New Away Rangers 2012/13

Another Italian on the way to Anfield

According to Sky Italia Liverpool have made an offer to sign free agent Alessandro Del Piero. The Italian veteran, who was released by Juventus last summer, had been strongly linked with a move to sign for Sydney FC but there is growing speculation that the Anfield side are to offer the 37 year old a short term contract.
Brendan Rodgers is desperate to bring in attacking support after his side failed to bring in a striker on transfer deadline-day, leaving the Mersyside club with just two recognised senior strikers, Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini.
A number of free agents have since been linked with a move to Liverpool but Del Piero could well be the most accomplished player who can realistically be drawn to a move to the club following the closing of the transfer window.
Del Piero spent 19 seasons in the Juventus first team and last term the veteran did make 28 appearances for the Serie A title holders so could well still have something in the tank for the current campaign.
Overall Alessandro Del Piero made a total of 698 appearances for the Old Lady of Italian football, netting 286 goals in the process and securing six domestic titles and a Champions League triumph to boot.

Athletic Bilbao forward is chase by LFC

According to Spanish source AS Liverpool are leading the chase to sign Athletic Bilbao forward Fernando Llorente.
The 27 year old refused to sign a new deal with the La Liga club, who in turn steadfastly refused to sell the Spanish international in the transfer window. Now Llorente has less than 12 months to run on his contract and is free to agree a pre-contract deal with a prospective suitor from January 1st onwards.
Liverpool are in desperate need of striking reinforcements after Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers saw his side fail to bring in a new addition for boost numbers on deadline-day.
The Merseyside club were said to be chasing American Clint Dempsey but were seemingly unwilling to meet Fulham’s asking price and Tottenham put in a late offer to clinch a deal to sign the Texan.
Llorente is in his ninth season in the San Mames first team and may feel he has outgrown the Basque side and could well jump at the chance of a move to the Premier League.
The 6ft 5in forward is known for his ability on the deck as well as in the air and over the past four seasons has become a prolific La Liga marksman, netting 89 goals in 188 matches.
Liverpool currently have just two recognised senior strikers, Luis Suarez & Fabio Borini, in their squad but Rodgers may also look to use youngsters Adam Morgan and Raheem Sterling to boost numbers.

Facelift Fiesta 2013

Just as we wrapped up news of the 1.0 litre EcoBoost-engined race car’s staggering performance at the Nurburgring, this has to come in. The facelifted Ford Fiesta will get the mill – albeit in standard tune – along with some added gadgetry.
Unveiled at Ford’s Go Further event in Amsterdam, the revised hatch gets (apart from the Aston Martin-esque grille, daytime-running LEDs and a ‘power dome’ on the bonnet) SYNC, Active City Stop and MyKey, which makes its European debut.
SYNC is Ford’s in-car connectivity system, which connects mobile devices to the car via Bluetooth or USB. Active City Stop helps drivers avoid collisions at low speeds – close to home, you’ll be seeing it and SYNC on the third-generation Focus that arrives here very soon.

Meanwhile, MyKey is sort of like a parental lock – owners can configure maximum speed and audio volume, and keep driver aids, safety systems and more vigorous alerts locked on – presumably to prevent teenagers from getting into too much trouble behind the wheel.
Ford hasn’t said anything about prices, but Britain’s best-selling car goes on sale there officially on January 1, according to Autocar. An ST version is also forthcoming, with a 1.6 litre, 177 hp variant of the EcoBoost mill and some chassis alterations. There are reports that the new fifth-generation Ford Mondeo will be shown in its European specification at the Go Further event, so stay tuned!http://paultan.org/

SEntra in USA, Sylphy in Asean

The new Nissan Sylphy, which we’ve covered and driven in Thailand, is a global model that will go on sale in 120 countries, with sales expected to hit 550,000 units annually by 2014. Thailand was the second country after China to launch the car, which has now popped up in America as the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Different name, same car.
Nissan says that it focused on “class-above design standards” inside and out, as well as efficiency in engineering for the 2013 Sentra – messages consistent with what we heard in Thailand. The new Sentra is 68 kg – or 5% – lighter than the outgoing model, yet has slightly larger overall dimensions and more interior room. This leads to a 13% improvement in EPA combined fuel economy.

“Nowhere is the new Sentra’s ‘class-above’ style more evident than in the interior. You notice it the minute you sit in the roomy, comfortable seats and when you touch the high quality materials. And when driving you notice the extra attention paid to isolating noise, vibration and harshness from entering the cabin,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America. Not an empty boast, we say.
The US Sentra is powered by the same 1.8L MRA8DE as the ASEAN Sylphy, and the 130 hp/174 Nm figures correspond as well. This new engine has a longer than normal stroke for improved combustion speed and efficiency, as well as twin Continuously Variable Timing Control (CVTC).

It’s matched to a new-generation Xtronic CVT. This improved gearbox, which is smaller and lighter, offers a wider gear ratio of 7.3:1 through use of a sub-planetary gear and smaller pulleys, resulting in better high-speed fuel efficiency at low rpm and more responsive acceleration.
The pics you see here are of the sporty SR and range topping SL. The former is the blue car with 17-inch forked five-spoke alloys, side skirts and rear spoiler. The fog lamp area of the lower bumper, and the lower rear bumper designs are also different.
The SL gets 17-inch split seven-spoke wheels, Smart Auto headlights, fog lights, heated outside mirrors with integrated LED turn signals, Nissan Intelligent Key, Bluetooth, six-speaker audio system with 4.3-inch display and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The SL also can be had with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, maple wood-tone trim, dual-zone air con and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

http://paultan.org/2012/09/04/new-nissan-sylphy-is-the-2013-nissan-sentra-in-usa/

2013 Volkswagen Golf Mk7

The all-new 2013 Volkswagen Golf Mk7 has been officially unveiled in Berlin, Germany. Here are the images, as well as details of the much-anticipated new model.
The seventh-generation of the immensely popular C-segment hatchback moves with the times, which means we get a more efficient car, and a longer, wider but lower Golf. The new Golf measures 4,255 mm long and 1,799 mm wide, which is 56 mm and 13 mm more than the Mk6 Golf. The bigger footprint combines with a lower roofline – at 1,452 mm tall, the Mark 7 Golf is 28 mm lower than the car it replaces.

This is the biggest Golf the world has ever seen, and it’s more spacious than ever too, thanks to a wheelbase that’s 59 mm longer than the Mk6′s 2,575 mm measurement. This frees up 14 mm in cabin length and offers 15 mm extra rear legroom. More space numbers come in the form of shoulder room for the front and rear occupants, which are up by 31 mm and 30 mm respectively.
The bigger cabin is matched by a bigger boot – volume is up by 30 litres to 380 litres, while the boot floor is wider by 228 mm. A lower boot lip eases lifting heavy items, and this line has been lowered by 17 mm in the new Golf. Even the boot aperture has been widened by 47 mm – no dimension was left untouched.

The Mk6 was fine ergonomics-wise, but VW has nonetheless managed to find some things to tweak. The gear lever has been raised by 20 mm, and there’s a small distance increase between the gas and brake pedals.
The steering wheel adjustment range is now bigger, while the introduction of an electronic parking brake increases centre console stowage space. The dashboard is more driver focused than before, with a centre stack angled towards the driver and a design that “cordons off” the controls from the passenger. Looks much more premium, too.

Unlike the Mk6, which was essentially a modified Mk5, the Mk7 Golf gets new underpinnings – in fact, it’s the first Volkswagen to use the group’s flexible MQB platform, after the third-generation Audi A3 debuted it earlier this year.
MQB stands for Modularer Querbaukasten, which some have translated to “Modular Transverse Matrix.” MQB, a stronger but lighter platform, will be used across the VW Group’s transverse front engine FWD cars from Skoda to Audi, easing production and costs considerably.

The new Golf may be bigger, but it is also up to 100 kg lighter than its predecessor. The diet consists of higher use of hot-formed ultra high strength steel and tailored blanks within the car’s structure (23 kg saved), more aluminium suspension components (26 kg) and lighter engines. An example of the latter is the new EA211 1.4 litre turbo petrol engine, which is 22 kg lighter than the equivalent EA111.
The kit list is impressive. Available equipment includes a Golf GTI-style electronic differential lock, adaptive cruise control with emergency brake function up to 30 km/h, lane assist, fatigue detection, traffic sign detection and a new multi-collision brake. The latter automatically triggers the brake booster upon impact to ensure the Golf stops in the shortest possible distance. The Mk7 can also be had with an overhead parking system with 360-degree graphics, like in the Touareg.

For the engines, let’s first focus on the petrol units available at point of introduction. The base engine is a 1.2 litre turbocharged unit with 85 PS and has a claimed 20.4 km/l fuel consumption. One step up is a 1.4 litre turbo with 140 PS and 20.9 km/l. The reason why the latter’s FC is so low is a cylinder deactivation system that stops two cylinders between 1,400 and 4,000 rpm. The 1.4 TwinCharger engine with 160 PS, as found in the Mk6 Golf TSI, has been dropped from the lineup. Word is that it was very expensive to produce.
They’re not likely to sail here, but the diesel range is a two-engine team of a 1.6 and a 2.0, both modified from the current TDIs. The 105 PS 1.6 litre mill boasts 26.3 km/l, which is great, but the eco-specialist Bluemotion version claims a hybrid-beating 31.2 km/l. The CO2 emission rating is 14 g/km better, at just 85 g/km. Meanwhile, the 2.0 litre oil burner is capable of 150 PS and 24.3 km/l.

All engines can be had with VW’s dual-clutch DSG gearbox and have auto stop-start and brake energy recuperation as standard. A note on the DSG, which is now programmed to disconnect the engine on a trailing throttle to aid fuel economy. There’s also an optional system that offers selectable Eco, Sport, Normal and Individual driving modes. Comfort mode is added, if one ticks the box for optional adaptive dampers.
The Mk7 Golf is making its debut as a five-door hatch, although it’s expected that a three-door as well as a bigger Plus five-door, Variant wagon, sedan and cabriolet will join the family later on. Also on the way are the performance variants, the GTI and Golf R – word on the grapevine has it that the GTI will be previewed in concept form at the upcoming Paris show.
 http://paultan.org/2012/09/05/2013-volkswagen-golf-mk7-first-images-and-details/

New Nissan Syphy....when it will arrive here?

UPDATE: More pics and brief driving impressions added
Sawadee krub! We are reporting live from Bangkok, where the next-generation Nissan Sylphy has been launched for the Thai market, the second country to introduce the car after China.
Our northern neighbour is also the regional production hub for this model – when exports start at the end of this year, Thai-made Sylphys will be shipped to Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. The new Sylphy was designed as a global car, meaning that it will go on sale in 120 countries, with sales expected to hit 550,000 units annually by 2014. We’re looking at a main pillar for Nissan here.

It is interesting to note that the Sylphy G11 that was launched in Malaysia back in June 2008 was never sold in Thailand, so this new car will replace the Tiida Latio (Latio Sedan) as a proper C-segment contender for Nissan in the Kingdom.
In other words, no more straddling segments – Nissan is back in the mainstream C-segment to take on highly popular incumbents Toyota Corolla Altis and Honda Civic, as well as sharp looking alternatives like the Chevrolet Cruze and new Ford Focus sedan. The Koreans are insignificant in Thailand.

The new Sylphy gets a body that is shorter, but wider than the outgoing car’s. It’s not just a few milimetres – at 4,615 mm, the new car is 50 mm shorter, but its 1,760 mm width is 60 mm wider than the current Sylphy, which is one of the narrower cars in the segment. But since wheelbase remains at 2,700 mm, the Sylphy’s much-praised rear legroom remains a selling point, with added width to match.
It may be shorter now, but the Sylphy is still longer than the Altis and new Civic by some margin, and its wheelbase length is class leading alongside the Hyundai Elantra MD. The Nissan’s boot volume tops the segment at 510 litres.

The Sylphy’s exterior design is more athletic than before, and the new dimensions help the stance. The car world is LED crazy now, so Nissan made a point to highlight the use of those diodes – combine the strips in the headlamps, wing mirrors, tail lamps and third brake light and you’ll get a grand total of 54 LEDs. Not sure if that’s a record, but it’s definitely unique in the segment, and saves one the trouble of having to make a trip to Brothers!
If the Sylphy looks very comfortable from the pics, I can confirm that. The front seats are amazingly supple (soft, but doesn’t sink in) and the rear section is the most “big car-like” in the class. Read headroom could be an issue for tall folks (I fit nicely), but the seat base is high (good) and legroom is ample.
Rear air-con vents are available, and the fold down rear armrest has two layers – one has cupholders, the other is a tray for phones and gear. The glove box is a double-storey design.

The two-tone grey and beige theme accentuates the impression of space and the door armrests have seriously soft pads for your elbows. Speaking of soft, the upper dashboard is moulded from squishy plastic, although the upper door cards aren’t. The latter isn’t a contact point, and we’ll have the elbow pads anyday.
The younger set (and the young at heart) may scoff at the above three paragraphs, but bear in mind that many buy C-segment cars for comfort and little touches of luxury, and the new Sylphy, like the previous one, scores high. In the product presentation, Nissan highlighted the fact that the Sylphy’s space and NVH are a match for the segment above. It’s calling this conscious effort “moving half a step ahead”.

Digging deeper, the new Sylphy hits the Thai market with two engines, an improved HR16DE and a new MRA8DE.
The 1.6 litre engine has been fortified with Twin C-VTC (Twin Continuously-Variable Timing Control, intake and exhaust) and a class first dual injector fuel system (better fuel spray, two nozzles per cylinder). This DOHC 16v unit makes 116 PS and 154 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. It can be had with either a five-speed manual or Nissan’s latest Xtronic CVT. Paired to the latter, the combo is 15% more frugal than before.

The range-topping Sylphy is powered by a new 1.8 litre engine paired to the CVT. This mill features a longer stroke (90.1, from the MR18DE’s 81.1), Twin C-VTC and a “diamond-like” carbon coating for smoother operation and fuel efficiency. It makes 131 PS and 174 Nm of torque from a low 3,600 rpm. Compared to its 126 PS predecessor, the MRA8DE produces max torque 1,200 rpm earlier and is 12% more fuel efficient.
The suspension, tuned for comfort, consists of MacPherson struts up front and a rear torsion beam. Brakes are all discs, but the front units are ventilated. Nissan is not a fan of big wheels, so the Sylphy comes with 195/60 R16 Bridgestone Ecopia rubber to match the comfort theme.

In Thailand the Sylphy range starts from 746,000 baht for a very basic 1.6 MT to 931,000 baht for the range topping 1.8 V Navi CVT. The base S spec model gets things like dual-airbags, Fine Vision Meter with multi-info display, electric adjusting and folding door mirrors and tilt/telescopic steering. Higher up variants add on ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, dual-zone air con, leather, auto headlamps and steering audio/MID buttons.
Top spec cars get niceties like Intelligent key (keyless entry) with trunk opener and push start button, wing mirrors that auto fold when the car is locked, wood trim, reverse camera and a USB audio system with Bluetooth and colour screen. The 1.8L can be topped up with a Navi package. This includes sat nav (of course!) and a larger colour screen – 5.8-inch versus 4.3-inch.

This car will eventually reach Malaysia, but Nissan Motor Thailand officials understandably refused to discuss timing and source (CKD or CBU Thailand) at the press conference.
For now, enjoy our live gallery from Bangkok and the full collection of official studio shots after the jump. Brief driving impressions also included.

Brief driving impressions

Nissan has erected a pavilion at the open space between the Paragon and Siam Center shopping complexes in downtown Bangkok, and I paid a visit to snoop around. There are cars on display and plenty of sales personnel eager to show off their new cash cow. Also served are music performances and appearances by Sylphy ambassadors Chompoo and Pope. Curious male readers can Google the latter
Attracted by the test drive booth, I signed up. Nothing much, just driving in the car park of the shopping mall, from the low floor to the top floor, before making my way down again. I suspect that it’s more of a way for Nissan to show off the Sylphy’s plush interior and main features to customers – those who want a more comprehensive test drive can always head to the showroom.

Anyway, here’s what I gathered. The seating position is high and a good upright driving position is easy to find, thanks to the reach and rake adjustable steering and height adjustable seat (pump style). The soft and supple driver’s seat is the best-in-class for comfort – great for long journeys and urban jams, I can imagine, but not hard driving as there’s not much support. Nissan is the Japanese Volvo when it comes to seats.
The white-illuminated Fine Vision Meter is bright and clearly laid out, and there’s nothing much for a first timer to figure out – it’s all straightforward. The engine is very quiet at start up and low revs, and the CVT response is fast and immediate. I suspect that most who take these test drives won’t be able to tell the CVT from a torque converter automatic. For me, Nissan makes the best CVTs, so no surprises there.

The EPS steering, while not rich in feel, is lightweight and easy to use. I would have preferred more self-centering action, though. Unlike Malaysian parking lots, there weren’t any sharp humps so I have no idea about the low-speed ride comfort. I’m guessing that if the new Sylphy is anything like the old one, it will be good. Reversing the car back into the parking spot, I got a chance to use the reverse camera on the top spec 1.8 Navi. A good addition, and it has coloured guidance as well.
So there you go, a brief first impression of the new Sylphy. Nissan has used the same formula as the current car, but added in more flair and features. It should be a great C-segment choice for those who prioritise space, comfort and refinement.