Andrew Dwyer

Following in the footsteps of GWM looks like MG might be selling off some of their showroom cars. Anyone interested should make some enquiries. Here’s the VS HEV with a healthy discount :

13 days after applying for online 90 days reporting I received the approval notification. I already went in person over a week ago so when are the in person and online systems going to align ?? …… rhetorical question ☹️

The Peacocks won’t be strutting next week. Toffees have a good chance of scraping by. Foxes have a tough couple of games and i think it’s too much for them, especially the Toon away !

Yup, I think they do here too , Although I seem to recall that this has been outlawed.

The Neta V is the cheapest EV right now and as I have dropped my sights from the Atto 3 ( 1.2 mil ) to the Dolphin ( 800k ) for city driving it could be classed as justifiable to take a look at the Neta V, had previously seen it at a local mini motor show and wasn’t impressed. But now I have deemed my EV will be local use only I might have another look, although from a quick glance at a YouTube video the gap between Neta V and Dolphin is vast, despite the 250k price gap ( am not that pushed for money, if I was skint i’d be looking at a Celerio !! ). From what I see it’s a good looking car, albeit not very wide so probably a 4 seater in reality, and is lacking some basics. Add a 60/40 split seat ( that cannot be expensive can it ?), connecting that centre armrest to the minuscule centre console ( what were they thinking ? ) would make a world of difference, bring that instrument cluster forward ( so binoculars are no longer required ), improve the trim level, bang a spoiler on the back, add 100k to the price and call it limited edition !! The Neta V has sold quite a few here and has potential but it’s a big jump to the Neta S or U Pro so they either need to slot another in between or make some cosmetic changes if they want to compete with BYD.

I joined the FB BYD Dolphin group ( Thailand ) it’s early days as yet and the admin is posting furiously , but nothing Dolphin related ! I find these FB groups are great for info regarding issues, accessories and mods etc, gave me a lot of insight into the Atto 3 and MG4. Some of the Thai sites, when using Google translate, appear gibberish but you get the general idea. I joined a Haval Jolion group about a year ago and I’m sure by joining that group it led to me being inundated by the various ads from showrooms selling their “ Activity “ cars off . With this in mind i popped into my local showroom and …. long story short …. got a new (ish) car with all the warranties, roadside assistance and freebies ( film, insurance, mats ) etc for 154k below normal price , that’s going to buy me a lot of gas . Bil has always said he wants my ZS ICE so hopefully i can pass it on to him and then take a look at the Dolphin. Might even go for the purple, more of a lilac colour in my eyes but i don’t mind it at all, will have to put my foot down if Hello Kitty stickers are mentioned though ! My last trip before retirement was to Japan, been 5 or 6 times, and always said I would love to return as a tourist, better not tell the little lady this just yet though .

About once a week you spread this misinformation !! If you have no evidence to back up your claim please desist.

Yes, I was all set for the H6 PHEV when it was announced, despite it being bigger than I want/need, but then the price came and i got dismayed, held out for a Jolion PHEV but it never transpired. But I see your point, a Jolion and a Dolphin together would be more than the H6 PHEV, although did a deal today on Joe Lion at 845k so worked out less by 50k ish ! I think the Dolphin will be ideal for local stuff, charging at home, and Joe for the longer stuff. Did an impromptu week away recently, Ayutthaya to Nakhon si Thammarat with stops in Prachuap, Chumphon and Hua Hin, nearly 2000 km. Some would argue that i paid dearly for gas but for trips of this length i prefer more carefree mode of travel. The H6 is a desirable machine without a doubt but i think it would be too much to handle for the little lady.

I’m not sure it does illuminate, it’s called an “Electrified Matrix Grille “ but i think the electrified part is because of the blue “ eyebrows “ , as Thai like to call them, above and below the grille. The rear of the VS is disappointing as it is almost identical to the ZS. Haval has done a good impression of MG VS grille with their recently released Xiaolong Max.

Indeed, the interior is very nice, that double screen works very well, not so sure about the grill that merges into the paintwork though. Saw one when I had a nosy round my local showroom on a service last week, in white with the black roof looks pretty nice and fits in with the latest trend , most Toyotas I see on the road recently seem to have adopted this. But yes that green is nice also.

Yes, it was 450k in pocket when i chose between the ZS ICE and the Corolla Cross, celebrated with another mb ( that’s motorbike not Mercedes Benz !!, am not Rockefeller ). Got the chance of a Jolion Hybrid Ultra in white ( i might have mentioned my attraction to this car before ???? ) ex showroom car with all the warranty and freebies at 140k discount, for the longer trips . If it comes off will look at the Dolphin for local trips, charging at home. Barring that will go for the Atto 3 and maybe keep the ICE for the longer trips, depends on how the CS infrastructure keeps up with the EV invasion.

I have to add that while i quite like a sunroof, albeit not used frequently, it is refreshing on those mountain trips and evening rides, am happy to see the Dolphin here is not equipped with a sunroof . The reason being that in the Chinese/European versions a sunroof ( actually a glass roof ) is fitted and has caused a big dip in the headlining for the sunshade mechanism reducing headroom significantly, picked up quickly by reviewers.

I would say that the Atto 3 is worth the extra 230k over the MG4. The sunroof, electric tailgate, larger screen with excellent resolution ( and can be upgraded to 15.6” for 28k ) , bigger boot and nicer interior materials ( ignoring the ott design ). But i would say the MG4 is worth the extra 170k over the Dolphin. The exciting driving experience, better looking MG4 , makes it for me. But, it depends on your reasoning for buying, if looking for a second/city car then I see the Dolphin as ideal, affordable, more than adequate medium hatchback. If looking for a primary car then the Atto 3 wins the race. But, of the above 2 options the MG4 is also an option . A dilemma indeed and I don’t envy you as I have changed my mind on this subject so many times over the last few months, just when i thought I had it sorted another model popped up !! If i were in your shoes i would go Dolphin , as you already have the H6 PHEV for longer trips, but that would be purely for financial reasons and might not be your case.

Some people are easily confused ???? I use a Radio App Also use Spotify and have my favourite music on my phone. Works for me.

Read it again. He clearly stated application for non imm O visa not extension .

Not sure which tyres come as standard on the Dolphin but the Atto 3 tyres ( Atlas Batman ) have come in for a lot of bad press. A lot of owners in TH, Aus and NZ have changed them fairly sharpish, noise and slippery in the wet being the major concerns. Many Thai going for 19/20” wheels despite losing range, I don’t mind the standard Atto wheels personally. On the positive side , a lot of cheap Batman + wheel available if you fancy a full size spare. Apparently European Attos will get Continental tyres in the near future.

So, if an EV comes with 11kw AC charging power and I have only single phase would I get 7kw or would it be only 3.6kw ?

A it more about the newest addition to the Haval range. 2 models, Xiaolong and Xiaolong Max , wonder if these two will replace the Jolion and H6 ? https://carnewschina.com/2023/05/13/great-wall-motors-haval-brand-new-xiaolong-suvs-will-launch-on-may-15/

Meanwhile ……. in some other coffee shop !

Just seen a Dolphin on a transporter headed North, so if anyone around Chainat or above is waiting for one it’s on its way. The lilac colour makes it easy to spot .

So, recently i noticed GWM selling off their Haval Activity Cars ( showroom models not test drive ) in particular their older model H6 HEV and the two lower trim Jolion HEV’s ( Tech and Pro ) with a healthy discount at around 160k off . Which is a shame because if it were the Jolion Ultra , in white, or H6 PHEV i might have been in the market. Anyway, this all points to a new model Haval and here it is: The Haval Xiaolong Max (or Solo Max), a PHEV with a 1.5T engine and a body slightly bigger than the H6 PHEV, a grill borrowed from MG VS, 2 electric motors, but strangely only a 105 km range . Inside has 3 screens all the way across the dash, an array of buttons on the floating console ( good to see ) and the usual array of fancy stuff we have come to expect from new cars recently. No actual figures but claims of excellent fuel economy as the hybrid battery will assist the ICE even after the battery is depleted , yup !! that’s going to need some more explanation. No price but a rough guesstimate of similar to the H6 PHEV ( 1.7 mill ) can’t be far off ? Destined for Australia and S Africa markets so RHD is definitely on and with GWM doing a bit of spring cleaning here i imagine it will also be headed this way. Dashed my hopes for a Jolion PHEV at around 1.3 mill but who knows Xiaolong might well be the Max !! although while the interior looks nice the outside does look a bit uninspired. https://www-springnews-co-th.translate.goog/digital-tech/837876?_x_tr_sl=th&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&_x_tr_hist=true

On the Honda e the two screens idea is great even if the operating system looks a little antiquated, but the ability of the passenger setting up the sat nav on their screen and sliding it over to yours, for example, is a cool idea, not too sure about the screens replacing the wing mirrors though, seems like a lot of tech to replace a piece of mirrored glass although the images do appear very clear and effective when raining or at night . The pop out door handles with key proximity, personal wallpaper options for the screens and customisable widgets plus single pedal driving are all great ideas but I think the price and poor range is its downfall , at a similar price to the MG4 and with around half the range. The Honda e:Ny1 seems to have resisted the urge to provide anything new with the exception of the large screen and simply adopted the HR-V platform, almost seems like giving it a fancy new name slightly misleading.

Here’s a little look at the Honda e:Ny1 , most likely will make an appearance here , as a next step up from the HR-V Hybrid. First glance is a nice front end , familiar rear end, kinda bland interior, large battery but not so large range (?) and a small boot. A 15” portrait screen is a step up from Honda’s usual play it safe style but have to keep up with the competition, the screen splits into 3 so a lot of info ( maybe too much ) can be easily accessible. The lovely Imogen doesn’t give away too many details in this video, or maybe i was distracted ?, but still worth a watch if you are interested in a Honda ………. or an Imogen ?

BYD to compete with Tesla’s Autopilot ! Personally i think we should be putting Autopilot on hold and concentrating on improvements to the current lane keeping, adaptive cruise control and auto emergency braking but the current trend seems to be adding tech to the cars whether they work adequately or not ! https://carnewschina.com/2023/05/11/byd-to-launch-dnp-adas-to-compete-with-teslas-autopilot-chips-supplied-by-vw-backed-company/

Green green grass of home ?