China already has a new Honda Integra – but it’s not what you think

When Acura announced that the
Integra is coming back
, hardcore Honda fans were understandably excited – after all, it’s
only
 one of Honda’s most iconic nameplate of all time. But as they say, reality is often disappointing, and it might just be the case here once again. Well, at least in China, anyway.
Photos of a new Honda Integra sedan in China has surfaced onto the interwebs, and as you can already see from the photos, looks like it’s just a regular
11th-generation Honda Civic sedan
 with a slightly tweaked exterior design.
The photos, as usual, came from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s website. Based on the badging on the tailgate, we gathered that the Honda Integra will be a model unique to Guangqi Honda, while Dongfeng Honda will be selling the regular Civic sedan alongside it.
Confusing for us who live in the rest of the world, but it’s actually quite a common strategy for carmakers in China and several other countries, due to their collaborations with different local companies.
The Chinese ministry might have also just leaked the upcoming Mazda CX-5 facelift. Check it out here!
Anyway, up front, the Integra can be seen with a new, slimmer set of headlights, flanking the redesigned and slightly more regular-looking front grille. The bumper is also reworked with a more minimalist look and smaller intakes.
Moving over to the rear, the Chinese Honda Integra also gets a reworked tail light assembly featuring a more three-dimensional design, paired to a slightly tweaked bootlid. From what we can see, there also seems to be at two different types of rear bumpers available – one with exposed tailpipes, and one without.
The rest of the car, though, is recognisably and undeniably a Honda Civic.
It’s sleek, sure. And frankly, we’d be overjoyed if Honda unveiled this as the 11th-gen Civic sedan from the get-go instead. But alas, it’s called the Integra, and based on what we’ve seen wearing the iconic nameplate, this sure doesn’t
feel
 like one, and we can’t help but feel disappointed.
Still, we remain cautiously optimistic for the “international” version of the Honda Integra – if it even exists – since the headlights from the
teaser image
 does look quite different from this. The
accompanying image of its silhouette
 also seems to suggest more of an aggressive coupe-like model, rather than a regular ol’ sedan.
Our hopes are up, but Honda, please, don’t do this again.


Mazda refreshes 2020 vehicle line-up with updated Mazda MX-5 RF and CX-9

Alongside the launch of the
2020 Mazda2 facelift
, Bermaz Motor has also unveiled the updated Mazda MX-5 RF and CX-9 as part of their 2020 vehicle line-up. Both models are now officially available for reservation.
Mazda MX-5 RF
The Mazda MX-5 is only available in Malaysia as the RF hard-top convertible variant. For the 2020 update, the MX-5 RF gains new
i-Activsense
 features, including Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Smart City Brake Support Adaptive LED headlights, and Lane Departure Warning System as standard.
Otherwise, the roadster remains unchanged from the
previous update in 2019
, featuring an uprated 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine with i-ELOOP and i-Stop idling technology, producing
181 hp
 and
205 Nm of torque
.
The engine can be paired to either a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic with paddle shifters.
Inside, the 2020 Mazda MX-5 RF is unchanged from the 2019 update as well. Equipment list includes the seven-inch Mazda Connect infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, paired to a nine-speaker Bose sound system.
The pattern continues to the styling – the exterior of the 2020 Mazda MX-5 remains identical to the previous update, other than the new Mazda badging and fonts design, in line with the latest Mazda models.
The Mazda MX-5 RF is fully-imported from Japan, priced at
 RM266,154
 for the manual variant, and
RM268,154
 for the automatic – a RM7,000 and RM7,800 increase from last year respectively.
Mazda CX-9
Mazda’s flagship seven-seater SUV has also been updated for 2020. Just as before,
two fully-imported variants
 are available with pretty much identical specifications, with the sole difference being drivetrain –
front-wheel or all-wheel drive
.
In terms of styling changes, the
Mazda CX-9
 gets new Mazda badging and fonts design, along with a new gray metallic finish to the 20-inch aluminium alloy wheels.
Inside, the black leather seats now come with silver stitching, while the Mazda Connect
infotainment display
 has been updated with a larger
nine-inch unit,
 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, first introduced in the 2018 rolling update.
The seatbelt reminder now covers all three rows of seats (instead of just the driver and front passenger), while the third-row passengers now get two USB ports. There is also a new
 brake auto-hold
 button on the centre console, with the introduction of the new safety feature.
The powertrain is pretty much unchanged from before, featuring a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine producing
228 hp
 and
420 Nm
 of torque, now with Mazda’s
 i-Stop idling
 technology. The engine is paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Mazda’s
 GVC Plus
 torque vectoring control also makes its way onto the 2020 CX-9, which adds on individual brake-control, in addition to varying the engine torque output from the older GVC system.
Specific to the AWD variant, the 2020 Mazda CX-9 also comes with the all-new
Off-road Traction Assist
feature. When activated, the system automatically applies the brakes on the wheels off-ground, transferring the torque to the wheel in contact with the ground for better off-road traction.
Safety equipment is also pretty much unchanged. The CX-9 features the i-Activsense Advance Driver Assistance suite, which includes Adaptive LED Headlights, Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning System with Lane Keep Assist System, and Driver Attention Alert.
The
Smart City Brake Support
 has been updated to now
 detect vehicles as well as pedestrians
, both forward and rearward.
The 2020 Mazda CX-9 is priced at
RM319,610.40
 for the 2WD variant, while the AWD variant is priced at
RM336,610.40
. The new pricing reflects an increase of RM29,000 on both variants.
Both the 2020 Mazda CX-5 RF and 2020 Mazda CX-9 are offered with a
five-year/100,000 km manufacturer warranty
, as well as a
five-year/100,000 km free scheduled maintenance
 package, inclusive of parts, lubricants, and labour charges.
IMAGE GALLERY
2020 Mazda MX-5 RF


Bentley is selling off five “new” coachbuilt stretched Mulsanne Grand limos

Bentley once made five hand-built Mulliner coachbuilt stretched Mulsanne Grand limousines sometime back in 2015. While they were all delivered to their destination in the United Arab Emirates, they were never used nor registered – so now more than five years later, Bentley wants to sell them off.
Built specifically for customers “seeking the finest in luxury limousine transportation” as per Bentley, the Mulsanne Grand limo features a stretched body frame that’s 1,000 mm longer than the regular Mulsanne, alongside a raised roof that offers an additional 79 mm of headroom at the rear.
Silver Frost over Moroccan Blue – unique, to say the least.
Of course, being Mulliner coachbuilt, each of these five Mulsanne Grand limousines each have their own unique specifications, which Bentley has helpfully compiled them into a list below – first come, first served:
Silver Frost over Moroccan Blue exterior paint, paired with an Imperial Blue and Linen interior completed by Burr Walnut veneer
Damson over Black Crystal paintwork, complemented by Damson and Twine leathers and Dark Stained Burr Walnut veneer
Onyx over Candy Red exterior, with a Hotspur and Camel interior finished with Olive Ash veneer
Rubino Red over Light Gazelle bodywork, with an interior in Fireglow and Twine leather paired with Burr Walnut veneer
A single tone Black Sapphire exterior, with an Imperial Blue and Camel interior contrasted by Dark Stained Burr Walnut veneer
Other unique exterior features include the 21-inch wheels that have been painted to match the car’s exterior paintwork, and a custom-commissioned Flying ‘B’ bonnet mascot with the words ‘Coachbuilt by Mulliner’ engraved on the base. But for the true standout features of the stretched limousine, we’ll have to head inside.
Mulliner has just made its 1,000th bespoke project! Check out lucky number 1,000 here.
Bentley says that the stretched Mulsanne is designed specifically for a “truly luxurious travelling experience”, catered for “four passenger seats of equal comfort”, with their arrangement inspired by luxury private jets – two facing the front, and two facing the rear.
There’s a bottle cooler with crystal flutes for your fancy champagne in between the two front facing seats, while a beverage cabinet with “bespoke crystal tumblers” sits in-between the rear-facing seats. When you’re not celebrating life with your travel partners while sipping on champagne, the folding veneered picnic tables, alongside iPad docking and charging stations, lets you work comfortably on the move.
The coachbuilt Bentley Mulsanne Grand limousine also comes with a completely-custom climate control system, allowing each of the four rear passengers to control their own “micro-climates” without affecting the other travelling companion’s ideal temperatures.
An electrochromic ‘smart glass’ is placed between the front seats and rear seats, which means the true VVIPs at the rear can enjoy complete privacy with just a press of a button. Bentley also built an intercom system into the car, in case you need to talk to your driver that’s separated via the smart glass panel.
If you pay them enough money, Bentley’s Mulliner will even build you a yacht to match your car. Check it out here!
In order to support the extra weight and length of the car, Bentley had to re-engineer the chassis and suspension for the Mulsanne Grand. The powertrain was not touched, however, as Bentley’s
iconic 6.75-litre twin turbo V8
, with
512 hp
 and
1,020 Nm
 of torque, is more than enough for this purpose.
Originally created as a private commission piece, Bentley Mulliner was given consent to build a limited run of these cars for “like-minded customers”, and they five units here are now all available for purchase through Bentley’s UAE retail partner, Bentley Emirates, with delivery anywhere in the world available as required.
Bentley’s latest arrival in Malaysia is the Flying Spur V8. Check it out in more detail here!
With production of the Mulsanne
ended last year
, these five cars are pretty much the last chance you’ll ever get to buy a “new” Mulsanne from Bentley. Considering that they’re Mulliner bespoke pieces with limited quantities, it’s also safe to say that they’ll only increase in value from the day you get your hands on it – so multi-billionaires, you know what to do.
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Audi Piloted Driving system will soon relieve your stress in traffic jams

Over the years, Audi’s accolades in the area of highly-automated driving speak volumes for itself. There was the driverless Audi TTS that etched the brand’s four rings on the salt flats before scaling Pikes Peak; there was also the RS7 Sportback which lapped the Hockenheim race track at the limits of physical driving – without an actual driver.
Audi has since been demonstrating new thresholds of piloted driving on public roads, from the West Coast of the US to Las Vegas, on the Autobahn and in urban Shanghai traffic.
Now, Audi will put into production the piloted driving system that’s based on its
adaptive cruise control
 and
traffic jam assist
 functions. At speeds between
0 to 65 km/h,
 the system will take over the acceleration, braking and even steering duties from the driver as and when he or she desires – for some stress relief on congested roads.
When traffic subsides, the system will automatically prompt the driver to resume control of the vehicle. The “brains” behind this ingenuity is the central driver assistance control unit
(zFAS)
. It uses processors to evaluate the signals from all its sensors while a radar scans the front of the car.
This is partnered with a video camera which detects lane markings, guardrails, pedestrians and other vehicles. A laser scanner delivers high-precision data about objects up to
 80 meters
 (262.5 ft) away.
As many as
12 ultrasonic sensors
 and
four cameras
 monitoring the surrounding area of the car; for the zFAS system to create a “picture” of the traffic situation in great detail – allowing very early detection of vehicles or objects in front of the vehicle.
IMAGE GALLERY


The Renault 5 Turbo finally gets its third iteration, courtesy of epic Turbo 3 restomod

Restomods
 are all the rage these days, and the 80s in particular are getting a lot of love. The latest in the “outrun-vibes” restomod collection is Legende Automobile’s Renault 5 Turbo 3, and it’s a money-no-object reimagination of the iconic Renault 5 Turbo road homologation cars.
As the name suggests, it’s designed to be the third coming of the Renault 5 Turbo (which had two iterations, the Turbo 1 and 2), and their goal was to combine the best bits of both of those cars with modern technologies for a “no compromises” build, specifically for people “that are as passionate about driving as we are” – whatever that means.
With that in mind, the US-based Legende Automobile took the original three-door Renault 5 Turbo 2, and gave it a completely reworked hand-made body made “mostly out of carbon fibre”.
The body has been significantly widened to fit bigger wheels, giving it a properly “stance-y” look, though still keeping it as proportionate as possible in respect of the Bertone-designed original body styling.
Renault themselves have also made a modern-day Renault 5 – but fully electric. Check it out here!
Round the rear, you’ll find the side glass is framed in carbon fibre with bespoke air curtains incorporated into the C pillars, an extended rear wing, and a custom designed two-piece diffuser that houses a set of square exhaust tips. LED on both the head and tail lights further modernises the Renault 5 Turbo for the modern times.
While the exterior stays pretty true to the classic rally-bred looks, with its rally-inspired wheels and decal branding, the interior is a little more reworked than recreated, filled with modern technologies such as a fully digital instrument cluster and dual-zone climate control.
Despite that, the inside of the Renault 5 Turbo 3 still exudes an air of proper restomod energy with its spartan interior appointments (no infotainment displays here), with performance capabilities turned up to 11 thanks to the exposed roll cage, lightweight bucket seats, and six-point harnesses built in.
The Kimera EVO37 is yet another restomod of an iconic 1980s homologation special. Check it out here!
Legende Automobile is staying coy about its performance underneath the Turbo 3’s restomod bodywork, though the internet seems to think that it’ll be around the
400 hp
 mark, which will be a significant increase over the 1.4-litre turbocharged mill from the original 1983 car.
We do know that it’ll come with a manual transmission, though, and it’ll also borrow the double wishbone suspension set-up from the Maxi Turbo rally car. Expect more of these infos to surface when the company decides to put a price tag on it.
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Video: Fully-electric BMW iX3 SUV from RM298k, 5 Things

Blink and you’d easily mistaken the iX3 for a BMW X3 because they look so identical but in fact, they’re anything but.
For starters, the iX3 is purely electric. With a rear-mounted electric motor, effectively making the iX3 rear-wheel drive, it produces 286 hp and 400 Nm. 0 to 100 km/h takes just 6.8 seconds although top speed is limited to just 180 km/h.
Power is supplied by a 73.8 kWh battery that can be fully charged in just 30 minutes using a 150 kW DC charging, or 7.5 hours using an 11 kW AC Wallbox charger. If you’re conservative with the throttle, you could enjoy up to 461 km of electric driving range.

The iX3 is available in two variants; the ‘Inspiring’ and the higher-end ‘Impressive’. While they may both be dressed with M Sport body kits, the Impressive gets the BMW Laser Light technology to power its headlamps, along with larger 20-inch M aerodynamic wheels.
The Impressive is also more
impressive
 on the inside; differentiating itself from the Inspiring variant with a head-up display, 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, 360-degree camera, and driving sound composed in collaboration with Hans Zimmer.
More about the BMW iX3
here
!


Get 10% rebate and cashback with your car coverage – Introducing MotorTakaful by Etiqa

Just like your birthday, the road tax and insurance renewal of your car is an annual occurrence, albeit something you don’t really look forward to. Displaying your road tax sticker is now no longer mandatory, but the renewal of both the road tax and insurance carries on as usual. Among the many motor coverage options, you may have heard of MotorTakaful by Etiqa.
First things first, let’s address the differences between conventional insurance and takaful. The main difference is the type of agreement/contract where conventional insurance is you purchasing ‘security’ while takaful is you as a participant agreeing to donate (Tabarru’) to an emergency fund, pooling resources with other donators in case of an emergency.
The funds pooled are also invested in compliance with Shariah. Takaful also does not involve riba’ (interest). MotorTakaful by Etiqa applies the Wakalah concept whereby the participants appoint Takaful Operator (Etiqa General Takaful Berhad) to act on their behalf to invest and manage the general takaful fund. For managing the general takaful fund, Takaful Operator is entitled to receive a Wakalah fee.
Apart from that, takaful participants are also entitled to receive a surplus arising from the general takaful fund (if any) provided their certificates have not terminated and they have not made any claims within the financial year. A simplified explanation is that takaful is Shariah compliant while conventional insurance is not.
What is MotorTakaful by Etiqa?
So, what is MotorTakaful by Etiqa? It is a vehicle takaful program that covers liabilities to other parties for injury or death, damage to other parties’ property, and accidental damage, fire damage, or theft of your vehicle.
Benefits of renewing with MotorTakaful by Etiqa
Some benefits that you get by renewing your takaful certificate with MotorTakaful by Etiqa include:
• 10% rebate when renewing
• Surplus Sharing cashback at the end of the takaful period*
• Convenience – online renewal
• Etiqa “Smiles” App
• Drive Less Save More program
• Cashback for no claims
• 0% interest instalment (for Maybank credit cards)
*Terms and conditions apply
MotorTakaful by Etiqa also has a rewards program for safe driving where you receive cashback if no claims were made, and 24-hour roadside assistance where you can enjoy unlimited mileage if you subscribe to the Driver and Passengers Personal Accident (DPPA). Managed by an award-winning claims team, MotorTakaful serves over 1.5 million customers.
Types of MotorTakaful coverage
There are three types of coverage under MotorTakaful, namely “Third-party only”, “Third-party, fire, and theft”, and “comprehensive”.
“Third-party only” coverage, as its name suggests, only covers liabilities to third parties which include:
• Death or bodily injury to any person except those specifically excluded under the takaful certificate.
• Damage to property, except those specifically excluded under the takaful certificate.
Meanwhile, “Third-party, fire, and theft” coverage adds the following on top of “Third party only” coverage:
• Fire, explosion, or lightning damage
• Burglary, housebreaking, or theft
• Towing costs
And being the most complete form of coverage, the “Comprehensive” coverage adds on:
• Accidental collision or overturning
• Collision or overturning caused by mechanical breakdown.
• Collision or overturning caused by wear and tear.
• Impact damage caused by falling objects (subject to certain exclusions)
• Breakage of windscreen, windows, or sunroof including lamination/tinting film
• Malicious act
• Coverage while in transit (limited coverage)
Etiqa Smile app
If you are already participating in MotorTakaful by Etiqa, you can renew your yearly MotorTakaful coverage through the Etiqa Smile app by clicking the ‘Renew’ button that appears 2 months prior to the date of expiration of your current certificate. Through the Smile app, you can also activate the “Drive Less Save More” program where you can get:
30% cash rebate per year if you drive from 0-14 km per day
20% cash rebate per year if you drive 15-28 km per day
10% cash rebate per year if you drive 29-42 km per day
Through the Smile app, you can also view other coverage programs provided by Etiqa that you are subscribed to. If you’re looking to renew your car coverage anytime soon, remember that you can get a 10% cash rebate when you renew with MotorTakaful by Etiqa. Just visit
motortakaful.com


The new V12 Speedster is possibly the coolest Aston Martin in recent times

Like the Valkyrie, V12 Speedster with a price tag of £765,000 (approx. RM4 million before taxes) tears up the Aston Martin rule book once again, with 88 examples set to hit the road by 2021.
Created by the brand’s “Q by Aston Martin” bespoke customisation service, the V12 Speedster with hints of the DBS Superleggera and Vantage, went from an idea to production in just over a year.
There’s also clear lineage from the 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1 to the Centenary celebratory CC100 Speedster Concept in 2013. There’s also a hint of the 1953 DB3S in the mid-section.
Powering the Speedster is a 5.2-litre V12 quad cam engine, with
700 hp
 and
753 Nm
, paired to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission with a limited-slip differential.
Large numbers indeed but in reality, it’s no quicker than a standard 911 Carrera 4S with a 0 to 100 km/h time of
3.5 seconds
. The Carrera 4S does the same in 3.6 seconds. Top speed of the V12 Speedster is capped at 300 km/h, for obvious reasons.
21-inch forged wheels and carbon ceramic brakes are standard while the body is almost entirely made from carbon fibre.
Aside from being completely exposed to the elements, with the removal of the windscreen, aural pleasure comes from a stainless steel exhaust that exits from the centre of the rear diffuser.
Inside the open-air cabin is a tasteful blend of hand-crafted leather and carbon fibre. The fighter jet-like aura of the cockpit was inspired by the F/A-18 Hornet jet – a testament of Aston Martin’s intentions for it to be a living show car.
IMAGE GALLERY


Ford Ranger FX4 scheduled for Malaysian launch on June 3

Sime Darby Auto Connexion has announced that the new Ford Ranger FX4 will make its local debut on the 3rd of June via a
video livestream
 on both YouTube and Facebook Live. The updated FX4 model was first launched in November last year in Australia and New Zealand, though later introduced in Thailand as an extension to the
XLT variant
.
The FX4 dresses up the
facelifted Ford Ranger
 with a whole swath of stealthy black cosmetic upgrades. Up front, the headlights are darkened, flanking the variant-exclusive mesh-styled grille, finished in Ebony Black.
The front and rear bumper on the FX4 also gets the blacked-out treatment, along with the wing mirror cover and door handles. The Ranger FX4 rides on a new 18-inch Ebony Black alloy wheels, while a ‘3D Effect’ Ranger badging rounds up the exterior aesthetic treatments.
Inside, the Ranger FX4 gets a black leather upholstery, finished with red accent stitching. Based on international market specifications, the FX4 should come equipped with the eight-inch SYNC 3 infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, though SDAC might swap it out for an Android-based headunit, as seen on the
XLT Special Edition
.
If there are no additional changes though, expect to see other standard equipment such as six speakers, 4.2-inch multi-info display in the instrument cluster, six-way power adjustable driver seats, and four-way power adjustable front passenger seat.
The Australian Ranger FX4 gets the 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine as seen on the WildTrak 4×4 and
Raptor
, but our local-spec FX4 will most likely be equipped with the 2.2-litre TDCI turbodiesel unit from the XLT, managing
160 hp
 and
385 Nm
 of torque, paired to a six-speed automatic or manual gearbox.
To celebrate the launch of the new variant, SDAC-Ford will be rewarding the
 first 150 owners
 with
additional accessories worth RM5,398
, including a matte-black sports bar, executive tinting, as well as an in-built digital video recorder.
Those interested in placing an order before the launch can do so via the
 Ford Digital Salesperson
, a dedicated WhatsApp chat line to connect you directly to a nearby Ford salesperson. The Digital Salesperson is available at
+6019-204 1200
, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.


The Lamborghini Huracan Performante is the fastest car on eight circuits!

The Lamborghini Huracan Performante has clocked the fastest time on eight different international circuits just a year after its official debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.
The eight circuits were the Vairano, Balocco and Le Mans Bugatti circuits in Italy, the Contidrom and Boxberg circuits in Germany, the Mira and Wroughton proving grounds in the United Kingdom and the Anneau du Rhin track in France.
The new records are testament to the Lamborghini’s exceptional features including the
Lamborghini Active Aerodynamics (ALA) System
 which won the Autocar Innovation Award last year.
This system was made possible by the use of innovative ultra-lightweight materials such as Forged Composite, aero-vectoring, a dedicated chassis set-up, an all-wheel drive system and further enhancements to the powertrain.
The Performante is powered by a 5.2-liter V10 naturally-aspirated engine with 640 hp and 600 Nm. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in
2.9 seconds
 with a top speed of over 325 km/h.


First ever M Performance vehicle in Malaysia, the BMW X2 M35i

It seems that BMW
Malaysia is not letting Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) taking all the limelight
in the high-performance crossover segment with the official debut of the BMW X2
M35i xDrive. It is also the first ever M Performance vehicle to be launched in
the Malaysian market.
Yes, we know it’s not a direct competitor to the
Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC
 but it’s not a case of David vs Goliath either. The Beemer still packs a potent 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol with
306 hp
and
450 Nm
of torque – 69 hp and 25 Nm down from the AMG.

QUICK FACTS
 Name

BMW X2 M35i xDrive
 Engine
 1,998cc; 4-cylinder
turbo
 Transmission
 8-speed automatic
 Max Torque
 306 hp @ 5,000
– 6,250 rpm
 Max Power
 450 Nm @ 1,750
– 4,500 rpm
 0 – 100 km/h;
Top Speed
 4.9 seconds; 250
km/h
 Estimated Price
(OTR without insurance)
 RM400,000
Paired to a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic and xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the X2 M35i takes the century sprint in
4.9 seconds
with a limited top speed of 250 km/h. If you look at it this way, the X2 is only half a second off from the GLA 45. Other performance-enhancing bits include the M Sport adaptive suspension with two settings – Comfort and Sport as well as the M Sport front differentials.
The M35i distinguishes
itself from a regular sDrive20i through the sharp M Sport Aero Kit, larger M Sport
brakes with blue callipers, 20-inch M light alloy wheels Double-spoke style 721
M wrapped in 225/40 profile run flat rubbers, Cerium Grey finish for the air
inlets, exterior mirror caps and the all important M35i emblem at the rear.
Inside, apart from the
Red Dakota leather upholstery, M Sport Seats and seat belts, it would be hard
to tell this apart from a regular X2. Other amenities include M leather wrapped
multifunctional steering wheel with paddle shifters, Heads Up Display, reverse
camera, LCD instrument cluster, 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 12-speaker
Harman Kardon surround sound system.
BMW X2M35i
BMW_X2M35i
Deliveries of the BMW X2 M35i will commence from July 2019 onwards and carries an estimated price tag of RM400,000. Every purchase also comes with a 5-Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty and 5-Years Free Scheduled Service
IMAGE GALLERY
BMW X2 M35i Launched in Malaysia
BMW X2M35i
BMW_X2M35i


The new Hap Seng Star KL Autohaus is a luxury boutique for Mercedes-Benz vehicles

The new
Hap Seng Star KL Autohaus
has just been launched by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and it’s the first Autohaus with a Luxury Lifestyle Boutique, featuring exclusive Mercedes-Benz design collection and accessories for customers and their Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
“With this investment in the first, new Mercedes-Benz Retail Brand Presence in the heart of KL City Centre and the first Mercedes-Benz Accessories and Collection Boutique in Malaysia, we aim to create the best experience for our customers throughout their ownership journey,” said CEO of Hap Seng Group Automotive and Group CEO of Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad, Harald Behrend.
Hap Seng Star Kuala Lumpur Autohaus is managed by 20 personnel, seated on a 29,300 sq. ft land and handles everything related to vehicle sales. The lifestyle experience includes Malaysia’s first Mercedes-Benz Luxury Accessories and Collection Boutique, catering to a wide range of customers with a variety of collectables and products for business and pleasure.
The boutique offers a range of accessories such as sunglasses, watches, and more. Customers can now choose the right outfit to suit every occasion as well as matching Mercedes-Benz accessories like belts, wallets, and cufflinks.
That’s not all. The HSS Autohaus also houses a private lounge on Level 2, overlooking the skyline of Kuala Lumpur. While you’re waiting to be attended to, there’s a stylish and spacious cafe on Level 3 for you to unwind with refreshments. The spacious delivery bays, spanning over 2,000 sq.ft., are fitted with special illuminations delivering a unique vehicle handover experience.
Hap Seng has invested a total of over RM300 million to date in enriching customer touchpoints nationwide, with an investment of RM3.5 million in the Hap Seng Star KL Autohaus alone. They are currently in 11 locations, including Kuala Lumpur,
Kinrara
, Balakong, Jalan Ipoh, Bukit Tinggi,
Setia Alam
, Melaka, and Iskandar in Peninsular Malaysia. In Sabah and Sarawak, Hap Seng is present in Kuching, Miri and
Kota Kinabalu
.
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Hans Zimmer is bringing back the aural pleasures in fully-electric BMW M cars

Accelerating out of a corner in second gear, you increase the throttle input and the engine makes more
beautiful intake and exhaust notes
 as it reaches the next bend. Unfortunately, the required shift to fully electric powertrain means the end of noises from combustion engines. Or is it?
As BMW is moving towards a product line-up with
more electric vehicles (EV)
, the brand that’s famously known with the tagline “Sheer Driving Pleasure” is also moving to reinstate the various acoustic properties generally linked to enthusiastic driving and pleasure.
Hans Zimmer, film music creator and Academy Award winner that has worked on blockbuster movies such as Inception, Gladiator and The Dark Knight, is collaborating with BMW M to compose a soundtrack that is emotionally rich as the driver accelerates in a fully-electric BMW M car.
Zimmer had previously been involved in the development of an inspiring ready-to-drive sound for electrically powered BMWs which instils a sense of excitement at the prospect of electric driving when the Start button is pressed. The latest chapter in this collaboration covers drive sounds for the BMW iX and
BMW i4
, including a
differentiated sound
 for the M-specification version of the BMW i4.
Zimmer said, “So for the electrically driven BMW M models we have developed a driving sound which accentuates their emotional driving experience particularly vividly and ensures their performance can be felt with even greater intensity.”
Similar to current BMW electrified (PHEV) models, different driving modes have different sound profiles channelled into the cabin. For the
upcoming BMW iX
, the new
IconicSounds Electric
 feature will provide an immersive and pleasant atmosphere under the Comfort driving mode, while Eco Pro mode goes into full silent mode.
Switching to Sport mode, the car’s aural spectrum is more dominant and powerful, the sound providing a constant commentary on the driving situation. Drive system processes are registered within milliseconds and acceleration, load changes or recuperation given a suitable acoustic accompaniment.
In the version developed specifically for electrified BMW M models, the drive sound of the BMW i4 is charged with extra energy, together with larger differentiation from Comfort to Sport modes.
Acceleration sparks a rich intensification of the soundtrack’s development, authentically reflecting the car’s performance character. “When you press the pedal of an M car, you suddenly get goosebumps all over your body,” says Creative Sound Designer at BMW Group, Renzo Vitale. “We translated this feeling into a drive sound that expresses a fusion of superior power and flowing energy.”

BMW is certainly putting all the expertise and know-how they have to ensure the brand values are retained with the shift from six- and eight-cylinder powertrains to fully electric systems. The company has been
fine-tuning
 the input-output parameters of the new BMW i4 to ensure spontaneous reactions to every movement – not just from the accelerator pedal but also from the steering and brake pedal.
The IconicSounds Electric feature is set to be standard in the BMW iX and can be specified as
an option
 for the upcoming BMW i4. What’s more, the new sounds can be imported retrospectively via Remote Software Upgrade, should the customer wish.
The new spectrum includes one ready-to-drive sound and one-stop sound, plus a driving sound which will be made available in the relevant version for BMW models and BMW M cars with electrified drive system.


Works Ministry says various options to cheaper toll rates under study

The government is still studying and detailing the various appropriate options to reduce the toll rates in Malaysia. The Works Minister, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, also said that the government and highway concessionaires are in a two-way discussion to restructure the financial mechanism of toll collection to ensure a fair return whilst not burdening the road users.
In a report by
Berita Harian
, the short elaboration was part of his ending debate (under Works Ministry) on the 12th Malaysia Plan. Datuk Seri Fadillah also said that apart from his ministry and highway concessionaires, all suggestions will also be deliberated between the Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister’s Department, the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) as well as other relevant agencies to reach a decision holistically.
Under the chapter ‘Enhancing efficiency of transport and logistics infrastructure’ in the 12th Malaysia Plan, the topic of reviewing the model on highway development and benefit to the people was very briefly mentioned.
Green light for interstate travel to be announced soon, as vaccination rate has hit over 88%, just a day or two before the 90% target. Recap the announcement here.
Earlier this year, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) released a statement that the deferment in toll hikes in 2021 has an estimated compensation value of
over RM2.25 billion
.
On February 1st 2020, the highway network owned and operated by PLUS Expressways Bhd that includes the North-South Expressway, Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (LINKEDUA) and ELITE Expressway reduced its toll charges by 18%, after a concession restructuring agreement with the Cabinet.
The 12th Malaysia Plan also touched on the incentives for low emission vehicles. More about the plan here.
The reduced toll fares will be maintained until the end of the concession which is 2058- an extension of
20 years
.
Other ideas mooted by the previous administration included variable fares for inter-city tolls (LDP, KESAS, SPRINT and SMART) based on peak and non-peak hours. The topic of cheaper toll rates was one of the key subjects and even included as an election manifest by the opposition party in 2018.


All-new Honda Civic breaks cover, features turbo engine for the first time!

What you’re seeing here is the 10th-generation Honda Civic sedan, a completely redesigned version of the 43-year old model that’s also new from the ground up, Honda says. It will come fitted with two engine options – a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine and a turbocharged 1.5-litre powerplant.
We have agree to some extent that the
9th generation (outgoing) Civic
 missed the mark in terms of design, but Honda seemed to be on the right track when they
previewed its concept
. In full production form, the Civic is effectively wider (50mm), lower (25mm) and has a longer wheelbase (30mm). The front and rear overhangs have been shortened, while design-wise the front end gets an aggressive hood whereas the rump features a fastback-style look, almost reminiscent of the
Audi A7
!
This Civic features
extensive use of LEDs
, and illumination source is also courtesy of the low-energy light source. Headlights and daytime running lights are full LED, whereas the rear gets the distinctive
C-shaped LED taillights
 as standard. Besides the new look, this Civic boasts having a lower centre of gravity, which means it should
handle better
 than the current model. The new chassis sees improvement done to both the front and rear suspension; the former gets a pair of redesigned struts while the rear features a new multi-link setup mounted to the
ultra-rigid
 rear subframe.
Besides that, torsional rigidity is
up by 25 percent
, thanks in part to ultra-high-strength steel. Despite the larger footprint, the Civic weighs about
31kg less
 than before. It’s also more slippery as well, charting aerodynamic improvements that’s
12 percent better
, courtesy of the
full underbody covers
.
The Civic for the longest time has been associated with having one of the noisier cabins in its class, but the 9th-gen facelifted model had that sorted out pretty well. Now, the all-new Civic isn’t just the quietest by far, it’s also said to be the
most comfortable
,
sophisticated

and premium-feeling cabin
 in the compact class. An additional 105 litres of interior space has been added, while rear legroom space is stretched by 51mm!

Here, the Civic’s standard equipment includes
automatic climate control
 (dual-zone controls on higher trim levels), electronic parking brake with
 Brake Hold
,
Walk Away
 auto door locks and an adjustable driver’s seat thigh support with 14 degrees of tilt and a new, reconfigurable
7.2-litre storage space
 in the piano-black centre console. Features like soft-touch instrument panel, moulded stitching, new full-colour TFT meter, LED shift indicator and LED cabin lighting,
8-way powered driver seat
 and 4-way front passenger seat certainly make the Civic an interesting proposition.
As mentioned earlier,
only two engines
 will be offered in the United States when it goes on sale later this year – a base
2.0-litre
 and the new
 1.5-litre turbocharged
 engines. We’re all familiar with the former unit; a 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder block that will be mated to a
six-speed manual
 or a
 CVT gearbox
. Upper-tier variants will benefit from the new turbocharged powertrain, but output figures remain unknown at present.
The 10th-gen Honda Civic Concept
Finally, the new Civic incorporates better agility and refined ride quality in an effort to lead its segment. As such, it gets
hydraulic compliance bushings
 to help isolate road vibration – a technology that’s typically used in more expensive vehicles. Stabiliser bars at the front and rear are beefed up for better handling, and couple that with Honda’s new
 Agile Handling Assist brake-torque vectoring technology
, the new Civic should altogether spell more fun. The bigger question now is, what form will the Civic take when it arrives in Malaysia?
IMAGE GALLERY


All-electric Porsche Taycan to be launched in Malaysia next year

Over the course of last Saturday’s Sportscar Together Day at Sepang, official distributor of Porsche cars in Malaysia Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP) confirmed its intention to launch the Porsche Taycan in Malaysia in 2020.
Porsche’s fully electric Tesla Model S fighter will finally be unveiled to the world at the forthcoming Frankfurt motor show in September, with production to kick off before the end of the year. The Taycan started life as the Mission E concept before being christened ‘Taycan’ a year ago, which translates to the ‘soul of a spirited young horse’ in Turkic languages.
Taycan at Goodwood recently; global unveiling at Frankfurt motor show in September.
The Taycan is similar in size to the Panamera and is a four-door coupe-like sedan. It runs on an 800-volt architecture, similar to the system deployed in the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid sport car. The rule of thumb being the higher the voltage, the lower the current, which equates to lower resistance and transmission losses, which in turn raises the efficiency and allows for a faster charging time. Tesla systems currently run on 400V.
800V architecture shortens charging times dramatically, but will there be rapid chargers to capitalise?
The Porsche Taycan’s specifications are no secret; it is expected to have a battery capacity ranging from 80 kWh to 96 kWh, with range rated up to 500 km per full charge. The entry variant is rumoured to be rear-wheel drive while the top ‘Turbo’ spec to have twin motors and all-wheel drive; the latter having a combined output of over 600 hp and around 900 Nm of torque, good for a sub-3.5 second 0-100 km/h time and a top speed of over 250 km/h.
Prices are subject to trim and equipment levels, but the Taycan is expected to cost within the vicinity of a Tesla Model S in the US, ranging from US$90,000 to US$130,000. Porsche says they have already received 30,000 orders so far.


This Novitec-tuned Ferrari 812 Superfast sounds as wild as it looks!

The Ferrari 812 Superfast needs no introduction. With the most powerful naturally-aspirated V12 engine ever made for a production car, it’s
as bonkers in a straight line as its name suggests
.
Novitec Group, tuners of the most high-end supercars money can buy, clearly doesn’t believe that the sky is the limit. Taking a design that’s been revered all over the world, the German tuning house famed for disrupting the natural state of Ferraris, have definitely captured the imaginations of our inner 8-year olds with this new “creation”.
The Novitec edition 812 Superfast has been dressed with a list of carbon fibre bits that includes a front splitter, side skirts, side mirror covers, rear spoiler and rear bumper attachments.
Mechanically, the 812 Superfast gets coil springs with hydaulic adjustments that complements the car’s standard dampers, a set of 21-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) wheels and several exhaust system options that
reduces the car’s weight by up to 11 kg
.
If you’ve been living under a rock and have not heard of the 812 Superfast, check out
 our first impressions of it
 here. Better yet, watch our
 2018 Driver’s Cars of the Year video
 and listen to how it sounds!
IMAGE GALLERY


Ford Mustang order books open: 2.3L Ecoboost from RM435k, 5.0L V8 from RM550k!

Ford Malaysia is now taking pre-launch bookings of the iconic Mustang, ahead of its arrival sometime in December this year. As you would know by now, two variants of the pony will be introduced upon arrival, the 2.3-litre EcoBoost and 5.0-litre Coyote V8. Pricing starts from RM435k for the former and the latter at RM550k.
During its
preview at Publika
, there were rumours of the 2.3-litre EcoBoost carrying a price tag lower than RM500k. Although Ford Malaysia’s indicative pricing isn’t significantly lower than the half-a-million mark, pricing the
turbocharged four-banger
 between RM435,000 to RM450,000 may seriously shrug off many aspiring first-time owners.
The 5.0-litre V8 variant on the other hand, has an indicative pricing between RM550,000 to RM565,000. This motor is good for
435 hp
 and
542 Nm
 of torque, whereas the direct injected EcoBoost lump makes
310 hp
 and
434 Nm
 of torque. Malaysian bound ponies will very likely be fitted with the ZF-derived
six-speed automatic
 as opposed to Getrag’s six-speed manual gearbox.
Both Mustangs are fully imported from Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant in the US, and will come in five colours – Oxford White, Shadow Black, Deep Impact Blue, Magnetic Grey and Race Red. The V8 variant gets an exclusive Triple Yellow Tri-Coat shade. So, dear readers, what do you think of the Mustang’s pricing? Yay, or nay?
IMAGE GALLERY
Ford Mustang 5.0L V8 in Publika

Ford Mustang Official Photos


Proton resumes export to South Africa – first shipment since 2012 includes X50, X70, Saga

After an absence of about a decade, Proton is now marking its return to South Africa with the first shipment of vehicles to the nation since 2012, following the signing of CMH Group as its new distributor in the country. The first batch of vehicles, which left Westport, Klang last Friday, consists of the
Proton X50
,
X70
, and
Saga
.
The cargo ship is expected to arrive in Durban, South Africa, in July this year, ahead of the models’ scheduled launch by the end of the third quarter this year.
“South Africa is a matured and competitive market, but we are confident the Proton X50, Proton X70 and Saga have the right combination of features and value to compete with other brands there,” said Proton Director of International Sales, Steven Xu.
The fact that most of the cars you see here in the photos are SUVs is no coincidence. Proton says that most of its export sales growth this year has been driven by the X50 and X70, with both showing an increase in demand of 77% and 31% respectively.
RELATED: Proton X50, X70, Exora lead segment sales charts in first four months of 2022
Overall, the national carmaker’s export sales in the first quarter this year have seen a growth of 175% compared to the same period last year. The number is expected to grow to over 300% by the end of the year, as Proton ramps up its assembly operations overseas.
Local assembly plants for Proton are already up and running in Pakistan, Kenya, and Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka is set to join the list in the second half of 2022.
Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Proton says that it still managed to increase its representation within Malaysia’s overall vehicle exports, from 12.8% in 2019, to 30.2% in 2020, and 61% in 2021.
“Growth in export sales is vital to Proton being able to achieve its long-term goals. The company will need to explore more new markets to push its volume growth rate, and we are making the necessary investments both here at Tanjung Malim and in our overseas operations to ensure we are ready to move quickly to exploit any new opportunities,” added Proton Deputy CEO, Roslan Abdullah.


Video: McLaren 720S Spider, 5 Things

You’ve probably seen it multiple times seeing that it was
introduced globally last year
but nothing beats being in the presence of a supercar sculptured to exude such drama.
Despite how the aggressive the exterior looks, especially at the back, the interior was surprisingly simple, with a no-frills vibe. You get the sense that McLaren intended for it to be that way so that you’re not distracted from the sole purpose of being behind the wheel – to drive.

The latest and possibly hottest open-top supercar in Malaysia at the moment can be had in three trims – standard, Luxury and Performance – with a starting price of
RM 1,218,000 before duties and options.


This 18-carat gold ring in the Bentley Mulliner Batur is fully 3D-printed!

As luxury cars become more and more commonplace, standout features also become even harder to come by. It’s not like carmakers aren’t trying; in recent times we’ve seen unique materials like tweed or high-tech gizmos such as the Hyperscreen, but nothing has really stood out. So will this gold ring on the
 Bentley Mulliner Batur
 be any different?
Well, perhaps. Because not only is it 210 grams of 18-carat yellow gold in an 18-unit-only limited-edition special model, it’s also quite simply a technological marvel. Yes, you read that title right – it’s literally 3D-printed without a cast or mould, much like how you would print a small plastic dog.
Bentley calls the additive manufacturing process to be “ground-breaking”, and believes that it’s the first time that it’s been used in the automotive industry… except that we’ve seen 3D-printed metallic car parts before, like this
titanium brake calliper from Bugatti
. Maybe they meant interior ornaments, or specifically for gold? We’ll never know.
RELATED:
Porsche begins sale of new 3D-printed bodyform bucket seats
Aside from that one minor pedantic point, though, we have to admit that it does look pretty cool. Beyond the central Charisma Dial, which encircles the start/stop button and is used to change the Batur’s driving modes, you can also opt for a 3D-printed golden Organ Stop vent controls on the dashboard, as well as a gold insert marker on the steering wheel.
Bentley Mulliner worked with renowned goldsmiths Cooksongold to craft the unique 3D-printed parts for the Batur. All the raw gold material is sourced from 100% recycled old jewellery, ground into a fine powder needed for the 3D printing technique.
The company says that using recycled material means there’s no environmental impact from mining for new precious metals, and also reflects its commitment to its
Beyond100
 carbon-neutral strategy.
Each of these 3D-printed gold parts in the Batur is digitally designed using CAD models, before sending them to laser melting printers. After being printed, the pieces are then hand finished by skilled artisan jewellers, using traditional techniques to achieve the “polish and quality that is synonymous with a Bentley”.
They’re then hallmarked in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter as a sign of having solid material authenticity. Additionally, any parts manufactured in 2022 will also receive the Jubilee hallmark, celebrating the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee year. It doesn’t get any more British than that.
ALSO READ:
Bentley Bentayga Odyssean Edition is a luxury SUV that wants to save the planet
Earlier this year, Bentley committed a further GBP3 million investment to double the company’s 3D-printing capacity at the Crewe factory, converting 3D CAD models into physical parts. The expansion will facilitate more low volume manufacturing components and bespoke customer personalisation, such as these 3D-printed gold parts.
As for the car, the Bentley Mulliner Batur is the “fastest Bentley in the company’s 103-year history”, taking the form of a coupe that also showcases the brand’s future design DNA for its electric cars. Despite that, it’s still powered by the legendary 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, making more than
740 hp
and
1,000 Nm
 of torque. Too bad they’re only making 18 of them.
READ MORE:
Bentley Batur previews brand’s future EVs… while using a W12 engine


Forget Netflix, build your favourite Mazda with these paper crafts

You’ve probably run out of interesting things to watch on Netflix, and whatever’s tucked aside in the “My List” section doesn’t exactly interest you enough to embark on. The signs are there – you’ve probably spent more time than you ever should on the streaming service in one lifetime so here’s something different to keep the mind fresh.
Interestingly, we’re back to basics again. Like the colouring work Audi has prescribed and the
paper craft Toyota 86
 with different liveries, it’s back to good ol’ artwork and its therapeutic effects.
There are a total of 10 different Mazda models – of old and new – including the
Mazda2
,
Mazda3
,
Mazda6
,
CX-3
,
CX-5
,
 MX-5
along with classics like the Mazda
Luce Rotary Coupe
,
Familia
,
Mazda’s first ever car the R360

and the
Cosmo Sport
to assemble.
These models have been differentiated by their difficulty levels – High, Medium and Low. What you’d need are some scissors, cutters, paper clips and some form of adhesive and you’re good to go. Mazda even provided the cars in White, in case you’d like to opt for a different paint job.
GALLERY


Volkswagen Beetle 1.2 TSI updated with two new trims, price from RM132k

Volkswagen Group Malaysia
 (VGM) has updated the
 Beetle 1.2 TSI
with a complete RM10,000 price drop, offering two new trims called
Design
, and
Sport
. They differ in terms of equipment at RM 11,000 difference.
On the outside, both specs get auto-folding mirrors, front foglamps with static cornering lights, and
16-inch ‘Whirl’ alloy wheels
. Design spec gets a pair of halogen headlamps but on Sport it’s equipped with
Bi-Xenon
 headlamps with
LED
 daytime running lights.
Inside, the Design spec comes with
 RCD 310
 radio system with single CD slot, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and 8 speakers. Sport will replace the radio with a touch screen
RCD 510
 unit with 6 CD changer, SD-card slot, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and 8 speakers. Additionally, Sport will offer more creature comforts with the inclusion of Vienna leather upholstery, front sports seats, 2-zone climate control, cruise control, and shift paddles.
Mechanically, it retains the
1.2-litre TSI
 turbocharged powerplant and the
 7-speed DSG
 transmission. Just to recap, the
1,197 cc
 powerplant generates
 104 hp
 at 5,000 rpm and
175 Nm
 of torque from 1,550 to 4,100 rpm. It accelerates from
 0-100 km/h
 in
 10.9 seconds
 and the
top speed
 is
180 km/h
. The combined
 fuel consumption
 is
 5.9 l/100 km
.
For safety, a
new anti-theft alarm system
 with electronic immobiliser is thrown in with this update. Other safety features include ABS with BA, ESC, front and rear parking sensors, hill-hold assist, and front, side, and thorax airbags.
The Beetle is offered in Candy White, Tornado Red, Saturn Yellow, Toffee Brown and Deep Black exterior colours. The Beetle
1.2l TSI Design
 is priced at
 RM131,888
, while the
 1.2l TSI Sport
 is priced at
RM142,888
 and both are now available for booking. In conjunction with the reintroduction of the updated Beetle 1.2 TSI range, VGM invites everyone to “Get Happy with The Beetle” with a number of fun and engaging activities in showrooms happening from 15th to 17th August 2014.
[divider]
IMAGE GALLERY


Leaked: Next-gen Toyota Alphard & Vellfire – The new VIP-mobile?

The 2023
Toyota Alphard
 and
Vellfire
 are planned to be unveiled in Japan in June this year. However, prior to when we are supposed to see the car officially, photos of the two cars have been leaked online.
The pictures that have emerged online seem to be production versions of the car at some undisclosed production facility. With these leaked images, we can clearly see the design elements of the Alphard and Vellfire without referring to any renders or teaser images anymore.
In the pictures shown, the Alphard is finished in a solid white colour. At the front of the 2023 Toyota Alphard is a grille that is largely similar to the one in the outgoing generation, however, it is now bigger than ever.
A new pair of headlights are also present but looks to be slimmer this time around. The hood of the car looks short and doesn’t seem to be touching the grille and headlights either.
At the back of the 2023 Alphard is the same iconic boxy design, but with newly redesigned tail lights. There is also a large amount of gloss black finishing that houses the
Toyota
 logo, Alphard emblem, tail lights as well as the number plate. The rear hatch is slightly curved right below the tail lights, giving the rear end a bulbous appearance.
As opposed to the white colour of the Toyota Alphard in the images, the Toyota Vellfire is finished in glossy black paint. Like in the past, the Vellfire features a very similar profile to the Alphard but is executed in a sportier manner.
At the front of the Vellfire is a more aggressive-looking grille with lots of horizontal chrome slats. To match the grille, the front bumper of the Vellfire features a chrome surround which houses the fog lights. Unlike the front, the back of the Vellfire features a similar design to the Alphard. Interestingly, the design also resembles a certain generation of the
Honda Odyssey
.
The Alphard and Vellfire are favourite choices for business owners and even politicians in Malaysia. And if one would be excited about the new 2023 Toyota Alphard and Vellfire, it would be them.
RELATED:
Is Toyota really giving the Prius a GR treatment?
GALLERY


J.D. Power ranks Lexus as USA’s most “dependable” car brand in 2021 study

J.D. Power
 has released its annual US vehicle dependability study for 2021, which saw Lexus, Porsche, and Kia rise to the top of the ranks as the most “dependable” vehicle brands on sale in the United States.
The study, now in its 32nd year, measures the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles (i.e. manufactured in approx. 2018). A lower score in the J.D. Power study means that the model is more “dependable”.
For the 2021 study, the company received responses from 33,251 verified owners, fielded from July 2020 through November 2020.
The
Lexus ES
 ranked first in dependability within its segment.
What is slightly contentious though, is that the study gives equal weightage to all 177 specific problems from eight different categories: audio/communication/entertainment/navigation (ACEN); engine/transmission; exterior; interior; features/controls/displays (FCD); driving experience; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and seats.
The equal weightage system means that a small Bluetooth connectivity issue with the infotainment system is essentially as “problematic” as a faulty gearbox. According to

J.D. Power vice president of global automotive, Dave Sargent, the method is justified as “most owners aren’t experiencing their vehicles breaking down or falling apart” these days, but vehicle technology continues to function poorly or inconsistently.
“If an owner can’t rely on a system to work as they expect, it is also considered a lack of dependability. It affects their overall view of the vehicle and their likelihood of staying loyal to their automaker,” Sargent explains.
Lexus’s infotainment system with its trackpad-based controls is far from ideal.
We might not agree with their standards for gauging “dependability”, but even when disregarding that, we were still surprised to see the Japanese luxury brand topping the charts in this study, given that our
recent experiences
 with Lexus’ infotainment system have been less than ideal… but we digress.
Are infotainment systems really as important as a working engine these days?
In terms of scores, Lexus took first place again for the ninth time in the last 10 years, with a score of 81 PP100. Porsche ranked second at 86 PP100, followed by Kia at 97 PP100. Toyota loses out on the top three by just one single point, coming in at 98 PP100.
Kia was the Most Improved Player this year, with a reduction of 35 PP100 from its results in 2020. This is also the first time Kia has ranked the highest overall among the mass market brands. However, the “Most Dependable Model” title once again went to the Porsche 911, taking the crown twice in the last three years.
The Porsche 911, ranked as the most dependable model in the United States.
Overall, J.D. Power says that vehicle dependability has improved to the best level ever, with an industry average of just 121 PP100 – the lowest in the study’s history, and a 13 PP100 (10%) improvement from 2020. This is also one of the largest improvements the study has ever seen in recent times; the past two years had improvements of just 2 PP100 and 6 PP100, respectively.
Of course, being the cynical bunch that we are, we can’t help to think that a large part of this is due to
Covid-19 pandemic
, which means people are driving lesser than before, thus have lesser opportunities to discover these problems.
Anyway, the results in full can be seen in the chart below. Do you agree with the rankings, and our take on it? Let us know in the comments below!
Tesla, although given a score, was not officially ranked in the results as J.D. Power was not granted permission (by Tesla) to survey its owners in 15 states. If included, it’ll be ranked 30/34.


Ducati Malaysia bags 3 awards at Ducati Global Dealer Conference 2022

Ducati Malaysia
, under the management of Next Bike Sdn Bhd recently won three awards at the
Ducati
 Global Dealer Conference 2022. The conference was hosted in Italy from October 16 to 18, 2022, finally returning to a physical format after being hosted digitally over the recent years.
At the conference, Ducati Malaysia won the following three awards:
“Global Distributor of the Year 2022”
“Best Marketing Team 2022 APAC”
“Best Commercial After Sales Team”
Ducati Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Asia Pacific, Mr. Marco Biondi said, “Malaysia has proven to be an incredibly successful market in recent years, and beyond that, the Ducati riders community in the country has continued to grow, attracting new owners and existing owners who have found it such a rewarding affiliation.”
He added, “It comes as no surprise that the Ducati Malaysia team’s relentless passion for the brand and full-throttle efforts by all departments have been a huge driving force behind the country’s high-performance levels across all aspects. Ducati Malaysia is highly deserving of the three accolades, and they have continued to raise the bar even after being recognized in 2021 as the Best Marketing Team and Best Commercial After Sales Team in APAC.”
ALSO WATCH:
Ferrari F8 Spider & Ducati Panigale V4S Review
This year’s achievement by Ducati Malaysia builds on the momentum from last year when it was awarded “Best marketing Team 2021 APAC” and “Best Commercial After Sales Team 2021 APAC”. Ducati Malaysia expressed its gratitude toward the Malaysian network of Ducati dealers that have helped to bring the brand closer to customers nationwide:
Ducati Sungai Buloh – Welly World Cycle
Ducati Penang – Sheng Fatt Motor Sdn. Bhd.
Ducati Kuala Lumpur – Madani Greatlink Sdn Bhd
Ducati Johor Bahru – Ultra Maxlink Sdn Bhd
On receiving the awards, Next Bike Sdn Bhd Head of Company, Mr. Dennis Michael said, “This award is a celebration of the entire Ducati Malaysia family, from the working team keeping all the gears turning rapidly every single day, to our passionate community of owners and customers.”
“There is no question that the Ducati brand continues to strengthen its global presence, and the teams in every individual country have worked tirelessly. We are just proud, humbled, and grateful that all the work has continued to yield amazing results for us,” he adds.


Lotus to use Volvo powertrains in future cars?

It seems that Geely’s first order of business with Lotus Cars is to introduce shared powertrains with other Geely-owned brands. Currently, Lotus employs a variety of Toyota engines throughout its model line up.
According to
AutoCar UK
, the decision to adopt shared engines is to make use of shared resources among the Geely Group. Geely also owns Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co and
Proton Cars
 among others. Recently Geely also has become the single largest shareholder in Daimler after acquiring a
9.69 percent stake in the German giant
.
Volvo V90 T6 R-Design can sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds
That does not mean Lotus cars are going to turn to vanilla hairdresser’s car because Geely wants
Lotus to compete with Ferrari and Porsche again
. In Volvo’s stable, its 2.0-litre four-cylinder T6 petrol engine makes
320 hp
 and
400 Nm
 of torque thanks to TwinCharged technology (turbocharged and supercharged). Imagine that, in a Lotus with a manual box.
Further down the line,
Lotus intends to introduce an SUV
 after 2020 which will be built in China for obvious reasons – China is the single largest automotive market in the world.


Cycling on highways without permit – up to RM5,000 fine

Not that we are biased towards motorists, we have always been open to sharing the roads but this is great news for those who have been inconvenienced and put at risk more than once by ignorant and inconsiderate bicyclists. The government has finally made an announcement to address this issue.
According to local news sources, cycling on highways without permission/permit from the police or the Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) can fined between RM1,000 to RM5,000. The offence also carries a jail term of up to 12 months.
According to the article by Harian Metro, the Director of the Jabatan Siasatan dan Penguatkuasaan Trafik (JSPT), Datuk Mat Kasim Karim said that the offence falls under Section 54 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
He also added that failure to comply with road signs forbidding cycling activities on highways is also an offense under Section 79 (2) of the Road Transport Act 1987. As a result, the bicycles can be impounded under Section 112 (3) of the same act.
Cyclists on highways who do not fit front and rear lights can be found guilty under Section 35 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, with a maximum fine of RM2,000. Under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, cycling in a group but not in a single file is also an offense.
According to Mat Kasim, there have been 150 cycling-related accidents reported between January to September 2021. Of the 150 cases, there were 71 fatalities.


Still confused about the road tax situation? Anthony Loke answers your questions

With the latest announcement by the Malaysian Transport Minister on displaying the road tax sticker no longer being necessary, some have celebrated by peeling off their road tax sticker on the day of the announcement itself. However, others may still be unconvinced and perhaps even confused as to the whole road ta situation in Malaysia. Well, worry not, Transport Minister Anthony Loke has made a
social media post
 to clarify the rule on displaying your road tax on your car’s windscreen.
1. Is it compulsory to install the MyJPJ mobile application on your smartphone?
“No, you don’t. Installing the MyJPJ app is only one option to get a digital copy of your road tax and driver’s license.”
2. If I fail to download the MyJPJ app now and am not able to show my digital road tax, will I be fined?
“No, you will not. Enforcers will be able to verify the status of your road tax and driver’s license through their own systems and gadgets.”
3. Do I still have to pay to renew my road tax and driver’s license?
“Yes, you will still have to pay for renewal fees. The new announcement only states that the road tax does not have to be displayed.”
RELATED:
No need to display road tax anymore for private vehicles starting today
4. How about senior citizens and areas with poor internet connectivity?
“Don’t worry, the digital format of the road tax is not compulsory. You can still get the road tax sticker and physical driver’s license from JPJ should you require it.”
5. If the car is not being driven by the registered owner, how to show the digital road tax?
“That’s simple, the digital road tax can be printed on paper and be kept inside the car. However, failure to present the road tax is not an offence. The enforcers can still check the details through their gadgets and system.”
6. Why have I not been able to log in to MyJPJ since the announcement?
“Like all other new systems, there is a bulk of new users trying to register at the same time. Traffic is very high.”
“I know there are still many questions from the public. We will try to give explanations as clearly as possible. I realise that in any change of process, it will take time to be implemented. There will be parties that disagree with the change. I respect all opinions and will try manage this matter as best as I can. Together with my team from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ), I will try to improve any issues that arise in this period of change.”
Anthony Loke ends his Facebook posting by we will all work together towards a better future and thanking those who have taken the time read his explanations. There is also a
Facebook video
 for even simpler clarification.
We at
AutoBuzz.my
 hope that this entry has helped you in case you were still confused about this new announcement. Happy peeling off your road tax stickers.


New Ford E-Tourneo Custom EV van lets you turn its steering wheel into a table

Ford
has just unveiled the new 2023 Tourneo Custom in Europe. Billed as a “multi-activity vehicle”, the all-new van will be offered in three distinct powertrain options, ranging from the regular diesel, a plug-in hybrid model (PHEV), and even a fully-electric EV van – the latter dubbed “E-Tourneo Custom”.
Ford’s press release boasts about the Tourneo’s versatility, letting you mould the car to your own lifestyles and use-cases, be it out camping in the wild, or ferrying execs in suits to the airport, thanks to its rail-mounted seats in the rear quarters.
For the former, some (or all) of the six seats at the back can be individually taken out to fit your kayaks or camping gear, and for the latter, you even get hands-free powered side doors, a panoramic glass roof, and even a 14-speaker B&O audio system to keep your passengers entertained.
Ford says that the Tourneo Custom’s new vehicle platform promises “significantly enhanced levels of comfort”, and the new interior can be optioned with premium materials to offer added refinement to the business crowd.
That’s all well and good, but to be honest, we’re actually more excited about the van’s steering wheel. That’s because the Ford Tourney Custom’s steering wheel actually comes with a tilting function for the rim, letting you use it as a table for either your laptop or tablet, or even for food, as demonstrated in their press material. How cool is that?
The front passenger airbag has also been moved into the roof, freeing up space in front to keep your laptops or other “A4 folder-sized” items in the dashboard when not in use.
WATCH:
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On the diesel-powered Tourneo Customs, Ford is offering a range of EcoBlue diesel engines with outputs ranging from
136 hp
,
150 hp
, and
170 hp
. They can all be paired to either an eight-speed automatic gearbox or a six-speed manual, with all-wheel drive an option for the 136 hp and 170 hp variants (with an automatic gearbox).
The PHEV meanwhile uses a parallel hybrid system, consisting of a 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine, an electric motor, as well as aN 11.8 kWh battery pack – the latter enabling a targeted pure-electric driving range of 50 km.
The most interesting option of the bunch, however, is the E-Tourneo Custom, with an electric powertrain made up of a
160 kW (218 hp)
 electric motor and a 74 kWh useable battery pack, the latter the same as the
Ford F-150 Lightning pick-up truck
.
Ford did not publish the E-Tourneo Custom’s driving range for some reason, but it has an on-board 11 kW AC three-phase charger that allows the electric van to be fully recharged in less than eight hours. With a 125 kW DC fast charger, you’ll also be able to add 37 km of driving range in approximately five minutes.
ALSO READ:
The all-new Ford Ranger Raptor is here to tear up Malaysian tarmac and more
Even with an electric powertrain, the E-Tourneo Custom still offers a maximum towing capacity of 2,000 kg – or just 500 kg less than the diesel variants. Ford says the EV van’s “generous payload allowance” will help “adventurous owners carry friends, family and sports equipment with ease, and business operators transport customers and their luggage efficiently”.
The Tourneo Custom range will also features Ford’s latest suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including a number of features available on the model for the first time, such as Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centring, Reverse Brake Assist, as well as Fully Active Park Assist.
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Is Pagani teasing a new supercar to be unveiled tomorrow?

It’s hard to believe, but it has almost been a decade since
Pagani
 unveiled its latest supercar model, the
Pagani Huayra
. We’ve known for a while now that the Modenese supercar maker is working on the hotter Huayra R, but Pagani has just posted a teaser video on its Twitter account suggesting that there might be something else in the works too.
Details are scarce from the video, but we do know that the new model will be somewhat aerospace-inspired. The video begins with a shot of a pilot tube, used on aeroplanes to determine the air speed, and reads “Caution Airflow Sensor Handle With Care” underneath it.
 https://twitter.com/OfficialPagani/status/1338520684436316162
The video then jumps into what seems like an interior shot, with a close up on an air speed indicator with the dials measured in knots, while a digital display shows the Mach number (speed of sound). The read-out jumps from Mach 0.04 (49 km/h) to Mach 0.12 (147 km/h) in approximately three seconds.
Other than that, there really isn’t much else to go on about in the video, aside from a save-the-date for
December 17th
. Pagani’s cryptic tweet said that it will “celebrate air speed” tomorrow, adding “Stay with us and hold on tight!”
While Pagani remains tight-lipped, recent rumours on the Huayra R seem to trend towards the use of a naturally-aspirated engine that revs past 9,500 rpm and makes in excess of 900 hp. The engine noise audible in the video seems to suggest a forced-induction set-up, so it’s either the rumour mill is wrong (which can – and have happened), or we’re going to be seeing a new Pagani supercar tomorrow.
The “all-out” Huayra variant was also supposed to be unveiled on November 12, but the launch has supposedly been pushed back to the next month. Yet on the other hand, rumours also suggested that the Huayra’s replacement won’t be here until at least March of next year.
So yes, your guess is as good as ours when it comes to Pagani’s announcement tomorrow, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Either way, it’s nice to have you back in the spotlight, Pagani.


Bayern Munich players will drive the all-electric Audi e-tron in 2020 and beyond

For a football club called
Bayern Munich
, you would guess that BMW are one of its main sponsors. Well, guess again. Since 2002, rival automaker
Audi
, headquartered just 80 kilometres north of Munich in a little town called
Ingolstadt
, has been the 28-time Bundesliga champion’s exclusive automobile partner.
 Hildegard Wortmann, head of Audi sales and marketing and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, football legend and chairman of the board of Bayern München.
Audi and FC Bayern München have just announced they will be extending and expanding their partnership till
2029
(Audi is also a shareholder of FC Bayern München AG since 2011), and ‘will be focused on strategic collaboration in the areas of innovative marketing and
electrification
’, and that will see every Bayern player receiving an
all-electric e-tron
 this year.

The vehicle partnership under which
all of FC Bayern’s stars and officials drive Audi models
 is a strategic collaboration to advance the areas of electrification and to utilise innovative marketing to communicate the message.
Don’t drop that charger, Oliver!
For the entire fleet provided by Audi to FC Bayern, an average maximum level of
95 grams of CO2/km
 has been agreed to over the entire term of the agreement, which practically equates to the legal requirement to be met by manufacturers’ fleets as of January 2020.


The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is now the fastest road-legal car around the Nurburgring

On the same day Mercedes-Benz
retook the crown for the fastest executive sedan
 around the green hell, the German carmaker also sent their race car for the road, the
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
, out for a run around the
Nordschleife
. And what do you know, it came back with a lap time of
6:43.616
 around the “traditional” 20.6 km layout, claiming the title of the fastest car around the Nurburgring.
The new fastest time edges out the
previous record
of 6:44.97 by 1.35 seconds, held by the
Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
 – In a car that’s 40 hp lower in output, and have the engine placement in the “wrong” place, mind you!

The shorter layout without the T13 straight was used by the industry at large previously, but since 2019, Nurburgring track officials have established their own official lap time leaderboard that includes the small stretch of tarmac, bringing the total track length to 20.832 km.
For the full-track, the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series set a time of 6:48.047, making it the first car to be officially recognised by Nurburgring in the “Sports Cars” category, and also the fastest road-legal car to officially lap the ‘ring. You can check the official leaderboards, once it’s updated,
here
on the Nurburgring’s website.
For the lap time to be officially recognised by Nurburgring, there are a couple of criteria that need to be met. These include professional timing done by a neutral party, videographic evidence of the full run, as well as a third-party notary on site to validate the vehicle and results. No additional modifications – including tyres – are allowed on the cars to be qualified for the official leaderboard.
The GT Black Series, featuring a
 720 hp
 4.0-litre bi-turbo flat-plane-crank V8 engine – the most powerful production AMG engine to ever come out from Affalterbach, was driven by factory GT3 racing driver Maro Engel. For the run, the car’s adjustable carbon front splitter was set to the ‘Race’ position, while the rear wings were adjusted to the middle position for a balanced downforce/straight-line speed ratio.
The car’s adjustable coilovers were also lowered, the adjustable anti-roll bars set to the hardest setting, and the wheel cambers were adjusted to maximum negative values – all of these adjustments are also available to customers who bought the car, straight out of the factory. The super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres used for the run are also standard items on customer cars.
After the run, Engel even said that the GT Black Series was “significantly faster than my GT3 race car”, reaching speeds of up to 270 km/h in the Kesselchen section of the track, and well over 300 km/h on the long Döttinger Höhe straight.
Here’s another fun fact: the 35-year-old driver was switching between position six and seven on the nine-way adjustable traction control knob – depending where he is on the track. Pros will be pros, as if there weren’t enough evidence to suggest that already.
While Mercedes didn’t say it explicitly, the company strongly suggested in the press release that the GT Black Series could still go faster around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, noting that the conditions when the lap times were set were “not quite ideal.” The release noted that the track temperature was only about 10 degrees celcius with some damp areas, while the ambient temperature was hovering around the seven-degrees mark.
As we all know, tyres need temperature to get up to speed, so perhaps Mercedes could still set a faster lap time when the track is dryer and warmer – that’s if they’re going to bother doing another official run, now that they’re already the record holder.
GALLERY


Ford teases 2015 Ranger facelift, with new front look [+Video]

Ford
 Asia Pacific just revealed a teaser video of its mid-life T6
Ranger
 facelift, one that is refreshed to keep looks up to date. It’s been about three years now since the wildly successful
T6 model
 was introduced here.
It’s clear from the teaser video that the new Ranger sports a revised fascia, with its grille made bolder and the headlamps now come with projectors and appears to have an integrated LED daytime running light, although that may just be a chrome strip running underneath the headlamps.
Its fog lights are also new, and from how the Ranger is angled here, the rear tail lights may well be revised as well. It remains a tight-lipped affair when it comes to its exact specifications and expected arrival, and we can only assume that Ford will be offering improved powertrains (2.2-litre and 3.2-litre) that are currently powering the T6 Ranger.
[divider]
IMAGE GALLERY


Watch Leona Chin pull a 31-tonne mega truck with her Mitsubishi Triton! [+Video]

Don’t you hate it when you think you’ve done it all with your pickup truck, someone else comes along and shows you a few more mind boggling tricks? I mean, a pickup truck is your ever-ready 4×4 companion, your drift mobile (yeah, we know) and most undeniably the hardy, trusty workhorse. But what do you do if your 31-tonne hauler breaks down?
No biggie. Apparently, all it takes to tow a vehicle the size of Jupiter is 430 Nm.
Popular Malaysian Girl Drifter, Leona Chin
, singlehandedly demonstrated the towing capabilities of the
recently refreshed Mitsubishi Trition
. Her variant of choice was the range topping VGT Adventure 4×4 automatic, which is powered by a
 2.4-litre turbodiesel MIVEC
 producing
179 hp
 and
 430 Nm
 of torque. This Triton weighs approximately 1,800kg.
With an industrial harness anchored to both truck’s chassis, Leona began the seemingly impossible attempt. A few seconds and wheelspins later, the axles creaked and the Caterpillar began inching forward. The entire demonstration seemed like a trailer to Jason Statham’s new film, but what the Triton achieved here deserves some applause, however improbable (or staged) the scenario appears to be.


Toyota’s hydrogen-powered race car sounds incredible!

The automotive world is slowly accepting electric as the new norm moving forward, but old guard Toyota is still adamant that internal combustion technology is here to stay, thanks to the use of ‘alternative fuels’; Hydrogen in this case.
Following up with the announcement last week that it is
entering a hydrogen-powered race car
 into the Super Taikyu endurance race, Toyota has now shared a short video clip of its race-prepped to show off its brawny exhaust note – something you definitely can’t get in an
EV
.

The new engine sounds remarkably similar to a regular petrol-powered car – and that’s because it is. This isn’t the hydrogen fuel cell technology that we’ve seen on the
Toyota Mirai
 – instead, it’s actually a modified version of the 1.6-litre three-banger mill found on the
GR Yaris
, using liquid hydrogen as fuel.
In the video above, test driver Hiroaki Ishiura even said that it’s “not as different” from a normal petrol engine as he’d expected, adding that he’d probably think that it was one, unless specifically being told that it’s powered by hydrogen!

Of course, the key difference here is that
it produces zero CO2 from the combustion process,
which is in line with Toyota’s overall carbon-neutrality goals. Just like any other internal combustion engine, a little oil is still used in the process, and a little greenhouse gas is still released from the alternative fuel but it’s already significantly better than what we have now, environmentally speaking.
The hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla Sport will be racing in the NAPAC Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours Race from the 21st to 23rd of May, where it will go head-to-head against the regular race-fuel propulsion.
We’re always excited for clean motoring, so we can’t wait to see how this one fares. If things go well, we might even see this technology being applied to road-going cars too! And as a confidence booster, one thing’s already for sure – it sounds badass!
GALLERY


Porsche targets 80% of all car sales to be electric by 2030, but no 911 EV in “this decade”

Porsche has just released its annual report for 2020, and as usual, included all of the financial performance figures for the Covid-struck year. However, more interestingly (to us, at least!), the annual report also outlined the company’s electrification plans for the next decade.
“In 2020, a third of all Porsche vehicles delivered in Europe were fully or partially electric; worldwide it was 17%. In 2025, half of all new Porsche vehicles sold will have an electric motor; in 2030, more than 80% of the new vehicles will be electric,” the press release read.
We’re guessing that, based on context, that includes hybrid models in addition to fully-electric ones. But still, 80% is a very ambitious figure, and with the 911 being their bread-and-butter model, that should mean that we’ll be seeing an electric 911 very soon… right? Well, no.
The
all-new Porsche 911 GT3
, which, according to what the company said previously, won’t be the most powerful 911 model.
In a media call interview ahead of its annual meeting, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume was quick to pour cold water on that idea, saying that the 911 will be the “last Porsche which is going for full electrification,” if it ever fully becomes fully electric, that is.
According to a report by Hotcars, Blume said in the interview: “The 911 is our icon. We will continue to build the 911 with a combustion engine. The concept of the 911 doesn’t allow a fully electric car because we have the engine in the rear. To put the weight of the battery in the rear, you wouldn’t be able to drive the car.
“For this decade, I’m very clear: the 911 will be a combustion-engined car. It’s too early to tell what will happen in the 2030s,” he added.
The
Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
, unveiled just a couple of weeks ago.
This seems to fall in line with what the company said previously, where it will be handing the mantle for its all-electric charge to an all-new model, i.e. the
Taycan
, instead of destroying the purity of its iconic 911 model, so to speak. But it’s interesting to hear that Blume thinks that for the 911 to become fully electric, the battery pack has to go to the back, where the engine currently sits.
We’d imagine that if they were to ever build an electric Porsche 911, it’ll feature the same skateboard battery layout as virtually every other EVs out there now – having the electric motor at the back sounds “traditional” enough to us. Anyway, we digress.
Blume says that a “very sporty”
hybrid 911
 will be coming soon, citing its learnings from the 919 LMP1 hybrid race car which took home the Le Mans win for three years in a row. As for the other models, we know that the
Macan will soon become a fully-electric model
; recent rumours suggest that the 718 duos might also become fully-electric models, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
Porsche’s big push in electrification is part of its wider goal to become carbon-neutral throughout its entire value chain by 2030. Recently, the company also invested heavily in
 synthetic “e-fuels”
, which the company says can make internal-combustion engines as clean as EVs.


Record breaking year for McLaren UK, pre-owned sales grew by 143%

McLaren Automotive achieved yet another record-breaking year, delivering a total of 3,340 cars worldwide in 2017 compared to
3,286 the year before
. The UK, its home country, emerged as the brand’s second-largest market after North America.
In UK, sales of new vehicles achieved
23 percent growth
 with 550 new cars delivered to new owners. The success was largely due to the introduction of the second-generation Super Series, the
720S
 and the first-ever Sports Series convertible, the
570S Spider
.
McLaren Qualified
, the brand’s official pre-owned programme saw a staggering
143 percent growth
 in its domestic market, with a total of 240 pre-owned McLaren’s sold in 2017. The pre-owned programme offers a minimum of 1-Year manufacturer warranty and roadside assistance, multi-point inspection and guarantee use of McLaren genuine parts
Moving forward, McLaren is looking to expand its UK retail partners from the current six outlets to eight within the coming months due to the unprecedented appetite for McLaren vehicles.
Managing Director at McLaren Automotive Europe, David Gilbert commented: “I would like to congratulate McLaren Automotive’s entire UK-based retail network for defying the market trend and helping the brand achieve record sales overall in 2017. This achievement is a real testament to the hard work, professionalism and dedication of our retailers, and I look forward to working with them as we unveil exciting new models this year and beyond.”


Perodua January 2023 sales and production sees 43.5% jump from 2022

Alongside the preview of the
all-new Perodua Axia
, the company has announced that production and sales for January 2023 have jumped to 21,449 units registered. This is a 43.5% increase from January 2022 with 17,444 units.
In terms of production, Perodua produced 24,590 units in January this year, up 40.2% from 17,538 units in January 2022. That said, Perodua pointed out that sales and production in January 2022 were hampered by floods, severe semiconductor chip shortages, manpower issues and other factors.
The new Perodua Axia
The jump in volume for production and sales, however, indicated that the ecosystem is moving as planned. For the year 2023, Perodua is targeting to register 314,000 units and produce 330,000 units.
As for the Axia, Perodua revealed that 3,591 bookings have been made so far, with nearly all of the bookings for the previous Axia converted to the new model.
To recap, the new Axia is available in four variants with tentative prices starting from RM38,600 for the G, RM40,000 for the X, RM44,000 for the SE and RM49,500 for the AV variant. All variants will be powered by the carried-over 1.0-litre three-cylinder 1KR-VE VVT-i engine with 67 hp and 91 Nm. Notable features include a new D-CVT gearbox, six airbags, a new Coral Blue colour, digital instrument cluster and a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen.


Chevrolet Malibu now available in Malaysia at RM153,888 [+Video]

Chevrolet, through NAZA Quest Sdn Bhd – the official distributor for Malaysia have launched the long awaited D-Segment contender, the
Chevrolet Malibu
. The mid-sized sedan (originally a North American product, now sold in over 100 countries) is only available in one trim here, is priced at RM153,888 and is fully imported from South Korea.
QUICK FACTS
Name
Chevrolet Malibu LTZ
Segment
D-Segment
Engine
2.4-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Transmission
6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
Max Power
165hp @ 5,800 rpm
Max Torque
225Nm @ 4,600 rpm
Price (OTR without insurance)

RM 153,888

The Malibu carries the brand’s signature dual-port grille design which houses passive blockers that reduce wind resistance. Chevrolet has also used a key element in the design of this Malibu, borrowed from the iconic Camaro coupe, which can be seen from the rear of the Malibu.
“The Malibu LTZ is one of the industry’s most iconic and successful nameplate. Its qualities certainly make it a fitting flagship model for the Chevrolet brand in Malaysia,” said Datuk Wira HJ SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, the Joint Group Executive Chairman of NAZA Group of Companies.
EXTERIOR

The Malibu boasts finely sculpted contours around the rear quarter of the car, which improves aerodynamic and reduces drag. Its side view mirrors are also optimally designed to complement the car’s overall aerodynamics.

One of the Malibu’s highlights would be the self-levelling
HID
 headlights with integrated ‘Tunnel Detection’ feature. Despite its subtle appearance, the car sits on
18-inch
 wheels, wrapped with 245/45 R18 series tyres and features dual exhaust pipes as standard.
INTERIOR

A peek inside this mid-sized sedan would have you impressed at its build quality. What’s most striking is the ice-blue ambiance lighting, and the
seven-inch full-colour touch screen system
, which pops up to reveal an extra compartment to fit smaller items such as your sunglasses or mobile phones. The
rear-view camera
 also comes as standard.

Other features in the cabin include
Bluetooth
 wireless technology via Chevrolet’s
MyLink system
, single-zone automatic climate control system, cruise control, keyless entry and push-to-start ignition, leather wrapped gear knob and leather wrapped three-spoke steering wheel with audio and cruise control.
The seats are also leather wrapped with vinyl perimeter accents, and the front seats are electrically powered (8-way, including lumbar control). There is one small gripe, however, that is the rear legroom space. Never mind the cavernous
462-litre boot
 space. It’s huge, but it could have been reduced to accommodate a larger legroom space for the rear passengers.
PERFORMANCE

Again, the Malibu rolls in with one engine and one engine only, that is the
2.4-litre
, four-cylinder
Ecotec
 engine. No forced induction here, but it does feature the brand’s famed Dual Continuous Variable Cam Phasing (
DCVCP
) and direct injection technology. It makes
165 horsepower
 and
225Nm
 of torque, whilst returning a claimed fuel efficiency of
7.8 litres per 100km
 traveled.
The engine gets paired to a conventional
6-speed gearbox
 (with manual shifting mode, operated via the buttons atop the gear knob), which transfers all the power to the front wheels. Suspension wise, the front gets
MacPherson struts
 whereas the rear gets the multi-link suspension. Handling is further aided by Chevrolet’s intelligent
Stabilitrak Electronic Stability Control System
.
SAFETY

Chevrolet is undeniably proud of the Malibu’s safety features. For a start, it’s given a
5-star rating by Euro NCAP
, and it was named the “
Top Safety Pick
” by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety twice, consecutively. The cabin is fitted with
four airbags
 (two front, two side), and comes with four-wheel ABS system with brake assist integration, four disc brakes, anti-theft system, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and power programmable door locking protection.
WHAT ELSE?

Now, the Malibu positions itself as a well-rounded vehicle with many features to boot. Impressive, if I may add, for the price tag it carries. For
RM153,888
, it does appear to be a steal over the usual suspects, namely the Honda Accord,  Suzuki Kizashi, Toyota Camry, Mazda 6 and the slightly costlier Peugeot 508; just a few to boot. It’s also imported (
CBU
) from South Korea.
All told, the Malibu is quite an interesting proposition if you’re looking to put your money down on a ‘North American’ product. If you’re the kind to favour a generous warranty scheme, then the
5-year or 200,000km
 (whichever comes first)
warranty
 programme will certainly pull your heartstrings.
[divider]
IMAGE GALLERY


Geely successfully acquires Daimler shares, what will their next venture be?

It seems that the
speculation that Geely Automobile Holdings
 (Geely) looking into purchasing Daimler shares are true as reported by
Reuters
. The Chinese carmaker was reported to have acquired less than three percent stake in the German giant.
Geely, who owns
Volvo Cars
,
Lotus Cars
,
London Taxi
 and has a
49.9 percent stake in Proton
, is said to have made this deal to tap into Daimler’s electrification technology. Geely is looking to make an extra effort to advance its electrified vehicles in light of the Chinese Government’s push for EVs.
Chairman of Geely, Mr. Li Shufu
Daimler currently already has an established industrial partner in China in a joint venture with BAIC Motor Corp. It remains unclear the nature of partnership or venture(s) Geely and Daimler will collectively pursue.
As it stands, Daimler’s largest shareholders are Blackrock (5.95 percent), Kuwait Investment Authority (5.33 percent) and Renault-Nissan Alliance (3.1 percent).


Groupe Renault proved autonomous systems can rival professional drivers

Groupe Renault announced that it has developed an autonomous control system that can take on and overcome challenging driving scenarios.
In an industry first, the system demonstrated obstacle avoidance as well as professional drivers as shown in the video above in an autonomous Renault Zoe called Callie – a stray from the performance spectrum with the
Renault Zoe E-Sport unveiled earlier this year with Nissan GT-R performance
.
https://assets.autobuzz.my/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/09002156/b870cfc3-63e9-4e2f-be3b-297271c15e1c.mp4

As the video illustrates, the system learns from the professional drivers and with the autonomous system activated, it displayed reflexes in avoiding obstacles that rivals the professional drivers.
“At Groupe Renault, we are focused on being an innovation leader in products, technology and design,” said Director of Renault Open Innovation Lab – Silicon Valley, Simon Hougard. “Our innovation efforts aim to develop advanced autonomous driving technologies that consumers can trust will create a safer, more comfortable journey.”
The
Renault Zoe E-Sport
The Renault Open Innovation Lab is a subsidiary within the Alliance focused on improving safety and developing advance autonomous driving technology where it will help drive Groupe Renault’s goal of becoming one of the pioneering brands to offer “Mind Off” technology on mass-produced vehicles.


Here’s something you may not know about the Toyota Yaris’ Digital Video Recorder

With UMW Toyota’s
launch of the new Yaris
 yesterday, netizens have been quick to (positively) react to the car’s comprehensive range of features and offerings.
On the safety front, particularly in the
E and G variants
, the Yaris is equipped with a Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert system. Also provided in these variants is a front Digital Video Recorder.

What most would not realise is that the dashcam also offers Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Warning features, which are not tied to the car’s system.
So here’s the thing. Even if you were to use your indicators before changing lanes, the Lane Departure Warning is still active and will beep regardless.
This can be quite annoying, as most of us experienced during last month’s
media drive
 with the
Toyota Vios
 when the car beeped uncontrollably as the Vios shares the same Digital Video Recorder.

When asked, Toyota said the Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision warning features
can be switched off manually through the dashcam
, without necessarily switching off the dashcam itself.
Now that it’s clear, for those of you who get easily annoyed with continuous beeping, here’s the answer to your question.