The all-new Honda City unveiled

The all-new Honda City unveiled

Posted by: Andy Mervin George

Honda Malaysia today unveiled the third-generation Honda City compact sedan in Kuala Lumpur.

The all-new City comes with numerous firsts in its class, combining style, performance and practicality, but more on that as you read on.

Not just the regular City car for the ladies here

There are two variants available, these being tagged Grade E and Grade S. The Grade E comes with additional paddle shifters, rear reclining seats with an underseat tray and 16-inch sport alloy wheels.

Exterior style-wise, the City adopts what Honda calls an ‘Arrowshot Form’ design outlook from end-to-end. Strikingly, the front end resembles a transformable robot from an animated movie, whilst the tail lamps look very much like those found on the BMW 3-Series.

The i-DSI block is history, so the new City goes about its business with a single powerplant choice, this being a newly-developed four-cylinder 1.5l i-VTEC engine which pushes out 120bhp at 6,000rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. Compliant with Euro 4 level emission standards, the City is deemed the most powerful compact sedan in the market to date.

The advanced i-VTEC engine is now mated with a five-speed automatic transmission with Shift Hold Control and is the first in its class. Gone too is the CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) gearbox, an omission brought about by the rougher style of driving encountered here, according to surveys carried out by Honda Japan’s R&D division.

Compensating for the absence of a manual transmission gearbox (a five-speed manual is available in both Thailand and Singapore) are the paddle shifters in the Grade E, which provides the driver with a sportier means of changing gears.

Functional minus the clutter, and it brings out a gutsy feeling in you

The steering wheel is now of the tilt and telescopic type, and the footrest is now wider as the accelerator and brake pedals have been shifted more to the right. The car comes with EPS (Electric Power Steering), and safety comes in the form of dual SRS airbags and front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters.

Stopping power is reinforced with ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution), while BA (Brake Assist) amplifies the driver’s foot force with minimal pedal input.

Entertainment for the occupants inside the City is provided by an advanced audio system that is compatible with MP3 players, iPod, USB memory or a mobile hard disk drive. In the Grade E variant, you get a six-speaker system with steering wheel audio controls, while the Grade S makes do with a four-speaker arrangement.

The all-new City does not compromise in rear passenger convenience with a fold-down armrest that also houses integrated cup holders.

Another first in its class, the City’s rear trunk is able to contain a whopping 506l of cargo, which is equivalent to being able to store four nine-inch-wide golf bags.

As mentioned, the Grade E’s rear seats can be folded in a 60:40 split configuration for extended luggage carrying capacity, and is fitted with an underseat tray to stow away wet umbrellas or footwear.

There are a total of five colours to choose from – Alabaster Silver Metallic, Bold Beige Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, and new colours Crystal Black Pearl and Deep Lapis Blue Metallic. Unfortunately, a striking signature colour called Habanero Red Pearl, as well as a very pretty Tafetta White, is not available.

The Honda City is manufactured in Malaysia, with 30% of the parts sourced locally, including the seats and instrument panel, while the rest are from Japan.

Get into the City and it makes you happy

According to Atsushi Fujimoto, managing director of Honda Malaysia, the previous City was still doing quite well into the end of its run, having registered a total sales volume of 8,000 units from Jan to Nov this year. With the arrival of the new one, Honda Malaysia is targeting to sell about 1,500 units of the new City on a monthly basis, and pre-launch bookings have been brisk, with more than 1,500 orders to date - as of launch time, the waiting period is a month, though that is surely to change if more orders come about.

The City rolls in at RM84,980 for the Grade S and RM89,980 for the Grade E (both on the road, with insurance) and comes with a three-year warranty or 100,000km and six months free service or 10,000km, whichever comes first.

A Modulo accessories package is available to spruce up the City’s exterior, and this consists of front, side, rear and trunk spoilers, all for an additional RM4,750.


SOURCE: THE STAR ONLINE

Chevrolet Volt

Production version of Chevy Volt unveiled

Posted by: Anthony Lim

General Motors has unveiled the much-anticipated production version of its Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle. The design of the Volt production car has evolved from the original concept that was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

Volt's up, you say?

Many of the design cues from the concept vehicle however endure in the production Volt, including the closed front grille, athletic stance, rear design graphics, outside rearview mirrors and more.

Inside, the Volt offers the space, comfort, convenience and safety features expected in a four-passenger sedan, with a variety of interior color, lighting and trim options. Modern controls and attractive materials, two informational displays, and a touch-sensitive infotainment center with integrated shifter will distinguish the Volt's interior from other vehicles in the market.

The Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) uses electricity to move the wheels (which feature specially developed low rolling-resistance tires sitting on 17-inch forged aluminium alloys) at all times and speeds.

Spiffy interior should win friends.

For trips up to 40 miles, the Volt is powered only by electricity stored in its 16kWh, lithium-ion battery; more than 220 lithium-ion cells are contained within the Volt's battery pack. The electric drive unit delivers the equivalent of 150bhp of power and 370Nm of instant torque, and a top speed of 160kph.

When the battery's energy is depleted, a gasoline/E85-powered engine generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the Volt's electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This mode of operation extends the range of the Volt for several hundred additional miles, until the vehicle's battery can be charged. Unlike a conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Volt eliminates "range anxiety," giving the confidence and peace of mind that the driver will not be stranded by a depleted battery.

Volt a lot of promise, for sure.

The Volt can be plugged either into a standard household 120v outlet or use 240v for charging. The vehicle's intelligent charging technology enables the Volt's battery to be charged in less than three hours on a 240v outlet or about eight hours on a 120v outlet. Charge times are reduced if the battery has not been fully depleted.

The Volt is expected to be built at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing facility, subject to GM successfully negotiating satisfactory government incentives. Production is scheduled to begin late 2010 for models in the United States.

SOURCE: http://star-motoring.com

D.I.Y LAPTOP REPAIR

DIY Laptop Repair: More Costly in the End

Author: Anthony Williams Sr.




We all cringe when our computers start showing noticeable glitches; software programs that don't run right or a screen that starts to fade in and out. You want these issues fixed fast and for as cheap as possible. The simplest solution seems to be on the 'net: diagnose, repair and restart your laptop yourself.

For many of these problems handy solutions can be found online with step-by-step manuals written in plain English and with photographic guides that can be easily followed. However, for hardware problems and especially for Dell laptops in particular, these tutorials can get you into a whole mess of trouble if you are not experienced with laptop repair.

It is very easy to destroy your Dell laptop computer while attempting a little DIY.

Software

If the source of your Dell laptop issues appears to be entirely software based then you can realistically diagnose and fix the issue with help from forums and Internet guides.

If the worst happens you can always restore your computer to factory settings and start from scratch (this is why you should always backup your data religiously!).

Dell laptops come with a great little step-by-step procedure for restoring the operating system or the entire computer in case of major problems. Of course if your computer has been infected with a particularly nasty virus then you still may need the help of a professional to revive it.

Hardware

If all you want to do with your laptop is upgrade your memory then this too can be accomplished through a little DIY. However, there are specific steps involved and you must be able to complete these steps exactly as written to ensure your computer will still fire up afterwards.

One of the major issues when replacing memory or any computer part is static electricity. One little zap and the components are destroyed. That is why professionals use devices to remove static from their work area so this kind of accident isn't possible. For the home user you will have to make sure you keep the new memory board in its packaging until the very last moment. You will also have to ground yourself so that you can't transfer a shock to the inside of your computer. Handling these parts also takes precision work to ensure they don't become damaged on install.

For All Other Issues and Repairs

While many people on the Internet make laptop home repair appear easy, the reality is that it isn't. One of the main issues regarding laptop repair is that you have crack open the casing on your laptop to get to any faulty parts.

Just opening the case is a difficult thing. For Dell laptops you have pry out the rubber pads underneath in order to expose the screws that hold your computer together. This sounds easy but the fact that most people give up home repair in this stage should give you an indication of the difficulty. Also some manufacturers apply glue to these screws to keep them from loosening.

If you manage to remove the screws then you are faced with unsnapping the plastic bezel from the body without breaking it. Once inside you need to be able to diagnose the issue and replace any defective parts, all without accidentally damaging or frying any of the fragile components.

Most people try DIY laptop repair to save money. However, if done improperly you could be looking at not just a repair bill but also a whole new computer. In the long run it works out cheaper to let the experts handle your Dell laptop repair.


SOURCE: http://www.articlesbase.com

PAY PER CLICK

What Are Pay Per Click Reports?

by: Derek Rogers

A pay per click report will inform you of how many visitors you have had to your website, what keyword they used to get there, and some monitor how long they were there. These reports can be daily, weekly, or monthly. There are free pay per click services however they do not give you all the information that you can get from a paid service.


Companies mainly use a monthly report on the traffic to their websites. In order to utilize the pay per click service to it’s utmost ability, they must report data from web marketing as well as other crucial information. This will allow the user to examine their marketing strategies to decide if they are working.

Some pay per click companies put a tracking code in your website to monitor sales. How many customers have signed in and what they are interested in is also tracked. Most will prepare a report that is easy to understand. It will contain information about the sales generated by the people using pay per click, visitor breakdown, and anything else they think is of particular interest to the website owner.


The benefits of using pay per click are invaluable to companies that want to use their website to generate more income for the company. With so many people having access to the internet, it is the number one way that customers seek and find the company that they want to use for their needs. These reports will allow you to see how well your company is doing by how many internet visitors you have each day.


One of the benefits of using a pay per click report is the tracking of keyword use. When advertising your business, keywords are used to direct traffic to your website. When you use pay per click the reports you get will show which keywords worked the best and which ones you need to replace. A good keyword will have more hits on it and the keywords with the least hits means you need to find another. By doing this you will know the difference.


The reports can show you how to optimise your initial web site page to get more visitors. There are certain items that people look for when going to a web page. With the reports from pay per click, the ones that work the best will be suggested so you can get the most from your website.


Pay per click reports can help you to know for sure how many people have logged into your website. It is the best way to be aware of just how well your advertising is doing. You could advertise in the newspaper, on a billboard, or by direct mail but how are you going to know the number of people who have seen your advertisement? Plain and simply, you are not.


By using pay per click you will know the exact number of visits to your website. This report will become an important tool to help you make the most of your web page and give you the knowledge you need to optimise the site you use for generating income.


SOURCE: http://www.articlecity.com