Mobil Rakyat...new cars

[jstar]

In Bali you will often get a VF6 when booking the Green SM online taxi.

In Jakarta its often the smaller VF5.

And that really shows for passengers in the back. If you’re taller than 170 cm your legs are in a kind of unnatural position. That’s because the shorter wheelbase (-22 cm) and the battery pack af an EV is always installed in the bottom. Which pushes the feet higher.

So no issue with small children etc. but if you often have taller adults in the back that’s something to consider and look at, esp. with electric vehicles.

 

[Balifrog]

In Bali you will often get a VF6 when booking the Green SM online taxi.

In Jakarta its often the smaller VF5.

And that really shows for passengers in the back. If you’re taller than 170 cm your legs are in a kind of unnatural position. That’s because the shorter wheelbase and the battery pack af an EV is always installed in the bottom. Which pushes the feet higher.

So no issue with small children etc. but if you often have taller adults in the back that’s something to consider and look at, esp. with electric vehicles.

View attachment 5695

Took a few times a Green SM.
The quality of Vinfast EV is way lower than BYD EV's.

 

[jstar]

Depends a bit on the model. An Atto 1 or 3 is also rather plastic fantastic.

 

[Balifrog]

Depends a bit on the model. An Atto 1 or 3 is also rather plastic fantastic.

The BYD's I had were the M6 model.

Pretty High Tech and very confortable.

Not that I would buy one, nowdays cars are all clones and very boring.

Renault is doing a decent job reviving the R5, R4 and Clio in EV version.

The R5 looks nice and close enough to the original.

 

[jstar]

Ya, the M6 is more comparable to an Innova.

It‘s rather obvious the focus of Renault is on other parts of the world: Europe, South America (Brazil), South Korea (Samsung) and India.

The cars they are selling here would get a Dacia badge in Europe. They are designed and produced in India. Nothing bad about that but like the Japanese brands -with models produced in Indonesia- they’re all rather basic and technologically not very advanced.

 

[Balifrog]

e brands -with models produced in Indonesia- they’re all rather basic and technologically not very advanced

Helps to keep the price down...

 

[jstar]

Toyota now finally comes with local hybrids for the Indonesian market. The Veloz and Vios are available in HEV versions.

And yes, there we go again: Toyota’s "self-charging" marketing credo for its hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is also used here in Indonesia.

That is at least misleading. While the car does charge its small battery using the gasoline engine and regenerative braking without needing a wall plug, every kilowatt-hour returned to the battery via the engine requires burning fuel. So the charge is neither free nor self-sufficient.

What is interesting, is that Toyota introduced two additional electric cars; the Urban Cruiser (which in fact is an Indian Suzuki and very expensive here) and the Hilux. Yes really, the pickup truck!

The all-new 2026 Toyota Hilux is launched in Indonesia, with two powertrains; a 2.8L diesel and a BEV. The prices range between IDR 416.8 juta and IDR 1.019 milyar.

 

[jstar]

In a lighter color the front is better visible…obviously a BEV doesn’t really need a grille and radiator.

 

[jstar]

Kia has introduced the new Seltos.

In Europe it’s a hybrid with a 1,6 liter engine. Over here it’s a 1,5 liter atmospheric engine. Not a turbo.

Obviously in the EU it is a Euro 6 compliant car. Over here Euro 4. So it matches the Indonesian government regulations which mandate Euro 4 emission standards for new gasoline vehicles

We do get the European and not the Chinese model. The dashboard is very different.

Chinese:

Europe:

 

[Balifrog]

I always learned that my eyes must ALWAYS be on the road, but now all new vehicles have those touch screens which oblige you to look at them for basic functions like A/C....
Any car with an Ipad as dashboard is a nono for me. I want gauges and dials, real ones !

 

[jstar]

There is a completely new model of the Hyundai Tucson announced. Which got a big refresh in ‘24 so it still does have a ‘new’ status.

Not a very popular car in Indonesia, they only sold like 100 per year. The Santa Fe does much better, easily times ten. The latter which is much bigger and more expensive here, is assembled in Indonesia btw, while the Tucson is completely built in South Korea.

New

 

[Jaime C]

They should have to build them in Tucson.

 

[jstar]

In the US it’s built in Alabama. Just like the Santa Fe and some Genesis models.

I never see that luxury brand Genesis here (anymore). At the time they were used by the Jokowi government in Bali for the international guests of the G20 summit.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 which was also used, you see rather often. But it’s still the pre-facelift model in Indonesia. PT Hyundai Motors Indonesia (HMID) locally assembles it at their Cikarang plant. (They also have a special edition called ‘batik’) And because of a very stiff Chinese competition, they only sold 12.000 of these cars over three years.

 

[jstar]

All of us with a car probably have done this; let the engine run stationary while waiting for someone or cooling the interior down (or heating it up in colder climates). And drivers here don‘t shy away from letting the car run for hours while they are waiting for their employers shopping.

There’s been a case where a Kia which was used as a security car has been running mostly idle for one year constantly and only did 1.900 miles during that period. When checked, they saw the engine was practically destroyed by sludge.

When running idle (idling?), an engine hardly delivers any power. As a result, the circumstances are very different from when a car actually drives. Esp. on the highway, when not ‘hypermiling’, the strain put on the engine is much heavier, more heat is generated and fuel and oil are processed under different conditions. However, long-term idling can be extra burdensome. At relatively low temperatures, fuel has the tendency not to burn completely. Moisture and unburned fuel can also get into the engine oil along the piston springs. This reduces the quality of the oil and can eventually create sludge.

In order to be able to somewhat compare running hours with kilometers, a rule of thumb is often used in these types of calculations. A generally accepted mechanical calculation model indicates that one hour of running an engine idle is equivalent to about 48 kilometers of driving wear.

Important when you consider buying a second hand car with a combustion engine; the car can hardly have been used on paper, with maintenance interval paperwork to prove that, while in reality the engine has been ‘mistreated’ a lot. So the odometer doesn’t tell the whole story. Obviously here things like flooding add extra risks.

 

[Wisnu]

All of us with a car probably have done this; let the engine run stationary while waiting for someone or cooling the interior down (or heating it up in colder climates). And drivers here don‘t shy away from letting the car run for hours while they are waiting for their employers shopping.

There’s been a case where a Kia which was used as a security car has been running mostly idle for one year constantly and only did 1.900 miles during that period. When checked, they saw the engine was practically destroyed by sludge.

When running idle (idling?), an engine hardly delivers any power. As a result, the circumstances are very different from when a car actually drives. Esp. on the highway, when not ‘hypermiling’, the strain put on the engine is much heavier, more heat is generated and fuel and oil are processed under different conditions. However, long-term idling can be extra burdensome. At relatively low temperatures, fuel has the tendency not to burn completely. Moisture and unburned fuel can also get into the engine oil along the piston springs. This reduces the quality of the oil and can eventually create sludge.

In order to be able to somewhat compare running hours with kilometers, a rule of thumb is often used in these types of calculations. A generally accepted mechanical calculation model indicates that one hour of running an engine idle is equivalent to about 48 kilometers of driving wear.

Important when you consider buying a second hand car with a combustion engine; the car can hardly have been used on paper, with maintenance interval paperwork to prove that, while in reality the engine has been ‘mistreated’ a lot. So the odometer doesn’t tell the whole story. Obviously here things like flooding add extra risks.

Does this also happen with automatic scooter? I rarely use my XMAX, less than 500 km in more than 2 years but I run the engine for 10–15 minutes every week to keep the battery from going dead.

 

[jstar]

Ya, motorcycles can have the same problem. If it is practically never used and you’re concerned about the battery, you could use a (good!) trickle charger or disconnect the negative terminal. Normally the battery is rather easy to access; under floor plate or in compartment under handle bars. Of course then you’d still need to change the motor oil. What I would do is ride the bike a bit every 2 weeks.

 

[Wisnu]

Not very practical to disconnect and reconnect battery. The battery on a Yamaha XMAX scooter is located front and center behind the inner front cowl panel. Shall remove the licence plate mounting holder, windshield and then the front panel to acces battery compartment.

 

[jstar]

.
About a car that has my personal interest since I drive one myself: The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport will be facelifted soon.

End of the month the model that first appeared in 2015 will change.

Mitsubishi is introducing a new Pajero. Well, in fact it’s a Pajero Sport again, with a diesel engine and a Triton pickup truck base and made in Thailand.

But this time they position it as a flagship model so that more or less means the real uber Pajero will never return.

Toyota does a bit the same with their Land Cruiser. The Prado (250) model is called Land Cruiser in most markets and pushes the larger top of the line model (300) away. In Indonesia not so much, also since there is a Lexus version of that biggie.

 

[jstar]

Many cars nowadays have an electr(on)ic parking brake. That works the same as the old familiar mechanical handbrake; when stopping or parking the rear wheel brakes are activated, so that the car cannot roll away. To my astonishment that is an everlasting big problem in Indonesia on ramps but manufacturers took action so many cars have this ‘roll back avoidance‘ included and it activates automatically. Thus when driving away on a slope in first gear with a manual stick car, the car will not roll backwards anymore when lifting the foot from the brake pedal.

Now going back to the electric parking brake; it can also be used in emergencies. This means that if you press the button with the brake symbol, it will actually slow down the car - even if you drive 100 kmh on the highway. So it can be used if something is wrong with car or driver.

People always imagine cars will spin and roll over when you use the parking brake while driving. But because the emergency braking function of the modern electromechanical parking brake is smart and recognizes there’s something going on, it normally does not lead to blocking rear wheels or a freaky emergency stop. To do that, all four wheels are braked intermittently using the ABS system. The ABS (prevents blocking of the wheels) but also ESP (and traction control) systems will try to ensure maximum stability and safety. Depending on the vehicle model, even the alarm lights (4 blinkers) are activated to warn others. So the vehicle comes to a stop in a controlled manner.

Whether your vehicle has such an emergency braking function can be found in the manual and you can also try it out yourself. Obviously carefully on a quiet road and do it at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour. You will then feel the car slow strongly down after pressing the button.

 

[harryopal1]

Many cars nowadays have an electr(on)ic parking brake. That works the same as the old familiar mechanical handbrake; when stopping or parking the rear wheel brakes are activated, so that the car cannot roll away. To my astonishment that is an everlasting big problem in Indonesia on ramps but manufacturers took action so many cars have this ‘roll back avoidance‘ included and it activates automatically. Thus when driving away on a slope in first gear with a manual stick car, the car will not roll backwards anymore when lifting the foot from the brake pedal.

Now going back to the electric parking brake; it can also be used in emergencies. This means that if you press the button with the brake symbol, it will actually slow down the car - even if you drive 100 kmh on the highway. So it can be used if something is wrong with car or driver.

People always imagine cars will spin and roll over when you use the parking brake while driving. But because the emergency braking function of the modern electromechanical parking brake is smart and recognizes there’s something going on, it normally does not lead to blocking rear wheels or a freaky emergency stop. To do that, all four wheels are braked intermittently using the ABS system. The ABS (prevents blocking of the wheels) but also ESP (traction control) systems will try to ensure maximum stability and safety. Depending on the vehicle model, even the alarm lights (4 blinkers) are activated to warn others. So the vehicle comes to a stop in a controlled manner.

Whether your vehicle has such an emergency braking function can be found in the manual and you can also try it out yourself. Obviously carefully on a quiet road and do it at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour. You will then feel the car slow strongly down after pressing the button.

View attachment 5771

Anything and everything now has so many gadgets and options whether it be a phone, or car or whatever. To cover all the information about every option is like learning to fly an aeroplane. It used to be that you bought a radio and all the available stations were preset and you just turned a knob. to get your preferred station. I still like wind down, car windows. If caught in a flood it would be nice to not be in the situation where the electrics have failed and you can't open the window to get out.

Every intelligence agent was taught that if you find yourself in a street with a mob ahead or a desperate need to go back, you slam on the brakes while simultaneously pulling up the hand brake and turning the steering wheel to make an abrupt U turn. I guess now you would make sure you have disabled the modern, smart electromechanical parking brake.