Suzuki Kizashi in Malaysia

The Suzuki Kizashi, looking very much alike the Toyota Mark X from the rear has finally been launched in Malaysia! Competing against the VW Passat, Peugeot 508, Kia K5 and Ford Mondeo, this car has a tough competition ahead.

Despite being smaller than its competitors, the Suzuki Kizashi offers a very proportionate body; the front fender and tyre distance reminds me of an european car like BMW. This pose is quite sporty. 

Priced at RM147,888 for the SDLX trim, it comes with 6 airbags, traction control, ESP, leather seats, 10 way electric memory seats, auto cruise, keyless entry and push start, ABS, EBD, BA and Hill Assist, auto folding side mirrors, auto leveling HID lights, auto dimming rear view mirror, and 17 inch alloy rims.Quite well featured don't you think? 

The sport variant is priced at RM158,188 and comes with 18 inch rims, sport suspension, different front bumper, and chrome exterior trim. The interior is also complemented by a sporty leather gear knob and silver stitch highlights.

Conclusion? Overall the car looks quite promising, performs quite well and should be anyone's list that is looking for a sporty sedan. 0-100 in 8.8 seconds isn't too shabby at all!

Engine: 2.4L 4 Cylinder, 176bhp (131kW) / 230Nm Torque @ 4,000rpm.

Transmission: CVT Gearbox

Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 8.8 seconds

Top Speed: 205km/h

Hyundai Santa Fe 2013

The Santa Fe has been inspired by the 'Fluidic Sculpture' design language seen on the i40, but Hyundai claims it has its own unique style - called 'Storm Edge'. Whatever the name, the Santa Fe looks great with its large hexagonal grill, sharp bodywork and distinctive kink in the shoulder line.

The seven-seater is longer, lower and wider than its predecessor, but shares the same 2,700mm wheelbase. Front and second-row legroom has been increased by 38mm and 45mm respectively. A deeper boot means there's 534-litres of space with the front five seats in place, and 991 litres with all seats folded.

The long-wheelbase model is 215mm longer, 10mm higher, 5mm wider and has a wheelbase that's 100mm longer than the standard car. It has maximum boot space of 1,160 litres and is available with six or seven seats. Unlike the standard car, it comes with blindspot protection and a power tailgate.

All models will use an on-demand four-wheel-drive system, which sends 100 per cent of the power to the front tyres unless it senses slip at the rear, at which point it can spilt the power 50:50. Buyers will be able to choose from a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Only diesel engines will be available in the UK, including a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with 148bhp, 382Nm of torque and CO2 emissions of 155g/km. The 197bhp 2.2-litre diesel unit is carried over, but with tweaked emissions of just 145g/km.

To make sure the handling is up to the challenge of bumpy British roads, the steering (which has three settings to control the weight), suspension and brakes have all been tuned especially for the UK. It's a capable tow car too, with a maximum towing capacity of 2,500kg.

 Hyundai standard equipment will be generous, while top-spec cars will get high-end systems such as radar-controlled cruise control, parking assist and a lane-departure warning system.

Smart For-Us!

At just over 3.5 metres long it’s just under two metres shorter than America’s best-selling pick-up – the Ford F150. And while that model boasts a two metre-long loading bed, the Smart For-Us has a bed just half that length. 

But the For-Us has a few tricks up its sleeve. That load bed has an in-built docking station for two electric smart e-bikes and there’s a tail-gate that opens and retracts electronically. 

Power for the car itself comes from the same all-electric set-up used in the Smart EV. That means it produces 74bhp and 130Nm of torque. 

Expect to see official pictures and details for the new concept released nearer to its debut on the 12th January.

Audi E-Tron Spyder

The e-tron Spyder is a glimpse into Audi’s future – we already know the firm is planning a mid-engined sports car to sit below the R8, and this concept gives us the best idea of how it will look. We got an insight into how it might handle, too, as we took the wheel for an exclusive drive.

The car was first displayed at last year’s Paris Motor Show, and its wheelbase is a full 220mm shorter than the R8’s. It’s only 4.06 metres long and 1.11 metres high, but a purposeful-looking 1.81 metres wide. Audi has clearly gone to a lot of trouble to make the e-tron Spyder stand out, and it’s one of the best-looking sports cars we’ve seen; the wheels for example are each made from 66 individual parts.

Climb aboard and the cabin design is simpler, but just as stylish. There’s a set of one-piece carbon fibre seats, complete with electronic adjustment, and they’re very comfortable. Hi-tech touches include ventilation controls that blend seamlessly into the dash and can be opened or closed at the swipe of a finger.

Driving the rear wheels is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine, while a pair of plug-in electric motors turn the front wheels individually. Together, they produce a total of 383bhp and a huge 1,002Nm of torque.

Not only does that mean the Spyder is capable of sprinting from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds, but it can also run on electric power alone for around 30 miles. On our first run we were limited to the electric-only mode, and as we pulled away, the e-tron whined and hummed. But there’s a slight disappointment as you realise the car isn’t quite as quick as its looks suggest, too.

That changed when the diesel was fired into life for our second run. The twin-turbo V6 hurled the e-tron forward and, because it uses a CVT gearbox, engineers have done without the artificial gear ‘steps’ of a production car. It just revs up to the point where the most torque is and stays there while the car picks up speed.