Albatross Motors Presents, the new Albatross W200, a premium family wagon on a budget. This 5-seater features a 2-liter 12 valve Inline 4 with advanced Multipoint EFI, making 103 horsepower, with power sent to the front wheels via a 4-speed computer controlled automatic transmission. This combination means the car can go from 0-62 in under 12 seconds, while also achieving 41 MPG highway (29.5 MPG combined). On the inside, you get our patented Premium Pleather, an AM/FM/Cassette stereo system, power steering, anti-lock brakes, and everything else you would expect from an Albatross Motors vehicle. Prices start at a very reasonable $7,952. See your local Albatross dealer to learn more.
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I think I can tell by those entries’ engine sizes who is american and who isn’t
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“No, it’s the Saboro Emprezi, not the Subaru Impreza!” 
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“Introducing the Criterion Motor Co. Marzi Coupe, Coupe Ext., and Sed-----,”
“What do you mean they don’t want something nice…?”
“They want a shitbox…? But we don’t have any…call up the contractors, we got work for them”
cough Introducing the Xenos Inc. 5k
“Dipped in chrome for your royal high-ness,it comes standard with a 6 speed manual transmission sending powers to the front wheels from a monstrous 1390cc Inline 4 with a whopping 87hp. She’s a beaut alright…barfs”
“It also comes with…”
“…an enlarged gas cap to ensure quick fueling times and dual FM/AM antennas for ensure quality reception at all times (radio sold separately). She also rolls off the line with tastefully body paint matched wire rims hiding a set of 12.8” rear drums and 6.5" front drums for optimal braking capability"
.
"The 12 front headlights and exceptional cooling capabilities ensure this is the most reliable vehicle you will ever drive to date. PERIOD!!
"
“Starting at 6128$ is a bargain, and if you buy one within the next 5 years, we’ll chop the price to an astounding 3,000$” (estimated annual running cost at 337$).
BUY YOURS TODAY.
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ELECTI Leo
shot in Beam
Keep up appearances. Anywhere.
Starting from 7991,-
Model shown Leo VSi ES, 2.2l turbo, combined fuel consumption rating 8.1l, 0-60 10.3s, body colored bumpers, wing mirrors and headlight wipers as standard.
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The Hawker Leopard CXE
From our design studio to driveways across your country.
Cheap no longer means trash.
Starting at 5999 AMU
*Car Shown priced at 7500 AMU, optioned with the appearance package, mid tier SOHC 4 valve engine and 4 speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.
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Oh yeah less than 24 hours to go. Submit it in while you can!
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1997 DMV Gust LS
1.6L I4
89 Horsepower
0-100kph in 10.7 seconds
35.4 MPG combined
4 wheel ABS standard
Starting at $7,370
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Six hours to go before the deadline!
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Last minute entry, with a last minute ad in pure 90s style.
Presenting the Baltazar Quark Sedan, in 1.6 CX trim.
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40 minutes to go! Submit now or forever hold your peace.
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Alright. That’s it. Deadline is here.
I will be finishing the first evaluation of these cars in a few hours. Then I will take about 24 hours to do the final evaluation, result, and a short epilogue on the cars (A sort of token reward for the winners, apart from glowing review).
32 entries I reckon? Reviews are done as they come so it shouldn’t take too long for the first evaluation to appear.
Stay tuned!
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First Evaluation, Part 1.
Disclaimer: All reviews are not personal. I am not attacking you or your pride. I try to keep the reviews as fair as I can, I may have screwed up in some part which I didn’t know. I apologized in advance for any mistake I’ve made and didn’t have time to go back and rectify.
The day has come for me to review the proposal. I drove my incognito Thai made Ananda to a secret airfield outside the city centre. No need for the motorcade as I don’t want people to know where I am going. The group of cars have been procured by my trusty servant, Mr. Booth. The Ananda is nothing fancy, but it does show quite a bit of what people wants. Comfortable, powerful, reliable and practical. But absolutely nothing fancy. Made from old bits of Mitsushita so it’s really cheap too.
It’s a clear, crisp weekday. Nothing much on the road so I simply put my foot down and drive outside the city the quickest I could. No need to spend more time than necessary. I will be visiting my other concubine later in the day.
Arriving at the airfield, the sky is clear and blue and its utterly hot outside. I parked my Ananda in the hangar full of basic appliances. Excellent, I thought. One of these will be what people really need.
First up.
@yangx2 Huangdou random numbers and letters
Actual name SJ-127PY. This 4-door sedan has that Asian looks to it. Obviously very oriental. It’s a Chinese car that doesn’t seems to be a copy of anything, which is not what I’ve expected considering their trademark infringement history. It’s positively premium with the right amount of plastic chrome and colour coordinated bumpers giving it much more expensive appearance. The round and edgy styling is modern and crisp, I think it’ll be a timeless car. From the look alone, I think it will be a perfect fit for the purpose. But that wouldn’t matter if it doesn’t have the merit to back it up.
Stepping inside I find that the interior is very standard. Cloth seating with manual adjustment, 2 spokes steering wheel, thin design made of urethane being the only protection of you from the impact in any accident. That is par for the course of most economical car in Kala. The gearlever is interesting in that it goes from D to 4, which suggest that this is either a 4-speed Automatic with overdrive, or it’s a 5 speed gearbox. If it’s the latter case, then this is very advance tech for the day.
The ride height seems high, suggesting a soft riding suspension. I got in it and start the car up. Inside there was a brochure lying on top of the dashboard. Let’s read what is what while the air conditioning is blowing cold hard air into my face. It’s certainly powerful enough. The car is acceptably quiet too. And the switchgear doesn’t feel flimsy although the door closing was.
Wow, 2.4-litre engine, I thought. That is going to be quite taxing on the people. Since we calculate our yearly road taxes per cubic centimetre of engine displacement.
I put my foot right hard down on the accelerator pedal. There’s slight chirp from the tyres but nothing much. The engine seems eager enough to rev it out and torquey enough to bring this 1300kg car up to 100km/h in quite a brisk manner. Apparently it’ll do 8.7 litre per 100 kilometers too. A decent car if I saw one.
I threw the car into the corner and I wasn’t expecting this. The car plow right out of the corner sort of like the car isn’t even have tyres. Then I remembered that this is 1300kg on a piddly cheap tyres. It doesn’t drive nice at all, it’s a bit wobbly too. I have a feeling this is going to be one comfortable ride with clearly pudding suspension. A sort of ride that will make any children feels nauseous.
At 120km/h which is the motorway cruising speed, the car is spinning away at 3300rpm which is not too high, but I reckon you could do better with 5-speed gearbox. And as I accelerate back up rather quickly through torque, I find that the car lost puff in 4th at high RPM. And then realized that it’s limited to 170km/h.
Then I stomp on the brake hard and find that they’re adequate for the job. Nothing to say of it other than the squeal belching out of it. Sort of like my sports car. After I park it up after a hard drive the front wheel is clearly blacken by brake dust. A European style brake pads, I thought.
All in all, a decent, average benchmark for all the cars to come. But the displacement is unnecessary. Even though it is punchy as hell in the straight. It also handles like a turgid piece of sponge left in the sink for 2 years. A worthy of closer inspection? Maybe. I’m afraid since the people of Kala are all maniac drivers, they definitely don’t stick to speed limit. The car cannot be this wobbly. A bit stiffer riding car and smaller engine would be perfect.
@racer126 Geschenk Schwer ST
This German named car promised to be much, much cheaper than the Huangdou. Which I reckon is amazing. From the outside, again, it looks generic. A bit Japanese, a bit French. But that’s absolutely fine. That’s exactly what I want. Can’t have people being envied of the people who drive these cars. I think it’s nicely designed. Modern and timeless. I wouldn’t mind these driving down the street of Kala.
Stepping inside I find the interior to be pretty much the same as Huangdou. With basic patterned cloth seating and basic urethane steering wheel. But moving the buttons and knobs I find the interior somewhat better. More refined. Like they thought it out better than the Huangdou. The gearbox lever reveals a 4-speed Automatic unit. Which in the brochure also on the dashboard said has “Fuzzy Logic”. Whatever that means. The car starts up with similar noise level with the Huangdou, although it is very different even though it’s both 4-cylinder unit.
But I think something is amiss though. It felt weird somehow. The car idles noticeably rougher than the Huangdou despite being 400cc smaller. And it’s very obviously more cramped than the Huangdou despite being of similar size on the outside. What in the name? I thought. I looked at the brochure and found that this is a Rear Wheel Drive car!.. Obviously! From that longitudinal mounted engine. But then down the line I also saw that it’s written on the table to be Longitudinal Front Wheel Drive. What a weird design.
I then step outside and saw a plum of white/grey smoke from the tail of the car. But it’s not really water. I can smell it. It’s petrol. This clearly quite rich mixture was one of the reason for rough idle too. The engine is highly strung and clearly not made for economy. And as I went back to look at the blurb it says that it does 15.3l/100km! That’s guzzling gas as the American would say!
This suspension also appears to ride high. And the tyres are thick. I did not expect much in terms of handling for this one either. And as soon as I drove away, I immediately notice. The power steering was squealing like a pig, even though this is a brand new car.
Also, the engine acceleration from the standing still is extremely sluggish. Even though it has about the same horsepower as the Huangdou and being 150kg lighter. I think the gearbox is set up to be quite long.
At least the brake didn’t squeal! But it brought on a different quirk. Every time I push the pedal I notice the ABS came on even though the brakes are very clearly not locking. Hell, I don’t think they have enough power to lock. Combine both and the car has atrocious stopping distance.
I’ve had enough, it may be cheap. But it certainly shows. This is NOT a quality product, despite the European name. It looks sharp, but the indicators are on even though I did not put them on. This was very much built down to the price, overly complicated machine that will be a pig to solve any issue with. I think it’ll be good for those European snobbish people, but I don’t think it’s good enough even for my people.
@abg7 Genra GEC 2.0 Prime
Was this car designed in an afternoon break or something? It seems they have not finished the design yet when the proposal went through the drawing boards. I do not think this car will be able to bring on the patriotism feel to the people. I don’t think it’ll brought out anything at all. I have already forgotten what it looks like had it not be for the gopping whale face front. Looks like an angry Asian more than a car.
Oh well, maybe there’s some more merit to it?
I am tempted to just throw it away at this moment. But I must at least evaluate it in deeper detail than the looks alone. The inside is nothing special, standard patterned cloth seating, steering wheel that looks like a bar of plastic.
Starting it up, and the car is quiet. Really quiet. Must’ve been a pretty hefty muffling work done to it. But I’m not feeling it. A car that doesn’t bring any sort of emotion into the work? I might as well let my people drive imported Mitsushita.
Setting off and the car putter along just fine. The acceleration is par, and the handling is above average. But the ride quality is diabolical. It’s stiff and really bouncy. While yes, the car handles with much higher corner speed than what we’ve seen. But it simply went too far the other way to be proper.
Had it had a look that’s more inspiring, I’d probably be more interested in it. But as it is, I don’t think it’s a good fit for the purpose. It simply won’t make people proud.
@NickingHC CSM Balendos SL Sedan
Ah, here’s a terrific looking car. The CSM Balendos is exactly what I would expect for the Kala national car. It’s unique, yet it’s not fancy. A modern design with care and attention lavished into it. I can see the people being absolutely smitten even though the proportion is that of a loaf of bread.
Inside I find another simple interior. I’m not expecting anything fancy and I’m certainly getting that. I will not be able to remember what it looks like after I step out of it immediately. But this one has a unique point in that the stereo is not a bare bone, twin front speaker stuff. It has rear speaker for extra tunes. The brochure sitting on the dash proclaimed 1600cc engine providing 84 horsepower. 4 Speed gearbox with fuzzy logic, standard for the period.
Starting it up and the car is on par in the noise department. Actually a rather nice, bassy sound compared to other cars. I put the car into Drive and set off with nothing to expect. The car probably perform just as well as the other cars. It’s not particularly quick, but that’s just okay.
I turn the car into corner at much higher speed than I should be doing. And the car respond exactly as I’d expected from the piddly 165 section hard rocks wrapped wheels. It simply ploughed right on without care to how much steering effort I’d given. What I can report, however, is that the car doesn’t feel as wallowy as the other aforementioned Huangdou and Geschenk. It’s actually on par with Genra despite riding much, much smoother than it. A really sorted chassis for safe driving.
Braking, however, is a letdown. I stomp on the pedal and it simply went to the floor and I’m slowing down slowly. It doesn’t propel me forward and there was no noise from the tyre at all. It doesn’t lock, no. It simply isn’t adequate braking. Utterly hopeless.
Reading the blurb again at the hangar, it appears that this is equipped with advanced suspension technology unbefitting such a basic transportation. That will be why it handles great. But it is also why I can’t expect it to be easy to maintain or simply keep going. It’s too advanced for its own good.
@HighOctaneLove Bogliq Kala Entrance
Bogliq Kala? What a stupidly patronising name. You know Thai people use the term as a derogatory? Kala in their language means coconut shell and that’s all they see us. Stupid backward neighbour. Stupid name.
Anyway. Another nice, bland looking car. Perfect for blending in the society very much suffered from tall poppy syndrome. Bogliq Blue, and absolutely forgettable elsewhere. This is the epitome of basic transportation in a capitalist market with aspiration being the only reason to stay alive. It’s classy, but it’s not too fancy.
Step inside and yet again it felt absolutely the same as any other car I’ve tested. A sea of grey plastic with some part wrapped in fabric that seems to have the only purpose being to hide dust. And a bar of plastic as a mean of steering. The stereo appears to be similar to the CSM, in fact, I think they might have the same supplier who did the exact same stereo system.
Price fixing? They cost about the same, has similar sort of horsepower too. But this car has one party trick in that the middle lever doesn’t only move forward and back, it also moves from side to side in a H-Pattern. It’s the first Manual transmission car of the day and I expect great things from it.
I immediately set out to dump the clutch at full RPM, spinning the wheels away. Mr. Booth looks worried, but I don’t care. I went full speed into the expansion joint of the runway and immediately my spine shot through my head and into the roof. The ride is absolutely awful. I don’t care how on the U-Turn back the car hunts turn with vigorous enthusiasm. The ride is unacceptable at this point.
A shame. But a car is like a perfect day. One bad thing and it’s ruined forever.
@NormanVauxhall ZM Danzig 1.8N
A familiar sight. We’ve imported these Znopresk thingy from Anikatia for a while now and they’re getting a bit old in the tooth. But they’re still nicely designed, although the facelift ruined everything with the lower bumper grille that looks like the mouth of one of those people who corrects your grammar, or the stupid communist dissident. A mouth breather. I mean overall, it’s not a bad design, but the old one looks better.
Stepping inside and you’ll find a completely new interior too. It’s still a Znopresk alright? But it’s modern for 1997. Which means it’s basic sea of plastic and vinyl and cloth seating arrangement that’s just average for the price point. The car cost about average too so it is apt. The 4-speed Automatic lever in the middle doesn’t suggest anything out of ordinary. The brochure lies up the dashboard again and I took a peek, 1800cc, 3 valve design? Is this 1983? Apparently, it is. 83hp won’t set the world on fire, that’s for sure.
I start it up, the engine is acceptably quiet but the sound is like an old car. Not old in that it’s done 150,000km and all loose. But old in that it’s a bit, how can you describe it? Rough, clacky, There’s a certain mechanical feel to it that went away as it warm up. It’s almost old fashioned but that can be expected from an engine that originated from the early 80’s.
I put the car into drive and mash the throttle. Not expecting vigorous acceleration, which is exactly what I did not get. It prod along just fine but don’t expect it to give you what you need at exactly when you need it. Oh, who am I kidding? It’s slow. Especially when it shifts into top gear and still won’t accelerate up. It tops out at only about 160km/h.
I felt that where this car falls apart most is the ride and handling. It’s manages to be even more wobbly and unresponsive than the Huangdou, which was pretty epically wobbly and unresponsive. I am glad it only tops out at about 160km/h as any higher I fear I’d wearing it like a hat. It felt as if it could tip over at any moment and it doesn’t give any confidence even at 100 or 120km/h!
Driving back to the hangar I think this car is a good candidate. But only if our drivers don’t go too fast on the public road. I ain’t stopping that now, but I hope to at least make them safer by choosing a car that doesn’t have driving dynamics of a sloppy cow. Which this car is.
A damn shame.
@CC9020 Fuji Coherence SESI
There is something weird about this car. It doesn’t have any fancy appearance on it. But the crisp edge design is really making it stands out from the other cars. Looks like a much more expensive car than it actually is. I quite like it. Not that I will be able to wax poetic about it as it’s still just a saloon car.
Stepping inside and I find a rather bland and boring interior too. It’s about the same as most other cars that I am not going to tell you again. Thick bar for steering, cloth seating, grey plastic. Screwed together well enough not to be a pain and rattily after too few of years.
I started the engine and found it to be exceptionally quiet. Apparently the blurb said it has very high tech “VVL” technology which is a cause for concern. But this 1730cc engine is able to achieve 109hp for that and what appears to be acceptable economy. Very basic elsewhere though. Distributor, 4-speed slush box.
I put it in drive and stomp on the gas again. Not much sound, and certainly not much drama. And I felt that the car is brisk enough for any job people gonna throw at it. Not fast by any stretch, but it’s enough. What surprised me is how it keep going though, after so many limited machines, this car will sail along slowly until it’s 180km/h. At which point the runway runs out.
But while the Znopresk disappointment stemmed from poor dynamics. This car is, by far, the best I’ve driven so far. It’s stable up to high speed, it’s willing to hunt the apex like not many other cars. A little vague if you really focus on it, but this chassis is way more fun than you’d expected from a car this cheap. Exactly what I am looking for. But not only that, this also has excellent ride quality. Not too stiff, not too soft.
I think this is the only car that I cannot fault for now. A test drive reveals no particular vices apart from maybe weak brakes? Not too weak though, it’ll still locks its wheels. And the reliability is a concern, how would the VVT cope with high dust environment of the area? Hm? Is that gonna kill any chance of this car becoming the Kala national car?
@Jaimz Karthoolu TPort 2.0
In my opinion, this car looks like a squished toad. I don’t like it’s look at all, and I definitely cannot expect Kala people to like it either. After all, a country where the head of state is based on the concept from medieval era, people are going to be quite conservative. But maybe I should allow that to change? I mean people’s perception of the car, not my reigning.
Inside is all the same, yadda yadda yadda. Of note is a middle stick that shown to be of a 5-speed Manual Transmission. A sporty proposition. I start the engine and pick up the specification sheet on top of the dash. It says 2-litre exactly producing 92hp? Disappointingly low. And it’s nearly 1200kg. Even with manual transmission this car ain’t going to be any quick. The engine sound is also quite loud compared to other cars.
As expected, dump the clutch and this car doesn’t even chirp even a little. It just shoots forward at uncomfortable amount of G-force. I must say, for a 2-litre engine, this felt absolutely like a wet socks. And it doesn’t give out that particularly good fuel economy for that. I wonder where the power’s gone then?
What surprises me is that turning in the car responds much better than expected. And when I hit the expansion joint it also shakes much more than expected. Another harsh riding car and it’s not even look like a sports car. I am not feeling it. The brakes do work well, once or twice. After a few hard stops the pedal starts to go away unlike other cars. That’s the weight doing it in.
As it is. I don’t think it’s a good car to go with no matter how cheap or reliable it is. It’s too harsh. Spacious and airy interior though. A concept that I like very much had it not been for the squished toad looks.
@Fayeding_Spray YMMV Zycron 2p
Who are you trying to fool? On the outside this car might look to be on par with other cars we’ve tested. But as soon as you step inside you’ll find that this is not the same category of car as any other.
I mean, really? No carpet? No glovebox? Not even headrest? And 800cc 32 horsepower? 0-100km/h of 30 seconds and top speed not even able to reach 130? What? Are you trying to suggest that people of Kala are doing so badly we have to sacrifice crucial comfort? What are you trying to say? This is a disgrace. I will not accept this. Who sent this in? I hope you already find your way out of the country by the time a few of my men make a visit.
It’s not even substantially cheaper than much better alternatives.
@Flamers FangWeng Revival Family
I don’t even want to look at it. If I am an examiner, which I sort of am right now. I am not going to even look at the answer of the person who doesn’t know what the question is.
Oh well, looking at it objectively. This car is no worse than any of the other cars maybe. It really is just a normal car wrapped in inappropriate body style. The engine apparently is a way too large V8 producing paltry amount of horsepower. And drum brakes? Really. Waste of metal and plastic. Is this a ploy of China to distract me from the fact they want to invade? By making me so pissed off I cannot focus on managing the country.
Get it off my property, get it off my country.
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@Mikonp7 Neko CiX-2 5DH-SE
This car is tiny! I almost want to pick it up and cuddle with it. Had it not been a near 1000kg hunk of metal the size of a horsebox. A Hatchback design? Would be a hard sale for the people of Kala. They are going to think rear end impact is going to be quite unsafe. But eh, maybe I can spin it if it’s actually any good, which, sadly. I don’t think it is.
I step inside and find the same basic interior I’ve been seeing almost the whole day now. You can blindfold me and put me in any of these cars and I wouldn’t be able to tell which car I am in! Not even if I count my step like I did back in Vietnam.
The brochure said this is 1600cc Inline what? Immediately after seeing that I started the engine and felt as if I’m falling off the Rocky Mountains. The engine shakes and vibrates the whole car so much to be uncomfortable. Or maybe pleasurable if you’re that lonely. It’s also loud, and I must admit the idle sounds a bit like German Rear Engine Sports Car. But the shake really is annoying even at idle. It’s a 4-speed manual transmission like we’re in 1974 too.
I step on the pedal and find it to be way too slow. It only has 64 horsepower. That’s the least of its problem though. I turn the wheel to maneouver it out of hangar which is packed with car not unlike supermarket parking space. And oh my god it’s heavy. It actually requires effort not seen since the day of Mitsushita Boarilla from the early 1980’s. No power steering. Nada.
I persevered and got it up to speed, which is can do, sorta. And the car feels solid enough. Not wallowy. But as soon as I turn the steering. Which, due to the effect of physics, is much lighter now. The front of the car just ploughed on like no other cars I’ve ever driven.
What the hell? Is the steering wheel even attached to the car? I’m not even sure. Oh wait, I am sure now because I am having arm day here trying to park it back the same place it was.
Unacceptable. No matter how cheap it is.
@Machalel Epoch MVD J4
From the outside, this car has a very distinct sort of crap-ness looks to it. The one which I will call United States Crap. It’s not butt ugly by any stretch of imagination, but it is pretty ugly. But it also gives out a very premium feel, much more than the price point would suggest, although it is on a high side anyway. A plastic chrome with tackiness, the car that would appeal great to lower classes with aspiration. A very well thought out design.
Stepping inside and you’ll find that even though the design is in different style to fit the exterior, it’s just about the same as any other car we’ve tested. And that’s a good thing. But we also have not seen a single car where it is exceptionally good. The engine is a 2-litre unit producing 106hp according to the brochure. It’s pretty damn light too at 1100kg and so it said to offer a pretty spritely performance, I hope that’s true.
Starting it up and the car is quiet. Very quiet. The muffled sound is made the car appears to be powered by a blender. 4-speed automatic lever in the middle of the car is about par. Put it in and off I go. It’s pretty short geared which combined with powerful engine and light construction, this car is by far the best accelerating car I’ve tested. It can really be considered brisk in this context and it also keeps on accelerating. The engine really seems willing to a thrash and it delivers the good.
The issue comes when I hit the dreaded expansion joint of the runway. The car is stiff like a sporty coupe would be. Not to a point of crashy like some other car, but it is pretty jarring. Another thing is that while the car turns in with rigorous, when the car hit the bump stop, it bounces back creating a feel of unease. Not that noticeable unless you’re throwing it into corner at 150km/h like I am doing now. Another point of note is the brakes, which is while not awful in one stop, just a few stomp and the pedal is already trying to escape away from my foot and not decelerating the car.
An expensive mixed bag I’d say. A nearly good product in terms of driving dynamics. But a few glaring fault that makes it not viable. Had it been more compliant and better tuned overall this could’ve been a serious contender. As it is, it just isn’t.
@goblin95 Garuda Pesona 1.8
This is a terrific looking car. Japanese? I’d reckon it’s Japanese design. A sort of design where you believe you’ve seen it somewhere before but couldn’t point out why or where or when. Maybe Malaysia? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some of these there. But I cannot be sure and I will not assume anything.
Stepping inside and it’s the same story. I cannot tell exactly where I’ve seen this design before apart from maybe 12-13 cars I’ve already tested today. I’ve lost count in all the mediocrity. The interesting note is the gearstick with 5 speed H-Pattern on it. A Manual Gearbox. It would help since there’s only 87 horsepower on the tap from 1.8-litre of some engine?
Starting it up however, and the car roars to life in the way totally unexpected by me. VROOM. A much sportier sound than I was expecting. I dump the clutch and the car peels away with some rigour I again did not expect from 87hp. It’s genuinely brisk. Quick boy. Almost a hot hatchback in nature.
As soon as I turn the car in, it ploughs out of the apex as I’ve expected however. But I did not expect the composure it has. The front end does dive a bit, but it’s totally fine in practice. The car doesn’t behave nicely on the expansion joint, however. The composure is down right to the stiff suspension. Verging on being unacceptable compared to other cars. It’s almost as harsh as the Epoch.
But unlike the Epoch, I think this is an incredible package that I think people will surely like. And it’s cheap to boot. Is it going to work though? This is way sportier than it’s supposed to be. Not all people are going to accept that. Borderline uncomfortable.
@NiuYorqCiti Ponni Sphera
This car would’ve had boring and bland appearance had it not been for the aerodynamic proportion. A unique and sleek modern look that I’d say works better than I’d expected. Could it be the one? I’m not sure.
The interior is the same old stuff we’ve seen plenty of time. It goes against the modern exterior. The gear lever indicating a 4-speed Automatic trans that will do the job just fine. The issue is, I start reading the brochure and saw that this is a two point fucking six litre engine. The 2.4-litre of the Huangdou might’ve incurred some hefty taxes but it will be cheap compared to this. Above 2.0-litre point maybe quite stiff, but anything above 2.5 is going to be diabolical level. People will not be able to afford to run this daily, simple as that. No matter how good the other part of the car is going to be.
I’m afraid this doesn’t fit the purpose, and in a big way.
@saddiseased Kansei Pulse
A unique looking car, that’s for sure. Almost French weird. It’s also a station wagon which is not a concept I’ve thought off when I set out to do this. I must say this is a very charming design that could indeed be the one. We’ll have to see if the rest of the car matches up.
The inside is standard stuff we’ve seen plenty of time. But one thing caught my attention way more than any other things I’ve seen today. A button on the right side of the steering column marked “TCS Off”. What the hell? Traction Control? At this price point? Then again the price is pretty high compared to other cars and from the perceived quality alone this doesn’t give out any improvements on the other. But it is said to have 120 horsepower from a 1.8-litre engine which I reckon is due to the VVL technology. Good, I think?
5-Speed Manual Transmission too. But it’s 1300kg. But I reckon this will still be quite spritely compared to other. I promptly disabled the Traction Control and dump the clutch. This doesn’t peel away like expected, however, due to it’s weight, surely. It’s also incredibly loud compared to other cars. About the level of Garuda. But other than sounding and going like a crappy hatchback with tuned exhaust, this car really is stable and compliant. Which I think is a bit confusing.
As expected, the heft made itself clear in the corners. This car handles like a pig. Nose wandering not where you wish it’d go. But at least it’s not a floppy piece of mess. The brakes is where it falls a bit, after a few hard push the pedal starts to go soft earlier than you’d expected, like a bad sex that will end prematurely in disappointment.
Another point against it is the incredibly short gearing, at 120km/h which is the good average speed in this country motorway system, the car is spinning away at more than 4000rpm. Which combined with the loud exhaust the car really is annoying. Or sporty if that’s your thing.
I don’t think people is going to like it for that.
@JohnWaldock ZAF Humana 1.4i
A friendly looking face, friendly looking boy. This mint green little guy is an acceptable looking car that promises motoring for cheap. I reckon it might be a good candidate although I have doubts. It might be seen as girly car, I don’t know.
Step inside and there’s a basic, same same interior we’ve seen so many times. But it is a 5-speed manual, so it might be a little bit more exciting than others, at the cost of being a bit less drivable. I start the car up and read the brochure while at it. It has 73 horsepower from 1.4-litre. Cheap car with not much power but with sub ton weight this might not be too bad.
I dump the clutch and found the acceleration to be fitting for the 73 horses. Unless I drive everywhere foot to the floor this car is not going anywhere. It’s slow. Verging on being unsafe. But that’s okay I guess? It’s to be expected. The car isn’t too loud and the suspension seems to be quite compliant. Being light does help a lot with keeping the handling in check. Apparently in order to get it light this car has some panels done in Aluminium. I think that’s interesting but could be an issue in production. Maybe the market is small enough for the panels to be made? We might not have enough capital to make expensive machinery required is why I am not sure.
Another thing of note is, even though the car digs in well when turning vigorously. After the limit been pass the car will reacts terribly especially when there’s a bump in the corner. Bottoming out, I thought. It’s the worst I’ve seen in this department today. But apart from that the car is willing and capable enough. The brakes are absolutely fine too.
It’s a conundrum. This car is very much a good car, it drives well, it’s not too slow to be unusable, it has supposedly low-price tag and it promises good fuel economy. But there’s a very good chance we cannot produce it in this country due to the machinery required for aluminium panels. This backward country. But I don’t think many can do it either. I like the car, but I don’t like the prospect of trying to acquire means to produce a very unknown territory.
@thecarlover RCM Fox 1.8
I’d say this is yet another terrific looking car. It’s not a premium or distinctive look or anything. But it’s a pleasant one with good attention to details. But it’s not very cheap. It’s actually on a high side. So is it worth paying for?
Step inside and the interior is very mediocre, but this has great stereo system like some other cars we’ve seen. Much better than average. Stout stereo system always is nice for people to listen to songs that’s praising me. The gear lever indicates a 4-speed Automatic transmission that’s not too different from any other cars.
I start it up, it’s not louder than any other car we’ve seen bar the few. But it is on the loud side which makes it a little bit more than blender. The blurb touted 87 horsepower from 1800cc engine. It’s probably going to be fine, really. This is just average, basic motoring that doesn’t need to be any exceptional in performance. But it cannot be too horrible to drive because this will have to appeal to the majority of the segment. With the plan being to conquer at least 40% of the market.
I put it in D and start driving, not much is happening of course, it’s a sub 90hp. But it keeps going and going. Until about 160km/h which is annoying. Because knowing our people they’re going to cry about limited speed. And from what I’m seeing there’s no reason to limit it at all. The car is more than capable of handling high speed without too much issue. The roadholding is of course abysmal like any other car with hard compound, but it should be far more than enough. The turn in feels much more responsive than the actual turn of speed. The brakes are okay, but the tyres aren’t very good is the limiting factor.
Overall, it’s a very nice car that’ll do the job very well. But thinking about it. Would it be worth the price tag? We’ll have to see in the deep inspection.
Oh yes, there’ll be a deep inspection on the best cars that’s clearly good enough for the job. That’s where the car will shine or burn.
@electroGG SW Bumex
A very ugly ass car. With poorly proportioned styling everywhere. It’s absolutely gloriously bad that I can see it working. It’s ugly, but it’s not different. A combination of blandness and effort put into way too much. This styling is woeful but I know it’s going to sell. So how’s the rest of the car?
I step inside and was welcomed to a very standard type interior we’ve seen so many time. Apart from a very peculiar layout of the indent on the gear knob, six speed manual transmission. The brochure situated on the dashboard where I’d expected and I started reading it up. 1.4-litre is fine, 81 horsepower is average, but it has a turbocharging which made me thrown the brochure back to where it was and step out. This will not work. It might work well at a higher price point, but I know at the price it’s at the corners been cut to fit this in. A terrible idea especially in the hot country, the reliability will be an issue and that will not fly at all. The rest of the car doesn’t matter at this point.
@ZSCHMEEZ Albatross W200
Somebody already styled this station wagon? It seems to have been the Design House Blando Blandifarina. I don’t remember how it looks even though I am writing this diary immediately after looking at it. Apart from maybe the blob of a headlight that makes it fitting of the era.
Stepping inside and I was greeted with a huge surprise, after a day of testing bland grey plastic sea and bar for steering, this car is equipped with a much nicer interior than the rest of the pack. Actual leather upholstery! Fit and finish is utter crap, of course, but the material and design is clearly an aspiration one. The steering wheel is not a bar of shame, for crying out loud! It actually has 3 spokes and is a very fancy design. Thin spokes too, showing that there’s absolutely no airbags like you’d expect from this quality interior. Nice.
The brochure proclaims 2-litre and 103 horsepower. Low amount for the displacement but eh whatever. It starts up with a slight roar that makes it feel sporty but not too loud. A certain type of boom characteristic you’d get from a certain type of glass packed muffler. I put it in D and went for a rigorous drive. It accelerates with gusto and keeps on going until the limited 170 km/h. Not too bad.
The handling is very much exceptional in this class. A perfect blend of suppleness and road holding. It’s not too rough and it’s not too loose. This car is perfectly tuned in the driving dynamics department. No rolls and no vice. It was not until I stomp on the brake pedal that I realised a huge issue. The brake is hugely underpowered and the rear steps out due to being much more powerful. A scary prospect because in any emergency situation you’d step on the brake and find it to be non-effective, but the rear is trying to overtake especially if you turn the wheel.
This damn nearly ruined the whole prospect. Maybe it did. With the uninspiring looks and woeful brakes. It’s also quite expensive. So practical and fun to drive but flawed. That’s a real shame.
@MasterDoggo Daito Damara
What is this? A loaf of bread? An intriguing prospect if I see one. I mean, it’s not pretending to be anything else, really. But that could be a hard sale. I mean, a Minivan is anything BUT aspirational. And while I can see this car working well in Indonesia, people of Kala might like it, but only for a few months. There has been so many similar minivan which promises great things, and they are great. But once everyone who wants one got theirs, the sales just plummeted off the cliff. They’re only for a certain type of buyers, and I am not pitching this to only one group, that would be market suicide.
But still, it seems to be quite well built from looking at it. The interior is basic stuff like we’ve seen but nothing compares to the cleverness of this design. It’s immensely practical and logical. I can see European liking this very much. The issue is, people of Kala won’t.
Especially when the 2.2-litre engine is going to give them a hefty roadtax. It’s a 115 horsepower minivan with 5-speed manual transmission. I start it up, not much noise. And away I went dumping the clutch and everything. It’s brisk, but also not as brisk as it should be, considering the heft it has to haul around.
It’s wonderful to drive though, despite hefty weight, this minivan turns and dives with rigour and is much better than it’s loaf of bread appearance would suggest. It brakes well but locks up easily. A very well-designed car. On par with the best of the rest of the pack.
That’s the issue, it’s objectively a great car, it’s right up there with my favourite. It’s also practical as hell and is within the budget. But. It’s not cool, it’ll never be cool. Buying one means you have more sense than money, and that’s the issue. People of Kala like to be seen with a bit of aspiration, a bit of envy, even when they’re broke. A minivan doesn’t bring envy, only an admiring looks that you’ve done well, or indifference up to a contempt that you’ve done too well.
And childbirth has been the lowest for 42 years and is dropping and will keep dropping in the foreseeable future due to poor economic situation. Kala won’t be needing this car.
@Pughhenis Demented Cat
I see what they’re getting on with this. Heh. It’s a joke car, a car you’re supposed to drive ironically. Except, a joke is supposed to be funny, and this isn’t funny. This doesn’t answer to any of the question and it’s clearly just a mocking statement. I do not have to care about a car where the producer clearly isn’t taking it seriously. It’s going where the FangWeng Revival Family is going.
But since it is here, a report I shall give. The interior is fucking awful. Calling it bare is unfair to naked people. There’s even some loose wires hanging. There’s this gearstick with 5 written on it, transmitting a way too large 2.9-litre engine combined with a Turbocharger. The chassis is of a spaceframe design which means it cannot be mass produced, it’s way too large. This is only the stuff I can see immediately.
Just a stupid idea overall. Waste of metal and plastics.
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