5 of the Most Underrated Cars in Malaysia

According to a study, buying a car is considered as the second most valuable investment for a Malaysian and this requires a lot of attention over the details before buying a vehicle. Now putting aside the fact that Malaysia is the second most expensive country in the ASEAN region to buy a car, Malaysians are usually found in a paradox of choices when it comes to picking up a perfect car. This leads to the most common practice of following the herd. Malaysia luckily has a stock of some wonderful cars but are usually ignored as they have gone under the radar. Thus we took a closer look at the market and compiled a list of 5 most underrated cars which are worth buying.

1. Peugeot 508 SW GT

Price – Petrol – RM 179,888 ; Diesel – RM209,888

The French carmaker widely celebrated across the globe for its alluring sedans is not usually associated with wagons. However Peugeot has designed one which is truly a masterpiece from the maker, but is heavily ignored by the audience. The Peugeot 508 SW GT is an efficient wagon which is meticulously crafted to cover all family needs. The 508 SW GT is being powered by a 2.2-litre HDI FAP direct injection turbo-diesel engine that churns out a 204 horsepower along with a whopping torque of 450 Nm at just 2,000 rpm. Well, if you are thinking about the polluting diesel engine which is not your choice. Peugeot offers the wagon in Petrol too, the regular petrol engine installed in the 508 SW produces a maximum power of 153 horsepower at 240 Nm of torque. If engine is not your consideration than the features loaded in this car will entice you to another level. The Peugeot 508 SW GT comes loaded with a panoramic roof, motorized tailgate, smart adaptive beam and a quad zone air conditioning system. For the audiophiles out there, the wagon is loaded with a 10 speaker 500W JBL music system with subwoofer. Shedding out some more ringgits over this French legacy can get you a more premium interior featuring Cohiba Nappa Brown Leather and memory power seat for the driver.

2. Mazda6 Wagon

Price – RM 193,849.50

Mazda, this one name brings smile over the face of every Malaysian car enthusiast owing to the popularity of Mazda's excellent vehicles like Mazda CX-3, Mazda MX-5 or take the Mazda 2. Wait, did you missed something ? Mazda 6, a wagon. Yes, Mazda produces another fantastic car in a wagon body named as Mazda 6. Apart from the enchanting design and decent amount of safety features, the car owes a great handling. Mazda 6 came to Malaysia in early 2013 and just like the others in this list, it went under the radar. The Mazda 6 is an amalgamation of both sedan and a wagon.

3. Hyundai i40 Tourer

Price – RM 178,888

Coming from the 5th largest automobile manufacturer of Korean descent comes another car in our list, the Hyundai i40 Tourer. The i40 Tourer is a great car with practicality of a wagon along with power and luxury of a sedan. It closely challenges Volkswagen Passat and Peugeot 508 SW GT in Malaysia. But considering it a Korean make, Malaysians prefer something German. The i40 Tourer holds beneath its bonnet a Hyundai’s Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) 2.0-litre engine that rumbles out 175 horsepower along with a maximum torque of 214 Nm. However, the price of this car is quite difficult to believe coming from a Korean dialect. The i40 tourer comes at a steep price tag of RM 178,888 which makes the future of this car formidable in Malaysia.

4. Renault Fluence

Price – RM 115,000

Experience another luxury served Franco-Japanese craftsmanship in the Renault Fluence. The Fluence is built on the similar platform of Nissan Sylphy but is overshadowed by reliability of it. As a part of the Renault Nissan Alliance the Fluence features tried-and-tested MR20DE engine which is mated with Nissan’s Xtronic CVT. The Fluence boasts a generous interior space which is sufficient to fit a tall family of five. Apart from this, Renault offers a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty on the Fluence along with a 2 years free maintenance, inclusive of parts and labour. If this does not satiate your needs, TC Euro Cars can also pick up the Fluence for regular maintenance and will return it after conducting the complete service.

5. Chevrolet Malibu

Price – RM 153,888

Talking of the list of underrated cars, how can we forget the American car maker Chevrolet. Chevrolet Malibu is one such vehicle in our list that was launched back in September 2013 to target the D-segment market of Malaysia. However the limited engine choices in this sedan as compared to the likes of Toyota Camry and Honda Accord's 2.0 or 2.4-litre engine dozed it off the radar. Malibu comes in only one trim which is powered by a 2.4-litre engine. Therefore those looking for a car with better fuel economy will not go for this American offering. Keeping apart the engine issue, the Malibu is loaded with a very decent standard kit featuring HID headlights, StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System, 4 airbags and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).