Volkswagen Automotive Academy opens in Glenmarie, focused on local talent development

Ever since Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) took over the distribution of Volkswagen cars in Malaysia in September 2016, the management’s primary focus was to rebuild and revitalise the seemingly deteriorating brand image. Last year, VPCM kept their word by introducing a 5-Years manufacturer backed warranty on all new Volkswagen models as well as the DSG Goodwill programme.
Today, VPCM is taking another step in improving the brand’s sales and aftersales with the official launch of the Volkswagen Automotive Academy. Strategically located at the automotive hub of Klang Valley – Glenmarie, Shah Alam, the new Academy covers 14,117 square feet and is able to accommodate up to 150 trainees a day.
With a
“significant investment”
, the academy is equipped with four work bays, two technical service centre, multipurpose hall, six individual classrooms and a variety of modern equipment. These tools and equipment are certified by
Volkswagen AG
 and are specifically catered to the Malaysian market.
At the academy, Volkswagen dealers and personnel’s will undergo intensive training on Volkswagen products and services taught by 13 dedicated training staff. After sales trainee will be taught on the subject of technical simulations, diagnostics, functions and parts system management. Sales trainee on the other hand will go through modules involving soft and hard sales skills.
VPCM Managing Director, Erik Winter said, “The Volkswagen Automotive Academy was established with the mission to achieve excellent standards of quality education and create technical manpower of global standards with the capabilities of facing new challenges in the automotive industry. Having the Academy in place is one of the major steps VPCM is taking to uphold its philosophy to provide value-added, quality services to customers.”
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Toyota C-HR tops sales chart for the first six months of 2017 in Japan

For many years the
Toyota Prius
 has been the undisputed leader in the Japanese domestic market. However, the first half of 2017 saw a different Toyota at the throne, and it’s none other than the
Toyota C-HR
.
Since its launch in 2016, the coupe-like compact crossover won the hearts and minds of Japanese buyers. And in the first six months of 2017, Toyota sold a record
79,303 units
 of the C-HR, with approximately
13,168 units
 shifted (highest in all six months) in April alone.

JDM
C-HR
 can be had with two choices of powertrain: the
112 hp

1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine
 and the Prius-sourced
 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle hybrid mill
. The Toyota C-HR starts from
2,516,400 yen (approximately RM96k)
for the base 1.2-litre petrol to
 2,905,200 yen (approximately RM110k)
for the priciest hybrid variant. They all come packed with
Toyota Safety Sense
 as standard.
Can’t wait to get your hands on this hot subcompact crossover? It was just recently previewed at an event hosted by Carlist.my, but the bad news is we might need to wait till
2018
 before it’s officially introduced here. When it does, it will be locally assembled at UMW Toyota’s
new RM2 billion production plant in Klang
.


5 reasons why you’d want the Sport Hybrid models of the Jazz & City

While most of you have been suffering from a five-day holiday hangover, we were sent by Honda Malaysia on a road trip across Kuantan and Terengganu to spend some time behind the wheel to understand the merits of the newly launched
Jazz Hybrid
 and
City Hybrid
.
As Malaysia is the
first country
 outside of Japan to have received the Sport Hybrid i-DCD Jazz and City, here’s 5 legitimate reasons to consider jumping on the Sport Hybrid bandwagon!
1. Suspension & Structural Upgrades
With an additional
69 kg of weight increase
against the City’s petrol-powered variants contributed by the new Lithium-Ion battery, electric motor, electric air-condition compressor and electric brake servo system, it can adversely affect the handling and ride comfort. As such the
diameter of rear dampers
 in the City Hybrid in particular had been increased to improve damping and shock absorption.
As the rear seats of the City allows for 60:40 split folding, its rear frame has also been strengthened for improved rigidity. Other areas in the City Hybrid which have also been strengthened are the
A-pillars
 with
Performance connecting rods
 in the rear end that’s exclusive only to i-DCD Hybrid models. As a result, spring and damping efficiency has been claimed to have improved by
12% and 24%
.
2. Battery Replacement Costs & Warranty
As with all Hybrid vehicles, cost of battery replacements, if needed, can be frightening and has been a legitimate concern for those looking to jump on the bandwagon. Addressing this, both the Sport Hybrid models come with an
 8-year warranty with Unlimited Warranty
 for the new Lithium-Ion batteries.
It replaces the previous Nickel batteries and cost only
RM 5,513
 to replace excluding GST and labour cost as compared to its competitor from Korea-land. These batteries are also
lighter and 20% more compact
 compared to its Nickel predecessors with almost
twice as much output
.
3. Slick & Smooth Performance
Together with a high powered electric motor, producing 22kw (30hp) and 1.8 times more torque compare to the previous IMA system, the
combined output
 is now doubled with 137 hp and 170Nm of torque – figures comparable to a 1.8-litre engine.
Combined with its
Shift-by-Wire 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission
 that provides seamless power delivery and quick shifts without noticeable drop in power complemented with a
12% increase
 in steering gear ratio not only ensures that both the Sport Hybrids maintain its energy efficiency but at the same time retains the vehicle’s nimble driving characteristic.
It’s new
Electric Servo Brake
 system not only allows for greater battery recharge rate when braking but also ensures optimum braking performance at all times, even after prolonged use. Optimising the clutch to kick start the engine, the auto stop-start system has been refined to
eliminate all vibrations
 usually associated with hybrid vehicles upon setting off from standstill.
4. Improved Comfort & NVH
With higher output batteries and a new
fully electric driven air-condition compressor
, not only is engine strain reduced, cabin temperature can also be lowered by up to
4-Celsius
 as opposed to the previous Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) models as it delivers the same “cooling intensity” even after the engine is cut off as the auto stop-start system is activated.
The City Hybrid’s Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) have also been significantly improved with a new
high density dashboard insulator
 alongside other standard insulation in various key areas of the vehicles including the doors, outer dashboard and the floor.
5. Durability
It is claimed that the battery is
designed to last the car’s

lifetime –
a bold claim but seeing as Honda’s do last forever, its batteries technically shouldn’t be a cause for concern. The Sport Hybrids have also gone through
1.5 times more endurance testing
 than its Japanese counterparts to ensure that it excels on our unforgiving driving conditions and weather. The i-DCD transmission had also underwent
7,000 km of testing over 2 years
 on various Malaysian roads to adapt to our local driving conditions.
As of June 2017, over 865,000 units of the Sports Hybrid i-DCD had been sold in Japan alone with over 256,565 units of the Jazz (Fit) Hybrids sold since September 2013. You’d also be relieved to know that the battery replacement ratio is
as low as 0.103%
It’s vital to note that the maintenance and service cost for the Sport Hybrid i-DCD is similar to non-hybrid cars.
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Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia launches new 3S Centre in Glenmarie

Jaguar Land Rover, through its authorised dealer and service provider Sisma Auto Sdn Bhd, have just opened the doors to their new 3S centre in Glenmarie.
It is their second major showroom launched within a year, shortly after the Menara Worldwide centre’s grand opening which was jointly launched with the
F-Type coupes
. This time around, Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia has again previewed the soon-to-come
Discovery Sport
.

The new centre has a total build up area of
25,000 square feet
 and features
16 working bays
, including an interactive bay. It is twice the size of the previous showroom and will accommodate all of the brand’s latest offerings.
There’s also a sophisticated
Corghi Blue Light Laser Wheel Alignment equipment
 – one of two of its kind in Malaysia. Besides that, they also house major vehicle repair and maintenance services, namely mechanical and electrical systems, steel aluminium body and paint works, air-conditioning systems and also, auto detailing.
To complement repairing and maintenance work, the service centre is also equipped with
500 special tools
 and diagnostic equipment unique to both brands. Customers, while waiting for their cars to be serviced, can make full use of the facility’s massage chairs, entertainment lounge and brew their own premium blend of coffee and tea.
Sisma Auto’s expansion plan is in line with supporting the brand’s growing range of offering, including the
Land Rover Discovery Sport
, new
Jaguar XF
,
XE
 and F-Pace models. The new 3S Centre is located adjacent to its existing facility at Temasya Industrial Park, directly opposite the DRB-Hicom building.

The company also revealed its plans to invest up to
RM20 million
 in a new 3S Centre in Penang, catering to the Northern region.
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Nissan to unveil a “new” Japanese-market GT-R tomorrow

Nissan has just announced that it’ll be unveiling a new
GT-R
 model, specifically for the Japanese domestic market, tomorrow at 1.30 pm MYT.
Before anyone gets too excited, though, we need to mention that this “new” GT-R is likely just another version of the current R35 model, with several styling tweaks or added features, like the recently-launched
2021 Nissan GT-R Nismo
.

We know, disappointing. The R-35 Nissan GT-R was first launched way back in 2007, and over the years, it’s received a couple of styling tweaks and performance updates (with the last major update being in 2016) – but the car is still essentially, undoubtedly the same car we first saw nearly 15 years ago now.
In its current form, the Nissan GT-R is powered by a hand-built twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine that makes
572 hp
 and
633 Nm
 of torque – a significant upgrade from the 492 hp/588 Nm of the first iteration.
There’s also a more powerful “Nismo” version as we mentioned above, which boosts the output up to
600 hp
 and
652 Nm
, translating to a 0-100 km/h time of
2.8 seconds
.
Check out the 2021 Nissan GT-R Nismo in more detail here!

2021 Nissan GT-R Nismo
.
However, there were
rumours
 recently about Nissan breaking out of its mould for the latest (last?) GT-R, suggesting the use of a mild-hybrid powertrain (with up to 600 hp/883 Nm) to send off the R35 generation.
A separate rumour also suggests that we might even see the 720 hp powertrain from
Italdesign’s GT-R50
 on the model’s swansong model – although, with the
amount of work
 required to push out that much more power (plus the fact that the GT-R50 costs nearly 1 million Euros), we think that this is the least likely scenario of all.
In related news, a Nissan GT-R R34 was listed for sale in Malaysia for a whopping RM2 million. Will the R35 enjoy the same clout in the future?
Either way, this “new” Nissan GT-R will likely be one of, if not the last model of the R35 generation – or we hope, at least. Catch the livestream of the reveal yourself at the YouTube link above.
[Source: Nissan via
Carscoops
]


17,989 units Perodua Aruz delivered since Jan 2019, Malaysia’s most popular SUV

Proton recently announced their sales performance for the first seven months of 2019 and despite
shifting over 17,000 units of the Proton X70
, it is still not the most popular SUV in Malaysia.
The Perodua Aruz edges
the X70, claiming the title with 17,989 units delivered to customers since the
start of the year. Due to its popular demand, Perodua has ramped up production for
the Aruz to cut down the waiting period from 2-2.5 months to 1-1.5 months.

Perodua President and CEO,
Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad said: “We continue to focus on quality and delivery
as our customers comes first. We thank you for your continued and strong
support which has led to the Aruz being the most popular SUV in Malaysia – this
is truly an important milestone for us.”
On 17 July, Perodua announced
that it will increase its sales target from the initial 231,000 units to
235,000 units. Dato’ Zainal also added that Perodua is on track to meet the
target by year-end as the company is facing strong demand for all its current
models.


Video: Kia Picanto 1.2 EX Review

There’s no better way to describe the
Kia Picanto
 but to call it cheap and cheerful – cheap to acquire and cheerful to drive.
With just over 80 hp, it may not break land speed records, perhaps not even speed limits but it will break that barrier through to your heart with its zippyness.

Naza Kia Malaysia already introduced a more pepped up version of the
Picanto launched last year
 with the
GT Line
 that comes with Autonomous Emergency Braking and a sunroof so for those of you considering the latter, here’s a little food for thought on the Picanto as they’re essentially the same car but with bigger wheels and a sportier exterior.


Chery Tiggo 7 Pro confirmed for Malaysia launch – Proton X70 rival with up to 197 hp!

Having previously announced that the
Tiggo 8 Pro
 and
Omoda 5
 are earmarked for our market,
 Chery
 has now confirmed that the Tiggo 7 Pro will also be launched here in Malaysia. The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, together with the seven-seater Tiggo 8 Pro, will enter the C-segment market here in Malaysia, challenging the
Proton X70
,
Honda CR-V
, and the
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace
 (for the Tiggo 8) head-on.
Much like its (slightly) larger brother, the Tiggo 7 Pro also comes with Chery’s latest modern design language, dubbed “Movement Design”. The styling is characterised by its “galaxy-inspired geometric matrix diamond” grille, with three-dimensional diamond pins that has now become a hallmark feature for the marque’s “Pro” line-up.
Other exterior highlights include the slim adaptive LED headlights, T-shaped LED daytime-running lights and fog lights assembly on the bumper, full-width LED tail lights, floating roof, and wheel sizes ranging from 17- to 19-inches in diameter.
RELATED: Chery returns to Indonesia, to become new base for ASEAN exports
The modern exterior is also paired to a futuristic yet luxurious interior design – enough to fool you into believing it’s from a premium German brand if not for the emblem on the steering wheel! In the latest and more premium model dubbed the Tiggo 7 Plus (pictured) in China, it even comes with a twin 12.3-inch display set-up – almost reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz MBUX system!
We’re not sure if we will eventually get the Plus’ interior set-up here in Malaysia, but either way, the Tiggo 7 Pro will still be fairly well equipped for its class, with standard features in its home market including power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control with an ioniser and air quality sensor, a “cloud-based” infotainment system over-the-air software updates, a panoramic sunroof, and a Sony eight-speaker sound system.
Safety kit is not discounted here either, as the Tiggo 7 Pro is also offered with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep and lane centring assist, blind-spot monitor, rear-cross traffic alert, park assist, and automatic high-beam.
As for the mechanicals, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro in China is offered with two engine options; the first is a 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four with
150 hp
 and
 230 Nm
, and the other a 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injected four-banger that makes
197 hp
 and
290 Nm
.
Drive is sent to the front wheels in both variants, but the 1.5-litre version gets a nine-virtual ratio CVT gearbox, while the more powerful 1.6-litre engine gets a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for a sportier driving experience.


Tesla Model X vs Hummer H2 in a tug of war – will electric power prevail?

It’s a battle of the heavyweights in their own right; in one corner you have the electric-powered Tesla Model X and on the other is the fuel-guzzling monstrosity of a Hummer H2.
Both are equipped with studded tyres for a surface most would struggle to find grip standing still. While it’s expected that the Hummer H2 would prevail effortlessly in the three rounds of tug of war, you’d be surprised how the Tesla Model X fared in the final run.
Most of you should be aware that weight is an important factor when it comes to putting down traction and on that note, the Tesla weighs
2,600 kgs
 while the Hummer surpasses the three tonne mark at
3,200 kgs
.
Both are equipped with all-wheel drive but this is where the Tesla prevails. Benefiting from pure electric power, the Model X produces
670 hp
 with
970 Nm
 of torque while the H2 makes a measly
321 hp
 with
 488 Nm
 of torque in comparison.
Who would prevail? The “lighter” but more powerful Tesla or the “underpowered” but significantly heavier Hummer?
Source:
YouTube


Here’s what’s new with the facelifted 2018 Peugeot 308 THP

Firstly, the new Peugeot 308 is now priced at RM 129,888 on-the-road without insurance and this includes a 5-year or 120,000 km warranty along with 3-years 24-hour Peugeot Assistance.
Performance wise, it’s got a 15 hp bump up to
167 hp
 and
240 Nm
 of torque – feeding power to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Quickshift Technology as before.
Aesthetically, the revisions have been noticeable with redesigned bumpers, front bonnet and the relocated Lion badge that now sits on the slightly re-positioned front grille. Elsewhere, the 308 retains the 18-inch wheel design from before.
Inside, you’ll find a 9.7-inch HD touchscreen display with capacitive touch on the raised centre console, along with Mirrorlink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Gone are the panoramic sunroof and massage functions.
The car is now 140 kg lighter, with a lower centre of gravity for better stability. Safety wise, you can count on the six airbags, ABS with EBD and Hill Start Assist features to name a few but what’s missing is the Driver Assistance Pack in the previous model, which offers adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking.
Available in Pearl White, Ultimate Red, Artense Grey, Magnetic Blue and Nera Black, the new Peugeot 308 THP is available for viewing from today until 28th October 2018 at the 1 Utama New Wing alongside other Peugeot models like the new 308 GTi, 3008 SUV, 5008 SUV and 208 Puretech.
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2016 Volkswagen Vento now open for booking, priced from RM80k [+Video]

We are less than two weeks away from the arrival of the new Volkswagen Vento – a model formerly known as the Polo Sedan. Instead of the one-trim only Polo Sedan, Volkswagen Group Malaysia (VGM) will offer three variants of the Vento.
The trio (Trendline, Comfortline and Highline) will be priced between RM80,000 to RM90,000. Powertrain choices now include a new
 1.2-litre turbocharged engine
 (Highline only), and this
104 horsepower
 and
175 Nm
 of torque four banger will be paired to a
seven-speed dry dual clutch transmission
.
The Trendline and Comfortline will soldier on with the
outgoing 1.6-litre MPI engine
 with a
six-speed automatic
 gearbox driving the front wheels. Volkswagen prides the Vento Highline for its non-compromity in the safety aspects, boasting a
5-Star ASEAN NCAP

award
 thanks to four airbags, Electronic Stability Control, ABS, Intelligent Crash Response System and Isofix anchors.
As you would have noticed, the tail lamps now feature LED modules, unlike the bulb-type reflectors seen in the locally assembled Polo Sedan. VGM is now taking orders for the Vento ahead of its Malaysian debut on 19 May, so stay tuned for the full report!
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This Tesla Semi truck is more aerodynamic than a Bugatti Chiron!

Unveiled alongside the all-new
Tesla Roadster
 is this hilariously-shaped truck called Semi. The new truck is said to deliver a better and safer driving experience for truck drivers as well as significantly reducing the cost of cargo transport compared to a regular diesel-powered truck.
As expected from Tesla, the forward-thinking carmaker has fitted the Semi with four electric motors on the rear axle, capable of propelling the unloaded truck from 0 to 96 km/h in just
5 seconds
. Fully loaded with 3.6 tonnes and the Semi would still able to get to 96 km/h in an astonishing
20 seconds
.

Thanks to a 200-kWh battery pack, the Semi is capable of covering
800 km
 in a single charge. Tesla claims that 80 per cent of freight in the U.S. is covered in less than 400 km which makes the Semi a highly feasible product. However, when plugged into new high-speed Megachargers, it will only take 30 minutes to give the battery pack 80 per cent of juice which roughly translates to 640 km.
Its superior range is not only achieved through a large capacity battery pack, but also through its design along with a host of high-tech wizardry like regenerative braking and negative torque. Its unique design gives an astonishing drag coefficient of
0.36
 – half the average value of regular trucks. Elon Musk also cheekily compared his latest creation to the
Bugatti Chiron
, which by the way has a drag coefficient of
0.38
.
Like with every Tesla vehicle, the Semi also boast high-levels of safety thanks to its
Enhanced Autopilot system
 which bundles Automatic Emergency Braking, Automatic Lane Keeping, Lane Departure Warning and event recording. The Semi can also autonomously travel in a convoy, where one or several Semi trucks will be able to follow a lead Semi.
Production of the Semi will start in 2019 and interested parties can put a US$5,000 deposit down per truck. Tesla estimates that compared to a regular diesel truck over one million miles, the Tesla Semi will save owners up to US$200,000 (RM8.3 million).
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BFGoodrich returns to Malaysia, launches road and off-road tyres

It’s been some time since we last saw a BFGoodrich tyre on the shelves now, hasn’t it? Effective today, the American tyre manufacturer makes its official reentry into Malaysia with three tyres – Advantage T/A Drive, Advantage T/A SUV and All-Terrain T/A KO2.
The Advantage series is catered predominantly for road-going cars, whereas the KO2 is designed specifically for off-road purposes. The Advantage T/A Drive is designed for small to large passenger cars with tyre sizes ranging from
13 to 17 inches
. For SUVs, BFGoodrich is offering the Advantage series in sizes varying from
15 to 18 inches
. Pricing of the Advantage series has yet to be confirmed, but we were told that it will cost between
RM100 to RM550 per piece
.

Those looking for some serious off-road rubbers will find their prayers answered here with the All-Terrain T/A KO2. It is BFGoodrich’s most advanced off-road tyres and has several good credentials to back that claim as well. It is the first consumer tyre to incorporate the company’s race-proven and race-winning CoreGard technology which makes the rubber compound tougher. As a result, its sidewalls are
 20 percent tougher
, making it more resistant to all kinds of off-roading hazards.
Besides being tougher, it also lasts longer on both asphalt (two times more tread life) and gravel surfaces (15 percent more tread life). Thanks to its patented ‘interlocking tread’ design, the KO2 tyres are 10 percent grippier on muddy surfaces. These improvements are measured and benchmarked against their previous generation KO tyre.

The T/A KO2 tyres are directly imported from the United States and are
priced from RM1,000
 onwards. The Advantage series tyres on the other hand, are sourced from Thailand. These tyres can be purchased at all authorised TYREPLUS or Michelin dealerships nationwide.
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Red Bull’s Mad Mike goes drifting with F1 driver in a 1,200hp MX-5

The Formula 1 season opener is set to take place this 25th March in Melbourne, Australia and Red Bull has paired up two of its most prominent drivers, Daniel Ricciardo, of Red Bull Racing F1 Team and drifter “Mad” Mike Whiddet in a Mazda 26B-TT MX5 ‘RADBUL’ drift machine.
 Watch the video here
.
Having spent four seasons with the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team, consistently drinking champagne out of his shoes with every podium finish, Ricciardo finished 3rd overall twice in recent F1 seasons and will no doubt be a force to reckon with not just within the team, against youngster Max Verstappen, but also amongst the competitive grid.
“Mad” Mike Whiddet on the other hand, has been the talk of the drift scene for years now. Known for strictly drifting with rotary-powered Mazdas, Mad Mike’s exploits on-track has been as impressive as his wildly spectacular stunts off-track.
The beast that both drivers rode on is none other than the infamous NC Mazda MX-5 with a 2.6-litre four-rotor rotary engine, strapped with two oversized turbochargers and tuned to produce more than
1,200 hp
.
Credit:
Red Bull


The wail of this V10 Lexus LFA will chase all your “MCO blues” away

It’s been almost a decade since the Lexus LFA debuted – to the warm reception of the automotive community – and suffice to say, time has not dulled the lustre of this magnificent piece of machinery.
What you’re seeing here is the
LFA “Nurburgring Edition”
 with 10 more hp than the standard car at
571 hp
 and just under
500 Nm
 of torque from a 4.8-litre naturally-aspirated V10 engine. With launch control, the LFA will get from 0 to 100 km/h around the 3.6 seconds region.
The “Nurburgring Edition” received reworked suspension, lighter wheels, more aerodynamic aids including a fixed rear wing, canards on the front bumper and a carbon fibre front lip. Production of the “Nurburgring Edition” was limited to just 50 units, and was part of the exclusive 500 unit LFA club.

When it was revealed, the LFA not only drew attention unto itself with its spaceship-like appearance but was also famously known to be sold at lesser than what it cost Lexus to develop, according to Top Gear.
The wail of its V10 engine, which was co-developed with Yamaha, and how quickly the engine revs were perhaps the other amusement factors of the LFA. Apparently, because of how lively the engine was, Lexus had to opt for digital rev meters as analog units just couldn’t cope with the speed of the V10.
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Nissan Leaf scores full 5-Star Euro NCAP rating [+Video]

The
second-generation Nissan Leaf
 underwent the Euro NCAP Crash Test recently and was awarded with the maximum 5-star safety rating by the organisation. The new Leaf was commended in particular for its strong body structure that gave the occupants high levels of protection in critical areas.
In the “Adult Occupant” segment, the Leaf scored a remarkable overall rating of 93 per cent. However, most notably, the all-electric hatchback scored full marks in the side barrier and side pole impact tests. The Leaf also scored well in the “Child Occupant” category with a final score of 86 per cent.
In Europe, the Leaf is equipped with Nissan’s
ProPilot
 semi-autonomous driving
 technologies
as standard
 which performed reliably in all situations required by Euro NCAP. The above average final score of 71 per cent was attributed to the lack of rear seatbelt reminders and a Lane Keep Assist system that does not switch on by default at startup.
Closer to home, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) has confirmed that the
new Nissan Leaf will be available in Malaysia in 2018
. Hopefully, when the “
L
eading,
E
nvironmentally friendly,
A
ffordable
F
amily car” arrives here, Malaysians will finally have a taste of Nissan’s ProPilot technologies.
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This Toyota Prius can run on petrol or sugar cane extracts

Toyota pulled the wraps off the world’s first hybrid flexible-fuel vehicle (Hybrid FFV) in Brazil recently in the hopes of popularising Hybrid Electric Vehicles in the country.
The prototype, based on a Toyota Prius, is the combination of a flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) that can be powered by both gasoline and alternative fuels such as ethanol and Toyota’s famous hybrid system which combines a combustion engine and an electrical powertrain.
The Hybrid FFV is a new powertrain system that has the potential to drastically reduce total CO
2
 emissions as it is built on Toyota’s hybrid system with high energy efficiency and low emission levels and it also leverages the CO
2
 reabsorption capacity of ethanol, a plant-derived 100% renewable fuel.
Toyota’s initial studies indicate that Hybrid FFV has a great advantage in environmental performance compared to a standard FFV, when considering C02 emissions from
“well-to-wheel” as Mazda would call it
. If it is fueled only by sugarcane-based ethanol (E100 fuel), the results are even better.
Ethanol is commonly made from biomass such as corn or sugarcane and the first production car to run entirely on ethanol was the Fiat 147. Aside from producing the most number of top football players, Brazil is also known to be among the world’s top producers of ethanol-blended fuel; a commodity that’s widely used in Brazil.


Oops: The SSC Tuatara world record top speed run video might be faked

Top speed world records are a big deal; car manufacturers spend an exorbitant amount of money and time to chase these records, and conversely (some) people spend their hard-earned money to buy these cars based on their record breaking figures. So naturally, when SSC posted the full video for the
Tuatara VMax record run
, you know that it will be put under the microscope by peering eyes.
The high-speed run was incredible to watch to say the least, thanks to its 360-degree camera angle giving you a surreal representation of speed inside the car. However, upon closer scrutiny, there seems to be a few contradictions that raises questions on the genuineness of the attempt. In fact, multiple prominent YouTube personalities have taken to the platform to voice their concerns.

The first video that really sparked the conversation was from Tim Burton of Shmee150. By doing some basic calculations based on the time it took for the SSC Tuatara to travel between two points of a known distance on Nevada’s Highway 160, he was able to work out the theoretical average speed estimates of the car – which were significantly lower than the speed claimed to be achieved by the car – we’re talking a delta of at least 20 km/h to 160 km/h here.
This video below by Misha Charoudin (who you might recall, was on board the
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport’s Nurburgring lap
) presents the data and calculations in more detail if you’re interested:

The speed calculations from the method above also coincides with the visual analysis using the painted white lines, which are painted exactly to spec in the United States – 3 metres (10 feet) of white line, followed by a 9-metre (30 feet) gap.
And that’s not all; by using the gear ratio specifications of the exact gearbox model published on the SSC North America website (the record is for the world’s fastest production vehicle, which means that it has to be the same car that is being sold to the public), cross referenced with the tyre specifications from the press images and engine speed from the dashboard, they were also able to deduce the speed of the vehicle during the run. And what do you know – the calculated speeds resembles too closely to those derived from the visual calculations above for it to be a coincidence.
In an
interview with YouTube channel Life of Palos
, driver Oliver Webb also revealed that the SSC Tuatara maintained sixth gear during its high-speed run – which when based on available data, suggests that it is physically impossible for the car to reach 331 mph (533 km/h) without the engine being blown to shreds.
If the above methods are still not enough for you to doubt the world record attempt, then perhaps
this video
 will. By pitting the SSC Tuatara’s VMax run against that of the
Koenigsegg Agera RS
, it’s evident that despite showing significant higher speeds on the GPS tracker, the Tuatara still took a longer time to reach specified points on the road.
There are many other details that raises more suspicion to the entire matter too, such as the blurred-out speed readings on the dashboard, no back-up GPS systems for validation, and not to mention the fact that SSC North America disabled comments on their social media pages after people started questioning the world record attempt.
Now, we’re not saying that SSC definitely faked the Tuatara’s record-breaking attempt. These calculations are based off of observable data points from the video after all, and not based on actual data figures extracted from the car, GPS tracker, or on-site measurements. There are just too many unknown variables to mark this as the true definitive answer.
The video could also be a reenactment of events, or from a different (slower) run, overlaid with the record-breaking telemetry data. However, presenting a reenacted video as truth does still leave a bad taste in our mouths, especially since it is so heavily publicised as the “official footage” of the record breaking run.
Following the widespread speculation across social medias, SSC Founder Jerod Shelby released a statement today saying that the data from the record-breaking run have already been validated by Dewetron, the manufacturer of the GPS tracking device – which basically meant that unless Dewetron made a huge blunder, SSC will be standing by its numbers and claims.
However, Shelby made no points in the statement to directly rebut the anomalies uncovered on YouTube, leaving most fans unsatisfied with the response. It remains to be seen if any data logs will be made available to the public following the outrage, but we’ll keep you posted if there are any developments from the parties involved in the record-breaking attempt.


Toyota to showcase fully tuned GR Yaris and new GT3 Concept at TAS 2022

Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) has finally confirmed the arrival of the much-rumoured souped-up Toyota GR Yaris and from the teaser image, it does look menacing! The motorsports arm of Toyota will officially reveal the model and more at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) 2022.
This year’s exhibition will also feature the world premiere of the GR GT3 Concept, a racing-dedicated concept car that incorporates the knowledge and refined technologies TGR has gained in the field of motorsports.
The GR GT3 Concept is a bit of a shocker, as both the front and rear designs do not have any resemblance to the
Toyota GR Supra
 that was originally earmarked for global FIA GT3 racing. In fact, the swooping tail heavily reminds us of the
Mercedes AMG GT
 sports car. All GT3 racing cars are modified racing versions of their road-going counterparts, as such, is Toyota previewing a new sports car via this GT3 Concept?
The Toyota GR Yaris has won many praises. We took it to Sepang track with five other big names (and horsepower) and still received everyone’s approval for ABC2021
Meanwhile, the fully tuned Toyota GR Yaris looks set to be fitted with a very prominent rear spoiler with swan-neck mounting and what seems to be a carbon-fibre bonnet with a ventilation outlet. Toyota will enter the GR Yaris from this year’s World Rally Championship (WRC) which also debuts the
hybrid powertrain
 system in the Rally1 category.
Apart from these new vehicles as well as the WEC Championship winning GR010 Hybrid machine, Toyota Gazoo Racing will also display some parts from the 2022 line-up of GR
Heritage Parts
 plus the usual range of Super GT’s GT500 machines. The TAS 2022 will run from 14th to 16th January.


TC Subaru introduces new “Drive Now, Pay Later” campaign for the Forester

Need a little push on getting that AWD
 Subaru Forester
? There’s a solid reason now as TC Subaru, distributor of Subaru vehicles in Malaysia has announced the new
“Drive Now, Pay Later”
programme.
The programme was launched in collaboration with Maybank and is exclusive to the bank’s customers.
 TC Subaru launches online booking service for XV and Forester. Check it out here!
There are a total of six variants for the all-wheel drive SUV, ranging from the GT Lite Edition at RM 163,788 to the Forester 2.0i-S Eyesight GT Edition priced at RM177,788. The on-going campaign ends on the 31st December 2021.
Subaru Forester facelift revealed in Japan – what happened to those “eyes”? Check it out here!
Following are the different variants of the Forester:
• 2.0i-L GT Lite Edition
• 2.0i-S
• 2.0i-S GT Lite Edition
• 2.0i-S Eyesight
• 2.0i-S Eyesight GT Lite Edition
• F2.0i-S Eyesight GT Edition

Eligible customers will not need to pay their loan installments for
15 months
 upon receiving their new SUV. The promotion with Maybank is based on a fixed monthly instalment amount throughout the agreed loan tenure with the bank. Customers would only need to start paying the fixed monthly instalment from the 16
th
 month onwards.
Each Forester bought through the campaign comes with a 5-year warranty and a complimentary Subaru Eco Sterilising In-Cabin 3D spray service worth RM1,200.
Customers who purchase a new Forester can trade-in their old vehicles through TC Subaru’s Special Trade-In Assist programme for added value. The campaign applies to selected model year units, while stocks last.
Video: Subaru Forester GT Lite Edition – Five Things You Need To Know. Watch it here!


Perodua shows off new GearUp bodykit for 2022 Myvi in new teaser video

Think the 2022
Perodua Myvi facelift
 looks just a bit too tame for a “supercar”? Good news – the national carmaker will be offering a new extended range of GearUp accessories for the B-segment hatchback soon, and is now offering us our first glimpse at the souped-up body kit through a teaser video on its YouTube channel.
Unlike past years or the
other recent models
, Perodua did not introduce the GearUp body kit alongside the car during its launch late last year, instead opting to wait for nearly five months to finally give us a first look at the getup. Worth the wait? You decide!

Based on the footage, it seems like the national carmaker is aiming for something very aggressive for the Myvi’s GearUp kit in order to appease the younger buying crowd. The front bumper of the bodykit is dominated by the new chunky gloss-black panels on the sides, while the existing diagonal X-shaped motif is also further highlighted with the boomerang-like fangs.
From what we can see, there also seems to be a gloss black front splitter, bookended by body-coloured skirtings on the sides. “Angry” is one way to put the new look, we think!
RELATED: A new Bumblebee has arrived, appearing as the Perodua Ativa!
Here’s the standard un-kitted 2022 Perodua Myvi for comparison.
While the official teaser video only shows the front of the car, prior leaks on the interwebs have also revealed a new rear wing at the back with two longer extensions nearer to the sides, a new rear bumper with extended skirting and a diffuser-look trim, plus a two-tone side skirts.
The new GearUp bodykit will be sold in conjunction with the myriad of branded accessories, including fancier floor mats, door sill plates, leather seat covers, as well as visors for the windows.
In terms of availability, Perodua’s Facebook post says that the GearUp kit will be coming “soon” to all authorised showrooms nationwide, but stopped short on a firm launch date. Do you prefer the Myvi with the GearUp kit, or are you in the camp of “less is more”? Let us know in the comments below!


Honda Malaysia official merchandise now available on Shopee

In line with the recent trend of digitalisation, Honda Malaysia has announced that its latest line of Honda merchandise, dubbed the
TEI series
, is now available to purchase on the Shopee e-commerce platform.
The TEI series (which represents Trust, Equality and Individuality),
unveiled in March this year
, consists of 21 unique items in four collections – Corporate, Lifestyle, Activewear, and Travel.
To celebrate the launch of the Honda Malaysia Official Store on Shopee, the company will be organising a one-day only “five-pronged attractive deals” sales event this Saturday, 25 July. Customers will enjoy RM10 storewide vouchers, Shopee Coins cashback vouchers, 10% shocking sales, 10% mall sales, and RM7 deals (llimited stock, first come first serve) for the following items:
Crossbody Bag
30-inch umbrella
Key ring and key pouch set
Cap
Shoe bag
Collapsible water bottle
Unisex hoodie (size M)
According to Honda Malaysia, the TEI series has been well-received by Honda fans in the country, with an 18% increase in sales in its first month since introduction when compared to the previous merchandise line-up. The most popular items in the series come from the Lifestyle collection, which contributed 46% of the total merchandise sales.
Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Toichi Ishiyama said, “We are delighted to expand our line of Honda Official Merchandise on Shopee, making it readily available to everyone especially the digital savvy customers who prefer online shopping.
“We are confident that Malaysians will appreciate the convenience of shopping at their fingertips, especially in this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic where digitalisation has been greatly accelerated,” added Ishiyama.
You can find the Honda Malaysia Official Shopee Store
here (hondamalaysia.os)
. For the full list of available merchandises, check out our write up
here
.


Toyota GT 86 GT Limited Black Package for Japan, refined handling and cosmetic upgrades

Toyota has just added a new variant to the GT 86 line up called the GT Limited Black Package. It gets minor revision to its handling, exterior finish and interior design. Unfortunately, the enhanced GT 86 did not get any power bump.
The entire GT 86 range now benefits from a retuned suspension that gives the car a more rigid and direct steering feel. It however, remains powered by a 2.0-litre direct-injection boxer-engine that outputs
197 hp
 and
205 Nm
 of torque. Drive is sent to the rear-wheels via a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
On the GT Limited Black Package, it gets a Solid Grey paintjob with black contrasted side mirrors and rear spoiler. Brembo red-painted callipers comes as standard on this variant but lower-grade variants can have them as an option. It rides on a set of
exclusive 17-inch 10-spoke aluminium alloys
 wrapped in 215/45 profile tyre.
Inside, manual variants of the GT Limited Black Package get fine-leather wrapped GT “Limited” branded shift knob for better grip and texture. Two-tone interior (Red on Black) is standard fitment. Order books for the limited production GT 86 are now open with an asking price of ¥3.3 million (RM125k) for the manual-equipped model. Production will commence in February 2018 and will be produced in limited numbers only.


Facts & Figures: BMW X4 M Competition now available in Malaysia

Alongside the launch of the
BMW X3 M Competition
, as well as the
BMW M8 Coupe
 and
Gran Coupe
, BMW Malaysia today also introduced the X4 M over here in Malaysia, available solely in the Competition flavour.
The BMW X4 M Competition is priced at
RM904,276.60
 on the road, without insurance, and inclusive of
SST exemptions
. With the Balloon Financing Plan from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia, the X4 M Competition can be yours starting at RM10,318 per month.

POWERTRAIN
Under the hood of the BMW X4 M Competition is the same engine found in the
X3 M
, the S58 three-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six engine. The new powertrain will also be featured in the forthcoming
BMW M3
 and
M4
, due for its global debut next month.
Engine: S58 3.0-litre M TwinPower Turbo straight-six
Transmission: Eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission with Drivelogic
Drivetrain: M xDrive all-wheel drive
Max horsepower: 510 hp @ 6,250 RPM
Max torque: 600 Nm @ 2,600 – 5,950 RPM
0-100 km/h: 4.1 seconds
Top speed: 250 km/h (electronically limited)
Just like its more upright twin, the X4 M Competition features additional M Performance Parts to deliver an enjoyable driving experience, even on a car of its weight and height. These include three Drivelogic transmission modes (Efficient, Sport, and Sport Plus), adaptive dampers, engine compartment strut brace and stiffer stabilisers, as well as M Compound Brakes made from composite materials for extra weight reduction and improved stopping power.
Power is sent to all four wheels via the M-specific xDrive all-wheel drive system and Active M Differential, which can send most of its power to the rear wheels in Sports mode. In Conventional mode, power is distributed variably depending on grip levels and requirements.
EXTERIOR
Befitting its M badge, the X4 M Competition is also dressed-up appropriately with more aggressive front and rear aprons, the former featuring hexagonal air intakes that channels air over to the front brakes. At the back, the X4 M comes with a slim diffuser finished in high-gloss black, along with an “aerodynamic spoiler”, also finished in black.
Otherwise, the exterior equipment list is identical to that of the X3 M Competition, which includes:
Adaptive LED headlights with high-beam assistant
LED taillights
21-inch bicolour M light alloy wheels
M Sport exhaust system with quad black chrome tailpipes
Black kidney grille surrounds, side gills, wing mirror caps
Exterior colour choices: Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Donington Grey, Phytonic Blue, Sophisto Grey, Toronto Red
INTERIOR
Similarly, the cabin of the BMW X4 M Competition has also been spruced up with a myriad of BMW M-specific touches for the complete M experience, such as:
M Sport seats with illuminated M badge, active seat ventilation, and lumbar support
Premium Leather Merino upholstery with BMW M colours decorative seams
M leather steering wheel with shift paddles, red M Drive buttons, red push-start button
Redesigned M gear selector lever
M seatbelts, pedals, and knee pad
M-specific instrument cluster
Head-up display with M-specific display modes
10.25-inch Control Display infotainment system with Apple CarPlay connectivity, Concierge Service, Teleservices, Remote Services, Intelligent Emergency Call, BMW Gesture Control
M door sill plates
Interior trim finishers in carbon fibre
Luggage capacity on the X4 M Competition also remains identical to the

regular BMW X4
, with a rear cargo space of 525 litres, expandable to 1,430 litres with the rear seats folded down.
Depending on which exterior colour is chosen, the new BMW X4 M Competition can be specified with either Black, Sakhir Orange, or Adelaide Grey for its Leather Merino interior upholstery.
SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE
The new BMW X4 M Competition comes as standard with BMW’s Driving Assistant Plus and Parking Assistant Plus advanced driver assistance and convenience features, which is a step up from the regular
BMW X4
. Functionalities include:
Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function
Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Braking function
Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Rear Collision Prevention
Steering and lane control assistant
Lane Keeping Assistant with active side collision protection
Front Cross Traffic Alert
Automatic parking assistant (steering, accelerating, and braking) for both parallel and reverse parking
Panorama View camera
3D Top View function
Remote 3D View – three-dimensional live image of the vehicle transmitted directly to the driver’s smartphone
PRICING
The BMW X4 M Competition is now available in Malaysia, priced at
RM904,276.60
 on the road, without insurance, and inclusive of the
sales tax exemptions
, valid until the end of December this year. Included in the price as standard is the BMW Group Malaysia Premium Ownership Experience, which includes:
5-year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with free scheduled service programme
BMW Roadside Assistance and Accident Hotline
The BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App – BMW Privileges Card
BMW Service Online
With the Balloon Financing Plan from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia, the BMW X4 M Competition can be owned with monthly instalments starting from RM10,318.00, based on estimates of an 80% loan on a five-year tenure.
Customers can also book the new BMW X3 M Competition on the new
BMW Malaysia online shop
, linked
here
, with a booking fee of RM5,000, and be in the running to bring home a now-discontinued BMW i8 Coupé.
For the latest updated price list of BMW models in Malaysia, click
here
.
IMAGE GALLERY


New Nissan NP300 Navara range previewed in Malaysia, launching this 26 November [+Gallery]

Yes folks, the new Nissan NP300 Navara will be
officially launched in Malaysia come 26 November
, and Edaran Tan Chong Motors will be offering a total of six variants, no less. Just like the D40 Navara, the earlier batches of the NP300 will be fully imported from Nissan’s second plant in Thailand – a dedicated plant to produce and assemble a single model that is the Navara.
Malaysia is one of 20 countries receiving the Navara from Thailand, but we’re told that Malaysia is the first country in the region to get the NP300 Navara with the
multi-link rear suspension
 as opposed to the conventional leaf spring setup. However, those preferring the leaf spring suspension will have to make do with the Single Cab variant, which is also the most affordable pick of the lot at RM85k (estimated price).
QUICK FACTS
Nissan NP300 Navara
Grade VL
Grade V
Grade SE (AT)
Grade SE (MT)
Grade E
Single Cab
Engine
2,488cc; inline-4 DOHC with Variable Geometry System; Commonrail Injection (YD25DDTi)
Transmission
7-speed Auto with Manual Mode
6-speed manual
Max Power
190 hp @ 3,600 rpm
163 hp @ 3,600 rpm
Max Torque
450 Nm @ 2,000 rpm
403 Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Suspension
Independent Double Wishbone (Front), Multi-Link with Shocks (Rear)
Double Wishbone (Front), Multi-Leaf with Shocks
Estimated Price
RM125,000
Between RM95,000 to RM115,000
RM85,000
All six variants will be powered by Nissan’s reworked
2.5-litre turbodiesel
 engine, which means we won’t be getting the new
187hp

twin turbocharged 2.3-litre dCi engine
 offered elsewhere. The engine gets two states of tune –
190 hp
 and
 450 Nm
 for the range-topping VL variant and
163 hp
 and
403 Nm
 for the rest of the range. This means the Nissan NP300 Navara Single Cab sits at the top of its class with respect to output figures. Bravo.
The engines will be paired to either a
six-speed manual
 transmission or a brand new
seven-speed automatic
 gearbox
with Manual Mode
. All variants will get an electronically operated 4×4 system that you can shift on the fly. Features unique to the new Navara include numerous first-in-class tech, such as full LED headlights with LED daytime running lights (for the VL only), rear spoiler, rear air-conditioning vents and Zero Gravity Inspired Seats – the same kind used in the
Nissan Teana
.

The Navara Single Cab may be priced on the higher side as far as single cabs go, but you’re getting quite a performer under the hood. It sits on 16-inch steel wheels shod with 205R16C profiled tyres, and the seats (also Zero Gravity Seats) are upholstered in vinyl. There is a total of four speakers and a CD player that support FM, AM and MP3 playback.
For grade E and SE, the seats are wrapped in smooth fabric and comes with a Wide 2-Din head unit with USB and auxiliary connectivity, paired to six speakers. The SE (AT) will get – as you’ve guessed – the seven-speed automatic, but all else are identical. They SE variants will sit on 16-inch alloy rims wrapped in 255/70 series tyres, but the Grade E variant will settle for the same 16-inch steel rims as the Single Cab.

Moving one trim up is the RM115k Grade V, and for the money you get a multifunction steering wheel with cruise control and Bluetooth Handsfree. The seats are still wrapped in fabric, but you do get a 5-inch display with rear view camera and six speakers. However, it won’t get the 190 hp/450 Nm tune as the range topper. That said, ETCM expects this variant to be their best seller, and it’s hard to think otherwise.
RM125,000 is quite a chunk of dough to ask for a pickup truck, but this VL trim is decked out to the brim. There’s a set of
18-inch wheels
 (255/60 tyres), roof rails and exclusive LED headlights to complete the exterior package. Inside, there’s leather seats all around and the driver gets an 8-way adjustability with 2-way lumbar support.

Variants SE (MT included) and above will get Nissan’s entire suite of safety features such as dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Traction Control System, Active Brake Limited Slip, Hill Assist and Hill Descent Control. The new Nissan NP300 Navara will only be offered in four exterior shades – Savanna Orange, Tungsten Silver, Diamond Black and Brilliant White. The Single Cab however, will only be available in Brilliant White.
Again, prices start from
RM85k to RM125k
, and Nissan’s newest pickup will be
 fully imported from Thailand
. ETCM hasn’t shrugged off any plans on assembling it at their 40-year old plant in Segambut, but like the D40 Navara, only time can tell. Each new purchase of the Navara comes packaged with a
3-year or 100,000km factory warranty
, whichever comes first. First batch of deliveries will begin on launch day that is 26 November. For those who have yet to place their booking, you may pay a visit to the showrooms below for an early-bird test drive session.
Date
Region
Venue
14 to 15 November 2015
Central
ETCM Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Selangor
Northern
ETCM Butterworth, Penang
ETCM Ipoh, Perak
Southern
ETCM Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
ETCM Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
East Coast
ETCM Kuantan, Pahang
20 to 21 November 2015
Northern
ETCM Sg. Petani, Kedah
21 to 22 November 2015
Central
ETCM Petaling Jaya, Selangor
ETCM Southgate, KL
Southern
ETCM Semabok, Melaka
East Coast
ETCM Kota Bahru, Kelantan
East Malaysia
ETCM Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
ETCM Kuching, Sarawak
IMAGE GALLERY
Nissan NP300 Navara Single Cab & Grade E

Nissan NP300 Navara SE (MT & AT); Grade V

Nissan NP300 Navara VL


Thailand’s largest auto parts company Aapico invests RM140 million in Proton’s Avee Global

Proton
 has announced its strategic partnership with Aapico Hitech Public Company Limited (Aapico), Thailand’s largest auto parts company. Costing
RM140 million
, the investment will see Proton’s subsidiary – Advance Vehicle Engineering Global Sdn Bhd (Avee) producing components such as dies, jigs, hot stamping parts, body assembled parts, and chassis components.
The collaboration between Proton and Aapico will also see Aapico acquiring 60% of Avee Global from Proton, while Proton will retain a 40% share in the company. Avee Global will also be renamed Aapico Avee Sdn Bhd.
The partnership was formalised on
June 26
,
2023
, and will see Aapico making an initial investment of RM40 million into Avee Global’s 20-acre facility. There are also plans for further expansion to cater to Proton vehicles and the overall automotive sector as well in the future. The remaining RM100 million investment, on the other hand, is planned for plant extensions and the acquisition of new machinery in 2024.
The operational manufacturing facility will soon be ramping up its production volume with new products in the pipeline. Aapico will be managing the operations, as well as introducing new technology applications to produce better quality parts and improve production and cost efficiency. The future expansion will also help create more jobs and attract highly skilled talents to the country.
RELATED:
Proton DX Centre officially launched – Malaysia’s first automotive digital experience centre
Prior to this investment, Aapico was invested in the car dealership business in Malaysia. The company owned and operated six car dealers, which included four Proton dealers.
Aapico Hitech Public Company Limited President & CEO, Yeap Swee Chuan said, “Aapico is taking the opportunity to enter the auto parts manufacturing sector in Malaysia at this right time, with promising growth expected in the automotive industry led by strong demand for Proton vehicles and further supported by strong economic growth.”
Yeap added, “We aim to bring our expertise and manufacturing technology into the partnership and deliver world-class auto parts to Proton and support their expansion plans in both the domestic and export market.”
Proton CEO, Dr Li Chunrong said, “The joint venture with Aapico will benefit Proton by helping to provide the company with better cost optimization, efficiency, and quality in the production of our cars. As our volume increases in tandem with our model introduction plans, we will continue to work to ensure our products are on par with the competition in terms of features and quality while continuing to offer outstanding safety from the use of technologies such as hot press forming.”
The Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul bin Tengku Abdul Aziz also graced the partnership announcement event as its guest of honour. Proton says that the investment is in line with MITI’s efforts to generate sustainable economic growth, increase competitiveness, and create innovative and high-skilled employment opportunities in the workforce. This is particularly needed in the manufacturing sector where the automotive industry and related sectors play a significant role in contributing towards employment and to Malaysia’s GDP.
RELATED:
Scoop: Proton Exora to cease production by end of 2023 – New MPV coming soon?


Aston Martin announces DB11 moniker for new upcoming 2016 model

The world’s most iconic secret agent, James Bond, will be chuffed beyond all means with the surprise announcement by the Gaydon-based luxury sports carmaker on the divulgence of the new upcoming DB11 model. Speculations abide far and wide on the subject matter but Aston Martin has kept mum.
Among the slew of conjections made is that the DB11 will look
 somewhat
 like the new
Vanquish
 model. That being said, the
DB9
 replacement model will likely skip the
DB10
 moniker as it’s specially reserved for MI6’s most prolific agent. The DB11 will be brand’s first major product of Aston’s bold
Second Century Plan
.
Marek Reichman, head of design and Chief Creative Officer said to Top Gear that the DB10 will be the platform in providing inspiration for the looks of future Astons. “But not the DB11. You will see the DB10 in
another car
”. As opposed to the sharp front fascia of DB10, this new model will have a “
proud grille
 and
prominent lights
, in a
taller nose
,” said Reichman.
We can only assume that the taller nose is there to accommodate a fire-breathing V12 engine that’s synonymous with the moniker’s
GT
 nature. It’s also gossiped that it might house an
AMG-derived twin turbo V12
 with the possibility of even an
AMG twin turbo V8
 from the
Merc AMG GT
 for the next generation
Vantage
! Interesting times ahead for sure.
The interior of the DB11 on the other hand, is rumoured to be rather descriptive of Aston’s past but is said to come with a
TFT virtual instrument
 cluster with
physical bezels
 laid onto the screen, so it still looks like fine-crafted
jewellery
. And it is also said that each interior would be
different
 from another.
“Not only is it a sign of our intention to continue the long line of iconic sports cars that bear the ‘DB’ moniker – the very bloodline of our brand – but it also shows the world our ambitious plan in action. The coming years will see Aston Martin transform not only its entire range of models but also its scale and global presence, and the new DB11 will be central to that success” said the CEO.


UMW Toyota to reopen selected service centres during MCO

UMW Toyota (UMWT) has announced that it will reopen selected service outlets for the remainder of the Movement Control Order (MCO) after obtaining permission to operate from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).
Following the announcement of the extension of MCO by the Prime Minister, MITI has allowed several industries – including car companies – to apply for permission to resume operations for the third phase of the MCO, currently in effect until the 28th of April.
However, UMWT reiterates that the service outlets will be operating at minimum capacity, catering for
emergency and urgent service requirements only
. All services during this period will be
appointment-based only
; no walk-ins will be accommodated during the MCO period.
Customers are advised to contact their respective nearest service centres to check if they are in operation, and to book suitable appointments before visiting the service outlets. UMW Toyota advices its customers to keep in mind the MCO restrictions on their travels to the service outlets.
The company says that it is making every effort to ensure the safety and protection of their customers. Social distancing measures (remaining at least one metre apart) will be enforced at the service centres during the MCO period to avoid possible transmission of the virus.
Customers requiring emergency assistance and enquiries during the MCO period may contact UMW Toyota at the following hotlines:
As announced earlier
, Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold by UMWT with warranties valid and expiring during the MCO period will receive a 30-day warranty extension, calculated from the last day of the MCO.
UMW Toyota Motor President K. Ravindran said, “As we always place customer care as a top priority, all Toyota vehicles sent to our
service centres will receive a thorough inspection to ensure they are in good running order.
“However, we also urge customers to adhere to the regulations of the Movement Control Order and help to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”


Mazda to make i-ActivSense standard on all models, autonomous driving by 2025

Following the announcement of
SkyActiv-X petrol engine
, Mazda has also revealed their plans to develop more advanced safety technologies in hopes of eliminating traffic accidents. Adopting Mazda’s Proactive Safety philosophy, the company is looking to enhance fundamental safety measures, standardise i-ActivSense advanced safety features on all Mazda models as well as begin testing of autonomous driving technology.
Fundamental safety measures according to Mazda, encompasses correct driving position, pedal layout and good visibility, basically taking
Jinba-Ittai
 (horse and rider as one) to another level. The refinement of
Jinba-Ittai
will make driving a more pleasurable and comfortable experience, resulting in a more relaxed and safer journey altogether.
In Japan, i-ActivSense advanced safety features is slowly being made available on all Mazda models. The company is planning to take this further by making i-ActivSense a
 standard fitment for all Mazda model sold outside of Japan
 starting in 2018. This would mean from next year onwards, we could see this suite of safety features on our local-spec cars.
Lastly, Mazda has pledged to begin testing of autonomous driving technologies in 2020, in line with
Mazda’s Co-Pilot Concept2
 – an active safety system that assumes control of the vehicle should the driver lose consciousness. Mazda is also aiming to make the system standard on all models by
2025
.


Roborace’s driverless car is a real life 298km/h Hot Wheels! [+Video]

Roborace
, an offshoot programme of Formula E which allows autonomous (driverless) race cars to race on city tracks, has unveiled a couple of preview images of their futuristic car. The designer of this Hot Wheels of a vehicle is none other than Daniel Simon, the man in charge of designing the Tron Light Cycles in
Tron: Legacy.
The four-wheeled autonomous race cars will be programmed by algorithms and codes from teams to race on the track. The body is smothered with sensors to prevent cars from colliding with each other or into the wall, and the bodywork is very, very aerodynamically optimised. It’s bonkers how this actually looks like, and we love everything about it.
Don’t for a second think that the car will only drive around in speeds that of an remote controlled car, no. Instead, Roborace’s Denis Sverdlov mentioned that the car’s top speed is close to
298km/h
! It will have to rely on substantial downforce without unnecessary parts cluttering the car to maintain a clean look. Unlike the use of huge front and rear wings on F1 cars, Roborace cars will use the bottom portion of the car for aerodynamic. Active aero parts are also in the pipeline.
Simon said, “My goal was to create a vehicle that takes full advantage of the unusual opportunities of having no driver without ever compromising on beauty. Racing engineers and aerodynamicists have worked with me from the beginning to strike that balance.”
The first Roborace race (with 10 teams, no less) will commence in the 2016/2017 Formula E season.


Honda Malaysia is recalling 23,476 vehicles for Takata Front Airbag inflator replacements

Honda Malaysia has announced a recall involving 23,476 of its vehicles that were previously recalled to replace the Takata front airbag inflators as a preventive measure. The affected models are as follows:
Models involved in recall for Takata
front driver airbag
 inflator replacement:
Civic
: 2006 – 2007 & 2009 – 2011
CR-V
: 2007 – 2008 & 2010 – 2011
Stream
: 2010 & 2012
Insight
: 2011 – 2012
City
: 2009 – 2013
Jazz
: 2012 – 2013
Models involved in recall for Takata
front passenger airbag
inflator replacement:
Accord
: 2003 & 2005 – 2006, 2008 – 2009 & 2011 – 2012
Stream
: 2003 – 2005
CR-V
: 2002 – 2009
Jazz
: 2003 – 2007, 2009 & 2012
City
: 2003 – 2009
Civic
: 2003 – 2011
Honda Malaysia sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused to customers once again. As customer safety is always Honda’s top priority, the company believes this replacement is necessary as a precautionary action and urges affected customers to replace the defective Takata front airbag inflators as soon as possible.
The replacement of the defective Takata front airbag inflators is
 free of charge
 and the cost of the replacement will be borne by the company. The company emphasises that all
its current selling models are not affected
and the company will continue to uphold transparency and stringent controls to ensure customer safety.
Affected customers will receive notification letters from Honda Malaysia with the details of this recall and stock availability. Honda Malaysia strongly encourages customers who receive these letters to send their vehicles to any of the 95 Honda authorised service dealers for inspection and replacement.
The replacement of Takata front airbag inflator stock for these 23,476 units of Honda vehicles will be available in stages and Honda Malaysia is doing its utmost best to ensure 100% stock availability in the shortest period of time.
This particular recall phase this year does not significantly change the total number of recalled vehicles as it involves replacement of inflators installed in vehicles previously subject to recall.
As at 1 October 2019, Honda Malaysia has completed more than 249,000 units of Takata front driver airbag inflator replacements, which translates to 91% completion ratio. The total number of Takata driver and passenger front airbag inflator replacements completed is at more than 537,000 units or 89% completion ratio.
Honda Malaysia also appeals to affected Honda customers who have yet to have their affected Takata front airbag inflators replaced to do so urgently as it may deploy with excessive internal pressure when activated. The defective airbag inflator casing might rupture which may result in injury or fatality of the driver and passenger.
Vehicle owners can check their vehicles’ recall status either by logging on to www.honda.com.my or www.productrecall.honda.com.my or by calling Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020.
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Malaysia targetting 38% EV sales by 2040, 10,000 public chargers by 2025

During his speech at the
 launch of the BYD Atto 3
earlier today, the newly minted Minister of International Trade and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, shared the government’s plans and targets for
electric vehicles (EV)
 adoption in Malaysia.
Notably, the senator said that his ministry is targetting a 15% total industry volume (TIV) in terms of sales for EVs and Hybrids by 2030, jumping up to 38% by 2040.
Tengku Zafrul said that the ministry is committed to not just attracting investments in terms of EVs, but also the surrounding infrastructure to support low carbon transportation. Chiefly, the ministry is aiming to achieve 10,000 public charging stations by 2025.
“The government strongly supports the EV agenda to ensure a dynamic and more sustainable future for all Malaysians. The National Automotive Policy, or
NAP 2020
, and Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint outline the government’s direction in the development of the nation’s EV industry,” he said.
In order to achieve these goals, MITI has created a national EV taskforce (NEVT), comprising relevant government ministries and agencies, to deliberate and review new strategies for the development of a “healthy EV industry” in Malaysia.
Currently, as part of the
 National Budget 2022
, fully-imported EVs are exempt from import and excise duties until December 31, 2023, while locally-assembled models will continue until December 31, 2025.
ALSO READ:
Planning to own an EV in Malaysia? Make sure to install these apps first
The
Budget 2023
that was tabled in the
Dewan Rakyat
 by then Tengku Zafrul himself, who was then the Finance Minister, proposed for the former to be extended until the end of 2024, however this could be further revised with the newly-elected government.
Individuals are also given income tax exemptions of up to RM2,500 on the cost of purchase, installation, rent, hire-purchase, as well as subscription fees for EV charging facilities.
To date, the Malaysian government has yet to announce a ban on internal combustion-powered vehicles. Neighbouring Thailand has announced a
ban on ICE vehicles starting 2035
, while Singapore is aiming to
 phase out ICE from 2040
. Indonesia, meanwhile, has set a
deadline of 2050
.


New facelift Renault Koleos comes with refreshed styling and updated interior

First introduced locally in 2016, the
 Renault Koleos
 has been given a facelift by TC Euro Cars, the sole franchise holder of Renault in Malaysia.
Available in two variants – Koleos (
RM179,888
) and
Koleos Signature
 (
RM189,888
), the D-segment SUV is now open for booking, and will be previewed to customers at the Premium Auto Car Expo from the 2nd to 3rd November 2019.
The new facelifted Renault Koleos sports a new front bumper with full-width chrome detailing, as well as a new rear bumper with additional chrome trims and two-tone finish.
The entry-level Koleos rides on redesigned 18-inch alloys, while the Koleos Signature gets new 19-inch wheels. The new Renault Koleos will be available in three new exterior colours – Amethyst Black, Millesime Red and Ultra Silver, in addition to the existing Universal White and Black Metallic colours.
On the inside, the 8.7-inch R-Link2 infotainment system has been updated to support
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
 on both variants (previously only available on the Signature model).
Both front seats are now power adjustable, while the rear gets two-step adjustable seats. The Koleos Signature retains exclusivity on the panoramic sunroof, but the hands-free powered tailgate makes it way down to the Koleos as well.
Under the hood, the same 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine produces
171 hp
 and
226 Nm
 of torque. Power is mated to a
X-Tronic CVT transmission
.
The Renault Koleos comes with five-year full manufacturer’s warranty with unlimited mileage, as well as a five-year/100,000 km free service package. Additionally, bookings made in November can enjoy an additional RM15,000 cash rebate if you decide to trade-in your vehicle – the value is added on top of your vehicle assessment amount!
If you prefer not to get tied-in to long-term commitments, the Renault Koleos is also available through the Renault Subscription plans.  Offered in both 1-year and 2-year plans, the subscription fees are inclusive of road tax, insurance, as well as regular servicing.
All subscription plans come with a 20,000 km mileage cap as standard, but you can opt for the additional mileage upgrade add-on. More details can be found in the table below.
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Mazda’s Mobile Service Unit services your car wherever you are – even at home!

Can’t find time to send your car for service? Rather be lying in bed than loitering at the service centre? Bermaz Motor has just the solution for you. Introducing the new Mazda Mobile Service Unit!
A fully Mazda BT-50 pickup and certified Mazda technicians will go wherever you are and perform the routine maintenance on your car. Currently available within the
Klang Valley
 and
Penang region
, the Mazda Mobile Service Unit has all the equipment to execute a proper service for cars within Mazda’s
3-Years or 60,000 km
 after-sales package. The mobile team is also able to carry out inspection, replace battery, wiper blades, brake pads, brake fluids and auto-transmission fluid.
The BT-50 mobile service is equipped with a 2.5 ton aluminium quick-jack capable of lifting a
CX-5
 and BT-50, Mazda Mobile Diagnostic System (MMDS) to carry out electronic assessments and many more.
“With the increasing Mazda population on the road, we see a need in the after-sales service expansion programme, not only by increasing the number of workshop outlets but exploring ways of providing after-sales servicing to owners at the convenience and comfort of their own home. The Mazda Mobile Service Unit will be backed by well-trained mechanics and technicians that have conformed to Mazda SOPs and are fully endorsed by Bermaz”, said Dato Sri Ben Yeoh, CEO of Bermaz Motor.
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Peugeot 208 Black Edition launched, 1.2L Turbo, but for UK customers only

Peugeot UK just introduced the 208 Black Edition, and it’s only limited to the three-door turbocharged petrol variant.
A choice of three colours can be had – Hurricane Grey, Bianca White and Nera Black, but the latter two come at a slight premium. The Black Edition variant gives gloss black exterior trims, such as the 16-inch wheels, front grille and door mirrors.
Inside, things are nearly identical to the
5-door 208 we have here in Malaysia
. There’s a 7-inch touchscreen display with Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and smartphone mirroring features.
The biggest difference is the 1.2-litre three-cylinder PureTech engine produces 82 horsepower, instead of the hotter breathing 110 hp/205 Nm tune we have the privilege of getting. Despite the higher performance, Peugeot Malaysia said the 208 turbo, together with a six-speed automatic gearbox, can give up to 1,190 km of range on a single tank of fuel!
Prices for the Peugeot 208 Black Edition begin from
£14,595, or about RM80k.
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Honda Civic still the king of the C-segment sedans in Malaysia – over 6,500 bookings for 2020 model

The Honda Civic still remains as popular as ever in our country. Although just launched in February – right before the entire country ground to a halt due to the
 COVID-19
 crisis – the
2020 Honda Civic
 has sold
more than 2,900 units nationwide
, capturing more than
70% of the C-segment sedan market share
 according to Honda Malaysia.
The new Civic is also currently the third best seller in the Honda Malaysia model line-up; the central region contributing 44% to the total sales, followed by the southern and northern region with 17% and 15% respectively.

If you’re think that you’re always seeing white Civics on the road, don’t worry, you’re not just imagining things. The White Orchid Pearl colour – a premium option, by the way – represented 42% of all sales of the 2020 Honda Civic.
As of June 2020,
 6,500 bookings
 have been made for the new Civic. Honda Malaysia says that the waiting period for the Civic is currently one month, but reassures that the production lines are now up and running post Movement Control Order (MCO), and stocks are available to meet the customer demand.
Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Toichi Ishiyama said, “With Malaysia moving into Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period, most businesses are resuming operations in accordance to guidelines and standard operating procedure set by the government.
“The automotive industry are eager to recover from the pandemic and help the nation towards economic recovery,” he added, while expressing support to the government’s recent announcement of the
sales tax exemption period
, which is part of the short term economy recovery plan, PENJANA.
With the exemption of sales tax due to its locally-assembled nature, the 2020 Honda Civic is now priced from RM109,326.51 to RM134,934, depending on variant and exterior colour chosen. The full revised Honda price list is available
here
. For the new price lists of all other car brands in Malaysia, check out our roundup
here
.


Review: 2022 Mk8 Volkswagen Golf GTI in Malaysia – Still the benchmark of hot hatches

Depending on how you see it, it’s an even more attractive package overall as it is now locally assembled in Pekan, Pahang. For the same reason, its asking price has dropped significantly to just
RM212,711
 on-the-road without insurance inclusive of SST exemptions. Taking into account that the previous model went for around RM239k, it’s safe to conclude that it’s already a winner.
Ever since the Golf made a comeback with the Mk.5 model, Volkswagen’s iconic model has grown, matured, and is more skillful and powerful than ever before. It’s no easy feat but just when you wonder if the Golf can still be improved consistently beyond what it was already capable of over the past four generations, it did.
With 25 hp and 20 Nm more than before at 245 hp and 370 Nm, it’s certainly more powerful on paper but because the previous generation model was already so quick, there really wasn’t a noticeable increase in performance especially when it’s still aided by the quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox.
Not that it’s a problem as there will still be a queue of cars that the GTI can take on convincingly and look back at in the rearview mirror with a sense of pride but that’s not where the magic of this new car is. It’s not even the way it looks but we’ll come to that later. Instead, it’s how it corners – something most Golf GTI enthusiasts would expect of the car.
How it finds its grip, only someone with a mechanical engineering degree can properly explain but in layman’s terms, it’s just better than before – it’s calmer, more composed, more stable, and more exciting. It just grips! Whether on track or on uphill climbs which saw a car full of passengers, the Golf GTI danced around with the finesse of an experienced ballerina.
Put it into Sport and the ride becomes a little stiffer, the car sounds a little angrier while everything from the throttle and steering becomes sharper and more responsive. When you’re not being an 18-year old behind the wheel, it’s comfortable, docile, and practical and that’s what the Golf GTI is (still) all about. When you want it to be a fun car for the weekend, it’ll oblige and when Monday comes and the kids need to go to school, it’ll perform its duties as well as it did over the weekend.
The seats are by far the most attractive item in the cabin (in my books at least) but the rest of it was far from perfect. Moving to touch-sensitive controls may seem like an upgrade for most (and in the eyes of Volkswagen) but in reality, it felt more like an inconvenience. Parking the car can trigger the volume to increase/decrease or activate the voice command or heated steering features. It could be the way I held the steering; wouldn’t discount that.
The buttons below the screen do not light up at night.
The same can be said about the infotainment, it takes some getting used to going about the features/functions, and for the most part, once you’re more familiar with it, it’s actually quite easy to use and responsive to the touch but that’s not the issue.
In a time when safety is paramount (over performance even), the thought of laying my eyes off the road to change the air-con settings just didn’t feel right. When you’re resting your hands on the dashboard to accurately change the settings while on the move, it triggers the volume controls beneath the screen. At night, those controls beneath the screen aren’t lit up either.
On the topic of safety, much has been talked about the lack of driver aids and it does warrant some questions as traditionally, locally assembled cars, although cheaper, do come equipped with more features. That said, it is what it is, and at the end of the day, with all things considered, it’s hard to see it being a deterrent factor to walk away from the car.
That’s cause when it comes to having hatchback that’s able to do more than just go fast, there’s nothing like it and at that price, nothing can come close either.
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Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro looks like it could take on Formula One cars

Uncovered at Aston Martin’s stand at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) is the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, a track-only version of the marques
new hypercar
. Just like the
initial sketches
 penned by Adrian Newey, one of the most successful Formula One designer of all-time, the Valkyrie AMR Pro resembles a Formula One race car more than the road car it was based on.
Compared to the road car, the Valkyrie AMR Pro is heavily revised to generate significantly more downforce. New items include a larger front splitter, aggressive rear elements, wider body and a ridiculous rear wing. Weight is also down to
 1,000 kg
 thanks to lighter carbon fibre body construction, removal of heater/de-mister blower and infotainment screens, polycarbonate windscreen and side windows, carbon fibre suspension wishbones, moulded race seats as well as a lighter exhaust system.

The active aerodynamics have also been recalibrated for maximum on-track performance, allowing the car to pull over 3gs of lateral acceleration in the corners – a figure Aston Martin claims to be the highest of track-cars that were converted from a fully homologated road car.
Not needing to comply with emission or noise regulations, Aston Martin completely unleashed the 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12’s potential. The de-restricted V12 coupled with a reprogrammed Energy Recovery System control software gives the Valkyrie AMR Pro a combined output of
1,100 hp
, meaning the car boasts a power-to-weight ratio of
more than 1 hp per kilogram
.
Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey said: “The Aston Martin Valkyrie road car draws extensively from the knowledge I have gained during my career in Formula One, but the AMR Pro version has allowed me to work beyond the constraints of road legality, or indeed practicality! We’ve told a few of its secrets, but by no means all. I will leave it to the public to ponder the lap time predictions. Suffice to say they’re quite impressive.”
Only 25 units of the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro will be built while the road-legal version is limited to 150 units worldwide. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2020 and all cars (including the road-going Valkyrie) have been spoken for. Full details of the car to be revleaed at a later date.
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Alpine might not be dead after all, to become pure-electric performance brand

We reported last month that
Renault might be killing off the Alpine A110
 as part of a €2 billion cost-cutting plan. However, it seems like that would not be the end of the road for the Alpine brand, which was only resurrected three years ago.
When asked by
Autocar UK
, Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said: “Clearly, Alpine is a beautiful brand and we do have to look very, very seriously at the future of this brand to see how it can bring added value to the group.”
One strategy under consideration is to turn the Alpine brand into an electric-only performance halo brand for Renault. The move, reportedly being strongly considered, follows Renault Group’s announcement of its major restructuring plans where the company plans to focus on the development of electric cars.
Renault Group design chief Laurens van den Acker also recently said that “it’s inevitable that we’ll electrify Alpine” in the future. While it is in part due to the tightening emissions regulations across the globe, van den Acker added: “We’re not only doing it because of the regulations. People’s expectations will shift and will push us into this direction.”
According to chairman Senard, the decision ultimately lies in the hands of incoming chief executive officer Luca De Meo, who is due to take up the role at the French carmaker in July.
During his role at Seat previously, De Meo successfully turned the Cupra name from just a performance badge into a new
full-fledge “premium performance” brand
 that would frequently take the lead in developing certain innovations and technologies.
Given his past work, the decision to turn the Alpine brand into a pure-electric premium performance brand could bode well with De Meo. The move could allow Renault to showcase their electrification technologies in a sporting context, similar to
Volkswagen’s ID.R
, and ultimately compete against other premium rivals.


Review: New MINI Cooper Chili, Oxford’s triple threat [+Video]

We all know that the original Mini born in 1959 was conceived as a solution for people who wants maximum interior space from a tiny car. But since the introduction of BMW’s interpretation of the new MINI in 2000 (codenamed R50/R53), the
New MINI
 is no longer a mini in size.
Six years after that the second generation of the new MINI (codenamed R56) kept on growing longer by 97 mm, and yet the growth spurt didn’t just stop there. Now in its
third generation
, the
F56 MINI
 is longer than the R56 by 98 mm, wider by 44 mm, and a wee bit taller by 7 mm.
The F56 MINI is also the first car to sit on BMW’s new
UKL
 (
Unterklasse
 meaning “entry level”) platform that’s reserved for small front-wheel drive BMW models. Our first encounter with the F56 MINI in this country was during the
“Men vs MINI”
 video shoot in Putrajaya, but we didn’t really get to officially test the car. Our test car here is the Cooper variant, unlike the hotter Cooper S driven by a certain Ivan Khong in the
video
.
QUICK FACTS
Name
MINI Cooper Chili
Segment
B-Segment 3-door hatchback
Engine
1,499cc 3-Cylinder, Turbocharged
Transmission
6-speed automatic
Max Power
136 hp @ 4,500 – 6,000 rpm
Max Torque
220 Nm @ 1,250 rpm
Price
RM 198,888.00

In Malaysia, the Cooper comes in two variants, the base “Salt” and the higher-specced “Chili” (like our test car here) with about RM 20,000 separating them apart. Only the equipment varies between the two variants but both are powered by BMW’s new
turbocharged 1,499 cc 3-cylinder
 powerplant. With one cylinder down from the previous Cooper, will it be enough for the new MINI to deliver? Time to find out.
EXTERIOR
The exterior can’t be mistaken for anything else other than a MINI. Some even thought it’s a mere facelift but actually the F56 is totally new from the ground up. With the mega measurements, the F56 MINI should look bloated but the designers have done their magic to make the new MINI look as if it didn’t grew an inch by exaggerating some of the design elements such as the higher shoulder line and shallower daylight opening (that’s “windows” to you and me) compared to the previous two generations of the new MINI.

The
Iced Chocolate Metallic
 paintjob our Cooper came in not only sounds delectable, but under certain lighting the intense metallic flakes give out this rich chocolatey sheen good enough for this writer to attempt to taste it (of course he didn’t).
Externally the Cooper Chili is different from the Cooper Salt by having
LED front lights
 with
LED daytime running rings
; other than that they’re both identical outside.

The three-bar grille now cuts into the front bumper incorporating a protruding black bar of chin that houses the front number plate. Apart from the main grille and the headlights, the small lower grille also gets framed in chrome. The single-piece clamshell bonnet covers most of the front section of the car, complete with a tiny power dome on top.
The chrome-framed taillights have swelled on this new MINI and now intersect with the boot and bumper, but the graphics used are similar to its predecessor. The badge has moved inside the chrome number plate garnish, and more chrome can be found below surrounding the mid-mounted rear foglamp and also on the tailpipe.
Enormous side mirrors sprout from each door, finished in the same contrasting colour as the floating roof that’s actually supported by all-round glossy black pillars. Black plastic cladding goes around the lower part of the body including the wheel arches, where a set of
16-inch “Loop Spoke” alloys
 wrapped in
 195/55 R16 runflats
 reside.
There’s some surfacing work done on the flanks giving it a bit more depth than before, while the doorhandles are finished in chrome for that classy look. Pull the doorhandle and the frameless window drops down a few centimeters before the door opens to a flashy interior.
INTERIOR
The interior layout stays the same, but the functionality has been revised. The welcome revision is the speedometer which is now relocated to the more common driver’s point of view through the steering wheel.
The naked speedometer pod is mounted on the steering column, so it moves together with the steering column when you adjust the steering wheel for reach and rake. The chunky steering wheel comes with controls for audio and cruise control but shift paddles are reserved only for the hotter Cooper S.

What occupies in the space vacated by the speedometer in the middle of the dashboard is a Radio
MINI Visual Boost
 with
6.5-inch screen
, surrounded by a fancy strip of
LED ring
 that changes colour based on your input. The 6.5-inch full colour display is only available in the Cooper Chili, providing you with a menu with cool animation controlled using the
i-Drive controller
 located near the good-old handbrake lever.
The tall gearlever compensates the
lack of shift paddles
 on the steering wheel, allowing minimal hand movement away from the steering wheel when you want to shift up or down the cogs in Manual mode.
The engine start stop toggle stands out in red at the base of the dashboard flanked by toggles for the stop/start and traction control. More toggles can be found overhead, where you can control the interior lighting and even cycle through the many colours of the ambient lighting.

Most of the materials used felt premium enough, but the lower part of the dashboard is still using low-grade plastics, particularly around the USB/AUX-in slot that’s already heavily scuffed in this test car. You might complain the lack of storage space in the Mini with narrow door pockets and the absence of a center armrest.
Even though at the passenger side of the dashboard there’s a
dual glovebox
, the size of each compartment is not huge, but at least there are cupholders for everyone unlike in the
 Citroen DS3
.

Cooper Chili gets
leather upholstery
 and
sports seats
 for the two front occupants. The seats adjust manually and the seat base goes down pretty low to provide you with that go-kart feeling of being close to the ground.
Be warned though when it comes to toll booths and parking gates you might need to stretch out to grab the ticket. Headroom is not a problem up front or even at the back but entrance to the back seats may require some slight gymnastics ability.

The back seats are only meant for two because MINI only furnishes you with two sets of three-point safety belts, but the backrests split 60/40. Leg and knee room is still tight even with the growth in length, so expect to hear grumbles of dissatisfaction from your back seat passengers.
If you need more back seat space then you’ll be delighted to know that BMW just announced the
MINI 5 Door
 that’s going to be on sale soon. Boot space is equally tight, with a total volume of just
211 litres
 you’ll be struggling to fit a few suitcases in there. Flip open the boot floor and if you can’t find the spare tyre don’t call BMW just yet because there is none.
PERFORMANCE
Under the bonnet of the F56 Cooper beats a 1.5-litre engine with not four, but three cylinders and fitted with BMW’s
TwinPower Turbo
. It’s essentially the same engine as featured in BMW’s funky supercar the
 i8
, albeit in a different state of tune.
Even though it’s smaller than the normally-aspirated 1.6-litre in the R56 Cooper, it boasts 16 hp and 60 Nm more. As a result, the new triple produces
 136 hp
 at 4,500 – 6,000 rpm and
 220 Nm
 of torque from just 1,250 rpm.
With that amount of pull and a total weight that’s
10 kg lighter
 than its predecessor, setting off from standstill takes
7.8 seconds to reach 100 km/h
 and will continue to power on until it hits the
 top speed
 of
210 km/h
. It feels quick and it will pile on speed that will put a generic Japanese C-segment sedan to shame.
THE DRIVE
The MINI has a full
keyless start
 but not keyless entry, so you still need to press a button on the key fob shaped like a hockey puck to lock or unlock the car. After unlocking you just keep the puck…I mean, key fob in your pocket while the red engine start stop toggle switch pulsates as you enter the cabin, waiting for you to prod it.
Once you prod it the three-cylinder engine erupts into life with a bassy note from the exhaust. The engine emits that trademark three-cylinder thrum, but most of the time it sounds “grown-up” like a run-of-the-mill four-cylinder engine. From the outside you can hear the turbo hisses and the occasional burps from the exhaust which provides an interesting soundtrack during spirited driving.
There are
three driving modes
 to choose from: GREEN, MID, and SPORT. In the default MID mode the steering is light enough for the Cooper to potter about in the tight city and the suspension setup is appropriately good, absorbing thumps and bumps admirably without being crashy.
The only source of vibration is from the engine, which can be felt at crawling pace and worse during the stop/start operation. The sensation is almost akin to a sneeze.

The throttle is noticeably dulled in GREEN mode, but it’s not much different from MID mode. You’ll get an option to display an analyser on the screen which rates your acceleration and braking by rewarding you with up to five stars if your driving style is deemed as ‘fuel saving’.
To encourage this, there’s an animation of a fish in a bowl of water. Keep your throttle input and braking gentle and you’ll keep the fish happy in the water, but sudden acceleration and hard braking will throw the poor fish out of the bowl.
Changing the driving mode to SPORT triggers as what MINI describes as “maximum go-kart feel”. The steering gets a bit more weight and the response from the floor-hinged accelerator pedal is livelier, and this is when the Mini starts to play.
On a twisty piece of tarmac the steering responds very well to you input, turning in sharply into corners while the competent chassis is egging you to tackle the next turn with a little bit more speed; and you will want to push because the good brakes provide you with an assurance that you can shed away the speed in time if you overcook it.
You can take it one step further by turning the traction control in to the Dynamic setting. While this wont fully turn off the traction control, it will let you have some leeway before it catches you from any imminent slippage. Since the throttle response is a bit on the aggressive side, if you suddenly lift off the throttle pedal when you’re traveling fast in a bend, you might kick the tail out a bit. It’s a great fun car to chuck about without scaring your pants off.
The flexible three-cylinder engine also allows you to cruise in the Cooper calmly. With the windows up, the cabin is well-insulated from the outside noise, making long-distance travel a pleasant affair. The official claim for
fuel consumption
 is rated at
4.7 l/100 km
, but this writer averaged
10.4 l/100 km
 due to his inability to refrain from driving in SPORT mode most of the time.
IS IT FOR YOU?
If you’re looking to own an icon, you probably have your mind all set on the MINI without any second thoughts. Other manufacturers have tried to take a stab at MINI’s successful combination of style and driving excitement but nothing else really comes close to the MINI.
One thing’s for sure that the MINI is not practical if you’re the type that frequenly carries passengers and a lot of gear. The steep price tag should not bother you because you’re not only buying just a premium hatchback but into a brand that’s also rich in heritage. Think of it as an extension of your good taste in style.
COMPARISONS
In a league of premium three-door hatchback there’s not much choice here in Malaysia. For the price, there are dozens of sensible choices out there but they don’t invoke the same appeal as the Mini. Even so, there is this one car that might try to steal those potential MINI buyers, it’s the
Audi A1 1.4 TFSI S-line
.
In its 3-door guise it looks cutesy but with a slight attitude thanks to Audi’s sharper lines and bodykit. In S-line variant it’s also punchier than the Cooper, thanks to its
1,399 cc twincharged 4-cylinder
 powerplant dishing out
49 hp more
 than the Cooper and
30 Nm more
 torque. The power figures alone might be enough for some to justify its
RM 10,000 premium
 over the Cooper Chili.
The A1 also benefits from Audi’s excellent build quality and the interior is fitted with
six airbags
 as opposed to just four in the Cooper, as well as a
465 W Bose sound system
. The Cooper Chili has the advantage by having leather seats as standard (RM 6,000 cost option in the A1), and LED headlamps and front foglamps as opposed to Xenon headlamps and halogen front foglamps on the A1.
We haven’t got the chance to sample the Audi yet; judging by the stats the A1 looks like it has the upper hand but we doubt whether Audi’s baby could provide the same driving enjoyment as the Cooper, if not better.
Mini Cooper Chili
Audi A1 1.4 TFSI S-line
ENGINE
Type
3-cylinder petrol, turbocharged
4-cylinder petrol, twincharged
Displacement
cc
1598
1,390
Max Power
hp/rpm
136/4,500 – 6,000
185/6,200
Max Torque
Nm/rpm
220/1,250
250/2,000 – 4,500
STEERING
Type
Electrical power-assisted
Electrical power-assisted
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission
6-speed Automatic
7-speed dual clutch
SUSPENSION
Type
MacPherson strut / Multi link
MacPherson strut / Torsion beam
BRAKES
Front
Ventilated disc
Ventilated disc
Rear
Solid disc
Solid disc
TYRE & WHEELS
Tyres
195/55 R16
215/40 R17
Wheels
Alloy
Alloy
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS
Overall Length
mm
3,821
3,954
Overall Width
mm
1,727
1,740
Overall Height
mm
1,414
1,416
Wheelbase
mm
2,495
2,469
Max Kerb weight
kg
1,190
1,190
Luggage Capacity (VDA)
L
211
270
FUEL
Tank Capacity
40
45
Consumption
4.7 L/100 km
5.9 L/100 km
PERFORMANCE
Max Speed
km/h
210
227
0 – 100km/h
sec
7.8
6.9
PRICE
RM
198,888.00
209,000.00

WILL I BUY IT?
Never mind it’s cramped and not as practical as most of the cars in the same price range. It’s the fun factor that the MINI delivers makes it so attractive to me, if I have the money to blow on a small premium hatch, this would be it. It’s comfortable to be use as a daily runner, and yet it will entertain you when you feel like heading to your favourite stretch of B-road.
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IMAGE GALLERY