The BAIC M20: a soft-roading MPV challenger comes in under the radar

October 15, 2015 Gelzon de la Cruz

BAIC Philippines is bringing in the M20 MPV, having shipped in a unit of its max-passenger 8-seater variant in time for this year’s round of automotive awards tests. Badged by BAIC Motor either as the M20 or the R315 in different parts of China, the MPV model was introduced there in 2013, first deliveries happening late that year in October.

Toyota Innova: heavier and longer than the BAIC M20 but with shorter wheelbase — *Toyota Innova: heavier and longer than the BAIC M20 but with a shorter wheelbase (note the significant overhangs, front and back)*

*Initial M20 unit brought in by BAIC Philippines for the testing circuit*

*Toyota Avanza: smaller than the M20 in all respects*

In China, the M20 is portrayed as a “one-of-a-kind MPV … which combines all the features you would expect to make it what we call an off-road family car” (see http://www.baicintl.com/product/r315/). When asked to elaborate on this reference to rough-terrain use, BAIC Beijing’s Vice Director for the Southeast Asia Region, Emily Liu, said that this was to highlight the ruggedness of its rear-wheel-driven, body-on-frame construction. Adding context to this answer, BAIC’s Robbie Liu (Manager for Southeast Asia) explained that rural, inter-town roads in China are very rough.

A soft-roader, maybe

In a sense, this MPV’s mission brief has been dialled-back somewhat, back to that of the AUVs that have been petering out since the last decade. Not at all a stigma in this market where our notion of MPVs are as evolved Asian utility people movers (not as unibody mini-vans), and where another brand of Western origin even attempted, unsuccessfully, to adopt the moniker, the AUV label appears incompatible with the sensibilities and aspirations of China’s automotive market and industry, respectively.So then, it’s an off-roader mini-van for them, a description that won’t likely stand over here where off-road, really off-the-map motoring, means four-by-fours. Notably, though, literature for BAIC’s other markets eschew the off-road reference and simply describe the M20 as a high-end MPV with a reinforced chassis. So, it could be that strong soft-roader would be a more appropriate description for this new MPV model … and its engineering indicates the M20 has credible claim to this conservative caption.

Soft-sprung, stable wheelbase

From the start, the M20’s 2790mm wheelbase stood out and looked familiar at the same time. With bulk and weight between that of Toyota’s top-selling Avanza mini and Innova compact MPVs, the BAIC M20’s wheelbase is surprisingly longer than that of either one (2655mm on the Avanza, 2750mm on the Innova). On smooth pavement, this should make for more stable vehicle dynamics, either on straight-line cruises and G-pulling turns. On rough, rolling terrain it’ll dampen the seesaw jinks caused by the front and rear wheels individually hitting the road’s bumps and dips.

And, although leaf-sprung rear suspensions are standard on the M20’s basic variants, they’re bringing in just one variant, a higher-end one that has coil springs in back. BAIC Philippines President and CEO George Chua confirms that they’ll be offering just the one variant with its maximum 8-seater capacity featuring the premium ride of MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link independent suspension in back—arguably the variant with highest general value and utility.

A hard, pedigreed chassis

The BAIC XB424 SUV with the Prado 3400's high-rigidity chassis — *The BAIC XB424 SUV with the Prado’s high-rigidity chassis*

BAIC’s other models and the fact that the M20’s variants offer the option for either leaf- or coil-sprung rear suspensions, these together offer clues to the origin of the M20’s all-important and much-vaunted chassis. BAIC produces the XB424, a full-on, body-on-frame, mid-size SUV that they openly say uses the high-rigidity chassis of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 3400, that model’s third-generation 120 series. Although Toyota never included the Land Cruiser in the list of vehicles built on their successful IMV platform, they acknowledged that it shares its chassis with the Toyota 4Runner—and that one, Toyota does list as an IMV-based model.

prado_2013_ga_06_770_tcm298-252762 — *Land Cruiser Prado 150 series with the 2790mm wheelbase*

Connecting the dots then: (1) BAIC’s XB424 SUV uses the short 2600mm wheelbase chassis of the third-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 120 series; (2) the “reinforced chassis” of the BAIC M20 MPV has a 2790mm wheelbase, a number equal to that of the long-wheelbase version of the chassis used on the Prado for both its recent 120 and 150 generations; (3) the Prado’s chassis count among Toyota’s IMV platform configurations, configurations that include those with either leaf (like the Innova’s) or coil-sprung (like the Fortuner’s) rear suspensions; and (4) the M20 has both leaf- and coil-sprung rear suspension variants. With these as premise, it isn’t much of a stretch figuring that either BAIC OEM’d a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado’s IMV chassis into their M20, or, after working with a Toyota chassis for their XB424 SUV, engineered their own version of a high-rigidity frame for their MPV.

The kicker to it all is that this makes it a similar though longer chassis to that of the best-selling Toyota Innova, while still being almost 400kg lighter than that popular mid-size MPV—light enough to be powered by a 1.5liter petrol engine like that of the Toyota Avanza compact MPV. And the engine itself, the BAIC-built BJ415B with DOHC driving 16 valves with VVT (more powerful than the BJ415A—built by BAIC’s powertrain subsidiary—that’s featured on the M20’s more basic variants), brandishes numbers that suggest surprising power.

Table-top power curve

*In-house designed and built BJ415B engine with VVT valvetrain technology*

Nominally delivering peak power of 106hp at 6000rpm (typical power density for a 1.5L petrol burner), the BJ415B seems to use its VVT-equipped valvetrain to not only address the torque loss at the lower end experienced with 16 valves as compared to those with 8, but appears to dramatically flatten the power curve as well. Its 106lb-ft of peak torque kicks in over a range from 3000 to 5000rpm, exactly where you’d need it for hauling and acceleration on a powerplant that redlines at 5250rpm. Even with a conservative estimate of just 50% of torque available at idle (under 1000rpm), reaching that 3000 to 5000rpm plateau for 100% torque suggests that 75% or nearly 80lb-ft would already be available at 2000rpm.

If not for anything else, that 80lb-ft at 2000rpm pushing the M20’s 1270kg curb weight would account for some nice short-shifting for fuel economy, while still accelerating smartly enough for prompt up-shifts. BAIC Beijing’s Robbi Liu says that the M20’s fuel consumption numbers measured in China were 11.2km/l in city traffic, 16.9km/l on the highway, and 14.7km/l with mixed driving. If the goal is to deliver similar figures here, the mileage numbers seem attainable with common everyday driving given the 5-speed manual transmission’s slightly taller-than-usual second and third gear ratios—2.104:1 and 1.339:1, respectively—leading up to a true direct drive 1:1 fourth and overdrive 0.838:1 fifth gear ratio.

Bigger shoes to wear, and fill

*The M20 with higher-walled 185/70R14 tires*

Finally, though, a note on running gear: the BAIC M20 lists options for either 185/65R14 or 185/70R14 tires. It has to be said that not only would the higher walled 185/70R14 tires be more consistent with the M20’s soft-roading potential, a quick look at the M20’s wheel wells show these to be able to accommodate even further upsized rubber to the tune of 185/75R14 tires. BAIC Philippines could consider either the larger stock or locally upsized options.

The wheels would look in better, more handsome proportion to the M20’s height, certainly, but more importantly, the cushiony tires would provide a wider inflation pressure range that could be adjusted to suit road and load conditions, and would instantly increase the MPV’s 162mm ground clearance by 9 to 18mm. This’ll raise the soft-roader MPV into true high-rider territory with from 171 to 180mm of minimum ground clearance, while the slightly deeper-than-usual 3.857:1 reduction in first gear ought to be able to handle the slightly larger wheel diameter on roll-outs.

Aggressive price point

Obviously, this is a developing story with many factors that’ll bear testing in an actual drive. But if things do pan out, as is likely, the M20 will definitely present a serious challenge to MPV market leader Toyota. BAIC Philippines’ George Chua confirms that they’re targeting a sticker price of under PhP600k. That’s a price point that’ll put the BAIC M20 within reach of a buyer base that’s much deeper than that of the bigger Toyota Innova , and that of the smaller Toyota Avanza mini MPV as well.

OPPO launches R7 series

September 21, 2015 Gelzon de la CruzLeave a comment

Once described as having richly-featured though quirky products, particularly after the launch of their esoteric N1 and N3 models with manually and electronically swiveled main cameras, respectively, OPPO seems to be hitting its stride with their more recent, closer to mainstream introductions. After launching the Mirror 5 and introducing Sarah Geronimo as their brand ambassador in August, OPPO now heralds September with the official roll-out of their R7 series last week, bringing a pair of large-screened models that are focused on the business-end of the market in more ways than one.

Let’s face it, there really isn’t much you can do on the aesthetics front, not with Android and iPhone slab-surfaced handsets that could double as coasters. So OPPO is on the right track with these phones that exude sharp engineering and studied craftsmanship as much by feel as they do by sight. The series’ highlights center on exceptional camera sub-systems, premium build-quality with structure and sheathing heavy on metal alloy material, and privacy and reliability touches that’d make you think these are intended both for corporate floors and for conflict zones.

Both models feature full-metal constructions that let the aluminum-magnesium alloy bodies double as antennas. And, with OPPO’s VOOC flash charging available on both models, minutes-worth of charging can keep you on the go for long and heavy hours … hard bodies and long legs on both these phones.

The R7 Plus, the bigger of the two models, is phablet-sized with a 6″ 1080p screen and has features that make it a credible laptop replacement for the traveling power-user. With this large smartphone in my hip or coat pocket, I’d think twice before adding an actual computer to my go-bag. When cycling through numerous transport arrangements, the benefits of a laptop, with its physical keyboard and other full-sized features, are tangibly diminished by its heft.

At PhP21,990, the R7 Plus could very well cost as much, or even more, than a run-of-the-mill laptop, but you’d actually be paying for the utility of a go-anywhere if somewhat miniature workstation. And that 4100mAh Li-polymer battery it has is an welcome companion when making the most of quiet and anonymous on-board and in-lounge moments, sparing you from the distraction of having to hunt down an AC outlet.

Specifications: R7 Plus

Display: 6.0″ Arc Edge Screen (1920×1080 pixels)
Main camera: Autofocus 13MP RGBW sensor with fast (0.3sec) active laser focusing and dual-LED subject illumination
Secondary camera: Fixed-focus 8MP
Operating system: ColorOS 2.1 (based on Android 5.1)
Processor: Qualcom 615 octa-core at 1.5GHz
Memory: 3GB RAM
Security: finger-print scanner for validation of critical access and operations
Storage: 32GB flash storage, expandable by as much as 128GB with microSD card
Power: 4100mAh fixed lithium-polymer battery with VOOC flash charging

Now the smaller R7 Lite with its still-large 5″ 720p screen and its PhP13,990 list price is more of an everyday carry, something that’ll do nicely when workdays tend to keep you away from your more capable though full-sized gear. There’s the emphasis on imaging assets with camera optics bearing Schneider-Kreuznach’s imprimatur and fast, though passive, phase-detection autofocus (PDAF). From framing to capture, the fraction of a second turnaround is reported to be fast enough for action shots. And, if you need to output print-quality photos, the R7 Lite has OPPO’s Ultra-HD mode for stitching up and cranking out 50mp images off its raw 13mp sensor suite.

Specifications: R7 Lite

Display: 5.0″ HD (720×1080)
Main camera: 13MP with fast phase-detection autofocus (PDAF)
Secondary camera: Fixed-focus 8MP
Operating system: ColorOS 2.1 (based on Android 5.1)
Processor: Qualcom 615 octa-core at 1.3GHz
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 16GB flash storage, expandable by as much as 128GB with microSD card
Power: 2320mAh fixed lithium-polymer battery with VOOC flash charging

—o0o—

The BAIC A1 series: how Daimler-Mitsubishi engineering lives on in a Chinese sub-compact

September 5, 2015 Gelzon de la Cruz2 Comments

Put one way, the design language of the BAIC A1 line of sub-compacts, flowing but still angular with the subtlest of tapering to the rear for a tear-drop airfoil profile, speaks assertively of a long-standing engineering tradition—very European with its reference to a deep technical heritage.

*Top-spec BAIC A115 with 1.5liter MIVEC engine mated to a 4-speed AT*

Put another, the BAIC A115 looks like the bigger Mercedes-Benz B-class and somewhat like the sportier looking A-class, and current stereotypes would depict this as a case of another state-owned Chinese manufacturer trampling all over intellectual property rights like a bull in a, well, in a China shop.

BUT, and this is a big “but,” the corporate moves by all the potential litigants in this case point to the contrary, showing them to have struck up an alliance deliberately and legitimately, although not overtly.

Under the hood, underneath it all

Mitsubishi Colt after 2008 facelift (photo by Wikimedia user S 400 Hybrid) — *Mitsubishi Colt after 2008 facelift (photo by Wikimedia user S_400_Hybrid)*

The BAIC A1 line-up features Mitsubishi 4A9-series MIVEC engines and, apparently, along with the engines, the China carmaker also acquired license to use the Z-platform for which these powerplants were developed. The engines and vehicle platform were developed jointly by DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi at the outset of their alliance which lasted 69 months. Early in 2000, just several years after DaimlerChrysler itself was formed from the merger of Daimler AG and Chrysler in 1998, the US-German automaker acquired controlling stake in Mitsubishi, seeking a gateway to the Asia market, but eventually divested itself of all interest in the Japanese carmaker by November 2005.

*2006 Smart Forfour (photo by Wikimedia user Matthias)*

The 4A9 engine and Z-platform combination was first used in the Mitsubishi Colt in 2002, then in the Mitsubishi Colt Plus and in Daimler Chrysler’s Smart ForFour in 2004. The Smart ForFour stayed with Mitsubishi engines and on the Z-platform only until 2006 (ending soon after the Mistubishi-DaimlerChrysler alliance was dissolved), the Mitsubishi Colt was retired in 2012 (succeeded by the substantially smaller Mirage), and the Mitsubishi Colt Plus (the sub-compact Colt design and the same 2500mm wheelbase, but lengthened by 300mm for a deepened cargo bay) is now being sold only in Taiwan.

BAIC E-series hatchback, as the A1 was originally introduced in China in 2012 (photo by Wikimedia user Navigator84)

Mitsubishi Colt Plus for Taiwan after 2013 facelift (photo by Wikimedia user CEFICEFI)

In 2012, BAIC introduced their A1 line (originally called the BAIC Motor E-Series then the D20 under their Senova brand in other markets), based on the same Z-platform with its 2500mm wheelbase and featuring either 1.3liter 4A90 or 1.5liter 4A91 Mitsubishi MIVEC engines. Interestingly enough, the Colt Plus which continues to be sold in Taiwan received a facelift soon after in 2013 which made it look similar to the BAIC A1 hatchbacks.

Coming full-circle

BAIC’s relationship with Mitsubishi seems to have evolved into a two-way thing: the Chinese carmaker acquires engines and builds on a vehicle platform from Mitsubishi, while the Japanese automaker seems to have access to BAIC’s coachwork design shop, if not its actual production line.

More interesting in its coincidence, 2013, the year an A1-looking Colt Plus facelift came out for Taiwan, was also when Daimler AG (the surviving entity after Chrysler pulled out in 2007) then acquired 12% stake in BAIC. Even after its separation with Mitsubishi in 2005, DaimlerChrysler AG, and then Daimler AG later on, continued to produce Mitsubishi 4A9 engines under exclusive license at MDC Power GmbH, their manufacturing subsidiary in Kölleda, Germany.

Daimler AG’s buying stake in BAIC had come soon after the German automaker got onto the supply chain of the Chinese carmaker through a lingering arrangement with Mitsubishi. In any case, by buying 12% stake in BAIC, Daimler had, in effect, given the Chinese automaker its imprimatur for referencing the design of their A and B-class models, albeit after the fact.

Elegant enterprise

All told, the BAIC A1 line perpetuates the utility of the Z-platform and 4A9 engines developed by Daimler and Mitsubishi when they were still direct allies, while filling a niche that Mitsubishi abandoned when it retired the Colt sub-compact in favor of the Mirage micro, and that Daimler has to stay on the premium side of with it’s up-market Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

In short, the BAIC A1 from China presents a business-to-business revenue stream for both the German and Japanese carmakers while not competing directly with their own vehicle offerings.

The move seems to have been good enough for Daimler and Mitsubishi to scale things up and replicate it in the Haima 2, another Chinese make and model built with their Z-platform and 4A9-series of MIVEC engines. But the Haima angle is something for another story line altogether.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: See the related piece, The BAIC A115: family-sized city car, at home on the highway, our continuation of the BAIC A1 story where we describe its exceptional stability at both city and highway speeds, and the throttle work for reaching cruise on the top-spec A115 hatchback with its 4-speed automatic transmission that has a top-gear ratio even taller than on typical 5-speed gearboxes.

Suzuki continues Celerio lineage with larger second generation model, challenges top-selling Toyota Wigo

August 7, 2015 Gelzon de la Cruz4 Comments

Suzuki Philippines formally launched the second generation Celerio hatchback last Tuesday. Introduced globally at the 12^th Auto Expo in Greater Noida, India, last year in February, this larger iteration signals global Suzuki Motor’s commitment to a sub-segment that first gained traction in some emerging markets but is now universal enough for the carmaker to use the Celerio name in all countries where the model is being offered.

*At the August 5 launch, Suzuki Philippines President Hiroshi Suzuki saying: “We are very excited to showcase our A+ compact design to the Filipino market.”*

Year-end 2015 update: Celerio bags CotY in basic subcompact category

The second generation Suzuki Celerio introduced last August has bagged the 2015 Car of the Year (CotY) award in the basic subcompact category. Recognition comes from the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI), the organization of motoring journalists that’s been doing mass-reviews yearly since 2004. Formal awarding was done last November at a gala event at Fontana Leisure Parks & Casino at Clark Field, Pampanga, coming at the end of weeks-long testing for all vehicle categories popularly known as the CotY testfest.

Of the 2015 CotY win, Suzuki Philippines General Manager for Automobile Shuzo Hoshikura said: “As a pioneer manufacturer of compact vehicles, we are truly grateful for this acknowledgement, which recognizes our continuous pursuit to come up with top quality vehicles that would fit the growing needs of the automotive market. We are dedicating this award, and other recognitions we received this year, to our valued customers who have been our inspiration in developing and manufacturing premium and reliable cars.”

During the launch, Suzuki Philippines President Hiroshi Suzuki said: “We are very excited to showcase our A⁺ compact design to the Filipino market.” The A-segment in itself is not a strictly defined category but has been used on smaller sub-compacts with lengths of 3.7m or less. Such a broad range allows carmakers to use the A label, along with its positive connotations, for all vehicles ranging from Japan’s trademark Kei cars to sub-compact city cars.

Before the Celerio model was introduced into the Suzuki line-up, there was a noticeable gap on the bigger end of the A-segment, between the Kei-sized 3.4m long Alto and the 3.8m Swift sub-compact hatchback. A gap that has been felt not as much in Suzuki’s native Japan (where the Alto retains a strong draw despite diminished tax benefits on Kei cars), but more in emerging markets like India where the Maruti Suzuki joint-venture is the biggest carmaker with more than half of overall market share.

An emergent niche

*Current generation 3.4m long Suzuki Alto*

The smaller 3.4m Alto for the Philippine market is actually the Indian version that Maruti Suzuki first introduced in 2000 based on the facelifted fifth-generation from Suzuki Motor in Japan—which, looking further back, is an evolution of the Suzuki Fronte once marketed here in the 1980s.

Maruti Suzuki has had years of experience with the Alto line, instead of keeping pace with Japan’s further evolution of the 3.4m Alto, they stretched the lifespan of each model generation. While Japan subsequently developed a sixth generation Alto in 2004 and a seventh in 2009, all with lengths of 3.4m (to be exact, 3.395m), Maruti Suzuki stayed with their fifth generation platform, though also introducing their own version’s second generation with new bodywork just last year. Instead of more Alto generations, Maruti Suzuki invested its efforts in a bigger A-segment offering, creating their A-Star concept car which, in Car and Driver’s estimation, upstaged the like-sized Splash concept developed jointly by Suzuki Japan and Edmond Opel AG when both cars were shown at the Geneva auto show in February 2008.

2008 A-Star / Alto / Celerio production model — *2008 A-Star / export Alto / Celerio production model*

Maruti Suzuki quickly adapted the A-Star concept into a production model based on the Alto platform’s 2,360mm wheelbase but with wider treads, an overall length of 3.5m, and the bigger 998cc engine offered on the Alto’s top-spec K10 variant. In the same year, by December 2008, they introduced the new model, naming it the A-Star—after its concept car origin—but only in India, the new 3.5m long production model was confusingly still called the Alto in upscale export markets. And, in countries where Suzuki was already offering the 3.4m Alto, that new model took the name Celerio.

The rival concept developed by Suzuki Japan and Opel also made it to production in 2008, re-branded as the Opel Agila in Germany, named the Suzuki Splash for European markets, and even joining Maruti Suzuki’s India market line-up as the Ritz. Also based on the Alto platform’s 2,360mm wheelbase, the Splash production model was made much bigger than its concept, longer even than the A-Star concept and Celerio production model, with an overall length of 3.7m. Assembled in Hungary by Magyar Suzuki, and in India by Maruti Suzuki, the Splash hasn’t yet had a generation update. In comparison, while its first generation was manufactured only in Haryana, India, the Celerio now has a second generation with several Suzuki sites in Asia tooled for its manufacture.

Expanded production, bigger dimensions

*At the launch, Suzuki Philippines General Manager for Automobile Shuzo Hoshikura*

“The previous Celerio was from India, this new one is from Thailand,” says Suzuki Philippines General Manager for Automobile Shuzo Hoshikura. Left unsaid was the fact that the shift in supply comes with the expansion of the Celerio’s production lines, adding Suzuki Motor Thailand to that of Maruti Suzuki in India.

Hoshikura explains that based on customer feedback generally expressing how the zippy Celerio platform could be bigger, roomier, Suzuki moved to upsize the second generation model into the A+ sub-segment. That plussed “A” reference is ironically appropriate since the 2008 first generation’s basis in the A-Star concept car was followed by the 2014 second generation’s initial articulation in Maruti Suzuki’s A:Wind concept first shown at the Thailand International Motor Expo in November 2013.

The A:Wind, like the A-Star before it, was quickly adapted into the second-generation Celerio production model, this time based on the Suzuki MR Wagon platform’s longer 2,425mm wheelbase, though again with wider treads and an overall length of 3.6m. The new Celerio is still powered by the 998cc K10B engine but made 9kg lighter and now offered with a CVT automatic gearbox.

The tale of the tape between the first and second generation Celerio shows significant up-ticks in dimension, but with rational engineering to pare down the weight. Longer by 100mm on a proportionately stretched 2,425mm wheelbase; taller with a 70mm increase in height, and deeper with a 5mm decrease in ground clearance; and coming with a model-defining increase in cargo space from 110liters to a best-in-class 254liters, the new Celerio still manages to weigh in at the same 860kg, though with the heavier CVT, and even 30 less at 830kg with the same 5-speed manual gearbox, of its former self.

Joining the big-league mainstream

Notwithstanding Suzuki’s reference to a bigger A+ sub-segment, the new Celerio’s size really just puts it squarely against the top-selling Toyota Wigo. Same length at 3.6m; the Celerio slightly narrower by 20mm which might mean better city maneuverability, and offset by headroom that’s 20mm taller; the same 4.7m turning radius but with the Suzuki hatch possibly more responsive with a wheelbase that’s 90mm shorter and reportedly sprung on a “Swift-based” suspension platform; bigger cargo space with a 254 liter volume that beats even the 235 liters of the longer 3.7m Mitsubishi Mirage hatch; an engine with the same 998cc displacement of the Wigo’s but with 3hp and 3lb-ft more output at 67hp and 66lb-ft peak power and torque; and with lower consumption promised by a friction-mitigating VVT versus the Wigo’s conventional, non-dynamic valvetrain, as well as a CVT automatic option versus the Toyota hatch’s conventional torque converter 4-speed AT. Even their origins from global brand subsidiaries in emerging markets are similar, the Celerio coming from India’s Maruti Suzuki, the Wigo from Indonesia’s Astra Daihatsu.

For the Suzuki Celerio to come close to Toyota Wigo sales volumes, even with its bigger new generation model, remains a tall order. Hoshikura says that Suzuki Philippines has sold 5,800 units of the first generation Celerio since it was introduced in this market. A far cry from the 9,062 units reported for the Wigo for 2014 alone, yes, but the main draw of the Toyota marque has been the economies of scale and longevity that have made their models cheaper to maintain and that have imbued these with higher resale values, and these factors don’t apply as much to the Wigo which Toyota sourced from subsidiary Daihatsu to enter the micro-hatch segment only in 2013.

Healthy competition

If there’s any carmaker out there that could challenge Toyota in the micro-hatch segment—just as Mitsubishi has done here in the compact SUV class with their Montero, and as Ford has in pick-ups with their Ranger, or even as Volkswagen has done just recently, a slight lead putting them at the top and finally unseating Toyota on the global stage—Suzuki, particularly its Maruti Suzuki subsidiary, seems to be it. With the basic A -segment already covered by their smaller and much lower priced Alto (P388k versus the Wigo’s lowest base price of P468), Suzuki has positioned the Celerio with trim levels and prices that brazenly challenge the Wigo’s main-tier manual and automatic G variants, leaping over the Toyota hatch’s base E variant and ignoring its dressed up topline TRD version.

Even without the P20k discounts they are now offering for early reservations, Suzuki puts new Celerio prices at P507k for the MT variant and P542 for the CVT. While these prices would’ve both been just P4k lower than the counterpart MT and AT Wigo G prices at initial market levels, the price delta is now a significant P14k less for Celerios after Toyota’s 2015 price updates. This Suzuki challenge, I don’t think Toyota saw it coming.

Digressing a bit onto Toyota’s view of the field, will rivalry from Suzuki or any other challenger cause them to lower their prices? With the giant’s long-running stand of projecting premium “made in Japan” value, they could instead replace their micro-hatch offering with the Toyota-designed new generation Aygo, putting themselves in a higher price-point bracket with a more upscale micro that sports a design language unmistakably the same as that of their bigger Yaris, Vios and Altis models. Or, they could pull out of the micro-hatch segment altogether. Either way though, the thousands of Wigo owners they now have are likely to react negatively. So yes, maybe a price decrease is the more likely response, at least initially.

By now, our market must already be as globally sensitive as the rest of the world. We suspect that top-tier brands are likely no longer manufactured or even designed in home countries that had once resonated with promises of exceptional quality and shine. Carmakers themselves give back-handed acknowledgement to this by highlighting how particular high end models are still assembled and shipped over from the US, Japan, Germany and the like.

Suzuki Philippines, while not really obscuring the fact that the Celerio is a Maruti Suzuki creation, seems not to make the most of opportunities to highlight this. But there’s this symmetry, this elegance to emerging market models being manufactured by emerging market subsidiaries. At the very least, the designers must share our sensibilities, our appetite for stretching the utility and bolstering, if not creating, the prestige of an efficient, environmentally friendly and unmistakably classy micro-hatchback.

And, for the savvy, there’s the realization that with models coming from emerging markets that stretch the lifespan of each generation to save on tooling between upgrades, there’s the very real benefit of there already being a large pool of replacement parts manufacturers whose product could then be stocked by automotive aftermarket traders at lower risk, and lower carrying costs.

Proof of the pudding

But proof of all these good things maybe happening, as the old saw goes, is in the eating. The new Celerio to be shipped from, by now, Thailand’s veteran automaking production lines, will have to deliver on the promise.

The new Celerio's best-in-class 254 liter cargo space — *The new Celerio’s best-in-class 254 liter cargo space*

It’s not just a plus but an imperative that the Celerio manifest the benefits that Suzuki Philippines President Hiroshi Suzuki further asserted at Tuesday’s launch: “You will all be amazed with the architecture of this model, particularly its best-in-class luggage capacity, superb ease and comfort in driving, and outstanding fuel efficiency. We are confident that this all-new Suzuki Celerio will set a new standard for its kind.”

The new Celerio comes in eight sensuously labelled colors. There are the four in distinguished monochromatic shades: Snow White Pearl, Star Silver Metallic, Mineral Grey Metallic, and Super Black Pearl. There are the other four in vibrant young hues: Ablaze Red Pearl, Cerulean Blue, Sunshine Yellow, and familiar Raspberry Pink. And they’ve brought in advanced demo units for each color, all with the new CVT automatic option.

Obviously, the new Celerio is a developing story. And, while the color options are exceptional in their breadth, what matters more is that Suzuki has brought in quite a number of advanced demo units with at least eight new Celerios on which industry observers can validate their assertions.

*At the August 5 launch (left to right): Suzuki Philippines Managing Director Norminio Mojica, President Hiroshi Suzuki, and General Manager for Automobile Shuzo Hoshikura*

So, If we don’t get to test it ourselves soon, just keep Googling and you should be able to find a hands-on review sooner than later. Or visit a Suzuki showroom yourself and maybe schedule a test drive, feel it out and see if the Suzuki Celerio really is the giant-killer that it can be.

A variable vehicle: the BAIC MZ45 WeVan

May 31, 2015 Gelzon de la Cruz2 Comments

The Philippines is now Uber country. On May 11, the government introduced the Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) category. Covering vehicles that provide pre-arranged transport for compensation using online apps that link up prospective passengers with drivers, the TNVS classification applies to the likes of Uber as well as GrabTaxi, EasyTaxi and Tripda.

This is the first time that an explicit category has been implemented on a national level. All previous implementations elsewhere were done through city and local government regulation. Uber Senior Vice-President David Plouffe says the Philippine government’s move would “advance urban mobility, create new economic opportunity, and put rider safety first.” Economy and enterprise, these are the critical points for legitimizing Uber. Apparently, hopefully, Uber and government are on the same page.

Uber’s crowd-sourced transport fleet is divided into two categories: Uber Black counts SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Montero and Ford Evererest as part of their virtual inventory, while Uber X, the “low cost Uber” as they call it, singles out the Toyota Vios, Mitsubishi Mirage G4 and Honda City.

Under the new rules, only sedans, Asian utility vehicles (a.k.a. multi-purpose vehicles and minivans), vans, or similar vehicles can qualify, and only those that are seven years old or less. As such, the TNVS category lumps in non-sedans with vehicles in the Uber X economy class that features compact and sub-compact passenger cars, while leaving out the SUVs that are featured under the high-end Uber Black service class.

Uber folk are out to put family cars to work, or to acquire second cars that can pull double-duty as revenue-earners—a predictable outcome of the Uber trend. Now, what if that family or second car can be another thing as well, other than for personal commutes or for metered under-Uber service as it were? Like say something for big family vacations or a point-to-point charter service. Enter the MZ-45 WeVan from BAIC.

A sedan’s footprint under a van’s body

She’s big sister to the MZ40 we tested last March (see the story: BAIC’s MZ40 WeVan on an Outreach Drive to Dueg), adding 465mm in overall length, 220mm in wheelbase length and 90kg in curb weight to the smaller compact van. And yet, given all these, the MZ45 still has the modern and amazingly versatile gasoline engine that’s smaller than on any sub-compact intended for taxi duties, has both dimensions and weight to match the compactness of these fleet-service sedans, and has nearly double the seating capacity of any compact passenger car.

The BAIC MZ45 is almost 4cm shorter than the biggest taxi model on offer right now, the BYD F3 1.5L MT, yet it seats 9 to the compact sedan’s 5, and it costs PhP100k less. The MZ45 is just 8cm longer (about the width of your palm), albeit 200kg heavier, than the Toyota Vios Base MT, the most popular taxi model in the country, yet is driven by a slightly smaller 1.2L engine that matches the power and economy of the 1.3L on the sub-compact sedan, and costs just PhP6,000 more. And all these, again, with seating capacity that’s nearly double of either taxi model, that’s enough to transport what a pair of sedans would’ve and with only one chauffeur instead of two.

			Toyota	BAIC	BYD
Aspect		Unit	VIOS 1.3 Base MT	MZ45 Luxury 9	F3 1.5 MT

Dimensions and weight
–	Length	mm	4410	4495	4533
–	Width	mm	1700	1636	1705
–	Height	mm	1475	1912	1490
–	Wheelbase	mm	2550	2920	2600
–	Turn radius	mm	5.1	5.9	5.1
–	Clearance	mm	147	150	170
–	Seating	pax	5	9	5
–	Curb weight	kg	1060	1275	1200

Engine
–	Displacement	ltr	1.3	1.2	1.5
–	Valvetrain		VVT-i, 16V DOHC	CVVT, 16V DOHC	VVL, 16V SOHC
–	Peak power	hp/rpm	85/6000	86/6000	107/5800
–	Peak torque	lb-ft/rpm	90/4000	80/4400	107/4800

List price		PhP	592,000	598,000	698,000

The MZ45 has four rows with 2+2+2+3 seating, front to back. The first row is of bucket seats for driver and front seat passenger, the second and third rows are each a two-seater bench with the aisle running down the right side, and the fourth row is an end-to-end three-seater bench that can be folded up to expand on (actually, create) luggage space. And, like on most any van models, the middle rows offer the most comfortable ride, while the rearmost is the bumpiest—best occupied only when the van is full, all other seats used and the vehicle’s rear springs dampened by a heavy load.

Although, unlike other compact vans with efficiency layouts, the MZ45 has the engine and driver’s seating position well behind the front wheels which are almost flush with the fascia. This makes for a comfortable ride in the front row as well (it being inside the van’s wheelbase span), and for this sedan-like steering and handling experience from the driver’s seat.

Threading the needle

With its maxed out wheelbase under an otherwise compact body, the MZ45 is easy to drive and lithe enough to weave through traffic with composure. It’s visibly narrower than most anything else on the road but that long 2,900mm wheelbase does a lot for making the compact van rock-steady in turns and jinks. Even from a driver’s seat that’s about a meter above ground, there’s no pronounced roll when taking a turn at a good clip, not more than would’ve been felt on a lower slung sedan.

That narrow width still gives the MZ45 true three-abreast seating but keeps things tight enough that the whole of the vehicle’s frontage remains squarely in your field of view and its wing heft is predictable enough to make you “feel” its width in your shoulders. There’s a palpable link between your body kinetics and the motion of the van, the front body corners aren’t so remote that it takes a week of driving to start “wearing” the vehicle. All the better for navigating older inner city streets where road space is often encroached on by the likes of elevated train columns and the occasional sidewalk vendor.

Once you get your frontage through a gap, that gap that’s smaller than what full-sized vans would need, it’s just a matter of timing to know when the rest of the long body has made it through, when it’s safe to start turning the wheel and not cause the tail-end on its overhang to swing out and sideswipe something. No case of cold sweats even when parking despite that reversing camera not being included as stock equipment.

I took the MZ45 with its 5.9m turn radius through the tight turns of a food-chain’s drivethrough, the kind where you see marks on the wall where lots of wide-bodies apparently missed the turn-in point and smacked the concrete. My transit with the narrow van: piece of cake, easy as pie.

Variable mileage

The MZ45 has a 1.2L petrol engine with continuous variable valve timing (CVVT) technology and a multi-point fuel injection system that deliver peak power and torque of 86hp at 6000rpm and 80lb-ft at 4400rpm, respectively. The specs are on the high end for a 1.2L engine, though on the lean side for a van body with a curb weight of 1275kg.

But they make the arrangement work, and rather elegantly for city driving, with relatively short gear ratios on its 5-speed manual transmission where the top fifth gear (not the fourth) is the one with the 1:1 direct drive ratio. The MZ45 (as observed also on its smaller MZ40 sibling) is conservatively geared to be a full-time hauler with some engineering choices deliberately made to keep a constant power reserve for carrying its full rated capacity.

*The versatile 1.2L CVVT 16-valve DOHC engine, tucked under the front seating row*

With 5 people on board, roll-out is at 1200rpm and would peak at around 2500rpm before up-shifts at 10, 30, 50 and then at 70km/h to finally hit fifth gear. But with a full load of 9 passengers including the driver, roll-out revs climb up to 1500rpm and those shift-points become more conventional at 20, 40, 60 and then 80km/h to hit fifth, with engine turns peaking at 3000rpm right before the up-shifts. On the open road with a full load, maintaining an 80km/h cruise puts engine revs at 2700rpm, 90km/h at 3000rpm, and 100km/h at 3500rpm.

Keeping revs under 3000rpm seems to hold the variable valve timing on the 1.2L engine at its most efficient setting. But this 3000rpm ceiling is not always practicable in city driving where you’d have to be proactive to keep your place in lane. So, in day-to-day city driving with a light foot on the gas pedal when possible, you can expect fuel mileage of 9km/l with a full 9-passenger load, 12km/l with 5 people on board, and an excellent 15km/l when you’re all alone in the van, ferrying it to where you’ll be picking up passengers. Mileage on the MZ45 definitely varies with passenger load but is good enough, and predicable enough, to manage fuel costs—particularly when trying to keep these at a fraction of whatever revenues that the erstwhile driver/entrepreneur expects to earn from a paid run.

Mastering loads

Back then to the notion of using the MZ45 as an Uber ride, a chartered van, and a private family van: she can emulate the ride, drive and mileage of a sedan while still having the capacity of a business transport, and yes, definitely the legs and body for a fun family van … but how to load it for these different roles?

"Uber ride" for 4 passengers in comfortable, reclinable couches — “Uber ride” for 4 passengers in comfortable, reclinable couches

*Generous luggage space created by folding up the rearmost bench*

As an Uber ride, the MZ45 actually offers equivalent yet better seating than on a sedan. Fold up the fourth seating row to free up generous “trunk” space for luggage and this leaves the second and third row seating benches for all four passengers to ride in the middle of the wheelbase span—right in the sweet spot for a gliding ride and without the need for anyone to ride shotgun up front with the driver. All passengers even have the option of adjusting their seat backs for a more laid back ride, that’s something they wouldn’t be able to do in the back of a sedan.

*In chartered-van configuration, all seats made ready*

As a full-on people carrier on those chartered-van jobs, unfold the rearmost bench and dust-off the front passenger seat and you’ll have seating for 8 passengers and their day-trip bags. For an overnight trip or a shuttle run to the airport, keep the rear-most bench folded up to create luggage space and you’d still have room for 5 passengers in addition to the driver.

And finally, for a fun and casual family trip, you’d have the ability to go informal and push the MZ45’s capacity to its limits. Sure, you might want to fold up the rearmost bench for luggage or groceries, but you can also bring the extended family along by deploying all seats, having everyone board the van first, and then piling the other stuff in after them and into the generous aisle space. You’d have to be both driver and loader in that case since everyone else would already be in the van while the luggage or groceries are still on the sidewalk … but what father would mind that job when, in return, he can bring the whole kit and caboodle?

*A trip to the supermarket with the extended family, groceries and an oven in the aisle*

Add-ons

The only factory-installed option I’d recommend is the step-board that they didn’t make standard since both the MZ40 and MZ45 are so versatile, these could be configured as rather comfortable cargo vans (they have the MZ40 “Comfort” cargo variant with a cavernous rear compartment bare of any benches).

Although the MZ45 can be had with factory-installed jump seats on the second and third benches, I find that the lack of these options gives me more, well, options. These could expand seating capacity to 11, yes, but would then entail some anxious load planning. With standard payload maxed out at 675kg, the MZ45 has the capacity to seat 9 people even if all of them are full-grown adults. But, with the 11 seats you’d be able to fill with the optional jump seats installed, you’d then have to worry about the size and weight of each of those 11 passengers so as not to bottom-out the suspension.

For my money, I’d rather have seating at the standard 9, keep the aisle space free for some cowboy luggage loads, and incidentally, leave the ends of the rear benches unobstructed (no folded up jump seats getting in the way) for a classier feel when needed (you don’t see fold-out seats on executive jets now, do you?). Sure, the jump seats would max out its people carrier capacity, but without these I’d have more load options for those family trips that make owning and earning with the MZ45 really worthwhile. If it comes to it, I can have the kids sit all cozy and giggling on futons piled in the aisle.

All-in

At this wedding last month, I noticed that several groups arrived in chartered UV Express vans—Toyota HiAces and Nissan Urvans, really big vans that they didn’t seem to be able to fill. And yet, the vans seemed practical for them. Practical even for my bunch because we had also arrived in an unmarked HiAce Commuter that our group had chartered despite not being able to fill all its seats. At the end of the day, it always makes sense to take one van instead of several sedans … it’s even more fun, with all of us being in the same space and able to chat as folks would normally want to.

Now that the Philippines has legitimized Uber as a new mode of public transport, it’s high time for a more creative take on the vehicle types that can be put to task by new entrepreneurs. The market is ready for bigger transports hired under new, legitimized modes. But, at the same time, these don’t have to be the traditional kind of big transports that would burden owners and the country’s road system overmuch.

The new, TNVS category that legitimizes Uber also suggests an area for expansion by the popular online service. TNVS vehicles include not only sedans but also multi-purpose vehicles, minivans and full-sized vans. And yet, the economy-class Uber X service features only compact and sub-compact sedans, while the higher end Uber Black service speaks of premium SUVs. The new TNVS category is not explicit on the matter of SUVs and appears to close the door on the luxury Uber Black service, while also seeming to open another one for an intermediate category of oversized transport such as minivans and bigger. Call it Uber XL, a new category for hiring extra-large vehicles that can seat more than what sedans could, and at an appropriately higher rate than on Uber X.

However, until Uber XL becomes a reality, the folks who’d want to rent out their vans will just have to do it as before, off-meter and on contracted fees. This isn’t true for a BAIC MZ45 owner. An MZ45 owner can rent out his van as a sedan equivalent under Uber X, taking on 4 passengers at a time and gaining regular customers who may eventually be interested in hiring the vehicle as a full-blown chartered van that’ll carry 8 (excluding the driver). Until another Uber category is introduced for mini and full-sized vans, there’s the BAIC MZ45 that could be useful every day both for business and for the family… a truly variable vehicle.

BYD Taxis Hit the Streets

May 4, 2015 Gelzon de la CruzLeave a comment

Look for a cab in the city and, if you’re lucky, you could end up choosing between several makes. Though the Toyota Vios from several model years remains the most ubiquitous on the road, you’d sometimes have the option for other sedans such as the Hyundai Accent, and now, the BYD F3.

If it’s a choice between sub-compact sedans like the Vios and Accent, and a slightly bigger compact like the F3, which would you choose? It’s the same metered cost to you, theoretically, so you’d probably go for the bigger, likely more comfortable ride. And that’s what World Transport is banking on as it partners up with STAR Corp., exclusive distributor of BYD vehicles in the country. They’ve just announced the roll out of BYD F3 cabs in World Trasnport livery.

Other than dimensions, which you’d like bigger, the numbers game would work in reverse for you as a hirer, in contrast to ownership concerns for weight and engine size. With dimensions that closely match those of the Toyota Corolla Altis, the Vios’ bigger brother, from several generations back, the F3 promises larger people as well as cargo space, and a smooth ride on the longer wheelbase (LWH of 4533x1705x1490mm, WB of 2600mm) while riding higher than most other cab choices (and perhaps drier with 170mm of ground clearance).

The F3 is about 100kg heavier than its rivals, not surprising given its size and seemingly thicker skin, and has a bigger petrol engine. If the driver didn’t over-inflate the tires to eke out every possible kilometre per liter of petrol, the weight ought to translate into better handling of frequent potholes and road wrinkles. The 1.5L 16V SOHC engine, while on the very edge of what can still be considered as a utilitarian fuel sipper, could be smoother running, more quiet, than the 1.3L of the Vios, and definitely more than the turbodiesel of the Accent. The inside should be quiet with the A/C making cool and dry the air you’re paying for, even while you’re sweating out the meter’s ticks in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

With this move to put their vehicles on the public transport grid, BYD follows in the footsteps of Toyota and Hyundai, all having embraced the brand-building possibilities, and not shirking away from the utilitarian image, of having taxicab models. In the case of BYD however, the move tends more to the strategic. Although they’ll entertain any inquiries from private buyers, they’ve brought in the F3 specifically for taxicab service, it isn’t a base variant to any of their other models.

The last time any carmaker did this was in the 1990’s when Hyundai rolled the dice with their Excel sub-compact sedan. The Excel didn’t prosper, not while purchases where possible only with taxicab operating licenses, but Hyundai did. BYD could do better with the F3 pushed for fleet service while also quietly making it available to any other interested motorists.

The BYD L3: Prime Example of Why China Carmakers Are Banking on DCTs

April 29, 2015 Gelzon de la Cruz4 Comments

There’s this apparent trend, a growing demand for automatic dual-clutch transmissions (DCTs). Late in 2008, Germany’s BorgWarner partnered up with the dozen major carmakers behind the China Automobile Development United Investment Company to start manufacturing DCTs in Dalian. Early the next year, BYD Auto, the largest independent carmaker in China and not a participant in the consortium that partnered up with BorgWarner, started developing its combination of a direct-injection turbocharged engine and 6-speed tiptronic DCT—their Ti+DCT technology package.

By April 2012, the BorgWarner-China joint venture was reporting a large and increasing demand for DCTs in the emerging automotive markets of both Europe and Asia. They estimated that the market for DCTs in China alone would grow from 0.6 million in 2012 to 2.7 million units by 2017, growing each year by 35%. Months later, in August 2012, after they had already launched their F5 sedan with the Ti+DCT package that took two years to develop, BYD both admitted that they had problems with supply of the DCTs for their popular vehicles and reported that they had already solved these. Though they didn’t elaborate on their solution, soon afterwards in November 2012 they announced that by the next year, BYD would be putting their own in-house developed DCTs in their vehicles. Then, in 2013, BYD started featuring their in-house developed DCT even on vehicles without high-end turbocharged engines.

The narrative paints a picture of China carmakers, particularly of independent BYD which not only has to compete for market share but also has to defend its position against a consortium of other carmakers, all being keen on putting DCTs on their product, and not only on their higher end offerings. Figuring out why requires a closer look at DCTs, at what distinguishes these from other types, and then an evaluation of its implementation on BYD’s mid-range L3 sedan.

Two where there was one

BYD's in-house developed 6-speed DCT — *BYD’s in-house developed 6-speed DCT*

What makes it a dual-clutch transmission? Why the two clutches? The two smoothen, even simplify, the gear changes. Physically linked, as one clutch disengages from one gear, the other engages the next gear up, or down. Elegant if you think about it. Instead of the sequential steps of lifting the clutch, putting the next gear under it, and then pushing the clutch back in, the DCT does all three in one action.

But what happens at the very start when you roll off? On an automatic DCT, slide the stick into D and what happens? The car being stationary while you keep your foot on the brake (as you normally would on an automatic before rolling off), will one of the clutches immediately press in and engage first gear? You’d think it would if you’ve gotten used to a typical automatic, an AT. But no, it won’t.

Of things mechanical and fluid

On the ATs we’re accustomed to, slide the stick into D and you’ll immediately feel torque on the drive wheels, urging the car forward even as you keep your foot on the brakes. If the AT had a clutch, doing this would’ve stalled the engine, or would otherwise wear down the clutch’s contact surface. But an AT has no clutch.

*Center column on the BYD L3 DCT variant*

Instead of a clutch mashed up against a pressure plate, a torque converter replaces that mechanical contact with fluid force. An impeller driven by the engine’s driveshaft pumps automatic transmission fluid (yes, that ATF you need to top-off routinely) against a turbine, turning it and in turn driving the transmission. Instead of the friction of a mechanical link that would wear down the clutch or stall the engine if you kept your foot planted on the brakes, there would be just the turbulence of the fluid as it gets pumped from impeller to turbine and then back again. (By the way, that re-circulation of the ATF from the turbine back to the impeller is achieved by a third component, a stator, but we’ll leave that detail for another story.)

The torque converter transmits significant enough engine power that if you pour on the gas, keeping your foot on the brake pedal won’t keep the car stationary for long, at least not your drive wheels. But yes, you’d know right off that a torque converter can’t possibly transmit all of it—a fluid connection simply can’t match the positive contact of a solid one. Because the force of the engine is transmitted through fluid pumping, the impeller on the driveshaft will spin faster than the turbine on the transmission—what engineers call the “slippage” that’s inherent in torque converters. (In modern automatics there’s a lock-up clutch that engages when the car is at cruising speed, creating a mechanical link with the top gear after it has gone through acceleration, but that detail we’ll also leave for another story.)

Back to clutches

Back again to the DCT which replaces the torque converter with clutches, it isn’t really an evolution of the AT—not a hydraulic automatic—but rather one of a manual gearbox where the clutch-work and gear-shifting has been taken over by electronic actuators.

More efficient with the positive contact of the clutch instead of the hydraulics of a torque converter, a DCT must have the programming to discern when to engage or disengage either of its clutches. Unlike an AT that can rely on slippage to cushion both the torque from and the load on the engine, a DCT needs to actively manage the clutch-work, manage the clutch friction. The DCTs programming triggers when to engage the clutch on the first gear and when to transition to the other clutch for an up-shift, when to go back to the other clutch for another up-shift, and so on until the top gear is reached at cruising speed.

And, at the same time, the DCTs programming needs to make the automated clutch-work and gearshifts familiar and intuitive to motorists. Not a trivial thing since there’s a lot you could get right, or wrong, in the algorithms.

The DCT on the BYD L3

Now, finally, knowing how a DCT works, we ask: how does it stack up on the BYD L3, how good is it on a compact sedan from China’s biggest independent carmaker?

If you’re mainly a stick driver, you’ll appreciate the convenience of an automatic but muscle memory will probably see you reaching out with your left foot for a clutch pedal that isn’t there, or dropping your right hand onto the drive selector for an up-shift you don’t have to do yourself. Seen from this perspective, from the point of view of one used to being enabled, and burdened, by a manual gearbox, the automatic DCT can be a superb alternative.

*The 1.5 liter BYD483QE engine on the BYD L3*

Before testing the L3’s DCT variant, I tried the one with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 1.5 liter BYD483QE engine with SOHC over 16 valves featuring variable lift and timing technology delivers peak power and torque of 107hp at 5,800rpm and 107lb-ft at 4,800rpm, respectively. On the 1,210kg sedan, the power is enough for assertive acceleration but you could feel there’s just a slim reserve remaining for when you want things more spirited. But then again it’s tuned for fuel efficiency, the manual variant reportedly reaching 19km/l on the highway. So, given how the L3’s engine is, you’d want all that available power driving you forward. And on the DCT variant, the power is all there.

As advertised, good efficiency

On a highway drive of over 100km, I chalked up 17km/l while insisting for most of the trip on a 100km/h cruise with the engine turning at 2,400rpm. On the occasions when I backed off and settled down at 80km/h, the engine turning at just 2,000rpm, the trip computer had me doing 18km/l.

On a day’s drive in the city, the L3 DCT turned in a figure of 11km/l with frequent prolonged stops burning fuel at a rate of 1ltr per hour being offset by the car’s noteworthy ability to move off again and accelerate decently with the engine never exceeding 2,200rpm—this, even with a full family load of two adults and three kids. With a long enough stretch of open road, that 2,200 rpm cap could bring the L3 up to 60km/h where you could settle back at 2,000rpm and remain in 5th gear. At those readings, at 60 in 5th and with 2,000, the trip computer would show current fuel consumption of just 5ltrs per 100km—the equivalent of 20km/l for those few seconds that you can remain at 60km/h on city streets.

Impressive numbers from a compact sedan weighing in at a ton and a quarter, and close enough to those of the manual variant to verify that the DCT’s clutches do work as advertised. Though more efficient than an AT, a DCT won’t match a manual’s mileage because the latter can be coasted, clutch disengaged, whenever the driver’s inner ear and butt cheeks tell him he can. On a DCT, once the car is moving, one of its clutches is always engaged, unless the driver flips the selector into N. Although, that flipping into N, while already cruising at 100km/h on the highway, shows just how refined the DCT is on the BYD L3.

Smooth clutch-work, smooth shifting

With the car in D and with easy pressure on the gas pedal (pressed just an inch in), the L3 DCT accelerates well enough, shifting up at the aforementioned 2,200rpm as it reaches 10, 30, 45, 60 and then 80km/h when it finally enters sixth gear. The shifts happen so fast and so smoothly there’s no feeling of forward thrust ever letting up, the only sign of a shift being the softening of the engine’s noise as it drops from 2,200rpm down to just under 2,000rpm whenever it takes up the new gear ratio before spooling up again for the next up-shift.

That smooth shifting indicates that the DCTs programming has good routines for toggling between the dual-clutches. But popping the selector out of D and into N, and then back again, while already at cruise, that shows how well the DCT emulates a human driver. Pop her into N to disengage the active clutch, then take your foot off the gas. The car will go free-wheeling and you’ll see the revs settle back down to the 800rpm idling level. All as expected.

But then you’d worry, will putting it back in D cause a sudden, maybe catastrophic re-engagement of the clutch at too low a gear? No, it won’t. Pop the selector back into D and the clutch doesn’t reengage immediately. The DCT first pre-selects the proper gear based on current speed—6^th for 100km/h in my case—and then eases in the clutch. Keep off the gas and you’ll see the tachymeter needle gently go back up to around 2,000rpm as the clutch is finessed back in and the engine revs get picked up by the turning of the drive wheels.

Smooth roll outs with a DCT

Now finally, an answer to the question: what happens differently on the L3’s DCT when you pop it into D to roll out? Like that popping out and back into D at cruising speed, the clutch won’t engage immediately. Pop into D to roll off while still stepping on the brakes and you’ll feel nothing. There’s no jerking forward against the braked wheels. Reason is that the clutch won’t engage until you take your foot off the brakes.

Do release the brakes and a moment later you’ll feel the clutch pushing in, again gently, to start the car rolling. I’ve heard reports of how engines with DCTs typically shudder at this point. For my money, it wasn’t any worse than what I’ve felt on ATs, but putting it that way would have me still missing the point. The shuddering is no different from what I’d feel on a manual transmission if I was too slow in giving it some gas as I let off the clutch pedal. In other words, the vibration is merely a sign of the engine approaching stall, prompting you to be more lively on the gas.

The best way I found for making roll-outs silky smooth on the L3 is to take my foot of the brake then immediately imagine myself easing my left foot off the non-existent clutch pedal. I’d let that visualization trigger muscle memory, let it cue me to gently press on the gas pedal. On a manual, it’s a simultaneous thing: ease off the clutch pedal as you ease in the gas. On a DCT, still with a clutch though it’s controlled by computer, the routine isn’t really different. And, as it happens, it’s a good safety feature. Better to not have the DCT intervene on the gas just for the sake of smoothing out your roll off. That part, you can take care of yourself.

Uphill, not a problem

This said, there is one situation when the DCT will partly engage the clutch and throttle up the engine even while you’re stopped and stepping on the brakes. Recall that a DCT won’t engage the clutch when you put it in D if your foot is still pushing down on the brake. This won’t do if you’re hanging on an uphill incline. That fraction of a second delay will see you sliding back before the clutch engages, compelling you to throttle up quickly to stop the slide and jerk the car into forward motion … a crude and nerve-wracking way to tackle a hanging situation.

No wonder that the L3’s DCT has an uphill assist feature—it’s absolutely necessary after all, not just a gimmick. What is surprising is the sheer elegance of how the designers will have you activate it. If you’re stopped on an incline and needing to climb uphill, a tried and tested technique on manual gearboxes is to pull up the hand-brake to keep you stationary while you balance you’re clutch and throttle to put torque on the wheels and make them start pushing against the brake. This way, when you release the hand-brake, the car will immediately start inching up instead of down the incline.

So how would they have you do something similar on the L3’s DCT? Why, by also pulling on the handbrake of course. Say you’re stopped, hanging on an incline, and wanting a smooth roll out. Keep stepping on the brake, slide the selector into D, then pull on the handbrake to instruct the DCT to set you up with enough clutch and throttle to have the L3 chomping at the bit, ready to move forward as soon as you set the handbrake back down and ease off the brake pedal—very natural for those who are accustomed to manual gearboxes.

Advantages on many levels

Discard notions of it being like a traditional automatic and instead treat the DCT as a manual gearbox on which you’ve delegated clutch and gearshift control to a computer. Do this and the efficiency benefits of this alternative and new automatic, particularly on the BYD L3, will come with no trade-off in terms of drivability. In fact, it could be more enjoyable than either a traditional AT or an old-school manual.

By their very nature, a DCT’s clutch and gearshift servos need to be computer controlled. What’s noteworthy on the BYD L3 is how the engineers have shaped this automation to both rely on and to channel the competence of the driver. With sensors to monitor the energy state of the vehicle, its velocity, its load, its momentum, the DCT makes full use of its controller suite to both emulate and respond to what any experienced driver would do if he were in control of the clutch and gearshift.

And finally, also because of its dependence on electronic control of clutch and gearshift servos, making a particular DCT distinct from those of other carmakers is as much a function of the heavy industry behind it as it is of the programming talent that goes into it. So, with DCTs and while they are still working at becoming major global players, Chinese carmakers can leverage the country’s deep programming talent pool into an immediate competitive advantage.

2015 Isuzu D-Max Line Up Features New Variant, New Top-End Engine

April 18, 2015 Gelzon de la CruzLeave a comment

Manila, 18 April 2015–Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) has launched the D-Max line-up for 2015 at the Clark International Speedway with events that ran yesterday to today featuring a precision driving exhibition and on-track and rough-trail test drives to demonstrate the truck’s selling points both on and off the road. A team of precision drivers thrilled on-lookers with spirited formation driving on the main speedway’s turns and straightaways—an impressive sight when done in high-riding trucks. Afterwards, dealer and media representatives were given the chance to get behind the wheel on all four variants (4×2 or 4×4, AT or MT) in the D-Max’s top LS range.

New Pricing, New Mid-Range Variant

Model	4×2 Drivetrain				4×4 Drivetrain
Line	MT variant		AT variant		MT variant		AT variant

LS	P1,154,000	*	P1,206,000	*	P1,428,000	*	P1,487,000	*
LT-X	P935,000	**
LT	P872,000	**			P1,178,000	*
Single cab	P712,000

* Features new top-spec 133hp 2.5L 4JK1-TCX with CRDi and VGS turbo
** Features standard 107hp 2.5L 4JK1-TC direct injection turbo-diesel

The 4x2 Single Cab variant introduced last year as a bare chassis option for numerous truck applications. — *The 4×2 Single Cab variant introduced last year as a bare chassis option for numerous truck applications.*

IPC’s 2015 pricelist widens the difference between their 4×2 and 4×4 offerings. While list prices increased by P10,000 to P15,000 on the 4×2 LS, LT and Single Cab, there were greater P25,000 to P30,000 increases on the 4×4 LT and LS variants, respectively. The pricing shows Isuzu as defending its position more in the 4×2 truck segment—a sensible move in a market where the demand for pick-ups rides more on their high ground clearance and robust diesels than on their all-terrain capabilities. And a move that goes hand-in-hand with Isuzu’s again adding another variant to its 4×2 line up, bringing their total selection up to eight variants—five 4×2’s and three 4×4’s.

Last year they introduced the base 4×2 single cab and chassis variant, this year they add the upper mid-range 4×2 LT-X that features the custom bedliner like that on the top-end LS, and 15” alloy wheels. IPC President Nobuo Izumina said of the new variant: “Our new Isuzu D-MAX LT-X MT 2.5L variant is fit not just to withstand the usual capabilities of the current pick-up trucks in the market but to go beyond the borders of stereotypes.”

New Top-End Engine

New 4JK1-TCX top-end engine with VGS turbo and CRDi feed. — *New 133hp 4JK1-TCX top-end engine with VGS turbo and CRDi feed.*

*Standard 107hp 4JK1-TC turbodiesel with direct injection.*

On the 4×4 LT and all four LS variants, the top-spec 4JJI-TC 3.0L diesel with turbocharger and CRDi fuel feed, has been replaced with the more economical but harder pulling 4JK1-TCX 2.5L diesel with its VGS turbocharger and CRDi fuel feed. Though specs show the 2.5L VGS and CRDi turbodiesel to have nominally less horsepower than the 3.0L CRDi turbo (133hp versus 146hp), the new engine delivers higher torque at lower RPMs (236lb-ft@2,200rpm versus 217lb-ft@3,400rpm) and at much improved fuel economy.

Worth noting is the fact that the new 4JK1-TCX is built on the same engine core as the standard 2.5L 4JK1-TC still used on the 4×2 Single Cab, LT and new LT-X variants. The 14% gain in torque of the TCX comes mainly from its CRDi fuel feed and the VGS turbine on its turbocharger—both of which replace modular counterparts on the base TC engine which has a direct injection feed and a conventional turbo.

Strategic Moves

While the D-Max’s engine choices still offer distinctly different performance options, these now have more parts in common, possibly easing the logistics behind the spare parts inventories that need to be carried by Isuzu and their service centers—a definite advantage after the parts crunch that motorists and vehicle maintenance providers experienced under the recent Port Crisis. And, with the D-Max’s line up that both widens and deepens its intended market with numerous variants, this could prove to be sublimely strategic for bolstering the truck’s strong reputation as an ever reliable workhorse.

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