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I've always wanted to own an SUV, with the commanding position, high hip point for entry and good boot size. So I recently decided to take a walk around the showrooms, with a basic search and some requirements: - five seats minimum, seven is a bonus, but basically a good size rather than a tiny one - high hip point - good boot size - not too slow 0-100 (under 11) - I'll need storage, good safety and things that a family with a young baby will appreciate I don't speed, but sometimes you need a bit of zoom to join traffic and drive up Genting or overtake and I do go to M'sia often. That also means EVs are a bit more tricky My mileage is low, 10-12k a year on average. Now, my car isn't due for another 3 plus years, but I wanted to see what's out there and I'm just sharing my findings here and my choices are purely personal, as YMMV.. I didn't have a specific budget, but I soon realised that most of the choices hover around the 200k mark, and this is almost twice what they used to cost due to the COE. Hybrids aren't my first choice due to my low mileage, and the cost of a battery replacement is a big deal, so even EVs are a bit tricky, but the number of petrol only cars are limited. The EV motors are also not great for the Malaysia jaunts, and CVTs are less desirable than autos, but you have to be careful which DCT you choose.. Cheers

In October 2023, Stellantis took at 20% stake in Leapmotor China by injecting EUR 1.5 billion and forming a partnership to sell vehicles outside of China. Mainly because Stellantis was doing a lousy job themselves. The first Leapmotor model to go international is the C10 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Leapmotor makes value for money rides and the C10 is no exception. It's a B&B focused mid-size (C-segment) electric SUV with an roomy and spacious interior (almost feels like D-segment). It comes with high standard equipment levels and tech. Check out the lidar on the roof. Europe was the first market to get the C10 and it became available in September 2024, together with the small hatchback T03. Closer to home, the C10 became available over the causeway in October 2024. In Malaysia, Stellantis and Leapmotor have signed a deal to assemble Leapmotor vehicles at Stellantis plant in Gurun, Kedah from the end of 2025. Which means it'll be coming to Singapore and the rest of the ASEAN markets in 2026. Kerb weight : 1,940 kg The exterior dimensions of the C10 are a good size and practical. This is a family friendly ride. Powertrain for the Leapmotor C10 is a single rear-axle motor (RWD!) that outputs 160kW and 320 Nm of torque. This is good enough to do the century sprint in 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 170 km/h. If imported directly from Malaysia into Singapore, it'll be a Cat B ride. Hoping to see a de-tuned 110kW version to follow soon after - just like what Tesla did on the Model Y, BYD did for the Sealion 7, SAIC did on the MG S5EV and Chery did on the Omoda E5 / Jaecoo J6. The current 2025 model year has a 11kW AC onboard charger with a weak DC charging rate of 84kW to recharge its 69.9 kWh LFP (by CALB) battery from 30-80% in 30 minutes. C10's range is 424 km (WLTP). The interior like most China designed and made is bare bones. Inspired by Tesla, there are no physical buttons (boo-hooh!) to adjust for AC temperature and fan controls. Everything as to go through the large 14.6" infotainment screen - which is at least snappy and high resolution. Navigating it will get some getting used to and Leapmotor has some ways to go to improve the user interface. Infotainment on the Leapmotor C10 includes a 10.25" instrument panel displaying at 1920 x 720 resolution, along with a 14.6", high-definition central display offering 2560 x 1440 resolution. For audio, an 840W, 12-speaker system provides the music in surround sound. The deal breaker for most is the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto due to the current Leap 3.0 platform. The C10 will require the next generation Leap 3.5 platform to have CarPlay and Android Auto. An NFC card provides access to the vehicle, unlocking is accomplished by tapping it on the top part of the driver’s side mirror. Additionally, the card has to be placed on the center console for the vehicle to be started. There's been reviewer complaints on this arrangement and the lack of mobile app support for locking/unlocking the ride. The ADAS system is quite poor with lots of bings and bongs to annoy one senseless. The generous exterior dimensions are carried over internally with a high efficiency layout. The interior is made of Leapmotor's Oeko-Tex silicone textile (i.e. fake leather) that's meant to be quite plush and supportive. It's also liquid resistant and baby friendly - so it's easy to clean. Can see this would appeal to those with young families. Back seats can easily accommodate two child seats with room in the middle for a small to medium adult. Rear seat dimensions are also quite generous - close to limousine size. The C10 comes with the obligatory panoramic sun roof and unlike some (looking at you Tesla) has a motorized sunshade to keep the hot Singapore sun out of the cabin. And the front seats can be folded flat - all due to the generous leg room at the back. At the boot is 435L of cargo space available with the rear seats in place, or up to 1,410L with the seats folded. In front, the frunk adds a further 32L of luggage capacity. Expecting Cycle and Carriage (C&C) to be the Authorized Dealer (AD) for Stallentis and will try to flog off the C10 here in Singapore. Will see what C&C price the upcoming C10 to be - hopefully not long to wait.

Kind of curious. how many kids do singaporeans have? What makes you stop there? Is there anything the government can do that will encourage you to have more kids?

I had really good light in my winter trip to Austria so I really wanted to edit the photos in HDR. Unfortunately, it is hard to share HDR photos online and ensure a consistent experience. Best way I found now is YouTube. So please watch the pics in YouTube HDR on a HDR display. 3min 45 secs, or 9min mark have nice photos that demonstrate the effect of HDR. I know not many people will watch a video but I really wanted to edit my photos in HDR to take advantage of the HDR displays I have, my LG TV, my m4 ipad, my MacBook Pro. The vacation was really good. much better than my June spain trip where we got pick pocketed and both kids fell sick. Nothing much happened, except my wife had a sledding accident where she injured her ribs.

Some of the short trips taken in 2024. Finally compiled them and dump them into the gallery below. http://www.keehian.com/japan2024/ FIrst trip was Chinese new Year 2024 to Tokyo area. It was just a few days by scoot I think. Just stayed around Tokyo area.

First photo of the trip. My wife got pickpocketed on the first day when we reach Barcelona sants station from the airport. Lost some money but thankfully no important documents. In our time in Barcelona Sants, we saw quite a few people reporting stuff to the police there... They have a small police office on station but you have to travel to another place to report the theft for insurance claim. Waiting for like 1 hour for a "translator" until the receptionist officer took pity on us and help us file the report. rest of the police is like totally useless and ignore you... We don't even want to catch the thief, just want to file the report and get it done. I have done a police report many many years ago in Austria for a lost Ipad and that took like a few minutes.....

I took some time and redid my travel photos into a 4k video.The last time I did this was 6 years back and it was just full HD. Added the new pics and up the resolution. You can see the camera's many years ago does not have enough resolution for 4k. Please view it in 4k 🙂

Glasgow. UK christmas trip, finally did all the photos. \

Taxis can’t seem to catch a break lately. Touting, overcharging, and now possible injury of their own customers. What happened? A family had taken a ComfortDelGro Taxi and to somerset dropped off at the usual 313 spot. It’s a routine drop off as the passengers exit, but things go awry when one lady closes the boot. For some reason, the taxi driver started moving despite one of the doors still being open, right as the dad (or uncle, granddad) goes to pick up a small child from the backseat. It seemed the taxi driver did not realise not everyone had alighted until it was too late, and both man and child fell to the ground. Uncle heard the boot close and was immediately hunting for the next fare. Didn’t even get out to make sure they were ok. Luckily, it seems no one was injured, and the family seemed relieved enough at that as they did not pursue the matter any further. Online chatter Netizens however were not as forgiving, wondering how the taxi driver could be so blur, and didn’t even go check on the adult and child. Others praised the family for being so merciful to the taxi driver. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

In any other country, this may not be a shocking sight. But this is Singapore, so it IS a shocking sight. Watch the video to see why! What happened? A camcar travelling along Kallang Road to Sim avenue was very impressed to see a family of 4 travelling on an e-bike at 60km/h. The mother was calmly leaning back as she took a call, the two children sitting there and the father expertly keeping the bike balanced. Never rode an e-bike before so riders, comment down below how difficult this would be! Behind the camera, someone can be heard saying “Steady Lah... Vietnam style!” For context, entire families taking a singular bike for transport is common in our neighbouring countries, such as Vietnam. Here’s one from India. And here’s another from Indonesia. Usually, this happens when the families are unable to afford a car, and so can only depend on bikes as public transport may not be considered safe or reliable enough. With how COE prices are going, we can all be grateful that our public transport is among the best in the world. Online chatter Quite a few thought the video was in Vietnam until the Singlish commentary started. Others were angry as there seemed to be no action taken by the authorities to prevent such dangerous behaviour on our roads, especially since they are going well over the 25km/h speed limit set for e-bikes. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

My first overseas vacation in more than 2 years.....

went for a 1 week trip to Kyoto during the school holidays. Will post the food pics first. Katsukura in Kyoto. Supposedly the most famous tonkatsu in Kyoto according to my hotel receptionist 🙂 Not that expensive too. I thought it was good value for money and must try. Quite a few branches in Kyoto. DON'T try Unagi Sora. It is the most highly rated unagi shop on google map... I went and saw they give discount for google reviews.... which is like really rare in Japan... As expected, the meal is expensive and so-so....

Flew to Copenhagen in June and then went to Billund, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin and back to Copenhagen. Legoland First stop.

Alpaca World.

This is a good start The bosses interviewed said the surcharge is similar to previous years and has not been significantly increased due to recent inflation.

My last trip in June to France after covid, I did not really get any photos I really really liked which was quite disappointing. I got one really good photo this trip. This is probably my best photo of the trip. 2022, Fussen, Germany.

Mont St Michel

<Dodge Sets 2024 Death Date For Charger And Challenger To Make Way For The Brand's "eMuscle" The best selling muscle cars in America will be gone in the next two years as Dodge transitions EVs Dodge Charger and Challenger Jailbreak models. Image: Dodge It’s finally happening: The Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle machines will be no more by 2024. Motor Trend spoke with Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis about the brand’s plans for the next two years as the company tries to appease muscle fans and appeal to EV buyers. Kuniskis is aware that a lot of people won’t be happy with the direction the brand is taking (he’s already receiving death threats for the changes). He calls it, “feeding the beast.” Image: Dodge The discontinuation of the Charger and Challenger, and the start to the brand’s EV models are all a bigger part of its “Never Lift” plan. Within the 24 months of the plan, Dodge plans to release special editions of each departing model: Editions they think will get people talking like the recently introduced Jailbreak. It’s really more of a softening of the blow to muscle car fans who will soon be robbed of their Hemi fix from the brand. Image: Dodge So, you’re asking, “what’s replacing the Charger and Challenger?” Those of you waiting for an EV muscle car won’t have to wait long. Kuniskis says a concept version of the “muscle EV” is coming in the next four or five months. And in a surprising nod to automotive outlets, it’ll be able to be driven and tested. Dodge also has a plug-in hybrid expected to go into production at the end of 2022. We speculate it may be a version of the Durango, but Kuniskis didn’t say whether or not the Durango would be moving to a new platform or if the model would be around at all. A third new model is also in the works. Kuniskis is light on details, but says “The third one is going to be a very, very, very, significant car at the end of the year.” And in a move that should make our very own Jason Torchinsky very happy, Dodge’s made up Fratzog badge will be used exclusively on EVs. Whatever floats your boat, or rather, charges your batteries. So you muscle car fans who are mad about this: calm down. Chances are the power output is even better than your Hemis anyways, and it needs to be done for the planet. You can expect these new models to take the stage at major auto shows next year, presumably in Dodge’s Detroit home, at the North American International Auto Show.>

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/in-your-opinion-podcast-does-a-family-of-4-in-spore-really-need-6426-a-month-for-a-basic-standard-of-living-pt-1 In Your Opinion Podcast: Does a family of 4 in S'pore need $6,426 a month for basic living standard? Synopsis: The Straits Times' opinion editor Grace Ho takes a hard look at political and social issues of the day with her expert guests. In this episode, the first of two parts, she looks at whether a family of four in Singapore needs $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living. In the studio to explain the study and its methodology are Associate Professor Teo You Yenn of the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University; and Dr Ng Kok Hoe, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Case Study Unit at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Highlights (click/tap above): 00:41: Is there a household budget that captures the lived realities of Singaporeans? What is the Minimum Income Standard? 04:55: Addressing criticisms of the study and its methodology 10:00 How is the Minimum Income Standard applied in the United Kingdom, and how does the UK decide what is a living wage? https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/thinking-aloud-6426-a-month-for-basic-standard-of-living-study-on-family-budgets-must-be Does a family of 4 really need $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living? It depends It is about what people feel they need to be socially accepted, not just what they can afford For a few years, money at home was tight. I did not go on overseas field trips or to the cinema, and made excuses to skip class gatherings at restaurants. Each missed activity meant one less shared experience and common talking point - and one step closer to feeling as if I did not belong. This is where the minimum income standard (MIS) approach, which relies on public consensus and not just expert opinion, comes in.

First off to NTUC to stock up

Does anyone know how much is the market rate currently to hire a full time chauffeur ... Like from Morning to Evening ... Monday to Friday only ... I'm just curious ... Pls don't "Suan" me ...

Travel lockdown, time to dig up old travel photos... I curated like 200 photos... going to post like 3-4 a day. hopefully when I reach the end, the lockdown is over... Starting from many many years ago, without the kids.... Some of these are posted previously last year but many are probably unposted. Added a drop shadow frame. China, Beijing. Newly weds Korea, Yongpyong. Portrait with tele lens Japan, Kyoto. Overblown skies... Australia, Great Ocean Road. No kids only Wife

Pictures from my trip to Hokkaido 2013. Ann was just 5 years old. The peak of her cuteness 🙂 Alex has no pictures in 2020... when he is 6 and cute. Hopefully I can go somewhere this year... http://www.keehian.com/hokkaido/

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/woodlands-double-murder-go-find-mummy-strangled-daughter-11691008 I thought this is pretty sad...