From Korea’s first Racing Tyre, to Official Racing Tyre Supplier - Hankook's 33 Years in Racing

From the searing asphalt temperatures, to dealing with immense frictional forces that blisters and deforms its very shape, the physical punishment that a tyre goes through each and every lap are tremendous. That is not taking into mention the overbearing weight of expectations that such tyres should perform flawlessly and expectedly for as many laps as it can cover.
Being the only components on a race car that is able to transfer the power of the engine and steering input of the driver, the failure to perform could result in a driver being off the pace by seconds, or worse, put the driver into a life-threatening accident. As high as the stakes are in the world of motorsports, it is without a doubt the ultimate testing ground for any tyre company who wants to show what their products are capable of.
For Hankook Tire, their involvement in motorsports wasn’t a recent affair. In fact the company took its first bold step into the motorsports arena in 1992 with the Z2000, the first racing tyre from Korea. It was in 2000, when the Hankook name began appearing on the international stage with participation in Rally events in Spain and the United Kingdom, and Formula 3 races in Germany. With confidence in the brand growing in motorsports circles, Hankook Tire eventually became the official tyre supplier for the Formula 3 series in Italy in 2002 and the Ford Focus Rally Cup in 2003.
2005 served as a watershed moment for the brand’s motorsports activities as it marks the beginning of their active participation in two of the world’s most renowned racing series. The first was the VLN series of the 24-Hour Nürburgring in Germany, one of the world’s most prestigious 24-hours endurance races. With the other being the Super GT series of Japan, considered to be one of the world’s top three grand touring motorsports events.
Their venture into endurance racing and Super GT brought laurels unto the Hankook brand, with the Hankook-Farnbacher team taking several podium positions in the Le Mans Series between 2009 and 2011, finishing first in its class (and second overall) at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, and taking second place at the 2011 24-Hour Nürburgring endurance race. Over in Japan the Hankook-KTR Team was able to dominate the second race of the 2009 season of the Super GT in Suzuka, and take first and second place at the Shizuoka and Suzuka rounds of the 2011 Super GT season respectively.
In 2009 Hankook Tire became the official tyre supplier of the All-Japan Formula 3 series, the only event in Asia that awards the coveted FIA super license, which is a prerequisite for those drivers who want to compete in Formula One. Two years later that achievement was topped when Hankook Tire achieved a major milestone by becoming the exclusive tyre supplier to the world-renowned Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, or otherwise known as the DTM. Their entry into one of the most popular high-end motorsports events in Europe comes nearly 20 years after the introduction of their first racing tyre. After two years of successfully meeting the challenge of supplying performance tyres to the DTM grid, the race organisers extended Hankook Tires’ partnership as the series’ exclusive tyre supplier for another three years, until 2016.
In 2015 Hankook Tire began its support of the world’s largest endurance race, the 24H Series, as the series’ title sponsor and exclusive tyre partner. That same year Hankook’s role as the sole official tyre supplier extends to the Audi Sport TT Cup, Formula 4 in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the SMP F4 Championship.
That said, track driving is only one discipline that is covered by Hankook’s diverse expertise in motorsports. To prove the research and development prowess of Hankook Tire and its globally proven tyre technologies, the company also maintains a presence in the world of rallying as well as drifting.
Their venture into the rough and tumble world of rallying notched up several notable achievements, with the Hankook Tire team winning the China Rally Championship in 2007 and taking second place in the same series in the following year. Hankook also finished second overall at the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in Scotland in 2010.
That being said their presence in rallying was further strengthened in 2014 with the brand being selected to provide the official tyre for the World Rally Championship, the top tier rallying series in the world. Hankook Tire is also the sole official tyre supplier to the Extreme RallyCross Championship of Australia.
As for the world of drifting, Hankook Tire has had a significant presence in the Formula Drift Series of America since 2006. In 2011 the Hankook-Chevy Camaro Team took first place at the fourth round of Formula Drift in the USA, whereas the Hankook-Need For Speed team finished in second place at the second round of the 2012 Formula Drift season. In 2014 both first and second place of the 2014 Formula Drift Pro Series Championship were taken by the Hankook-Chris Forsberg Racing Team and Hankook-Papadakis Racing Team respectively.
It has been 33 years since Hankook presented its first racing tyre, and since then their influence in participation in motorsports has grown by leaps and bounds. At present Hankook Tire is an official racing tyre supplier for 40 different events around the world, thus making it not only one of the most prestigious tyre companies in the racing world, but also one of the most experienced in the business. Through tyres such as the Ventus F200, Z206, and Z207 performance track tyres, and its huge range of rally tyres suited for any condition, Hankook has garnered worldwide recognition in renowned international motorsports events, and serves as a showcase of its tyre technologies and capabilities both on and off the track.


New York 2016: Nissan GT-R Turns Badder with Age

The
Nissan GT-R
 will be a decade old next year, but the venerable Godzilla is showing no signs of mellowing down with age.
An updated 2017 model year version has just been unveiled at the ongoing New York International Auto Show incorporating what Nissan claims to be ‘the most significant changes made to the model since it was introduced in 2007’.
Externally, the 2017 GT-R gets a complete makeover up front, which now incorporates the ‘V-motion’ grille design signature that also adorn latest versions of garden variety Nissan models. The grille itself wears an updated mesh pattern has been enlarged to enhance engine cooling on the move.
Elsewhere, aerodynamic enhancements implemented on the aluminium bonnet, front spoiler lip, bumpers, and side sill simultaneously improve down force and air flow around the vehicle.
“As the icon of Nissan’s driving performance, the GT-R continues to evolve. With the signature V-Motion grille, the GT-R now possesses the latest Nissan design language. Its exceptional aerodynamic performance and upgraded interior have given the GT-R a more mature character, which will continue into the future,” said Nissan’s Executive Design Director, Mamoru Aoki.
Inside, Nissan also applied tweaks to the GT-R’s PlayStation-inspired cabin, improving and simplifying the sophisticated centre stack. Notably, drivers of the 2017 model GT-R only have 11 switches to fiddle with from as opposed to 27 faced by owners of earlier vintage models. This change is effected by integration of navigation and audio controls into an enlarged 8-inch touchscreen.
Under the hood, the familiar award-winning 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 has come a long way from its already stratospheric beginnings in 2007, when it hit the market delivering an already-impressive 478hp and 588Nm.
The engine has been receiving continuous updates from Nissan in the intervening years, receiving gradual increments in outputs along the way. Latest updates, result of individually-controlled cylinder ignition-timing and increased boost from the blowers have raised the stakes even higher to 565hp and 633Nm.
Also enhanced is the GT-R’s already legendary handling achieved by providing a more rigid body structure and a new suspension setup that is also claimed to make this the most comfortable version of the R35 GT-R.
“The new GT-R delivers a heart-pounding driving experience at all times and on any road for whoever sits in the driver’s seat. We have continued to push its performance boundaries to the outer limits—it’s even more potent than before. At the same time, more refinement has been added to take the entire driving experience to an entirely new level. We’re proud to bring you what we feel is the ultimate GT that possesses amazing performance, newfound civility and a rich racing history,” said Hiroshi Tamura, the Chief Product Specialist of the GT-R


Third National Car Fund Approved, RM20 Million To Develop Prototype

The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development has revealed that a fund of close to RM20 million has been approved for the development of the third national car.
Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof said the fund was sourced from several existing grants to accelerate the development of the third national car,
as reported by The Edge Markets
.
The fund will be used to attract private investors to develop the first phase of the new national vehicle which is
a prototype
.
He said the Ministry had also shortlisted several vendors to develop the prototype, which is scheduled to be completed by this year, and ready for
 sale to consumers by 2020
.


Trending TikTok challenge gets 4 teens killed in stolen Kia

In late October, police officers in Buffalo, New York were responding to a speeding car and gave chase. It ended in the worst way possible with all but two occupants (6 in total) in what turned out to be a stolen Kia Sportage were involved in a fatal accident in their attempt to flee.

The four deceased victims, ranging from 14 to 17 years old, were ejected from the vehicle with a 5th hospitalised in intensive care and the 16 year old driver was released after being treated for minor injuries.

While the chase and subsequent crash occurred early in the morning, around 6.30am, the Kia was reported stolen the previous evening. Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told reporters that they believe the teens were participating in a TikTok challenge which encourages people to break into Kia cars by exploiting an immobiliser and ignition bypass accessed using cellphone chargers.

The so-called ‘Kia challenge’ isn’t exactly something new but had gained traction on the social media platform after emerging in the past few months. Prior videos showed how certain models from Korean car brand (including some Hyundais) could be hotwired with just a USB cable and a screwdriver. Police observed a pattern of increased vehicle thefts involving those cars over the summer.

Back to the incident at hand, the driver was charged with the criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorised use of a motor vehicle while additional charges are being investigated by the Erie County district attorney’s office.

In September, about a month prior to this most recent high profile tragedy, a class-action lawsuit was filed that alleges Kias built between 2011 and 2015 and Hyundais built from 2015 to 2021 lacked engine immobilisers, making them more vulnerable to theft.

In addition to monetary damages, the lawsuit seeks that a nationwide recall program be implemented to rectify the issue.


2019 Toyota Corolla Officially Launched – From RM 128,888

After a month or so of teasing, UMW Toyota has finally officially launched the all-new Toyota Corolla in Malaysia. The model is available in two variants – the 1.8E and the 1.8G – which are priced at RM 128,888 and RM 136,888 respectively, on-the-road without insurance.

As we mentioned in previous articles, this all-new model sits on the critically-acclaimed TNGA platform which first made its way to our market underpinning the C-HR, and eventually the Camry as well. The platform promises better ride comfort and handling, which you can read about in our quick review soon.

Overall, the car is 10 mm longer, 5 mm wider, and 45 mm lower, while maintaining the same wheelbase at 2700 mm as the previous model. While not being the outright largest in the segment, it also isn't the smallest either and there's a reasonable amount of space for all occupants.

Compared the previous generation, there is only one engine carried over – a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre inline-four engine that produces 139 PS and 173 Nm of torque – which is paired with a slightly revised CVT-type automatic transmission.

No matter which variant you choose, you can be sure of a pretty generous list of options. The 1.8E variant gets these items as standard:

Keyless Entry and Start

16-inch Alloy Wheels

LED Daytime Running Lights

Automatic Halogen Headlights

Autofold Mirrors

Leather Steering Wheel

4.2inch TFT Multi Information Display

6.8inch Touch Screen

Automatic Climate Control

PowerAdjustable Driver Seat

Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control

7 Airbags

If you spring for the higher-spec 1.8G, the main attraction is the Toyota Safety Sense package that includes a wealth of integrated safety systems such as the pre-collision system (PCS), lane departure alert (LDA) with steering assist,  lane tracing assist (LTA), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) and the Blind Spot Monitor (BSM).

In addition to that, you get the following items:

Paddle Shifters

17-inch Alloy Wheels

Automatic BiLED Projector Headlights

Reverse Link for Side Mirrors

Automatic Wipers

Optitron Meters

7inch TFT Multi Information Display

DualZone Automatic Climate Control

Leather Seats

Electrochromic Rear View Mirror

Wireless Charger

3D Panoramic View Monitor

Digital Video Recorder (Front and Rear)

Electronic Parking Brake

There will be five exterior colours to choose from – Celestite Gray Metallic, Silver Metallic, Attitude Black, Red Mica Metallic, and White Pearl Crystal Shine (for an additional RM 800). There will also be a five year, unlimited mileage factory warranty as part of the purchase price.

For the best deals on Toyota models, click
here
.


Singapore 2019: Facelifted Hyundai Elantra Launched, From SGD 74,999

Komoco Motors Pte Ltd, the sole distributor of Hyundai vehicles in Singapore, has launched the new Hyundai Avante at the ongoing Singapore Motor Show 2019.
The facelifted C-segment Avante sedan, or also known as the Elantra in Malaysia and in other selected markets, features heavily revised front and rear designs.
Sharp triangle-shaped light housings (both head lamp and indicators) dominate the front fascia. The cascading grille is now larger with sharper edges to provide additional visual impact.
Hyundai has decided to restyle the trunk lid, with the Hyundai logo and Avante emblems occupying the central section, where the number plate previously reside.
Complementing the front head lamps, the redesigned tail lamps also feature some triangle-shape together with new lighting graphics.
Inside the new Avante, the company did listen to feedback and have improved on the appearance and functions.
The meter cluster design has been updated for better visibility, while the air conditioning controls for the manual version return to a layout consisting of three large dials for better ease-of-use.
A new vertical layout for the power outlet and USB port ahead of the shift lever has also been redesigned, both for better storage as well as an inclusion of a wireless smartphone charger.
New trim pieces, as well as finishing, add to a higher quality look in the cabin.
Standard features include 15-inch tyres and wheels, touch screen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, rear air-con duct, and split folding rear seats.
The ‘Elite’ variant, the highest spec-level, gets you LED head lamps, rain sensing wipers, climate-controlled front seats, and a memory system for the driver’s seat.
Only one powertrain is available for the island nation- a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine paired with a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The engine develops 127 PS of power and 155 Nm of torque.
Fuel consumption is average for this segment, returning 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle.
Pricing for the new Hyundai Avante starts at SGD 74,999, while mid-level the ‘S’ variant fetches SGD 79,999. The ‘Elite’ variant that offers more comfort and convenience features is priced from SGD 86,999.


Haram Kapcai Berkelajuan Tinggi – Ketua Polis Negara

Ketua Polis Negara Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani bimbang terhadap lambakan motor
kapcai
 berprestasi tinggi sejak kebelakangan ini.

Berdasarkan laporan
FMT
, Acryl Sani berkata motosikal kapcai berkelajuan tinggi merupakan antara punca utama
kemalangan jalan raya dan kematian
 dalam kalangan penunggang motosikal meningkat selain membawa kepada kegiatan
merempit
.

Kapcai Lebih Had Laju Wajib Haram

KPN telah menyarankan bahawa mana-mana model kapcai yang berkemampuan tinggi yang ditunggang melebihi
had laju
 wajib dilarang berada di jalan raya serta penjualannya di pasaran diharamkan.

Beliau berkata demikian setelah tularnya sebuah video yang menunjukkan sebuah motosikal terbaru yang dilancarkan di Malaysia pada bulan lalu, Suzuki Raider R150 Fi 2022 yang masih dalam keadaan asal kilang telah merekodkan kelajuan tertinggi pada 177km/j di atas mesin dyno, sebuah alat mengukur daya, tork atau kuasa sesebuah kenderaan.

Kelajuan direkodkan di atas mesin dyno itu sekaligus memberi bayangan bahawa motosikal tersebut mampu merekodkan kelajuan tertinggi sekitar 150 hingga 160km/j atas permukaan jalan raya.

“Kenderaan (kapcai) seperti ini wajib diharamkan di Malaysia (kerana) tidak ada relevensi kelajuan 177 km/j di jalan raya sedangkan had laju maksimum adalah 110 km/j (di lebuh raya),” tegas Acryl Sani.

Acryl Sani menggesa Institut Penyelidikan Keselamatan Jalan Raya Malaysia (Miros) untuk mengkaji arah tuju permotoran serta merangka polisi motosikal yang lebih selamat pada masa hadapan.

Selain Suzuki Raider R150 Fi 2022, motosikal Yamaha 15ZR atau Y-Suku yang dikatakan mampu mencecah kelajuan 160 km/j setelah diubah suai dan kerap digunakan untuk merempit juga pernah menjadi sasaran Jabatan Siasatan dan Penguatkuasaan Trafik (JSPT)

Statistik Kemalangan Malaysia

Berdasarkan statistik kemalangan jalan raya sehingga Ogos tahun lalu, setiap 10 kematian di jalan raya, 7 daripadanya merupakan pengguna motosikal dan kebanyakannya kematian terdiri daripada pengguna kapcai.

Perdana Menteri pernah menyatakan bahawa daripada
14,308 kes kemalangan jalan raya
 yang direkodkan pada 2019 hingga 2021, golongan belia mencatatkan kes kematian tertinggi dengan purata
7,077 kes
 yang mencecah 50% daripada kadar kematian keseluruhan.

Motosikal Elektrik Berkuasa Rendah Ganti Kapcai

3 tahun lalu, seorang pegawai kanan JSPT telah mencadangkan kepada Kementerian Pengangkutan agar kategori pelesenan motosikal B3 yang baharu diwujudkan untuk golongan belia dengan hanya dibenarkan menunggang motosikal elektrik berkuasa rendah atau motosikal petrol 100cc ke bawah menjelang 2025.

Menurut pegawai tersebut, kategori lesen terbaru ini boleh menyelamatkan banyak nyawa serta memanfaatkan negara dalam membentuk budaya baharu bagi mereka berumur
16 hingga 25 tahun
 untuk hanya menunggang motosikal berkuasa rendah.

Selain itu, seorang perancang pengangkutan pernah menyarankan motosikal kapcai ‘
underbone
’ dihentikan penjualannya di pasaran secara berperingkat dan digantikan dengan motosikal elektrik berkuasa rendah.


BMW Subjects 1 Series To Final Tests In Southern France

Even with all the extreme cold and extreme heat testing that cars are subject to during development, companies will usually want somewhere a little more pleasant to do final tests and checks regarding handling and dynamics. Out in Miramas, Southern France, BMW has been sending their up and coming 1 Series around a test track to make sure everything is truly dialed in. For the number crunchers, the new model sees 33 mm more legroom, 19 mm more rear headroom, and 20 litres more boot space.
For the first time ever, the 1 Series will be a front-wheel drive model - which is a big step forward for the brand, although their experience with MINI and the 2 Series definitely have a helping hand in this. More important than that is the implementation of a new form of traction control system developed with the BMW i3s, of all models, which makes intervention far quicker and far smoother as well by having it controlled from the ECU itself.
Also to be available at the top of the 1 Series range will be the M135i xDrive, which will feature the same fire-breathing powertrain that's found in the X2 M35i. It would make the car a proper hot hatchback with 306 hp on tap and 450 Nm of torque, as well as the xDrive all-wheel drive system, putting it right within range of the Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC hatchback. Whether BMW will make an all-out M-division model with this chassis remains to be seen, and they can't call it the M1 nor can they call it the 1M.
BMW has to work hard to fight the stigma against front-wheel drive vehicles that they have, rather ironically, perpetuated themselves. The reality is that front-wheel drive cars are not only more practical, but with the right chassis design, geometry, and setup, they can be some of the most entertaining cars on the market. After all, just look at Honda - they've been developing front-wheel drive cars for decades and quite nearly every performance model has been a hit.


All-New DNGA-Based Perodua Alza Replacement In The Works?

We know that Perodua is developing a new seven-seater SUV, codenamed
D38L
, which brings up the question of whether Perodua will retain the 5+2 seater Alza. Perodua is famed for its very lean product line-up, selling over 200,000 cars annually with just four models. The next question to ask is whether Perodua will maintain two slightly overlapping three-row seats vehicles. Chatter in the marketplace suggest that the answer is yes.
The Perodua Alza is currently the company’s oldest model, as the model was launched way back in late 2009. The Alza is based on the Japanese market Daihatsu Boon Luminas (also sold as the Toyota Passo Sette) that was launched a decade ago.
Rumours in the marketplace are saying that Perodua is still working on the replacement of the Alza, codenamed D53L. The all-new Alza will be sold alongside the upcoming seven-seater D38L SUV.
Sources familiar with the matter say that the all-new Alza replacement model will be built on the company's latest Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA), which currently underpins the all-new Japanese market Daihatsu Boon and
Mira e:S
. The Daihatsu Boon is also rebadged as the Toyota Passo.
If the DNGA name sounds familiar, you're not wrong, as the DNGA platform is a derivative of Toyota's excellent TNGA platform. Development of DNGA is led by Daihatsu, working under the new Emerging-market Compact Car Company, an internal company established by Toyota and Daihatsu back in January 2017.
While details of the powertrain remain to be seen, there is a possibility that the all-new Alza will be powered by the same 1.5-litre Dual VVT-i engine found in the Myvi, mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Additionally, safety equipment in the all-new model is expected to mirror that of the Myvi, with up to six airbags on the highest variant.
Considering that development work is still in early stage, the all-new model is expected to be launched only after 2020.
We still don't know what will the D53L look like but at the last Gaikindo International Auto Show in Jakarta, Daihatsu did showcase the
DN MultiSix Concept
 - a front-wheel drive three-row seat utility vehicle. Judging from past experience, several Daihatsu concept cars that were shown in Jakarta have made it into production. The Ayla, Sigra, and Terios were the most recent examples.


An Array Of Accessories Has Just Been Unveiled For the Nissan Almera Turbo

The launch of the 2020 Nissan Almera Turbo must be getting close as ETCM has just released an accessories list for the much-anticipated car.

Nissan's official distributor in Malaysia, Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd has released an accessories list for the upcoming 2020 Nissan Almera Turbo which not only promises to beautify the already handsome looking car but to also allow customers to personalise their
All-new Almera
.

There are four accessory packages to choose from;

Interior Styling Package

Exterior Styling Package

Protection Package

Protection Plus Package

Interior Styling Package (RM 400)

This package includes LED Room Lamps, a Trunk Tray with anti-slip surface that keeps your items in place and helps keep the trunk clean from dirt or spills, and stainless steel Kick Plates with etched Almera logo at front and rear side sills that protect against scuffs and scratches.

Exterior Styling Package (RM950)

To further accentuate the exterior of the 2020 Nissan Almera Turbo, customers can choose the Exterior Styling Package which adds on Door Visors, Carbon Fibre Pattern Finish Door Handle Protectors (2 pieces) and Gloss Black Trunk Lid Spoiler for VL and VLP variants. As for the VLT variant, customers can enjoy this package at RM350.00 only as the trunk lid spoiler is standard on this variant.

Protection Package (RM1950)

For those who feel the need for a bit more security, they can opt for the Protection Package which adds on Solar Gard Armorcoat® Tinting Film that reduces solar heat and acts as a deterrent against smash and grab incidences. The package also included a Dual Channel Camera (front and rear) as well as Driving Video Recorder that captures accidents or collisions as evidence when needed.

Protection Package Plus (RM2,750)

This package is pretty much the same as the protection package, except that instead of the Solar Gard Armorcoat® Tinting Films, you will get V-Kool™ Elite Tinting Films that is able to reject up to 94% of solar heat. The Dual Channel Camera from the Protection Package will also be included in this package.

For those who prefer individual item purchases, no worries, as they may choose from the optional accessories list with the following price (inclusive of installation):

Individual Accessories pricelist

Items

Price (RM)

LED Room Lamp

150

Trunk Tray

220

Kick Plates (Front and Rear)

200

Door Visor

400

Door Handle Protector (2 pieces)

60

Gloss Black Trunk Lid Spoiler (VL & VLP only)

780

Dual-Channel Camera Driving Video Recorder

1,200

Solar Gard Armorcoat® Tinting Film

1,500

V-Kool™ Elite Tinting Film

2,800

Combination Leather Seats with Dark Grey Accent (VL only)

1,380

All accessories come with a 3-year or 100,000km warranty, whichever comes first.

Vehicle accessories are one of those things that can either make your car look rubbish or a million bucks. The fitment and quality of these accessories themselves are one of the most important aspects of this personalisation, so why leave them to third party sellers and installers, let Nissan do it for you. The prices seem reasonable and you can include them as part of the whole car package.


Don't Be An Outlaw When Near A Mitsubishi Outlander

PLUS Malaysia Berhad has contributed 15 units of the Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 to the police force to be used as new patrol cars.
The addition of these new SUVs will enhance the effectiveness in enforcing traffic laws during festive seasons, the Inspector-General of Police said.
Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun added, “Out of the 23,000 (vehicles), around 16,900 or 73 per cent have been in service for more than eight years.”
He also thanked the highway concessionaire for the SUVs, valued at RM2 million.
“For the upcoming festivals of Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali and Christmas, we can expect around 80 per cent of the 6,000 to be on duty during that time,” he added.
Fuzi also said that the police will continue to apply for new vehicles from the government to replace the ageing fleet, as he mentioned that vehicular replacement is an ongoing process. “We have detailed the matter to the Home Ministry, and are confident they will bring it up to the Finance Ministry when the time is right,” he concluded.
To recap, the Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 is a seven-seater SUV that is powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that does 167 PS and 222 Nm, mated to a CVT-type automatic transmission. Power is sent to all four wheels via Mitsubishi's AWD system.
The Outlander models shown here are locally-assembled and are priced at RM155,000 each. Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia also sells a more affordable 2.0-litre version of the Outlander, priced at RM139,988.


Naza and PSA Group To Establish ASEAN Manufacturing Hub – CKD 3008 and C5 Aircross Coming

Naza Corporation Holdings and the PSA Group, owners of Peugeot, Citroen and DS Automobiles, have announced the signing of a share sale, and joint venture agreement, to officially establish a shared operation of the Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) plant in Gurun, Kedah, as the first manufacturing hub in ASEAN for PSA Group.
The agreement gives PSA Group a majority stake in Naza Automotive Manufacturing, and appoints the NAZA Group as the sole distributor of Peugeot, Citroën and DS Automobiles in the domestic market, with the option of exploring other ASEAN markets. Under the agreement, Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) will also produce PSA cars for Malaysia and other ASEAN markets.
The Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) plant in Gurun, Kedah has been operational since 2004, has a workforce of close to 450 people, and boasts a 50,000 vehicle per year production capacity.
PSA Group’s investment in the Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) plant will see the implementation of its EMP2 modular platform dedicated to C and D-segment vehicles.
The first vehicles to be produced locally will be the
Peugeot 3008
 in 2018, followed by the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV in 2019.
Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA Group added, “The creation of the ASEAN hub in Gurun, Kedah is a significant leap forward for PSA Group which will lead to the development of a profitable business in the region as part of our ‘Push to Pass’ strategic plan. We are pleased to partner with Naza Corporation Holdings and continue leveraging our historical relationship.”
‘Push to Pass’ refers to the company's long-term strategic growth plan which is centred on three main criteria: a digital transformation of the entire organisation, improving internal performance culture, and good corporate social responsibility.


Kadar Kompaun/Saman Trafik PDRM Mengikut Kesalahan

Beli kereta terpakai berkualiti dengan 1 tahun warranty di
Carsome.my

Sebelum anda disaman, eloklah jika anda tahu nilai kompaun salah laku trafik yang dikenakan oleh
PDRM
mengikut kesalahan. Barulah beringat sikit.

Saman
dikeluarkan PDRM ini bukan atas dasar suka-suka, tapi atas pelbagai kesalahan
jalan raya
 dan lalu lintas yang dilakukan. Setiap kesalahan tersebut juga mempunyai nilai saman yang berbeza. Artikel ini ditulis bagi membantu anda mengetahui bahawa setiap peraturan yang anda ingkari di jalan raya mempunyai harga yang perlu ditanggung.

Semoga senarai harga saman trafik ini dapat membantu menjadikan anda pemandu yang lebih berhemah dan tidak sewenang-wenangnya melanggar peraturan jalan raya. Perlu diingatkan bahawa harga kompaun saman PDRM ini mungkin akan berubah dari semasa ke semasa. Anda diminta menghubungi pihak polis untuk mendapatkan info yang lebih terbaru.

1. Kesalahan (A)

Memandu laju (Tidak melebihi 40 km/j dari had yang ditetapkan)

Membuat pusingan ‘U’ di tempat yang tidak dibenarkan.

Brek tidak efisyen

Berhenti di petak kuning

Tidak mematuhi isyarat ‘No Entry’

Gagal mematuhi lampu isyarat

Tidak memakai tali pinggang keledar

Memotong barisan (potong Q)

Menggunakan lorong kecemasan

Tiada lesen memandu

Kadar saman untuk semua jenis kenderaan:

1 – 15 hari = RM150

16 – 30 hari = RM200

31 – 60 hari = RM300

Kadar saman untuk motorsikal bawah 250cc:

1 – 15 hari = RM100

16 – 30 hari = RM150

31 – 60 hari =RM300

2. Kesalahan (B)

Lampu tidak menyala

Lampu brek tidak berfungsi

Tidak memasang lampu

Tidak memasang cermin sisi

Membawa barang di dalam kenderaan yang tidak bersesuaian

Kadar saman untuk semua jenis kenderaan:

1 – 15 hari = RM100

16 – 30 hari = RM150

31 – 60 hari = RM250

Kadar saman untuk motorsikal bawah 250cc:

1 – 15 hari = RM50

16 – 30 hari = RM100

31 – 60 hari =RM150

3. Kesalahan (C)

Lesen memandu tamat tempoh

Tidak hadir pemeriksaan PUSPAKOM bagi kenderaan perdagangan

Tidak membuat tukar milik

Tidak mempamerkan plat ‘P’

Kadar saman bagi semua jenis kenderaan:

1 – 15 hari = RM70

16 – 30 hari = RM120

31 – 60 hari = RM150

Kadar saman bagi motorsikal bawah 250cc:

1 – 15 hari = RM40

16 – 30 hari = RM70

31 – 60 hari =RM120

4. Kesalahan (D)

Memandu laju (melebihi 40 km/j dari had yang ditetapkan)

Pemandu teksi tidak menggunakan meter

Kadar saman semua jenis kenderaan termasuk motosikal di bawah 250cc:

1 – 60 hari =RM300

Harga Asal Kompaun Mengikut Kesalahan (Harga asal, akan meningkat mengikut hari)

Tidak memakai topi keledar – RM100

Memotong barisan secara berbahaya – RM150

Memandu di lorong kecemasan – RM150

Kesalahan lampu merah – RM150

Halangan lalulintas – RM150

Membuat pusingan U di tempat yang tidak dibenarkan – RM150

Lampu isyarat kenderaan kenderaan tidak berfungsi – RM100

Larangan meletak kenderaan – RM150

Larangan memotong di jalan raya – RM150

Melebihi had laju (melebihi 40 km/j dari had laju) – RM300

Melebihi had laju (kurang 40 km/j dari had laju) – RM150

Tidak memakai tali pinggang keledar – RM150

Tiada lesen kenderaan/motor – RM150

Memandu sambil menggunakan alat komunikasi – RM150

Tidak pamer “P” Depan/Belakang – RM70

Berikut merupakan antara senarai saman yang perlu anda tahu supaya nanti sebelum melakukan kesalahan, nilai saman dah bermain dalam fikiran. Barulah ada kesedaran dalam diri tu. Untuk rujukan yang lebih terperinci, anda boleh rujuk
senarai penuh saman di sini
. Bagi urusan pembayaran saman, anda boleh
membayar saman secara online sahaja
. Mudah kan?

Semoga artikel ini mendatangkan manfaat pada semua!

Beli kereta terpakai berkualiti dengan 1 tahun warranty di
Carsome.my

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All Malacca’s State Roads Limited To 70km/h Until July 26, Says Chief Minister

In another move in the effort to curb traffic woes during this festive season, Malacca’s Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron has announced that all state roads will be capped at 70km/h.
This move is intended to ensure the smooth flow of traffic during the upcoming Hari Raya holidays, and the reduced speed limit will be in effect until July 26, a week after the Hari Raya weekend, according to a report by
The Star
.
“We gazetted the speed limit at today's executive council meeting, which means that motorists can be slapped with summonses if they violate the traffic regulation,” he said on Thursday.
So far, it seems that only Malacca is the only state to have made such a ruling. Normally, the speed limit imposed by authorities on state roads there is 80km/h.


Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Bakal Dilancarkan Di Malaysia – SUV 7 Tempat Duduk Dari China

SUV 7-tempat duduk
 dari China,
Chery
 Tiggo 8 Pro dikhabarkan bakal dilancarkan di Malaysia pada tahun ini.

Jika dilihat secara kasar, Chery Tiggo 8 Pro yang dieksport keluar dari China hampir sama sahaja dengan Tiggo 8 Plus di China dari segi rupa bentuk dan output kuasanya.

Ketika ini, spesifikasi bagi Tiggo 8 Pro di pasaran Malaysia masih lagi tidak diketahui. Jika nak dibandingkan dengan model di pasaran lain, Tiggo 8 Pro hadir dengan ciri-ciri yang memberangsangkan. Berikut merupakan antara ciri-ciri Tiggo 8 Pro yang ditawarkan di pasaran luar.

Spesifikasi Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

Enjin: 1.6 liter TGDI

Output: 197 PS dan 290 Nm

T1X
comfort chassis
 – ruang kepala dan tempat duduk belakang lebih luas, jarak kelegaan tanah lebih tinggi

Digandingkan dengan transmisi klac berkembar automatik 7 kelajuan

Ciri Keselamatan

6 beg udara keselamatan

Brek kecemasan automatik

Adaptive Cruise Control

Lane Keeping Assist

Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Pengesan titik buta

Pengenal tanda trafik

Amaran buka pintu

Kamera 360 darjah

Walau bagaimanapun, sistem brek kecemasan automatik kereta ini tidak mampu untuk mengesan pejalan kaki dan penumpang basikal seperti di Proton X50. Sistem
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
kereta ini juga tidak dibekalkan dengan sistem bantuan pengekal tengah lorong
(Lane Centering Assist).

Exterior

Lampu utama LED penuh dengan teknologi matrix

Lampu nyalaan siang (DRL)

Rim aloi aluminium bersaiz 18-inci

Panoramic Sunroof

Rel bumbung

Interior

Paparan meter digital penuh bersaiz 12.3-inci

Paparan sistem infotainment bersaiz 10.35-inci

Dilengkapi dengan
Apple CarPlay dan Android Auto
)

8 sistem pembesar suara dari Sony

Pengecas tanpa wayar

Penyaman udara dwi-zon

Upholsteri berwarna hitam dan perang

Harga

Pada bulan lalu, Chery Tiggo 8 Pro ini telah dilancarkan di Afrika Selatan dan ditawarkan dalam 2 varian iaitu:

Distinctive - R496,900 (RM137,384)

Executive - R546,900 (RM151,217)

Afrika Selatan telah menjadi negara pertama di rantau Afrika yang menerima Tiggo 8 Pro ini selepas Amerika Selatan, Rusia dan Timur Tengah. Selepas ini, pasaran Malaysia pula. Melalui harga yang ditawarkan ini, kemungkinan SUV ini bakal dijual dalam lingkungan harga yang sebegitu rupa di Malaysia nanti.

Chery Tiggo 8 Pro ini merupakan pesaing bagi SUV 7 tempat duduk lain seperti
Toyota Fortuner
,
Mazda CX-8
 dan kemungkinan,
Proton X90
. Chery Tiggo 8 Pro dijangka akan dilancarkan di Malaysia tak lama lagi dan menurut laporan dan khabar angin semasa, SUV ini akan hadir ke pasaran negara pada tahun 2022 ini juga.


Why Are There Less Hybrid Mercedes-Benz Models Available For Sale Today?

Why is
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia
 (MBM) lagging behind on its local electrification strategy? Why are there fewer Mercedes-Benz hybrid models available for sale today? Where does the problem lie?

In June 2019, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) launched two
electrified
 models simultaneously (the facelifted C300E and S560e Plug-in Hybrid) and previewed what was at the time a revolutionary model that would define the coming age of the brand, the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

Though the production version of Merc’s first
all-electric family SUV
 was not due until late 2020 (according to reporting at the time). MBM went to great lengths to get the car here and prove to the Malaysian market in
bold capitalised letters
… they were ready for the electric revolution, and the EQC was just one example of how ready they were.

Fast forward two years and nearly all plug-in hybrid vehicles have disappeared from their model line-up, leaving just two locally-assembled models, the aforementioned
S560e
 (PHEV) and recently introduced
GLE 450
. The former is at the end of its lifespan while the latter utilises a mild-hybrid powertrain with an integrated Starter/Generator (ISG) sandwiched between engine and transmission. The mild-hybrid system or
EQ Boost
 enhances power by 22 hp over short periods.

Mercedes-Benz's current form may almost seem regressive from the electrified past they touted in the years before. But why? Well, in a recent media roundtable with VP of Marketing, Michael Jopp the answers became more clear, and evident that Mercedes-Benz Malaysia is not the one that needs to play catchup, there are two main reasons for this.

The market conditions

In not so many words, the current state of the National Automotive Policy (
NAP 2020
) which sang a good song about stimulating the automotive industry to transition into “new energy vehicles” remains inconsistent and vague on the actual legislation that allows carmakers like MBM to plan their product strategy to cohesively cater to the Malaysian market.

In the absence of transparent legislation that allows carmakers to take advantage of incentives and pricing packages that not only allow them to price their cars more effectively and fit competitive products within these regulations, they’re forced to play it safe and introduce cars that are best optimised for the current market conditions.

Our automotive policies heavily revolve around the ‘customised incentive’ program which dictates overall incentives that are granted to a manufacturer and their vehicles or models. The program, though in its simplest form is meant as a flexible system in which carmakers and the Government agencies can have effective dialogue (and this is good), remains vague as to how carmakers attain these incentives.

The incentives also vary between manufacturers as central criteria of the negotiations are the investments companies make towards the local economy and job creation, how this is quantified falls deeper within ambiguity. So how does a manufacturer take advantage of incentives when it requires a large initial investment, but you can’t justify that large investment without knowing you can price a car competitively so that it will sell in good numbers to recoup on that investment? A little chicken and egg conundrum.

The price

To give you an idea of the effects these incentives have on the overall price of the car, if were we to take away all the incentives the previously sold
C350e
 had, it would have cost in the region of 30 percent more, or around RM100k more than the RM 299k customers were paying for it.

The hard truth is that most buyers gravitate to hybrids when they are priced comparatively or better than the equal conventionally powered vehicles. Remove this from the equation and suddenly a car buyer's urge to save the planet and embrace new technology can disappear very quickly. Why would you spend RM100k more on a C350e (that saves fuel) if you could fuel a ‘regular’ C200 for years with that very RM100k?

Hybrids and Plug-In Hybrids are expensive enough before Governments slap import duties and other taxes on them, therefore literally 10 percent more or less tax on a particular model can make or break a car’s pricing, and render the car a market leader or the outsider.

BMW Malaysia is bringing in a range of electric vehicles, why can't Mercedes-Benz do the same?

Well, that’s exactly it, with little or no transparency in how incentives are handed out, there can be big differences in the final pricing of the vehicle. While we applaud BMW Malaysia on their efforts to spearhead
EVs
 in the Malaysian market, the incentive structure they are granted can vastly vary from what its competitors might receive.

Now it may be better, it may be worse, the thing is, we don't know and we'll likely never know!

When the rules of the game are transparent and set in stone, more players can participate, and use the right tools to play the game. Until then, it’s as good as bringing a cricket bat to a tennis match, yes you could theoretically get the ball across the net, but it may never land on the right court.

By comparison, if we look at Thailand's automotive policies, which have largely been transparent, well thought out and effective in luring in investments both financially and technologically, we see a very different Mercedes-Benz, one that will soon start
local assembly and sales of the Mercedes-Benz EQS
.

Now, ask why is that so...


MBJB Offers 80% Discount On All Compounds From 1 October Till 31 December 2015

The Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) has announced a discount of 80% for all types of compound notices starting from 1 October until the end of 2015.
Speaking to
The Star
, A. Rahim Nin, mayor of Johor Bahru said that since 2011, there has been 2.3 million outstanding compound notices which amounted to RM88.3 million, which has yet to be settled with the council.
“Any type of compound notice will be eligible for the 80% discount from Oct 1 until Dec 31, including traffic offences, premises renovation offences, as well as compound notices which were given during any special operation.
“We hope that through this incentive, the public will start paying their outstanding compound notices to prevent further enforcement action taken against them.
“This will help us achieve our target to increase the collection amount from offenders,” he said.
Currently, a discount of 60% is offered to those who settled their compounds within two weeks of receiving them, while those who settled them at mobile counters would get 50% off for any type of compound, except those received during enforcement operations.
He added that legal action would be taken against offenders who fail to settle their outstanding compounds during the three-month period when the 80% discount is active.
Payment can be made at MBJB headquarters, Permas Jaya branch counter, Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Galleria Kota Raya, and the mobile counters set up by the council.


Proton Persona MC2 2021 Bakal Tampil Dengan Transmisi 4 Kelajuan, Bukan Lagi CVT?

Foto bocor Proton Persona 2021 MC2 sudah tular di media sosial dan yang pasti ianya kelihatan lebih daripada sekadar penambahan kosmetik. Ianya bukan sahaja kelihatan lebih hensem tapi
Proton Persona
 2021 bakal menerima penambahbaikan dari segi lampu LED yang lebih canggih berserta sistem infotainmen yang lebih moden.

Proton Persona MC2 2021 ini merupakan kemaskini terkini Proton Persona yang
dilancarkan pada tahun 2016
 dan menerima
kemaskini pertama MC1
 pada tahun 2019.

Pada bahagian luaran perubahan yang paling ketara kelihatan pada bumper hadapan Persona 2021 yang kelihatan lebih garang, ianya juga memaparkan kluster lampu kabus LED yang baharu. Gril hadapan dengan elemen
Ethereal Bow
 dan
Infinite Weave
 berserta rekaan logo harimau baharu Proton turut bakal menambah kehadiran atau 'presence' Persona 2021 ini di atas jalan nanti.

Pada bahagian sisinya, hanya kelihatan rim dengan rekabentuk yang baharu. Yang paling menarik semestinnya ialah perubahan pada bahagian dalaman kereta Persona 2021 ini. Konsol tengahnya telah diberi nafas baru dengan sistem infotainmen jenis terapung. Unit kawalan pendingin hawanya juga kelihatan baru berbanding sistem tiga tombol yang ada pada model kini.

Adakah Proton Persona MC2 2021 ini bakal menerima tempat duduk kulit Nappa seperti X70 atau leatherette?

Persoalan yang semestinya berlegar di minda ramai adalah persoalan transmisi Proton Persona MC2 2021. Agak mustahil bagi kita menjangkakan perubahan enjin 1.6-liter empat-silinder (109PS/150 Nm) pada Persona ini namun sebaliknya mungkinkah Proton bakal membekalkan Proton Persona MC2 2021 ini dengan transmisi empat-kelajuan seperti yang terdapat pada
Proton Saga facelift
? Yang pasti transmisi empat-kelajuan ini lebih popular dengan para pembeli berbanding dengan transmisi Punch CVT.

Bilakah ia bakal dilancarkan? Itu kita sama-sama nantikan!

*Gambar foto Proton Persona MC2 2021 ehsan daripada rakan media kami Automachi.

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.

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.

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 website now.


All Electric Vehicles Officially On Sale In Malaysia (2022)

We compile a list of all-electric vehicles (BEVs) currently available and officially on sale in Malaysia for 2022.

Since
the tabling of the 2022 budget
, where it was revealed that the Malaysian government would be giving both buyers and car brands a massive incentive to purchase and sell fully electric vehicles, it's no surprise that there has been a sudden surge of EV models landing on our shores.

As a quick refresh, in 2021, when it was still uncertain whether the government would pull through on its EV incentive promises, Malaysia officially had six EVs from various manufacturers, including BMW, Porsche, MINI, Nissan and Hyundai.

However, in the final months of 2021 when it was almost certain that the government would go through with their plans, automakers such as Volvo and even Kia as well as Peugeot announced that they would be throwing their hat into the Malaysian EV ring, making the next few years potentially very interesting as more Malaysian motorists transition away from fossil fuel.

EVs officially on sale in Malaysia in 2022

1.
Hyundai Kona Electric

Price: From RM149,888

Power: 136PS/395Nm - 204PS/395Nm

Range: 305 - 484km

0-100km/h: 7.9sec - 9.9sec

Charging: If you connect to a 100kW DC charging station, you can charge your Kona Electric from 10% to 80% state of charge in approximately 47 minutes. For the 64kWh battery, when connected to a public AC charging station, it takes approximately 7 hours 30 minutes to charge the long-range 64kWh battery pack from 0-100% state of charge. For the 39.2kWh battery, when connected to a public AC charging station, it takes approximately 6 hours 30 minutes to charge the 39.2kWh battery pack from 0-100% state of charge using the 7.2 kW charger and 4 hours 30 minutes using the 11kW charger.

2.
Nissan Leaf

Price: RM181,263

Power: 150PS/320Nm

Range: 311km

0-100km/h: 7.9secs

Charging: standard with a 6.6 kW (Type 1) wallbox charger that requires approximately 7 hours for a full charge. With a 50 kW "CHAdeMo" quick-charger, the Leaf can be fully charged in just 60 minutes. CHAdeMO quick chargers are available in selected locations such as ABB Malaysia (Subang Jaya), Nichicon Malaysia (Bangi), and PLUS Ayer Keroh R&R (Malacca Southbound).

3.
MINI Cooper SE

Price: RM213,460

Power: 186PS/270Nm

Range: 232km

0-100km/h: 7.3secs

Charging: 2 hours and 30 minutes of charging will get you to 80% charge via an 11 kW AC charger through a Type 2 cable. DC fast charging via its CCS socket can charge the battery from 10 to 80% in 36 minutes.

4.
Hyundai IONIQ 5

Price: From RM199,888

Power: 170PS/350Nm - 305PS/605Nm

Range: 380 - 480km

0-100km/h: 5.2 secs - 6.1secs

Charging: The IONIQ 5 is able to charge from 10% to 80% in just 47 minutes (with a 50kW DC charger). A standard 11kW home AC charger can charge from 0% to 100% in 6.1 hours.

5.
Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric

Price: RM262k

Power: 408PS/660Nm

Range: 418km

0-100km/h: 4.9secs

Charging: The XC40 EV requires around 40 minutes to juice up to 80% capacity with a 150kW
DC fast charger
 (or around 2 hours for a full charge with a DC charger), or roughly 8-10 hours with an 11kW AC wallbox.

6.
Mercedes-Benz EQA 250

Price: RM278k

Power: 190PS/370Nm

Range: 429km

0-100km/h: 8.9secs

Charging: The EQA 250 supports fast DC charging up to 100kW which can take its depleted reserves from near 0 to 80% in around 32 minutes. However, when plugged into a more conventional 11kW AC charger, a full charge should be completed in about 6 hours.

7.
BMW iX3

Price: From 317k

Power: 288PS/400Nm

Range: 453km

0-100km/h: 6.8 secs

Charging: It takes 32 minutes to replenish 80% of the battery if it is plugged into a 150kW DC fast charger. Malaysians will likely use the far slower 11kW AC charger, in which case the iX3 should take around 7 to 8 hours to reach maximum capacity.

8.
BMW i4 eDrive40

Price: RM 390k

Power: 340PS/430Nm

Range: 590km

0-100km/h: 5.7 secs

Charging: The i4 supports AC (up to 11kW) and faster DC charging (up to 200kW) with the latter capable of refilling its energy reserves from between 10% and 80% in just 31 minutes. If the battery is re-juiced through the AC charger, it will take 8 hours to go from 0 to 100%.

9.
BMW iX
 xDrive40

Price: From RM419k

Power: 328PS/630Nm

Range: 425km

0-100km/h: 6.1 secs

Charging: If the iX is charged via AC charging of up to 11kW, it will be fully recharged (0-100%) in 10 hours and 15 minutes. DC fast charging of up to 195 kW can recharge the iX from 10-80% charge in less than 40 minutes.

10.
Porsche Taycan

Price: From RM584,561

Power: From 326PS/357Nm - 761PS/1,050Nm

Range: From 340km - 416km

0-100km/h: 5.4 secs - 2.8 secs

Charging: A Porsche Taycan can charge from 0% to 100% in

4 to 8 hours with an 11-22 kW level 2 charging station. With 150kW DC fast charger, the vehicle can be charged in less than 35 minutes.

11.
Kia EV6

Price: RM300,866

Power: 325PS/605Nm

Range: 506km

0-100km/h: 5.2secCharging:In terms of charging, the EV6 supports up to 350kW via a CCS2 port on a
supported DC rapid charger
. If you’re lucky enough to find one, Kia says that a 10-80% charge can be completed in just 18 minutes. Meanwhile, slower AC charging can be done using a Type 2 connector at a maximum of 11kW, taking approximately 7 hours to complete.

12.
Mazda MX-30

Price: RM198,780

Power: 145PS/271Nm

Range: 200km

0-100km/h: N/A

Charging:The MX-30 is equipped with an onboard 6.6kW AC charger that should yield a full charge in 5 hours via a Type 2 connector. However, this can be shaved to around 36 minutes when hooked up to a DC charger (via CCS2 connector) to which its maximum charge rate is 40kW.

13.
Mercedes-Benz EQS

Price: RM698,888

Power: 333PS/565Nm

Range: 782km

0-100km/h: 6.2secs

Charging: In terms of refilling the car’s electron reserves, the EQS 450+  supports up to 200kW from a DC rapid charger that should be able to restore 300km of range after just 15 minutes spent plugged in. A charge to 80%, though, would take close to 35 minutes.

AC charging is also supported, naturally, via is onboard 11kW AC-to-DC converter to match the majority of home wallbox solutions and publicly available charging stations, claiming a charge to 100% taking up to 10 hours.

14. Renault Zoe

Price: From RM163,000

Power: 110PS/225Nm - 135PS/245Nm

Range: 386km - 395km

0-100km/h: N/A

Charging: The 2022 Renault Zoe EV supports AC charging up to 22kW (Type 2) which offers a charging time from 0-100% in three hours. If you're connected to a more modest 7.4kW charger, a full charge can be completed in 9.5 hours.

For DC charging, the 2022 Renault Zoe also supports up to 50kW and when connected to one via its CCS2 port, 0-80% charge is achieved in just 70 minutes.

Yet to arrive but rumoured to be launched in 2022

Peugeot e-2008
 (Tentatively - Q4 2022)

The second-generation 2008 is one of the French marque’s most popular vehicles currently on sale, riding on the wave of acclaim its B-segment hatchback is based on: the 208, which took the overall win at the 2020 European Car of the Year awards.

In
electrified and crossover-fied guise, the e-2008
 swaps its combustion engine and fuel tank for a  133PS/260Nm electric motor hooked up to a 50kWh battery for up to 345km of range, all while seeming to remain barely different from the ‘standard’ 2008 inside and out.

The
Hyundai Kona Electric
, launched in November 2021, will no doubt be its fiercest rival in Malaysia, outclassing the Pug on pure range with the larger of its two battery capacities (64kWh) able to take the Korean entrant past 480km on a single charge. Then again the e-2008 might be able to undercut it on price and value.

EVGuru Charging Solutions

If you happen to be in the market for a charging solution for your new or even current EV, you can now conveniently charge your electric car at home, whether it is a condominium or landed house.

EVGuru is a market-leading Smart EV Charging Solution Provider in Malaysia, with years of overseas experience in the UK, US, and Australia.

Head on over to
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 now and enjoy an exclusive Carlist.my promo when you buy your first EV Charger from us.


Aston Martin makes fools blunder by signing Sebastien Vettel

Most of you ardent fans would have heard the news from Checo now that he will be leaving Racing Point at the end of this season - in a move that was just recently confirmed to make way for Sebastien Vettel.

Image courtesy of Formula 1

Racing Point will be rebranded to Aston Martin for the 2021 Formula One season. Up to a week ago they appeared settled with their driver line-up for the next season as Sergio Perez had signed a new three-year contract only last year and Lance Stroll, well he was the son of team owner, Lawrence Stroll.

That was until Checo dropped the bomb that he would be leaving Formula 1 at the end of the season with no clear destination.

Image courtesy of Formula 1

One can only surmise that Checo's decision above comes after showdown talks with Racing Point. A day after he announced his departure, in swooped Vettel to take the second seat at Aston Martin.

Image courtesy of Formula 1

One has to question the brains at the helm of Racing Point/ Aston Martin. How is current day Sebastien Vettel better than Sergio Perez? Vettel's last competitive season was in 2018 where we managed five wins. He only managed one in 2019 and he's had an abysmal 2020 thus far, with what is also becoming a very public fallout with Ferrari.

Vettel has been with Ferrari since 2015 and his best placing in the Drivers Championship is two second overall places in 2017 and 2018. This after much fanfare over his arrival at Scuderia Ferrari, he was billed to be THE German to move the Prancing Horse forward after the great Michael Schumacher. Vettel will leave Ferrari not having won one, nor two but zero World Championships while he was there.

Perez on the other hand has earned himself the moniker 'King of the Midfield', a title that he does not take too kindly to but one that is true. He's not had a race winning car under him yet more often than not has managed to produce results just on sheer will and determination.

We won't even bother asking why Perez and not Stroll?! Pays to have a Dad with deep pockets eh Lance? For us Malaysians, nepotism is a scene we're all too familiar with.

Image courtesy of essentiallysports.com

So Vettel is indeed heading to Aston Martin, and what a huge stupid error that is on their part. Talk about starting on the back foot. They've just replaced a driver that has shown fight and determination, not to mention stuck with the team through thick and thin with one that's having difficulty getting into the third round of qualifying. He's not been the same Vettel since he became a father so maybe it's time to sit back and enjoy fatherhood Sebastien. Let the guys who really want to race, race.

Even if you took racing out of the picture and look at this move on commercial merit alone, is Vettel the face that is going to bring in sponsorship money or people to the races or would it be Perez who by nature of being Mexican, would have the adoration and support of the Hispanic community. Let's not forget he is also backed by Telmex and Telcel, two Mexican telecommunications companies. Wouldn't it make sense for Aston Martin to leverage on this relationship and garner an even bigger presence and supporter base amongst the Spanish-speaking countries? Any which way I look at it, Sergio Perez is the better proposition than Sebastien Vettel. Too bad I don't own a Formula One team!

Sebastien is done! Checo deserves to retain his seat at Aston Martin next season. Period!

Cover image courtesy of essentiallysports.com


Ford Malaysia Announces Record Month And Quarter Performance, Offers Special Promotions On Select Models

Ford
 Malaysia today announced that it has managed to hit an all-time monthly performance record in Malaysia with retails sales hitting 1,818 units in March, a 46% rise from the previous month of February. That’s not all because the impressive performance caps an all-time record quarter for the company with sales increasing 24% from the previous quarter of 4,611 units.
The strong demand came in anticipation of the implementation of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) on April 1
st
, 2015 with the
Ranger
,
EcoSport
, and
Fiesta
 models leading the charge.
“We’re pleased that heightened March demand meant more and more customers were attracted to the leading safety, quality, smart technologies and value for money that our global Ford vehicles offer,” said David Westerman, managing director, Malaysia and Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company.
There was more good news to be had as well because Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the official distributor of Ford vehicles in Malaysia announced recently that until April 30
th
, 2015, special promotions will be offered at all Ford dealerships on the purchase of any Focus, Fiesta 1.5L and EcoSport Trend variants.
Those looking to purchase any Ford Focus will be pleased to know that a cash rebate of RM10,000 will be offered and for customers looking at the Fiesta 1.5L or EcoSport Trend variant, they will get a cash rebate of RM8,000.
All variants of the Focus, Fiesta and EcoSport come with Ford’s Extended Service Plan (ESP) which is a three-year or 60,000 km maintenance programme that covers parts and labour free of charge.


Volkswagen Planning Big Moves To Electric Power, Natural Gas Propulsion

When it comes to the future of powertrains, many companies are looking towards electrification- whether this comes in the form of partial electrification in hybrid models or full electrification with electric cars. Volkswagen intends to follow this trend (a wise choice after dieselgate), and they have started to develop and launch a range of products that cater to this. At the 38th Vienna Symposium last week, Volkswagen presented two vastly different, but equally feasible solutions.
The first up is a system that allows for high speed coasting with the engine off, which takes the coasting functionality of a car even further. Coasting with the engine uncoupled and at idle is nothing new as most luxury cars can do this in their respective "Eco" modes, but this new system goes a step further by shutting down the engine. Volkswagen claims an improvement of 0.4 litres/100 kilometres versus a conventional powertrain, and 0.2 litres/100 kilometres versus current coasting systems.
This is done through the use of a larger battery pack that supplies the cabin and systems with electronics even while the engine is off, and will be found in their Golf TSI BlueMotion which will launch this summer. Think of it as a hybrid car without the electric motor, but with all of the efficiency improving systems. As for their electric posterchild, the e-Golf also receives a power and torque upgrade with 20 more up and 20 more Nm than before.
It's interesting that while companies like Hyundai are developing platforms that are capable of taking electric powertrains in addition to their conventional and hybrid counterparts, Volkswagen is keen to push their dedicated electric-car platform; we will see the first of these models in 2020, with a completely new drive system and connectivity architecture. It will be interesting to see what happens to other electric models in Volkswagen's range as these new dedicated models are introduced, much like the Honda Insight in relation to Honda's other Hybrid products.
The other half of Volkswagen's strategy for reducing emissions is one that involves natural gas. CNG (compressed natural gas) is nothing new, although the focus now is to shift from fossil-fuel based CNG and move to sustainably-produced CNG, whether that's from agriculture or otherwise. It also helps that sister company Audi has started to push their e-gas renewable CNG substitute into the energy network, helping to reduce emissions and providing a guilt-free energy source.
On display was also a CNG engine from Volkswagen, in the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder form. Known as the 1.0 TGI engine, it represents the new engine specification for the small car class in the Volkswagen Group. It also happens to be flexible in fuelling, being able to run on either CNG or regular petrol- although our taxis over here have been doing that for decades with varying success.


2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class - Just Stick To Nothing But The Best

In recent times Mercedes-Benz had lost plenty of ground in the premium market, but Bobby Ang has witnessed Mercedes-Benz upping its game and is a professed believer of the three-pointed star. Strangely his moment of revelation came at a driver-training programme.
The last Mercedes-Benz I briefly drove was a year ago. It was the sleek four-door CLA 200, which I pulled up to a dealership to have a go at. As I rolled up in my Audi S4, the person who greeted me intuitively ushered me towards the beautiful CLS with a courteous, but very subtle outward spread of his firm arm. He was of course, a bit surprised when I head towards the CLA instead.

Reason? It’s sleek, it’s interesting. The speed with which Mercedes-Benz pulled the veils off the A, the CLA and then the GLA, and then proceed to pull off the AMG version of all three is just staggering. Not just from an engineering point of view, but the sheer confidence and audacity of it. The fact that the A and the CLA45 can accelerate faster than the CLS 63AMG is just brilliant. This is Daimler sticking a finger to VAG Group’s staggered hierarchical approach to its performance cars.

But then the CLA 200 was a rather disappointing car. While many complained about its interior build, I for one have no problem towards hard plastics - in what way during daily driving do you poke your dashboard or rest your face on it? It’s actually a motoring journalist conspiracy to help soft touch plastics suppliers!

Coming back, it’s the seating position, the sound insulation, the suspension, the coarse engine and the slow transmission. All of which, otherwise would have been irrelevant if it were in the old boxy A-Class, which serves as the poster boy for “My first Mercedes”. But for the CLA to be just an A-Class with a boot? Something’s just not very right with the package as it retains its super stiff suspension, even when the product positioning is supposed to be different.

See, plenty of motoring journos are just wrong out there, throw them into an MPV, they go WRC B-road blasting and complained about body roll. Put them in a hot hatch, and they will complain about its hard suspension unsettling their dentures. But for a small sporty Ramen truck chasing, bridge jumping hatch, its sporty characteristics is a perfect fit for it, which also means it should have a certain ‘attitude’ in expecting you to live with its sporty-harshness.

As a sedan derivative of the A-Class, which was presented in a sleek and beautiful sexy body shell, it should have behave differently. If it doesn’t, it only serves to expose the lack of depth in the overall engineering of the entire range, and marked it as a product that was rushed out as fast as the company could, just to inflate their profits.

So coming back to the pictures you’ve glanced through, yes it is a ‘C-Class Driving Experience’, and compared to my previous experience in the CLA, I was really blown away with the C-Class when I first drove it late last year. Just as how the interior of new Mazda cars completely shames its competitors, the new C-Class’ design revolution certainly has set new standards. Coming out from a base C200 and getting back into my S4, I felt like I had jumped into a Skoda. That’s how well the new C-Class was designed and built.

So the day called for us to experience hard braking, kicking up the ABS intervention and all its safety nets just so we know how much faster it can actually come to a stop in an emergency, and continued steering our cars to avoid a crash even with the brake pedals buried in deep in the carpet. Yes, Mercedes-Benz is the pioneer for most of our modern in-car safety systems, and you can bet that they’re still great at it.

To drive home the point further, my C-Class was later fitted with EasyDrift tyres that delivered a fraction of the traction of regular tyres, so there was plenty of oversteer to be had whenever my foot went near the throttle. This exercise was done to let me experience the difference Mercedes-Benz’s ESP system made. With it on, the ESP safety net gave me the control to safely pilot the C-Class around in extremely low grip situations, but switching it off induced plenty of slides and fishtailing.

Put it simply, if your name has some Håkkinen sound-alike in there, then ESP is the nanny that won’t let you have sliding fun when she is around. But if you’re Har Kee Neng, then probably it’s between life and death for you. Not only does the electronic nannies keep us safe, but there’s a weird satisfaction drifting (when the ESP’s off) while being cocooned in absolute comfort in the C-Class. Though I emerged from that session with a hankering to buy a set of those EasyDrift tyres.

The last session of the day would be a short Gymkhana course, and I somehow ended up in the GLA250. Good gracious god this car handles like a champ, goes like stink, and rides beautifully and comfortably. And it was the surprise of the day for me as I’ve never driven the GLA, and my initial impressions of the A-Class derived CLA was rather lack lustre. But I emerged from that GLA with a wide and satisfied grin on my face. It’s a great small little luxury car that does everything well. It has the practicality, handles brilliantly with all the immediacy the A-Class platform has to offer, but none of the harsh and coarseness of the CLA. It’s just a great car, the best of Mercedes-Benz’s new compact car range.

So as the day went by, cars being circled around different courses for everyone to queue up and jump into the next one, I kind of find myself going into the C-Class more often. Even if I were to end up in the passenger seat, just to look around inside the car. Anyone with the habit of observing events around them and then sinking oneself into deep thoughts would be familiar with the enjoyment solitude brings.

I looked at the beautiful centre console, the subtle lights gleaming off of it, and then how that modern design ethos is applied around the car, how the leather seats are stitched, and then imagining how it went through its design phase, the kind of thoughts and attention from the engineers and designers. Guessing what were they thinking at that very moment, and in what way they’re able to come up with such brilliance.

There’s actually a very telling thought process to wander through as I can imagine the kind of legacy burden they have to carry off their shoulders, entrusted to return a brand and its product to be not only class leading, but revolutionary in its outcome. It’s no simple task. I can sort of feel the momentum going behind Mercedes-Benz right now, the newfound confidence, the new product onslaught, the direction that was set forth from the SLS AMG onwards, the segment leading S-Class, the E-Class that’s forth coming, the hordes of new customers they’ve attracted from both the hot selling A and CLA Class, and the great line-ups they have with the GLC, GLE and the GLS SUV models.

After being overtaken in sales numbers by its arch rival BMW and Audi for almost a decade, Mercedes-Benz has been working overtime, and it shows. And I believe with products like this new W205 C-Class, they should return to be the global No. 2 in the premium sector as early as the close of this year, and then charge on to return what was rightfully theirs all along, the leader in luxury cars. I strongly believe they can do it.

When you put aside all this media driving events, Jurassic Park marketing stunts, glossy newspaper ads or fancy dealership networks; at the end of day, at the very core of it, it comes down to the products. Products that blow the socks off their customers, products that are just achingly beautiful to look at and gloriously luxurious to the touch. The drastic sensation of moving your fingers from the richly padded leathers to the chilly milled aluminium switch gears towards the warmth of the matte wood panels fitted snuggly next to each other, you can’t help but wonder how much better does it get.

As I sank into all these superlatives in my mind to describe the car to myself, and sitting next to me is Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Mark Raine, his 33-year old laughter and the tyre screeches as he was having fun drifting the C250 went momentarily into silence. This is the scene. The scene where Mercedes-Benz is at now, with a young, energetic and dynamic leader like him, in a beautifully crafted car, greatly poised with confidence, dancing through the cones with graceful precision, in a cabin as silent and well insulated as I am with my deep appreciation of the brand, the people behind, the technology embedded, and the passion ingrained in their cars. They’re definitely on a roll, and I’d like to be a witness of it, and that’s entirely befitting of what Mercedes-Benz’s latest tagline stands for, ‘The Best, Or Nothing’.

This article first appeared in the June issue of Malaysian Evo magazine.


Thailand Now Sells Locally-Assembled Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe

When the Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe was launched in Thailand last year, the asking price of the car which was imported fully from Germany was 5.19 million baht.
However, according to
a report by Bangkok Post
today, the price of the car has dropped by a whopping 1.05 million baht now, thanks to local assembly.
According to Mercedes-Benz Thailand, this is the first time a performance-oriented model has rolled off the brand’s production line in the country, aiming to put some pressure on all of its key rivals.
Sitting below the range-topping C63 Coupe which is sold as an import in Thailand at some 10 million baht, the C43 Coupe is powered by a 367 hp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic gearbox and 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.
In comparison, the imported Audi A5 TFSI quattro S Line, and the BMW 430i M Sport, both produce less than 300 hp at asking prices of 3.799 and 3.729 million baht respectively.
In Malaysia, the Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe we have is imported fully from Germany, priced at RM548,888 OTR without insurance.


2022 Mk8 Golf R Launched - The All-New Golf Family In Malaysia Is Now Complete

CBU 2022 Golf R launched in Malaysia,
from RM356,412.85

Just as we were about to take the
newly launched
 Mk8 Golf R-Line and Golf GTI for a spin on Sepang's International Circuit, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) sprung up a surprise and introduced the fully imported
2022 Mk8 Golf R
.

Limited in numbers, the flagship model completes the introduction of the all-new
Golf family in Malaysia.

The all-new Golf R reigns supreme by outperforming its predecessors to become the most powerful model yet. Boasting 320PS and 400Nm of torque from the latest 2.0TSI turbocharged engine and 7-speed DSG.

As with most Golf Rs, driving performance is taken to the next level with an all-wheel-drive system, 4MOTION with Performance Torque Vectoring. This intelligent and innovative system enables power to be distributed not only between the front and rear, but also selectively between the rear wheels.

Just like the GTI, the new
Vehicle Dynamics Manager system
 in the R is closely integrated with other running systems, such as the electronic differential locks (XDS), dynamic chassis control (DCC), and progressive steering, to provide optimum traction and remarkable handling with the utmost level of precision.

The prestige of the R is found in the interior too, with premium features such as the Harman Kardon 480-watt audio system with 10 speakers.The interior is laced with R-specific decorative trim in Carbon Grey. Another standout feature is the premium front sport seats with integrated headrest and R logo in Nappa leather. These are furnished with the active climate feature, while the drivers seat can be electrically adjusted and provides lumbar support.

Like its brothers, the Golf R is also kitted out with a 10-inch Digital Cockpit and 10-inch Digital Infotainment System offering connectivity with inbuilt navigation, and Wireless App-Connect for CarPlay and Android Auto. There are 30-colour ambient lighting and 3-zone Climatronic air-conditioning for optimum comfort.

Safety-wise, the Golf R has the most amount of safety features out of the three new cars, such as six airbags, side assist with rear cross traffic alert, rear view camera, automatic post-collision braking system, Driver alert system, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), Anti-theft alarm system, proactive passenger protection system, and more.


BMW To Unveil Two New Concepts At Pebble Beach

BMW
 has announced that it will reveal two new concept cars at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance which takes place during the finale of Monterey Car Week in August.
This teaser image is the only one to accompany the announcement and shows a uniquely shaped steering wheel that points towards a performance-focused concept. Red and blue stitching, colours associated with BMW’s M division only adds to the speculation.
On the wheel itself, there are some interesting buttons like ‘PSL’, ‘Flash’, and ‘Cool’, which left us curious what their functions are.
The world premiere of two
BMW
 concept cars during its annual press conference at the BMW Villa in Pebble Beach is in celebration of BMW of North America’s 40
th
 anniversary.


12,444 Nissan Vehicles Recalled In Malaysia For Airbag Inflator Issue

Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), the distributor of
Nissan
 vehicles in Malaysia, has just announced a recall for 12,444 units in the country for a fix of their airbag inflator module.

Just like the recalls made by
Honda Malaysia
 and
UMW Toyota Motor
 which came over a month ago, ETCM are contacting customers to come in for a similar replacement of the front passenger airbag inflator module.

Affected Models:

As we understand, only three models in particular have been affected by the recall, with a majority of them being the locally-assembled (CKD) 2002-2007
Nissan X-Trail
 (T30), which has a total of 12,420 units affected (manufactured between 1 May 2002 to March 2007).

The 2003 Nissan Liberty, a long discontinued MPV, made the recall list with 20 fully-imported (CBU) units affected (manufactured in 2003).

The remaining four affected units are made up of the 2004
Nissan Teana
 (manufactured August 2004 to September 2004).

A call to vehicle owners:

Should you own any one of these listed models, ETCM will be contacting you soon for a free check and replacement of the front passenger airbag inflator module. Alternatively, owners may contact Tan Chong Express Auto Service Centre (TCEAS) at: 1800-88-3838.

All labour and replacement parts costs will be at no coost to owners.


Let’s Try To Understand Honda’s New i-MMD Hybrid System

As time progresses, technology and innovations also evolve, constantly making things better and more convenient for us, the end users.

Even in the automotive sector, vehicles and all the technology that go into them are constantly being updated in an effort to give us a more enjoyable, safe, and a more eco-friendly driving and ownership experience.

What once started humbly with steam engines has now evolved to self-driving electric-powered vehicles, as well as hybrids and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

As complicated as they may sound, electric and hybrid vehicles are very straight-forward these days, and are just as easy to live with as conventional fuel-burners.

Take Honda’s hybrid vehicles for instance – What we have now in Malaysia, in the City Hybrid, Jazz Hybrid, as well as the HR-V Hybrid is the Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive (i-DCD) system, which works like any other traditional hybrid vehicle.

What happens is that the system uses an electric motor to propel the vehicle before the petrol engine starts up, and to boost acceleration when the vehicle is on the move. However, the i-DCD system still has the engine doing about 80% of the work.

Even with the engine doing most of the work, our Jazz Hybrid, City Hybrid, and HR-V Hybrid are able to cover between 24 and 26 km with a litre of fuel. That is like driving from Subang Jaya to Bangsar bro.

As impressive as it is, the i-DCD system is already old news, as Honda has a new hybrid system - called the i-MMD (Intelligent Multi Mode Drive), which can be found in the hybrid versions of the current CR-V, the upcoming Accord, the upcoming Jazz, and of course, the new Insight.

The main difference between the outgoing i-DCD system and the new i-MMD system is that the latter has two electric motors versus the i-DCD’s one motor. Besides that, the i-MMD system actually has no gearbox.

Even though the folks at Honda call the i-MMD’s transmission system an “e-CVT”, it is more of a direct-drive system with virtual gear ratios which replicates the feeling of the gear upshifting and downshifting.

While the outgoing i-DCD system has the engine supplying the power 80% of the time, it is the complete opposite with the i-MMD system, where the motors do most of the work.

This explains why large vehicles with the i-MMD system like the CR-V Hybrid and the new Insight, are able to record similar fuel consumption figures as smaller i-DCD-powered cars like our Jazz Hybrid, City Hybrid, and the HR-V Hybrid. So, imagine how fuel efficient and more powerful the smaller models will be with the i-MMD system.

That being said, we had the opportunity to experience the i-MMD system first hand during our recent visit to Japan in the current-gen CR-V Hybrid, where we managed to experience how the system worked.

The new hybrid drivetrain in the CR-V Hybrid uses a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder inline-four petrol engine and two electric motors, which produces a combined power output of 212 hp, which is quite powerful. Complementing the powertrain is the all-wheel-drive system which comes as standard.

To know more about how the new i-MMD system worked and how different it is from our current i-DCD  system, watch the video above in which we tried our best to understand and simplify everything for your viewing pleasure.

Meanwhile, for the Malaysian market, we are quite sure that cars like the CR-V Hybrid and the Insight are highly unlikely to come, but there is hope with the Jazz, as we already have a Jazz Hybrid. If it does, it will be the first Honda model with the i-MMD system. Our fingers are crossed.


BMW Engage Is The Financial Service For Your BMW Premium Selection Experience

Just because you aren't the first owner, it doesn't mean you can't get good financing for your dream BMW.

Malaysia has a pretty strange habit of car ownership where hire-purchase makes up the brunt of financing options when people look to have a personal car. In that sense, many of the financial solutions here are tailored to that and manufacturers have also jumped into the fray - in the case of BMW, that comes from BMW Financial Services Malaysia.

BMW's fleet of
certified used cars is known as
Premium Selection
, and the digital experience that is currently available offers a pretty wide selection of models from the BMW portfolio. From now onwards, however, customers who are looking to buy one of these models will also get seamless financing pre-approval via the BMW Engage platform, which will also include calculating the monthly instalment values, generating quotations, submitting applications, and obtaining pre-approvals.

Tobias Eismann, Managing Director of BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia said, “When BMW Engage was introduced early this year, it was a reverberation of our commitment to our loyal customers to continue delivering the Premium Ownership Experience – no matter the distance. The digital feature became a timely and necessary solution for customers during that period of physical divide at the height of the pandemic, and it continues to further enhance their purchasing journey.”


Geneva 2018: Renault Captur Now With 150 Hp, 250 Nm

Renault has presented a new turbocharged petrol engine displacing 1.3 litres at the Geneva Motor Show.
The new TCe engine, co-developed by the Alliance (Renault and Nissan) and Daimler, incorporates the latest innovations, including Mirror Bore Coating - a friction reducing technology for the cylinder walls first seen in the Nissan GT-R VR38DETT V6 engine.
The fuel pressure in the direct injection system has also increased to 250 bar to achieve maximum performance from the new special combustion chamber design. The exhaust valves now feature variable timing, which results in higher torque at lower engine revs with more ample, consistent torque delivery at higher engine speeds for a significant improvement in driving enjoyment.
Power outputs for the new 1.3-litre turbocharged engine are 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque from 1,600 rpm to 3,250 rpm. Compared to the Captur 120 TCe currently on sale, that is a significant 30 hp and 60 Nm increase in output. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are expected to be lower in the new engine.
Philippe Brunet, VP Powertrain and Electric Vehicle Engineering for the Alliance commented, “Our new petrol engine harnesses the expertise of the engineers that work for Groupe Renault, the Alliance and our partner Daimler. It meets the high quality standards of both the Alliance and Daimler and was submitted to more than 40,000 hours of testing and simulation running. It has a global calling and will be manufactured in five plants to the tune of around one million units annually in the future.”
Renault will also fit the new engine in the Renault Scenic. Under the bonnet of the compact MPV, the engine will be available in a choice of four power outputs (115, 130, 140, and 160 hp), an increase of 30 hp compared to its predecessor. Peak torque stands at 270 Nm, up 65 Nm from the previous unit’s figure of 205 Nm.


McLaren 720S Goes Flying In Singapore

A flying McLaren 720S in Singapore? Is it trying to
out-fly a Perodua Myvi
? Good luck buddy, but you’ve got nothing on Malaysia’s undisputed road King.

The white
McLaren 720S
 was recently
caught on dashcam
 flying into and over an embankment in Singapore. The driver lost control while trying to overtake another vehicle (MINI Cooper S?) on the left lane of a six-lane highway. Otherwise, the road looked plenty clear and the incident did not involve another vehicle, thankfully.

According to the timestamp, the whole thing took place just after 7am on 7th July, so you can add possible drowsiness to the list of possible explanations of why the driver lost control in a seemingly very avoidable situation.

There’s a personal theory I hold that mass
city/state/country-wide lockdowns
 and excessive time spent away from our cars have caused many people to lose touch with driving as a skill. When they do get back behind the wheel, the result is roads filled with drivers that seemed to have devolved into primates immediately after shifting into gear.

If you want more proof just ask any
Grab driver
 how often they’ve encountered a stupid bonehead driver since the FMCO began.

Granted, the citizens of Singapore aren’t going through the same degree of restrictive lockdowns we Malaysians are enduring, and haven’t been for a while, but this McLaren certainly proved that the period spent cooped up at home hasn’t been beneficial to the retention of their driving skill.

Then again, it is Singapore, so how much skill could they have really developed on that constrictive road network. Worst of all, with the border to Johor closed since early 2020, they can’t come over here and clog up our roads either, so it’s easy to understand why they’re so out of practice. Kesian.

That said, perhaps we’re being too hard on the 720S driver. In addition to being very expensive, especially over there, the McLaren is ridiculously fast - you’ve probably seen videos of it out-drag racing Nissan GT-Rs and twin-turbo Lamborghini Huracans with barely any modification.

Mounted amidship, we have a bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine producing 720PS and 770Nm of torque.  Bad news for the driver of the white car in this case, as all that power is sent to the rear wheels, so even a small misjudged squirt of the accelerator can probably overwhelm the sticky tyres past their limit of adhesion.

Add to that the damp roads that morning, a little too much confidence, and not enough talent, it’s really no wonder that the McLaren 720S went flying. Thanks to the extremely rigid carbon monocell structure, the driver would likely have escaped with only minor injuries.

The car, however, looks damaged beyond repair. What a waste!

For more latest car news, reviews, car buying guides and videos visit us at Carlist.my
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.

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.

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VIDEO: Isuzu's Heartwarming Surprise To A Father And His Daughter

Just after officially
launching the 2015 MU-X in Malaysia
,
Isuzu
 Malaysia is now on the move to offer potential customers the opportunity to enjoy a full-day test drive of their vehicles.
To kick-start the program, one of the first potential customers to book himself a test drive was filmed throughout his full-day event.
Phillip Chua, the man keen on experiencing the new MU-X for himself, was visited by Isuzu Malaysia, who dropped a brand-new MU-X right in front of his house, along with the keys and a film crew for company.
Here’s how it all went down.


Uber Posts USD708 Million In Losses, Head Of Finance Leaves

Uber Technologies Inc. has announced net losses in Q1 2017 of USD708 million, as its Head of Finance, Gautam Gupta leaves for another San Francisco-based startup. Gupta is the latest high-profile executive to exit the company.
Despite the huge losses, Uber actually performed better than Q4 of 2016 where it posted USD991 million in losses. An Uber spokesperson confirmed that the reduction of losses puts Uber back on a trajectory that can lead to profitability, as reported by
Reuters
.
Gautam Gupta’s exit adds to roughly a dozen other high-ranking executive departures since February. The company is said to be in the midst of now looking for a chief operating officer, in addition to a head of finance to fill Gupta’s former role.
Separately,
Reuters reports
, Uber has also been rocked by another controversy after its technical head of the self-driving car program, Anthony Levandowski, failed to comply with a court order to surrender documents pertaining to a legal dispute between Uber and Aplabet Inc’s, Waymo unit.
Levandowski, previously from’s Alphabet’s Waymo unit which is responsible for its autonomous cars, is accused of stealing trade Waymo’s trade secrets, by downloading some 14,000 documents before leaving for Uber.
Uber replaced Levandowski as the head of its self-driving car unit in April, before firing him on May 30 after failing to comply with the court order.
Uber and Alphabet are vying over technology which will change the way we interact with and use cars. Alphabet claims their highly-confidential technology has made its way into Uber’s Lidar technology, a system that pulses light of objects so cars can ‘see’ the road ahead.
Uber has denied the claim.


Chevrolet Could Bring In Trailblazer and Trax In 2017

Naza Quest Sdn Bhd, the authorised distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Malaysia revealed that it has plans to bringing in the Trailblazer SUV and also the Trax compact SUV next year.
All set to be launched in Thailand next week, the Trailblazer SUV is slated to make its Malaysian debut by March 2017 if confirmed, while the Trax is expected to make its appearance sometime in the second quarter of next year if at all the plans are confirmed.

Currently being assembled in the GM plant in Rayong, Thailand, the Trailblazer is actually based on the Colorado pick-up truck which will be launched in Malaysia next month.
Powered by the same Duramax 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine as the Colorado, the Trailblazer is expected to be priced somewhere between RM200,000 and RM250,000 price range if it arrives in Malaysia.
Although it is based on the Colorado pickup and runs on the same engine, General Motors International said that the Trailblazer’s suspension setup is completely different from the pickup, and that it will feel significantly more comfortable than the 4x4.
Competing with the Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Ford Everest and other truck-based SUVs, the new Trailblazer, which we came across during our media preview session of the Colorado pickup truck in Cebu, Phillipines, comes with standard features such as remote start system, auto rain sensor, park assist, rear cross traffic alert, 8-inch touch-screen with MyLink infotainment system which is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and voice recognition among others.
The Trax compact SUV, which first made its global debut in 2013 and went through a mid-cycle earlier this year, is another model which Naza Quest is planning to introduce next year.
Featuring new halogen projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights, dual taillamps, as well as a new grille design, the Trax, which is powered by a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine, is being built in the GM plant in Korea and will be imported once it is confirmed for Malaysia.
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VW’s Autonomous Parking Function At Hamburg Airport To Be Ready In 2020

In an effort to prevent their customers from wasting precious time by searching for a parking spot, the Volkswagen Group is currently testing its new autonomous parking technology at a multi-storey car park near the Hamburg Airport.
The project is part of the mobility partnership with the city of Hamburg which aims to become a model city for urban mobility in the near future.
How the system works is that users just need to book a parking space at the Hamburg Airport using an app, and simply leave their car at the entrance of the multi-storey car park.
Everything else is done automatically: the vehicle looks for a free parking space – if required, at an electric charging station. This is made possible by simple pictorial markers in the car park, which the vehicle sensors use for orientation.
But that’s not all. While the vehicle owner is away, parcels ordered are delivered to the vehicle boot and the dry cleaning service hangs freshly laundered clothes straight in the vehicle.
Upon return, the driver simply sends a brief message via the app and a short time later the vehicle is ready to drive home at the exit of the car park. Billing is also done via the app.
Besides saving time, the technology also saves space, as autonomously parking cars need much less space for parking as drivers do not have to get in or out. This means that more parking spaces could be made available to passengers in the direct vicinity of the airport.
According to the Volkswagen Group, the target is for the first customers to be able to test the new autonomous parking service in the year 2020.
The Hamburg Airport, which is the first airport in Germany to commit itself to autonomous parking solutions, is providing parking lanes in the multi-storey car park directly opposite Terminal 2 for the test phase.
After multi-story car parks, the next stage, according to the VW Group, will be operation in mixed traffic, where the vehicles will be parking and moving autonomously in the same areas of the car park as cars with drivers.