We’ll be able to see a host of new locally assembled models from Naza this year, that will expand it’s current 6-model line-up to a 10-model line-up, beginning with a new SUV in May 2007. The Sorento has already been CKD-ed, so this new SUV is most likely the current Kia Sportage (shown above) being sold by Naza.

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The Naza Forza is Naza’s latest foray into the high-volume A-segment market and they obviously hope to reverse their fortunes after the Naza Sutera failed to get into 5-digit sales after 18 months on the market. But what is it exactly?

First of all, it’s got an Italian name, unlike the rest of Naza’s offerings which have had specifically Malaysian names in the past. It’ll be launched today but Shannon Teoh was part of a media sneak to Port Dickson recently to find out exactly what sort of pizza Naza is baking with their latest car.

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We should have seen this coming: Naza has picked up the sole distributorship for Peugeot cars here in Malaysia after Cycle and Carriage Bintang Berhad announced back in October that it had decided not to renew its contract, which would expire at the end of this year.

The Naza Group already has a relationship with Automobiles Peugeot through Naza Corporation Sdn Bhd to assemble the Peugeot 206 here locally as the Naza 206 Bestari.

Expect the sexy looking Peugeot 407 to be assembled locally soon, which should put it in better reach for buyers looking at D-segment sedans and want to try something European. The 2.0 liter model currently sells for RM164,989.90 OTR with insurance. A drop to about RM130k to RM140k through local assembly is likely, and this is good news to me at least, because Naza has some surprisingly very decent local assembly build quality for its foreign brand cars, something I’ve personally observed with the new Kia Optima and the Naza Bestari.

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Dato’ SM Shalahuddin SM Amin, President of Naza Group of Companies and Mr John Ng, MD of Nascar Pte Ltd at the launch of the new Naza Sutera in Singapore on 5 January 2008

The Naza Sutera is now on sale in Singapore for S$41,999. The 1.1 liter compact car is known in Malaysia as the Naza Forza. It is distributed in Singapore by Nascar Pte Ltd, the official distributor of Naza in Singapore. Nascar Pte Ltd is a subsidiary of The J & J Royal Group Pte Ltd, which also distributes Perodua, and TD2000.

The Singaporean specifications list include 14 inch wheels, a 6 speaker sound system with a MP3/CD/AM/FM head unit, and fabric upholstery. It does not have the dual SRS airbags that we have in our market. It also does not have the alloy wheels and fog lamps shown in the photo above.

Its 1.1 liter DOHC engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, with 64 horsepower and 88Nm of torque which peaks over 3,000 to 3,500rpm.

The first 50 customers will get a 42 inch LCD TV.

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Click to enlarge

The Naza Sorento (rebadged Kia Sorento) has been facelifted in Malaysia, and while we do not gain the new powerful VGT turbodiesel thats available in Europe, the 2.5 liter intercooled turbodiesel engine still remains one of the more powerful ones in the segment, producing 140 PS at 3,800rpm and 294Nm of torque at 2,000rpm. This is mated to a 5-speed (1 overdrive) automatic gearbox, with Active Torque Transfer between the front and rear wheels, high/low ratios, and a limited slip differential.

The facelifted Naza Sorento features a 3-bar chrome radiator grille and a new front bumper with circular fog lamps. The Sorento also gets new front headlamps with a blackened out design – these are of the projector type. It has 16 inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, and a new rear bumper.

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