Tag: Autos

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) have been a force to help bridge a gap as we approach a future full of full-on electric vehicles (EVs). Such vehicles have proven to be quite efficient and the perfect commuter vehicle for those who take full advantage of its plug-in charging capabilities. In the scheme of having an affordable PHEV SUV, Mitsubishi has stepped into the game to bring us an all-new Outlander PHEV. After spending a week with the Outlander PHEV, I was enamored to welcome such a vehicle into my lifestyle with wide open arms from a brand that hasn’t been on my radar screen in a long time.

For my generation, born in the late 70s, Mitsubishi was a fun brand in the 90s and even in the early 2000s. I can remember good friends of mine having some of the wildest sport compact vehicles around that touted the Mitsubishi

BMW answers why the top-of-the-line model in 1977 was called the 745i, despite displacing only 3.2-liters

Electric vehicles (EVs) have fewer moving parts than gas-powered cars. That mechanical simplicity, advocates say, should lead to fewer part failures — and more reliable vehicles — over time.

The logic behind the argument is sound. But the numbers aren’t yet proving it true, according to Consumer Reports.

CR comes by its data differently than most reliability studies.

The magazine doesn’t test every car on the market. Instead, it asks its readers to report problems they’ve had in the last 12 months, then compiles the results for vehicles built since 2000. As a result, its data set is limited to the cars CR subscribers own.

RELATED — Consumer Reports: Toyota, Lexus Make the Most Reliable Cars; Mercedes the Least

That data collection method skews the outcome. The subscriber to a magazine that ranks vacuums for price effectiveness may have different preferences than the average shopper.

Its 2022 data, CR says,

Part of being a motoring writer is predicting trends, having a think about what paths the car market might take in the near-term.

Some trends such as electrification are as clear as day, while others are based on looser hypothesising.

Here we jot down one expectation for 2023 from various team members. Add your two cents in the comments!

Mike Costello

China will become Australia’s third-largest source of cars

Sales of cars made in China spiked 55 per cent to the end of November this year, making the country our fourth-biggest source of vehicles behind Japan, Thailand and Korea. 

More than 10 per cent of new vehicles sold this year at the time of writing were made in China – either by rapidly growing Chinese brands MG, LDV, GWM, Haval and BYD, or brands that source cars from there such as Tesla, Volvo and Polestar. 

All (or most) of those

Getting colour updates for next year is the 2023 Honda RS-X kapchai. The new colour choices for the RS-X are Lemon Ice Yellow and Candy Caribbean Blue Sea, priced at RM9,698, while the revised Trico Edition, in Honda’s racing colours of red, white and blue with gold coloured wheels, is priced at RM9,748, compared against the 2021 Honda RS-X price of RM8,688 for the base model.

Pricing does not include road tax, insurance or registration and every RS-X comes with a two-year or 20,000 km warranty against manufacturing defects. Stock of the 2023 Honda RS-X is expected to arrive in authorised Boon Siew Honda dealer showroom beginning January 4, 2023.

No other changes for the RS-X for next season, with the same single-cylinder mill displacing 149.16 cc and fed by Honda’s PGM-Fi mated to a six-speed transmission and chain final drive. Power for the RS-X is claimed to be