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Business Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Times
Lotus Emira SE Turbo review: The last great petrol car?
[singapore] If combustion power is on a helter skelter to irrelevance, at least it's going down with a shout in cars like the Lotus Emira. Especially in hardcore SE Turbo form, where it whooshes, whistles and crackles along the way. SE Turbo is an old tag that Lotus uses aptly here. The 'SE' stands for 'special equipment', which in the Emira's case means sport suspension; a sharper driving mode for those glorious days when you venture onto the track; beefed-up brakes; a launch control system to give you a fighting chance against electric cars in a drag race; and an exhaust that controls its shoutiness better than my niblings do. The Lotus Emira SE Turbo has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which doesn't sound like much, but it comes from Mercedes-AMG, where men in lab coats managed to wring 406 horsepower from it. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Mounted behind the seats in this Emira, you'll find – you guessed it – a turbocharged engine. It's a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, which doesn't sound like much, but it comes from Mercedes-AMG, where men in lab coats managed to wring 406 horsepower from it. You can't actually see the turbocharger, because when you lift the Lotus' engine cover the only things visible are a plastic shroud and the car's tiny boot, but I bet it's the size of a watermelon. Hitherto you could only have your Emira with a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 that came out two years ago, but Lotus apparently had the lighter AMG unit in mind when it laid out the car, so the SE Turbo is arguably the one you're meant to have if you consider yourself a driving fan. Either way, the Emira itself marked a turning point for Lotus by being usable, well-finished and pretty, two out of three things its earlier cars often forgot to be. As a matter of fact, even the harsher SE Turbo can be surprisingly civil. There are actual storage spaces in the cabin of the Emira, meaning you have somewhere to deposit your phone, keys, wallet and so on. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING I would have liked blind spot monitors, but the Emira is otherwise a doddle to drive every day. There are actual storage spaces in the cabin, meaning you have somewhere to deposit your phone, keys, wallet and so on. It has electrically adjustable seats. The air-con copes well with our heat. There's cruise control. There's even a touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up And if the engine's boisterous voice is a prominent part of the experience, at least your ears aren't subjected to that much road noise. All of that might seem basic, but it's a huge leap from the days when a Lotus interior smelled of glue and had less carpeting than Homer Simpson's head. The Emira has electrically adjustable seats, and the air-con copes well with our heat. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING There's even a decent sound system from British audiophile company KEF, albeit with slightly muddy bass. But the real sonic entertainment comes from the engine itself. There's plenty to tickle the ears, between the whooshing of the turbo's dump valve and the whistling of its wastegate, which are constant reminders that something exciting is going on just behind you. Add the bellowing from the exhaust and some dramatic popping (especially in Track mode), and you've got a soundtrack that makes the small hairs stand. With the sound, there's fury. The SE Turbo punches hard from standstill, but once the revs climb past 4,000 rpm, it goes from fast to fiendish in a hurry, piling on speed like it's trying to honour its Formula 1 ancestors. At the same time, this is a Lotus, so it handles with grace and precision. There's hydraulic power steering instead of the now-common electric setup, for the sake of better feel, and your reward for putting up with a busy, sometimes jiggly ride over bumps is a taut, agile chassis. The SE Turbo also pulls big G-forces through corners effortlessly, so you'll want to be on a racing track to probe its limits, because doing so involves some lairy speeds. Yet, the whole package feels sized for real roads. Despite being a relatively wide car, it's easy to place and easy to thread through traffic. Despite being a relatively wide car, the Lotus Emira SE Turbo is easy to place and easy to thread through traffic. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING In fact, the Emira reminds me a bit of a slightly scaled-down Ferrari. It certainly has the low, wide stance of one, with the same sense that its body was shrink-wrapped over the oily bits. Yet, Lotus being Lotus, the multitude of scoops and vents on the body aren't there to look impressive, but to take in air or bleed it out where it's needed, either for cooling or to generate the downforce that stabilises the car at speed. Overall, the SE Turbo may be fast, focused and loud in all the right ways, but its real achievement is how much it stays faithful to Lotus' roots while actually being something you'd want to live with. Of course, there are probably purists to whom an everyday Lotus is a contradiction in terms. But Lotus' previous strategy of building brilliant but uncompromising cars nearly drove the company into the ground, and the Emira represents a new way forward. That might not sit well with the hardliners, but there's usually room for purists on that downward slide to irrelevance. Lotus Emira SE Turbo Engine 1,991 cc turbo in-line four Power 406 hp at 6,750 rpm Torque 480 Nm at 4,500 rpm Gearbox 8-speed dual-clutch automatic 0 to 100 kmh 4.0 seconds Top speed 290 kmh Efficiency 9.1 L/100 km Agent Wearnes Automotive Price S$548,800 excluding COE Available Now
Business Times
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
BYD Sealion 7 vs Tesla Model Y: Which should you buy?
[singapore] This fight was bound to happen. Once the world's single bestselling car, Tesla's Model Y has been the electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) to beat for years. So it's only natural that Chinese juggernaut BYD, now the world's leading electric vehicle (EV) maker, would come out swinging with the Sealion 7, a five-seat, battery-powered SUV designed to knock the crown clean off the Tesla's glass roof. In top Performance spec, BYD's Sealion 7 serves up 530 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a 0 to 100 kmh time of 4.5 seconds. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING BYD's Sealion 7 (above) is a five-seat, battery-powered SUV designed to knock the crown clean off the Tesla's glass roof. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING On paper, it's a close fight. In top Performance spec, the Sealion 7 serves up 530 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a 0 to 100 kmh time of 4.5 seconds. You can get similar pace from the Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which has 507 horsepower and takes 4.8 seconds to hit 100. Tesla's Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive has 507 horsepower and takes 4.8 seconds to hit 100. The new rear-wheel drive Juniper version sneaks under the Category A COE bar by offering just 150 horsepower. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING But for this test, I drove the new Juniper version of the Model Y in its most popular form, the rear-wheel drive (RWD) Singapore special that sneaks under the Category A Certificate Of Entitlement (COE) bar by offering just 150 horsepower. It accounts for some 80 per cent of local Model Y sales, which reveals how smart it was of Tesla to cull a few horses. The RWD version costs S$205,977 with COE, while the Sealion 7 Performance tested here costs S$219,888 with a Category B COE. The Tesla and BYD deliver nearly identical range (466 km and 460 km, respectively), and would make it to Kuala Lumpur on a single charge. Without leaving the country, most drivers here could comfortably go a week between plugging them in. Testing the least powerful Model Y against the most powerful Sealion 7 sounds like an unfair comparison, but in our market, the BYD would be more competitive if it came in tamer Category A form, not less. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Tesla has given the Model Y a raft of changes to keep it fresh for 2025, starting with clean new looks. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Performance figures aside, what matters is what these cars are like to live with. Tesla has given the Model Y a raft of changes to keep it fresh for 2025, starting with clean new looks. The first Model Y's frog-like face is gone, replaced by sleeker, more angular lines and a full-width light bar at the front that gives it a faint whiff of Cybertruck. Interestingly, there's no Tesla badge on the nose anymore. Presumably, you're meant to just know. If you don't, you could always tuck behind the Model Y. The rear now sports a tidy design with Tesla lettering that's nicely illuminated by indirect lighting. The aerodynamics have improved slightly, too, with drag slipping from 0.23 Cd to 0.22 Cd, which is one reason the car's range has inched up. Next to it, the Sealion 7 looks overdesigned, with creases, curves and busy details like faux intakes and wheel arch cladding. But the panel gaps are tight and the bodywork lines up nicely, suggesting that quality is a priority at BYD. Unlike the Tesla, the Sealion 7 wears its brand's logo on its nose, but you could tell it's a BYD without it, with C-shaped LED headlights giving it a clear resemblance to the brand's latest cars. The Sealion 7's (above) cabin feels traditional in comparison to the Tesla's, with quilted leather, soft padded surfaces and a bank of actual buttons. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Inside, the differences are just as stark. The Sealion 7's cabin feels traditional in comparison to the Tesla's, but that's not a bad thing. There's quilted leather, soft padded surfaces and a bank of actual buttons. You get a full driver display and a head-up display that helpfully shows sat-nav directions, so you never need to take your eye off the road. Both cars have huge, 15.6-inch touchscreens, but the Sealion's is easier to use, with more intuitive menus and a better navigation system. You can rotate it into portrait mode, a typical BTD move, unless you're using Apple CarPlay, which the Tesla doesn't support at all. The Tesla Model Y's interior is, as ever, minimalist to the point of abstraction. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING The Tesla interior is, as ever, minimalist to the point of abstraction. It's like someone took a regular car and shaved off every single extraneous detail with a scalpel. You don't even see the air-con vents, which are hidden behind a panel. The turn signal is a stalk (unlike the confusing button setup on the Model 3), and storage is thoughtfully designed, with covered compartments to keep everything looking tidy. Materials have improved slightly, and there's now ambient lighting and a new steering wheel that feels better to hold. But nearly everything still runs through that central screen. It handles drive modes, climate, media and your main driving info, all crammed into one space. There's no standalone display for a speedometer, to say nothing of a head-up display. It's clean, calming, even elegant, but if you want to see how fast you're going and look straight ahead at the same time, you're out of luck. In contrast, the Sealion 7 mixes tech with old-school convenience. There are physical toggles for the drive modes and regenerative braking levels, plus proper air-con vents that actually work. A clever shortcut lets you swipe three fingers across the screen to adjust temperature or fan speed instantly. If you're new to EVs, you'll find the BYD more familiar, and probably nicer to live with. There's more to get used to in the Tesla. That theme continues on the road. With its plush suspension, soft brake pedal and steering that's light to the point of vagueness, the BYD feels like a car tuned for comfort above all else. Yet, when you prod the accelerator it turns into a cannonball, flying down the road with an effortless whoosh, building speed rapidly and relentlessly. The Model Y, despite its modest output, feels surprisingly lively at lower speeds. Tesla's engineers clearly calibrated the torque delivery to give you a strong initial shove before things taper off, which makes city driving feel brisk. Overtaking on the highway takes commitment, but the chassis oozes class. Where the previous Model Y felt crashy and brittle, the Juniper rides with far more compliance and comfort. Despite being slower, it's the Tesla that is actually more engaging. There's more tautness to the way it turns and tracks through corners, it feels more composed, and it gives you more confidence. That said, the Sealion 7 claws back points in usability. It has a tighter turning circle, a 360-degree camera (useful in tight car parks) and noticeably stronger air-conditioning. When the weather turns infernal, as it seems to do so often these days, that alone might sway the vote, but the BYD does one better because its panoramic glass roof has a powered sunshade. The Model Y does without one, but Tesla claims its new coating rejects more heat than before. Your gently roasted scalp may disagree. The BYD (above) wins on rear seat space, with slightly more room, but the Tesla counters with fun stuff like a small screen in the back so kids can stream YouTube or Netflix. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Both rear benches of the BYD and Tesla recline, but the Model Y's (above) seats do so electrically. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING The BYD wins on rear seat space, with slightly more room, but the Tesla counters with fun stuff like a small screen in the back so kids can stream YouTube or Netflix. Both rear benches recline, but the Model Y's seats do so electrically. That's useful in either car, because you can make more boot space by sitting upright, or recline for comfort when luggage isn't a priority. The Tesla's (above) boot is enormous for the car's size, with loads of underfloor storage and a front trunk that dwarfs the BYD's. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING The BYD Sealion 7's (above) boot is smaller than the Tesla's. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING And luggage is one area where the Tesla shines. Its boot is enormous for the car's size, with loads of underfloor storage and a front trunk that dwarfs the BYD's. Tesla's efficiency with packaging is genuinely impressive, and shows just how well they've nailed the art of arranging compact EV components to optimise space. All of which points to why the Model Y has been the benchmark EV for so long. It feels pared down and smart in how it approaches the idea of what a car should be. But it's equally clear that BYD has caught up. The Sealion 7 may not be as sleek or glamorous, but it's supremely usable. Features like the head-up display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, physical switches, stronger climate control system, parking camera, sunshade and greater cabin space all make daily life more pleasant than in the Tesla. It's a less daunting prospect in terms of ownership, too, with a 10-year warranty for the battery, 10 years' free servicing and a six-year mechanical warranty. For its part, Tesla guarantees the battery for eight years, and the rest of the car for four. If the Performance version seems like overkill, the single-motor Sealion 7 Premium hits a sweet spot. It's less swift but nearly as well-equipped, and is the one that makes the most sense for day-to-day life. The Model Y (left) has been the benchmark EV for so long, but it's clear that BYD has caught up. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Either way, this is a punch-up with a clear outcome. In overall terms the Model Y feels better to drive, but the Sealion 7 feels like it would be better to live with. BYD Sealion 7 Performance AWD Motor power/torque 530 hp/690 Nm Battery type/net capacity Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)/82.5 kWh Charging time/type Approx. 9 hours (11 kW AC), approx. 1 hour 10 to 80 per cent (150 kW DC) Range 460 km (WLTP) 0 to 100 kmh 4.5 seconds Top speed 215 kmh Efficiency 21.4 kWh/100 km Agent Vantage Automotive Price S$219,888 with COE Available Now Tesla Model Y RWD 110 Motor power/torque 150 hp/350 Nm Battery type/net capacity Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)/60 kWh (estimated) Charging time/type Approx 7.5 hours (11 kW AC), approx 25 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (175 kW DC) Range 466 km (WLTP) 0 to 100 kmh 9.6 seconds Top speed 201 kmh Efficiency 15.3 kWh/100 km Agent Tesla Singapore Price S$205,977 with COE Available Now
Business Times
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
XPeng X9 review: Too big to fail
[SINGAPORE] I had two ambitions as a boy: to marry Christie Brinkley and to become a spaceship pilot, though not necessarily in that order. Alas, fortune declined to smile on the Uptown Girl, but spending time with the XPeng X9 made me feel like my star captain fantasies finally came true – especially when it comes to the whole 'space' thing. The X9 is vast both inside and out, so much so that it could obscure a Bentley by pulling up alongside it. At 5.3 m long and 2m wide, it would have its own postal code if it didn't have wheels. Despite all appearances, the XPeng is not a building but a pure electric Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV). It has seven seats and a 320 horsepower motor for the front wheels, drawing power from either an 84.5 kWh or 101.5 kWh battery, with up to 500km or 590 km of range, respectively. Zero to 100 kmh involves 7.7 seconds and a polite whoosh. That makes it roughly as quick as a good 3.0-litre car, which is handy if your kids are running late for their golf lessons. The X9 has seven seats and a 320 horsepower motor for the front wheels, drawing power from either an 84.5 kWh or 101.5 kWh battery, with up to 500km or 590 km of range, respectively. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING But numbers alone don't explain this car. To understand it, you have to realise that XPeng was founded by a software engineer, and then imagine that the X9 is what happens when you ask a bunch of tech bros to design the ultimate family car. They scratch their heads, then throw the latest Qualcomm 8295 chip at the problem, along with 30,000 lines of code. Then they add all the hardware they imagine would suit a big, plush car. The result is a sort of maximalist people mover. The second-row thrones not only recline, they heat, cool and knead your spine six different ways. There are tray tables, motorised legrests, individual cupholders and USB charging ports, plus a rear screen that's bigger than some desktop monitors. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up The X9 features tray tables, motorised legrests, individual cupholders and USB charging ports, plus a rear screen that's bigger than some desktop monitors. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING The X9 also has five-zone climate control, meaning it's literally big enough to have its own microclimates. The fridge between the front seats keeps drinks at 0 deg C or heats them to 50 deg C, depending on whether you're transporting milk tea or soup. The third row isn't just there to make up the numbers, either. Adults fit, and when you don't need them, you can fold the seats away to create a proper flat floor, a task done entirely with buttons. Do that and you get an enormous 2,554-litre boot. There's a photo out there of five bicycles parked inside the boot with the second-row chairs still upright, which is five more bicycles than you can stuff into most Ferraris. Yet, for something this large, the X9 is surprisingly nimble. It's the first MPV I know of with rear-wheel steering, which lets it pull off U-turns with ridiculous ease. The XPeng's sheer size means it will never be agile, but the steering is light enough to make it feel wieldy. The X9's sheer size means it will never be agile, but the steering is light enough to make it feel wieldy. Parking it would have been stressful, except I didn't have to do it myself. Hit a virtual button and the car slots itself neatly into a space without fuss or human input. Another clever trick is how, when the rear screen is down and blocks your view, the rearview mirror becomes a camera feed so you can still keep an eye on what's behind you. Where it borders on digital overkill is in how endlessly tweakable the whole thing is. There are three settings each for accelerator response, steering weight, brake pedal feel, suspension stiffness and power steering effort. There are four overall drive modes, four levels of regenerative braking and five for ride height. It's like the tech guys couldn't help themselves. One thing I didn't like was how the air-con takes a while to get going, and that someone decided that aiming the vents via touchscreen was a good idea. That person should be suspended. Preferably from the ceiling, by their thumbs. It's worth mentioning too that XPeng released an updated version of the X9 in April, with redesigned second-row seats, a new battery and other tweaks. That version hasn't reached Singapore yet, but it's something to consider if you're thinking of buying one now. Early adopters may feel a twinge, but that's how it goes in the tech world – even when the product in question is an MPV that looks like it belongs in an intergalactic fleet. XPeng moves so quickly, it's almost as if it thinks it's in a space race. XPeng X9 Long Range Motor Power/Torque: 320 hp/450 Nm Battery Type/Net Capacity: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt/101.5 kWh Charging Time/Type: Approximately 10 hours (11 kW AC), 20 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (317 kW DC) Range: 590 km 0-100 km/h: 7.7 seconds Top Speed: 200 kmh Efficiency: 19.8 kWh/100 km Agent: Premium Automobiles BEV Price: S$335,999 with COE Available Now
Business Times
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Zeekr 009 review: If Bentley did an MPV, it might look like this
[SINGAPORE] In 30 years reviewing cars, the Zeekr 009 is the first one to turn up for me with a chauffeur. As Sean, my affable driver for six hours, slid open the door to usher me into its vast interior, I chose to believe that Premium Automobiles really wanted me to experience what it's like to ride around in the back of the plush electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), instead of suspecting that they'd heard rumours about my driving. Anyway, who would mind being in the business end of a car thoughtfully crafted to deliver a uniquely Chinese take on luxury? For a start, this was the six-seat Flagship version, not the seven-seat Premium one, so the door opened up to a pair of airline-style thrones that reclined into what Zeekr describes as an Eames chair mode. Climb aboard and it's immediately clear that the 009 is a rolling lounge kitted out with every modern convenience known to man except plumbing (although I'd bet a stack of yuan that the Chinese are working on putting a lavatory in, complete with bidet). Meanwhile, you get a huge flip-down screen, a fridge, fold-out tray tables and a Yamaha sound system with 30 speakers. In terms of electric-vehicle hardware, it comes with a 116 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery good for 582 km of range, and if you plug in a 150 kilowatt DC charger, it'll go from 10 to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes. Riding in the back feels like floating on a cloud, only one with seats that cool you, warm you and massage you, all at once if you want. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING The cabin itself is an 80 square-foot masterclass in plushness. It's swathed in soft-touch materials, upholstered in top-grade Nappa leather and dressed in a high-end colour palette that mixes elegant tones with brushed metal accents. Even the crystalline seat switches glint like something from a jewellery counter. In short, the 009 is Zeekr's upscale riposte to the Toyota Alphard market, but done with such refinement that if Bentley ever did an MPV, it might end up like this. The electric drivetrain helps, of course, but it's the combination of whisper-quiet motors and standard air suspension that gives the 009 its uncannily smooth, gliding ride. Riding in the back feels like floating on a cloud, only one with seats that cool you, warm you and massage you, all at once if you want. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up As reluctant as I was to leave my massage session, duty made me climb into the third-row seats. I found them surprisingly habitable, even for adults, the big windows keep things feeling light and airy back there. I was more impressed with the suspension. Unlike the Denza D9, which can get bouncy, the 009 keeps things level and composed. I quizzed Sean about his thoughts on the Zeekr, because I figured I would be the kind of benevolent tycoon who wanted to hear from the hired help from time to time. 'I had a preconception about electric cars. You know, people say they have no soul,' he said. 'Then I drove this and I was like, 'Okay, this is actually really good!'' Sean continued his review by enthusing about the 'bucket loads' of power from the 009's two motors and its smooth braking, but wasn't too hot on the touchscreen controls ('There's just too much going on,' he said), and wished for more physical switches. A man after my own heart. Sean, the writer's affable chauffeur for six hours, ushers the writer into the Zeekr 009's vast interior. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Just in case he was after my job, too, I eventually took the tiller. I'd say the 009 feels vaguely like a land yacht slicing through calm waters, all majestic and smooth. But steer it into a tight car park, and you're suddenly aware that there are several metres of expensive metal behind you. It's a huge car, with all the attendant challenges of driving one, but thankfully the 360-degree camera system is top-notch. Elsewhere, there are sensors galore to keep you from straying out of lane or generally crashing into things, so its size is more daunting than disastrous. As a family MPV, the 009 is less convincing, since the boot isn't particularly big for a car this size, but it's clear that practicality isn't the point here. Zeekr's priorities didn't lie in building you a car for the grocery run, but to arrive like someone who's used to being met at the door. It's a car for someone who prefers to be driven, and who doesn't flinch at a road tax bill of S$6,526 a year. If that's you, the Zeekr 009 definitely has a place in your fleet. Unlike me, however, you'll have to supply your own chauffeur. Zeekr 009 Flagship Motor Power/Torque: 534 hp/ 686 Nm Battery Type/Net Capacity: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt/116 kWh Charging Time/Type: 30 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (150 kW DC), 13.5 hours (11 kW AC) Range: 582 km 0-100 km/h: 4.5 seconds Top Speed: 210 km/h Efficiency: 22.3 kWh/100 km Agent: Premium Automobiles BEV Price: S$419,999 with COE Available Now
