Volkswagen Tiguan more powerful than Golf GTI
Volkswagen may still be reeling from its diesel scandal, but that has not stopped it from unveiling a 240bhp 2-litre bi-turbo diesel Tiguan. With more power on tap than even the current iteration of the iconic Golf GTI, the Tiguan has 30bhp more than the previous chart topper - the 2.0TSI. The bi-turbo engine is similar to that offered in the current Passat and Passat Alltrack, and boasts a high-performance cylinder head and two-stage turbocharger.
Mated to VW's all-wheel-drive system, the new Tiguan boasts a prodigious century sprint of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 227kmh.
New Suzuki Jimny to debut next year
Suzuki will introduce a new Jimny soon. The rugged compact crossover will be a five-door aimed at enthusiasts who want a serious off-roader in a family-friendly package.
A facelift of the previous generation Jimny was launched here more than 10 years ago. The new car could debut here as early as in the fourth quarter of next year.
New showroom for Champion Motors
Suzuki agent Champion Motors has relocated its showroom to 237 Alexandra Road. The new 6,000 sq ft facility - twice the size of its previous showroom - can accommodate 18 cars.
Designed with a cosy garden and a cafe bar with a phone-charging station, the outlet represents Champion's presence in the prime Alexandra-Leng Kee Road motor belt.
Batteries get a second life
What do you do with electric vehicle batteries at the end of their life cycle? In the Battery 2nd Life project by Vattenfall, BMW and Bosch, the used batteries are merged into a large storage facility in Hamburg, Germany, to keep the electricity grid stable.
About 2,600 used battery modules from more than 100 electric vehicles provide a combined power rating of two megawatts and a storage capacity of 2,800 kilowatt-hours. This is enough to supply electricity to an average two-person household for seven months. However, the stored energy is not intended for general supply, but instead is sold on the primary control reserve market to stabilise power supply.
Subaru cars to be recalled
About 1,500 Subaru cars in Singapore are affected by a product recall. According to the Land Transport Authority, models include the Exiga, Forester, Impreza and Legacy.
Agent MotorImage will be notifying owners soon.
The exercise is part of a campaign to recall 100,000 Subarus in Japan to fix a switch for an exhaust recirculation pump. The faulty switch stays on even after the engine is warmed up.
In search of the yeti
An expedition led by British adventurer Alastair Humphreys is set to answer the question that has vexed explorers for centuries: Does the yeti exist?
The adventure, which begins early next month, will see a fleet of Skoda Yeti SUVs drive into the Bhutan mountains to visit areas where the mythical ape-man has been sighted. The expedition team will start its epic journey in Samdrup Jonkhar in south-east Bhutan. The team will then travel north for more than 500km and up to an altitude of 3,530m.
ComfortDelGro buys first non-diesel fleet
ComfortDelGro has bought 100 Toyota Prius taxis, marking its first fleet of non-diesel cabs.
The trend of using petrol-electric hybrids as taxis here was pioneered by Prime Taxis - the smallest operator - five years ago. The third-largest operator SMRT followed suit, with the biggest fleet of hybrid cabs here.
Going hybrid allows taxi companies to enjoy lower costs and higher rentals.
Christopher Tan
