A motor show is the ultimate pageant in which unspoken rivalry between car manufacturers is at its showboating best.
Each brand tries to one up the competition with elaborate display setups and show gambits that portray what’s essentially mundane family cars to look like Gods own creation to mankind. Such pageantry, as far as Malaysia is concern, is best seen at the Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow or KLIMS 2018.
The original Motorshow, the one that started it all, is still commanding a huge presence in 2018. Now there are lots of cars, both conventional and commercial for people of all walks to choose from and I do believe there are many motoring sites and media’s that does a more comprehensive coverage on every last car on display. What we intend to bring you after spending half a day on the show floor is the distilled, Route Hunters delight from this year’s show. So here’s our pick for the best cars to enjoy the various route’s we have catalogued on our Route Hunters site.
Honda
Honda Civic 1.5TC
Although we do not agree with the Honda CR-V and we especially have a disdain for the hideously floaty HR-V, the Honda Civic 1.5TC, Honda’s first of the new gen turbo cars, is a pretty accomplished driver. With an independent rear suspension and a well sorted chassis, the car can take a whole lot cornering long before its tyres call it quits. Although it comes with a CVT gearbox, the torque from the turbocharged engine, although marginally lower compared to its European and Korean counterparts, is sufficient to shuffle this car on a twisty B-Road.
Honda Civic Type R
Now of course on the other end of the Civic spectrum is the unapologetically unhinged and unrestrained Honda Civic Type R. With a disorientating rear end design and ENORMOUS front brakes and tyres, you will not mistake it for anything else than a racer for the roads. We have yet to get behind the wheels of one. We can however say that it would be a properly quick hatch, judging by how the FN2R prototype was performing on the Nurburgring when your’s truly witnessed it in action there. It will be interesting to see how it will fare against the other hot hatches available in the market, and if it truly justifies its price tag.
Peugeot
The PSA group is on a bit of a roll at the moment, with cars like the 308 GTi and the 3008 SUV truly hitting the spot. Our choice for this year’s KLIMS show has to be the fire breathing 308 GTi and its milder sibling.
Peugeot 308 GTi
We had done a preview on the 308 GTi and having been one of the first media to sample it on the road we can safely say it’s completely bonkers, way more mental than its subtle styling may suggest. The biggest tell-tale sign of its potency will be from those huge 380mm Alcon brakes. Stipulated to cost just under the RM200,000 mark, it is Golf R performance for Golf GTi pricing.
Peugeot 308 THP
The facelifted Peugeot 308 THP is no mundane car either. Part of the reason why the 308 GTi is so bloody brilliant is that the basic chassis of the 308 is already one of the best in its segment. That shows in the base model as its got no problem keeping up with more accomplished hot hatches on twisty B roads despite not having the GTi badge. Mind you its turbocharged engine does have a 150bhp and 240Nm output…..
DS
Just like how Lexus is for Toyota, DS is the luxury end of the PSA spectrum. The first proper DS product to hit our shores would be the DS7 SUV. Based on the EMP2 platform which makes the 3008 and the 308 great handling cars, there’s no denying that this luxury SUV is going to be a hoot to drive on those sweeping open roads of rural Malaysia. Of course, the fact that the ‘Malaysian Spec’ cars interior has almost an equal amount of Alcantara as the Lamborghini Huracan Performante helps too!
Kia
The Koreans are no longer the pushovers that were considered after the Japanese. These guys are making waves lashing out extremely well engineered cars like the Optima GT and the Stinger. This year’s show is no exception with the unveiling of two very interesting and very Route Hunter worthy cars.
Kia Picanto GT
This is by far the best looking supermini at the show. Rumored to cost under RM60,000, this Picanto comes with snazzier rims, funky color inserts and even a sunroof to top the already generous equipment list. Of course this does not add to the performance aspect of the vehicle but it gives the right outlook for whats already an excellent hot hatch.
Kia Cerato
The old Cerato Coupe were our marshal cars for the Merdeka drive we did in September. Its not a bad car but in the light of the Picanto and the Optima GT, the engineering lapse is obvious. The new one apparently has been reworked and its on par with the rest of the range. Again, only the open road will testify to this. One things to be sure its going to be loaded with kit!
Lexus
Toyota and Lexus were the ones who went all out at this year’s KLIMS, with the display of the FT-1 Concept, their Le Mans racer and of course, possibly the belle of the ball of this year’s show, the Lexus LC coupe.
Lexus LC
Now we could go on to say that its got a lovely 470 bhp V8 engine, a 10 speed auto, and more leather than both a Louis Vuitton and Hermes showroom put together. But the highlight of this super coupe has to be the way it sits on the road. Some cars differ very little design wise from the concept stage, and this is one such example.
Proton
Proton’s somewhat in the mood for a comeback party. Its an open secret that the sales numbers were less than promising in the recent years. However with the latest X70 SUV, Proton, under the stewardship of the new owners, are set to turn things around.
X70
The X70 comes in several variant and from first impressions, we have to say that it feels like a well thought out car. Especially in the higher spec variants, you have every piece of kit you would get from a Range Rover like a panoramic roof, digital displays, touchscreen and a premium audio system. Powered by a turbocharged engine, it will be interesting to see how this Proton behaves on the open road. Watch this space!
Ford
The crowd commanding Ford display area were flocked by journalists from every publication for two cars. One was the 5.0 Mustang and the other is for the Ford Ranger Raptor. Both, will do very nicely for a Route Hunter’s drive!
Mustang 5.0
The updated Mustang 5.0 now sports a 10 speed automatic gearbox just like the Lexus super-coupe, only this time drive by an unapologetically loud and brawny 5.0 liter V8. Other improvements would be a sharper front end design with smaller headlamps, a more angular bumper, twin hood vents, and a digital instrument panel. This car would be such a joy on the Gua Musang – Kota Baharu road, or to eat the miles from Jempol to Kuala Rompin. Just slot it in 10th gear and ride the torque past trailer after trailer. One can only dream….
Ford Ranger Raptor
On the other end of the Ford product spectrum would be the monstrous Ranger Raptor. Now unlike other pickup trucks which were dressed up with go faster bits, the Raptor its truly designed for high abuse driving. Don’t believe us? Let us quote some of the lines we see on the Ranger Raptor’s brochure; “Ranger Raptor’s underbody shield is mammoth. Its 2.3mm thick high-strenght steel is designed to absorb impact from almost any off-road event”. Also “Ranger Raptor’s suspension system was calibrated to tackle tough terrain at top speeds. Standard 2.5-inch FOX Racing Shocks deliver 30% more wheel travel compared to Ranger”. Now this is what your call a brochure, and this is what you call a sporting pickup. It remains to see if it does justify its RM199,888 price tag, but its certainly got the ingredients!
Hyundai
Last but not least is Hyundai’s latest darling of performance hatch reviews on YouTube, the i30N. Hyundai and Kia have invested heavily in setting up a base at the Nurburgring and the i30N is its result of all the industry pool laps. On the surface it’s got the right stance, the wheels, brakes, a stonking turbocharged 2.0 engine and a lovely, short throw 6 speed gearbox. On the instrument panel there’s a G-meter readout and you’re hugged into place by supportive bucket seats. It is unmistakably performance orientated and its not pretending to be an all-rounder. It will be interesting to see how it behaves on our roads and if Hyundai Malaysia does bring it in.
Here’s our list of cars that we feel will be suitable for a road trip using one of the Route Hunter episodes from the KLIMS 2018 showroom floor. Which car are you looking forward to see? Which car made or broke your expectation? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
