New Car Inovation: June 2006New Car Inovation

Dashboard malfunction

Never wipe your dashboard with glass cleaner fluid, especially if you drive a Proton car and have to park it under the hot sun.

I learnt it the hard way.

Still don't know what had happened. There must have been some kind of reaction because when I got out of my office in the evening, I found out that the top covering on my dashboard had curled up.

Went around for around 2 whole hours searching for a workshop which could fix it. Some said that I would have to get the whole dashboard changed which means around RM300 +. So went to a few chop shops but they didn't have the Wira dashboard.

Finally found a cushion repair shop in Kepala Batas (near the airport) who told me that he could do it for around RM100.

Have to go back next week.

Thanks for showing me the way, Chandra. You have saved me a lot of dough.

Tags: Accident Proton Repair

Modified Naza Ria

Requirement: To enable a wheel chair bound senior citizen to ride comfortably without getting off the wheel chair.

Problem: To convert the Naza Ria without major modifications to the body and with a limited budget.

Solution: To install a remote controlled hydraulic ramp in the back.

Limitations: Still need muscle power to push invalid into the back of the vehicle. Also some safety concerns.

I feel that instead of a ramp, there should have been a hydraulic controlled lift. Anyway, at the budget (around RM15,000) they did a great job.

What do you think? Do you feel that they could have done it any other way?

Some pictures (hydraulics still not installed yet):

Tags: Modification Naza Ria

It is the Satria Neo

I was wrong (read my last post). The new Proton is called the Satria Neo. Maybe calling it the Satria Replacement Model (SRM) is wrong.

The fact that they registered two urls here and here points to the possibility that these two names were in contention.

I am not sure but maybe one of the guys who came up with the name is a Matrix fan. Well I guess it is a much better name than "Desire", which might appeal to the ladies but macho guys (those who love to drive fast and hard) might run away from. And that would be a mistake as we see the particular profile of those this car is targeted at.

BTW, the tag line for the Satria Neo is "Desire has a new name".

(updated: 19th June, 2006)

Related links:

- Proton hopes new model, campaign to boost sales

- Proton Satria Neo 1.3 and 1.6 in-depth.

Tags: Neo New Model Proton Satria SRM

Satira replacement model

Just read in the Mobile Talk blog that the Proton Satria Replacement Model (SRM) will be launched on June 16, 2006 and will be called either Neo or Desire (most probably the later).

Here is a picture, which was posted on the blog.