Ranger Continues to Power Ford’s Monthly Sales

The
Ranger
 continues to play its virtuoso role in almost single-handedly carrying
Ford
’s monthly sales numbers in Malaysia.
Selling 796 units in total throughout the month of June, the Ranger helped drive a 32 percent increase in Ford’s monthly sales total from May to 928 units. In total, Ford sold 3,539 units of the
Ranger
 in the first six months of 2016.
“The Ranger has truly redefined the pickup market in Malaysia, and many customers are happily using it as both a workhorse and a leisure vehicle,” said David Westerman, managing director, Malaysia and Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company.
Available with powerful 2.2- and 3.2-litre turbodiesel engines, the Ranger is offered in Malaysia with a total of six variants priced between RM91,588 and RM139,838. Recently, prices of all but the most affordable XL variant were
increased by RM2,350 each
.
Whilst costing more than its rivals, the Ranger is also the best-equipped truck with regards to safety; offering up to six airbags as well as Lane Keeping Aid and Adaptive Cruise Control in upper models. All variants come standard with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and ISOFIX mounts. The Ranger is also the first pick-up truck in the market to use electric power steering.
June also marked the
start of deliveries
 of the
all-new Mustang
 to customers, offered in our market with either the 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder or 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines.


Polis Siasat Penunggang Ganggu Lalu Lintas – Jalan Temiang-Pantai Bukan Port Lepak

Individu yang mengugut untuk melempar helmet ke arah kereta yang sedang melalui
Jalan Temiang-Pantai
 baru-baru ini kini sedang disiasat polis.

Beberapa hari lalu, telah tular sebuah video dashcam di media sosial yang menunjukkan sekumpulan penunggang motosikal yang sedang berhenti di lorong kecemasan untuk menikmati keindahan ‘New Zealand Malaysia’ itu.

Namun seorang individu telah didapati mengganggu lalu lintas setelah berdiri di laluan jalan raya dan mengugut untuk melempar helmetnya ke arah kenderaan yang melalui jalan tersebut apabila dibunyikan hon.

Individu Kini Disiasat Polis

Siasatan awal polis mendapati kejadian tersebut berlaku pada hari yang sama iaitu pada waktu tengah hari di mana terdapat sekumpulan penunggang motosikal yang berhenti dan meletakkan kenderaan di dalam laluan kecemasan di lokasi kejadian.

Berdasarkan rakaman video dari camera dashcam yang tersebar menunjukkan saat kereta menghampiri kumpulan motosikal terbabit, ada seorang
penunggang motosikal
 yang berdiri di tengah jalan dan mengganggu jalan raya terbabit.

Apabila hon dibunyikan, individu tersebut bertindak seakan-akan tidak berpuas hati dan ingin melemparkan helmet tersebut ke arah kereta berkenaan. Video berdurasi 11 saat ini telah meraih perhatian orang ramai yang rata-rata menyelar tindakan individu terbabit.

Siasatan sedang dijalankan bagi mengesan pesalah yang terlibat. Kes disiasat di bawah Seksyen 48(1) Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 kerana melakukan halangan di atas jalan. Mana-mana pihak yang mempunyai maklumat terhadap kes berkenaan boleh menyalurkan maklumat kepada pegawai penyiasat kes iaitu Inspektor Fadzilah di talian 016-2895801.

Jalan Temiang-Pantai Bukan Lokasi Pelancongan

Meskipun laluan ini menghidangkan
 permandangan yang menarik
, namun tahukah anda tindakan memberhentikan kenderaan di lorong kecemasan untuk bergambar dan melepak merupakan satu kesalahan?

Terdahulu, Pengarah JPJ Negeri Sembilan, Hanif Yusabra Yusuf berkata tindakan pemandu yang berhenti di lorong kecemasan tanpa sebab munasabah adalah satu kesalahan dan boleh dikenakan tindakan mengikut Kaedah 53(1) Kaedah-Kaedah Lalulintas Jalan 1959 iaitu tiada kenderaan boleh diletak di mana-mana lorong kecemasan kecuali kes kecemasan.

Bagi kesalahan itu, denda boleh dikenakan kepada pemandu tidak melebihi RM2,000 atau penjara tidak lebih enam bulan mengikut Seksyen 119(2) Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987.

Bagi mereka yang merancang untuk menghentikan kereta di lorong kecemasan Jalan Temiang-Pantai ini, jangan terkejut sekiranya anda didatangi oleh pihak polis atau JPJ kerana pihak berkuasa sentiasa memantau dan melakukan penguatkuasaan di lokasi-lokasi tumpuan terutama di Jalan Temiang-Pantai bagi memastikan tiada sebarang pelanggaran undang-undang berlaku.


Perodua sets a new record month with over 32,000 cars sold in March

Perodua
 reached new heights when it comes to its monthly production numbers and sales figures back in March 2023.

The manufacturing side of the business saw the factory churning out a total of 33,666 units in March alone. What's even more impressive is the sales division registered 32,719 new units last month. That's an average of 1,038 new Perodua cars each day!

That also translates to a 29% increase compared to the previous month of February 2023 when they sold 24,936 units. This increase in production output and sales also meant that some of the models' waiting periods have been significantly reduced, apart from the Axia, Bezza, and Alza but only for certain variants and colours.

According to Perodua's President and CEO, Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, "These achievements can be attributed to several factors, such as our efforts to fulfil the PENJANA orders before its deadline on 31 March 2023, production improvements throughout the supplier ecosystem and better coordination within our sales network."

It's been a busy yet positive first quarter of the year as the brand's production rose by 33.9% with 84,800 units - a significant increase compared to the same quarter of 2022 with 63,325 units. Sales also improved by 27.5% within the same time period and comparison.

With global raw material prices having slightly decreased in recent months, Perodua is expected to hit its production target of 330,000 cars for 2023 as well as its sales target of 314,000 units.


After Volvo, Renault And Dacia To Cap Top Speed At 180km/h

After Volvo capped their top speed to 180km/h in line with
Volvo’s overarching vision
 to have
zero deaths/serious injuries
 in new Volvo cars by 2025, Renault and Dacia have also joined the club.

 At a shareholder meeting, Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo said "Excessive speeding accounts for a third of fatal car crashes. A speed limit is not a panacea, but it is worth it if you can save even a human life".

According to Renault, the number of road fatalities in Europe reached 29,000 in 2019. The main contributors to that were excessive speed (30%), driving under the influence (25%) and lack of concentration (20%).

A timeframe for the electronic speed limiter has not been announced, however.

Upcoming Renault and Dacia models will have a feature called 'Safety Coach' that will automatically adjust your speed to the local speed limits, while also factoring in other aspects such as road conditions and weather.

At the same meeting, Renault also made commitments on
electrification
 targeting 65% of car sales to be electric vehicles by 2025 and 90% in 2030 for the brand in Europe. It further aims to be carbon neutral in Europe by 2040 and worldwide by 2050.

Groupe Renault also aims to reduce emissions from all of their manufacturing facilities worldwide by 50% (benchmarked against 2019).

What does this mean for Renault's performance-oriented hot hatches like the
Megane and Clio RS
? We suppose track-oriented variants might get a special dispensation but for the regular Joe like you and me, there's plenty of fun that can be had without breaking 180km/h!


Honda Announces Early Booking Campaign - Up To RM3.5k In Rewards

Honda Malaysia has announced the “Enjoy the Gifts of Booking Early” campaign which offers eligible customers will enjoy special rewards such as the Honda Bonus, free service vouchers or cash options worth up to RM3,500, in addition to an exclusive gift with every purchase of your dream Honda.
The rewards, depending on models are as follows:
Accord with total rewards worth RM3,500
BR-V with total rewards worth RM3,000
The City includes rewards worth up to RM3,000
Jazz offered with rewards up to RM3,000
Odyssey offers total rewards worth RM3,000
CR-V has total rewards worth RM3,500
The rebates are applicable for the aforementioned models registered between 1st April 2019 to 30th April 2019.


PLUS Issues TTA For Hari Raya Haji Holiday

PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) is expecting an increase in the amount of road users on the North-South Expressway (NSE) in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Haji holiday on 24 and 25 September (Thursday and Friday). As such, they have prepared a travel time advisory (TTA) schedule for those who are planning to use the NSE during the long break from 23 to 27 September.
The full TTA can be found below (click to view larger):
Should you have any inquiries, do contact PLUS via the toll free number 1800-88-0000. Also, do follow the PLUSTrafik Twitter page or download the PLUS Mobile Application for smartphones or tablets to get the latest traffic updates on the highways. Safe travels.


Suzuki Swift Sport Spied Outside Naza Automall

An eagle-eyed reader sent us some spy shots of the soon-to-be-launched Champion Yellow
Suzuki Swift Sport
 parked outside Naza Automall in Petaling Jaya.

From the looks of it, it appears the
Suzuki Swift
 Sport (SSS) variant we will be getting comes with the 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Boosterjet engine (K14C) that pushes out 138hp and 230Nm of torque. This is the same unit found in the Suzuki Vitara.

Again if our assumptions are accurate, this powertrain which was introduced in Frankfurt in 2017, is not that much more powerful than the previous M16A engine that produced 134hp, the torque figure however gets a 70Nm boost.

The 2018 SSS that was premiered in Frankfurt is also 70 kilograms lighter than its predecessor, giving the SSS a torque-to-weight ratio of approximately 4.2 kg/Nm.

It's unclear what transmission the SSS will be supplied with, but the car is offered with either a six-speed manual or automatic, the latter, sadly, is the ideal choice for the Malaysian market.

Based on specifications from other markets we can expect the new SSS to also come with a slew of safety features like Dual Sensor Brake Support (DSBS), LDW, ACC, Weaving Alert Function and High Beam Assist.

The last time an
SSS
 was launched in Malaysia way back in 2013, it retailed for RM97,888 for the manual variant and RM102,888 for the CVT. We don't expect the all-new SSS to be any cheaper!

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

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Carlist.my.

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.

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Paris 2018: Toyota To Introduce All-New Corolla Touring Sports

At the upcoming 2018 Paris Motor Show, Toyota will be introducing the all-new Corolla Touring Sports, the wagon variant of the 12
th
 generation Corolla.
Styled at Toyota’s newly opened Design Centre in Zaventem, Belgium, the new wagon carries over the same family face as its hatchback siblings, with a longer rear end and sweeping roofline.
Speaking of the rear end, the new Corolla Touring Sports features full LED tail lights and a slanted rear windscreen. The rear bumper also echoes the
Under Priority Catamaran
 design language as the front.
The interior also carries over from the hatchback, though with more emphasize on cargo space and rear legroom. Compared to the hatchback’s 2,639 mm wheelbase, the wagon increases that figure to 2,700 mm, allowing for more rear seat passenger legroom. Additionally, the 598 litres of bootspace (VDA) is larger than that of the hatchback.
Several engines are available with the new Corolla Touring Sports, though the company only offers one conventional engine in the form of a turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol that does 116 hp. Buyers can also opt for 1.8-litre or 2.0-litre hybrid powertrains, producing 122 hp and 180 hp respectively. All engines are similar to the ones found in the new Corolla hatchback.
The new Corolla Touring Sports also rides on the company’s modular TNGA platform, with MacPherson struts up front and an all-new multilink rear suspension set up. The new Corolla Sports can also be fitted with Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS).
Toyota also added that the new model is fitted, as standard on the High grade, with a range of equipment, including:
3D Driver’s meter
Head-up display
JBL GreenEdge Premium Sounds System
Wireless phone charging
Toyota Touch Multimedia System
These features can also available as an option throughout the new Corolla Touring Sports range.


Toyota Announces Vios Sports Edition - RM85k, 27 mm lower

Earlier, we reported that UMW Toyota Motor has
opened bookings
 for the new Toyota Vios Sports Edition. Now, the company has released more details about the sportier Vios, in conjunction with the first-ever Vios Challenge race set to happen this weekend.
Unlike the racing Vios, the Vios Sports Edition is street-legal, retailing at RM85,300 (OTR without insurance). Stock is limited.
The Toyota Vios Sports Edition comes standard with a sports suspension kit that lowers the ride height by 27 mm, compared to a standard Vios. Apart from lowering its ride height, the sports suspension also sharpens the Vios' handling as there is less body roll during cornering.
Outside, the Toyota Vios Sports Edition gets a custom-designed five-piece body kit, including a front skirt, side skirts and a large rear wing. UMW Toyota added that the body kit is not just for looks, as it helps to reduce the amount of air flowing under the car, thus improving high speed stability. Apart from that, the exterior of the Vios Sports Edition is enhanced by body decals mimicking the Vios Challenge race car. Completing the exterior are exclusive alloy wheels finished in black and an exclusive rear emblem.
Moving inside, the Toyota Vios Sports Edition gets unique carpet mats, sports gear knob, illuminated scuff plates and amber illumination for the front footwells. The seats of the Vios Sports Edition also receives exclusive sports seats with red stitching.
As for the powertrain, the Vios Sports Edition is powered by the same 1.5-litre Dual VVT-i four-cylinder petrol engine that outputs 107 PS and 140 Nm. Unlike the Vios Challenge race car that comes with a five-speed manual, the Vios Sports Edition is CVT only. Safety equipment includes ABS with EBD, Traction Control, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Brake Assist and two airbags.
Buyers of the Toyota Vios Sports Edition will receive free merchandise which includes a Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) polo shirt and cap that can be customised with their name, and a Sports Edition tumbler.


Mazda Expands Powertrain Plant In Thailand For Engine Machining

Up in the Chonburi Province in Thailand sits a Mazda plant that produces powertrains for the fast-growing Japanese brand. It's been around for roughly 3 years now, providing powertrains for Mazda's models and supplying them to various other assembly plants in the region in addition to within Thailand. Just last week, a new factory opened up within the plant.
This particular factory is for engine machining, and is on top of a 22.1 billion Yen (RM 789 million) investment to help push production output of this plant. Currently the plant produces 30,000 powertrain units annually, but Mazda seeks to push this figure up to 100,000 units.
Part of this increase will also be attributed to the added production of the new SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litre petrol engines, which will be supplied to other countries for their local Mazda assembly. There's no doubt that the increased output will increase the demand for workers and Mazda will likely expand their workforce with people from the region.


Audi Bags ‘Most Innovative Premium Brand’ Award

Over 1,400 innovations from more than 50 brands were nominated for various categories at the Automotive Innovations Award which was concluded recently in Frankfurt, Germany, where Audi won the most important award of the night – ‘The Most Innovative Premium Brand’ award.
The German automaker was also awarded for its innovations in the “Connected Car” and “Vehicle Concepts/Body” categories. With three awards in total,
Audi
was second only to Volkswagen, which won a total of four awards at the event.
In addition, the brand also finished second in two categories - “Conventional Drives” and “Alternative Drives” - to go with a third-place finish for the Q7 in the “Innovation Strongest Model” category.
“These awards are both praise and motivation for our team,” said Dr. Stefan Knirsch, member of the Audi AG Board of Management for Technical Development. “We are an innovation driver for classic and alternative drive systems, lightweight construction and production processes, connectivity, driver assistance and piloted driving – and we are working continuously to maintain our ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’.”
Running for the fifth time this year, the Automotive Innovations Award was organised by The Center of Automotive Management and PricewaterhouseCoopers AG.
Looking to purchase an Audi? Find one now at
Carlist.my


Limited Edition Mitsubishi Triton Knight launched - Only 120 units

Mitsubishi
 Motors Malaysia (MMM) today announced the introduction of a limited edition variant of the
Triton
pickup truck called the Triton Knight.
Limited to only 120 units, the Triton Knight is based on the Triton VGT Adventure variant and is created in Pearl White with many accessories.
The exterior aesthetics of the Triton Knight is accentuated by 17 inch matte black alloy rims, a matte black grille, a sports bar with sports lid, matte black rear bumper, a front bumper extender, as well as unique ‘Knight’ body stickers.
Moving into the cabin, the Triton Knight gets leather seats with special ‘Knight’ embroidery. Standard equipment in the Triton Knight includes Xenon HID Headlamps with Day Time Running (DRL) Lights, push start button, keyless operation, tilt and telescopic steering and paddle shifters for manual control of the automatic transmission when the driver wants it.
Priced at RM122,487.84 the Triton Knight is the second limited edition Triton to be introduced here after the
Triton Phantom
, which was priced at RM119,200 when it was launched in January. It had a limited run of 200 units.
According to MMM, the Triton Knight comes with 2-years of free maintenance with RM2, 000 cash rebate or free labour with RM4, 000 of cash rebate. On top of that, the truck also gets a factory warranty of 3 years or the first 100,000 km.
Looking for a Mitsubishi Triton? Find one now at
Carlist.my


2018 Lexus Superbowl-52 Ad Enlists The Black Panther

Lexus has released a 60-second advertisement in conjunction with the 2018 Superbowl games, which is inspired by Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated film “Black Panther”.
Dubbed, “Long Live The King”, this thrilling commercial from Lexus stars the all-new 2018 Lexus LS 500 F Sport and King T’Challa (a.k.a. Black Panther) – featuring amazing stunts and driving demonstrations - also including a cameo by the
Lexus LC 500
 luxury coupe.
“Long Live the King” revolves around the character of T’Challa in his role as Black Panther recovering stolen Vibranium, a mythical ore found only in the Black Panther’s home of Wakanda, and his nearly simultaneous need to represent his country as King at a world leadership conference. Upon recovering the Vibranium – the Black Panther makes a “rendezvous” with his ride of choice, the LS 500 F Sport, just in time to make it for the leadership conference.
The ad was shot using only original costumes and gear from the film, including the Black Panther/King T’Challa outfits, Dora Milaje battle suits, and Vibranium canisters. Even the film’s fight choreographer, Jonathan (JoJo) Eusebio, was engaged to stage the video’s fight scene.
The LS 500 F Sport premiered just ahead of the
2017 New York Auto Show
. Available in both petrol and petrol-electric hybrid versions, the LS F Sport is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine that was developed specifically for the new LS 500, equipped with twin-turbochargers developed using technology from Formula 1.
The electric-hybrid model is powered by the same V6 engine, mated to Lexus’s Multi Stage Hybrid System, delivering 295hp and 354 Nm of torque.
The LS F Sport features a coupe-like silhouette – with aggressive design touches added over the regular LS 500; such as enlarged side grilles, rocker panel, boot mouldings, F Sport badging on the wings, and 20-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the LS 500 F Sport is equipped with a unique F Sport steering wheel and instrumentation that presents the speedometer and tachometer in a moving meter display, adapted from the technology created for the Lexus LFA supercar.
This marks the fourth time a Lexus ad has appeared in conjunction with the Super Bowl games. “Long Live the King” follows Lexus’ 2017 Super Bowl ad “Man and Machine,” as well as spots in the 2015 and 2012 games.


Minister – Proton Strategic Partner By May; More Than One Bidder In The Picture

Proton’s strategic partner is expected to be announced by May,
The Star
 reported Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan as saying.

The minister’s statement comes not long after Chinese carmaker Geely Automobile Holdings confirmed its decision to withdraw from bidding to the
South China
 Morning Post
.

Ong nevertheless revealed that “There are already a few other bidders at the moment, Geely is not the only one.”

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Identities of the other bidders have not been revealed, although
the PSA Group
 has officially confirmed that it is in the bidding process.

Playing up the benefits of having Proton teaming up with a foreign partner, Ong said, “Consolidating Proton with a strategic partner from the international market would, no doubt, help build up the automobile industry.”

Elaborating on how the foreign partner would increase utilization of Proton’s Tg Malim plant, he continued, “This would in turn, benefit Perak’s business ecosystem, as local vendors supplying automobile services and spare parts would receive a much-needed boost.”

Interestingly, it was Ong himself who was earlier quoted by
Bernama
 as
dismissing the notion
 of Proton conceding a controlling stake to a foreign company.

"The government is not relinquishing the country's proprietary rights. We are looking at the opportunities to help Proton grow more efficiently, so that it would be at par with other big brands in the global car industry," Ong said at the time.


Car Speak 101: We break it down

The automotive sphere has no shortage of mystifying terms, jargons, and abbreviations; so much so, it can seem a bit overwhelming to some, and downright alien to others. However, once you know the basics, it’s not that mind-boggling since these terms apply to pretty much every car.

Hence, we thought we would shortlist a bunch of terms to get pretty much anyone up to speed – from the novice enthusiast right up to that person that knows a car has four wheels and that spinning buzzing thingy up front that makes it go vroom…

Here all you need to know to start sounding like you know your way around a car.

Dimensions

How we measure a car. It’s normally measured in mm (millimetres)

Length (A): From the front to the back of the car.

Width (B): How wide a car is.

Height (C): How tall a car is.

Wheelbase (D): The distance between the centres of the front and rear wheels.

Track (E): The distance between the centreline of the front or rear axle. One can be wider than the other.

Overhang (F): What’s left of the body (front and rear), after the wheel's centrepoint.

Segments

How we classify a car, mostly based on its size. This can get pretty confusing when you take into account premium European cars, but for this, we’ll just focus on popular local, Korean, and Japanese cars – which pretty much covers 60 percent of the market.

A-Segment – Small city cars.

B-Segment – Slightly bigger cars and SUVs.

C-Segment – Even bigger cars and SUVs.

D-Segment – Pretty much the largest mainstream local and Japanese cars.

Platform

Basically, the guts of the car. In the picture below we can see the “platform” made up of the structural frame, drivetrain, safety, electrical, and suspension systems.

Now imagine putting an SUV body on top of that, voila, an SUV, put another type of body – say a hatchback, and it becomes an entirely different car. This is called platform sharing. It helps lower the costs of developing new models and means that carmakers can introduce new models much faster.

The Volvo CMA platform featured above underpins the Volvo XC40 and will soon feature on the upcoming hatchback/coupe SUV V40. Two different models, same platform.

Powertrain

Refers to how the power is delivered to the wheels. The powertrain includes the engine, transmission, and drive axles.

Four main ways of sending power to the wheels:

Rear-wheel drive: Using the two rear wheels.

Front-wheel drive: you guessed it.

All-Wheel Drive: All four wheels.

4-Wheel Drive: Like AWD but the driver has a greater degree of manual control over where and how the power is delivered.

Types of powertrain

ICE: Stands for Internal Combustion Engine – what we’ve been used to for over a century. Uses either petrol or diesel fuel.

Hybrid: One engine (mostly petrol-powered), but aided by one or more electric motors to drive the car.

Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV): Same as the above but PHEVs have larger batteries, which can be “plugged-in” to be charged. Therefore, they can cover a certain distance on battery power alone. Referred to as electric range.

Nissan Leaf BEV

BEV: Stands for Battery Electric Vehicle – no engine, just a huge battery and a motor(s) to drive the car. Zero fuel bills but the vehicle needs to be plugged in to be recharged.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV): Uses other forms of fuel to power the car; hydrogen fuel cell, biofuel, compressed air, or solar. Hydrogen is the most promising but extremely expensive.

How “powerful" is a car?

Horsepower and torque are commonly used to describe how powerful a car is. More is
almost always better
.

For example:

Horsepower (hp): 2020 Perodua Myvi 1.5L - 102 hp, 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo: 710 hp

Torque (Nm): 2020 Perodua Myvi 1.5L – 136 Nm, 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo: 770 Nm

Safety

Modern safety systems consist of a variety of smaller systems that all play a part in mitigating a collision or reducing the amount of damage once a collision has taken place.

Prevention is better than cure: Active Safety Systems

ABS: Anti-lock Braking Systems – prevents tyres from locking up and skidding on the road. If tyres don’t skid you can retain some form of steering to try and evade the obstacle.

EBD: Electronic Brakeforce Distribution – automatically varies the amount of braking force applied to each of a vehicle's wheels, depending on road conditions and vehicle speed.

TCS: Traction-Control System – modulates the braking action of all four wheels to keep the car pointing the where you want it, and not sideways into a tree.

FCW: Forward Collision Warning – the car sees something you could hit, and knows you’re not reacting vigilantly enough, so it screams at you.

AEB: Autonomous Emergency Braking – You have failed to brake in time, so the car does it for you. Only works at a certain speed ranges. Check your car manual if equipped.

LDW: Lane Departure Warning – sometimes call Lane Keep Assist (LKA); it tells you when you wandering of your lane.

LDW with Steering Assist: Now that you’ve wandered out of the lane, steering assist will automatically try and steer the car back into the lane. This is a driver aid, it does not mean the car can drive by itself, and will know if you take your hands of the wheel for too long.

ACC: Active/Adaptive Cruise Control – Cruise control ensures the car travels at a preset speed for long periods. However, the moment you step on the brake, the cruise control system shuts down. ACC, on the other hand, can slow your car if the car ahead is slowing down and speeds up again when safe. Some ACC systems work all the way down to 0 km/h.

RCTA: Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Imagine reversing out of a parking lot, while boxed inbetween two tall SUVs at either side. You wouldn’t know if another car is going to passing behind your car, RCTA will warn you.

Blind-Spot Warning System: The system detects vehicles that are nearby or almost parallel to your rear doors. You won’t see them in your side view mirrors because chances are they’re in your blind spot.

AHB: Active High Beam – The car automatically turns off the high beam if it spots another car on the road, to not blind other drivers at night.

A collision has taken place: Passive Safety Systems

Reinforced body sections and crumple zones: Reinforced sections and crumple zones of the car’s body are designed to “crumple” to absorb and dissipate the impact of the crash. The car sacrifices itself to save the occupants. Reinforced zoned are not just at the front, rather an entire network of reinforcements all around the car.

Seatbelt Pre-Tensioner: Pre-tensioners automatically tighten the belt across the body to reduce the seat occupant's movement in a collision.

Airbags: These are not fluffy balloons. Airbags deploy at you at between speeds of 160 km/h and 350 km/h depending on vehicle and severity of the crash. The video above shows how much better passive safety in a car has improved over the past two decades.

On the inside

Interior features vary depending on the vehicle, but here are the important bits:

Meter cluster: Relays all important information regarding your driving, like speed, engine RPM, driving range and fuel levels. More advanced cars relay more information such as your tyre pressure and GPS navigation. It will also tell you if something is wrong with the car via Warning Lights.

Infotainment System: Controls all your in-car entertainment functions. In most cars, it additionally offers GPS Navigation, reverse camera function and trip information.

Climate control: Your car’s air-conditioning controls. Just set the temperature and relax.

Start/Stop Button: Starts and shuts off the car.

Now go impress your friends or that potential hot date with your car knowledge prowess, be sure to let us know how it went!


Top 5 Used Premium SUVs Under RM250,000 That Still Qualifies For A Loan

SUVs are all the rage these days, with something available for everyone. However, many of the models that we aspire to own, especially the premium ones, ask for a lot of money if you are to buy them brand new. But what if you don’t want to spend half-a-million Ringgit for a BMW X5 for instance?

This is where the used car market comes into play. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually many premium SUVs that are relatively new which are going for very interesting prices, such as the examples mentioned below.

Just like us, you too will be surprised when you see what you can buy for under RM250,000, so here we go:

1) 2017 BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport – RM220,800

Launched just four years ago, the F15 BMW X5 plug-in hybrid was asking for RM388,888 on the road without insurance when it first made its Malaysian debut.

Now that the next-gen X5 has arrived, the model we’re looking at
here
, which has not even clocked 50,000 km, is much cheaper. The only question here is “are you brave enough?”

2) 2014 Land Rover Discovery 4 SDV6 HSE - RM185,500

When one says "premium SUV", the first brand that pops up in the minds of many is none other than Land Rover/ Range Rover. Similar to the X5 above, the Discovery
here
 is also about RM200,000 cheaper than what it was when it first appeared in Malaysia.

Packed with features and off-roading credentials, the Discovery here is certainly an interesting model that is highly capable both on the road and off-road, but it is not for the weak if you know what we mean.

3) 2017 MINI Cooper S Countryman - RM178,800

If you don't want something as risky as the two options above since the X5 is a plug-in hybrid and the Land Rover is a Land Rover, we have something that is somewhat less risky, yet more fun, and also more affordable. Plus, this particular unit right
here
 is still under warranty.

4) 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser 4.6 ZX - RM249,888

If you're one of those who live by the saying "go big or go home", and have a budget of RM250,000 for a premium SUV, look no further. Not only is it big, but it is also powerful, packed with features, practical, comfortable, and most importantly, reliable.

Making things even better is the fact that it is under warranty until next year. So, as we mentioned earlier, go big or go home, boss. The only downside with
this model
 is that the price you have to pay for the road tax. Otherwise, it is a top choice.

5) 2019 Volvo XC40 (Volvo Selekt Approved Pre-Owned Unit)

Last but not least, the XC40 we're looking at here is the newest, and also the safest choice as it is part of the Volvo Selekt Certified Pre-Owned car portfolio which is approved by Volvo Car Malaysia themselves.

Having turned just one year old, the SUV is one of the most practical passenger vehicles in the market, which even earned the 2018 European Car of the Year award.  Truth be told, this is as close as you're going to get to buying a brand new SUV among all our examples today.

That being said, the five models which we're seeing here are just the tip of the iceberg, as there are hundreds of premium SUVs for under RM250,000 that are still under warranty, and are able to get financing since they are less than 10 years old.

So, if the aforementioned amount is within your budget, and you don't mind looking for a decent used unit, spoil yourself for choice right here at
Carlist.my
.


All-New Geely Binrui Launched, Packed To The Brim

Geely has launched its all-new Binrui sedan at the 2018 Chengdu Auto Show. The all-new model was first announced back in August.
Power for the all-new Binrui comes from two powertrains:
G-Power 200T: 134 hp, 205 Nm
G-Power 14T: 131 hp, 215 Nm
The G-Power 200T is a 1.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection 3-cylinder petrol engine. This particular engine is hooked up to a Getrag-sourced 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The other powertrain option for the Binrui is the G-Power 14T, which is a 1.4-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine. The G-Power 14T can be had with a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT-type automatic with 8 virtual ratios.
Underneath is Geely’s newest BMA platform, shared with the Binyue compact crossover. Length of the all-new Binrui comes in at 4,680 mm long, 1,785 mm wide, and 1,460 mm tall. Wheelbase of the new model is 2,670 mm, 30 mm shorter than rivals like the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, and Toyota Corolla Altis.
Safety is a big selling point for the all-new Binrui, as it can be had with a range of active and passive safety equipment, including:
Adaptive Cruise Control (Intelligent Cruise Control)
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian detection (AEB-P)
Speed Limit Information System (SLIF)
Intelligent High Beam Control (IHBC)
Traffic Jam Assist (TJA)
Additionally, the all-new Binrui's body structure is made out of over 70% high strength steel. Combined with the list of active and passive safety equipment, Geely is confident that the new Binrui can secure a 5 star crash test rating.
Another highlight of the Binrui is the infotainment system, which features the Geely Smart Ecosystem (GKUI). The infotainment system features a large 10.25-inch touch screen display with a resolution of 1920 x 720 and features 4G internet connectivity with WiFi hotspot, on-board navigation, smartphone app connectivity, and voice control.
Prices start from CNY 79,800 (~RM 48,335) for the base Binrui, which climbs all the way to CNY 110,800 (~RM 67,111) for the range-topping model.
Geely also added that this new model is the first of the 'Bin' (缤) family. The next model is expected to be the Binyue compact crossover. China is currently the Binrui's first market, though Geely plans to introduce the new model globally later on.
At launch, Geely is offering 7 variants of the Binrui. More variants could be introduced at a later date, as recent spyshots have indicated that the company could be launching a PHEV variant in the future.


The Sound Of Slovenia: How Well Do You Know Akrapovič?

Do you know Akrapovič? Or do you know Akrapovič?

We all know the name, we all know the
sweet sound
 it is capable of producing, but do you know the history and the reasons why it has become the de facto premium performance exhaust for most? We take a closer look at the marvel that is, the Akrapovič exhaust system.

The Person Behind Akrapovič

While everyone knows Akrapovič as the brand name for that shiny, lightweight exhaust component, many do not know that Akrapovič is actually a person's name. This person is Igor Akrapovič, the founder and creator of the Akrapovič exhaust system.

But it was actually in motorsports where people first heard the name Akrapovič. Igor Akrapovič was a successful champion motorcycle racer over a ten-year stint in the sport in the eighties.

He retired from the sport in 1990 to start focusing on something he was passionate about, which was exhaust systems. Back then, Igor considered most of the exhaust systems out there to be nothing but heavy chunks of metal that rusts over time. He wanted to create an exhaust system that was lightweight, durable, and accessible so that performance nuts could buy something much better in performance and quality than a factory exhaust system.

How Akrapovič rose to fame?

With anything performance-related, losing weight is always the key, and it is no different for the exhaust system. Igor started meddling around with titanium and carbon fibre and then designed his own exhaust from scratch, and the rest is history as they say.

The company Akrapovič was registered in 1991, and two years later, major Pro Superbike Championship teams were testing out the Akrapovič system on their race bikes. Teams such as Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha all went crazy over Akrapovič's exhaust system and started to use them on their race bike setups. In 1997, Kawasaki rider, Akira Yanagawa won a race marking it as the moment where an Akrapovič equipped bike won a motorcycle race for the first time. Soon after, every Japanese Superbike team was sporting an Akrapovič exhaust system.

In the year 2000, just after Akrapovič moved to a bigger factory from their tiny workshop in Ivančna Gorica, Central Slovenia, Colin Edwards from team Castrol Honda gave Akrapovič their first win in the Superbike World Championship. In 2002, Akrapovič started to supply exhaust systems to the echelon of motorcycle racing, MotoGP. Teams like Kawasaki, Honda, and Aprilia all donned the Akrapovič exhaust system which helped propel them to podiums and race wins.

The move to cars...

The beginning of the noughties also marked Akrapovič's entry into four-wheelers. With the help of CAD (computer-aided design), they started making exhaust for cars, beginning with the BAR-Honda Formula 1 team in 2004. This move made them a household name, well for motorsports fans anyway.

It wasn't until 2008 that a certain Porsche 997 RSR with an Akrapovič exhaust system gave them their first big win in a car. The 997 RSR won in a 24-hour endurance race at the iconic Nürburgring. Going from strength to strength, Akrapovič even opened up a subsidiary in California in 2009, which really did show the ever-increasing demand for their popular exhaust systems. Since then they have been supplying performance exhausts to many motorsport teams, including Audi who won the famous Le Mans races in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

They have even been voted Best Brand every year since 2007 from many different bodies and publications, and have even claimed a Red Dot award for being the Best of the Best in Production Design in 2014.

What makes them special?

Apart from helping motorsport teams unlock
hidden ponies
 from their engines, what makes Akrapovič exhaust systems so special is the type of materials they use for their exhausts as well as the sound it makes.

With a combination of titanium, carbon fibre, and other secret materials, Akrapovič exhaust systems not only lasts longer than
stock exhausts systems
, but they are also lighter and make that discerning growl they are known for. The Akrapovič exhaust systems have a deep resonant sound which some say is the sound of pure power.

This bit is perhaps better listened to than read, so put your headphones on and enjoy the clip down below.


CES 2018: Kia EV Concept Car To Debut

Kia will be unveiling a new all-electric concept car at the upcoming 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The new EV concept from Kia is said to feature a highly efficient battery-electric powertrain that represents Kia’s next step in electrification.
Additionally, this SUV-esque concept car will feature what Kia calls a “never-seen-before human-machine interface (HMI)” and an advanced new motion graphic lighting system that previews the potential for these technologies for market launch in the future.
Dr. Woong-cheol Yang, Vice Chairman and Head of Hyundai-Kia R&D Center said, “Virtual reality, self-driving cars, and full vehicle connectivity were all once considered technologies of the distant future. As they rapidly become a reality, Kia is exploring how to adapt these new technologies for its customers. At CES we will share our strategy and vision for future mobility, and exhibit a range of advanced technologies that our customers can look forward to.”


Langkawi’s ORIC Future Circuit Could Be Among The Most Exciting In The World

Open Road Asia S.B. and the Kedah Government’s investment and development arm, Permodalan Kedah Berhad have formally inked an agreement to develop Langkawi’s first circuit with the hopes of turning the island into a premier motorsport and tourism destination. The circuit; “Open Road International Circuit” will house a purpose-built FIA-approved racetrack, integrated resort development as well as property and commercial developments.

The Open Road International Circuit (ORIC) and Integrated Resorts are set to be developed atop a tract of 183 acres of sea-facing land in Bukit Malut. It will encompass an
FIA-sanctioned
 motorsports circuit, a fully-integrated resort that consists of luxury residential properties, high-end luxury retail outlets, 5-star hotels, 4S automobile dealerships, a 900-car storage facility, petrol refuelling stations as well as various tourist attractions, and world-renowned restaurants.

Founder and Group Advisor of Open Road Asia, Dato’ David Goh adds “This ORIC Integrated project, with a gross development value of RM1.3 billion is expected to provide an immediate high impact economic boost to Pulau Langkawi and the state of Kedah, and Malaysia upon its completion in 5 years time. With a projected increase of high-spending and affluent tourists’ arrival both locally and internationally, it is envisioned that this project will help create an endless stream of business and job opportunities for Kedahans via the island’s economic expansion,”

Its developers have coined ORIC as the “
Nurburgring
 of the East” as it will feature a number of the world’s first in racing circuit designs that will include one of the longest circuit straights in the world, as well as a banked “carousel” corner, and down-hill-elevation-drop multiple hairpins.

Image credit:
Toby Parsons
 from
Pixabay

Modelled after the
Nurburgring in Germany
, this 5.8km-long racing track will eclipse the total track distance of the
Sepang F1 Circuit
 (which measures 5.543km). Judging from the promotional video, it also seems to draw inspiration from a number of hallowed international circuits such as Mount Panorama (tight curves with walls at either end) and Laguna Seca (for its large elevation changes).

Upon ORIC’s completion by Q2/2023, ORIC’s developers hope this world-class racing attraction will put Langkawi at the forefront of
motorsports
 in Asia, and provide a platform for automotive research and development, testing ground, and racing destinations for major automotive manufacturers, motorsports enthusiasts, and racing teams.


Range Rover SV Coupe Cabin Revealed, Geneva World Debut In March

Land Rover today announced the introduction of the latest addition to it’s portfolio – the Range Rover SV Coupé.
All set to make its global debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Range Rover SV Coupe pays homage to the original Range Rover which was offered as a two-door vehicle in 1970.
According to Land Rover, only 999 units of the Range Rover SV Coupé will be made, each hand-assembled by the brand’s Special Vehicle Operations in Warwickshire, UK.
While no exterior photos were released, Range Rover provided an aerial-view photo of the SV Coupe’s cabin, showing a center console running throughout the passenger area with no middle seating.
As expected, things are ultra-luxurious in the SV Coupe, featuring plush leather, a generous dose of wooden trim with aluminium bits, and different colour themes for the front and the rear seats.
“The Range Rover SV Coupé is a highly compelling design with peerless refinement and uncompromised sophistication from its breath-taking exterior proportions to its sumptuous, beautifully appointed, interior. This is a vehicle that will resonate on an emotional level,” said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s chief design officer.


Cop Parking Di Pusat Membeli Belah – Salah Ke Di Sisi Undang-Undang?

Ketika ini, majoriti rakyat Malaysia menggunakan kereta sebagai kenderaan utama untuk bergerak. Fenomena ini menyaksikan penambahan bilangan kereta di jalan raya secara mendadak.

Selain di
jalan raya
, penambahan kereta ini juga telah menyebabkan tempat parkir kereta menjadi semakin terhad, terutama di pusat membeli belah dan parkir awam ketika hujung minggu. Jumlah kereta yang semakin banyak membuatkan segelintir pemandu terpaksa
double park
 dan menghalang jalan keluar kereta lain. Kalau ada tinggal nombor telefon tak mengapalah juga, kalau tiada?

*Kredit foto: NST

Seperti yang ada tahu, masalah moden memerlukan penyelesaian moden. Oleh itu, ada segelintir manusia yang terlebih bijak mengambil keputusan untuk berdiri di dalam petak parkir kosong yang disediakan untuk kegunaan orang awam seperti di rumah pangsa, apartmen, pusat membeli belah mahupun di hadapan kedai sebagai tanda cop
 'parking
’.

Walau bagaimanapun, perkara ini bukan hanya berlaku di Malaysia sahaja. Negara lain pun ada spesis seperti ini yang gemar menjaga
kotak parkir
 untuk pemandu yang masih belum tiba. Tidak dinafikan, perbuatan ini jelas menyakitkan hati sesetengah pihak. Tetapi tahukah anda, ada undang-undang khas yang ditulis untuk situasi seperti ini?

*Kredit foto: PDRM

Cop Parking Merupakan Satu Kesalahan

Selain menyusahkan orang lain, tindakan ini juga membahayakan mereka yang berdiri di dalam petak parkir tersebut. Sekiranya ada pemandu yang tak nampak atau buat buat tak nampak ada orang berdiri di belakangnya, ia boleh mendatangkan bahaya.

Di bawah Seksyen 50(3) Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987, perbuatan berdiri untuk menempah petak parkir memang dinyatakan sebagai satu jenayah. Bahagian “gangguan dan desakan menyalahi undang-undang” ini menyatakan:

“Jika mana-mana orang melainkan dengan kuasa yang sah, berada di atas mana-mana jalan atau di mana-mana tempat letak kereta bagi maksud mendesak mana-mana orang lain berkenaan dengan penjagaan atau pencucian sesuatu kenderaan motor, atau bagi maksud mengarahkan mana-mana pemandu sesuatu kenderaan motor berkenaan dengan meletakkan kereta di atas jalan atau di tempat itu, dia melakukan suatu kesalahan.”

Undang-undang ini juga terpakai bagi mereka yang menawarkan untuk menjaga atau mencuci kenderaan anda. Memandangkan undang-undang ini tidak menyatakan sebarang tempat spesifik, jadi ia terpakai di tempat awam mahupun premis peribadi seperti pusat membeli belah.

Di bawah Seksyen 119, kebiasaannya penalti untuk kesalahan ni adalah denda sehingga RM2,000 atau penjara sehingga 6 bulan. Kesalahan berulang boleh didenda sehingga RM 4,000 dan/atau penjara 12 bulan.

Apa Yang Boleh Dilakukan Jika Ada Pihak Cop Parking?

Perbuatan memandu masuk dalam petak parkir yang sudah dicop boleh mendatangkan bahaya kepada orang tersebut dan pemandu sendiri. Tidak dinafikan, perbuatan menghalang orang lain daripada masuk ke petak parkir dikira sebagai satu jenayah, tapi melanggar orang dengan kereta pun jenayah juga.

Perbuatan menakut-nakutkan orang lain boleh disabitkan di bawah Seksyen 503 Kanun Keseksaan yang menjelaskan:

“Barang siapa mengugut hendak mendatangkan kepada seseorang apa-apa bencana kepada tubuh, nama baik atau harta dengan niat ingin menyebabkan kegentaran kepada orang itu dikira sebagai melakukan kesalahan menakutkan secara jenayah.”

Sebaiknya, anda boleh membuat laporan secara terus kepada pihak
Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ).
 Pastikan anda mendapatkan bukti seperti gambar/video yang ada menunjukkan nombor plat pesalah bersama kesalahan yang dilakukan dan laporkan kepada JPJ melalui cara berikut:

Hantar Whatsapp ke 011-511 5252

Hantar emel ke aduantrafik@jpj.gov.my

Telefon 03-8886 6412

Selain itu, anda sebagai pengadu juga perlu menyediakan:

Maklumat peribadi pemandu (termasuk IC)

Lokasi

Tarikh dan Masa

Nombor plat

Keterangan tentang situasi yang berlaku

Kesimpulannya, tindakan menempah parkir atau cop
parking
 ini merupakan satu kesalahan di sisi undang-undang Malaysia. Sekiranya anda berdepan dengan situasi seperti ini, cubalah jelaskan dengan baik bahawa tindakan tersebut menyalahi undang-undang. Kalau tak jalan juga, jangan bazirkan masa anda untuk bertekak. Sebaliknya, laporkan saja pada JPJ!


RFID down on DUKE and SPE - weekend motorist squeeze into TNG/SmarTAG lanes

If you’re in the Klang Valley over the weekend and were planning a route that takes you along the DUKE (Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway), you might want to take detour as the RFID lanes don’t seem to be working, causing significant congestion at the toll plazas.

It has happened again. After the multiple outages that hit the North-South Expressway
on the evening of December 15th
, RFID has again failed in a very similar manner indicating that this is likely a recurring issue impacting the backend system.

Of course, RFID users will have to filter into Touch n’Go or SmarTAG lanes to pass through, which has caused more than a little frustration and is pretty much the opposite of smooth traffic flow promised by the new touch-less payment method.

Even worse
is the fact that PayDirect
, which allows TNG card holders to pay using their e-Wallet balance instead of the on-card balance, is also not working.

If your destination requires passing through the DUKE and SPE, please make sure you have sufficient balance in your Touch n’Go card itself, otherwise you’ll be in for a particularly annoying experience.

Again, this is the second time within 48 hours that the RFID system experienced this kind of disruption. For now, as far as we know, it is only confined to the DUKE and SPE highways.


Papan Tanda ‘Kecil’ SUKE Ikut Piawaian – Bakal Digantikan Dengan Lebih Besar

Papan tanda bersaiz kecil di
 Lebuhraya Bertingkat Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang (SUKE)
 telah dicabut untuk digantikan dengan saiz yang lebih sesuai dan praktikal serta tidak mengelirukan pengguna.

Sejak dibuka pada
16 September
 lalu, orang ramai mengambil peluang untuk menikmati permandangan Kuala Lumpur melalui lebuh raya terbabit sehingga menyebabkan kemalangan.

Namun satu lagi isu timbul apabila sebuah video di TikTok telah menunjukkan saiz papan tanda lebih kecil daripada biasa digunakan di lebuhraya itu yang berisiko mengelirukan pengguna kerana sukar dibaca dari jauh.

Papan Tanda SUKE Ikut Piawaian

Menurut PROLINTAS, papan tanda yang dipasang di sepanjang Lebuhraya SUKE adalah mengikut piawaian yang ditetapkan dan telah mendapat kelulusan daripada Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM).

Namun setelah saiz papan tanda itu menjadi isu hangat di media sosial, PROLINTAS melalui akaun Facebook rasminya telah memaklumkan bahawa pihaknya telah mencabut papan tanda tersebut dengan serta merta.

Tambah PROLINTAS, pihaknya sedang mereka bentuk papan tanda baharu yang lebih praktikal dan dijangka siap dalam masa terdekat.

Kenapa Guna Saiz Kecil?

Dikala ramai yang mempersoalkan tindakan PROLINTAS kerana membuat kerja ‘2 kali’ kerana perlu menggantikan papan tanda untuk lebuh raya yang baru dibuka, pengendali lebuh raya ini berkata papan tanda bersaiz kecil adalah papan tanda tambahan yang dipasang di tengah-tengah cabang simpang sebagai inisiatif yang diambil oleh pihak perunding dilantik serta syarikat.

Disebabkan kekangan kawasan, saiz papan tanda tambahan yang digunakan adalah lebih kecil berbanding papan tanda sedia ada. Sementara itu papan tanda utama dipasang pada gantry di setiap 250 meter sebelum simpang bercabang.

Dalam pada itu, PROLINTAS turut menyangkal dakwaan bahawa Lebuhraya SUKE tidak selamat digunakan setelah memberitahu struktur binaan SUKE adalah selamat dan mengikut piawaian yang ditetapkan serta menerima kelulusan sewajarnya yang tertakluk dalam perjanjian konsesi.

PROLINTAS turut memberitahu bahawa Bahagian Operasi Lebuhraya SUKE sentiasa komited dalam memastikan perkhidmatan lebuh raya terbaik dan menyarankan pengguna untuk terus peka serta mematuhi kesemua papan tanda di Lebuhraya SUKE.


Quick Spin: Honda N Box – Just Why Is This Kei Car So Popular In Japan?

Say hello to the
Honda N Box
, the best-selling car in Japan for the past two years.

Produced by Honda exclusively for the Japanese market since 2011, the 5-door hatchback, which is currently in its second generation, is actually popular in the land of the rising sun for a reason.

We managed to get our hands on one in Japan recently when we visited the country to cover the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, and boy were we up for a sweet surprise.

The car was actually part of a driving exercise in which the main highlights were the Honda Insight and CR-V Hybrid, where we had the opportunity to experience Honda’s new IMMD hybrid system.

However, for whatever reason, Honda also decided to throw in a couple of N Boxes in the lineup for the media to get a feel of it.

Well, guess what? It turned out to be the main highlight of the whole day as it was the most fun car in the whole fleet.

Although we had no intentions of reviewing the N Box, it was so fun and cool that we couldn’t help it but grab our camera and start shooting the car just to show you how unbelievably practical and fun it is.

Powered by a turbocharged 3-cylinder 660 cc petrol engine mated with a CVT transmission, the N Box makes nothing more than 64 PS, and is capable of achieving a top speed of 110 km/h.

Measuring 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide, and 1,770 mm in height, the N Box is a very small vehicle, which pretty much looks like a toaster on wheels.

However, as small as it is, the amount of space you get inside once you open the doors, is simply unbelievable. It is amazing how well Honda has managed the space in this little box.

Roominess aside, the N Box is also generous with features. For instance, the car which drove for a short while at a test course near the Twin Ring Motegi MotoGP circuit, came with a huge touch-screen infotainment system, automatic air conditioning, two power sockets and a USB port in front, ample storage compartments, as well as a very well finished interior.

Further adding to the whole package are the bench-type seats in front and in the rear, crazy amount of head room, as well as powered sliding doors. The seats can also slide front to back, recline, and tip up and down separately or both to accommodate passengers, as well as long and tall cargo.

On top of that, the N Box even comes with Honda Sensing technology which includes pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, ultrasonic mis-acceleration mitigation system, and road sign assist.

That being said, it is no surprise that the N Box is selling so well in Japan. So, if you ever visit Japan in the future, make sure that you rent one of these things and give it a go, just to understand what an impressive piece of machinery it is.

In case you're wondering how much the N Box costs, Honda is selling it at about 2 million Japanese Yen in Japan, which is about RM80,000.

There are, however, a few parallel import units available in Malaysia, with an asking price of between RM130,000 and RM150,000.

Looking for a new Honda? Find the best deals
here
.


Perodua pre-owned vehicle outlet to open in mid-2016

It was reported late last year that Perodua’s retail arm has firm plans to go into the used car business.
At present, the company has already established a pre-owned vehicle division, but its function is currently restricted to merely facilitating trade-ins of customers seeking to swap their existing car for a
brand new Perodua vehicle
.
Trade-in cars taken in by the pre-owned vehicle team subsequently re-enter the market through a panel of used car dealers who work with Perodua or auctioned off to interested buyers.
Moving forward,
firm plans
 are in the pipeline for Perodua-branded pre-owned vehicle retail outlets to sell refurbished used Perodua vehicles obtained through trade-in. Cars sold through this channel will be no older than seven years and will be covered by a limited warranty.
Non-Perodua vehicles will be disposed of in same fashion as present – through a trusted panel of used car dealers or by auction.
At today’s
Perodua annual media briefing
, the company revealed that the first outlet of the pre-owned vehicle division is slated for opening middle this year somewhere in the Central region. The company plans to eventually widen the reach of this business to other parts of the country.
Of course, if you cannot wait for the Perodua pre-owned vehicle division to get your car shopping under way, we have a wide selection of
pre-owned Perodua vehicles right here on Carlist.my
.


2021 Range Rover Velar 2.0L R-Dynamic Introduced In Malaysia - RM612k

SISMA Auto and Sime Darby Motors introduce the 2021 Range Rover Velar 2.0L R-Dynamic to the Malaysian market, retailing at RM612,000.

SISMA Auto and Sime Darby Motors, the exclusive importer for Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in Malaysia, have just introduced a refreshed
Range Rover Velar
, in the form of the 2021 Range Rover Velar 2.0L R-Dynamic.

Refreshed with an enhanced interior design, improvements to the Driver Assistance Systems, Pivi Pro – an all-new intuitive infotainment system, and several other features including an Electronic Air Suspension, the Velar now adds another level of
style and tech
.

The interior now features design influences from analogous industries such as interior design, fashion, and consumer electronics, giving the Velar a significant visual uplift. Noticeable changes include a new toggle shifter and steering wheel design with integrated smart buttons and a hands-on wheel detection feature.

The enhancement doesn't stop there either, as the 2021 Velar has a host of new features that enhance the cabin experience, including premium cabin lighting, a 10-inch dual touch screen, 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display, and coloured Head-up Display.

As for the upgraded driving assistance system, the stylistic SUV now comes with an enhanced 3D Surround Camera that provides the driver with a 3-dimensional view around the vehicle which makes maneuvering across different terrains easier – displaying several views simultaneously, including a 3D perspective view plan from above and ClearSight Ground View.

Jaguar Land Rover's all-new infotainment system, Pivi Pro,  is customisable and has the ability to display information that is most relevant to the driver and can be directly accessed in two touches or less. Users can also connect two smartphones at once so drivers and passengers can enjoy hands-free connectivity without disconnecting their smartphones from the system.

One of the most welcome features in the new Velar is the Active Road Noise Cancellation (ARNC) system, which comes standard with the Meridian Sound Systems that works just like a pair of high-end noise cancellation headphones to deliver a quiet and more refined cabin experience.

The Electronic Air Suspension, which has been upgraded, comes with an automatic access height feature, which changes the vehicle's height quickly to keep all four wheels on the ground, even on the most uneven surfaces. This upgrade makes entering or loading heavy objects into the Velar a much more convenient experience.

The vehicle's height can be altered by +/- 50mm to suit your needs via the infotainment system, key fob or control buttons in the loadspace area. In addition, the air suspension's ride height drops by 10mm to improve aerodynamic drag, thereby improving fuel efficiency when cruising above 105km/h, according to Land Rover.

Another useful feature that has been added is Wade Sensing, where the vehicle's system uses ultrasonic sensors in the exterior mirrors to visually (via the touchscreen) and audibly alert the driver if water approaches the vehicle's maximum wading depth.

The 2021 Range Rover Velar 2.0L R-Dynamic maintains the same
P250 Ingenium powertrain
, which produces 249 PS and 365 Nm of torque, available from 1,300rpm and 4,500rpm. As before, the engine is mated to the smooth-shifting ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics.

The Velar is still manufactured at the JLR's Solihull, UK production facility.

The 2021 Range Rover Velar 2.0L R-Dynamic is now on sale at a starting price of RM612,207.74 (price is inclusive of 50% Penjana Sales Tax waiver, excluding Road Tax, Registration and Insurance).


Geng Motor Meroket Di Lebuh Raya – Aksi Berbahaya Cetus Kerisauan

Sebagai rakyat Malaysia, pasti anda pernah terjumpa golongan
mat motor
 yang memecut laju sambil melakukan aksi
Superman
 ketika berada di atas motor.

Berdasarkan sebuah video yang dikongsikan di Facebook, sekumpulan geng motor dilihat sedang menguji jentera masing-masing di
lebuh raya
. Ada daripada mereka yang melakukan aksi
Superman
 atau
fly
 di atas motor pada kelajuan 185km/j berdasarkan video tersebut.

Bila dah Superman atas motor, macam mana kaki nak pijak
gear
? Guna tanganlah jawabnya. Untuk melakukan perbuatan yang berbahaya pada kelajuan seperti itu, hanya sedikit kesilapan sahaja boleh membawa kepada 2 kemungkinan, kecederaan atau
kematian
. Belum tambah lagi dengan saiz
tayar
 kecil yang digunakan pada motosikal mereka. Tayar kecil memanglah laju dan ringan, tapi agak berbahaya ketika berada di jalan berselekoh.

*Kredit foto: Mat Duan Lalat

Sebagai pengguna jalan raya, apa pendapat anda tentang golongan ini? Adakah ia dikira sebagai hobi mahal yang perlu dihormati kerana mereka tidak mengganggu masyarakat sekeliling? Atau ia sekadar salah satu cara bagi golongan yang gemar
mengubah suai motosikal
 untuk melepaskan gian di atas jalan? Perlukah aktiviti ini dikekang atau dibiarkan sahaja?

Secara jujurnya, aktiviti mengubah suai motor untuk menjadikan ia semakin laju itu memang hak milik individu dan tidak mengganggu masyarakat sekeliling. Tetapi, apabila golongan ini menggunakan jalan raya sebagai medan untuk menguji kehebatan motosikal dengan menunggang secara melulu, ia secara langsung telah melibatkan nyawa pengguna jalan raya yang lain.

*Kredit foto: Berita Harian

Dengan
kebenaran rentas negeri
 yang diberikan kepada golongan yang lengkap 2 dos vaksin, pasti ramai yang keluar menggunakan lebuh raya untuk pelbagai tujuan. Tidak adillah sekiranya golongan mat motor ini memilih untuk melakukan sesuatu yang boleh mendatangkan bahaya pada diri sendiri dan orang sekeliling ketika jalan sesak dengan kenderaan.

Kalau tak sayang nyawa sekalipun, fikirkanlah orang lain juga. Walaupun biasanya penunggang motosikal lebih berisiko jika terlibat dalam kemalangan berbanding pengguna kenderaan lain, namun fikirkanlah trauma yang mungkin bakal menimpa pengguna jalan raya lain sekiranya terlanggar tubuh yang terjatuh dari motosikal akibat perbuatan memandu secara berbahaya.

Sekali lagi kami ingin mengingatkan semua pembaca, jalan raya bukanlah tempat untuk
berlumba
 tak kiralah untuk apa jenis kenderaan sekalipun. Sebaliknya, gunakanlah saluran yang betul untuk melepaskan gian seperti menyewa
litar
. Tak salah jika nak berkonvoi di lebuh raya, tapi janganlah sampai berbaring di atas motor.

Menurut
Institut Penyelidikan Keselamatan Jalan Raya Malaysia (MIROS),
 lebih 60% kematian akibat kemalangan jalan raya terdiri daripada penunggang motosikal sejak 20 tahun lepas. Lebih menyedihkan, 45% daripada mangsa yang maut berada dalam lingkungan umur 16 hingga 30 tahun.

*Kredit foto: Harian Metro

MIROS juga mendedahkan kemalangan motosikal biasanya berlaku di jalan-jalan utama dengan 66% di bahagian jalan yang lurus, 27.5% pelanggaran di sudut atau tepi jalan, 28% melibatkan kereta dan 25% melibatkan satu kenderaan.

Sekiranya ada mat motor yang selalu
fly
 atas motor membaca artikel ini, mahukah anda menjadi penyumbang statistik yang akan datang atau adakah saya sebagai penulis hanya perlu menjaga urusan saya sendiri?

Apa yang boleh saya katakan, selagi belum kena, eloklah bertaubat dan berubah. Jika nasi sudah menjadi bubur, boleh tahankah telinga anda untuk mendengar makian daripada orang sekeliling? Silap-silap sampai ke cucu cicit pun cerita “kau tahu tak atuk kau dulu..”masih berkeliaran. Sanggup ke? Belum kira dengan kemungkinan untuk mendapat kecacatan kekal akibat daripada bermain dengan kelajuan dengan terlalu sedikit ciri keselamatan yang digunakan.

Sementara itu, seorang anggota
bomba
 meninggalkan komen di video terbabit mengatakan kebiasannya, kehadiran anggota bomba di lebuh raya jarang membawa berita baik untuk keluarga mangsa. Jadi kalau boleh, berpada-padalah di jalan raya.

Jangan sampai abang bomba jemput baru nak berubah!


Shanghai 2019: World Premiere Of Renault City K-ZE Electric SUV

Renault has unveiled its first A-segment electric SUV, the City K-ZE, at the ongoing Auto Shanghai 2019 motor show.
First shown as a concept at last year’s Paris Motor Show, the City K-ZE is the first product of the joint venture company between the Renault and China’s Dongfeng Motor Group, and as such is an SUV that is designed and produced for the Chinese market. Start of sales will be announced before the end of 2019.
The City K-ZE electric SUV has a wheelbase of 2,423mm – almost identical to the Renault Kwid SUV which is available in some markets – and boasts a ground clearance of 150mm. Bootspace is a claimed 300 litres. Renault has yet to release the full dimensions of the vehicle.
Little is known about the battery capacity or the powertrain at this stage, but the Renault City K-ZE is said to feature multiple charging modes and is compatible with both 220V domestic plugs and public infrastructures. It can be recharged up 80 percent of capacity within 50 mins using a fast charger, a slow charge requires 4 hours to fully recharge the battery.
On the inside, the K-ZE will feature an 8-inch LCD touch screen with 4G-WiFi connectivity and smart voice recognition. The Renault City K-ZE also packs 'PM2.5' air quality sensors to evaluate cabin air quality and automatically switch between interior and exterior air circulation.
The City K-ZE will offer safety features such as a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and rear camera.


Volkswagen Tarok Concept Unveiled, Extendable Deck Length To Over 1.8 Metres

At the ongoing Sao Paulo International Motor Show in Brazil, Volkswagen took the wraps off its latest Tarok Concept, a replacement to their popular compact Saveiro pick-up.
The Tarok concept continues with the success story of the Saveiro which began back in 1983 in South America.
Back then, Volkswagen took the
Gol subcompact
car and added a pickup bed, making their first compact pick-up for the South American market.
The all-new pick-up, which will be positioned below the Amarok, is based on the modular transverse matrix (MQB) platform just like the Tiguan compact SUV.
One important design feature in the double-cab five-seater Tarok Concept is the variable loading area concept. The length of the cargo deck can be extended by folding and tumbling down the rear seats, stretching the cargo deck from a length of 1,206 mm to 1,861 mm. For reference, the mainstream pick-up models in ASEAN have a cargo deck length that ranges from 1,500 mm to 1,550 mm.
On the inside, the Tarok Concept features a highly digitized environment. The dual-screen layout will allow for the latest generation of digital displays and controls.
Underneath the Tarok Concept’s stylish exterior design that combines an urban SUV and off-roader lies a powerful 1.4-litre TSI flex-fuel engine that develops 150 PS. Power is sent to all four wheels via the 4Motion system with terrain control and the rear suspension features independent multi-link arrangement.
Volkswagen will also offer the production model of the Tarok Concept to other markets, as well as a 2.0-litre turbo diesel mill that delivers 150 PS.


Shell Euro 5 Diesel Now Available In Sabah

Shell Malaysia today announced the availability of its Shell 'FuelSave' Diesel Euro 5 fuel at eight retail stations along the west coast of Sabah.
Shell Euro 5 diesel, formulated with ‘Active Efficiency’ Ingredients, is a cleaner diesel fuel that ignites and burns more effectively thus improving engine efficiency and delivering better mileage. Shell Euro 5 diesel also contains special detergents that helps protect against the build-up of injector deposits, amongst others.
Euro 5 standard diesel contains very low sulphur content, of only 10 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur compared with 500 ppm of sulphur in Euro2M standard diesel, making it better suited with modern diesel engines running on high-pressure direct injection systems.
The eight retails stations offering Shell Euro 5 diesel in Sabah currently are:
Golden Hill Enterprise, Kota Kinabalu
KNY Express, Inanam
Mega Gas Station, Menggatal
SMS Kg Likas (Sabah) SB, Likas
Stesen Maju Jaya, Keningau
Stesen Minyak Hj Tengah B. Bagol Dan Anak, Sipitang
Stesen Minyak Shell Maju, Penampang
Yun Cheong Shell SVC Station, Tanjung Aru
Another eight Shell retail stations will begin offering Shell Euro 5 diesel in stages, in the near future:
Bundusan Service Station, Bundusan
Kivatusin Station, Penampang
L.A. Taipan, Inanam
Mutiara Klasik, Kota Kinabalu
One Station, Tuaran
Stesen Minyak Wawasan, Kota Kinabalu
Syarikat Kotobu Sdn Bhd, Putatan
Tamajaya, Lok Kawi
Shell
first introduced
 its Euro 5 diesel fuel at the tail end of 2015 in Peninsular Malaysia, and as of June last year,
Shell claimed
 that over 3000 vehicles fuel up with Shell Euro 5 diesel fuel every day, by the looks of it, that number is set to grow.


Volvo S60 T6 Gets EEV Status. RM42,000 Cheaper

Volvo
 Car Malaysia has just announced that the
S60 T6
, which is equipped with the Drive-E powertrain is now recognised as an Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV) and with this new status, the S60 T6 will enjoy a reduction in retail price as outlined below:
Model
Retail price*
Retail price with EEV incentive*
S60 T6
RM280,888
RM238,888

* On-the-road without insurance, inclusive of six per cent GST
The T6 engine equipped on the S60 outputs a maximum 306 hp at 5,600 rpm and a maximum torque of 400 Nm between 2,100 and 4,800 rpm. All of this power is managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission with two overdrive gears that conserves fuel when cruising at constant speeds.
The combination of these technologies help the S60 T6 deliver only 6.7 litre / 100 km (NEDC combined cycle) in terms of fuel consumption. This means that the current T6 engine produces more power, uses less fuel and produces fewer emissions than the previous engine.
The powertrain package enables the S60 T6 to do the century sprint in only 5.9 seconds, thanks to the super- and turbocharger combination which results in a big, naturally-aspirated feel with high amounts of torque available across a wider range.
The S60 T6 also comes standard with Dynamic chassis, a faster responding steering gear ratio, thicker steering column tubing and stiffer bushes with increased torsional rigidity by 100 percent, to give an increased feeling of direct contact with the wheels and the road.
“Our Drive-E powertrain technology is focused squarely on delivering responsive power, clean efficiency and an exceptional driving experience. Using our advanced boosting solutions, we are able to get the best out of our precisely-designed engines,” said Lennart Stegland, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia.
Want to read more about how the S60 T6 drives and if it is a worthy purchase? Check out our review
here
.
Looking for a Volvo? Find one now at
Carlist.my


Honda Owners Ignoring Airbag Recall Notice Worries Honda Malaysia

Honda Malaysia is very concerned to know that there are still a fair number of owners of Honda vehicles affected by the recent airbag recall who have yet to send their vehicle for an inspection by Honda Malaysia, sometimes with fatal consequences.

The company confirms today that there have been two fatal accidents involving faulty Takata airbags installed in two of its vehicles. No official cause of death has been determined yet for either cases but inspections by the Royal Malaysian Police confirmed that in both instances, the airbag inflators were ruptured.

A recall notice have been issued for the two affected Honda models for more than a year already but neither vehicles have had their faulty airbags replaced.

In a fatal accident in Sabah involving a 2006 Honda City that happened on 16-April 2016, a recall for that particular vehicle was issued on May 21, 2015.

In the other fatal accident in Kedah, which happened on 1-May 2016 involving a 2003 Honda City, the recall for was issued on 8-December 2014.

“Honda is communicating with representatives of the drivers’ families in an effort to resolve their remaining concerns. Out of respect for the families, Honda will not provide any personal information,” said Honda Malaysia.

It added, “Honda Malaysia continues urge owners of Honda vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator product updates to get their vehicles repaired at authorized dealers as soon as possible. Vehicle owners can check their vehicles’ product updates’ status at
www.honda.com.my
 or call our toll free number at 1-800-88-2020 or visit any Honda authorized dealers.”

In many instances where the vehicle have been sold to another owner who no longer maintains his or her vehicle at an authorised Honda service centre, it could be very difficult for Honda Malaysia to contact the new owner as the company does not have the contact details. The next best alternative is to communicate to the public via announcements through the media. The company has also placed banners announcing the recalls in all its road shows.

If you own a Honda, find out if your vehicle is affected by any recalls
here
. We commend Honda for its transparency. It is the only brand in the country with a dedicated webpage detailing its recalls.


CES 2019: Mercedes-Benz Set To Unveil All-New CLA

Mercedes-Benz has just released a teaser image to the upcoming all-new CLA-Class. The company will be using the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 (CES) in Las Vegas as a platform to unveil the compact four-door coupe.
Compared to the
A-Class sedan
 which is available in a few select markets, the all-new CLA-class continue to adopt a steep drop at the rear pillars, contributing to the coupe look.
At last year’s event, Mercedes-Benz premiered the
MBUX
 infotainment system
 that provides the interface in the
all-new A-Class
. The company has since improved and added more features into the infotainment system that allows for natural language operation and equipped it with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Interior of the A-Class
Mercedes-Benz is scheduled to uncover the stylish compact four-door coupe on January 8th 2019.


Honda Civic Type R Smashes Fifth Lap Record In Europe

In the fifth and final of a planned series of lap record attempts across Europe in 2018, Honda has set a new record for a front wheel drive production car at the Hungaroring GP circuit in Hungary.
The Civic Type R, which was driven by ex F1 world champion and current NSX Super GT driver, Jenson Button, lapped the Hungaroring circuit in 2:10.19 minutes.
The track holds special significance for Button, as it was where he won the first Grand Prix of his career with Honda in 2006.
The Hungaroring circuit is a twisty and narrow 4.38km track with 180-degree corners and a complex chicane, making it one of the more technical tracks in Europe.
It proved to be a perfect demonstration of the Civic Type R’s Adaptive Damper System, the steering setup, and improved aerodynamics, as Button was able to secure the lap record for Honda at the Grand Prix circuit.
Commenting on the Civic Type R, Jenson Button said, “The first thing I noticed when I left the pit lane was how neutral the car was. I come from a background that is not front-wheel drive focused, so it was very different for me but because the Type R is so well balanced it was instantly really enjoyable and more natural”.
“The thing that surprised me most is how late you can brake with this car. The manual gearbox works really well, too. Most cars these days don’t come with manual boxes, so it’s nice to have that manual feel. You always feel a lot more connected to the car.”
Honda set the original benchmark time for Hungaroring during a similar challenge in 2016 using the previous generation Civic Type R.
This new benchmark time is the fifth front-wheel drive lap record set by Honda in The Type R Challenge 2018, achieving the objective set out by the challenge, which was thought up after the Type R became the fastest front-wheel drive production car ever round the Nürburgring Nordschleife in April 2017 with a lap time of 7mins 43.8secs.
These six records cement the Civic Type R’s position as the quickest car in its class.
The challenge saw five of Honda’s racing champions put the car through its paces around five tracks in Europe, setting new record lap times for a front-wheel drive production car.
WTCR driver Tiago Monteiro – Estoril circuit, Portugal (2:01.84 minutes)
BTCC legend Matt Neal – Silverstone, UK (2:31.32 minutes)
Super GT star Betrand Baguette – SpaFrancorchamps, Belgium (2:53.72 minutes)
WTCR driver Esteban Guerrieri – MagnyCours GP, France (2:01.51 minutes)
That being said, the new Civic Type R remains the quickest and fastest accelerating car in its class, thanks to a combination of its lightweight, highly rigid body shell and unique dual-axis strut front suspension system, which reduces torque steer and conquers hard cornering.
“This new Type R is a mega bit of kit, as they always have been, and it’s definitely not lost any of its charm,” said Button.


Proton X70 vs Key Competitors - Which One Should You Buy?

Launched a week ago, the Proton X70 is pitted against some well-established SUV nameplates in the market, such as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester, and to a certain extent (due to its pricing), the Honda HR-V.
Based on the facelifted Geely Boyue, the Proton X70 finds itself in a rather unique position. Prices start from a low RM99,800 for the entry Standard 2WD, which pits it against the smaller Honda HR-V (prices for new facelift model
pending government approval
), stretching up to RM123,800 for the highest specifications Premium 2WD, which puts it within firing range of entry variants of Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and Mitsubishi Outlander.
In short, the highest specification Proton X70 is priced cheaper than the lowest specification Japanese alternatives. How the car behaves on the road, we can't tell until we get behind the wheel. For now, we will only focus on how the X70 fares on paper.
In terms of size, the Proton X70 slightly taller in height but shorter in length and narrower in width than all its key rivals. At a glance, the X70's interior is spacious enough. It sits five adults comfortably but it lacks the finer touches of the Honda CR-V, which still has the most practical interior in its class, complete with a centre console box that's deep enough for a handbag. The CR-V's controls and displays are also the most user friendly.
Proton doesn't provide details on its boot size, but visually it's comparable to the CR-V's 522-litre, except that the design of the CR-V's boot and aperture makes it more practical than the Proton, with a wider opening and lower boot floor for easy loading.
Power for the Proton X70 comes from a 1.8-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine that outputs 181 hp and 285 Nm, making it the most powerful in its class. Drive is transferred via a six-speed automatic transmission to either the front wheels or all four wheels, depending on the variant. How well it drives and rides on our local roads, we can only conclude after getting our turn with a test drive unit.
Safety is where the Proton X70 dominates. No other SUV comes close to even matching it. The range-topping X70 Premium 2WD comes with a full suite of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) functions - Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Information System, and Intelligent High Beam Control.
For the Honda CR-V to match the X70's offering, you have to pay almost RM25,000 more over the base model for the top spec turbocharged, Honda Sensing-equipped CR-V 1.5 TC-P. If you want the CX-5, be prepared to fork out over RM30,000 more over the base model for its equivalent i-ActiveSense package, which is only available on the range-topping diesel-powered variants, but it doesn't include adaptive cruise control.
Mitsubishi Outlander 2.0 AWD
The Mitsubishi Outlander offers none of these functions but it counters by offering the tried and trusted all-wheel drive for maximum grip in all weather conditions. Having seven seats is also another plus point. Yes it lacks air-conditioning blower for the rear passengers, but Mitsubishi do offer an air-circulator accessory.
Another highlight the sets the Proton X70 apart from the crowd is the Geely Smart Ecosystem (GKUI) infotainment system, built on the Android 4.4 operating system, it supports contextual, natural language voice commands and works on par with Mercedes-Benz's MBUX's “Hey Mercedes” feature seen on the all-new A-Class. Drivers can just say “Hi Proton, I am hungry” or “Hi Proton, it’s too cold”, to get the X70 to show information to the nearest restaurant or turn the air-conditioning warmer, respectively. In the sunroof-equipped Premium 2WD variant, saying “Hi Proton, I want to see the sky” opens and closes the roof.
It might be gimmicky but we applaud Proton for equipping a convenience feature that's not found in cars twice or triple its price.
Mazda CX-5 2.0 GL
However if we are to be honest, we would gladly trade this feature with the far more practical Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity, which are not available in the X70 but available in the CR-V. The Mitsubishi Outlander also offers Apple CarPlay compatibility, while we expect the Mazda CX-5 to receive these in the near future. Proton's infotainment is packed full of features but the problem is that it's mostly tied to China-based apps.
There's also no support for Google Maps or Waze. Instead it uses Baidu maps. You can still use Google Maps or Waze but only via MirrorLink, which is restricted to selected Android devices. Sorry iPhone users. The music streaming app is by Unlimited Music, which is tied to China's TenCent, when most users here are on Spotify.
Honda CR-V 1.5 AWD shown
Overall the Proton X70 is certainly the most money-wise purchase on the market right now. Whichever way our forthcoming review of the car turns out, it's hard to argue against the latest Proton's overall package. Whatever shortcomings in the car's practicality, ride, and handling is compensated by its outstanding value.
Subaru Forester 2.0 i-P shown
Choosing between the Proton and its Japanese rivals is now reduced to just how much value one place in the Japanese alternatives' unique selling points ; the CR-V for its class-leading interior practicality, fuel economy, and ease of maintenance; the CX-5 for its premium interior, outstanding design, and excellent handling; the Outlander for its all-wheel drive, seven seats, and cabin quietness (we were quite impressed by it during our review); and the Forester for its rally-bred image and incredibly reliable mechanicals. It is also worth noting that that Forester is an outgoing model, as the all-new model is expected to be launched next year. The all-new Forester looks very similar to the current model, but it uses an all-new platform.
While waiting for our review of the Proton X70, here are our reviews of the Japanese alternatives:
Honda CR-V 1.5 TC-P
Mazda CX-5 2.0 GL
All-New Subaru Forester
 (left-hand drive Taiwan model, to be launched here in 2019)
Mitsubishi Outlander 2.0


Save up to RM2,100 on CARSOME Certified Cars!

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CARSOME Certified Car
 as your next ride of choice, but Carlist.my will sweeten the deal even more with up to RM2,100 in savings.

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The third and final step
 is to post the photo on your public Facebook or Instagram account with the hashtag #SoEasyOnCarlist and feel free to let us know how your experience went between researching to test driving your car of choice.

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an RM600 voucher
 for your next car - just like that! Even better, you’ll also be up for a further RM1,500 savings if you trade in your existing car, bringing the total value saved
to RM2,100
.

What are you waiting for? Download the Carlist.my app now and begin your journey into your next car with great savings to be had along the way.

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The curious case of sudden parking fees in Petaling Jaya

A report by the Sun has exposed that workers around a Petaling Jaya business area are suddenly getting parking summonses for their cars, as PJ City Council has apparently started charging for parking there without appropriately informing anyone.

According to the report, workers around the business area at Jalan Kilang 51/205, off Jalan Tandang, are shocked at getting summonses despite properly parking inside the bays provided.

The Sun's investigation has concluded that the PJ City Council has started charging for parking there, and the only indication that they have started doing so is the numbering placed at the parking bays, which have been painted on recently.

Picture credit: Muhammad Yusry/SunPix

A worker who the daily interviewed said "If I knew that I had to pay, I would have. But there was no (notice) saying that I needed to pay. Just putting numbers on a parking bay does not directly translate to 'I must pay for parking."

Another worker commented that "she noticed the city council had marked each parking bay with a number, but had not been informed of the need to pay a parking fee."

When the Sun confronted the enforcement officer for the area, he basically said that he was just following orders as he had consulted his "boss" who gave him the green light to give out the summonses.

"I was around this area and I noticed there's a lot of cars here. I called my boss to ask him if I could summon those cars that didn't pay our fee. He said 'yes' and I just carried out my duty. That's it."

Even if those workers wanted to pay for the parking, it seems that there are no places to do so, according to another worker from the area.

“Do we have to pay for the parking spots? If we do, where should we pay and how does the system work? Not all of us are residents of Petaling Jaya.”

the Sun made an effort to contact the PJ City Council regarding the matter, but it looks like they have not received a response regarding the curious case of the sudden parking charges.


ACOTY 2016 Finalists: Perodua Bezza, Perodua Axia, Proton Iriz - Supreme Value For The Budget-Conscious

The
ASEAN Car of the Year Awards (ACOTY) 2016
 is on full swing with motoring journalists from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia putting their efforts together to deliver a consumer-relevant award that strives to be impartial, comprehensive, and in-depth in its execution.
Ensuring local relevancy, each of the three participating countries will have their unique country-level categories that are familiar to consumers native to that market. A model that wins in its category at country level automatically qualifies to be in the running for the ASEAN-level awards if it is sold across all three countries.
The Malaysian panel, which comprises of 26 judges, have nominated 73 finalists across 24 categories. In the coming weeks,
Carlist.my
 will be publishing a feature series focusing on each category one at a time, delving through the respective strengths and weaknesses of each finalist.
Our first article of the series starts with the Budget Car category where we have three homegrown heroes – Perodua Bezza, Perodua Axia, and Proton Iriz.
In this category, the challenge by manufacturers is to produce cars that are affordable without sacrificing increasingly demanding safety standards as well as consumer tastes. These are cars catered for budget-conscious buyers who at the same time will not settle for a car that feels cheap.
Perodua Bezza
Nominated by:
 23 out of 26 judges
Pricing:
 RM37,300.00 – RM50,800.00
Overview:
 A four-door sedan incorporating all the qualities Malaysians like about Perodua – affordable and dependable with faultless aftersales – the Bezza is the hot favourite for this category. It is Perodua’s first attempt at the three-box concept, yet it is one for which they seemed to have really done their homework for.
Pros:
508-litre boot
Many first-time features in a Perodua: ESC, Keyless Entry, Engine Auto Start/Stop
Fuel efficient engines
ASEAN NCAP 5 Stars
Cons:
Bland styling
Unrewarding dynamics
ESC available only for most expensive model
Read more:
First Impressions: Perodua Bezza – Watch Out! New Best-Seller Coming Your Way!
Perodua Bezza Officially Launched – 1.0L and 1.3L from RM37k onwards
Research:
Find out more:
Perodua Bezza in New Car Showroom
Cars for sale:
Perodua Bezza listed in
Carlist.my
Perodua Axia
Nominated by:
 18 out of 26 judges
Pricing:
 RM24,437.16 – RM41,967.15
Overview:
 It’s the most affordable new car in the market, yet the Axia’s low price tag has not been used as an excuse by Perodua to deliver an undercooked car. The basics are well-sorted, and Perodua took the effort to elevate its packaging expertise to create a car that is smaller than the Myvi yet more spacious.
Pros:
Affordable to buy and maintain
Spacious cabin for the size
Bigger boot volume than even the Myvi
Cons:
Engine sounds thrashy when worked hard
Read more:
2015 Perodua Axia Standard G Full Review - Foot Soldier Of Small Fortune
Research:
Find out more:
Perodua Axia in New Car Showroom
Cars for sale:
Perodua Axia listed in
Carlist.my
Proton Iriz
Nominated by:
 16 out of 26 judges
Pricing:
 RM41,520.00 – RM62,480.00
Overview:
 Don’t discount Proton yet. The Iriz may not be the newest kid in the block, but it does have a few tricks up its sleeve. It’s a more polarizing choice than either Peroduas listed here, excelling in some areas (ride & handling), but also clearly lacking in others (interior quality and refinement). It could use some of the enhancements we saw recently in the Persona, but there is no doubt that between the three cars here, the Iriz is the most fun to drive, yet it is also the most flawed. In this list, it is also the only car to give electronic stability control across its range.
Pros:
Excellent ride and handling
ASEAN NCAP 5 Stars – ESC standard for all variants
Improved fuel economy of VVT engines
Cons:
Unrefined CVT
Interior build quality still suspect
Read more:
2014 Proton Iriz Quick Review To Penang: Turning Over More Than A Few Leaves
2015 Perodua Myvi 1.5 Advance vs 2014 Proton Iriz 1.6 CVT Premium: The RM60,000 battle
Review: Proton Iriz 1.6 Manual – Self-Shifting Choice
Comparison: Proton Iriz vs Perodua Myvi vs Kia Picanto – Entry-Level City Dwellers
Research:
Find out more:
Proton Iriz in New Car Showroom
Cars for sale:
Proton Iriz listed in
Carlist.my
What do you think of our choices? You, the reader, can influence the outcome of ACOTY 2016 as well by participating in our
online automotive consumer survey
, the largest of its kind, aimed at evaluating the overall ownership experience of all vehicle brands.


Leaked: Honda SUV RS Concept Now Ready For Showrooms?

New images of a new super-compact Honda SUV have emerged from an Indonesian source, revealing it to be the rumoured production version of the
SUV RS Concept from the
 2021 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS).

There, the pictures reached the internet through local automotive site
Autonet Magz
, which all but confirmed the identity of this little high-rider. Indonesia is market rife with smaller-than-usual SUV/crossovers with models such as the
Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize
 being popular with buyers.

Naturally, Honda would like a piece of that action, and they intend to get it with this new model whose name is yet to be known. What is, though, is the fact that it’ll be called
‘something-RV’
, and that it’s probably due for a full reveal before long as the car itself looks finished and ready for showrooms.

Honda SUV RS - To take on the Perodua Ativa?

After all, last year’s SUV RS Concept did get very positive responses, even from those observers in the region. India is another market where Honda could pitch the small SUV, competing with the Tata Punch, Toyota Urban Cruiser,
Hyundai Venue
, and Kia Sonet.

There’s clearly plenty of ‘toning down’ work in terms of design here with this leaked Honda SUV sporting a much less fanciful front end treatment. Gone is the Peugeot-style integrated grille, slim LED headlights, and oversized wheels, for example, for a much more conservative look.

In these cramped photos, it looks more like a shrunken BR-V, indicating that this new mystery model leans closer to Honda’s older cars aesthetically instead of the newer style found on the
Civic FE and 3rd-generation HR-V
.

We’ve got no leads as yet about what the interior might be like except to say that luxury isn’t going to be paramount given the value-oriented price this will be pitched at. That said, Honda Sensing could be on the cards.

In terms of possible powertrains, we could see Honda turn to their much-loved 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol as found in the City
and BR-V
 or perhaps endow it with the newer, punchier 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol to really give the Daihatsu Rocky a real run for its money.

If it performs well with Indonesian buyers and especially against the competition, we wouldn’t put it past Honda Malaysia from seeing its potential and wanting to offer it in showrooms on our shores as well.
Against the Perodua Ativa
, it will surely put up an aggressive fight.


MARii Announces A New Policy To Accelerate EV Industry

During a roundtable with the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the CEO of
Malaysia Automotive, Robotics & IoT Institute (MARii)
 Dato Madani Sahari went on record to announce a new policy package catered specifically for electrified vehicles – in particular Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) and the infrastructure and localisation surrounding EVs.

Madani reiterated that the new policy dubbed “The Accelerated EV policy” does not replace the National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020 which was widely noted as being
light on proper specifics and regulations
 with regard to alternative powered vehicles. The new policy which is reportedly in the final stages of preparation is slated to be brought up for the Parliament’s review before being made policy at the end of June, or early July.

The new policy package (which adds onto NAP 2020) hopes to respond to stimulus packages that have drawn EV industries and companies from abroad to neighbouring ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. The new policy then aims to offer more specifics in the forms of incentives, standards and regulation to build the EV ecosystem’s testing infrastructure, local technology development and localised talent and expertise.

Most crucially, the new Accelerated EV policy proposes expanding on previous incentives to not include the manufacturers but owners as well.

For EV owners, the policy proposes the following incentives:

Reduce roadtax charges

Green car parking

Incentives for charger installation

Toll rebates

For manufacturers, the policy proposes a “handsome level of tax exemptions” in the form of:

Reduced import duty

Reduced excise duty

Reduced sales taxes

The incentives will cover PHEV and BEV vehicles. Additionally, the policy also allows manufacturers to approach the government for further customised incentives in exchange for localised commitments and development.

Madani further clarified that while the Accelerated EV policy will offer certain fixed incentives for manufacturers that wish to invest in EV technology in Malaysia, the current ‘customised incentives program’ will still be used as a mechanism to determine the finalised incentives a manufacturer receives based on the investments that are brought into the country.

The Accelerated EV policy is said to be in principle well accepted by all
ministries
 and is in the midst of receiving minor “tweaks” after inputs from the Ministry of Environment and Water.

*Cover image credit Facebook

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