SEAT Archives

FEATURE: Malaysians, Why Do You Hate Wagons So Much?! They’re Super-Cool! [+Videos]

Wagons. Estates. Stationwagons. Touringwagen. Sportwagen. Shooting Brake. Sports Wagons. Call them what you will, but they have never been popular here in Malaysia, and that folks is a crying shame, because wagons are uber cool.

To make matters worse for the dwindling wagon market, Volvo Car Malaysia recently announced that they will cease offering the incredible V90 T5 & T6 R-Design wagons locally solely due to poor demand. As can be seen from this recent 0% GST news release from VCM, all iterations of the V90 wagon are indeed already missing from their line-up…

This of course didn’t sit too well with many of us, seeing as how we (i.e. the Malaysian motoring media) absolutely adored the V90, to the point where when its wheels got stolen right-off the car at VCM’s own parking lot, many of us took it personally and proceeded to post notifications of the theft on our own personal social media pages (we were pissed!). For the record the wheels were never recovered and it cost VCM RM17k to replace them and subsequently de-fleet the said unit, so whoever you are (wheel thief and also buyer) I personally hope you rot in hell…

It’s the weirdest thing really; Malaysians won’t buy wagons new, but actively seek-out used ones voraciously. As such, a used Mercedes-Benz W124 wagon will typically cost at least three to four times more than its sedan counterpart in the second-hand car market, as would a Volvo 245, 850 T5 & 945 wagon, BMW E30, E34 & E39 wagon, etc. Even a Toyota KE70 wagon will cost at least three times more than a KE70 sedan. In fact any wagon from the same lineage will always cost more than its sedan counterpart, even a freaking Nissan Sunny. The Mercedes-Benz W123 wagon (below) now costs about seven times more than its sedan variant locally. No, really.

And that’s the greatest irony; if no one wants them in the first place when they’re new, how is it that they are able to command a much, much higher price in the used car market? They should be borderline un-sellable in the second-hand car market, since no one wants them even when they’re brand-spanking-new right? Speaking of brand new, here’s one that’s still available locally, the Mazda6 wagon…

Now tell me honestly that isn’t simply amazing looking. Look at the lines, simply gorgeous. Defy convention folks, thumb your nose at the norm, and buy a wagon, you won’t regret it. At the very least, you’ll know it’s going to be worth more in the second-hand market than its sedan sibling.

Now have a look at this video from Volvo and judge for yourself why wagons are so cool.

In addition to the Volvo V90 above, thanks to AutoExpressUK, here’s a look at some of the nicest, sportiest and most desirable wagons out there… but first, a bit more eye-candy on the Volvo V90, this time in the latest Cross-Country guise. And no, we won’t be getting it here… no demand, remember? – Chris Wee.

And now, the coolest wagons according to AutoExpressUK, starting with the…

Audi RS 4

Fans will moan about Audi replacing the 4.2-litre V8 engine used in the previous RS 4, with a less enjoyable 2.9-litre unit, but with 444bhp, 600Nm of torque and a top speed of 174mph (280kmh) in the new car, there are worse problems to have. The interior compliments a car that has a split personality between sensible and ludicrous, but lacks the sense of theatre that some of its rivals bring. At over £60,000 it is by no means cheap – not that that is untoward in present company.

Audi RS 6

The Audi RS 6 is one of the leading lights in the fast estate world. Partly thanks to its looks, but also helped a its 552bhp twin-turbocharged V8 which will rocket you and four other passengers from 0-100kmh in just 3.9 seconds, and on to a limited top speed of 155mph (250kmh). Prices start from just over £81,000, but for that you do get a comfortable, quiet cabin (most of the time) and 565-litres of boot capacity.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Some will argue the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso isn’t a ‘proper’ estate, but if you consider that it is just leaning a little harder on the left of the performance-practicality balance, it becomes easy to see why it made this list. The Ferrari has a 6.3-litre V12 under the bonnet which pumps out 681bhp and 697Nm of torque, which allows it to obliterate most of this list with a 0-100kmh time of 3.4 seconds and a claimed top speed of 208mph (335kmh).

Ford Focus ST

While the petrol version of the Focus ST wagon is a great fast estate, the 2.0 TDCi is our pick of the bunch. This is largely down to the delivery of the power, with the diesel’s get up and go being less unruly and easier to put down on UK roads, but that does not mean the diesel is a slouch – the performance stats of 182bhp, 400Nm of torque and a 0-100kmh time of 8.3secs proves as much. Add to this a claimed economy of 67.3mpg – high 40s low 50s are more realistic – and the diesel Focus ST estate becomes incredible alluring.

Mercedes-AMG C63

The Mercedes-AMG C63 is a full-blown muscle car. Under the bonnet is a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 which produces a thunderous 469bhp and 650Nm of torque (increasing to 503bhp and 700Nm if you opt for the S model). S or not, both models feel astonishingly quick and of course offer impressive levels of practicality, with the only real issue for everyday use being the firm ride. The interior is a comfortable place to be, even if it is not quite on the same level as the E-Class.

Mercedes-AMG E63

You are going to need deep pockets to drive away in an E63 estate as they start north of £84,000 – which is slightly more expensive than the starting price of the Audi RS 6. That said, the E63 is one of the fastest cars on the road, never mind estates. The latest generation is all-wheel drive and in S guise packs 604bhp and 850Nm of torque. Plus, owners get a drift mode. From a standing start it will hit 100kmh in just 3.6 seconds and go on to a limited top speed of 155mph (250kmh) – these figures change to 3.5 seconds and 186mph (300kmh) in the S version.

Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

The Porsche Panamera is no longer the ugly duckling it once was, and the Sport Turismo is no exception. If you go for the range-topping Turbo S E-Hybrid, flat out you will be doing 193mph (310kmh)and 0-100kmh is over in a meger 3.4 seconds – wiping the floor with all but the Ferrari on this list. Even if you drop down to the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo, the 6-cylinder turbocharged engine allows the big German to reach 160mph (257kmh)flat-out and sprint from rest to 100kmh in 5.5 seconds. While the performance is strong here, practicality is not. The rear is just about big enough to get two adults and a smaller human buckled in, and 520-litres of boot space is a tad underwhelming.

Volkswagen Golf R

The Golf R estate is related to both the Skoda and SEAT mentioned in the link below (but comes with four-wheel drive), and offers one of the finest all-round driving packages you can get for the money – the R starts at around £36k. Under the hood there is the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder producing 296bhp as found in the Leon, but here it is only available with VW’s seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The exhaust note sounds good with a nice deep burble, which helps keep up the fun even when you aren’t exploiting the strong chassis.

For the FULL article from AutoExpress, which features a few more estates from brands unavailable here, click this link.

Wagon Photo Gallery (all images from AutoExpressUK)

SEAT building fully automated warehouse

SEAT is hard at work constructing a 43.7 metre tall building that will be able to process 119,000 boxes of parts and components. This new project is part of the automaker’s commitment to making the Martorell factory a benchmark of Industry. It will function as an automated logistics centre and equipped with smart technology.

Once completed in the final quarter of 2018, the facility will be the tallest logistics warehouse in Spain. And it will play a major role in SEAT’s logistics strategy and supply chain. Once construction is complete, SEAT’s new warehouse will have a total surface area of 5,700 square metres. It will be divided into two facilities, the first will be 43.7m high and the second one will be 21m high.

The first facility will have a capacity for 24,000 containers stored in seven aisles. The second one, will feature five aisles for storing more than 95,000 boxes. The entire project is said to be a breakthrough in terms of logistics processes for the Martorell factory. Martorell has also helped SEAT bag a number of accolades including the Manufacturing Excellence 2017 award.

Speaking of the place, SEAT Vice-President for Production Dr. Andreas Tostmann, “The creation of this wholly automated logistics centre once again demonstrates that SEAT is a benchmark company in every area of Industry 4.0,”

“With this project we are taking a qualitative leap forward in our service capacity and our vision of achieving logistics management excellence by increasing efficiency in the manufacturing process of our vehicles,” he added.

The current move should help the Spanish automaker secure its position and market share in Europe amidst increasing competition from Korean and Chinese automakers. SEAT is owned by the Volkswagen group and as such enjoys a number of benefits that include technology and platform sharing, which helps reduce R&D costs.

SEAT deliver the Guardian Angel of cars

SEAT has produced one of the safest cars in the world with technology that rival that of certain volvos. Called the Leon Cristobal, the car is fitted with 19 innovative technologies that help keep drivers safe while on the road.

This particular Leon was named after St Christopher (San Cristobal in Spanish), the patron saint of travelers. It’s a fitting name considering that most of its features are designed to keep commutes as safe as possible.

The first feature of the lot is Drive-lock. This system works with a built-in breathalyzer that prevents drivers from driving off if a positive reading is given. A must for party animals, this piece of tech could reduce the number accidents caused by drink driving.

Then there’s the Eye Tracker, a system that monitors a driver’s eye lids to detect signs of drowsiness. It can work in tandem with Drive-coach, a personalized voice assistant that provides several different warnings that include the excessive speed warning.

A nice addition that we wished were made available across other hatchbacks, is the Display-mirror. Essentially, its a display system that receives input from a rear mounted camera for better all-round visibility. Even if the boot is stacked with items, rear visibility will not be impaired.

Inspired by aircraft safety, the Leon Cristobal is fitted with a Black box image and date recorder. It sends footage to a selected smartphone in the event of an accident. There’s even a parent mode here too. the Mentor app enables them to limited vehicle functionality when their overenthusiastic teen with limited driving experience gets behind the wheel.

The app allows parents to limit vehicle speed and monitor its location location at any given time. But the Pièce De Résistance, has to be the ‘Guardian Angel’ driving mode. Once activated, it allow for all 19 safety systems to work concurrently, ensuring that the car is driven safely and is under the control of a fully alert driver.

Introducing such systems may seem like a Godsend for many, but there will definitely be a select few, who will ignore them and instead prefer that natural selection take its course. If more vehicle manufacturers introduce such safety nets, they could contribute to the reduction in vehicle related accidents and fatalities.