KLIMS 2013

Efficiency in motion. That was the theme for this year's Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show. Why use that theme, you ask. Well, at this point of time, gone are the days when people would just stick to petrol cars. People have begin to realize the increase in cost that goes to petrol and maintenance of the car. So, what do car manufacturers do? They begin the revolution of improving their make of the car, improving the fuel efficiency of cars, introducing hybrids into the game and bringing EVs into the fray. The result?

Efficiency in motion.

I heard of KLIMS 2013 from Saadeesh who decided that we absolutely have to make a trip there, having heard rumors of a much better motor show than the one that was held some 3 years ago. The first step towards visiting this show was winning two free tickets to the show itself, courtesy of Nissan Facebook group. And what a lovely surprise it was.

The exclusive tickets I won thanks to writing a simple slogan to Nissan

The motor show was held in PWTC, Kuala Lumpur. Spread across 4 convention halls, we entered the first hall with bated breath. What do you think was the first car we feasted our eyes on?

Meet the Lexus LFA. I was pretty surprised when they managed to bring in this supercar. A supercar which was first shown in Fast and Furious 6, it was the very definition of mind-blowing engineering works. The crowd around this car was massive and each was scrambling to get a photo of this beauty. Lexus, the luxury section for Toyota. and Toyota were showcasing their cars side by side and thus, Saadeesh, Chuen Hoe and I begin the view of absolute car pornography. 

A concept Plug-In Hybrid car, the Toyota NS4

After viewing the LFA, we turned towards Toyota first, an appetizer before the main course. Toyota was present with their NS4 concept, their latest generation Vios(which is ugly as hell), their new Previa (which is essentially the Estima renamed), the Camry Hybrid(which was a beauty with the new kit and acceptable interior) and the concept Fun-Vii. 

Toyota Fun-Vii, words cannot explain how the car works, you're gonna have to see for yourself, this fine piece of engineering. 

A quick rundown for Toyota: I was never really a fan of the Toyota cars. In fact, I was a bit disappointed that the GT86 failed to make an appearance here(which would be remedied as we entered the next section) and the new Vios failed, yet again to make me interested with their car. However, I think Toyota is making the first step in front to making new waves in the hybrid car production. The NS4 was simply good-looking and the Camry hybrid was nothing to look down at. 

Next up -  Lexus. 

Lexus showed up to the show bringing the LS460, ES250 and the ISF Sport. And what a beauty each car was. 

The car that caught my attention most was the above, the Lexus ISF Sport. Now, for everyone else, the LS460 would be the car to go for. However, the reason why I chose this was very simple. I'm just too short to drive the LS460. Sitting in the LS460 was intimidating. The sheer length of the car, the fact that I could barely floor the accelerator pedal from my optimum driving position and the fact that the LS460 was simply breathtaking. I couldn't bear to drive a car like that. Hence, instead of going for the extreme luxury end for Lexus, I chose the extreme sporty car. The ISF Sport was just the right size for me. Reasonable length, fantastic interior, sporty outlook and just...beautiful. If I were to buy a Lexus, the ISF Sport and no other please. 

Having finished viewing the Lexus cars, we went to the next section, where Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Isuzu and Infiniti showed what they had to offer. And I was not disappointed. 

The 2015 Subaru WRX STi 6speed manual

I shall be completely honest here. I was never, ever a fan of Subaru. However, the moment I set my eyes on the new WRX, I was hooked. The car looked lovely. The moment i sat inside, my preception of Subaru changed. I expected the car to be barren, lacking in tech but full of power. I was deeply surprised. The new WRX was simply good. A full set of tech, a very very good gear stick, perfect for throwing gears, and the front view. Beside this WRX was a Subaru BRZ [The Subaru version of the GT86] but to hell with the BRZ, the WRX was the car to go for. Sitting in the BRZ feels cramped but the WRX was perfect. Immediately, my love for the GT86 and the BRZ faded. If I'm ever getting a Subaru, the WRX would be the one. Subaru also showed their new Legacy as well as the XV but against the majestic WRX, those cars were just overshadowed. 

Inside the BRZ, the mechanics behind this beauty

The next section was Nissan, who without them, I would have to pay RM5 for the motor show. Nissan showcased their Nissan Leaf, Note, Almera, Almera Nismo Package, Serena, Navara and the new GRand Livina. It was not at all bad though I wished they had brought in their rumored facelifted Sylphy, their new X-Trail and the Teana. Having driven the Almera before and sat in the Note as well as the Grand Livina, there were a few faults but I know better than to complain, having experienced the comfort of Nissan firsthand. 

We visited Infiniti but having seen Lexus, we noticed the difference in quality albeit a very small one. The new Q series for the Infiniti was good but I believe Lexus would be a much better choice. Passing by Infiniti, we headed towards Honda. Honda brought their newest Accord into the field alongside its hybrid concept counterpart. Following that was the CRZ RR, CRZ CVT transmission, EV-ster, Jazz rally and the new Honda Odyssey. I sat inside the new Accord and am mildly impressed by the interior. Still, the car feels a little to big for my liking. The CRZ was comfortable but I would have preferred a manual version. 

The new Honda EV-ster concept

The concept Accord Plug-In Hybrid

The next section that caught my interest was the Volkswagen section. VW overdid themselves by bringing in their entire market range for the show, featuring the new CKD Polo 1.6,  the Polo 1.4TSi, the new Mk-7 Golf GTi, Passat CC, Beetle, Tiguan, Touran, Jetta and the monstrous Touareg. Not a bad range of cars but the one which caught my interest was the new CKD Polo 1.6. The car, priced at a starting price of RM88k was the cheapest VW car you could get in Malaysia. Unconfident about the CKD? Sit in the car, compare it with the other VW import cars and the difference is minimal. This is the car I would aim for..IF i survive the challenge my mother has set for me. [Challenge: I'm supposed to not get myself into an accident for the next two years, passing which I can finally get a new car]

Leaving Hall 1&2 to go for Hall 3, we are greeted with the Peugeot RCZ, which is another wonderful piece of engineering. Alongside it is the new Peugeot 208GTi, the new Peugeot 2008, the 508 and the 408 Turbo. I would say the RCZ was the Peugeot I was setting my eyes on but the 208GTi is definitely something to consider as well. Beside Peugeot was the Citroen section and they had their DS3, DS4 as well as their DS5 for show. Now, I worked in a Citroen workshop for 2 months prior to beginning my third year in UNMC. During my time there, I have been exposed to the wonderful engineering mechanics of the hydraulic suspension of the old Citroen cars. I was disappointed when the DS range did not implement that suspension into the cars, opting instead to go for the standard absorber+spring coil suspension which is now the commonest suspension system in a car. What caught my eye however was the Citroen Numero 9 which promises to bring back the old Citroen spirit into it. Now that's something I will look forward to. 

Perodua makes its appearance in the motor show featuring their concept sedan the GDM BuddyZ alongside a new interior-evolved Myvi and the Viva Elite. The BuddyZ would show some promise if they worked on the detailing a bit more and changed the body design a tad bit to suit the current taste of car-buyers. That being said, however, Perodua does show some promise that they would bring in a new sedan rather than just continue working on making hatchbacks and MPVs. 

Hall 3 also consists of a rough 25 modded cars with bombastic kits and stickers. While most of them made my eyes bleed, they were a small few which caught my eye. 

What a lovely colour for the GTR

Finished with Hall 3, we headed to Hall 4, which was the one we were anticipating the most. And we were not disappointed. The hall was dedicated to the American classic muscle cars which were brought in for sale. And what a view it was. A 30-odd exotic muscle car display left my mouth hanging as I saw classic Thunderbirds, Mustangs, Pontiac GTOs and a final row of classic, superb Mercedes Benz CE series. Simply spectacular. The main attraction which would be the pick of my choice?

Behold the 1970's Dodge Charger, also featured in Fast and Furious 5

Having viewed the muscle cars, we thought the show had come to an end. We were genuinely surprised to be brought to a final section where Hyundai and Ford were showing their range of cars.

And what do you think greeted us?

FORD MUSTANG GT500 COBRA!!!!

I did not expect them to bring in this Mustang which was my favourite Mustang of all time. The rest of the Ford range, however, was rather disappointing save for the new Ford Fusion Hybrid which was quite a masterpiece. The new Ford Fiesta ST felt a little cramp and the Ford Focus Graphite Edition did not raise eyebrows as it was as bland as its brother. 

My eyes were on the Hyundai to end my motor show on a high...and well, it was not that all bad. Hyundai introduced their new i40 sedan and touring models which was very alike the current Hyundai Elantra which is being sold in Malaysia. Hyundai also introduced their new concept car, the i-ONIq. And that was the masterpiece I needed to conclude my first ever motor show visit. 

Hyundai i-ONIq

Final thoughts: I guess this time around, the motor show did not disappoint. If only they could bring in BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and the rest of the supercar range into the show, my life would be complete. But of course, nothing will ever go the way you would want it to. And nothing will end as how you would expect it to end (something I learnt two hours after coming back from the motor show). 

All in all, a very good day indeed. I guess it was sort of a belated birthday present for me, having such a good view and sitting of the cars on display. I shall look forward for KLIMS 2014 with the hopes that I would not be disappointed.