Mobil Rakyat...new cars

I can understand the CX-3 as a competitor to the HR-V or CH-R.

Why not jump straight to CX-5?

Even if the driving characteristics and engine power of the CX-3 are probably superior to the HR-V, the rear legroom and cargo and storage space are definitely inferior to the Honda. So there you can see it is based on a Mazda 2 instead of a 3; it is simply smaller. The interior trim of the CX-3 isn’t that great either but that’s personal.

The Toyota CH-R is a different category altogether, it needs to be compared more to RAV4 or CX-5. It is rather expensive.
 
In a car stand in a mall I saw the Peugeot 3008, not too much interest.

This SUV is immensely popular in Europe. In 2017 it was car of the year. But the price here is crazy, starting at 730 Juta or so. (And that for a car that is even somewhat smaller than a X-Trail or CX-5, probably more comparable to a C-HR.) I've never seen it on the road in Indonesia.

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The PSA group which is mainly Peugeot and Citroën, is preparing a return to the USA. They do plan to expand their market and increase their international presence. Of course there have been issues in Iran and sales in North Africa is also not doing so well. FCA is also returning with their Italian brands, mainly with Alfa Romeo this time. (Obviously Ferrari and Fiat 500 are a different story.)

So in the Chinese market, PSA is trying with their luxury Citroën brand; the DS. A business model which is a bit like that of Acura, Infiniti and Lexus of course. I don't see it coming to Indonesia soon.

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Talking about French cars, Renault should have delighted Indonesia with their Kwid. Which in fact is an (Indian) alternative sharing its base with the Datsun Go. But this one is more playful and a bit more of a (tiny) SUV model..

I say 'should' because I have not seen it yet over here. Renault did already have a presence but (what a surprise) they are very expensive. And the cheaper models are in fact Dacia.
 
The price for the 3 cylinder 1.0 Liter engine is somewhat higher than its Datsun sibling...

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Well, if you're in the market for a relatively cheap small city car and prefer the higher seating position, this might be a good option.
 
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If you're watching TransTV or any other local TV station and between all the cigarette advertisements you suddenly see a 'weird' car and a blond lady, and wonder what that was:

It is an advertisement for a DFSK Glory 580. A car from a Chinese brand that has a presence in Indonesia already since 2015. Last year they introduced this larger SUV.

They hired singer Agnez Mo as brand (or car?) ambassador in Indonesia.

 
Now the DFSK Glory is also available in automatic. Well, CVT. That does require a bit of a different driving style, otherwise you'll get the infamous 'howling' effect.

Prices between 250 and 310 Juta.
 
So Honda has upgraded two cars; the Civic and the Mobilio.

The Civic looks much bigger every edition (it's probably already larger than the first edition Accord). The price is also getting a bit outrageous; almost 510 Juta.

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Although it looks like a hatchback, that version is actually not available in Indonesia and it really is a sedan.

The changes to the Mobilio were mainly esthetic. Of course a new front, rear lights etc. The RS version got most changes, also in its interior.

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Now the DFSK Glory is also available in automatic. Well, CVT. That does require a bit of a different driving style, otherwise you'll get the infamous 'howling' effect.

Prices between 250 and 310 Juta.

@jstar could you elaborate or share a link please. I know next to nothing about CVT transmissions :)
 
@jstar could you elaborate or share a link please. I know next to nothing about CVT transmissions :)

Perhaps you remember the little Dutch cars called DAF. (Afterwards the brand was bought by Volvo and the truck division went its own way.) A guy called Huub van Doorne is where it all started.

So you know there are normally fixed gears to forward the power from engine to the wheels. There is a 'ideal' ratio to make sure there is an optimal RPM per speed. If you look at a racing bicycle with multiple chainwheels next to each other that is very obvious.

So they invented this system that does not use the gears but two cones, one at the engine side and one at the side of the wheels. And there is a belt (or chain) between them to transmit the power. And by moving the belt in both directions on those cones, the ratio changes. (So then you go from a small to a big diameter and vice versa on both sides.)

This continuously variable transmission was not so strong at first. So you could only use it in smaller sized engines. They solved that problem. A CVT is rather fuel efficient.

On the driving characteristics; they try to simulate an automatic experience in the more advanced models. But you feel it's not the same. Also, things like pedal to the floor to force a gear down or release the gas pedal to go up a gear, obviously don't exist in this concept. But they try to emulate that now. And to avoid a lot of noise, it's better to not to 'step on it'; push the gas pedal gradually.

In hybrid verhicles they often use a bit of a different system.


A very simplified picture to explain the concept:
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And this is the Nissan system:
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Talking about that Variomatic system from DAF; a nice side effect of the continuously variable transmission, is that the car theoretically can go as fast in its reverse, as it can go forward! (In modern CVT's that is limited of course.)

So on a certain moment they organized races (or demolition derbies) in which the DAF drivers had to drive backwards. This was possible at very high speeds.

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And now for something completely different:

Mercedes Benz is not doing bad in Indonesia. But unlike Vietnam, it is not the preferred choice when shopping for a premium brand.

The A-class has been the baby Benz the previous years. That car is rather popular here. Now it definitely is not the infamous "I failed the Elk test" model anymore. The later models are sportier and aimed at a younger audience. A bit more for people who would also consider a 1 or 2 series Beemer or Audi A3. The weird thing is that BMW does not offer the 1 and 2 series here, the 3 series is their smallest sedan.

Now the problem is, the population is aging. And 'everybody' wants a car with a higher seating position for perceived safety and ease of getting in and out of the car. For that group MB offers the B class. A car that you will not find in Indonesian dealerships. It has a rather quaint image, even my father did not want it but went for the BMW 2 series Sports Tourer instead.

MB is providing the GLx family for the target group which often shops for a (2WD) SUV or cross-over. The GLA, GLC, GLE, .... are for sale in Indonesia but amazingly expensive. And in fact you see the large high end SUV (read GLS, formerly GL), which is competing with the Landcruisers/Lexus and Range Rovers, more than the cheaper versions. Unlike BMW, which is doing really well with their X1 and X2.



Going back to the A class. Officially only three versions are available in Indonesia, the hatchback (oh sorry, it is the compact Saloon), the cross-over (oh sorry, Cross Country Vehicle) and the sedan (ah no, it is Limousine or Coupé).

You know sedans are still quite popular here. But the weird thing is that MB does not offer the A-class Limousine for sale in Indonesia. Only the CLA. That CLA is in fact playing in a rather new niche; the 4-door coupé. (And you thought a coupé is a two door?) It also has a big brother, the CLS. In my eyes a real beauty.

The CLA is revamped. So wait a bit for this second generation if you're in the market for this car. Count on a starting price of more than 810 Juta, excl. options you'd definitely want. The car is 11 cm longer than the first edition but offers less interior space.

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The interesting thing is there will also be a 'shooting brake' version of this CLA. Some would say it is just a restyled break or stationcar with a fancy name. Judge for yourself:

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Every time I see a CLA, I think I'm looking at a C-class. It's a fact that the smaller models more and more cannibalize the bigger cars. They grow in every new generation. Look at the Civic, the Mazda 3, a BMW 2 series, and this A class derivative.
 
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Something I forgot to mention; currently the CLA is available in Indonesia as CLA 200. Don’t kid yourself though; it has the same 1.6 liter Renault engine as the other A-class vehicles.

That is a trick esp. the German premium three apply btw; the engine size is not represented anymore by the nomenclature of the car. They don’t have a problem calling a model with a 2.3 liter engine, a 350. Audi goes a different direction now; a number (e.g. 40, 45, 50, 55), and that badge indicates a bracket of horsepower. So then you’d have an A6 50 for the 300 hp version.
 
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I just read an article stating Infiniti will pull out of Western Europe completely. The brand has been rather popular in the US, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. They will be pushing it more in China. It completely abandons Diesel engines and will continue with electrification.

Another country where the brand was not very successful is....... Indonesia!

In fact there was one dealership, in Pondok Indah (where else?). Being operational for five years it closed in June of last year as far as I'm aware of. If you see the Indonesian sales numbers, you know why they pulled the plug:
2013 : 16 units
2014 : 8 units
2015 : 5 units
2016 : 1 unit
2017 : 0 unit
2018 : 0 units

Granted, the 'units' we are talking about, is not your average Nissan luxury sedan. For sale in Indonesia in the final years, was the (butt ugly) QX80, a huge SUV on the platform of the Nissan Armada. The price was 2,6 billion rupiah. (Import from the US and a 5.6 liter engine made it a nice taxable object.)


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That is a trick esp. the German premium three apply btw; the engine size is not represented anymore by the nomenclature of the car. They don’t have a problem calling a model with a 2.3 liter engine, a 350.

BMW has introduced a new 3 series.

And the 330i has in fact the same 2 liter engine as the lower models, just some more horsepower. Very often this is achieved with software tweaking (cf. chip tuning).

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It is not easy to differentiate the new Beemer visually from the previous 3 series.

But the car press is over the moon and states they have caught up once again with the MB C-Class.


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You've probably seen the green taxi's from Gamya. (Their drivers were often the more experienced and ex BlueBird).

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The Gamya cars were in fact the Nissan Tiida (or Latio) and in the US these small sedans, based on the March (Micra in Europe) are called the Nissan Versa.

Now Nissan is about to present a new version of the Versa. But I don't expect this competitor of the Toyota Vios in Indonesia anymore.

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The new Toyota Vios is also a car I barely see as private car anymore. Even BlueBird is more and more switching towards crossovers.

Not so weird if you consider the price between 310 and 330 Juta!

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If we're looking at the higher segment of the market, we see a new car that might be quite successful in Indonesia; Porsche is introducing a new version of the Cayenne, the Coupé.

A bit like the X6 from BMW, but also MB and even Range Rover are introducing more variants of their bigger SUV's. A car manufacturer has most profit on their top models.

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For those who think the orange is too extreme, a version in the popular garbage bag grey:

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Obviously there is less space in the back. But they apply tricks like lowering the seats. You can chose between a two or three seater bench in the rear.

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As usual, a flawless interior.

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Btw, the full electric Porsche Taycan which is announced for next year, has a waiting list of two years. And (as Tesla) a non transfer clause to avoid short term profit making. The car will be rather similar to the Panamera.
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