As I'm NOT A RENOWNED NEW CAR JOURNALIST, it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to obtain ONE test car, let alone THREE. All is NOT LOST. I dished out "3 CARS SHOOTOUT BETWEEN. Perodua MYVI, Proton SAGA BLM, and INOKOM (Hyundai) I10" courtesy of New Sunday Times, Cars.Bikes.Trucks website. Yup, gotta leave the testing to the "EXPERTS"!. Here's the Article. Enjoy!
Battle for entry level supremacy
A Cars.Bikes.Trucks Article: Submitted by yani on Tue, 25/08/2009 - 4:17pm
Both the Perodua Myvi and new Proton Saga dominate the entry level car segment in the country, while the Inokom i10 has sold reasonably well since it was launched here last year.
It is easy to see why these three cars are popular buys, with affordable pricing, spacious cabins and a host of attractive features.
The Myvi is still the best-selling car in the country after four years although the new Saga is not far behind in sales performance.
Japanese technological input is one reason for the popularity of the Myvi, which is the result of a Perodua, Daihatsu and Toyota collaboration.
Meanwhile, the new Saga is an odd one out here as it is a four-door sedan while both the Myvi and i10 are five-door hatchbacks.
Still, the new Saga has capitalised on the fact that Malaysians like four-door sedans with large boots.
The i10, which is the replacement model for the Hyundai Atos Prime in Europe, is also an odd one out here as it is categorised as a non-national car.
In Malaysia, the i10 is assembled at the Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah.
The Hyundai Motor India plant in Chennai manufactures the i10 for the European market where it scored four stars out of a possible five in Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) safety tests.
All three are award-winning cars (the i10 bagged the Indian Car of the Year 2008).
These three cars also see strong demand among those looking for additional vehicles in their households.
Although there are a number of lower-priced Myvi and new Saga variants, we chose the high-specifications models as these would compete closely with the i10.
EXTERIOR
In terms of size, the new Saga has the biggest footprint while the i10 is the smallest car with the shortest wheelbase.
Height-wise, the new Saga is also the lowest at 1,502mm.
Both the new Saga and Myvi have electric side mirrors while the i10 only has manually adjustable side mirrors.
Here, only the Myvi has turn indicators integrated into the side mirror housings.
In the styling arena, the Myvi still retains a modern hatchback look with large eye-catching headlamps after four years.
The new Saga features a functional boxy look while the i10 carries bright, curvy and cute styling cues that are aimed at attracting a high percentage of female buyers.
INTERIOR
The new Saga offers the largest cabin space in its class, and one of its advantages is a sizeable 413-litre boot.
Also, the new Saga has the longest wheelbase at 2,465mm, and this translates into plenty of legroom.
Headroom is more than adequate for our 1.7m bodies, and Proton must be commended for an interior design that maximises the amount of passenger elbow room in a compact sedan.
Although the i10 has the shortest wheelbase at 2,380mm, we have mentioned in previous car reviews that legroom and headroom were ample for our 1.7m bodies.
In fact, we found quite decent levels of comfort in the spacious cabin of the i10 despite its compact exterior dimensions.
In the i10, we were especially taken with the large-sized fabric seats and passenger headrests which provided high comfort levels on long distance journeys.
The Myvi has the most nifty-looking instrument control layout here, especially with its blue-coloured optitron meter combination, while both the new Saga and i10 have simple and functional dashboard designs.
All three cars have four-speaker radio CD audio set-ups, but the new Saga is the only one with a non-MP3 capable system.
Here, the audio system in the Myvi stands out as it also features USB and Bluetooth connectivity.
DRIVING IMPRESSION
Recent generations of Proton cars have developed a reputation for their exceptional handling dynamics, cornering agility and steering accuracy, and the new Saga is no different.
All three cars here have similar suspension set-ups, with front MacPherson strut and torsion beam rear.
The Saga is the heaviest car here with a 1,065kg kerb weight, compared with the Myvi 1.3 EZi (kerb weight of 955kg) and i10 (gross vehicle weight of 920kg).
Still, it should be noted that the new Saga has the most powerful engine here.
We found all three cars to have brisk acceleration although the Myvi stood out when it came to smooth and serene driving as well as fluid gear shifts.
All three cars, with front disc brakes and rear drums, provided competent stopping power.
Both the new Saga and Myvi 1.3 EZi have 40-litre fuel tanks while the i10 features a 35-litre fuel tank.
All three cars, shod with 14-inch wheels, provided more than acceptable levels of passenger comfort as well as ease of manoeuvring and parking in tight spaces.
In the area of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness), it was a tough call for us but we found ourselves to be most comfortable with the i10.
CONCLUSION
When it comes to handling and agility, and cargo storage space as well as competitive pricing, the new Saga is the winner.
In the areas of proven long-term reliability, high resale value, and low maintenance costs, the winner is the very well-equipped Myvi.
Still, we really liked the i10 mainly due to its large-sized seats and headrests which felt solid - we found them to be really comfortable during our daily commuting from Klang to Kuala Lumpur.
Many would disagree with us, but we think that the i10 just squeezes ahead of its rivals here in terms of overall packaging - passenger comfort, safety, practicality, design aesthetics, driving smoothness, pricing and driver satisfaction.
By Thomas Huong
Specifications
Inokom i10
Engine: 1,086cc SOHC petrol
Max power: 66hp @ 5,500rpm
Max torque: 99Nm @ 2,800rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Features: Dual airbags, ABS
Price: RM48,888 OTR with insurance
Proton Saga 1.3 M-Line (automatic)
Engine: 1,332cc Campro 16V DOHC with IAFM (integrated air fuel module)
Max power: 94hp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 120Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Features: Driver's airbag
Price: RM41,498 OTR with insurance
Perodua Myvi 1.3 EZi
Engine: 1,298cc in-line 4-cylinder DOHC with DVVT (dynamic variable valve timing)
Max power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 116Nm @ 3,200rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Features: Dual airbags, ABS with EBD (electronic brake force distribution) and BA (brake assist)
Price: RM49,700 OTR with insurance
Servicing costs
Proton Saga (automatic)
Service intervals Costs
1,000km RM118
5,000km RM118
10,000km RM234
20,000km RM585
30,000km RM330
40,000km RM610
50,000km RM330
60,000km RM585
Total RM2,910
Inokom i10
Service intervals Costs
1,000km RM151
5,000km RM151
10,000km RM167
15,000km RM167
20,000km RM328
25,000km RM165
30,000km RM165
35,000km RM165
40,000km RM1,340
45,000km RM165
50,000km RM165
55,000km RM165
60,000km RM328
Total RM3,622
Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd says the charges quoted are indicative figures, and discounts are usually available at authorised service centres.
Perodua Myvi
According to Perodua, the total cost of maintaining the Myvi over the first 60,000km is RM1,686.25.
This includes charges of RM127.25 for a normal service package as well as approximately RM350 for every 20,000km service interval.
SOURCES:
1) NEW SUNDAY TIMES, Cars.Bikes.Trucks pullout article published on 23 August 2009 http://cbt.com.my/090825/battle-entry-level-supremacy
That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this LONG but WONDERFULLY WRITTEN article.
It is easy to see why these three cars are popular buys, with affordable pricing, spacious cabins and a host of attractive features.
The Myvi is still the best-selling car in the country after four years although the new Saga is not far behind in sales performance.
Japanese technological input is one reason for the popularity of the Myvi, which is the result of a Perodua, Daihatsu and Toyota collaboration.
Meanwhile, the new Saga is an odd one out here as it is a four-door sedan while both the Myvi and i10 are five-door hatchbacks.
Still, the new Saga has capitalised on the fact that Malaysians like four-door sedans with large boots.
The i10, which is the replacement model for the Hyundai Atos Prime in Europe, is also an odd one out here as it is categorised as a non-national car.
In Malaysia, the i10 is assembled at the Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah.
The Hyundai Motor India plant in Chennai manufactures the i10 for the European market where it scored four stars out of a possible five in Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) safety tests.
All three are award-winning cars (the i10 bagged the Indian Car of the Year 2008).
These three cars also see strong demand among those looking for additional vehicles in their households.
Although there are a number of lower-priced Myvi and new Saga variants, we chose the high-specifications models as these would compete closely with the i10.
EXTERIOR
In terms of size, the new Saga has the biggest footprint while the i10 is the smallest car with the shortest wheelbase.
Height-wise, the new Saga is also the lowest at 1,502mm.
Both the new Saga and Myvi have electric side mirrors while the i10 only has manually adjustable side mirrors.
Here, only the Myvi has turn indicators integrated into the side mirror housings.
In the styling arena, the Myvi still retains a modern hatchback look with large eye-catching headlamps after four years.
The new Saga features a functional boxy look while the i10 carries bright, curvy and cute styling cues that are aimed at attracting a high percentage of female buyers.
INTERIOR
The new Saga offers the largest cabin space in its class, and one of its advantages is a sizeable 413-litre boot.
Also, the new Saga has the longest wheelbase at 2,465mm, and this translates into plenty of legroom.
Headroom is more than adequate for our 1.7m bodies, and Proton must be commended for an interior design that maximises the amount of passenger elbow room in a compact sedan.
Although the i10 has the shortest wheelbase at 2,380mm, we have mentioned in previous car reviews that legroom and headroom were ample for our 1.7m bodies.
In fact, we found quite decent levels of comfort in the spacious cabin of the i10 despite its compact exterior dimensions.
In the i10, we were especially taken with the large-sized fabric seats and passenger headrests which provided high comfort levels on long distance journeys.
The Myvi has the most nifty-looking instrument control layout here, especially with its blue-coloured optitron meter combination, while both the new Saga and i10 have simple and functional dashboard designs.
All three cars have four-speaker radio CD audio set-ups, but the new Saga is the only one with a non-MP3 capable system.
Here, the audio system in the Myvi stands out as it also features USB and Bluetooth connectivity.
DRIVING IMPRESSION
Recent generations of Proton cars have developed a reputation for their exceptional handling dynamics, cornering agility and steering accuracy, and the new Saga is no different.
All three cars here have similar suspension set-ups, with front MacPherson strut and torsion beam rear.
The Saga is the heaviest car here with a 1,065kg kerb weight, compared with the Myvi 1.3 EZi (kerb weight of 955kg) and i10 (gross vehicle weight of 920kg).
Still, it should be noted that the new Saga has the most powerful engine here.
We found all three cars to have brisk acceleration although the Myvi stood out when it came to smooth and serene driving as well as fluid gear shifts.
All three cars, with front disc brakes and rear drums, provided competent stopping power.
Both the new Saga and Myvi 1.3 EZi have 40-litre fuel tanks while the i10 features a 35-litre fuel tank.
All three cars, shod with 14-inch wheels, provided more than acceptable levels of passenger comfort as well as ease of manoeuvring and parking in tight spaces.
In the area of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness), it was a tough call for us but we found ourselves to be most comfortable with the i10.
CONCLUSION
When it comes to handling and agility, and cargo storage space as well as competitive pricing, the new Saga is the winner.
In the areas of proven long-term reliability, high resale value, and low maintenance costs, the winner is the very well-equipped Myvi.
Still, we really liked the i10 mainly due to its large-sized seats and headrests which felt solid - we found them to be really comfortable during our daily commuting from Klang to Kuala Lumpur.
Many would disagree with us, but we think that the i10 just squeezes ahead of its rivals here in terms of overall packaging - passenger comfort, safety, practicality, design aesthetics, driving smoothness, pricing and driver satisfaction.
By Thomas Huong
Specifications
Inokom i10
Engine: 1,086cc SOHC petrol
Max power: 66hp @ 5,500rpm
Max torque: 99Nm @ 2,800rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Features: Dual airbags, ABS
Price: RM48,888 OTR with insurance
Proton Saga 1.3 M-Line (automatic)
Engine: 1,332cc Campro 16V DOHC with IAFM (integrated air fuel module)
Max power: 94hp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 120Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Features: Driver's airbag
Price: RM41,498 OTR with insurance
Perodua Myvi 1.3 EZi
Engine: 1,298cc in-line 4-cylinder DOHC with DVVT (dynamic variable valve timing)
Max power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 116Nm @ 3,200rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Features: Dual airbags, ABS with EBD (electronic brake force distribution) and BA (brake assist)
Price: RM49,700 OTR with insurance
Servicing costs
Proton Saga (automatic)
Service intervals Costs
1,000km RM118
5,000km RM118
10,000km RM234
20,000km RM585
30,000km RM330
40,000km RM610
50,000km RM330
60,000km RM585
Total RM2,910
Inokom i10
Service intervals Costs
1,000km RM151
5,000km RM151
10,000km RM167
15,000km RM167
20,000km RM328
25,000km RM165
30,000km RM165
35,000km RM165
40,000km RM1,340
45,000km RM165
50,000km RM165
55,000km RM165
60,000km RM328
Total RM3,622
Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd says the charges quoted are indicative figures, and discounts are usually available at authorised service centres.
Perodua Myvi
According to Perodua, the total cost of maintaining the Myvi over the first 60,000km is RM1,686.25.
This includes charges of RM127.25 for a normal service package as well as approximately RM350 for every 20,000km service interval.
SOURCES:
1) NEW SUNDAY TIMES, Cars.Bikes.Trucks pullout article published on 23 August 2009 http://cbt.com.my/090825/battle-entry-level-supremacy
That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this LONG but WONDERFULLY WRITTEN article.
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