Five Simple Tips When Buying A Used Car

Buying a used car can be a daunting challenge for most first-time car owners. Here is the 5 simple tips when buying a used car. Let's read out!

On the one hand, buyers stand a chance of obtaining a good car at bargain prices, sometimes costing only a fraction of what they did when new, but on the other hand, buying a substandard vehicle can mean a plethora of problems down the line, and not to mention, a frustrating ownership experience.

Choosing the right vehicle is even harder if the prospective buyer has little or no knowledge about cars. One must think there is little to no chance of finding any faults with a vehicle in cases like these.

Nevertheless, even if you have limited or no experience buying a used car, these five simple tips will at least give you a better idea of what to look out for when buying used.

1. Exterior

Always take your time and inspect the exterior of any used vehicle before committing to a deal. Small scuffs and tired (less shiny) paint are inevitable after a few years and can be remedied to a certain extent by a good detailing operation, however, issues that are more pertinent, are resprayed panels that can sometimes appear shinier than other parts of the car. These are clear indicators that the car has been resprayed and or mended prior.

The second indicator of a shady bodywork is the panel gaps between the main components of the body. Now, you do not necessarily need any specialist expertise for this, just a keen eye to pay close attention to the gaps between doors, the bonnet, and the boot. Irregular panel gaps are other indicators that suggest a collision has previously occurred and that repairs have taken place.

2. Interior

The interior is another good indicator of the condition and usage of any car. Firstly, pay close attention to the fabric or leather seating, lookout for tears (if finished in fabric) or excessive scuffs or creases in the case of a leather interior. This normally is a good indicator of how the previous owner cared for the car. Also pay close attention to any stains in the seats.

Play around with all the knobs and buttons. Operate the door handles, parking brake, and toggle the controls for the indicators, air-conditioning, and power windows – these also help in determining if the car was used properly by the previous owner.

3. Engine

Now, we don’t need to get too technical with the engine. Simply open the hood and have a good look at the general condition of the engine. Look for traces of oil around the engine; and if something looks fishy, ask why.

Notwithstanding, most used car dealers will normally give the engine a thorough clean, washing away any traces of grease and dirt; at the very least, request to look at the oil level and condition with the engine dipstick. A general rule of thumb is – the lighter the colour (more translucent) the oil sample is, the better its health, if it looks like black coffee – this might not be a very good sign.

4. Check The Paperwork

This brings us to quite possibly, the most important tip when buying a used car. Check the paperwork! These include the Vehicle Registration Card, Service Booklet and/or Service Receipts if the car’s been serviced outside manufacturer channels. Cross-reference the most recent repairs or services with the mileage of the car.

It is important to note that a higher-mileage car doesn’t necessarily mean more problems; if the vehicle has been cared for properly (and has the paperwork to back it up), it will work as it should for years to come. To quote a personal experience, I previously owned a 27-year old BMW 5 Series with over 260,000 km mileage, and because the car was maintained decently by its former owner, it never broke down and proved itself to be a reliable workhorse.

5. Always test drive the car

Now if the proof is in the pudding, request for a test drive before you commit to any purchase. Here, the main emphasis is to start the car from a cold start (meaning the car hasn’t been started for circa four hours or more) and listen carefully for noises/squeaks as the vehicle warms up. Check if the car idles properly and revs cleanly if you prod the accelerator pedal.

Remember to check the air-conditioning system, and make sure there are no warning lights displayed before/after the car warms up. Play around with the electronics, and make sure everything works.

Lastly, drive around and try to listen for any rattling noises or squeaks once the car is in motion, if possible, drive the car over a few speed bumps to ascertain its comfort levels and make sure nothing is loose within the cabin.

Finally, check if the vehicle steers straight and true and the brakes work nicely. A rule of thumb is the brakes must never feel squishy, or require you to push the pedal all the way down before the car starts to slow down.

Additional information

In addition to the above measures when trying to find a good used vehicle, make sure you know these
simple steps to arm yourself against scammers
; cases such as these are more rampant than ever.

One effective way of protecting yourself from unscrupulous sellers or used car dealers with a poor reputation is to look out for the Trusted Dealer tag on a
Carlist.my classifieds
 advertisement. A little green thumb on seller information field points out that the dealer is genuine, with a good history of providing good customer service and support.

If you lack experience in acquiring and maintaining a used vehicle, we also recommend you opt to warranty your prospective vehicle with an
aftermarket warranty
 (assuming the manufacturer warranty has elapsed) from providers such as MyOpal.

An aftermarket warranty provider will act both as an impartial third party who can evaluate your prospective vehicle, maintain the vehicle, and offer a comprehensive warranty for extended peace of mind, should something go wrong with your car.

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

Check out all the best new & used car deals in Malaysia at
Carlist.my.

Sell your car fast with the best offer? Visit us at
CarlistBid.my
.

Get the latest new car promotions at
New Car
 website now.


BMW Group Introduces BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App

For the tech-savvy among you BMW owners, there is now a neat way to access the privileges associated with the BMW White Card, MINI Black Card, and BMW Excellence Club - entirely on the go. BMW Group Malaysia has launched the BMW Group Loyalty+ app for mobile devices, which among many other things includes seamless integration of e-payment, financing services, and access to luxury events and experiences.
When customers sign into the app, they are presented with a landing page and a menu from which they can access their loyalty cards or use QR scanning to gain remote access without the need of their physical loyalty cards. The latest updates on privileges and events will also be delivered directly to customers' phones, making it for a hassle free experience.
Beyond this, customers can also manage their financial information and view their contracts with an easy e-payment system for more convenient transactions courtesy of BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia. There's also a dealer locator function with a map that allows owners to quickly locate their closest dealer and service centre.
The BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App is now available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The BMW Group Malaysia Premium Ownership experience includes:
BMW 5-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service Program.
MINI 4 Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service.
BMW 2-Year/ 24 Month Tyre Warranty Program for its Run Flat Tyre offering and services.
Ultimate Protection Program+ (UPP+) courtesy of BMW Financial Services
Malaysia and underwritten by Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Bhd.
BMW Roadside Assistance and Accident Hotline.
The BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App - BMW White Card, MINI Black Card and
BMW Excellence Club membership program.
BMW and MINI Service Online.


Frankfurt 2017: BMW X7 iPerformance Concept - Mother Of BMW SUVs

Behold the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance Concept – BMW’s largest and most technologically advanced SUV, which along with the
BMW
i
 Vision Dynamic Concept
, points at a whole new level of luxury for the BMW brand.
The X7 iPerformance concept, a vital cog in BMW’s Number One > Next product offensive strategy and points at the future production X7 model, set to make its debut in 2018.
The six-seater X7 boasts state-of-the-art infotainment system, high-class materials while the iPerformance badge denotes BMW eDrive technology matched to a TwinPower turbo petrol engine to create an efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The expansive exterior of the X7 iPerformance concept introduces the BMW Sports Activity Vehicle DNA into the luxury segment and vice-versa will play a key role in influencing the future generation of BMW X models. According to Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, Adrian van Hooydonk, "The new BMW design language employs just a few, extremely precise lines and subtle surface-work to raise the bar in terms of presence and prestige.”

The large, vertical kidney grille frame and bars are single-piece and solid in design is made to look like it's constructed from a single piece. The upper sections of the slim, elongated twin headlights with BMW laser lights technology are linked by the large kidney grille.
A prominent bar extends across the full width of the front apron in its lower section, before rising vertically to frame the outer air intakes at their upper edge, adding to the overall stature of the vehicle.
Along the flanks, a high-waistline stretches the length of the car and injects a visual aggression to the overall design. When viewed from the sides – an almost vertical rear bodyline, rises steeply from the rear wheels to the tailgate opening.
For the first time in a BMW ‘X’ vehicle, the wheel arches feature a circular cut to emphasize the exclusivity of the vehicle. The X7 wears 23-inch light-alloy wheels, to match the overall dimensions of the car.
Round the back, the slim-L shaped taillights split the rear-fascia, linked by a central chrome strip. One won’t find exhaust tailpipe exits as well – an indicator of the vehicle’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain.
On the inside – the combination of a huge glasshouse and large panoramic roof creates an airy and sophisticated cabin space. Six seats are arranged in three-rows, four of which with an individual design.
The dark, olive-bronze leather is contrasted against Smoke White leather on the seats. Elsewhere within the cabin – open-pore ash wood in a dark-stained, matt finish appoints crucial touch points within the cabin. Matt and polished aluminium elements have likewise been carefully incorporated to add further classy touches
In addition to the BMW 8 Series, BMW i8 and new BMW i8 Roadster – the X7 will join the BMW 7 Series in BMW’s expanded luxury line-up.
The identity of BMW’s elite models is echoed in a newly designed logo which combines a black-and-white version of the manufacturer’s roundel first used 100 years ago with the company name “Bayerische Motoren Werke” written out in full.


Suzuki Opens New 3S Center Along Jalan Klang Lama

Suzuki
 Malaysia Automobile, the official distributor of Suzuki cars in Malaysia, has continued to expand its network of 3S centers (sales, service, spares) in the country, with its newest addition now located along Jalan Klang Lama, bringing its total count to 33 centers nationwide.
“By expanding our network, we are better able to cater to the needs of our increasingly large customer base; providing greater accessibility, a reliable support system and dedicated after-sales care,”
 stated Mr. Keiichi Suzuki, Managing Director of Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd.
Suzuki poured in over half a million ringgit to the development of this new 6,500 sq. ft. facility. It features six service bays with teams of authorized Suzuki technicians and a showroom with the latest Suzuki models displayed front and center, including the new
2015 Suzuki S-Cross
. This new center along Jalan Klang Lama will be managed by Regal Motors Holdings Sdn Bhd.
“We are thrilled to partner up with Suzuki Malaysia and join its extensive dealer network. Regal Motors Holdings aims to give customers a taste of the Suzuki ‘Way of Life!’ by providing a welcoming environment and rewarding ownership experience,”
 said Mr. Philip How, Managing Director of Regal Motors Holdings Sdn Bhd.
In celebration, Regal Motors Holdings is offering a free 23-point inspection and discounts on selected parts until the end of April 2015.
Meanwhile, Suzuki Malaysia also has ongoing promotions:
For 2014
Suzuki Swift
 GL and GLX models: RM6,000 OR Low 1.68% financing rate + RM2000.
Free Blaupunkt Digital Video Recorder with a purchase of any Swift model between 2
nd
 February and 31
st
 March 2015.
“Suzuki is delighted to collaborate with Mr. How and his team at Regal Motors Holdings Sdn Bhd as we further strengthen the brand’s presence in Malaysia with the opening of yet another 3S centre,”
 Mr. Keiichi Suzuki continued.
Suzuki Malaysia says the opening of this 3S center is an important step in strengthening its presence in the Malaysian market for 2015 and plans to subsequently open two more Suzuki showrooms in the country within the year to support the launches of new models to the local market. Exactly which those new models are remains to be seen, but we’ll be keeping a close eye, so stay tuned.
You find and/or contact the new Suzuki 3S Center here:
Suzuki 3S Jalan Klang Lama
Lot 1E/E-G, Jalan Awan Makmur, Off Jalan Klang Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours:
8.30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday
8.30am to 3.00pm, Saturday
Tel: 03 – 7772 9372 / 03 – 7772 9272
(Emergency customer assistance line: 012 -347 9372, 7.00am – 11.00pm)


VIDEO: Motorcyclist Gets Stuck Between Vehicles While Lane Splitting

Lane splitting: an occurrence more common in Malaysia than it is in many parts of the developed world, that involves motorcyclists that split themselves between two lanes amidst heavy traffic situations.
In Malaysia, it is normal practice for a motorcyclist to split a lane, especially when the roads are jammed up – that itself is a major appeal of riding a bike here. In many parts of the United States, for example, the practice of it has been outlawed, dubbed illegal for the danger it poses to bike riders themselves.
Why? Well, here’s a video that makes for one good example.
Locally, the debate continues, although no legal action has been taken against the act, maybe because as Malaysians, we love to share: share our food, share our things, share our space, whatever. Or at least the idea of it.
It is particularly annoying, though, when a motorcyclist doesn’t feel the need to share the same courtesy with a car looking to change lanes, despite signalling way in advance. Poor form? Right on.
Even more so, when a motorcyclist endlessly honks whilst lane splitting to traffic, just to prevent anyone driving from even thinking about switching lanes – hey, cars pay for their right to be on the road too. Car drivers themselves should equally remember that a motorcyclist isn't as protected from the environment as they are sitting in a cosy cabin and shaded from the elements. No harm in letting a few motorcyclists go by and waiting for a convenient time to make your lane change.
But why do some foreign authorities ban in it their states, then? If you haven’t noticed, it just isn’t the safest thing you can do – something again, is demonstrated by the video above.
So, while lane-splitting hasn’t been outlawed in Malaysia, here’s a gentle reminder to be a lot more careful on the road, and do try to remember that sharing Malaysian attitude while you can.


Infiniti QX30 Concept Revealed In Full, Heads For Production In 2016

After
teasing us about it
 for a while,
Infiniti
 has finally come out swinging with its QX30 concept – the
Mercedes-Benz

A-Class
 based hatch with what appears to be an aptitude for the wilderness.
Building on the coming Q30 Concept that’s set for production in the UK this year, the QX30 is a taller and tougher compact hatch that will make production in 2016 alongside a market-ready sports coupe model based on the Q60 Concept which was showed at the recent Detroit Auto Show.
Yes, Infiniti are quite the busy bunch these days. Back to the QX30 Concept, now.
"The QX30 Concept foreshadows an entry in the premium compact segment that provides a stylish alternative to the existing offer in this segment," said Roland Krueger, Infiniti President and CEO.
"The vehicle embodies our conviction to give customers the freedom to go wherever they want, whenever they want - in a style that turns heads and makes a statement, in a way that expresses their individualized character."
To us, this clearly points to a cross country-type hatch, similarly along the lines of what Volvo have done with the V40 and V40 Cross Country. Unlike what Mercedes-Benz has done between its A-Class and its GLA-Class, the QX30 doesn’t appear to feature a different body altogether, just a few extra protective bits.
Underneath, Infiniti has snuck in all the bits of the latest generation A-Class, particularly its architecture. And while they haven’t officially announced it this time, we understand that Merc’s line-up of four-cylinder engines utilised in the A-Class family will make it across – for now, Infiniti maintains that production models will have a “wide range of powertrains.”
Design wise, we do imagine that the production versions of the Q30 and QX30 will be toned down inside and out.
What do you think about how it looks?


Mitsubishi Triton Extra Hardcore Roadshow is Coming to Penang and JB

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, in an effort to promote the
newly launched Triton MIVEC Turbo Diesel
, launched the Triton Extra Hardcore Roadshow last weekend at the Setia Alam Convention Centre, Shah Alam.
The event saw local motorsports talent Leona Chin perform high speed rides and ‘donuts’ with members of the public as passengers in
the Triton
.
There was also an obstacle course which saw the new Triton MIVEC Turbo and the
 Pajero Sport
 showing off their capabilities; which comprised a 45-degree, 25-feet tall sky ramp, a roller ramp, as well as an uneven ramp.
With the first round concluded, the Triton Extra Hardcore Roadshow will be taking place at the Juru Auto City in Penang this weekend (October 8-9) from 10am to 8pm.
After Penang, the third and final round of the roadshow will be at the Plaza Angsana in Johor Bahru on October 15-16.
According to MMM, admission is free and visitors who book any of the Mitsubishi vehicles during the roadshow will receive a special edition Ralliart umbrella. Meanwhile, those who test drive any model will receive other exclusive merchandise while stocks last.
Looking for a Mitsubishi? Find one now at
Carlist.my


Alfa Romeo Stelvio Teased Again, Hopefully for the Last Time

Looks like the long wait for Alfa Romeo’s first SUV – the Stelvio is almost over, as the brand has finally released a short teaser video on YouTube last weekend hinting at its arrival.
Revealed at the Los Angeles Motor Show in January, the Stelvio is the second model to be revealed in Alfa Romeo’s big product charge, after
the Giulia
.
Set to go against the Porsche Macan,
Mercedes-Benz GLC
, BMW X3, and the
Jaguar F-Pace
, the Stelvio features the brand’s latest design language, boasting the same new face and taillight design as the Giulia.
Under the hood, the SUV is expected to come with more than one engine choice, with one of them being a 503bhp 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that enables the Stelvio to sprint from naught to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds.
And then there is the 2.0 litre, direct-injection, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine which produces 280hp and 400Nm of torque. Both engines are paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox by ZF.
Measuring at 4,680mm long, 2,160mm wide and 1,650mm tall on the outside, the Stelvio’s cabin is also quite similar to the Giulia, featuring 4 driving modes, Alcantara and Nappa combination seats, a huge touch-screen, as well as dual-rotary control dials among others.
With the Giulia and Stelvio down and six more models expected to be revealed by 2020, Alfa Romeo is going to be a very busy brand over the next couple of years, after the long hiatus.


Proton Iriz Facelift 2021 Dilancarkan – Dari RM40,300

Proton Iriz facelift 2021
 dengan harga bermula dari RM40,300 kini dilancarkan di pasaran negara ini secara rasminya oleh
P
roton
 melalui pelancaran secara maya di media sosial mereka, pagi ini.

Proton Iriz Facelift 2021

Bagi anda yang sering terbaca artikel ataupun melihat gambar-gambar intipan hatchback terbaru Proton ini, kali ini ianya bukan lagi mimpi dan anda dah boleh tempah kereta ini! Sebelum itu, jom kita tengok apa yang baru pada Proton Iriz 2021 ini.

Harga: RM40,300 - RM50,000

Varian: Standard 1.3L, Executive 1.6L dan Active 1.6L

Kapasiti Enjin: 1.3L dan 1.6L

Jenis enjin: 4 silinder In-Line 16 valve DOHC, VVT

Kuasa: 1.3L (95 PS, 12 Nm tork), 1.6L (109 PS, 150 Nm tork)

Transmisi: CVT

Dalam artikel ini, kami hanya akan fokus pada varian 1.3L Standard dan 1.6L Executive sahaja. Untuk lebih info mengenai varian crossover Iriz Active 1.6L, sila tekan
di sini.

Apa yang baru Proton Iriz 2021?

Exterior:

Perubahan luaran bermula dengan bampar reka bentuk baru dan gril corak ‘Infinite Weave’ dan “Ethereal Bow’ yang telah dikemaskan. Bahagian bampar depan Proton Iriz 2021 kelihatan sama sahaja seperti
Proton Persona 2021
. Ia hadir dengan rekaan lampu utama halogen yang baharu serta kemasan lampu bekalang yang dikemaskini.
Lampu LED
 hanya terdapat pada varian Active sahaja.

Interior:

Iriz 2021 kini dilengkapi dengan port USB khas untuk dashcam kereta anda. Untuk varian 1.6 Executive, ia turut menerima kemasan tempat duduk balutan kulit serta butang
Push Start
. Unit infotainment 8 inci jenis terapung dipadankan dengan lubang udara yang baru yang dilengkapi penapis udara N95.

Ciri kebolehgunaan pula dipertingkatkan dengan konsol tengah baru yang menyediakan perehat lengan serta ruang penyimpanan yang kini lebih senang diguna.

Rim:

Varian Executive serta Active akan menerima rim bersaiz 16-inci yang lebih kemas dan sporty. Manakala, varian Standard akan menerima rim 15-inci rekaan baharu yang lebih kecil.

Sistem kawalan penghawa dingin digital:

Sistem kawalan
penghawa dingin
 model ini turut telah dimodenkan menjadi digital sambil ditemani skrin paparan kecil pada bahagian kawalan tersebut. Tak disangkal lagi, pendingin hawa Proton memang sejuk-sejuk, jadi penukaran sistem ini kearah digital dilihat sebagai satu langkah menarik kearah kemodenan reka bentuk kereta mampu milik segmen-B.

Infotainment:

Bahagian tengah papan pemuka kereta ini dicantikkan lagi dengan skrin paparan infotainment terapung yang bersaiz 8-inci pada varian Executive dan Active. Model Standard 1.3L pula hanya akan menerima skrin sentuh infotainment bersaiz 7-inci seperti sebelum ini. Malangnya, fungsi kawalan suara Hi Proton yang mampu mengawal tingkap dan penghawa dingin hanya hadir pada varian Active.

Enjin dan Prestasi:

Iriz 2021 akan ditawarkan dalam dua kapasiti enjin yang berbeza iaitu 1.3L dan 1.6L. Barisan Proton Iriz MC2 ini akan hadir dalam 3 varian iaitu 1.3L Standard CVT, 1.6L Executive CVT dan 1.6 Active CVT sahaja. Varian manual serta 1.3L Executive CVT telah digugurkan daripada barisan variannya. Ia juga masih menggunakan transmisi CVT dengan fungsi SAT (Stepped Auto transmission), sekaligus menidakkan khabar angin bahawa CVT bakal digantikan dengan
4 kelajuan auto
 seperti pada Proton Saga. Pendek kata, tiada perubahan dari segi mekanikal pada model facelift ini. Enjin 1.3 masih lagi menghasilkan 95 PS dan 120 Nm tork manakala enjin 1.6 menghasilkan 109 PS dan 150 Nm tork.

Ciri-Ciri Lain

6 slot USB

Kamera dan sensor parkir

Mod ECO

5 Bintang ASEAN NCAP

Struktur badan yang diperkuat menggunakan keluli
Hot Press Formed (HPF) steel,

Kawalan Stabiliti Elektronik (ESC)

Sistem Kawalan Traksi (TCS)

Bantuan Pegun Bukit (HHA).

Harga:

Proton Iriz 1.3L Standard CVT: RM40,300

Proton Iriz 1.6L Executive CVT: RM47,100

Proton Iriz 1.6L Active CVT: RM54,000

Semua harga di atas ialah dengan pengeculian cukai SST, OTR dan tanpa insuran. Proton Iriz ini tiba dengan pakej waranti selama 5 tahun atau 150,000KM (mana-mana yang tiba dahulu). Selain itu, kadar tenaga kerja yang perlu dibayar ketika 3 kali servis terawal juga percuma. Hanya Iriz Active yang menerima pakej data 1GB sebulan selama 5 tahun.

Sekiranya anda berminat dengan Proton Iriz 2021 ini, anda boleh meninggalkan maklumat anda di laman web rasmi Proton dan penasihat jualan mereka akan menghubungi anda untuk tindakan selanjutnya.

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

Check out all the best new & used car deals in Malaysia at
Carlist.my.

Sell your car fast with the best offer? Visit us at
CarlistBid.my
.

Get the latest new car promotions at
New Car
 website now.


Review: 2017 Honda Jazz Hybrid - New Heart, New Character

Just like its stablemates, the Honda Jazz is a class leader in the B-segment hatchback market. No surprises there, as the Jazz encapsulates Honda's 'Man Maximum, Machine Minimum' concept for ample cabin flexibility.
Needless to say, I had certain expectations when it came to the newly-introduced Honda Jazz Hybrid.
The Jazz Hybrid, along with the City Hybrid, underpins Honda Malaysia's renewed effort in pushing affordable hybrid mobility for the masses. Following our recently published review of the City Hybrid, we now evaluate the merits of the Jazz Hybrid and determine if Honda is on to another winning product.
Specifications
Engine: 1.5-litre DOHC I-VTEC, 16 valve, transverse
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive
Power (Engine): 110 PS at 6,600 rpm
Power (Motor): 30 PS from 1,313 rpm to 2,000 rpm
Combined output: 137 PS
Torque(Engine): 134 Nm at 5,000 rpm
Torque (Motor): 160 Nm from 0 to 1,313 rpm
Combined Output: 170 Nm
Safety: Four airbags, ABS with EBD, VSA, HAS, ISOFIX (2x, second row seats)
Price: RM84,880 (on the road without insurance)
Origin: Locally assembled in Pegoh, Melaka
Overview
The Jazz Hybrid was first previewed at the Carlist.my DRIVE event back in May, and was formally launched in Malaysia along with the facelifted Honda Jazz. Malaysia is currently the only market outside Japan to receive the Jazz Hybrid.
Similar to the Honda City Hybrid, the hatchback sibling is based on the petrol Grade E variant, not the range-topping Grade V model. Compared to the City Hybrid, the Jazz Hybrid loses out on 16-inch wheels, unique LED tail lights, integrated LED daytime running lights and chrome door handles.
Despite that, the new Sport i-DCD hybrid system that features a 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine paired to a seven-speed DCT is identical to the City Hybrid.
Exterior
Exterior wise, exciting is not quite the word used to describe the Jazz Hybrid.
Parked side-by-side to the City Hybrid and you’ll notice what I mean.
Whilst the Honda City Hybrid gets a set of lovely 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, the Jazz Hybrid makes do with regular 15-inch units. Apart from that, there are no chrome door handles to speak of.
There are no other major visual difference between the regular petrol and hybrid versions of the Jazz, apart from a couple of small Hybrid emblems, similar to the City Hybrid.
Interior
Much like the Honda City Hybrid, the hatchback sibling features a near identical dashboard design.
In place of the regular gear lever is a shift-by-wire gear lever. While the arrows around the gear lever may appear confusing at first glance, it becomes intuitive enough upon familiarization. Those coming from a Toyota Prius will find this familiar.
While the meter cluster features the same multi-info display as the City Hybrid, the actual speedometer actually features a cool 3D-like design that gives the impression that the digits are floating.
Another shortcoming we noticed in the Jazz Hybrid is the lack of steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, which would have added dose of sporty appeal to the little Jazz.
At the back, the battery pack placed in the space wheel well took up 49 litres of boot space, reducing cargo volume to just 314 litres, which can be expanded to 835 litres with the rear seats folded down. Compared the non-hybrid Jazz, that's 46 litres less
Just like the Honda City Hybrid, Honda has assured potential owners that the battery pack in the Jazz Hybrid is well protected against rear impact collisions.
Driving Experience
Now here is when the unassuming Honda Jazz Hybrid truly redeems itself.
The roads that Honda Malaysia brought us was an excellent mixture of highways, trunk roads and city roads, giving us ample time to gauge the Jazz Hybrid properly.
On the trunk roads, we thoroughly enjoyed the Jazz Hybrid’s handling. The Jazz Hybrid felt surprisingly nimble despite carrying a battery pack in its boot.
Chuck the little Jazz Hybrid into a corner, the rear end just follows obediently without any haste. We also noticed that the front end is has a sharper turn-in than the regular petrol Jazz.
We dare say that the Honda Jazz Hybrid may very well be one of, if not the best handling Japanese subcompact hatchbacks out there, possibly inching ahead of the much-vaunted Mazda 2.
The earlier-mentioned lack of paddle shifters did hinder the driveability of the Jazz Hybrid, as we were not able to manually select a gear before entering a corner, unlike the City Hybrid.
Unlike the City Hybrid’s retuned suspension and strengthened rear bulkhead, the Jazz Hybrid receives a performance rod in the rear torsion beam and a 12% quicker steering gear ratio. Additionally, the Jazz Hybrid benefits from retuned shocks and springs, giving the little Jazz better ride comfort versus its petrol sibling.
Fuel Economy and Maintenance
As both the hybrid variants of the Honda City and Jazz share an identical powertrain, maintenance cost is a wash between the two.
Fuel economy is also near identical. Driven sedately, the Honda Jazz Hybrid should be able to return upwards of 20 km/L between each fuel station run, a figure that is much-welcomed in an age where fuel prices fluctuate weekly.
Just like the Honda City Hybrid, the hatchback should cost owners less than RM3,000 to upkeep over a period of 5 years.
Conclusion
Drawing a conclusion for the Honda Jazz Hybrid is a little tougher than the City Hybrid.
On one hand the Honda Jazz Hybrid is a swell little hatchback with road manners that rivals the best out there. The further icing on the cake is the versatile interior that encapsulates Honda’s ‘Man Maximum, Machine Minimum’ philosophy. Last but not least is the powertrain that transform the unassuming Jazz into a far more capable machine.
However, the equipment levels of the Jazz Hybrid does leave some room for improvement. While we can understand Honda Malaysia’s logic of mirroring the Jazz Grade E when it comes to equipment, we can’t help but to wonder how much would paddle shifters improve the overall driving experience if fitted.
Personally, the hybrid powertrain has certainly changed my impression of the Jazz. In the past, the powertrain was the Honda Jazz’s weak point, as the CVT dulls driving experience. But with the new seven-speed DCT, it is almost as if I was driving a completely different car.
With all things said, we reckon that the Honda Jazz Hybrid will appeal to buyers looking for a B-segment hatchback that won’t break the bank, yet is easy on maintenance and fun to drive.


2018 Toyota Camry Debuts In Japan, Hybrid Only

Toyota Motor Corporation has introduced the all-new 2018 Camry in Japan with sales starting nationwide at Toyopet, Toyota Corolla and Netz dealers.
For Japan, the company is offering the 2018 Camry with just one engine choice, the new 2.5-litre Dynamic Force A25A-FXS four-cylinder petrol engine that does 178 PS and 221 Nm, mated to the company's Toyota Hybrid System II. The electric motor contributes another 120 PS and 202 Nm. Drive is sent to the front wheels via an eCVT. This combination allows the Camry to return a fuel efficiency of 33.4 km/L for the entry-level Camry X. The mid and top spec Camry G and G Leather return 28.4 km/L due to the vehicle's weight. Both fuel efficiency figures are achieved under the JC08 test cycle.
According to Toyota, those opting for the optional panoramic moon roof will see a weight penalty of 30 kg and the Toyota T-Connect navigation system adds another 10 kg to the Camry's weight.
Similar to the USDM 2018 Toyota Camry, the Japan market model is also underpinned by the same TNGA-based platform. For the first time ever, Toyota has fitted the Camry with hydraulic engine mounts to minimize vibration and noise from entering the cabin. Unlike the rest of its rivals, the 2018 Toyota Camry gets rear double wishbone suspension set up with newly-developed MacPherson struts up front.
Toyota utilizes ultra-high-tensile hot-stamp steel throughout the construction of the Camry to reduce overall weight whilst keeping the body structure strong. Elsewhere, the Camry gets a ring-shaped frame that reduces torsional movement to improve handling. Laser Screw Welding and structural body adhesives are used to further enhance the Camry's body rigidity.
Outside, the 2018 Toyota Camry receives the company's latest design language with a slim upper grille with a bold lower grille.
Standard for all variants of the Camry include:
Bi-Beam LED headlights
LED front fog lights
LED third brake light and side mirrors with LED turn signal with heater
The range-topping Camry G and G Leather variants get LED tail lights, whilst the entry-level Camry X gets bulb-type rear combination lamp. Rear fog lamp is available as an option, with 5 red LEDs integrated into the driver side light housing.
The entry-level 2018 Toyota Camry X will come with 205/65R16 steel wheels with plastic covers, whilst the upper grade Camry G and Camry G Leather gets 215/55R17 and 235/45R18 alloy wheels respectively.
As the name implies, the 2018 Toyota Camry G Leather comes with full leather upholstery, whilst the Camry G and X get fabric upholstery. Power adjustment for the driver side is standard across the range, with the Camry G and G Leather receiving an eight-way power adjustable driver seat, whilst the entry-level Camry X gets a six-way power adjustable seat. Only the Camry G Leather gets a four-way power adjustable front passenger seat, the other two variants will have to make do with manual adjustment type.
Other standard equipment include:
60:40 split folding rear seats
back seat pockets
console tray
automatic dual-zone air-conditioning with humidity sensor
Panasonic Nanoe air purifier.
In terms of safety, the 2018 Toyota Camry is fitted with Toyota Safety Sense P as standard for all variants, which includes Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Automatic High Beam and Adaptive Cruise Control. Optionally, buyers of the Camry G and G Leather in Japan can opt for Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert or rear sonar with Rear Cross Traffic with Auto Brake. Other safety features include ABS with EBD, VSC, vehicle proximity sensors, emergency stop signal, Hill Start Assist and seven airbags including a driver knee airbag.
Assembly is done at Toyota's Tsutsumi Plant, with a sales target of 2,400 units a month for Japan. Prices start from JPY 3,294,000 for the entry-level Camry X, whilst the Camry G costs JPY 3,499,200. The range-topping Camry G Leather will set buyers back for JPY 4,195,800.


Spyshot: 2017 Volvo V90 and S90 Spotted, T5 and T6 Variants

It was only last week that we first saw a single
Volvo V90 T6 R-Design
 on our roads (running a trade plate, nonetheless). Over the weekend a number of them were spotted in a convoy by one of our readers, and joining them were a number of Volvo S90 sedans as well. While you can see the similarities between the two models up front, it is the stark contrast at the rear which reminds us that variety is the spice of life.
While the V90 and S90 in Bursting Blue are still the most eye-catching (and both in T6 AWD R-Design trim), it is also worth taking note of the other variants in the group which will provide Volvo with quite the model lineup.
Only three paint options are seen here: a fairly basic silver, a kind of metallic blue similar to that found on the Volvo V40, and of course the Bursting Blue hero colour.
As we would expect, the entry level variants of both the S90 and V90 seem to come with the T5 powertrain. There are fairly major differences in trim and overall look, allowing for easy differentiation between the model variants; that being said, the V90 and S90 look fairly exciting even without the bells and whistles.
The proportions of the cars are even more exaggerated when equipped with smaller wheels.
With this we're almost certain that Volvo Cars Malaysia will be introducing the pair of models, although it's difficult to say when they will actually arrive or speculate on pricing.
What is a certainty is that these two will definitely shake up the mid-sized luxury car segment, and while Volvo may not have the edge in terms of network or numbers, the products are undeniably fresh and exciting.
Photos courtesy of Tan Hong Wei


Another 5 Years For Audi CEO Rupert Stadler; But Watch Out For Axel Strotbek

The Volkswagen Group’s Dieselgate crisis has caused many employees across the group their jobs with some even in line to face persecution. No such concerns for Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, however, who has just been confirmed for another term at Ingolstadt’s helm.
In its regular meeting that happened on Wednesday, the Supervisory Board of Audi AG voted unanimously to retain Stadler’s services for a further five years. He was first appointed Audi CEO in 2007.
Matthias Muller, Chairman of both Audi AG’s Supervisory Board and Volkswagen AG’s Board of Management, stated that, “With this unanimous vote, the Supervisory Board once again expresses its confidence that Mr Stadler will continue to develop Audi successfully.”
Stadler's position was at one time in doubt, however, following accusations by a former company engineer that he was aware of the emission cheating software used in the company's diesel engines; the company has publicly refuted these claims.
Stadler’s re-appointment does not come without attached strings, however. In addition to added oversight by a Chief Compliance Officer, Stadler’s contract terms also includes a commitment to keep plants running at high capacity utilization, thus ensuring long-term employment for the company’s manufacturing workforce.
Peter Mosch, Chairman of Audi AG’s General Works Council and also a member of the Supervisory Board’s Presiding Committee said, “We employees attach very clear conditions to this contract extension. Rupert Stadler must safeguard employment at our sites in Germany for the long term, ensure good utilization of our plants’ capacities, and systematically promote technologies that guarantee a successful future for our company.”
In its meeting, the Supervisory Board also decided give Chief Financial Office Axel Strotbek the responsibility of overseeing integrity within the company. Following this realignment, Strotbek will have the company’s Chief Compliance Officer reporting directly to him.
This, in addition to Strotbek’s current area of responsibilities covering Finance and IT, makes him a very powerful man in Audi AG indeed.


Bridgestone: Taller, Skinnier Tyres For Better Fuel Economy

Larger diameter tyres with a narrow tread pattern will become the norm as the automotive industry trends towards green cars, says Bridgestone at the recent 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.
Among the exhibits was a solar-powered race car from the 2013 World Solar Challenge, built by the team from KoGakuin University.
The solar-powered car was running on Bridgestone’s Ecopia Ologic tyres. As seen in the following images, the Ologic tyres used by the solar-powered car looked more like a bicycle tyre than a car tyre. There are several reasons to that.
A larger diameter tyre will experience less tread deformation, as the curvature of its inner belt is less and the stronger tension has a stronger hold on the tread, as illustrated by the image below.
As a tyre rolls along a surface, some form of tread deformation is to be expected. As the tread deforms slightly, kinetic energy from the rolling tyre is lost. Thus, minimising tread deformation is one of the key focus in developing low rolling resistance tyre.
Secondly, a narrow tyre will experience less wind resistance. As wind resistance has a direct correlation with frontal surface area, a thin tread width will pay great dividends in improved fuel economy.
The image below illustrates the difference in coasting distance between a regular 205/50 R18 tyre and a ‘tall-and-thin’ 155/55 R19 tyre from the BMW i3 range-extended electric vehicle.
As you can see, the taller and narrower tyre are able to coast over a longer period of time than a regular wide contact patch tyre.
You would expect a tyre with such a narrow contact patch to have poorer braking performance, but Bridgestone says that’s not the case.
The contact patch for Bridgestone’s Ologic tyres is actually longer, and Bridgestone’s own data suggests that the Ologic’s wet braking performance is actually 8 percent better than conventional tyres.


The World’s First In-Car Navigation System: Pre-GPS Era, 1981 Honda Accord

On this month of August, 34 years ago in 1981, the world’s first commercially-available in-car navigation system was introduced in the second-generation Honda Accord and its upmarket twin Honda Vigor.
Remember that the year was 1981. Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites would not be available for civilian use until 1983, and even then, the system was intentionally made less accurate by the US government, limiting its accuracy to only about 100 metres.
The GPS system as we know it today, accurate to about 3 metres – good enough for turn-by-turn directions - is a fairly recent advancement and was opened to civilian use only in 2000.
This was still the era of the cassette-playing Sony Walkman. Electronics were mostly used for analogue signal processing rather than digital. There were no multi-gigabyte flash memory cards, only 1.44 megabytes floppy disks.
Without the necessary network of satellites, digital hardware and high capacity data storage, how then would one go about creating an in-car navigation system?
Simple: the same way how all great engineering feats were achieved in the age of antiquities: by a lot of improvisation.
The Intelligent Automobile – As Envisioned In the ‘70s
In 1976, Katsutoshi Tagami, then an engineer at Honda R&D in-charge of Honda’s power generator products, was summoned by his Senior Managing Director Tadashi Kume, Honda’s superstar engineer who created Honda’s CVCC engine – the first engine to clear tough Clean Air Act emission standards in the US, something which all major car companies including Ford, General Motors and Toyota said cannot be done by the 1970 deadline.
Realising that automotive electronics was fast becoming a crucial part of vehicle development, Kume reasoned that it would be unwise to rely on suppliers for such a crucial part of a car.
“I want you to take charge of electrical equipment for automobiles," Kume told Tagami.
"Your role," Kume explained, "is to bring us up to the level of other manufacturers and eventually get a step ahead of them."
Kume had drafted a rough strategy for which the eventual goal was to create an autonomous Honda car that drivers could input a destination, and have the car drive itself there.
Of course, this was a long shot and such a dream would not be realized until 36 years later, in 2012, ironically not by a car company, but by Google, who even more ironically was using a modified second-generation Toyota Prius (video below).
Kume’s "Automatically Adaptive and Creative Electronically Controlled System" strategy created the foundation for Honda to pursue various research into automotive electronics, which later culminated in the PGM-F1 electronic fuel injection system, cruise control, and later on other digitally controlled ‘by-wire’ systems for the steering, throttle and brakes.
A navigation system was one of the components of this theoretical autonomous Honda car so it was identified as an area that Honda should research on.
No Satellites? Use A Gyroscope
As mentioned earlier, GPS systems suitable for in-car navigation use would not appear until year 2000.
Kume had no idea of what the future would hold, but during a visit to a training site of Japan’s Self-Defense Force, he noted that a tank’s gun barrel was able to maintain sight of the target – the so-called ‘zero-target’ point – regardless how much the tank off yaws as it moves across rough terrain.
He was told this was possible by using a gyroscope device (below).
Upon hearing Kume’s idea, one of Tagami’s staff suggested that a gyroscope can be adapted for a navigation system, with the ‘zero-target’ now set to the target road.
The general idea was that if a driver knows where he started from, a system that is able to continuously sum his total distance covered and the direction of travel, which should in theory able to guide a driver to his destination.
To understand how the system works, we must first drop our 2015-era understanding of how in-car navigation systems work.
This is no Waze, and it couldn’t give you turn-by-turn instructions. Remember that the required digital electronics, digital map storage and satellites were not yet available.
Instead, the concept of navigation here is closer to that used by an adventurer – you’d first have to determine your current location, plot a course on the map to your destination, and follow that course on the map.
Honda’s early navigation system worked the same way. The driver pinpoints his destination on a special plastic map provided by Honda with a felt marker pen. It’s like drawing on an overhead projector’s transparency paper (remember those?).
The plastic map was then fed into a system’s cathode ray tube (CRT, remember those?) screen, which has blinking dot representing the vehicle’s current position.
The driver can then drive along the plotted route, referring to the blinking dot for his current position.
Without this solution, it was impossible for a driver to read a map and drive at the same time. Honda’s system basically solves just that. The video below demonstrates how the system works.
Although initial tests showed promising results, Honda found that the system’s accuracy was highly dependent on the ambient temperature, which affected the helium gas inside the gyroscopes.
To improve the gyroscopes, Tagami approached Stanley Electric, the only company that agreed to support Honda’s project, which many thought to be a ridiculous idea to pursue.
The biggest problem faced by the team however, arose when they learnt that even if Honda succeeded in solving the gyroscope’s accuracy, the system will not be entirely accurate because of the way conventional maps are produced.
On a map of a 1:100,000 scale, a road of 10 meters wide is shown via a line only 0.1 mm thick. Clearly this is too small for anyone to read. Thus, it is impossible to do a map of an urban area by strictly following everything to scale. Some degree of freedom in altering the thin lines slightly is necessary to make the map legible. Tagami’s team learned that this practice of called ‘deformation’ is common in cartography.
It quickly became clear that to proceed further, Honda would have to assume the responsibility of producing the maps that the prototype navigation system could work with.
The fateful Suzuka To Tokyo Drive With The Boss
By early 1981, five years after Tagami was transferred from the power products team to the automotive electronics team, it was time for Tagami to demonstrate his prototype navigation system to his boss.
Tagami was to pick his boss Kume from Suzuka, where he was attending a meeting with dealers in that area, and drive him back to his house in Tokyo.
Tagami had no idea where Kume’s house was. Kume merely circled the location of his house on the map, and inserted it into the map holder in front of the CRT display fitted to the car’s dashboard.
Guiding himself with the blinking dot on the screen, Tagami navigated himself to Kume’s house, entering and exiting various highways as per the map’s guidance. When the blinking dot got nearer to the circle, Tagami stopped the car and told his boss, "I believe your house is around here."
It was a decisive moment for Tagami. After a moment of silence, Kume said "Okay, you passed the test. My house is right over there."
On August 1981, Honda introduced the Electro Gyrocator as a dealer option for the Japanese market second generation Honda Accord, which went on sale the following month. The feature was also offered for the Accord’s upmarket twin, the Japan-only Vigor.
Considering that the task of creating the map fell squarely on Honda, the feature was prohibitively expensive, reportedly costing a quarter of the car’s selling price. Clearly it’s not going to be a commercial success. The feature was discontinued a year later and was not introduced to other markets.
Still, Honda did not give up. Back at Honda’s Fundamental Technology Research Centre in Saitama, another researcher Yukinobu Nakamura was primed to build on Tagami’s experience and take it to the next level, by adopting digital electronics and digital maps, two new technologies now available for Honda.
The Saitama centre was the R&D centre responsible for the Asimo robot, and several other non-automotive projects. It is different from the Tochigi R&D Centre, which is primarily focused on automotive research.
Moving To Digital Maps
In 1980, just before Tagami lauched his Electro Gyrocator, Nakamura was sent by Honda to study optical-fiber gyro technology at the Electronics Engineering Research Laboratory of the Industrial Engineering Institute in the city of Gakuen.
There, he conceived the idea for a digital map-based navigation system. He still had no GPS technology to utilise.
Nakamura’s system was able to do ‘map matching,’ a function which allowed the system to identify its current location simply by matching the car’s direction of travel and road patterns with the digital map. If you think about it, that’s a hugely challenging task!
Further complicating matters was Honda’s insistence that the map must be easily changed or updated by the user. Several storage mediums were explored – disks, floopy disks, microfilms, but none were suitable, so the project remained stuck in its tracks for nearly a decade.
By the late ‘80s, CD-ROM technology was entering the market. The storage technology that Honda had been waiting for was now here and the project could be resumed.
In March 1988, the digital navigation system project became a joint-project between Saitama’s Fundamental Research Centre and Tochigi’s R&D Centre.
Honda’s first digital map-based navigation system was launched in 1990, as an optional feature in the Japanese-market Honda Legend (below). GPS is still not available yet.
Making The Big Leap
The closest development to a present day in-car navigation system would only come in 1997 – when Honda launched its Internet-enabled Internavi service.
On 10-October 2002, a new InterNavi Premium Club system was introduced to the Japanese market Accord (similar to Accord Euro), this time with voice-operated controls for not just the GPS navigation and audio system, but also the vehicle’s air-conditioning. The driver could even dictate voice notes with it.
It could also guide the driver to the nearest and cheapest parking lot!
On 17-October 2003, the new Odyssey was launched with a new HDD-based InterNavi Premium Club system that features a traffic congestion prediction function. It is the world’s first telematics system that could provide real-time traffic information, almost 10 years before anyone knew what Waze was. It was the most sophisticated telematics system in the world.
27 years after Kume told Tagami "Your role is to bring us up to the level of other manufacturers and eventually get a step ahead of them," Honda had finally attained leadership in automotive electronics.
Sadly, Honda’s InterNavi system relied on Japanese mobile communication standards and transportation infrastructure, which was well ahead of any other country. As such, the system could not be rolled out elsewhere.
The delivery of real-time traffic information for example, Honda’s InterNavi Premium Club was able to deliver such information because the Japanese government had already setup an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) initiative to monitor traffic conditions around Japan. By sending vehicle speed and GPS location data to ITS’s data processing centre, the InterNavi Premium Club system is able to show real-time traffic information to drivers.
GM also had a similar service in the US, called On-Star – in fact, it was the world’s first in-car telematics system, but even in the US, there was no similar ITS data centre so GM couldn’t offer real-time traffic information (at that time).
It is only after the proliferation of smartphones and mobile Internet nearly a decade later, that third-party companies like Waze and Google were able to offer real-time traffic information.
Retrospect
Looking back, the feats achieved by engineers in the pre-Google era is hugely impressive, almost akin to building the pyramids without modern machinery.
How did they put a man on the moon (and a foldable electric car too) by working their calculus by hand on paper, or controlled rockets and launched satellites with only 4 kilobytes of computing memory and less than 1/100 the computing power of today’s smartphone?
How did the folks at Honda develop a navigation system that was able to tell where you were without using GPS or triangulating signals from cellular network towers? Or one that only had printed maps to work on?
So, if you are one of those who did calculus without using a scientific calculator, and solved logarithmic and trigonometry equations with just a slide rule, and actually went to a library to complete a research paper, give yourself a pat on the back.
Read also:
How NASA Put An Electric Car On The Moon 44 Years Ago


10 Tips Paling Berguna Sebelum Membeli Kereta Terpakai

Tidak dinafikan, mencari kereta terpakai yang berbaloi memang sesuatu yang mencabar. Tapi jika anda tahu cara-cara memilih kenderaan terpakai yang betul, banyak risiko boleh dikurangkan dan yang paling penting, jimat!

Keadaan ekonomi negara Malaysia berada di tahap yang tidak menentu, tambahan pula dengan pandemik yang sedang melanda. Sampaikan ada yang tidak yakin untuk membeli kereta baharu kerana risau dengan jawatan kerjanya yang tidak terjamin dan berisiko untuk dibuang kerja. Harus diakui, tidak semua juga mampu untuk membeli kenderaan baharu. Oleh sebab itu, ramai yang mencari kereta terpakai yang jauh lebih murah dan mampu milik berbanding membeli sebuah kenderaan baharu.

Tetapi, membeli kereta terpakai yang betul-betul berbaloi dengan harganya memang sukar dan mencabar. Kalau tersalah beli, boleh terduduk di bucu katil nanti sebab nak kena tanggung kos baik pulih kereta ekoran banyak kerosakan. Dah nama pun kenderaan terpakai, jadi semestinya kenderaan tersebut telah dipakai. Bagi mengurangkan risiko terbeli kereta terpakai yang banyak masalah, ikuti
10 tips
 di bawah sebelum membeli kenderaan terpakai.

1. Beli Daripada Sumber Yang Dipercayai

Pertama sekali sebelum membeli kenderaan terpakai, utamakan membeli dengan portal yang dipercayai dan mempunyai track record yang cemerlang. Kalau ada jaminan seperti
Carlist Qualified
 lagi bagus, beli kereta terpakai tapi ada waranti.

Sejarah servis berkala bagi kenderaan terpakai amat penting kerana ia menjadi bukti bahawa kereta tersebut telah dijaga dengan seelok-eloknya oleh pemilik lama kereta tersebut. Paling utama, elakkan membeli kereta terpakai yang tidak mempunyai sejarah penyelenggaraan kerana potensi dan keadaan sebenar kenderaan tersebut masih menjadi misteri. Untuk mengelakkan sebarang risiko, belilah kereta daripada sumber yang dipercayai, seperti
Carlist.my
!

2. Membuat Pemeriksaan Pada Kereta

Pastikan anda periksa bahagian-bahagian penting seperti ini

Enjin – Buka bonet kereta dan hidupkan enjin kereta. Pastikan bunyi enjin berada dalam keadaan normal dan tidak bermasalah. Pastikan tiada sebarang bunyi pelik hasil daripada komponen-komponen enjin yang tidak berfungsi dengan baik. Selain itu, enjin kereta zaman sekarang kebanyakkannya boleh diperiksa menggunakan komputer sahaja. itu lebih mudah dan tepat untuk mengesan sebarang kerosakan.

Cat Kereta - Pastikan pemeriksaan cat dilakukan di bawah sinaran matahari bagi memudahkan segala calar dan cacat cela pada permukaan kereta tersebut jelas kelihatan. Meskipun calar di bahagian luaran itu tidak mempunyai apa apa kesan terhadap pemanduan, tapi anda mesti mahukan yang terbaik, bukan?

Panel Badan Kereta - Sekiranya terdapat sebarang jurang yang tidak sekata mahupun refleksi yang tidak sekata, kereta terbabit mungkin pernah terlibat dengan kemalangan.

Getah Pintu - Cabut getah pintu kereta untuk melihat sebarang kesan disebalik getah tersebut. Jika kereta itu pernah terlibat dalam kemalangan dan menggunakan bahagian 'half-cut', kimpalannnya akan kelihatan di bahagian itu.

Karat - Pastikan tiada karat pada kereta. Antara tempat tempat yang berkemungkinan untuk berkarat ialah floorboard, kawasan enjin atau firewall, bumbung dan bawah alas kaki kereta. Karat tersebut walaupun boleh dibaiki akan memakan kos yang tinggi.

3. Ciri Keselamatan dan Teknologi

Kalau anda ingin menambah baik daripada kereta kompak ke
SUV atau MPV
 terpakai yang lebih selesa untuk kegunaan keluarga, pastikan anda mengambil kira faktor keselamatan serta teknologi yang diberikan oleh kereta terbabit. Kalau anda inginkan ciri keselamatan yang terbaik, pastikan kenderaan terpakai yang ingin anda beli itu mempunyai pengiktirafan 5 bintang
ASEAN NCAP
. Kebiasaannya, kenderaan yang menerima markah penuh ASEAN NCAP dilengkapi dengan Electronic Stability Control, beg udara, ABS, ISOFIX untuk kerusi bayi dan telah menjalani ujian di Makmal Asean NCAP (New Car Assesment Programme). Kalau ada ciri-ciri keselamatan pintar
ADAS
, lagi berbaloi.

Semakin hari kereta menjadi semakin canggih, selamat dan menjimatkan bahan api. Keadaan ini menyebabkan kereta lama menjadi semakin murah. Walaupun harganya murah, pastikan kereta tersebut memenuhi objektif pembelian anda. Kalau murah tapi menyusahkan pun tak guna juga kan?

4. Kos Pemilikan/ Kos Tersembunyi

Walaupun harga kereta import terpakai lebih murah daripada kereta tempatan baru, adakah itu bermakna kos pemilikan dan penyelenggaraannya lebih rendah? Bandingkan kos pemilikan sebuah jentera BMW E60 lama berbanding sebuah
Perodua Axia
 baru? Sudah semestinya kos pemilikan Axia lebih rendah. Kami faham BMW E60 dan Perodua Axia bukan di dalam segmen yang sama namun jika dilihat kepada harga pasaran E60 hari ini berbanding Axia, kami pasti ramai yang akan mempertimbangkannya tanpa memikirkan kos jangka lama pemilikannya.

Selain itu, apabila anda menaiktaraf kereta anda daripada hatchback ke MPV atau SUV, ketahuilah bahawa saiz tayar, saiz bateri, kos selenggara, cukai jalan dan penggunaan bahan api akan berbeza dan jauh lebih mahal. Pastikan anda dah buat kaji selidik tentang perkara ini supaya tidak terkejut di kemudian hari.

5. Elakkan Kereta Total Lost

Sekiranya kenderaan terlibat dalam kemalangan serius sehingga kos pembaikan melebihi 50% harga kereta tersebut, pihak insurans akan mengistiharkan kereta tersebut total lost dan pemilik akan menerima ganti rugi. Kenderaan yang rosak itu kemudian akan dibeli oleh pemilik bengkel untuk dibaik pulih dan dijual semula. Meskipun dah dibaiki, namun status komponen-komponen alat ganti yang digunakan tidak diketahui statusnya. Berkualiti atau tidak? Paling mudah, elakkan membeli kereta yang pernah total lost.

6. Mileage Rendah

Kalau anda nak cari kereta yang mempunyai jangka hayat yang lebih lama, pastikan anda memilih kenderaan yang mempunyai rekod perbatuan yang rendah. Kalau mileage rendah, maknanya kenderaan tersebut jarang digunakan. Kalau mileage dah cecah lebih 200,000km, komponen enjin serta kotak gear kereta tu pasti akan rosak ekoran kehausan. Dah la habis duit bayar kereta, nak kena tambah lagi duit untuk baik pulih komponen pula nanti. Berbaloi ke? Lagi satu pastikan juga yang odometer tidak pernah diusik oleh si penjual, ada sesetengah penjual yang pandai menukar mileage odometer supaya lebih rendah daripada yang sebenarnya.

7. Cuba Segala Benda Yang Ada Pada Kereta Terbabit

Sebelum beli, pastikan anda periksa segala butang atau benda yang hadir bersama kereta terbabit. Mulakan dengan membuka pendingin hawa kereta tersebut kerana berdasarkan cuaca panas di Malaysia, pendingin hawa merupakan suatu keperluan. Pastikan ia berfungsi dengan baik! Selain memastikan gas sudah diisi, anda disarankan untuk mencuba penghawa dingin kereta tersebut dengan suhu dan kekuatan yang berbeza bagi mengesan sekiranya ada berlaku sebarang kerosakan.

Selepas itu, periksa juga keadaan barang-barang lain seperti cermin tingkap, wiper, signal, lampu panel instrumen, kunci pintu dan sistem audio kereta terbabit. Jangan terburu buru dalam memilih, sebaliknya, ambil lah masa sebanyak mana yang anda perlukan untuk memeriksa kereta ini secara menyeluruh.

8. Pandu Uji

Untuk memahami prestasi kereta tersebut, tiada yang lebih berkesan selain daripada merasa sendiri pengalaman berada di bangku pemandu. Kereta yang cantik tidak semestinya sesuai dengan citarasa anda. Kadang-kala, terdapat kereta yang cantik dari luaran tetapi mempunyai ruang kaki yang sempit. Kereta seperti ini mungkin tidak sesuai untuk mereka yang tinggi ataupun berbadan besar. Keselesaan pemandu adalah kunci utama pemanduan yang selamat.

Selain itu, dengan memandu, anda berupaya untuk membongkarkan keadaan sebenar kenderaan terbabit yang hanya kelihatan ketika anda memandu. Perkara seperti bunyi enjin yang pelik, absorber yang sudah dimakan usia, alignment steering yang tidak sekata dan macam macam lagi. Ambil masa anda untuk betul-betul merasai kelebihan dan kekurangan sesuatu kereta itu sebelum membelinya. Penjual kereta terbabit semestinya faham dan tidak menghalang anda untuk memeriksa kereta terbabit.

9. Pilih Kenderaan Yang Sesuai Dengan Anda

Sebelum membeli sesuatu kenderaan terpakai, kenal pasti dahulu tujuan anda membeli kereta berkenaan. Sekiranya anda mencari kereta terpakai untuk digunakan sebagai pengangkutan pergi dan balik kerja, tak perlulah beli SUV. Seeloknya cari sahaja kereta kompak yang lebih kecil dan menjimatkan minyak. Buat mereka yang dah berkahwin pula, utamakan lah kereta
sedan
 berbanding
hatchback
. Bukan apa, ruang bagasi yang lebih besar pada kereta sedan akan memudahkan anda dan keluarga juga.

10. Bawa Mekanik

Kalau anda ada mekanik yang anda percaya, berilah mereka sedikit upah untuk mengikuti anda untuk memeriksa keadaan kereta terbabit sebelum anda membeli. Biarlah keluar duit sikit daripada berbelanja sehingga ribuan ringgit bagi membaiikpulih kereta kelak. Lagipun, mekanik lebih arif tentang ini jadi biarkan mereka membuat penilaian terlebih dahulu.

Sekiranya anda mengikuti tips yang diberikan ini, pembelian kereta terpakai akan menjadi sesuatu yang berbaloi. Ikuti langkah langkah yang telah diberikan supaya anda tidak melakukan kesilapan dalam membeli kereta terpakai!

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.

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Carlist.my.

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Toyota HiLux gets big air after skidding on greasy road

It’s easy to feel extra secure when driving a bigger vehicle such as a pickup truck, but as this Australian demonstrates but careening off the road and up in the air after failing to stop for a right turn, grip is a fickle mistress.

A video uploaded to Dashcam Owners Australia
shows a Toyota HiLux
 driving somewhere in Queensland (Pinjarra Hills, just outside Brisbane)  in wet conditions, going at moderate speed. It looks like the area had just experienced some rain and the roads were still greasy.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except when the truck had trouble stopping for a right hand turn with its rear wheels seeming to lock up. Things got significantly sideways and the driver was forced to drive into the grassy divot.

The HiLux was still carrying some decent speed when it was launched up in the air and from there it was just a matter of gravity and luck.

It slammed nose first into the ground and proceeded to roll at least once before coming back to rest. The car that recorded the incident even made a u-turn a little further up the road, perhaps to lend a helping hand.

By the time the witnessing vehicle came back around to the scene, the pickup truck was nowhere to be seen in frame. It most likely came to a halt somewhere further off the road, out of harm’s way.

From what we know of the aftermath, the two occupants walked away with no injuries. We can surmise that the
 HiLux was a double-cab variant
 and one that is rather recently produced, meaning it would likely have a decent assortment of safety features.

While pickup trucks, in comparison to conventional passenger cars, are generally more hard-going and can handle themselves in off-road as well as wading through floodwater thanks to their higher ground clearance, they can be trickier to control on the road and especially at higher speed.

All terrain or even the
more road-friendly highway terrain tyres
 are much more ribbed and, though disperses water more effectively, generally have a smaller and less consistent contact patch with the road surface.


New Toyota Regional Campaign To Increase Seatbelt Awareness

It's surprising that despite seatbelts being around since the 1950s, there is still a great percentage of road users that don't make use of them- at least within our region. Toyota's survey revealed that on average, only 25% of road users in our region makes use of seatbelts- and Malaysia stands below that average at 22%. Looking at the rationale for the road users who don't, Toyota says that the top 5 excuses are "existing presence of airbags in vehicles, confidence in one's own driving skills, short journeys, discomfort, and causing clothes to be wrinkled". Airbags are about 15 times less effective without the use of a seatbelt, while the risk of fatal injury increases by 100% and 300% for front and rear passengers respectively if they do not buckle up.
When their regional safety campaign began in 2014, the aim was to get road users to acknowledge the use of seatbelts and to create a call-to-action amidst rapid motorization in the Asian region. Toyota looked at taking seatbelt enforcement out of the hands of law enforcement and to improve awareness among road users to make them more proactive. The following year saw more advocation of seatbelts and more information to empower road users and to help them lead others in that regard.
This year sees the campaign continuing, but with more emphasis on social media, applications, and more proactive behaviour. The campaign consists of a combination of animated pieces, emotional pieces aimed to strike a chord with families, and applications such as the Toyota Seat Selfie App and the "Go Go Buckle Up" Game. The message is "Belt On For Every Journey", targetting and eliminating the excuses most road users employ to avoid wearing a seatbelt. The campaign will be extended to all ASEAN countries, including India, Pakistan, and four new Southwest Asian countries of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
Beyond this, Toyota has also been steadily improving their active safety technology and testing over the years. They now have features such as the 'Pre-Collision System' and 'Lane Departure Alert', which are more commonly found on higher end products but are slowly being implemented in Toyota's model range. The systems are designed to work together as a way to prevent collisions altogether, as shown by this rather complex web of components. But beyond this, Toyota is also looking at reducing the injury during eventual accidents as well.
More importantly, the simulations they use have become more complex as well, with the THUMS (Toyota Human Model For Safety) now modeling the various internal components of the human body. It can simulate the effect on bones, muscles, ligaments, tendnos, and internal organs- key to understanding impact forces on the body and what may be a potential risk. Just this year, the system has also included models to represent children aged ten, six, and three for injury analysis. The ultimate goal for the company is to mitigate traffic injuries and eliminate traffic casualties in their entirety.


Ten Bang-for-Buck Modern Classics For Under RM20,000 (Part 1)

The whirlwind of excitement starts as you walk up to it – framing the pageantry of beautiful lines, uncomplicated contours and characterful patina.
The destination is not critical, yet every moment of the journey between turning the key and arriving is full of purpose, a memory waiting to be immortalised, perceptions so easily crystallised into profound emotions.
Owning a classic car – dare I say it, is one of the greatest pleasures in life. The equivalent of jet-setting across the world, tasting the finest wine or watching your children graduate university with first-class honours.
In Malaysia, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) has set clear guidelines to define the term. It follows:
Vintage:
 Cars that have reached the age of 50 years from the day they were produced.
Classic:
 Cars that have reached the age of 25 years from the day they were produced, including those referred to as collectors' items.
Yet for the most part – unless your pockets are deeper than your sense of rationality, owning a classic car is reserved for the few. Classics require constant attention and affection, lack thereof, and an ownership experience can turn into a very consuming affair.
Modern classics or ‘youngtimers’ are good way pitching one’s self into the arena of classic car ownership. At the cusp of reaching the classic age, modern classics aren’t necessarily the rarest or most desirable cars out there, but they’re easier to maintain, generally reliable and usable, have readily available parts and still offer driving experiences from a bygone era.
In this two-part feature, we take a look at ten modern classics which can be procured for about half the cost of a new
Perodua Bezza
, yet offer staggering levels of driving enjoyment, presence, and style.
They also appeal to wide range of tastes – from first time collectors, enthusiast drivers, to even people who might need a simple, easy to maintain means for commuting.
In no particular order, ranked alphabetically, here’s the first five of our ten favourite modern classics.
Alfa Romeo 155 (Type 167)
Why it’s here
Well, it’s an Alfa Romeo, no classic car list will be complete without some Italian flair, and its boxy proportions have aged like fine wine. The
Alfa Romeo 155
 is a genuine starter car towards becoming a full-fledged Alfa-isti – and the 2.5 V6 soundtrack is too die for if you can find one in Malaysia.
Claim to fame
Being the first post-Fiat acquisition model, without rear-wheel drive – initial public response towards the 155 was lukewarm at best. Until Alfa sent it to the gym and went racing – the 155 enjoyed tremendous success in Touring Car racing. A slew of victories followed in the European Touring Car Championship, German DTM, Spanish and British Touring Car Championships, immortalised by names such as Nicola Larini and Gabrielle Tarquini.
The one to get
Early 1.8-litre 8-valvers are cheap and indestructible. The 2.0-litre Twin Spark (TS) ‘widebody’ models are where it’s at – look for rust under rear wheel arches, lumpy idle timing are mostly caused by non-original MAF sensors, and Lambda sensors need replacement every 3-4 years. Check for good engine oil level or leaks – if the car has done more than 150k km, ask for cam belt and water pump replacement receipts. Power windows motors can fail too – replace or learn to live with.
Audi A4 (B5)
Why it’s here
It’s the Audi that took the fight to the stalwart BMW 3-Series, it still looks superb and modern after all these years and created the legacy that the
all-new (B9) Audi A4
 continues to this day.
Claim to fame
This is one for the motorsport fans – the
A4 (B5)
 went head-to-head against the Alfa 155, BMW (E36) 3-Series and Volvo 850s in the most exciting eras of British, Italian and European Touring Car championships, and came out on top. The firm’s Quattro technology proved brutally effective on track, as it was on dirt.
The one to get
Both the 1.8-litre 20-valve turbo and non-turbo engines are very strong. Definitely, ask for service history and get a pre-purchase inspection done by a specialist. Cam belts and tensioners are a crucial timely replacement and turbines reportedly fail too. Run a diagnostics and check for fault codes or if anyone has cleared them recently. 2001 1.8-turbo models received more power but are hard to come by – these cars would be best. Also, check for steering ‘play’ – steering rack replacement is both labour intensive and costly.
BMW 5 Series (E34)
Why it’s here
It’s one of BMW’s all-time greats – timeless style, impeccably reliable with driving dynamics and comfort levels which are considered top-notch even to this day. And as with any BMW, the allure of the company's motorsport heritage is pretty hard to beat.
Claim to fame
As we welcome the
seventh-generation (G30) 5 Series
, it’s good to remember the standard bearer from all those years back. The
E34 5 Series
 had sheer pizzazz and the range-topping M5 combined sports car performance and ‘Fifth Avenue’ luxury in one package.
The one to get
As a budget buy – we’d still recommend the pre-facelift 525i (M20B25) 2.5-litre straight-six models. The engine blocks are bomb-proof, OEM parts are widely available and are capable of embarrassing most modern cars on the roads. Manuals were mostly supplied with the (CKD) 2.0-litre models but the engines are asthmatic at best. Listen for clunky gear changes – signs the rear differential-mounts and/or transmission mounts need replacing. Lumpy idle timing symptomatic of vacuum pressure loss or injector wear, diagnose for electrical and engine faults. Finally, look under the side-sills for signs of rust – typically caused by improper jacking.
BMW 7 Series (E38)
Why it’s here
While it’s not too hard to flood this list with other BMWs models such as the E28, E30 (which are getting very expensive) and E36 3 Series, why not go for the flagship BMW. Nowadays, you could just about get your hands of the
E38 7er
 for under RM20k – the E38 still comes from a time with lesser BMW electronic wizardry, and thus makes for a superb albeit unconventional choice for a modern classic.
Claim to fame
Not many cars lay claim as the weapon of choice for MI6’s finest agent, James Bond. The (E38) BMW 750iL starred as 007’s ride in the movie
Tomorrow Never Dies
 – replete with rocket launchers, deployable tire spikes and could be remotely controlled via smartphone... beat that Google Car.
The one to get
The majority of E38 available locally were the smallest displacement (M52B28) 2.8-litre inline-six, good for 186bhp. These engines were fitted with the single-Vanos setup on the inlet side – and unfortunately, will be the cause of uneven idling and other mechanical woes down the line. Otherwise, the engine and gearbox combos are pretty robust. Vanos repair kits are available locally but can cost a small fortune, an existing owner advised to order online (from Canada) and ship it in, but still requires specialist installation. Electronics are otherwise mostly sound but a prior diagnosis is highly recommended.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W124)
Why it’s here
There’s not much that hasn’t been said about the
W124 E-Class
 – it’s the over engineering exercise of a generation and remains one of the most well-engineered cars of all time. More than 30 years on, it still looks the part and can hold its own in a sea of modern traffic. If you want to survive a zombie apocalypse, this is the modern-classic to do it in.
Claim to fame
Nearly 2.6-million cars produced over an 11-year production run – need we say more? And in 1986, a small yet growing tuning company, called AMG… managed to shoehorn a 5.6-litre V8 engine within the chassis of the W124 to create the fastest passenger sedan on the planet, nicknamed, the Hammer!
The one to get
The M102 inline-four and M103 inline-six cylinders in the pre-93 facelift models are still highly recommended. If you don’t need the silky smooth torque of the 2.6-litre 6-pot, the 2.3-litre four-cylinder is more frugal in town but don’t expect small fuel bills either way. Most importantly, look for oil in the coolant reservoir – signs of a leaking head gasket. The front crankshaft seal and belt tensioners are other weak points of the engine. Check the air-conditioning system properly, operate all modes and fan speeds and make sure all the electrics work – these are expensive fixes. The water pump, belt tensioner and radiator should be replaced after 160,000kms.
Catch Part 2 of our bang-for-buck modern classics where we look at another five unique cars to brighten up your garage. Here's a teaser of what's to come...


Interstate Travel Coming Soon! Very Soon!

As was mentioned before the
interstate travel
 ban will be lifted when the adult population vaccination rate in Malaysia reaches 90%. We are currently at 87.2% as of the time of publication.

In a posting on his official Twitter account on October 2, 2021, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said 86% of the adult population in Malaysia has been fully vaccinated.

He went on to add, "With greater mobility, there will be more gatherings.

“We need to take responsibility for our actions. If you develop symptoms get a test kit and test. If positive, isolate quickly,” he tweeted.

Recently, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob
also mentioned that interstate travel
 would be allowed when 90% of the country's adult population was fully vaccinated.

This was further echoed by
National Recovery Council
 (MPN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin who even indicated that interstate travel might be allowed as early as mid-October.

At the time of publication according to the COVIDNOW portal, the adult population in Malaysia fully vaccinated stood at 87.2%.


Ford launches Built Ford Tough documentary series

There’s no better test for an off-road vehicle like real world conditions. For the past few months, a team of Ford engineers have been putting the Ranger through a series of gruelling tests- the kind that you would find in proper use of these vehicles, only taken to their most extreme.
Their tests took them across Thailand, from a construction site in Bangkok all the way to the northern border. It's definitely a new way to showcase how well a workhorse will handle the demands placed on pickup trucks.

The Ranger was subjected to a number of different challenges: it had to take the abuse of heavy pallets of cargo dropped onto its cargo bed, tow massive loads through a limestone quarry, plunge into a wading pool in a 4x4 testing facility, and even endure a 6.5-kilometre jungle track for 24 consecutive hours.
Despite the occasional tense moment, the Ranger managed to push through these challenges in one piece. The documentary series will posted on
Ford Malaysia's Facebook Page
.


2016 Volkswagen Jetta Facelift Teased On Official Website; Potential EEV Beneficiary?

We’ve known for some time that the Volkswagen Jetta is
due for its midlife facelift
, with overseas markets having received updated versions since 2014. A teaser image has just gone up on Volkswagen Malaysia’s website confirming the imminent arrival of a ‘new Jetta’ at an unspecified launch date.
Actual details for the vehicle specifications selected for Malaysia are scarce at the moment; but sources have confirmed that, like the recently-launched
Vento
, Volkswagen will be offering the updated Jetta with multiple trim lines as opposed to just a single variant for the outgoing model.
(Overseas model shown. Local variant may differ.)
Globally, we know Volkswagen offers a range of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines of varying outputs. In Europe, the engine line-up consists of 1.2- and 1.4-litre petrol engines from the EA211 family lining up alongside a 2.0-litre diesel.
Australia, interestingly, continues with the familiar EA111 1.4-litre twincharged TSI engine along with 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.
(Overseas model)
The Malaysian market should continue to receive the Jetta with a 1.4-litre petrol engine, though it is unclear if we will be continuing with the
current model’s
 twincharged mill or the newer, less powerful but more economical turbocharged lump that is also shared with the
Golf
.
Specs of the two engines are as follows:
Based on the above figures, there is a distinct possibility that the Jetta, if powered by the new EA 211 engine, could benefit from Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) incentives under the current National Automotive Policy (NAP). If Volkswagen is able to negotiate favourable terms with the Government, the updated Jetta could be priced very competitively against its peers.


Mercedes-Benz, BMW, And Audi Preparing To Launch Bid For Nokia HERE

According to a report posted by the
Wall Street Journal
, it appears that three premium German carmakers –
Mercedes-Benz
,
BMW
, and
Audi
 are preparing to launch a formal bid to acquire a majority stake of HERE, Nokia Corp.’s mapping unit.
If you aren’t familiar with HERE, they provide consumers with maps and navigation systems and unlike Google Maps and Waze, it doesn’t require mobile data if you have downloaded its offline maps. You can check it out
here (pun not intended) for Android and iOS devices
.
However, why would the usually highly competitive premium German brands be interested in Nokia’s mapping unit, reportedly valued at more than two billion Euros?
Well, the three are looking to gain control of a key piece of technology that will be used in self-driving cars and in-car digital services (infotainment navigation units). With carmakers looking to implement automated driving into their vehicles in the future, having a well-established mapping unit would certainly be an advantage.
“The greatest threat to the automobile industry would be if Google developed an operating system for self-driving cars and made it available free to everyone,” said a person familiar with the situation. “We need the map for the operating system in the cars.”
Besides German carmakers, HERE’s customers also include General Motors,
Ford
,
Jaguar

Land Rover
,
Honda
,
Nissan
, and
Renault
. They also claim to control about 80% of the United States and European markets for on-board navigation systems in cars.


Proton Group Boards Receive Nominees from DRB-HICOM and Geely, Revitalisation Plans

With the signing of the
Definitive Agreement
 between DRB-Hicom and Geely Holding just 100 days behind us, the two companies have come to an agreement on the new board structures and executive teams for Proton Holdings Berhad (PHB) and other companies under the Proton Group.
Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar remains as Chairman of Proton Holdings Berhad (PHB), and he is joined on the board by Shaharul Farez Hassan and Amalanathan Thomas as the nominees from the DRB-Hicom side- both of whom are also part of the senior management team at DRB-Hicom. From the Geely Holding side, Daniel Donghui Li and Feng Qing Feng will sit as nominees on the PHB board; the former is President and CFO of Geely Holding, while the latter is Group Vice President and CTO of Hong Kong-listed Geely Auto.
All five of these nominees also sit on the board of Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, which remains as the Malaysian distribution arm of Proton. In addition to this, they will also be on the board of Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (PONSB), joined with Dr. Nathan Yu Ning- the Vice President of International Business at Geely Holding. Winfriend Vahland, formerly a Chariman and CEO of Skoda Auto, is also taking a position on the board of PONSB.
Syed Faisal, Farez Hassan, Nathan, Daniel Donghui Li and Dr. Nathan Yu Ning will sit on the board for Proton Edar Sdn. Bhd., the Malaysian distribution arm of Proton. Both PONSB and Proton Edar are wholly-owned by Proton Holdings Berhad.
Following the departure of Dato’ Ahmad Fuaad Kenali on September 30th, Dr. Li Chunrong has been nominated by Proton Group to fill the Chief Executive Officer position of PONSB. Dr Li has spent the last 3 decades in the automotive industry, working with major international brands such as Honda, Kia, and Dongfeng in various high-level roles. His role at Proton will be to manage the entire operation- from production to manufacturing, sales and marketing to quality, and even research and development. Deputy CEO of PONSB, Dato’ Radzaif Mohammed, will support Dr. Li in his role.
As for the revitalisation plans, this is perhaps the bit of news that more people are interested to hear about. To become the best-selling brand within Malaysia is one goal, but far loftier than that is to become the top-three ASEAN brand in the coming years. To help achieve this, the management of Proton has established a long-overdue global team that can utilize the lead market knowledge of both shareholders; it aims to capitalize on local market knowledge from DRB-Hicom, along with the international resources of Geely Holding.
Also long overdue is a mid-sized SUV from Proton, and this is expected to be the first of the jointly-developed vehicles with Geely. Dr Li will become PONSB’s CEO from the 1st of October, 2017, and he will be instrumental in the development of the jointly-developed vehicles to come.
Geely Holding’s acquisition of a 51% majority share in Lotus from Proton has also been finalized. DRB-Hicom had been looking for a foreign strategic partner since 2016, and more than 30 global companies had bid for the British sports car manufacturer. Geely Holdings was announced as the new strategic partner on the 24th of May, earlier this year.


Toyota Adds 10 More Cars To Vios Challenge

Toyota's inanugural Vios Challenge will feature 40 cars at the starting grid when the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Racing Festival starts in Penang this August, ten more than the initial 30 cars announced at the programme's launch in April.
President of UMW Toyota Motor Mr. Ravindran Kurusamy said, “The interest in the Vios Challenge had been overwhelming. We’ve had so many requests by racers who wanted to purchase a car and compete in the Vios Challenge but due to safety and logistics concerns, we have had to restrict the field to a maximum of 40 cars for this season.”
Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor Mr. Akio Takeyama added, “I am very excited to be taking part in my first race in the Vios Challenge. I have been working hard in the racing school and I have learned so much from my instructors. I can’t wait for the race to begin. I do hope that Malaysian motorsports fans will come to the TGR Racing Festivals and enjoy all that we have planned. With the intense level of competition on the race track, the carnival-like atmosphere, celebrity performances and all the fun-filled activities, I believe that the TGR Racing Festival will be an event like we’ve never seen before.”
With a total of 40 cars, the Vios Challenge will be the highlight event at the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Racing Festival with a carnival-like atmosphere. Fans can follow TGR Racing Festival and the Vios Challenge on the Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia homepage, Facebook page or Instagram.


Daimler Looks To Abandon Renault-Nissan Alliance Partnership

There are some who feel that this move is unprecedented, but the older (and wiser) among you may remember that numerous manufacturers have partnered with each other over the last few decades as and when there's mutual benefit, only to part ways after as if they had no relations prior.
According to MercedesBlog
, Daimler is looking to abandon their partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance once their ongoing joint projects come to a close.
The terms of the partnership were largely technical, with shared engines (the 1.33-litre four-cylinder engine in the Mercedes-Benz A200 and similar cars), as well as the Mercedes-Benz Citan and the most recent Smart models. Some of these items are even produced in Renault factories, which raises questions as to whether the standards will be maintained with the knowledge that Daimler wishes to pull out after.
But if there is one important lesson to take away from all this, it's that we are finally witnessing the hidden cost of this rapid push for electrification in order to meet the ridiculously tough targets that the European Union (among other parts of the world) have set for fleet emissions and to avoid penalties. The severing of this partnership is only one of many moves that Ola Källenius plans to make in the coming months and years, as he is poised to take control of Daimler by the end of May.
His plan to cut costs by 6 billion Euros in Mercedes-Benz and 2 billion Euros in their trucks division will come at the expense of around 10,000 employees, who will be let go in order to streamline and run a leaner operation. Operating profit in the last quarter of 2018 fell by a whopping 22%, courtesy of the aforementioned push for electric car development and production facilities. Suffice to say, Daimler will not be the only major automotive player making some tough calls as belts have to be tightened in the face of higher future expenditure.


Dulu Kedah Kini Melaka - Negeri Mana Bakal Menjadi Hab Pemasangan Kereta Elektrik Pertama Di Malaysia?

Dahulu, Kedah menyambut baik pelaburan dari syarikat automotif China, kini giliran Melaka pula disunting.

Kerajaan negeri Melaka menerima cadangan daripada sebuah syarikat dari China yang berminat menjadikan Melaka sebagai pusat pemasangan
kenderaan elektrik (EV)
 pertama di negara ini, lapor Berita Harian.

*Kredit foto: Berita Harian

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perindustrian, Pelaburan dan Pembangunan Usahawan negeri, Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, berkata cadangan daripada syarikat antarabangsa itu sedang dibincang dan diteliti sebelum diputuskan tidak lama lagi.

"Wakil syarikat berkenaan sudah menghubungi saya baru-baru ini dan menyatakan hasrat berkenaan. Pada peringkat kerajaan negeri, saya akan meneliti dulu cadangan itu bersama Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Melaka (PKNM) termasuk lokasi sesuai bagi membangunkan kilang pemasangan EV terbabit".

"Pada dasarnya kita tiada halangan, namun ia memerlukan perbincangan teliti dengan semua agensi berkaitan, termasuk berkaitan lokasi dan impak ekonomi negeri serta rakyat keseluruhannya," katanya.

Sementara itu, Menteri Besar Kedah, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor mengesahkan cadangan pelaburan yang dilaporkan bernilai RM1.5 bilion bagi industri
kenderaan cekap tenaga (EEV)
 dan teknologi hijau di Kedah.

Projek kendalian
Go Auto Group
 bersama-sama dengan Flumen Holdings Sdn Bhd ini bakal menjadi penanda aras kepada pembangunan automotif teknologi pintar di Malaysia.

Lebih menarik, Go Auto telah memeterai perjanjian dengan Fukuta Electric & Machinery di Taiwan bagi membangunkan ekosistem kenderaan elektrik (EV). Menurut Go Auto, perjanjian ini bakal menjadikan Malaysia sebagai
hab kenderaan elektrik
 di rantau Asia, melalui Rancangan Malaysia ke-11.

Justeru, pelaburan berskala besar di Kedah ini seakan petanda positif - adakah Kedah bakal menjadi hab pemasangan dan pengeluaran EV untuk pasaran tempatan dan import?

Syarikat tersebut, jelas Sanusi, sudah mengeluarkan kenderaan cekap tenaga jenama
Haval
 dan
Borgward
 dari China, juga van komersial dengan teknologi Higer, serta bas elektrik dengan jenama sendiri, Go Auto.

Kedua-dua negeri jelas mempunyai keupayaan menjadi hab pemasangan EV kerana kebanyakan pengeluar kenderaan terkemuka turut memilih Kedah dan Melaka sebagai kilang operasi mereka di Malaysia.

Porsche
 misalnya, sudah mengesahkan bahawa mereka bakal membuka operasi pemasangan CKD di Kedah pada 2022, pertama seumpamanya yang dibuka di luar negara asal.

Manakala
Honda
 yang membuka kilang pemasangan di Pegoh, Alor Gajah, berjaya membuktikan keupayaan pengoperasiannya di Melaka, sekali gus meletakkan negeri ini sebagai sebuah lokasi terbaik dalam sektor pemasangan automotif di negara ini.

Sama hebat sama layak, Kedah atau Melaka – negeri mana bakal menjadi hab pemasangan EV pertama di Malaysia? Sama-sama kita nantikan!


Fuel Price: 16-22 Nov – Petrol And Diesel Both Increase

The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives, and Consumerism (KPDNKK) has announced fuel prices for the upcoming week from 16 to 22 November 2017, which will be as follows:
Petrol RON 95 – RM2.38 (up 7 sen from RM2.31)
Petrol RON 97 – RM2.66 (up 6 sen from RM2.60)
Diesel – RM2.25 (up 5 sen from RM2.20)
To recap, fuel prices have been on an uptrend since the week of
19-25 October
, which saw a uniform increase of 1 sen per litre across the board; the
subsequent week
 saw petrol and diesel going up by 3 and 2 sen per litre respectively, and
the week after
 saw an increase of 4 sen across the board.
Most recently, fuel prices rose 6-7 sen per litre for petrol and 3 sen for diesel for the week of
9-15 November
.


Cyclists Warned To Install Safety Features By January 9

If you're a cyclist and you happen to
cycle in Putrajaya
 then you have until January 9 to install bells and lights on your bike.

Police will take action against you if your bicycle does not have the relevant safety features installed including bells, lights, and brakes beginning January 9 as reported by The New Straits Times today.

District Police Chief of Putrajaya, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Fadzil Ali said individuals found without the safety features would be referred to court and could be fined up to RM2,000.

He further informed that this was to protect the cyclists themselves as Putrajaya has become a cycle destination with up to 1,000 people cycling there on the weekends.

"Cyclists who violate the law can be punished according to the Road Transport Act 1987 and the Road Traffic Rules 1959," he said after the Bicycle Special Ops at Dataran Putrajaya.

The Bicycle Special Ops is an on-going initiative from Jan 1 to 3 to advise and remind cyclists about the enforcement of this new regulation.

If you are found flouting the regulation, you could also be charged under:

Section 54 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless riding

Section 79 (2) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for failing to comply with traffic signs

Section 112 (3) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for committing a cycling offense

Rule 35 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959 for not installing lights on bikes

Rule 42 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959 for not having safety features such as brakes and bells

So unless you're of the money and you ride an
RM45,000 road bike
, please install some lights, bells, and proper brakes on your bicycle. After all, if you get injured while riding, we're pretty sure no one is going to replace your bicycle FOC for you.

But why only Putrajaya and not nationwide?


Mercedes-Benz Introduces Hybrid Battery Extended Warranty Program, RM 2,688

Unless you've been on a social media diet in these last few weeks, you would have caught wind of the rather exorbitant cost of replacing a hybrid battery in a Mercedes-Benz E300 BlueTEC Hybrid or S400h. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has taken measures to assuage the fears of owners and would be owners, by announcing two critical prices.
For those looking at long term or second-hand ownership, you'll be pleased to know that the prices for the batteries have dropped to RM 50,000 and RM 65,000 for the E300 BlueTEC hybrid and S400h respectively. This is quite nearly half of what was originally quoted in various social media posts.
But more important than that is a new extended warranty program for the hybrid batteries in these vehicles. For just RM 2,688, owners can extend the warranty of these components for an additional four years, whether it's the
E300 BlueTEC Hybrid
 or the
S400h
. The extended warranty covers 100% of the cost associated with repairing or replacing the hybrid battery for up to eight years, or 180,000 km - whichever comes first.
Should customers have any queries, kindly contact our Customer Care Centre at Tel: 1-800-88-1133 (Operation Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm) or email: customercare_my@daimler.com or visit the Mercedes-Benz Malaysia website at
https://www.mercedes-benz.com.my