Future Volvos Will Run On An In-House Operating System Developed With Google

In addition to a
stellar new concept vehicle
 – Volvo’s recent ‘Tech Moment’ press event also provided a glimpse of how Volvo cars will deliver vastly improved functions and features in a proprietary new in-house operating system developed with Google – called VolvoCars.OS.

The next generation of pure
electric Volvo models
, including the company’s first SUV on a completely new electric-only technology base (the Concept Recharge), will run on Volvo Cars’ own Operating System (OS). In addition to faster development and greater flexibility – the OS will offer over-the-air updates to customer's cars throughout their lifetime.

VolvoCars.OS will act as an umbrella system for electric Volvo cars. It incorporates the company’s various operating systems across the car and the cloud, creating one coherent software OS environment. The underlying operating systems include the Android Automotive OS, QNX, AUTOSAR, and Linux.

Through a variety of application programming interfaces (APIs), including the previously announced Extended Vehicle API, the VolvoCars.OS gives developers access to
in-car features
 such as vehicle sensor data, user interfaces, and cloud-based features such as fleet data, subject to customer consent. This allows developers to create new services and applications for Volvo cars.

To truly benefit from developing software in-house, Volvo Cars is also centralising computing inside its fully electric cars into a core system, removing a lot of complexity. Rather than relying on multiple electronic control units around the car that control individual features and systems, an increasing amount of in-house developed software will run in a powerful core computing system in the car.

The core computing system, which will first be introduced on a new Volvo model set to be revealed in 2022, is made up of three main computers. These support each other in operating vision processing and artificial intelligence, general computing, and infotainment respectively.

The shift to centralized computing also allows Volvo Cars to gradually separate hardware from software. This means the company can introduce more frequent hardware cycles (in newer cars) so that new Volvo models can be equipped with the latest available hardware. Volvo Cars are making the shift to in-house development and central computing, working together with leading technology firms. These include
NVIDIA, with whom the company is working on the core systems
, and Google, its co-development partner for its infotainment systems.

Volvo Car Group was the first manufacturer to introduce cars with an
infotainment system powered by Android Automotive OS
 with Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play built-in. In its next generation of vehicles, Volvo will work even more closely with Google to further integrate Google’s Android Automotive OS and new in-car display system under the VolvoCars.OS umbrella to offer a powerful and yet user-friendly experience to drivers.

According to Volvo, the user experience design is built on a clear split of information for the driver, according to the level of relevance while behind the wheel. A high-resolution driver information screen gives the driver the most relevant information related to driving, such as speed and battery levels. A heads-up-display (HUD) helps keep key information in front of the driver without having to glance away.

Future Volvo cars will also come with a large, centralized touch screen that provides more content, easy-to-see information, and responsive interaction. The guiding design principle is that everything customers need should always be easily accessible, either by touch or by voice command.

The next generation of Volvo cars use your phone as a key and the Volvo Cars app will connect you to everything else that comes with modern life and electric car ownership. Features such as finding and paying for vehicle charging, connecting to your home devices as well as popular remote features already such as pre-heating and –cooling will be just a touch or swipe away on your smartphone.

Henrik Green, Chief Technology Officer adds, “Our teams have spent a lot of time with Google to further develop and improve our user experience for the next generation of Volvo cars. Especially in terms of safety, serenity, and simplicity, we have made great strides thanks to a deeper integration of design and technological development.”


Proton Wants You To Choose A Name For Its First-Ever SUV

One of the most highly anticipated vehicles of the year – Proton’s first-ever SUV based on the Geely Boyue is all set to make its debut later this year.
However, it doesn’t have a name yet. Rumour had it that Proton was going to call it “Bayu” but looks like that is not going to be the case.
Proton today released an
online survey form
 in which it asked the public to vote for one out of four names that have been shortlisted:
Proton X7
Proton PX7
Proton X70
Proton X700
The good news is that those who don’t like the names above can suggest an alternative name for the SUV.
Launched in early 2016, the Boyue is the fourth SUV model to be introduced by Geely. It is a mid-sized SUV competing in the same segment as the Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, and Honda CR-V.
Previewed last June in Malaysia, the SUV is most likely to be powered by a 1.8 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 185 PS and 285 Nm of torque which sends all the power to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
During the preview, we also observed what appears to be a generous safety kit including six airbags, ABS, EBD, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Brake Assist, Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Hill-Hold Control (HHC) and Hill-Descent Control (HDC).


10 Sebab Patut Beli Perodua Ativa AV – “Tekan-Tekan Preggy”

Sejak pelancaran
SUV kompak segmen-B Perodua Ativa
 pada Mac 2021, SUV kompak ini telah menjadi salah satu pilihan utama ramai rakyat Malaysia sehingga ke hari ini.

Meskipun saiznya agak kecil berbanding
Proton X50
 yang juga merupakan SUV dalam segmen yang sama, namun mengapa SUV kompak ini lebih menonjol berbanding SUV lain dan menjadi pilihan ramai?

Bagi menjawab persoalan tersebut, kami telah senaraikan 10 sebab yang mungkin menjadi faktor mengapa orang ramai memilih Ativa sebagai SUV pilihan mereka berbanding
SUV segmen-B
 lain di pasaran.

1. Advance Safety Assist (A.S.A. 3.0)

Yang paling mencuri perhatian pada Perodua Ativa ini sudah tentunya ciri keselamatan yang maju pada harga mampu milik, iaitu di bawah tanda harga RM80,000 sahaja.
A.S.A. 3.0
 yang merangkumi:

Pre-Collision Warning (PCW)

Pre-Collision Braking (PCB)

Front Departure Alert

Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Pedal Mis-operation Control

A.S.A. 3.0 berfungsi dengan menggunakan sebuah kamera stereo yang diletakkan di bahagian hadapan cermin kereta, di belakang cermin pandang belakang. Walaupun ciri ini tidaklah 100% mampu untuk mengelakkan pelanggaran daripada berlaku, namun pemandu tidak perlu lagi risau dengan bahaya yang ada di hadapan sekiranya mereka tidak peka kerana ASA akan memberikan peringatan sekiranya ia mengesan bahaya di hadapan.

Dengan ASA 3.0, Perodua Ativa kini boleh mengesan kereta, motor atau basikal pada kelajuan 4-120km/h manakala 4-60km/h bagi pejalan kaki. Selain itu, ASA 3.0 juga boleh berfungsi pada waktu malam dengan lebih baik berbanding ASA 2.0, tetapi hanya mampu mengesan kereta sekiranya lampu belakangnya dibuka.

2. Perodua Smart Drive Assist (PSDA)

Selain itu, Ativa juga dilengkapi dengan fungsi pintar seperti bantuan pemanduan autonomi level 2 yang diberi nama
 Perodua Smart Drive Assist (PSDA)
 yang merangkumi:

Advance Safety Assist 3.0

Driving Assist – Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keep Control (LKC), Blind Sport Monitor (BSM).

Parking Assist – Front Corner Sensor, Rear Corner Sensor, Reverse Camera, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Headlamp Assist – Auto High Beam (AHB), Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB)

Sebagai perbandingan, pesaing Ativa Proton X50 turut menawarkan ciri yang sama, bezanya anda perlu membayar sehingga melebihi RM100,000 untuk mendapatkan ciri tersebut. Kan besar bezanya tu?

3. Interior Ringkas, Tapi Padat

Bahagian dalam Ativa juga tidaklah begitu mewah, namun ia tidaklah begitu menjengkelkan. Berikut merupakan antara sorotan ciri yang menarik yang ada pada bahagian dalam kabin Ativa:

Cup holder
 terbina siap

Stereng dengan butang pelbagai fungsi

Glove box
 dengan perehat lengan

Poket sisi di bahagian konsol tengah

4 USB port (2 hadapan, 2 belakang)

Tempat duduk balutan kulit

Paparan skrin sentuh
infotainment
 bersaiz 9 inci

Kawalan penyaman udara digital dengan butang
off
 yang mudah dikawal

Paparan meter digital TFT bersaiz 7 inci

Rekaan dalaman serba hitam dengan sedikit campuran warna merah. Lebih kemas berbanding tempat duduk Myvi 2022 varian AV yang majoritinya diwarnakan dengan warna merah.

Kapasiti but 369 liter

4. SUV Kompak Kegunaan Bandar

Walaupun umumnya SUV bersaiz besar, namun SUV kompak seperti ini juga kini semakin popular untuk digunakan di serata dunia, terutama bagi kegunaan di bandar. Berikut merupakan dimensi Perodua Ativa:

Panjang: 4,065 mm

Lebar: 1,710 mm

Tinggi: 1,635 mm

Jarak Roda: 2,525 mm

Berat: 1,035 kg

Dengan saiz yang lebih kecil, lebih mudah untuk mengendalikan kereta ini di ruangan yang sempit dan radius pusingan bagi kereta ini hanyalah 5.1 meter sahaja. Selain itu, ketinggian pada Ativa ini memberikan pemanduan yang lebih lancar menyusuri jalan yang tidak rata, lopak air serta bonggol jalan. Bila kereta sedikit tinggi, maka kedudukan pemandu juga akan menjadi lebih tinggi dan membolehkan pemandu melihat hadapan, sisi dan belakang dengan lebih jelas.

5. Mod Power, Tekan-Tekan Preggy

Berikut merupakan spesifikasi enjin Ativa:

Enjin: 1KR-VET 1.0L 3-silinder

Transmisi: D-CVT

Kuasa Maksimum: 98 PS

Tork Minimum @ 2,000 rpm: 120 Nm

Tork Maksimum @ 6,000 rpm: 140 Nm

Walaupun angka yang dipaparkan di atas tidaklah sehebat pesaingnya, namun enjin 1.0 liter turbo ini sudah memadai untuk kegunaan Perodua memandangkan Ativa bersaiz kecil dan ringan. Selain itu,
 mod Power (PWR)
yang diperkenalkan buat pertama kali oleh Perodua pada Ativa betul-betul memberi perbezaan kepada enjin 1.0L itu.

Walau bagaimanapun, butang PWR itu bukanlah butang turbo seperti yang didakwa oleh sesetengah pihak. Jadi dari situlah wujudnya ayat ‘tekan-tekan preggy’ yang popular digunakan oleh pengguna Ativa di Facebook. Power Mode memberikan anda akses kepada rangkaian penuh kuasa enjin dan meningkatkan tindak balas output enjin berbanding ketika dalam mod pemanduan biasa.

6. Transmisi D-CVT

Pengenalan transmisi
D-CVT
 pada Ativa memberikan pecutan yang lebih lancar. Transmisi ini memberikan penggunaan bahan api yang lebih menjimatkan selain lebih senyap ketika dipandu dalam kelajuan tinggi.

Selain itu, transmisi D-CVT ini juga bersaiz lebih kecil, lebih ringan, lebih murah dan lebih menjimatkan minyak. Prestasi D-CVT ini dikatakan mempunyai prestasi setaraf dengan transmisi 8 kelajuan automatik. Oleh kerana transmisi Ativa ini dihasilkan di Malaysia, kos penghasilannya juga lebih rendah,

7. Jimat Minyak

Sebagai model EEV kelima keluaran Perodua, enjin ini dikatakan mampu memberikan penggunaan bahan api yang efisien sehingga 18.9km/liter atau 5.29 liter/100km dengan
eco-idle
membuatkan ia sesuai untuk dibelasah sebagai kereta kegunaan harian. Struktur badan kereta diperbuat daripada panel yang mempunyai ketegaran tinggi, namun masih ringan dan membuatkan Ativa lebih menjimatkan serta lebih selamat.

Kami telah menguji tahap penggunaan bahan api dunia sebenar antara Ativa serta pesaingnya dalam segmen yang sama seperti Proton X50, Honda HR-V, dan Hyundai Kona N-Line melalui perjalanan sejauh 100km menyusuri lebuh raya, jalan luar bandar dan jalan bandar. Hasilnya, Ativa dengan mudah menewaskan pencabar-pencabarnya. Tonton video penuh di atas untuk mengetahui dengan lebih lanjut.

8. Platform DNGA

Sebagai model pertama Perodua yang dibina menggunakan
Platform DNGA (Daihatsu New Global Architecture)
, tahap keselamatan pada badan kereta ketika pelanggaran berlaku telah dipertingkatkan menjadi lebih ringan dan kukuh selain faktor seperti gegaran dan bunyi bising di dalam kabin turut telah dikurangkan.

Malah Perodua Ativa ini telah menerima markah penuh bagi penarafan Asean NCAP, iaitu 5 bintang. Untuk diiktiraf seperti ini, Ativa ini telah melalui beberapa ujian pelanggaran dari pelbagai arah untuk membuktikan bahawa kereta ini selamat untuk digunakan.

9. Pintu Dengan Fungsi Sensor Elektrostatik

Walaupun fungsi ini sudah banyak digunakan pada kereta baharu masa ini, pemegang pintu dengan pengesan elektrostatik ini memang memudahkan aktiviti keluar masuk kereta tanpa mengeluarkan kunci.

Bagi sesiapa yang dah biasa dengan kereta lama yang memerlukan anda untuk membuka pintu secara manual mahupun menekan butang untuk membuka kunci melalui kawalan jauh, penderia elektrostatik pada pintu akan membenarkan anda membuka kunci pintu dengan meletakkan tangan pada pemegang pintu. Cukup dengan memastikan kunci bersama anda sepanjang masa, ini dapat membantu mengurangkan risiko kunci tercicir.

10. SUV Mampu Milik

Antara sebab utama mengapa ramai memilih Ativa adalah kerana nilai menarik yang ditawarkan pada harga yang berpatutan. Varian tertinggi, AV dijual pada harga RM71,700 untuk versi standard manakala RM72,000 untuk penambahan warna dua tona pada kereta (bumbung berwarna hitam).

Mana lagi anda boleh cari SUV baharu dengan ciri seperti yang ditawarkan oleh Ativa pada harga di bawah RM80,000?

Sedikit maklumat tambahan, Perodua juga dijangka bakal memperkenalkan Perodua Ativa versi hibrid setelah
Daihatsu Rocky e:Smart Hybrid
 kepunyaan Perodua dikesan sedang menjalankan ujian jalan raya di Bukit Bintang pada tahun lalu. Menerusi pelan perniagaan Perodua bagi tahun 2022, syarikat itu kini sedang giat dalam melakukan kajian dan pembangunan kenderaan elektrik, termasuklah kenderaan hibrid.

Yang paling penting, Perodua bukan sekadar ingin menghasilkan kenderaan elektrik seperti pengeluar lain, tetapi mereka mahu memastikan kenderaan elektrik atau hibrid yang dijual oleh mereka adalah pada harga
mampu milik
, bersesuaian dengan profil pelanggan mereka.

Adakah Perodua Ativa masih lagi menjadi SUV pilihan anda?


19th Nissan National Hole-in-One Challenge Brings ETCM Partners and Stakeholders Together

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) recently held its 2016 Nissan National Hole-in-One Challenge Grand Final at Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia for the 19th year running.
A total of 22 golf achievers who scored a hole-in-one at the particular hole over 50 golf clubs sponsored by ETCM for the past 12 months, were invited and present for a chance to win Nissan Teana Nismo Performance Package as the Grand Prize for the ultimate hole-in-one challenge.
The ace achievers came afar from across the nation, and together with ETCM’s corporate and media partners covered a challenging 18-hole par 72 course at tee off, offering the opportunity to win great prizes upon scoring a hole-in-one. The golf enthusiasts were then invited to show off their golfing skills at the Grand Final.
That said, the winners this year were:
FINAL RESULTS (TOP 3)
Achievers Category
Haji Mohd Rafie – 36 Points
Chan Yin Fei – 36 Points
Lee Jung Yoon – 36 Points
Guest Category
Zanaibi Md Ali – 39 Points
Dato Haji Mohd Dalib – 36 Points
Mohd Zairudin Wahid – 34 Points
Corporate Category
Rastam Ariffin – 41 Points
Samsol Kamal Sabran – 38 Points
Mohd Haji Darwish – 38 Points
Novelty Winners
Nearest to Pin – Justin Fong Seng Tat
Nearest to Line – Law Teck Hing
Longest Drive – Dato Hj Mohamad Bin Dalib


What Does The Eco Mode On Your Car Do?

An increasing number of new vehicles come equipped with an ECO mode selector which drivers can activate when they want to conserve fuel and stretch their ringgit while travelling on the roads.

It seems simple enough but there are still misconceptions about what exactly the ECO button does. In addition, it doesn’t help that manufacturers all have slightly different ways of referring to them – BMW calls it ECO PRO, while Honda fits a cute little green button with the words ECON on it… but they all basically work the same way.

So what does it actually do?

In the early 90s, as cars got increasingly electronic, Engine Control Units or ECUs started to take the place of older, less precise mechanical systems. As ECUs got more powerful and intelligent, they were used to control a wider range of vehicle functions.

In today’s cars, the ECU controls everything from the engine, gearbox, steering system, active safety systems, even the air-conditioning, making it sort of the central brain of the vehicle.

Hence, simply changing the way the ECU “thinks”, can alter the overall performance of the vehicle. This is where the ECO mode comes into play.

The ECO button in most modern vehicles controls four basic systems of the car to reduce fuel consumption.

Notwithstanding, more advanced drivetrains such as Hybrids and Plug-In Hybrids will have a wider range of applications under the ECO mode, this article focusses on the basic functions of the ECO mode, which are found in most modern petrol, and diesel-powered cars.

ECO Mode changes the throttle response of the vehicle

When the ECO mode is engaged, the manner in which the engine takes in air (via the throttle body valve) is controlled in an effort to save fuel.

Hence, there is less performance and engine response but better control over how much air and fuel goes into the engine for combustion.

ECO Mode changes the way your transmission shifts gears

When in ECO mode, the ECU will deliberately instruct the transmission to shift up into a higher gear sooner to let the engine settle into a cruise and save fuel.

It will also restrict the transmission from shifting down - which will need the engine to work harder and burn more fuel - unless absolutely needed, like in the case of climbing a hill or overtaking.

ECO Mode alters the response of the cruise control system

In cars with a cruise control feature, ECO mode combines the efforts of the first two features to cruise at the desired speed of the driver while using the least amount of fuel.

In the "Normal" driving mode, the cruise control system will do its best to maintain the desired speed at all times. In ECO mode, fuel efficiency is prioritised instead of maintaining the desired speed, hence the cruising speed might fluctuate slightly in an effort to conserve fuel.

When possible, the Cruise Control will gradually increase/decrease the car's speed back to its pre-set cruising speed.

ECO Mode augments the car's Air-Conditioning (AC) system

A significant amount of the engine's power is used to drive the AC system, hence, simply turning down the AC system can help save fuel.

In ECO Mode, the car’s AC system's performance is reduced – so instead of operating at 100 percent, the system is made to work at 70-80 percent to reduce the amount of power it drains from the engine.

Of course, the air-conditioning will not be as cool as when in the "Normal" driving mode, but in most conditions, the reduction in coolness is hardly noticeable.

Some cars have an ECO Indicator instead...

In certain vehicles – such as the new Perodua Myvi – there is no ECO mode button, rather an ECO Indicator.

The ECO Indicator (Proton has a similar function called the ECO Driving Assist), monitors a few vehicle parameters such as selected gear and vehicle speed and lets the driver know he/she is driving in a fuel-efficient manner.

If the driver drives in an aggressive fashion, i.e.: accelerating/braking abruptly, the ECO indicator light switches off to denote that the car is now using more fuel.


Bangkok 2019: All-New Toyota Hiace Commuter Launched In Thailand; THB 1.3 million

Toyota Thailand has officially introduced the sixth-generation Toyota Hiace at the ongoing 2019 Bangkok Motor Show. Thailand is the second market in ASEAN to market the popular van –
after Philipines
 – with official sales slated to start mid-2019, priced at THB 1.3 milion.
The all-new Hiace now adopts a new ‘semi-bonnet’ design as opposed to the traditional cab-over design for increased front-collision safety protection, better refinement and better ergonomics for occupants. On display at the Bangkok Motorshow is the ‘high-roof’ long-wheelbase Commuter variant, which depending on customer requirements, can seat up to 17 passengers.
Toyota will continue selling the current fifth-generation Hiace in Japan due to different local market requirements and regulations.
The Hiace is built on a specially revised platform; the wheelbase is now over 3.2 metres, and 640 millimetres longer in the standard van specification when compared to the previous generation. The Commuter variant on display though is even larger, with a wheelbase of 3,860 mm, which is a whopping 750 mm longer than its predecessor, at 3,110 mm.
The Thai market receives the 2.8-litre turbodiesel (1GD-FTV) four-cylinder which produces 177 hp and 450 Nm of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm. The powerplant also sees duty in the locally supplied Toyota Hilux 2.8 L-Edition.
Along with the increase in space and refinement, the sixth-generation Hiace also introduces an industry first centre-mounted airbag for its front-centre passenger.  Advanced driving assistance systems – as part of Toyota’s global initiative to reduce road accidents and fatalities – such as Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Monitor (part of the Toyota Safety Sense package) are also offered on the Toyota Hiace.


The Perfect Hometown Journey Might Not Exist, But The Ideal Tyre For It Already Does

Road trips are a beloved tradition for many of us, but they can be taxing - not just for our bodies and minds, but for the vehicles we take with us as well. Especially during the festive season when long journeys are more frequent, it is important to be aware of the extra strain that these road trips put on our cars.

This Hari Raya, we’re likely to see another flood of cars clogging the nation’s highways. The Balik Kampung rush is nothing to be joked about with some having to endure not only incessant traffic, but varying weather conditions, unpredictable road surfaces, and low light levels especially in more rural parts of the country.

With adequate preparation and maintenance, however, your car can make it through even the longest of drives without any issues. Of course, having fitted a set of ideal tyres to tackle road trips can’t hurt either.

Balance of performance, comfort, and safety

Of course, there’s a bunch of things that make a certain tyre special, but the Continental UltraContact UC7 is special in the way that blends so many desirable attributes together. Continental is a known market leader for good reason, so there’s little benefit in trying to explain and justify the brand’s provenance.

Imagine having the tyres that fit all kinds of situations, a jack of all trades that can perform no matter what mood, weather, or circumstances strike.

In more dynamically challenging circumstances, though these are not classified as high performance tyres, the UC7s are ready to hold their own in the bends, delivering ample grip, feedback and steering responsiveness, the result of decades of research and experience in providing the trusted factory fitment on the most ferocious and exotic road cars in the world.

However, though the UC7’s driver-focused genetics remain evident, its real focus is excelling the day-to-day tasks that we put our cars through on a very frequent basis. Improving the safety, reliability, and comfort levels of any car by even a small margin will translate to a higher quality ride and safer journey.

Home Town Journeys Made Confidently

When it comes to ferrying our families to our hometowns, their safety well-being are of paramount concern. It’s not the time for play or to exploit the extremes of our vehicles.

Thankfully, the UC7s key features are right up the alley to ensure they, and the driver, treated right. For one thing, the Noise Breaker 3.0 technology is something engineered into them very start of their development process to ensure the kinds of disruptive audio frequencies created when rubber meets road don’t have a chance to disrupt a peaceful journey, dissipating the noise before it can reach the cabin.

And let’s face it, the chance of rain in Malaysia is always high, meaning that the Diamond DNA compound is potentially a lifesaving feature of the Continental UltraContact UC7. Its unique silica and resin formulation are proven to yield shorter braking distances and maintain outstanding traction even on wet and slippery roads. Even better, it actively resists premature wear for an even longer tread life.

Paired with Aqua Channel Advanced that vastly improves water drainage and, consequently, contact between tyre and road surface, the UC7’s bring a certain level of security and reassurance to wet-weather driving.

A Festive Deal You Can’t Miss

Making the value proposition even sweeter is Continental’s Total Confidence Plan (TCP), an extended warranty program that provides road hazard coverage for the first 12-months following your tyre purchase, a 1-to-1 tyre replacement, and a seamless claim process via a convenient mobile app, among other benefits.

Not only does the TCP benefits apply to the category-leading UltraContact UC7 but all Continental branded passenger car tyres for 14-inch wheels or larger, including those for passenger cars, SUVs, MPVs, and 4x4s.

Additionally, in conjunction with the brand’s 60 year anniversary being the first tyre manufacturer in Malaysia, Continental Tyre Malaysia are offering attractive e-wallet rewards (up to RM200, depending on the tyre model and size) for those keen to purchase a brand new set of tyres from Continental!

Continental Tyre Malaysia's latest campaign start from now until 30 June and it is applicable at all participating dealers nationwide or any purchase via
Continental’s official Shopee store
. Of course, terms and conditions apply.


What Does ZF Make Other Than Transmissions?

Most of us know ZF well for its transmissions, with notable examples including the 6-speed 6HP and 8-speed 8HP automatics supplied to various BMW models over the last decade.
Founded in 1916, ZF begin its existence as a transmission maker, but has since, through a series of various acquisitions, diversified to offer a wide range of automotive components to car makers across the world.
ZF’s aggressive drive for expansion began with the acquisition of the Lemforder Group in 1984 and the company has since added Sachs, Boge, and Openmatics to its portfolio of brands. Most recently, in 2016, it had acquired TRW after selling its stake in a power steering joint venture with Bosch.
Through this portfolio of brands, the ZF Group offers a wide range of aftermarket replacement parts for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and even non-automotive sectors such as industrial machinery and rail.
Clutch Plate
– The clutch is one of the biggest wear and tear items of a manual transmission car. Sachs offers a full clutch replacement kit consisting of the pressure plate, clutch disc, and release bearing. The Sachs XTend pressure plate is said to even provide automatic wear compensation that helps ensure constant pedal weight and extend the clutch plate’s service life.
Suspension –
 ZF’s range of suspension parts consist of Lemforder-branded suspension arms and shock absorbers from Sachs and Boge. Behind the scenes, Sachs and Boge absorbers are essentially the same – Sachs is sold aftermarket, Boge is sold to OEMs. The recently-acquired TRW brand also brings its own range of suspension arms and shock absorbers into the picture as well. Notably, Sachs-branded shock absorbers are currently available for retrofitting in selected Proton and Perodua vehicles despite ZF not being the OE supplier of this component for either make.
Brakes –
A new addition to the ZF portfolio following its acquisition of TRW last year. The range of parts on offer covers only disc brakes, but it does cover pads, rotors, and calipers.
Power Steering –
ZF was previously in partnership with Bosch in a 50:50 joint venture to produce power steering systems, but had sold all its equity in that collaboration ahead of its takeover of TRW, which also had a substantial portfolio of power steering products. ZF’s sale of its stake in the JV with Bosch was necessary so that the TRW acquisition could be completed without violating competition laws.
Fleet Vehicle Tracking –
For fleet operators, ZF offers its Openmatics system at allows them to monitor the whereabouts, speed, and other operating parameters in real time. The system can be retrofitted to a wide range of vehicles from various brands, and allows operators to efficiently track the movement of their vehicles and cargo. ZF is currently testing the Openmatics system locally in the RapidKL bus fleet.
Electric Drivetrains
 – ZF provides a wide range of electrified drivetrain solutions, including a an electric motor integrated within its 8HP 8-speed auto for plug-in hybrid vehicles and a unique 40kW electric motor built into a car's torsion beam suspension. In our own backyard, ZF is collaborating with Sync R&D Sdn Bhd to develop a locally-made 12-metre electric-powered bus equipped with ZF’s AVE 130 electric axle for buses.


Toyota Sienta Becomes Japan’s No.1 Selling MPV

The compact seven-seater Toyota Sienta has overtaken the Toyota Corolla to become Japan’s second best-selling model, and best-selling MPV.
The Sienta was launched in July 2015, and within two months, a total 15,113 units have already been delivered, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA).
Interestingly, the Sienta appears to have to affected sales of the Toyota Prius c, which is
sold as the Aqua in Japan
.
After the Sienta was launched in July, sales of the Aqua dropped from 18,087 units in June, to 17,711  in July, and 12,390 in August – its lowest monthly sales in 2015.
While there is a correlation, we cannot conclude that the Sienta is taking away sales from the Aqua, as total passenger car sales for the month of August took a big hit across the board, with statistics from JADA showing a drop from 245,680 in July to 180,850 in August. Japan’s gross domestic product shrank 1.6 percent on an annualized basis in the April-June quarter, while private consumption fell 0.8 percent from the quarter before.
We are guessing that the Sienta is expected to make its Malaysian debut sometime between end-2016 to 2017, as spyshots of a ‘development mule’ had already been spotted in Thailand.
More about the Toyota Sienta here:
Toyota Sienta Coming To Malaysia In 2016?


Why Did Proton Stick With The CVT Transmission In The 2022 Facelift Persona And Iriz?

Why did Proton stick with the CVT in the 2022 Persona and Iriz and not equip it with the 4AT transmission from the Saga?

When Proton equipped the facelift Saga with the
Hyundai
 sourced 4AT transmission last year, it was met with some fanfare. The distaste for the previous transmission, the Punch CVT was so strong, Proton buyers celebrated the new transmission even before trying it out.

When buyers finally bought the facelift Saga and experienced the 4AT, it got a mixed bag of reviews. Some said that the new transmission made the Proton sedan better, while others called it a step back in terms of technology.

Generally however the 4AT in the Saga has been received well, with many saying that the car is now much more straightforward to drive and that bit more refined.

So naturally, when there were
rumours
 that a facelifted Persona/Iriz was in the pipeline, many hoped that both the Persona and Iriz too would get this 4AT transmission since it was working well for the Saga. But when Proton launched the 2022 Persona and Iriz last month, many were disappointed that Proton had stuck with the punch CVT transmission as seen on the MC1 cars.

Via an
online interview
 with Proton's Vehicle Program Executive, Adzrai Aziz bin Ibrahim, he said that the CVT transmission remained in the Iriz and Persona because it still offers better fuel consumption and turning back to the 4-speed automatic transmission will not help them achieve the desired fuel consumption target for the Persona/Iriz model.

According to Adzrai Aziz, the suitable replacement for the CVT transmission for the duo would have been a 6-speed automatic transmission, which they looked into, but cost and development time constraints made them stick with the CVT in the end.

The development, testing, and tuning of a new 6-speed transmission will take longer as it is a new transmission and not one readily available in Proton's arsenal of transmissions, and it didn't really make sense to invest in it, primarily because Proton has worked hard to make the CVT better in the 2022 Persona and Iriz.

When the Persona MC1 was introduced in 2019, many innovations were made by the Proton team, especially when it came to the CVT transmission hardware itself. This is evident by the decrease in the rate of complaints from customers regarding the CVT transmission, which now gets 80% fewer warranty claims.

The issue of the rubber band effect when the gas pedal is pressed where the engine RPM jumps up to 5000 RPM and stays there, causing noise that can be heard inside the cabin, has also been resolved by Proton via the SAT feature.
This Step Auto Mode or SAT
 feature is built-in compared to the previous Saga CVT, where the driver had to press a switch to activate it.

When the driver presses the gas pedal up to 70%, the CVT transmission ECU will activate this SAT feature and mimic the same gear shifting behaviour of a regular conventional automatic transmission. Other manufacturers, such as
Toyota
, have used this trick for a long time.

Proton's improvements regarding the CVT transmission in the Persona and Iriz seem to be well thought out, but since we are still in a pandemic and can't really get our hands on the MC2 cars, for the time being, we look forward to trying it out ourselves and putting Proton's claims to the test.

After all, if you don't like the CVT transmission in the Iriz, you could always get the car in a
manual
. Oh wait, you can't do that either now as Proton has killed off the manual tranny in the Iriz. Why? Well, Proton has a good reason for that too which you'll read about soon...


2017 BMW G30 5 Series Launches in Thailand

Our neighbours up north have just had the pleasure of receiving the new BMW G30 5 Series, a couple of months ahead of what we expect to be our local launch. The Thai market is slightly different from ours in terms of market sentiment and pricing, so it's understandable that the specs and trim levels are a little more reserved. The G30 has been launched in both 520d and 530i forms, with the former coming in Luxury trim and the latter in M-Sport trim.
These powertrains are fairly familiar as they have been rolled out in other BMW products. The 520d comes with a 2.0-litre turbodiesel that pushes 190 hp and 400 Nm of torque, while the 530i has the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a solid 252 hp and 350 Nm of torque. Of course we could go on and on about the virtues of either, but whether you pick diesel or petrol really depends on whether you're looking for efficiency or outright performance respectively.
For now, the prices are (relatively) high for the 520d and 530i as, like Malaysia, Thailand has a very heavy tax penalty on imported cars. The 520d comes in at a staggering 3.899 million Baht (roughly RM 497,000), while the 530i is going for an even loftier 4.399 million Baht (roughly RM 560,000). These prices are insane compared to what we would expect, although BMW Thailand has mentioned that they are looking to local production as soon as possible which should bring the prices down by a fair margin.
Also interesting to note is the planned introduction of the 530e variant of the G30 for the Thai market, which would function similarly to the 330e. While we're not sure if the incentives for energy efficient vehicles are as large in Thailand as they are here, it does mean we may very well see the 530e variant for our market as well as the EEV incentives would be hugely beneficial.


Stroke-8 To C238 – Tracing The Mercedes E-Class Coupe’s History

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class as a nameplate has been in existence for less than three decades, but its heritage stretches back much further.
Before the 1990s, Mercedes model nomenclature was far less neat and organized as the present day C-Class / E-Class / S-Class hierarchy – back then, the
E
 suffix merely denoted that a model had fuel injection. It wasn’t until 1993 with the W124 facelift that the E-Class nomenclature was officially adopted to identify the mid-sized Mercedes executive.
W114 Stroke-8 (1968 – 1976)
The mid-sized Mercedes saloon first spawned a coupe derivative in 1968, a spin-off from the W114. This model generation was dubbed the ‘Stroke-8’ family as a nod to their launch year.
Technically, the ‘Stroke-8’ coupes took much of the sedan’s mechanical components but featured only the range-topping six-cylinder engines; the sedan model, in contrast, had the option of lower-powered four-cylinder variants.
The ‘Stroke-8’ coupe was initially offered with a choice between a 130hp carburettor and 150hp fuel-injected engine, both petrol-powered displacing 2.5 litres. In old-school Mercedes naming convention, these models were denoted as the 250C and 250CE respectively - C those days denoting 'coupe' rather than the present 'C-Class' that we know.
In 1972, the engines grew in size to 2.8 litres. The carb-fed 280C with 160hp replaced the 250CE, whilst the new 280CE with 185hp now sit on top of the range. The 250C continued, but it too was powered by a 2.8-litre engine, albeit one detuned to 130hp.
Outwardly, the Stroke-8 coupes all but resemble their sedan siblings, their front and rear fascias practically identical. They even share an identical 2,750mm wheelbase, but the coupe had a more angled windscreen and a roof 45mm lower than the sedan.
As with successive generations of the E-Class to follow, the Stroke-8 models were the basis of much innovation. The 250CE, for example, was the first Mercedes production model to be equipped with electronic fuel injection.
Additionally, the Stroke-8’s new diagonal swing axle rear suspension was said to significantly improve its handling compared to the preceding model. All round disc brakes provide stopping power superior to its peers.
A little fun fact – the Stroke-8 family was styled by Paul Bracq, who would eventually jump ship to Munich and sign off the first
BMW 5 Series
, a model who descendents would go on to become the E-Class’ greatest rivals.
C123 (1977 – 1985)
The Stroke Eight family was superseded by the
W123 sedan
 in 1976, after which quickly came the C123 coupe the following year. Like its predecessor, the C123 outwardly resembled its
sedan counterpart’s
 front and rear fascia, and also shares much of its underpinnings.
Unlike the previous model, however, the C123 coupe’s wheelbase is shortened by 85mm from the sedan. According to Mercedes, this change gave the coupe more ‘dynamic cornering characteristics’ and at the same time allowed for ‘more distinctive styling’ compared to the previous model.
The engine palette is significantly widened too. In addition to the existing 2.8-litre six-cylinder petrol, the C123 was also offered with the option of a 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol and a 3.0-litre five-cylinder turbodiesel, all engines shared with the sedan model. As before, however, the sedan continues to offer the wider range of engines.
C124 (1987 – 1996)
A full decade after the C123’s introduction at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show, came its C124 successor at exactly the same venue. Picking up where the predecessor left off, the C124 follows the same format of utilizing underpinnings from the W124 sedan, but with its wheelbase again shortened by 85mm.
Whilst the C124 continues to mimic the saloon’s appearance at either end, Mercedes had introduced a greater degree of stylistic differences to the coupe. A key differentiator for the coupe over other body variants was the protective side strips with integrated side sill claddings.
In 1993, the 124 family was officially designated as the E-Class, with the C124 becoming the first ever E-Class Coupe. As with other members of the newly-christened E-Class family, the C124’s grille was revamped with slimmer chrome surrounds and its three-pointed star moving slightly further back from the top of the grille to sit directly on the bonnet.
W208 CLK-Class (1997 – 2002)
For the W210 E-Class launched in 1996, Mercedes opted to not develop a coupe directly off its underpinnings. Instead, the W202 C-Class was used as the technical basis for the new mid-sized Mercedes coupe, which now goes by the name CLK.
In appearance, however, the CLK continues to draw inspiration from the E-Class, notably sporting the then-controversial four-eyed look, outwardly affirming its position in the model hierarchy.
W209 CLK-Class (2002 – 2009)
Concurrent with the W211 E-Class came the similarly new W209 CLK-Class. As before, the W209 was built on the platform of its contemporary C-Class, the W203 this time.
Styling-wise, the W209 maintained a superficial similarity with W211 E-Class but with much individualistic styling cues. It carried its own distinct interpretation of the four-eyed look - forming a pair of peanut-shaped headlamp assemblies as opposed to four distinct clusters of the E-Class.
It also sports the more aggressive front grille design proudly-wearing the large centrally-positioned three-pointed star.
C207 E-Class Coupe (2009 – 2017)
Under the sheets, it continues to use the C-Class’ platform, but outwardly, the Mercedes E-Class Coupe is back, proudly wearing the E-Class badge through a full model circle for the first time and bearing a much closer visual resemblance to the sedan than before.
Together with the sedan model, the E-Class Coupe underwent a significant facelift in 2012 that brought about not only stylistic updates, but a new range of powertrains as well.
Despite sitting on the W204 C-Class platform, the E-Class Coupe nevertheless gets much of the sedan’s technology, featuring, among others, drowsiness detection, preventive occupant protection, active bonnet, adaptive high beam control, traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking, and up to nine airbags.
C238 E-Class Coupe (2017 - )
It’s been a long time coming, but for the first time since 1996, Mercedes-Benz has finally given us an E-Class Coupe built on E-Class underpinnings.
As we have detailed in our
global launch report
, the all-new C238 E-Class Coupe shares its platform with the
W213 E-Class sedan
, inheriting much of its much-vaunted technologies.
Appearance-wise, the C238 draws close parallels with the W213, but as we detail
separately in this article
, the only common external components between the two vehicles are the headlights and door handles. Every other external body panel of the C238 is unique from the W213 sedan.
We had a go in the C238 E-Class Coupe at an international press event held at Catalunya recently. Stay tuned for our test drive report to be published later this week.


Sao Paolo 2016: Honda To Unveil All-New WR-V Compact SUV

Honda plans to unveil the planned production model of the all-new Honda WR-V Compact SUV at the upcoming Sao Paolo International Motor Show 2016, which begins in early November.
Ahead of its upcoming debut, Honda Automoveis do Brasil, Honda’s automobile production and sales subsidiary in Brazil has unveiled a design sketch of the all-new Honda WR-V.
WR-V, which stands for Winsome Runabout-Vehicle, was developed by Honda R&D Brazil. The research of customer needs in South America found that was demand for a “tough and urban” SUV among people who enjoy active lifestyles, and required utility within a compact body size.
The WR-V compact SUV is likely to be a South American market only model, complementing the Honda HR-V and
CR-V
 models and expanding on Honda’s SUV range.


BMW XM Label Red unveiled - most powerful M car has 1000Nm of torque

BMW's most powerful production car has been unveiled, and it ain't no sedan!

When BMW
unveiled the XM back in September
, it came with performance figures that propelled it right up the M food chain. While
644hp
 and
800Nm
 might seem like more than enough power for any SUV, it wasn't enough for BMW.

Fast forward to today, BMW has just unveiled the performance version of their performance SUV on their Instagram page. Called the XM Label Red, the new BMW has a power rating of
738 hp
 and
1000 Nm
 of torque.

The SUV houses the same 4.4-litre M TwinPower V8 petrol engine as the regular XM, but its e-motor has been tweaked to produce 195 hp and 280 Nm of torque, giving it 94hp and 200 Nm more than the regular XM.

The best thing about this XM Label Red is that it still needs to be finished, as the claimed figures are just estimates based on the vehicle's current stage of development.

As for the exterior, the XM label Red has been predictably given a colourful treatment of some red accents across the car. The body panels of the Label Red look the same as the regular XM, but there are now red accents around the illuminated grille, shoulder line and alloy wheels.

This is far as the unveiling goes, as BMW is still working on the car and might even give it more power. Whatever it is, BMW has promised to give drivers of the XM Label Red "large reserves of power in an instant," which should make it drive like a performance electric vehicle.

According to the Instagram post, the XM Label Red is coming in the Autumn of 2023. Think the Label Red is an overkill? well, you can always purchase the regular XM, which is actually up for booking now through
BMW Malaysia
.


Aston Martin Confirms Production Of First All-Electric Model

Aston Martin has confirmed that its RapidE, first unveiled as a concept less than two years ago, will begin production in 2019. Set for a limited production run of 155 cars, RapidE will be Aston Martin’s first all-electric model and spearhead the company's zero-emission vehicle strategy.
RapidE sees a continuation of the collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering who worked on the
original
RapidE
 Concept
, which was rumoured to make circa 1000hp. For the production RapidE version, Williams Advanced Engineering will assist Aston Martin with the task of engineering integration.
The RapidE production model will be based Rapide AMR concept which inspired it – an enhanced version of the company’s four-door sports saloon with added tweaks to its performance, chassis and styling characteristics, plus added updates to the interior.
The RapidE however, will be powered by an all-electric powertrain, replacing the 6.0-litre V12 engine. More information will be revealed about the RapidE’s all-electric powertrain in due course.
Aston Martin President and CEO, Dr Andy Palmer comments, “Having unveiled the RapidE Concept back in October 2015 we reach another milestone with the confirmation that we are now putting the first all-electric Aston Martin into production. RapidE represents a sustainable future in which Aston Martin’s values of seductive style and supreme performance don’t merely co-exist alongside a new zero-emission powertrain, but are enhanced by it.”


Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Debuts In Both SUV And Coupe Format

Mercedes-AMG extends its magical performance touch to the
GLC family
, debuting the new GLC 63 in both SUV and Coupe format. Fitted with 4Matic+ all-wheel drive as standard, both body styles of the GLC can be had with its 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 in two states of tune.
The model’s full nomenclature is a slightly unwieldy-sounding Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 4Matic+. Opting for the more aggressive setup adds an ‘S’ designation behind the two digit model nomenclature whilst the Coupe model gets its body style explicitly spelled out in its name.
Like the
C63
 which it is most closely related to, the GLC 63 gets the M177 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 tuned to produce 476hp and 650Nm in its standard tune. The more powerful GLC 63 S models ramp it up to 510hp and 700Nm, identical to the
C63S Coupe we reviewed recently
.
Unlike the rather manic rear-wheel driven C63 however, the GLC 63 sends its power to all corners of the car, following instead on the footsteps of the E63 by mating a 9-speed multi-clutch automatic transmission with a high-performance all-wheel drive system developed by AMG.
The 4Matic+ AWD system is rear-biased, with an electromechanically-controlled clutch that enables fully variable distribution of torque between front and rear axles. Besides improving all-weather traction, the AWD system is also meant to allow the engine to deploy its power more effectively to facilitate better straight line acceleration. In short, this vehicle gets the C63’s engine mated to the E63’s drivetrain.
Rear-axle LSD is standard in all variants; the regular GLC 63 gets a mechanical system, whilst the GLC 63 S gets an electronic setup.
The 9-speed transmission is a further development of conventional auto used in regular Mercedes-Benz models but with its torque converter swapped out for a start-off wet clutch to give faster shift times and more rapid kick down response. It helps reduce weight too.
Interestingly, the choice between SUV and Coupe has no bearing on the vehicle’s performance. For both the GLC 63 and GLC 63 S, the Coupe version weighs in 10kg heavier than the SUV model. All variants max out at an electronically-governed top speed of 250 km/h; the base GLC 63 completes the century sprint in 4.0 seconds flat, whilst the GLC 63 S models are two-tenths faster.
Fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emission are unaffected by body styles either; the GLC 63 sips 10.3 to 10.7 litres/100km whilst emitting 234 to 244 g/km of carbon dioxide. The GLC 63 S, meanwhile, is rated at 10.7 litres/100km and 244 g/km.
Styling of the GLC 63 follows the familiar AMG template of flared wheel arches and enlarged front air intakes as a show of its added muscle. A striking characteristic is the Panamericana grille making its first appearance outside the
AMG GT family
.
There are currently no direct competitors to the GLC 63. All of the regular GLC’s rivals –
Audi Q5
,
BMW X3/X4
,
Porsche Macan
, and
Jaguar F-Pace
 – go no further than 3.0-litre six-cylinder engines in their most potent guises currently available. The most powerful of them, the Porsche Macan Turbo Performance Package, manages to put out 440hp, still 36hp down from even the regular GLC 63.
The GLC 63 SUV and Coupe are slated to make its first public appearance at the New York Auto Show next week. It may take some time for the model to come to our shores, but with
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia
 now more pro-active than ever with its offering of models, there is every reason to expect its arrival here in due course.


2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: The Pick-Up For The Beautiful Man

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is too good looking for it to be called a pick-up truck!

When Hyundai planted the idea to the world that they were going to build a pickup truck, everyone was a bit skeptical of the South Korean's ability to do so, especially when this was clearly a grey area for them.

In 2015, however, Hyundai showed the world that they were serious about it and previewed a
concept truck
 at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, wowing the media as well as the world.

1. The Inception

Named after one of the coolest spots in California, the Santa Cruz pick-up shocked everyone, it was not what people had come to expect from a pickup truck. The Santa Cruz concept car was part crossover, part pickup truck, a little like the legendary Chevrolet El Camino, but sexier. With a sleek slopping coupe-esque roofline, it was definitely something we had never come across before, well, in a pick-up truck anyway!

Since that concept car debut, for years, no one was quite sure if Hyundai would proceed with the project, especially when the concept car quite left-field, but in April 2021, Hyundai premiered the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz to the world, and surprisingly not only stuck to its original concept but added a couple more doors at the rear and tweaked its looks a little bit. It has just recently started production at Hyundai's American Alabama plant and looks every bit as sexy as its concept vehicle, if not more.

2. The Low Down

The 2022 Hyundai
Santa Cruz
 is a pickup with a difference, especially because it doesn't utilise a body-on-frame construction. Rather, and in case you couldn't tell from that distinctive fascia, it's built using the more commonly found unibody chassis due to its close relation to the
new 4th-generation Hyundai Tuscon
 (NX4), though the wheelbase has been considerably lengthened to 3,005mm and an overall length of 4,971mm.

3. It's Too Pretty For A Pick-up Truck

But this truck is no pushover or crossover for that matter, it's just something else. Its broad overfenders, angular exterior cues, pronounced skid plate, and chunky-looking 20-inch alloys all fit the part of a rugged machine, but somehow in this ruggedness, it has some of that sex appeal in the form of a sexy roofline as well as very futuristic front fascia.

It's a blend of all sorts of things. Its front is sharp like a supercar but square like a truck, its shoulder line is hunky yet sleek and its rear is just...well actually, its rear is just so-so. If it was a man, it would be Brad Pitt, that perfect combination of rugged yet dashingly good looks with a touch of suave.

It's the truck for the metrosexual man!

4. An Engine To Match Its Looks?

The base spec 2022 Santa Cruz, debuted with Hyundai's 2.5-litre Smartstream naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine identical to the one fitted in the
Hyundai Sonata
. This produces 194PS and 245Nm and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The engine is very smooth, one of the smoothest 4-cylinders we have experienced.

Then there's the top-spec 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz with an upgraded engine that features a turbocharged 2.5-liter  with more than 275 horses. It's also mated to an eight-speed transmission, and there is an option to partner the engine to a dual-clutch gearbox. No matter how much this powertrain sounds like fun, it still doesn't project a workhorse type setup, it's more of a setup for a man who just wants to be smooth in front of the ladies.

What would have been a more suitable engine option for the Santa Cruz is of course Hyundai's lovely 2.2-litre CRDi diesel mill, found in the Santa Fe and Starex, but that's just too Jason Statham.

5. Who Is It For?

The debut setup does draw a deep line in the sand about where this new model's priorities lie. The automaker themselves market it as a Sport Adventure Vehicle, à la BMW. It can do some off-road rough-and-tumble stuff, with a little bit of payload carrying capability, perfect for the lifestyle man who cycles in the morning and does yoga at night. A start-up founder perhaps?

With a maximum truck bed length of 52.1 inches, it can probably take tall things better than longer things. A bicycle is approximately 68 inches in length, so you'd be stuck if you wanted to carry it flat on the truck bed, but you know, these lifestyle men like accessories, so a bicycle truck bed mount could be ordered to match the truck.

6. The Interior - Premium Much?

The Inside also reflects this, inheriting the unaltered crossover-centric cabin from the Hyundai Tucson. Leather seats, a digital instrument cluster, and high-quality finishings litter the surroundings. It really does look and feel like a spaceship in there. The beautiful man would feel comfortable jumping from this to his posh hipster barber with Sweeney Todd type chairs.

Hyundai even throws in most of their SmartSense active safety features including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, Lane Keep Assist, and Driver Attention Warning, because you know, the beautiful man usually surrounds himself with the latest tech.

7. However, It's Not For The Beautiful Malaysian Man!

There's
no word
 yet if the South Korean automaker is even interested in lobbing this new model to Southeast Asia. Even more cruelly, they're even denying the 2022 Santa Cruz to Australian buyers. We can't understand this because this would be the best market for this demi-truck.

The beautiful man in Malaysia are all up for small and cute little utilitarian-type things, just look at the noise they made when Suzuki in Malaysia brought in the Swift instead of the Jimny. They just want cute little rugged things. A bit like them, perhaps? Tough yet sensitive?

Instead, it's marketed for North America, where big burly trucks such as the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra are kings.

Would you buy one if it was available here? Aren't most Malaysians all up for lifestyle trucks anyways?


February 2017 New Car Sales - Year-on-Year Increase

The auto industry is showing signs of revival as the first two months of 2017 have seen more units sold than the corresponding months in 2016. These figures are still below 2015's numbers, but it is encouraging to see that sales slowly picking up despite uncertain circumstances.
For Feburary, the TIV was at 42,455 units, a slight drop of 2,212 or 5% from January's 44,667 units. However, looking at the bigger picture, sales for February 2017 was actually better than the same period last year, as the total amount of vehicles sold in February 2016 was 37,874 units. It was a difference of 4,581 units YoY.
Honda is not immune to market trends, as the country's number one non-national car manufacturer saw a drop of 899 units to 7,695 units in February 2017. They are on track to break the 100,000 units sales this year. They recently launched the updated version their best-selling model, the
City
, which is now available in three trim levels, down from the predecessor's four. With 7,695 units sold, Honda now has a 18% share of the market. Compared to 2016, Honda saw a YoY growth of 43.4%. We can expect sales figure to bounce back up for March as bookings for the new City have surpassed 2,000.
Although Toyota saw a drop of 22% compared to January, they actually performed better on a YoY basis, seeing a strong 75.4% growth compared to 2016. Toyota is aiming for the top spot, as they have planned for
four new launches
 this year. These launches is expected to help Toyota remain competitive against Honda.
Perodua's sale continue to climb, as they shifted 16,603 units in February alone, a good 2,400 increase from January. Month-on-month performance have also seen an incrase of 16.9%. The company recently facelifted their entry-level Axia model. On top of that, Perodua is expected to debut its all-new third-generation Myvi towards the end of this year. For 2017, Perodua aims to sell 202,000 cars, a drop from the 207,110 cars they sold in 2016. With that said, the debut of the new Myvi isn't expected to drive sales figure upwards.
Even the premium segment has seen a good growth, as companies such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche and Volvo has seen a good increase YoY versus 2016. With Volvo set to launch the 2017 S90 and V90 soon, we can expect the Swedes to record even better sales results. The Germans are also planning to launch several new models this year, catering to the luxury segment.


Updated 2019 Mazda 6 Open For Booking – 4 Variants, From RM173k

Another year, and another round of updates for the Mazda 6. For 2019, Mazda’s flagship sedan model now comes equipped with enhancements to its driving dynamics as well as to comfort and convenience.
Four variants are still offered, across three engine choices:
Mazda 6 2.0L Skyactiv-G: RM173,659
Mazda 6 2.5L Skyactiv-G: RM211,148
Mazda 6 Touring 2.5L Skyactiv-G: RM215,148
Mazda 6 2.2L Skyactiv-D: RM219,851
Prices shown for Peninsula Malaysia, private registration, on-the-road without Insurance.
All variants are fully-imported (CBU) from Japan.
The new prices are somewhat higher than before on account of the new equipment, for example the entry-level 2.0L Skyactiv-G variant was previously sold at approximately RM167k, now circa RM7k higher.
The major highlight of the 2019 model is the addition of Mazda’s new G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus) system which varies engine torque in response to steering inputs in order to provide integrated control of lateral and longitudinal acceleration forces for smoother vehicle motion. In the updated version, GVC Plus improves steering response as the driver straightens the wheel, by adding a hint of braking to the outer wheels.
Elsewhere, all 2019 models receive Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard, accessible via the Mazda Connect Infotainment display. The new systems also includes pre-programmed apps such as Waze, Google Maps, Spotify, and other smartphone applications.
Here a quick breakdown of the equipment highlights, depending on variant:
2.0L Skyactiv-G
17-inch wheels, 225/55/R17 tyres
LED headlamps
LED DRLs
LED taillamps
Keyless entry
4.6-inch TFT LCD standard display
Dual-zone climate control
8-inch full colour touch screen display
Mazda Connect infotainment
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
6-speaker audio system
Reverse camera
GVC Plus
Mazda i-Stop idle system
2.5L Skyactiv-G Sedan/Touring
19-inch wheels, 225/45/R19 tyres
Advance Keyless Entry
4.6-inch colour TFT LCD Multi-Info Display
Colour Windshield-Projection head-up display
Paddle shifters
Bose 11-speaker audio system
360-deg View Monitor
Mazda i-Eloop
Walk-Away auto lock
Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH)
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS)
Lane-Keep Assist System (LAS)
Driver Attention Alert (DAA)
Smart City Brake Support (SCBS- front and rear)
12V power outlet in cargo area (Touring only)
Major equipment for the 2.2L Skyactiv-D sedan is virtually identical to that of the 2.5L Skyactiv-G sedan save the exclusion of the Mazda i-Eloop brake energy regeneration system.
All variants are supplied as standard with 6-airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist, stability control, traction control, and hill start assist.
There are no changes to the drivetrain in the 2019 model; offered with two naturally-aspirated engines – the 2.0L Skyactiv-G (162 hp/ 213Nm @ 4,000 rpm), 2.5L Skyactiv-G (192 hp/ 258Nm @ 4,000 rpm), and the 2.2L Skyactiv-D (188 hp/ 450Nm @ 2,000 rpm) turbodiesel four-cylinder. All variants are paired with the Skyactiv-Drive 6-Speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode.
The colour lineup includes Soul Red Crystal, Machine Gray, Deep Crystal Blue, Sonic Silver, Titanium Flash, Jet Black, and Snowflake White Pearl.
All new Mazda vehicles registered from January 1st, 2019 are offered with a 5-Year/100,000 km manufacturer Warranty and 5-Year/100,000 km free maintenance package inclusive of labour, parts, and lubricants.


Thanks To The SST Waiver Extension, The Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8V Is Now RM5k Cheaper!

Good news, the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8V is now almost RM5k cheaper, coming in at RM129,266 after the extension of the SST discount.

For those of you who are interested in purchasing the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8V but
can't wait
 for the CKD version to arrive (due to arrive late this year), this bit of news should be of some interest to you.

UMW Toyota Motor has just updated the price of their Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8V, and to much surprise, it is now cheaper by RM4,734 coming in at RM129,266.

When the Toyota Corolla Cross was unveiled and
launched
 in March this year, the stipulated price for the top-spec 1.8V was RM134k, while the base 1.8G variant was priced at RM124k.

The base variant was priced with SST exemption while the 1.8V was not, and the reason for it was because the 1.8V would only arrive on our shores after the SST exemption period, which was supposed to end this June 30.

The recent
extension
 of the SST waiver period, which will end on December 31, 2021 has changed the price of the 1.8V as it now qualifies for the SST exemption.

Since the Corolla Cross is a CBU import from Thailand, the
much in demand
 SUV receives the 50% SST waiver, while the soon to arrive CKD Corolla Cross will receive a 100% SST exemption.

The CKD Corolla Cross will be made in UMW's plant in Bukit Raja plant and will be the first TNGA-based model to be assembled in Malaysia. Let's hope the CKD models arrive by the end of this year and not be delayed and pushed to next year. But then again, maybe the SST exemption will get another extension, who knows?!

For those who do not know much about the Toyota Corolla Cross, our colleague who tested it earlier this year said that it is a fun little thing to chuck around. Even at slower speeds, the pliancy of the springs and dampers coupled with the inherent rigidity of the
TNGA platform
delivers a drive that’s hard to get too upset with.

You can either read more about what he had to say regarding the Toyota Corolla Cross
here
, or watch it in splendid HD down below.


Toyota Sienta Updated For 2018, Drops G Variant

In addition to today's intoduction of the
Toyota Hilux L-Edition
, UMW Toyota Motor has also announced that the Sienta will receive some updates for 2018.
For starters, the Toyota Sienta lineup will be trimmed to just one variant, which is the Sienta 1.5V. The 1.5G has been dropped.
The updates include a new 6.9-inch DVD-AVX infotainment system, featuring Bluetooth connectivity, SD card support, and a reverse camera. Apart from the new infotainment system, the Sienta has also been upgraded to feature a USB charging port in the second row plus a trunk mat in the rear cargo area.
Customers can also opt for the 7-inch DVD-AVN infotainment system with GPS navigation. Also optional is the Panoramic View Monitor, giving drivers a bird’s eye view around the vehicle.
Despite these enhancements, the Toyota Sienta 1.5V’s price remains unchanged at RM97,000, on the road exclusive of insurance.
As for the powertrain, the Toyota Sienta continues to be powered by a 1.5-litre Dual VVTi petrol engine mated to a CVT-type automatic.


Proton’s Certified Pre-Owned Website Is Now Live

Proton’s official Certified Pre-Owned (PCPO) website is now live and ready to serve customers, providing Malaysians with a trusted and convenient way to browse a selection of certified used cars from our national automaker.

The website allows customers to browse through a selection of cars from the current inventory of 36 dealers nationwide. Proton also assures users that all cars listed within the site will come with a 12 month (or 25,000km, whichever comes first) warranty, has been through a comprehensive 201-point inspection by in-house technicians, has not been in any major accident, and is free from flood or frame damage.

On top of that, each car will be given a complete cleaning, a new battery, new engine oil (and oil filter) prior to delivery. Proton’s Certified Pre-Owned agents will even help expedite the loan approval process where possible.

In addition to offering a wide selection of pre-owned cars, the website will also help facilitate trade-ins of various other vehicles, helping customers take the next step to owning a
Proton
.

Each trade-in would involve multiple steps with PCPO agents helping the customer through the process, beginning with the uploading of vehicle details and photos.

A sales advisor would then provide a quotation and schedules the vehicle for inspection. Beyond the technical sign-off and agreement, the customer only needs to submit all necessary transfer documents before the transaction is concluded.

Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah, said: “Aside from helping to drive new car sales, Proton's UCM division aims to help stabilise and gradually build the residual value of Proton vehicles,”

“By offering high quality used cars, we hope to see a general lifting of prices for all our models, making it easier for customers to obtain competitive financing rates and raise trade-in values when they want to buy a new car.”

Now you can buy a
used Proton
 with peace of mind and the Proton guarantee.


'Toilet emergency' is not a valid reason to drive on the emergency lane

It's 2023 and there are still some folks out there who love to drive on the
emergency lane
 despite not having any emergency.

The folks over at PDRM have been catching a bunch of these drivers zooming on the emergency lane to bypass all the traffic congestion due to the long four-day weekend due to this year's Chinese New Year festivities,
Sinar Harian
 reported.

Driving on the emergency lane = straight to court!

Officers involved in the latest Op Selamat 19 have probably heard all the stories and excuses from drivers who simply don't have the patience to not drive on the emergency lane and cut queues.

Perhaps the most common ones the authorities have picked up are 'toilet emergencies' because someone in the car can't hold in or their way was blocked by a heavy vehicle.

It was reported just a few days back that
seven traffic offences
 will be temporarily marked as non-compoundable. These include cutting queues and driving on emergency lanes. Those who are caught red-handed will have no other choice but to settle it in court.

PDRM drones with video footage as evidence

*Image credit: Sinar Harian

The authorities have also employed the use of drones to capture the traffic perpetrators in action, and they've been used to dispute against those who claimed that they didn't do anything wrong despite being caught on cam.

Whatever the case may be, always be patient on the road and adhere to all the traffic laws to ensure that your travels are as safe as they can be, including the money in your wallets or accounts. Those fines don't come cheap.


Vehicle Theft Cases Declining, Proton Wira And Toyota Hilux Most Stolen

The General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) revealed that there was a 23% decline in motor theft counts last year compared to 2016. In total, 15,323 vehicles were stolen, led by motorcycles with 8,874 units, followed by private cars contributing 5,625 units and the balance 824 units of commercial vehicles.
In the report published by New Straits Times, the top 10 private cars that are stolen in Malaysia in 2017 are:
Proton Wira – 654 units
Toyota Hilux – 537 units
Perodua Kancil – 378 units
Proton Iswara – 340 units
Perodua Myvi – 290 units
Proton Waja -231 units
Proton Saga – 214 units
Honda Civic – 133 units
Honda City – 119 units
Toyota Vios – 117 units
Motor premiums increased to RM8.32 billion, a growth of 2.0% versus 2016, while on a declining new vehicle sales (TIV) in 2017.
PIAM said that in 2017, total motor insurance claims paid out by the industry amounted to RM5.38 billion, on a daily basis this works out to a staggering RM14.7 million per day in claims for property damage, bodily injury and vehicle theft by all motor insurers.
This is a 7.2% increase compared to RM5.02 billion in claims paid out for 2016.
PIAM CEO Mark Lim said the establishment of Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia Berhad (VTREC) has shown to be effective in reducing vehicle theft, and commended the efforts of all parties and agencies involved.
VTREC is a multi-stakeholder platform comprising governmental agencies and the insurance companies working together to eradicate vehicle theft nationwide.
In an effort to reduce motor insurance fraud in Malaysia, the insurance industry has launched the Fraud Intelligence System (FIS) in October 2017. Deploying the latest data analytics technology, FIS will provide fraud alerts to insurers when a claim is first submitted by a motorist.
The system will help expose fraud syndicates at work and provide leads for detailed investigation by insurance companies eventually leading to their prosecution under the law.


All-New G29 BMW Z4 - Initial Details Released

BMW has released some preliminary information of the all-new G29 Z4. The concept version of the Z4 was first shown to public at the Concours d’Elegance over a year ago.
Compared to the concept version that was shown at Pebble Beach last year, the production-ready version is largely similar, down to the vertically aligned headlights, large BMW kidney grille, and large front air intakes. The similarities continue with the sides, as the G29 Z4 features large air breathers on the front fenders while the rear gets a distinctive integrated spoiler.
Power comes from a turbocharged straight-six that does 340 hp in the Z4 M40i guise. This performance-oriented model also gets sports suspension with electronically controlled dampers, M Sport braking system, and an electronically controlled M Sport rear differential. Despite featuring these M bits, don’t hold your breath for a Z4 M, as the company has stated that the business case for a Z4 M is too small.
Pictured here is the Z4 M40i First Edition, which combines the eye-catching Frozen Orange metallic paint job, BMW Individual High Gloss Shadow Line package, and double spoke 19-inch alloy wheels for a rather special looking convertible. The First Edition version of the G29 Z4 also gets Vernasca black leather trim with decorative stitching and electronically adjustable seats with memory function. Optionally, buyers can add ambient lighting and a Harman Kardon audio system. Other features include adaptive LED headlights with matrix function for the high beam, BMW Head-Up Display, and the BMW Live Cockpit Professional instrument cluster and infotainment display set up.
The Munich-based firm will release more variants, technical information, and equipment details on 19 September.


Toyota Announces Plan to Nearly Eliminate CO2 Emissions from new Models and Plants by 2050

As it stands now Toyota has already taken plenty of initiatives to reduce their footprint on the environment, from bringing the Mirai hydrogen car to market, to developing more efficient manufacturing methods. But Toyota wants to go further with an ambitious plan known as the “Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050”, which aims to reduce global average new-vehicle CO2 emissions by 90 per cent (as compared to their 2010 global average) and achieve zero CO2 emissions at all plants by 2050.
Cleaner and Better Cars
To achieve the plan’s target of reducing global average new-vehicle CO2 emissions by 90 per cent, Toyota plans to achieve it through developing new automotive technologies and encouraging their widespread use from the standpoint of further improving energy efficiency, and diversifying fuel sources.
Toyota has already taken steps to improve the average fuel efficiency of their new vehicles with their ambitious plan of introducing a new series of 14 engines that is said to achieve top-level thermal efficiency and deliver a fuel efficiency improvement of more than 10 per cent in the JC08 cycle over current models.
That being said, despite putting plenty of resources into the further development of hybrids, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, Toyota forecasts that the bulk of vehicle sales will comprise of conventional internal combustion engines, with the share of hybrids and zero-emission vehicles expected to pick up and rise exponentially around or after 2020. For the time being, Toyota will continue improving the thermal efficiencies of internal combustion engines.
Moving forward Toyota would continue to add hybrid models in all categories on a global basis as part of their goal to achieve sales of 1.5 million hybrids annually and 15 million hybrids cumulatively by 2020. As of July 2015 the cumulative figure had exceeded 8 million, though by the rate at which Toyota has been selling their hybrid models, they would need to continue the trajectory of its growth rate in order to meet that lofty target.
Preparing the Hydrogen-based Society
Aside from traditional internal combustion engines, Toyota would also be playing a key role in kickstarting the hydrogen-based society. Toyota plans to sell over 30,000 fuel cell vehicles annually around or after 2020, this would be a ten-fold increase over their 2017 production volume of hydrogen vehicles. Aside from the Mirai passenger car, Toyota are also developing hydrogen-powered buses, forklifts, and household generators.
In their effort to foster a hydrogen infrastructure, Toyota has made 5,860 fuel cell patents freely available – with approximately 5,610 pertaining to the Mirai’s internals available until 2020 – and collaborating with other automakers to support the development of a hydrogen infrastructure. Toyota is also working with governments and infrastructure businesses around the world to promote the growth of a hydrogen infrastructure.
Toyota is using the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics as a goal to push the development of the hydrogen-based society, with plans to begin sales of fuel cell buses by early 2017 and prepare to sell over 100 fuel cell buses ahead of the big event, and sell at least 1,000 fuel-cell vehicles per month around or after 2020.
Making EVs more Efficient
Toyota is also pushing further advances related to electrified powertrains in order to develop next-generation models. Part of this push is the development of next-generation batteries such as solid-state batteries that is said to have a higher energy density, easier increase in voltage, and excellent high-temperature durability.
The Sakichi battery in Toyota's graph refers to a goal set by Sakichi Toyoda in 1925 for a battery that could achieve an energy density higher than that of petrol. Sakichi Toyoda was the inventor of Japan's first power loom, and father of Kiichiro Toyoda, the man who would eventually go on to form the Toyota Motor Corporation.
Toyota is also improving the operating efficiencies of their hybrid vehicles with the downsizing and improvement of their power control units (PCU). Focusing on the commercial application of silicon carbide power semiconductors which Toyota hopes would be able to improve fuel efficiency by 10 per cent and downsize the PCU by 80 per cent.
Working to Life Cycle Zero
Part of the “Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050” also includes completely eliminating all CO2 emissions from the vehicle lifestyle, which includes the manufacturing of the vehicle, materials, and parts. Though Toyota didn’t give any exact figures as to their targets, but they have outlined the steps they would take, which includes developing, designing, and using low-CO2 materials. Toyota also plans on widening the application of recycled bio-materials, designing vehicles that are easier to be disassembled to facilitate for more efficient recycling, and focusing on environment-conscious vehicle designs.
Environment-friendly Manufacturing
Moving on from vehicles, Toyota also aims to reduce the impact of manufacturing their vehicles in the first place, with an ultimate goal to bring down the CO2 emissions of their plant down to zero by 2050.
In reducing plant CO2 emissions, Toyota would be introducing low CO2 production technologies, from simplifying and shortening the production process, minimising and reducing energy consumption of moving parts, to recovering wasted energy in the production process.
Toyota believes that this target is achievable through the downsizing of casting equipment, while being able to boost volume of production by half, and reduce CO2 emissions by 40 per cent. Quicker machining tools, reduced number of equipment, and recovery of excess energy on the other hand is able to cut CO2 emission by half.
By applying daily Kaizen activities in their manufacturing processes, Toyota also aims to half their 2001 CO2 emissions per vehicle at a new plant level by 2020, and push it further to a 1/3 of that by 2030. Toyota believes they can achieve this through the elimination of unnecessary efforts and find new ways of implementing unpowered or low-thrust operations throughout the production process.
That being said, efficient manufacturing would only reduce a plant’s CO2 emissions so much, for that extra push to zero emissions manufacturing Toyota would have to implement the use of renewable energy as well as hydrogen-derived energy sources. By 2015, Toyota’s plants in Brazil are said to use locally-produced wind power, biomass, and hydro-electric power.
Aside from purchasing power from renewable energy operators, Toyota also plans on bringing up on-site renewable energy sources. Toyota is looking into applying their experience in fuel cell technology to develop hydrogen-based power generation for use in production, beginning with a pilot-project in the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle production lines in 2020.
With Toyota being a global entity with production centres around the world, the company are aiming to spread their technology and methods to all new and existing plants worldwide.
Another environmental consideration in Toyota’s environmental challenge is improving wastewater management and minimising water consumption in the production process. This is achieved through the use of technologies that reduce industrial water consumption through rainwater use, improving water recycling rates in the manufacturing process, and recycling plant waste water.


Police taking action on illegal parking in KL

The Kuala Lumpur traffic investigation and enforcement department (
Jabatan Siasatan dan Penguatkuasaan Trafik or JSPT
) are cracking down on illegal parking all over KL.

Its latest Op Halangan is currently focusing on clamping down on folks who just love to park illegally on road shoulders, restricted areas, and even some cases that obstruct traffic. That's definitely a big no-no in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

"I'm only parked here for five minutes, sir"

*Image credit: JSPT KL

Yes, that's the usual answer that the officers involved in Op Halangan have received according to DSP Mohd Fadzil Bin Mohd Yatim, JSPT KL's enforcement staff officer. Even if it was only five minutes, it's still enough to cause massive congestion, especially on major roads.

The Op Halangan operations focused on high-traffic areas within the heart of Kuala Lumpur such as Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Changkat, Jalan Alur, and around the Bukit Bintang area. These locations were highlighted based on the number of complaints filed by the public regarding illegal parking.

Respect the law, public, and traffic

*Image credit: JSPT KL

Other offences pertaining to the matter included stopping for too long which resulted in obstructing traffic and causing road congestion, parking on roads with yellow lines, and more.

Through this operation, JSPT KL hopes that the road users within KL can learn to be more aware and 'disciplined' when it comes to where they choose to park their cars. Rule of thumb? If you're parked somewhere and noticed that a lot of drivers are honking at you, then you're not meant to be parked there. Use your head, people!


Volvo Wants To Reduce Road Fatalities To Zero, But This Is What Annoys Them Most

About ten years ago on July 2008, Volvo Car Corporation announced a rather outlandish ambition for itself – that by 2020 no one should be killed or injured in a new Volvo car. Typical of Sweden’s human-centric and noble culture, Volvo argued that society has a very contradictory attitudes towards safety. We are highly critical when lives are lost in an airplane crash but are nonchalant about the 1.2 million killed and 50 million wounded in traffic accidents each year.
While the aviation industry has made great strides in safety, the same cannot be said about the automotive industry. Of course, this is mainly due to the weakest link in the chain – the human driver. A pilot is a highly trained and highly disciplined personnel, supported by very meticulous maintenance by airline operators. Pilots also regularly practice emergency scenarios on a simulator. Cars are operated by the masses, many with poor discipline, and the cost of enforcing a similarly high standard on the masses is simply unrealistic.
Still, Volvo is doing what it can as a car maker. By 2013, Swedish insurer Folksam released a report saying that based on medical and collision repairs claims paid out in Sweden, Volvo cars are up to 60 percent safer than average.
Two years later, other Swedish insurers are already reporting that Volvo’s City Safety-equipped cars are 28 percent less likely to collide with another vehicle. Insurers in several developed markets have since offered discounts of between 20 to 25 percent on insurance premiums for selected Volvo models.
Significant improvements have been made but with only two years left to 2020, Volvo doesn’t have much time left in reaching that goal.
At the sidelines of a test drive of the
all-new Volvo XC60
 in Barcelona late last year, Carlist.my caught up with Thomas Broberg, Senior Technical Advisor for Safety at the Volvo Car Group. We asked Broberg on how realistic this ambitious target is?
Broberg acknowledged that meeting that target requires not just efforts by Volvo but also cooperation from governments around the world. He agreed that Volvo could’ve saved itself a lot of trouble by setting a less ambitious target, but doing so would lead to unproductive use of time and resources.
“We could have setup a less ambitious goal, say for instance – reduce by 50 percent. But then we would have spent half our time arguing which 50 percent is that. With a total zero fatality target, we can focus our work, taking it step by step. It’s really a matter of your attitude towards a very serious problem,” said Broberg.
Broberg added that the biggest challenge towards reaching the goal of zero fatality is not the engineering of the vehicle, but the mindset of the people. Throughout our conversation, he kept repeating the words “…the attitude towards a very serious problem.”
“You wouldn’t accept if something bad happens to you while you are in a restaurant. Imagine if a car is invented today, would this be allowed in civilized countries - if you look at the numbers in Europe it’s about 30,000 people being killed each year (from traffic accidents). We have accepted this as a fact of transportation, but why?,” he lamented.
He also explained that contrary to popular opinion, the target of zero fatality didn’t come from Volvo, but a challenge from the Swedish government, although Volvo is the first car maker to take up the challenge.
“The Swedish government had already setup this vision in the ‘90s. Other governments were sort of laughing ‘Well how are you going to achieve this,’ but now more and more governments are adopting the same philosophy. We have an agreement with the Swedish government to not only do collaborative research but also on how we can share responsibilities. As a car manufacturer, we can tell what we can do with the car from a technical point of view and then we can a discuss with the authorities on what can they do with road infrastructure,” he said.
While the challenge is tall, Broberg sees this as a natural progression for Volvo’s long history in leading the field of safety. “It’s not like we started yesterday, we have been working on this for decades, since the days of the founders of Volvo,” he chuckled.
He added that Volvo have been collecting real-world accident data for over 40 years and this gives them a very strong advantage. Since 1970, teams at the Volvo Accident Research Team have been following emergency services providers to actual accident sites involving Volvo cars, to collect first-hand data on how the vehicle's safety systems performed in the real world because cars don't always behave the same way as they would in a lab. Sometimes, the accidents are recreated inside Volvo's lab.
“We are able to see the true effect of the countermeasures that we have placed over time. We know how well we have performed but more importantly, using this methodology, we can compare what we measure in terms of real life performance in relation to the targets that was set. This means that over time, we have improved our capabilities of predicting the future. Because if we are going to have a statement, a vision that we are going down to zero, it’s going to take an extremely long time to actually get the evidence,” he said.
Volvo is aware that traffic conditions in our region are very different from Europe and it actively conducts extensive testing in Asian cities like Beijing, one of the most congested cities in the world.
Broberg added that Volvo is also studying traffic conditions in South East Asian cities like Bangkok, where Volvo supports the Thailand Accident Research Centre Investigation (TARC), which works with a local university to collect real-world accident data.
Another of Broberg’s colleagues who is more familiar with the situation in South East Asia lamented that the situation in this region is made even more complicated by its varied cultural dimension. If someone dies in a car crash, it is because of fate rather than as a direct consequence of their own attitude towards driving.
“A big part of the population believes that everything has already been decided, so there is another cultural dimension to it and who can take the fight against God?” he sighed.
“Cars today are very safe. Every car has a seat belt, but people don’t use it. Many cars have airbags but you still see parents putting their child on their lap and using their child as an ‘airbag,’” said the frustrated engineer.
“Children are a special concern. They have not made the choice themselves. Someone else made the choice for them,” he said.
Attitudes like these frustrates safety engineers like Broberg and his colleagues, who spent all their working hours trying to make the world safer for everyone, not just drivers but also pedestrians and cyclists and bikers.
Looking into the future, we also asked Volvo if autonomous driving is the key towards achieving zero fatality. Surprisingly, Broberg said the answer is yes and no.
“As humans we have a unique capability in how we can predict things based on experience and based on cues that are very subtle. We adjust our behavior based on these cues. For example, if we see a car ahead is driving a little bit odd, you might think it’s better to stay away. We can predict possible scenarios based on certain cues,” he said.
A large part of Broberg’s time spent in developing safety systems for autonomous driving is to train the computer to notice these cues.
“The difficult part is not to make the car brake itself or steer itself, but to make sure that it does not brake or does not steer when it’s not supposed to. So the basic philosophy is to take it step by step,” he added.
Before we parted, we asked Broberg for his wish list. Right at the top of his list is fixing the under-utilized safety potential of the three-point seat belt, which Volvo invented in 1969 but gave the patent away for free, simply because it’s the right thing to do. “My hope is for drivers to take these very simple measures to protect themselves,” he said.
His other gripes include drunk driving and high speeds. “In Sweden it is socially unacceptable to allow your friend whom you have been drinking with to get into a car and drive,” he said. While there always debate on whether speed kills, Volvo’s safety expert’s stance on the matter is quite clear, the high speeds are almost always a factor in any road fatality.
This beautiful video below sums up what Broberg and his colleagues at Volvo Car's thoughts.


KLIMS 2018: Lexus To Preview Upcoming ES And UX

At the upcoming 2018 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS), Lexus Malaysia has confirmed that they will preview both the all-new ES sedan and UX compact SUV.
The all-new Lexus ES is currently in its seventh-generation, built on the company’s excellent GA-K platform. Lexus offers a number of powertrains, including a hybrid powertrain with 218 hp which is available in
Thailand
 and Japan. The all-new ES is also the first vehicle to trade its side mirrors for a pair of cameras, which Lexus dubs as
Digital Outer Meter
. This Digital Outer Meter is a Japan-only feature for the time being.
Apart from the all-new ES, Lexus Malaysia will also display the
all-new UX
, a compact SUV that slots below the NX. The little UX is set to compete against the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Volvo XC40, and MINI Countryman when it is introduced here.
The 2018 edition of KLIMS is set to happen from 23
rd
 November till 2
nd
 December, returning after a 5-year hiatus.


Lamborghini's new supercar will be a 1000hp V12 hybrid beast

Lamborghini
 has finally confirmed that the replacement for the
Aventador
 will be a 1000hp hybrid beast.

The brand's first High Performance Electrified Vehicle (HPEV) hybrid super sports car has been given the codename LB744 and it'll be powered by a brand new 6.5-litre V12 engine paired with three electric motors that are able to churn out over 1000hp. Madness? But that's Lambo ethos for you.

The official unveiling will be done later this year but for now, the Italian supercar manufacturer has teased us with the new architecture for the LB744. That 1000hp hybrid system will be mated to an all-new eight-speed double-clutch rear transverse gearbox. We reckoned that this thing is going to be MENTAL.

Lamborghini also stated that there will also be a 3.8kWh lithium-ion battery to power the three electric motors to offer a boost in power delivery as well as driving in all-electric mode at lower speeds. This is only the second time that Lamborghini will electrify a V12 powertrain since 2019 with the also crazy Sián, but the LB744 will be the brand's first-ever plug-in hybrid.

Besides working on the performance and audio aspects of this new electrified powertrain, the LB744 will also come with one of the brand's 'strongest traditions', four-wheel-drive. Two electric motors will be mounted on the front axle while the third unit sits at the back and is positioned above the eight-speed gearbox.

So, we now know what the insides will be like. We simply can't wait what Lamborghini has in store for us in terms of exterior design.


Subang airport redevelopment into aviation hub - traffic around Ara worsening, noise pollution

Subang Airport, also known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, is all set to be redeveloped after the cabinet approved plans for its refresh recently.

Under the Subang Airport Regeneration Plan (SARP), the airport will be upgraded and redeveloped into a regional aviation hub, which should be able to handle 8 million passengers annually.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke even said to the Malay Mail that the airport would be "a game changer as far as Subang airport is concerned".

"The end goal would be to turn Subang Airport into a regional aviation hub with a maximum capacity of eight million annual passengers, which will create thousands of high-value jobs in Malaysia," Mr Loke said to The Star.

Some of the big plans in mind for the airport include the reintroduction of scheduled commercial passenger and belly cargo flights utilising narrow-body jets up to the size of A320/B737.

“the government is now allowing narrow-body jets to operate in this airport again, but for this to happen, there must be redevelopment of the airport terminals,” he said, as reported by the Malay Mail.

While this might be some good news for those who are always travelling for business purposes as the airport is closer to the city centre, communities around the area might be worried that the increase in visitors to the area might add more traffic to an already congested area.

As it is, Ara Damansara and surrounding areas are already being affected by the worsening traffic on the Subang Airport road, and if Jet Planes were to be reintroduced to the airport, it might even create unwanted noise pollution.

Since KLIA was opened in 1998, Subang Airport gradually winded down its operations, and jet engines were disallowed from operating. Since then, many more housing developments have cropped up in the area, with many families deciding to root themselves there. This redevelopment would surely create some worries, just like any around the Klang Valley as it always seems to add more congestion.

Subang airport was the primary airport serving Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding areas until 1998 when Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was opened.

The airport has a rich history, having been established in 1965 and serving as a hub for Malaysia-Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, among others.

The airport also played a significant role in the development of Malaysia's aviation industry.

 In recent years, Subang Airport has been transformed into a general and business aviation hub with facilities such as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services and flight training centres.


Fugu Z - Fast And Furious Actor Sung Kang’s Dream GT-R-Engined Datsun 240Z

It’s called the Fugu Z, and it’s a show-stopper, quite literally. Its life began as a 1973 Datsun 240Z that became the canvas onto which actor Sung Kang used to realise his dream of a customised 240Z.
The name itself is a combination, we suspect, of the Z suffix of the base car with the fatally venomous Fugu puffer fish that’s famously consumed as a dangerous delicacy in Japan.
With a lot of help from automotive aftermarket specialists GReddy and support from Tra-Kyoto and HiTech, the 240Z was stripped down and fitted with oodles of bespoke components and trim to create an example like no other. Quite frankly, we’re openly envious about this.
That envy is amplified by the sonorous wail of its naturally aspirated RB26 straight-six engine derived from the R34
Nissan

Skyline

GT-R
. The Fugu Z also sports a minimal but hand-made Alcantara/Leather interior and race-spec suspension components.
To our eyes, the level of presentation and proportion is what really sets the car apart from other vintage rebuilds we’ve seen before. That long hood of the 240Z matches with the dished wheels that protrude just the right amount from the car’s body, but is kept in check by the strong but subdued bodykit - it just looks ‘right’.
The car also made its appearance at the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas where, unsurprisingly, it nabbed the “Best Import” award and was chosen as “Best In Show” at the annual Gran Turismo awards. So should the car be immortalised in the game, it would at least provide us with some consolation for not owning it ourselves.
It’s a shame that Sung Kang’s Fast and Furious character Han (spoiler) dies in the epilogue of Fast Six - or the prologue in Fast 7, depending on your order of story progression - but at least the actor was freed up to pursue the project that lead to the Fugu Z. The world is better for it.
As he puts it: “The Fugu Z started off as an idea between a few friends and myself to stoke our passion for cars. Thanks to Kenji Sumino, the Greddy team, and other partners, not only did that idea come to fruition, the response to our Z build at the SEMA show was overwhelming. And now with our Fugu Z winning the Best in Show for the Gran Turismo Awards, I’m honored that we’ll be able to share the car with the rest of the world as a playable vehicle in the game.”