FINAL ROUND
Go Go Drive! July 2003 Indonesia Edition - CBU Family Car Comparo!
Narrator:
When talking about family cars, two cars would always come into mind: either the Hinode Rusa or the Pikemen FAR-Q. Things are changing quickly however, as the country recovers from the 1998 crisis and the local car market is opened up to imported cars. Now, cars of all shapes and sizes from all corners of the world compete where the Rusa and FAR-Q once dominated.
In today’s issue, we will be looking at five family car offerings from Hakaru, Capriolo, Bazard, Arundely, and Umbra. Each offer their own blend of practicality, comfort, economy, and more to meet the transportation needs of the country’s ever-growing middle class.
Hakaru Zenza Lanio 2.0 Auto
@executive
The Zenza Lanio is the only Japanese car in today’s issue, which just goes to show the sheer diversity of cars currently entering our market. The Lanio looks handsome and very contemporary, with careful attention to detail both inside and outside.
And the Zenza Lanio’s insides are wonderful indeed. For something that looks relatively anonymous from the outside, the Lanio is well-equipped with premium upholstery and soft touch plastic on the dashboard and doors. Interior fit and finish are among the best in class. Rear cargo room is also massive, mostly due to the lack of third-row seats which would have been welcome in a car this size but is unfortunately not possible to incorporate due to technical issues.
The car does will in most day to day driving metrics. The Hakaru has the most powerful engine of all the cars in today’s issue, at 142hp. However, this power is achieved with relatively aggresive engine tuning which makes the car the thirstiest of the bunch at 8.9l/100km. Reliability is also a major concern, with ratings lower than even the Italian Capriolo CrossTurismo.
The Zenza Lanio is a very good family car, especially if aspects like acceleration and cargo space matter a lot. However, there are issues that must be addressed before we could consider it a truly exceptional family car.
Capriolo CrossTurismo 180 Progresso
@kookie
The Turismo was first released in 1996 as Capriolo’s line of sports wagons and for 2003, the car has been facelifted, inside and out. In addition, the company has also introduced the new CrossTurismo, a combination of a traditional station wagon and the ruggedness of an SUV, with a selection of engines ranging from a beefy 3.2l V6 to the more common 1.8l inline 4 offered in the 180 Progresso.
The CrossTurismo and other Turismo models commands attention wherever it goes, with its distinctive front grille informing the onlookers of the car’s Italian heritage, performance, and prestige. Plastic cladding is present on the bottom surfaces to both hinder paint chipping and to give the car an air of toughness normally reserved for more utilitarian cars.
Despite being an offroad-oriented model, the CrossTurismo still shows its sporting pedigree, trumping the competition in terms of sportiness. The car’s 1.8l engine features individual throttle bodies, which improves throttle response and makes for a distinctive exhaust note that enthusiasts are likely to appreciate. Despite the purported performance benefits of ITBs however, the engine is tuned to produce more low-end torque in keeping with the offroad theme. In addition to ITBs, the CrossTurismo also makes use of a viscous LSD, which together with the front-biased AWD system aids in the car’s handling in offroad conditions and during spirited driving sessions.
While the CrossTurismo makes for an excellent sports and offroad wagon, everyday performance may not be the best. There is cargo room and seats for five, but overall passenger and cargo volume is limited compared to other cars. This and the sporting nature of the car mean that the car isn’t the most pleasant to ride in. And due to the relatively complex AWD system, fuel consumption is relatively high and concerns about reliability persist. In addition, while the CrossTurismo uses high-tensile steel on its construction and standard ABS and traction control, its safety ratings are still somewhat behind comparable rivals. Even at the rather expensive 162,5 million IDR however, the CrossTurismo is a relatively cheap way to own a stylish and capable Italian car.
If you prioritize on- and off-road handling as well as design, the CrossTurismo is an excellent choice. However, if everyday performance is more important, there are other options that fulfill this need better.
Bazard Prancer
@Edsel/@Vento
The Prancer is by far the smallest and cheapest car among the cars in today’s issue, costing 126,5 million IDR. Yet for the money, the Prancer has a lot to offer. For a car its size, it is very spacious. Comfort is good, although there is room for improvement in many areas of this car.
Despite being new for 2003, the Prancer uses a lot of older technologies that compromise the car’s efficiency. This includes the single-point fuel injection system, which have been phased out in most cars by the 1990s. Even though the engine makes use of VVL technology, the outdated fuel injection system means that the car consumes an average of 7.1l/100km in mixed city and highway traffic. This is good, but for a car this size it could be better.
In addition to the engine, the Prancer’s suspension tuning could use some work. While comfortable, the Prancer can feel unsettling on rough roads due to the overly soft front springs. Same goes for the dampers, which could use some stiffening.
The car is not all bad though. Much like the bigger cars, the Prancer is equipped with the latest safety features, with ABS as standard. Due to its small size, it is also easy to manouver around tight spaces compared to the larger cars. And thanks to its mechanical simplicity, the Prancer is much cheaper to service than its competition.
If you are looking for basic, economical transport with extra comfort and amenities, the Prancer is the car for you. But compared to the other cars, well… you get what you pay for.
Arundely 600 Touring Classic
@vouge
The Arundely offers outstanding luxury and attention to detail, not just for the price but for a car in general. Although all cars in this issue come with premium interiors, the 600 Touring Classic goes a step further with a premium, four-speaker entertainment suite. That, combined with the superb fit and finish makes for a very comfortable car with minimal noise, vibrations, and harshness.
With the added weight and complexity of the Arundely, one might expect reliability to be bad. Consumer reports say otherwise however, with the 600 Touring Classic earning high marks in reliability ratings. Service costs are estimated to be on the high side, but that is a small price to pay for the overall experience this car offers. Fuel economy is also the best of the lot, with the average being 6.1l/100km thanks to the use of VVL and direct injection technology in the engine’s valvetrain and fuel system respectively.
As for practicality, the Arundely offers ample passenger and cargo space which, while not the best in class, certainly makes the space a very pleasant and elegant one. There are seats for five, and the car comes with the latest safety features as well as ESC, which makes the car much easier to control in extreme conditions.
The Arundely offers a very good combination of comfort, practicality, economy, and safety that few can match, especially for the relatively low price of 158.6 million IDR.
Umbra Palmera+
@Danicoptero
The Palmera+ is the largest car in this issue, both inside and outside. It is also the only car to have seven seats distributed across three rows in a 2-3-2 format. Because of this, the Palmera is without a doubt the most practical car of the bunch, being able to carry loads of people and cargo.
Despite being such a large car, the Palmera+'s fuel economy is decent at 7.9l/100km which is much better than the Zenza Lanio’s considering that both engines are 2l and make around 140hp. This is thanks to the use of dual VVT and direct injection in the engine’s valvetrain and fuel system respectively, as well as the more economical engine tuning. Reliability is also stellar, beating the Arundely by just a hair. The same could not be said about the driving experience of the Palmera+ however, as the Umbra has yet to upgrade the automatic transmissions in their lineup with a modern, computerized unit. On one hand, that’s part of the reason why the car is so reliable. But on the other hand, they upgrade may have just been worth the reliability tradeoff.
Otherwise, the Palmera+ is a compelling package especially for larger families, or small families that like to go on holiday with their entire extended family, especially given the good 155.7 million IDR price tag. We wouldn’t mind paying a little extra for a more advanced gearbox which would undoubtedly improve drivability and comfort.
Thank you for watching this month’s issue and as always,
Go Go Drive!
CONCLUSION
After discussing their options and visiting dealerships, David decided to purchase one of the cars recommended by the automotive magazine. Neither David or Merry expected themselves to buy the car they bought but thanks to its practicality, safety, economy, style, and other factors that can’t very easily be rationalized, they feel very happy with their purchase.
Six months later, Merry gave birth to their second son. And wouldn’t you know it, their first daughter! Henceforth, David named them Shinji and Rei, respectively. Surely their newborn children will not grow up to become mech pilots who kick biblically accurate angel ass and serve as a medium for a Japanese guy to tell weebs to touch grass, only for those very same weebs to use that very same medium as a form of escapism, bringing themselves further away from any form of greenery and instead find themselves cultivating niche internet nanocelebrity status in the Mongolian Yurt Building Simulator Tycoon forums and Discord server.
Just kidding. David and Merry probably named their twins Joe and Jolene or something like that. Regardless, after getting released from the hospital, the family of five got into their brand-new Arundely 600 Touring Classic and drove straight home where a new life awaits them.
RANKINGS
- @vouge
- @Danicoptero
- @Executive
- @kookie
-
@Vento/@Edsel
The end.
Thank you for participating in this round and most importantly, thank you for your patience. I originally wanted to finish writing on time but things have not gone as planned due to circumstances both within and outside of my control. I apologize for the delay and any inconvenience caused by it.
It will (hopefully not) happen again.
