiny 3D dots, which give a diamond effect. A vent at the rear does the same. The headlights shine red when the car is in standby mode, while the indicators light up in succession. Massive 21-inch alloys complete the concept’s visual drama.

Inside, the A-Class influence is strong. The dashboard is very similar, although the SLS AMG-style air vents feature bold neon detailing. They’re backlit and change from blue to yellow to red as the air flowing through them warms up.

There’s a panoramic glass roof that extends far enough back to shed light on the rear seat passengers, who also have access to a sculpted centre console complete with its own air vents. This shows the car’s importance to the Chinese market, where customers 

often have chauffeurs.

Highlight of the dashboard is an integrated iPad, while the CSC also showcases Mercedes’ ‘always on’ cloud technology, which provides Internet access even when the car is stationary. This allows the car’s software to be updated remotely, meaning fewer trips to the dealer.

Under the bonnet, the CSC features a 211bhp 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection. This powers all four wheels via a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox, and should give 0-60mph in under seven seconds and a 150mph top speed.

The CSC is the third car to use Mercedes’ new platform – after the B-Class MPV and the A-Class – but it won’t be the last. An A-Class Shooting Brake estate is also planned, as is a small SUV.