Mobil Rakyat...new cars

Maybe off topic a bit but had a rough morning so wanted a mini rant.....Personally i wish Indonesian cars would up the in car experience considering how much time is spent inside the car rather than out. By this i mean the internal entertainment and control systems. Whenever i go to Europe or USA and hire a rental car im amazed by the full integration into a sort of smart control system. The cars have built in wifi, the touch screen controls can control so much etc etc.

Meanwhile im in a brand new way over priced Alphard (the middle version) and it doesnt even have USB plugs. It has a tiny wireless phone charging cradle built into a console but its sized to only fit the smallest of phones on the market. The internal screen system uses DVD (anyone still have any?) and claims to have a cast movie system but neither me not toyota can work it out. The drivers touch screen console is basically just a radio and doesnt even control any car functions like the parking sensors which are hard to switch on and off (i want them but in Jakarta traffic they cant end up like a siren).

I was in a friends BMW and same thing. Seems like Indonesia gets these sort of systems from 10 years ago versus other markets. I get they want to keep the price low (although it doesnt seem low) but you would think when spending so much on a car they would give some of the modern technology.

Well, I had a look at the All New Nissan Serena, and it was a pleasant surprise.

For half the price of an Alphard you'd have almost the same interior space, (business class quality) captain seats on the 2nd row, a better media center and seven (7!) USB ports.

And with safety measures as Around View Monitor it definitely is up to par with European cars or so.

Of course nobody would ever trade in the Alphard for such a car. (Yes, I do have a Mother-in-Law here so I know a bit how the ibu thinks.) That would be a preposterous proposition.

A Toyota Voxy is rather similar btw. But I'm not crazy. And I don't want to be lynched.

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I love the look of the new Serena. I've always liked the huge windows for the driver but the exterior style has always been off. I think they've finally nailed it (for a mini van).
 
Bit inspired by the Espace, n'est-ce pas?

Btw, nobody here will know the difference between this car and an Alphard or Vellfire:

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You practically don't see this model and the front is as imposing as those two exclusives....
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Concerning the screen at the ceiling; yes most have simple DVD input, but the cars as the two I just mentioned, also support systems as MirrorLink* and often a mirroring / connection via HDMI.

* I don't think the iPhone supports this, but many Android phones do. Samsung support page:

So even if it's not the latest of the latest, you'd have some options. But yes, I do agree the Google and Apple solutions should also be provided. A bit of explanation:

MirrorLink has become increasingly popular alongside similar systems like Apple CarPlay for iPhone users and Android Auto, because as smartphone users become ever more reliant on their devices, the advantages of accessing apps, playlists and data on the move have become more and more appealing. The big difference between the three systems is that while Apple CarPlayand Android Auto are closed proprietary systems with ‘built in’ software for functions such as navigation or voice controls – as well as the ability to run certain externally developed apps – MirrorLink has been developed as an entirely open source system

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Yep I got mirror link to work but without sound.... Or sound without picture. Bit annoying but maybe one day I'll get both (and I'm usually pretty good at this sort of thing but this is proving much harder than a chromecast or ez-cast connection). Only other downside is you have to be connected to the cars internal WiFi which doesn't have any external connection so at best you can view something already downloaded.
 
I like the style of the VW Golf, and the Golf R is fun. Unfortunately I promised myself never to buy another VW, after owning a Passat and a Jetta with lots of maintenance issues. Repair cost in Indonesia is bearable, but mechanics in USA charge about $100 an hour.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if the Golf would lose its status as bestseller of the VW group.

The demand for the (higher) small crossovers is enormous; less and less people choose for a hatchback. (And the current Polo is big enough.) That means the T-Roc will probably take over the lead. Also, there will be a convertible version of that car, as wel as a R. which is already a bit of a sign of the perceived importance from VW.

fggyeqfb41rp_800.jpg


In the electric field, no more e-Golf, the future according to VW is the full electric I.D. that we discussed before.

Of course there will always be a demand for hot hatches. So a Golf GTI or R will probably never disappear, just like the sporty versions of the 208 and Focus. The problem with these cars is that people who want to drive them, don't have the money. And when they do (have enough money), they're not allowed to buy it anymore having a family with 2 kids etc.

My first company car was a Golf GTD. That was a diesel in the GTI 'jacket'. Nice car and rather fast. A colleague had a R and had to remove the logos and batches and make it more anonymous since they tried to steal it a couple of times.
 
My next car will probably be a Honda HR-V, so I see the attraction of subcompact crossovers. Its 1.8 liter engine is a bit anemic for US highways, but it comes with AWD that's helpful for winter driving. It's also 10" (25 cm) shorter than even the Civic, which can help in finding a street parking spot whenever I visit Chicago or other large cities.
 
That's a good choice of course.

I would also have a look at the completely new Subaru XV then. (Crosstrek in the US) It has a so called e-boxer engine now. In the US, unlike Japan and Europe, the hybrid is a plugin. I'm not sure what the other differences are.

Of course the Mazda CX-3(0) is interesting as well.
 
Talking about subcompact crossovers: Unlike Europe (with esp. the French manufacturers), the Indonesias and the North American market don't offer many small SUVs/Crossovers. So there are not many options in this class.

Fiat 500X and its sibling Jeep Renegade are some of the few that also compete in this class and which are not bad alternatives. Before your say; noooo Fix It Again Tony; the quality has improved quite a bit. And their engines are really good in fact.

The Renegade is available in Indonesia, count on a price between 600 and 700 Juta. Which makes it completely uncompetitive...

It's a bit of a shame, since depending on the version, that small Jeep reminds me somewhat of the Suzuki Jimny.

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Fiat / Chrysler / Jeep engine might be improving, but the rest of the car would still give you trouble.

As of now I'm sticking with Toyota and Honda. If pressed I'd go with Hyundai, Kia, or Ford. For subcompact crossovers Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul are actually rated higher than most of them.

Subaru is not bad, but the brand is not that big yet. Repair would be limited to dealerships (expensive).
 
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My next car will probably be a Honda HR-V, so I see the attraction of subcompact crossovers. Its 1.8 liter engine is a bit anemic for US highways, but it comes with AWD that's helpful for winter driving. It's also 10" (25 cm) shorter than even the Civic, which can help in finding a street parking spot whenever I visit Chicago or other large cities.
We bought a CRV a couple of years ago, and really like it. Many Hondas are now using the 1.5l turbo charged motor. I’ve only seem the 2l engine on base models, and haven’t seen a 1.8l yet.
 
As far as I know, in the USA the CR-V is only available in a 1.5 (turbo) or 2.4 liter engine. The HR-V has a 1.8 liter.

In Indonesia the HR-V is available in 1.5 and 1.8.

NB: That 1.5 HR-V is not a turbo, so it does not have the same engine as you see in the CR-V! It seems to be a cost issue, to put the 1.5 turbo in the HR-V would make it much more expensive.

Afterthought: I always thought all of Europe only had the HR-V turbo but I saw that in France for instance, Honda sells both. So the regular 1.5 and the 1.5 Turbo. If I would be in the market for a HR-V in the US, I would definitely check if the 1.5 Turbo engine is not expected; if would be frustrating to buy the 1.8 and then find out that engine becomes available too.
 
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We bought a CRV a couple of years ago, and really like it. Many Hondas are now using the 1.5l turbo charged motor. I’ve only seem the 2l engine on base models, and haven’t seen a 1.8l yet.
My wife drives a CR-V with a 2.4 liter engine. She picked the car because it's more comfortable than the RAV4. When she tested the RAV4 as a passenger, it was so bumpy she was about to throw up. It is still not as quiet and smooth riding as a proper sedan, but it's completely acceptable.

The 1.5 L turbo engine actually has about the same hp. Many manufacturers go with turbocharged small engines today because they supposedly have better fuel economy. I personally prefer naturally aspirated engines, because they are easier to maintain and have less issues.
 
Nah, the turbo gives you 180 hp instead of the tired 140 of the outdated 1.8. With a comparable torque.


In a hot climate and daily macet as parts of Indonesia you could argue against a turbo but in the US it really is somewhat of a no brainer, we're not talking about choosing a big block 8 cylinder here. The snappiness and fuel consumption will be far better. Thousands of small 1.0-1.3 engines with turbo are sold as we speak without major issues.

Now this engine is Honda's short term future for this model (so consider resale value and knowledge workshops), but perhaps in the US you won't get it before the next version of the HR-V / Vezel.
 
Many Hondas are now using the 1.5l turbo charged motor. I’ve only seen the 2l engine on base models

That's definitely true. In markets where they sell the 2 liter CR-V, it is much more basic than the 1.5 Turbo. No LED lights, a 7" screen instead of a 9", lack of dual zone climate control, no multi angle reverse camera, etc.
 
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We were talking about the Peugeots 208 and 3008 before.

The brand is in fact represented by a conglomerate, the giant in the Indonesian automobile industry, PT Astra International* of course.

Since Peugeot is rather ambitious worldwide and the amount of 3008's you see in a month can be counted on eh... 2 fingers, a management change was in order.

A manager coming from Astra Daihatsu, has gotten the function of Chief Executive of Astra Peugeot.

A promise was made to introduce more models** in the Indonesian market. Hopefully they can do something about the prices too. I'm not sure how to start competing and increase the sales otherwise; Indonesian people are not stupid and do realize that Peugeot (as Volkswagen, Renault and Volvo for instance) might be 'unique' and 'rare' but that doesn't automatically mean premium and exclusive. And Japanese might not be famous for their finishing but they definitely provide quality.

* a quick count taught me there are more than 25 companies in this group

** as the new 308?

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Nah, the turbo gives you 180 hp instead of the tired 140 of the outdated 1.8. With a comparable torque.


In a hot climate and daily macet as parts of Indonesia you could argue against a turbo but in the US it really is somewhat of a no brainer, we're not talking about choosing a big block 8 cylinder here. The snappiness and fuel consumption will be far better. Thousands of small 1.0-1.3 engines with turbo are sold as we speak without major issues.

Now this engine is Honda's short term future for this model (so consider resale value and knowledge workshops), but perhaps in the US you won't get it before the next version of the HR-V / Vezel.
I was comparing the CR-V 2.4L engine (185 hp) with its 1.5L turbo sister (190 hp).

Here's the issue with Honda's turbo:

It will be a year before I need to make a decision, so I hope by then the HR-V has come up with a better engine option, and Honda has fixed the problems. If not, then the Hyundai Kona looks promising, as it won the utility vehicle of the year award for 2019.

 
I have a 2017 CRV with 1.5l turbo, but have had fairly small problems only. A shifter switch, door seal, and the battery failing (It had been parked for a few months).

Luckily I don’t live in a cold climate, so hopefully no problems with the motor. We don’t drive too much. Half our mileage are roadtrips to CA, Vegas or such. About 5k miles a year. We hope to keep it at least 8 years.
 
the issue with Honda's turbo

Yeah, we talked about that in October. Sometimes it gets smelly in the cabin from that mix of oil and gasoline. But it has to be extremely cold. Now in Chicago or so that could happen.


Now mainly under pressure of the Chinese, Honda did start to roll out a fix in December. And getting a 6 year warranty (instead of 5) is not bad either. No way a VW/Benz/Beemer would offer that.
 

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