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The Golf GTI Driving Experience was held from 17th to 21st July with Pirelli as the official tyre partner, allowing participants to test the GTI’s performance in a straight line as well as through the corners.

Happenings

Getting There Immediately - VW's New GTI Preview

Another Golf, another GTI. But first impressions matter, so the Mark 7 GTI’s launch let it shine in its natural environment — on the track.

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.

New

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?

In Product Immersion, trainers were on hand to introduce the many features of the Forte K3, after which participants were able to examine and experience these features for themselves up close.

Happenings

Exclusive Preview Of The New Kia Forte K3

IN Kia, Forte K3, Launch, Product immersion, Facebook

Fifty lucky fans of Torque magazine and Kia Singapore's Facebook pages had the opportunity to put the new Kia Forte K3 through its paces at the Singapore Turf Club.

Both cars are powered by SsangYong’s new e-XDi200 2.0-litre diesel engine that offers up 155 bhp and 360 Nm, and is mated to (what else?) a 5-speed automatic also sourced from Mercedes.

Happenings

New SsangYong Stavic And Rexton Debut In Singapore

IN SsanYong, Rexton, Stavic, Launch, MPV, SUV

The replacements for SsangYong’s flagship MPV and SUV were unveiled at the recent CATS CARnival.

Like previous versions, the vRS will be available in both petrol and diesel form, and gets identical mechanicals to the current Golf, which means either the 220 bhp, 350 Nm 2.0-litre TSI from the GTI, or the 184 bhp, 380 Nm 2.0-litre TDI from the GTD. To give an idea of how the Fastest Octavia Ever performs, the TSI version equipped with a 6-speed manual will do 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and will top out at 248km/h. Stop-start, Brake Energy Regeneration and the optional 6-speed DSG gearbox should help fulfill Skoda’s claims of a 19% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the old models.

Happenings

Czech-mate

IN Skoda, Octavia, VRS, Hot hatch, Wagon, Estate

With a new Golf out, comes a new Octavia. And as predictable as the GTI version is for the Golf, so too is the vRS for Skoda, in both hatch and estate form.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Jose Raymond, Executive Director of Singapore Environment Council, who officiated the send-off, said:

Motorsports

Flying Our Flag At The Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2013

IN Singapore, ITE, NTU, Ngee Ann polytechnic, Shell, Eco Marathon, Green, Sustainable, Energy

The future looks green as students from tertiary institutions compete for Eco-glory.

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.

New

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.

New

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.

First up, the engine lineup will remain the same as before. That means a turbo'ed 2.0-litre in the sDrive20i and sDrive 28i, and a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight 6 in the sDrive35is. Transmission options are an 8-speed ZF automatic for the 20i and 28i, and a 7-speed DCT for the 35is (although we'd totally recommend asking the dealer to indent you a car with the slick 6-speed manual).

Happenings

Facelifted BMW Z4 Arrives In Singapore

IN BMW, Z4, Performance Motors, Roadster, Sports, Convertible, Facelift

BMW’s roadster receives a slight nip-tuck and some new equipment options.

Launched in Singapore on the 14th of June 2013 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, the Agera S is the most powerful production car to grace Singaporean streets. Equipped with Koenigsegg’s 5litre twin turbocharged V8 that pushes out 1030 bhp, the car is not only the most powerful, but, thanks to its lightweight shell and huge power output, the fastest vehicle on local roads as well. Although the 0-100 km/h time is a pretty brisk 2.9 seconds, its 0-200 km/h time is even more impressive. Unlike lesser vehicles that accelerate a lot less slowly beyond the 100 km/h mark, the Agera S continues accelerating at a more or less even pace to 200 km/h, completing the sprint in just 7.8 seconds.

Happenings

Koenigsegg Agera S Launched!

IN Koenigsegg, Agera, S, Sweden, CC, Fast, Speed, Record

Swedish hypercar the most powerful vehicle ever to grace our streets.

The AVH-X8550BT is Pioneer's top-of-the-line system. It's a double DIN multimedia receiver that has a full touch screen 7-inch panel. It features a VGA display with LED backlighting for a sharp and bright playback. Like most modern systems, it plays a wide range of media formats and more! The list includes DVD, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA, AAC (iTunesÂ®), DivXÂ® and DolbyÂ® Digital Decoder.

The Pit

Pioneer Leads The Car Audio Game With Unparalleled Connectivity

IN Pioneer, Car audio, ICE, Multimedia receiver, MP3, IPhone, Mobile phone, Andriod, DVD, Bluetooth

It's been about 2 weeks since I've had the Pioneer AVH-X8550BT multimedia receiver in my car, and all I can say is that it's a pretty amazing piece of kit.

Happenings

SPARKâ„¢ Car Care's SPOT, SNAP & WIN Program!

IN SPARK, Decal, Contest, SPARK Car Care

Since May 2103, we've been partnering SPARKâ„¢ Car Care in an awesome car decal program that put 16 SPARKâ„¢ cars on the road. Have you spotted any?

Pricing for the Wraith starts from $1,258,888 without COE, before options. First deliveries to local customers are expected to commence in the last quarter of 2013.

Happenings

Don’t Be Spooked…

IN Rolls-Royce, British, V12, Wraith, Luxury, Coupe, Rolls

For decades the Rolls-Royce name has been a byword for luxury, opulence and comfort. With the new Wraith, the British marque is gunning for sportiness too.

The B-Select outlet at Beng Heng Tyres Batteries in Sin Ming is the second in Singapore, and is well equipped to make the customer’s experience as hassle-free as possible. There is a lounge area with refreshments that allows customers to view the happenings in the workshop area, while friendly staff is at hand to provide answers and advice on the various tyre models, purchasing and maintenance.

Happenings

Second Coming For Bridgestone’s B-Select Service Outlet

IN Bridgestone, Tyres, Singapore, B-Select, Opening

A year after the B-Select tyre service outlet concept made its debut, Bridgestone has opened its second outlet.

Thanks to its lightweight construction (composite body panels on top of a tubular spaceframe chassis), the Twin’Run weighs just 950kg, and can hit 100km/h in 4.5s before topping out at 250km/h. The car sits on 18-in wheels, with double wishbone suspension and Ohlins shock absorbers all around.

Happenings

Run For Miles

IN Renault, TwinRun, Concept, V6, Race

This is the French at their loony best, stuffing a big V6 into the rear of a tiny car. And what did they do with it after that? Thrash it round a track, of course!

Happenings

A 'Selfish' Celebration

IN Lamborghini, Bull, 50, Anniversary, Birthday, Gift, Egoista, Selfish, V10, De Silva, Concept

The Raging Bull turns 50 this year. We weren’t expecting it when the Veneno was unveiled at Geneva, and we certainly weren’t expecting this, the Egoista.

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!

New

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?

Called the Jetta Special Edition, the car gets a full bodykit for the front, rear and sides, 18-inch Preston alloy rims, chrome tailpipes, tinted windows and aluminium pedals. Mechanically it’s identical to the Jetta and Jetta Sport, with a choice of 122 or 160 bhp 1.4 TSI engines, mated to the familiar 7-speed DSG gearbox. The $10,000 CEVS rebate applies for the Jetta SE too.

Happenings

Hitting The Gym And Working Out

The Jetta’s always been a competent performer, with this sporty new variant, Volkswagen is hoping to enhance its appeal and win new hearts.

New

The Baby Benz Grows Up | Mercedes-Benz A200 Urban

IN Mercedes-Benz, A200, A Class, Hatch-back

Mercedes-Benz calls it the “rebel” of the family. Like most rebels, they may have some traits that you'll admire about them, but most prove to be very hard to live with.

Alas, BMW hasn’t made any mention of engine options or vehicle dynamics or anything at all to do with actual driving — the X4 is for now still officially a Concept, intended to show how the production version will look. Looking at the X3 though, engine options should be carried over directly. That means the turbocharged four and six cylinders as found in the xDrive20i, 28i, and 35i.

Happenings

First reveal of BMW X4

IN BMW, X4, SAC, Concept, Shanghai, SUV

BMW lifts the wraps off its new ‘SAC’ ahead of its premiere at the Shanghai motor show