And this is the targeted buyers in the sights of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz; handsomely-paid, up and coming young executives upgrading to their first executive sedans; this bunch consists of Volkswagen Golf/Jetta, Lancer EX and FD Honda Civic owners who are always on the lookout for good deals (read: upgrade) in the segment.
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IS This It? | Lexus IS250 F-Sport

IN Lexus, IS250, F-Sport, Executive sedan, Borneo Motors

Lexus surprises the executive sedan world with its aggressive IS250 F-Sport. But can executives warm up to it in a German dominated market?


From the onset, the car impresses with its dashing good looks. The pre-facelift model was already a looker, but Mercedes obviously felt that the staid quad-headlamp setup was getting old, so they've revamped it with a modern and sleek singular design with integrated LEDs, while the rear tail lamps also get a refresh with new LEDs. Very nice.
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Sexy Star | Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe E250

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, E-class, Coupe, E250

We've been driving some really good cars lately. But few look as good as the new E-Class Coupe.


But at a time where our market is full of performance hatchbacks and prices means attractive packaging by the different local dealers, the 118i M-Sport seem to be at the shorter end of things.
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A Simple Life | BMW 118i M-Sport

IN BMW, 118i, M-Sport, BMW 118i M-Sport, Hatchback, BMW Asia, Performance Motors, 3-door

Just a sporty three-door hatchback, true, but are there any other talents beside that?


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According To... | Honda Accord 2.4

IN Honda, Accord

Honda’s much vaunted big sedan makes a return to the mix, bringing a fight to the competition.


The facelift for the XC60 really is just that — a slight refinement of its aesthetics while leaving the mechanicals untouched. Compared to the old model, most of the changes have been made to the front end: the headlamp cluster is now a single unit, the grille is wider and has been de-chromed, and DRLs have been installed. The entire body is also now shorn of all black plastic cladding, reflecting the fact that this car’s home is on the blacktop, not the rough stuff.
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XCuses Not Needed | Volvo XC60 T5

IN Volvo, XC60, T5, Wearnes Automotive

A slight nip here, a little tuck there — Volvo’s just refreshed half its range and this is our first sampling of it.


Let’s start with how aesthetically pleasing the RS4 Avant is to the naked eye: for a start, tastefully flared wheel arches on all four corners to accommodate the fat 19-inch alloys (wrapped in 265/35 R-19 Toyo Proxes T1 AO tyres) — lovely. Then, the highly detailed front bumper that looks all ready to swallow whatever lies ahead — yummy. Aggressive rear bumper matched to a pair of blackened exhaust tail pipes and a subtle spoiler — sleeper, indeed. Oh, and those pair of roof rails somewhat add more style to the already oh-so-sporty persona of the car.
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Imperfectly Perfect | Audi RS4 Avant

IN Audi, RS4, Avant, Audi RS4 Avant, Premium Automobiles, Audi Singapore

The latest RS4 Avant is not exactly a perfect car — it's uncomfortable and loud. Read on...


Well, I took it out on a nice long drive to find out. With the wife in tow, we drove up north to Malacca to see how the GTI cabriolet performed on the long North-South Highway stretches, along winding B-roads through the connecting towns, and even slow city drives through busy lanes like Jonker Street. This is my verdict.
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Roller Coaster | Golf GTI Cabriolet

IN Volkswagen Group Singapore, Volkswagen, VW, Golf, GTI, Cabriolet

A convertible Golf GTI? Is there really a market for one? Is it really a compelling option? We drive one to find out...


Working hard at appealing to the car’s intended target segment in a bid to cajole them to eschew their dowdy appearance of batik shirts, black man bags and thick gold chains, Mercedes-Benz has place great effort in making the new E-Class more stylish.
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Like A Boss | Mercedes-Benz E200 Sedan

IN Mercedes-Benz, E-Class, E200, Sedan, Saloon

The perennial favourite of ‘towkays’ gets a makeover.


On a separate note, the A250’s suspension system seems to have been set with the enthusiastic driver in mind. If you’re expecting C-Class level, the A250’s rather stiff setting might need some getting used to. It could just be yours truly, but when going over bumps, there’s that uncanny feeling the rear’s independent suspension has been mated to a stiffer pair of spring compared to the fronts.
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A+ For Effort | Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, A-Class, A250, A250 Sport, Sport

So the A250 Sport is marketed as the sportiest A-Class, with promising on-paper digits — but overcoming the looks, does it fall into hot-hatch territory?


We were very impressed with the latest seventh-generation Golf when we tested it both abroad in Italy and on home ground. Back then though, the car we managed to get a drive in was the 140 bhp Sport model. We find out this time, how the base model 1.4 TSI with 122 bhp fares.
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The Real Thing | Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI

IN Volkswagen Group Singapore, Volkswagen, VW, Golf, 1.4 TSI, DSG, Mk 7

Every Coke has its Pepsi, every iPad, its Galaxy Tab (cue flame war). But only one name has the qualities that make it 'The Real Thing'. When it comes to hatchbacks, the Golf is that name.


An over the top luxobarge designed to be comfortable big sedans, driving a Lexus LS is truly a first class experience on the road. On the move, the car is amazingly quiet with nary a hint of road noise. In fact out on the highway, as I was cruising along, a car would just zip pass me, and I would never hear anything, but upon winding down a window, reality check; a sharp contrast, which proves to us the amazing sound insulation qualities that this car possesses. But honestly, at this price point, anyone would expect top notch engineering, and that includes noise insulation.
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Luxobarge Redefined | Lexus LS460 Luxury

IN Lexus, LS, LS460, Luxury, Borneo Motors

Luxurious and serene as it was, but even better looking.


The Renault Megane RS 265 did that to me. You see, I have an affinity for Renault’s modern hot-hatches; they’re special and unique, and you need to drive them (hard, most times) to truly appreciate these finely tuned cars. The first Megane RS I drove - yes, that oddly shaped one - was a blast and definitely began my whole entire love affair with hyper Renaults. Then came the hotter R26 — a few laps around Sepang made me wonder how on earth did Renault put together such a brilliant car.
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Go, Go Power Ranger | Renault Megane RS 265

IN Renault, Megane, RS, RS 265, Renault Megane RS 265, Wearnes Automotive

What to do when you want to keep your sweet handling hot-hatch ahead of the competition? Well according to Renault, you add more powaaaaaah…


Then the flood came. And again. Suddenly, buying an SUV makes so much sense. Jokes aside, most SUV drivers made the decision to get one because of the simple fact that it provides the ability to look further ahead in congestions; a sense of security, in other words.
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Practically Speaking | Hyundai Santa Fe GDI 2.4

IN Hyundai, Santa Fe, GDI, Komoco Motors, Hyundai Santa Fe

The Santa Fe returns with a classier and bolder look, showcasing the Korean’s new upmarket identity; question is, does it drive as good?


The whole 'alternative-fuelled cars' fever is pretty much still going on, and if there’s one car company that you have to thank for it all, well, it has to be Toyota. They may not be the first to mass-produce hybrid cars, but they definitely did a good job at commercialising this concept and also making it the way forward.
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The Electric Co | Audi A1 e-tron

IN Audi, A1, E-tron, Audi A1 e-tron, A1 e-tron, Ingolstadt, Audi Future Lab, Audi TSC

Audi let us briefly sample their innovative electric A1


The natural trade-off though, is in its ability to carve a corner. Despite how tall the Forester is, body roll is less prevalent than expected, no doubt thanks to the Boxer drivetrain’s low centre of gravity, but unless you really enjoy feeling a car at its limit no matter how easily reached it is (which I do), there’s not much reward to be gained from hustling it. The tyres are designed for low rolling resistance and hence give up very easily, running out of grip at even moderate speeds, while the electric steering, though light and easy to twirl at parking speeds, has a vague, non-linear response during the first few degrees of lock. On initial turn-in the steering feels overly light but after that it firms up, with nice weighting and progression through the rest of the turn.
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The Family Rocketship | Subaru Forester 2.0XT

IN Subaru, Forester, XT, Turbo, X-mode, AWD, Review

With the next generation of WRXes and STIs still at least a year or two away, it’s up to the 4th-generation Forester to uphold the turbocharged mantle in the Subaru stable.


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All Grown Up | Toyota RAV4 2.0 Premium

IN Toyota, RAV4, SUV, 2.0

The redesigned RAV4 gives it the performance and features to keep up with the leaders in this compact SUV segment.


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Beetle Juiced | Volkswagen Beetle 1.4 TSI

IN Volkswagen, Beetle, 1.4 TSI, Supercharged, VGS

With some added power, the otherwise cute Volkswagen Beetle is now quite the road beast.


Sit yourself inside the Cayman, and you'll find that this is one sports car that is easy to get comfortable in. It may be low slung, but the seats are comfortable and visibility all round is excellent. Materials used in the cabin are of high quality - what else would you expect from the Germans. That being said, the Boxster S we have in our company stable is starting to show signs or wear, even the plastic areas we hardly come into contact with are beginning to scratch off. No chance of a long term test with this Cayman though, so we wouldn't know how it's interior will stand the test of time.
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So Good It Hurts | Porsche Cayman 2.7 PDK

IN Porsche, Cayman, PDK, Coupe, Eurokars, 2.7

The new Porsche Cayman is seriously good. In fact, it's definitely the best drive I've had this year so far. So why am I still missing the previous one?


At the rate he was driving, it didn't take long for us to be back at the Audi Centre's lobby. Short it might have been, the preview drive was enough to whet our appetite for the full review we look forward to do soon. We'll share more then!
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Audi RS 4 Avant Preview Drive

IN Audi RS 4, Audi Singapore, Premium Automobiles, Alex Yoong, Avant, V8

The RS 4 has landed! Audi invited us to get a taste of one of the first few units that breathed Singapore air. How could we refuse?


A mismatch though it may be, the engine is still a great unit. It produces just 94bhp, which admittedly isn’t fantastic, but makes up with 230Nm of torque. That’s more pulling power than some NA 2.4-litre engines! An even bigger selling point though, is its cleanliness — just 99g/km of CO2. Perhaps this why only this engine is being imported here — it gets the maximum $20,000 CEVS rebate, a useful saving in Singapore’s problematic car market. And naturally, being a diesel, fuel consumption is excellent too; I managed just under 17km/l over 370km of not-particularly-economic driving.
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Call Of The Jungle… | Peugeot 208 e-HDi

IN Peugeot, 208, 1.6 e-HDi, Diesel

… The urban one, that is. Peugeot’s latest baby has landed and, curiously for this end of the market, it’s a diesel!



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