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The 14th Indonesian International Motor Show
The car scene is huge in Indonesia. We get a small sampling and end up wanting more.
Words & Photos by Andrew Asuncion
FORD
The Ford stand had the WRC five-door mock-up and the Flex Fuel ethanol-ready versions of the Focus that we usually see here. But the big kahuna of the Dearborn, Massachusetts-based company was the concept 4-Trac truck. First debuted at the Bangkok International Motor Show, this four-door crew cab stood out with its Starship Troopers looks, accentuated by the liberal application of aluminum and LED lights. Meant to convey a tough-but-stylish image (an image bolstered by more hooks and tie-downs than we'd want to count), it was just a bit over the top for this writer. Ford also displayed
an armored Everest —apparently, our multi-purpose
workhorse is something of a luxury item to our cousins,
hence the justified application of threat-level B6 armor
and bulletproof fixed windows.
MITSUBISHI FUSO
The truck specialist arm of Mitsubishi displayed several vehicles, like the Eco Canter hybrid electric vehicle. But the star of the show was the frankly awesome Fuso Concept. A favorite of several officials of the Gaikindo (Indonesia's automotive industry group and the show's organizers), the Fuso Concept was a huge, futuristic trailer cab that would have P. Diddy and Ashton Kutcher drooling on their signature shirts. Designed mainly for comprehensive active safety, its key features include super single tires, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS,
and color cameras instead of the usual mirrors. Me,
I just kept clapping in front of it, waiting for it to
transform and roll out.
MERCEDES-BENZ
Benz showed off the R500, their entry in the rapidly growing MPV segment. But don't call it an MPV; they'd rather you call it a ‘sport tourer.' Whatever it is, it looks quite interesting: six-adult capacity (seven if your passengers are, ahem, ‘space-efficient'), a rear-seat two-screen entertainment center, cupholders for everyone, and the biggest sunroof we've seen so far. It's powered by a 5-liter V8 pumping out a maximum 302hp, harnessed by Benz's 4Matic AWD system. Not just for soccer moms, then.
NISSAN
Nissan displayed several vehicles not available here as of now, including the Teana sedan and the Latio hatchback, which bears a resemblance to the potential hot-hatch Micra. Most noticeable, however, was the fact that the aggressively styled and loaded Murano was nowhere to be seen. Was this due to financial reasons, or is the Indonesian car-buying public more aesthetically conservative than ours? Judging from the popularity of the tuning culture there, I'd lean towards the former.
HONDA
Honda displayed several cars that are not available here as of this writing, most notably the Honda Stream MPV. Maybe that will change by the time this feature comes out, though with the current economic situation, we wouldn't really bet on it. Also on display was the current FCX fuel-cell concept, looking much sleeker than the plain-jane Prius but with the strange crystal grill similar to hose on Euro-spec Civics, and a near-perfect rendition of Cars' Lightning McQueen as a Honda Jazz.
TOYOTA
The biggest carmaker in the world had one of the biggest displays in the show, occupying half of one whole hall. The huge exhibit included the MTRC (Motor Triathlon Race Car) open-wheel concept, the TF105 F1 car, and the Toyota Team Indonesia (TTI) race Yaris mounted on an inclined runway. On display as well was the Fine-N hydrogen fuel-cell / lithium-ion-powered concept car (which has a proven max range of 500km and a nifty face-recognition anti-theft system), and the Prius hybrid, exposed via a sliding ‘x-ray' screen. If only they had Zhang Ziyi inside...
MAZDA
Aside from the Le Mans 787B racer and the RX-8, Mazda also displayed their new CX-7 crossover vehicle. Intended as a vehicle with ‘the size and utility of an SUV and the ride and amenities of a refined sports sedan,' the 244hp CX-7s close design ties to the Mazda 3 and 6 are quite obvious. Now why Mazda's Indonesian booth designers decided to place it right beside a view-blocking concrete post at the show, we'll never know. But Mazda can easily make it up to us by bringing this 2.3L turbocharged compact SUV over to our own car-crazy country.
KIA
We always said that the Picanto was Kia's new, ahem, 'pride.' But Kia Indonesia displayed a new version of the (in) famous Pride, actually a re-badged version of the Rio five-door hatchback, which shares its platform with the Hyundai Accent. And it looked mighty fine to me—with the way that the Pride / Rio at the Indo Motor Show was set up, it could certainly give the Suzuki Swift a run for its money in the aesthetics department. Here's hoping Columbian Motors will use their power to surprise.
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Top Gear Philippines - October 2006
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