NAZA CITRA LAUNCHED
Naza Launches the Naza Citra
Tuesday, 18 January 2005, Kuala Lumpur – Naza Kia Sdn Bhd at long last launched the much awaited Naza Citra, a 7-seater MPV modeled closely after the Kia Carens, hitherto sold as a CBU (Completely Built-Up). Powered by a 2.0 litre DOHC fuel injected engine, the Naza Citra (pronounced ‘chit-tra’) looks set to take on the likes of the Toyota Unser, and may even eat into some of the Honda City and Toyota Vios users. Priced at a tad under RM80k, the Citra presents a formidable package that is hard to ignore.
The Citra comes with a long list of goodies that makes one wonder about the cost of the base car. Leather seats, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, dual airbags, and a sunroof are among the list of standard features. Add to this independent suspension, 15-inch 195/60 tyres, and an excellent air conditioning system that comes with an air purifier, and you get a package that is hard to beat.
The 2.0 litre engine delivers 138 ps at 6000 rpm, and 174 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm. Acceleration from zero to 100kph is claimed at 11.8 seconds, while top speed is 181 kph. Tipping the scales at between 1419 and 1456 kg, depending on the accessories package, the Citra appears to be solidly built. Fuel consumption is not stated; we expect to get a test car real soon to check this out.
In terms of looks, it is more a station-wagon than an outright MPV, but nobody is really going to care. It probably will not win any beauty contests, but it does have some appealing features; anyway, this is a very subjective matter, and we will not go any further into it.
