Harga Arang Batu Naik, Kos Jana Elektrik Meningkat 45% - Kenderaan Elektrik Bakal Terkesan?

Tahukah anda harga arang batu yang semakin mahal menyebabkan kos penjanaan elektrik meningkat sebanyak 45%. Persoalannya, adakah keadaan ini boleh menggugat penggunaan
kenderaan elektrik
 di Malaysia yang baru sahaja nak membangun?

Meskipun kos jana elektrik dan harga arang batu semakin meningkat, Menteri Tenaga dan Sumber Asli Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan memberi jaminan bahawa kerajaan telah mengambil keputusan untuk memberi rebat sebanyak dua sen per kilowatt jam untuk pengguna domestik dari Februari hingga Jun 2022.

*Kredit foto: Berita Harian

Ketika ini, kerajaan menanggung subsidi sebanyak RM715 juta menggunakan dana daripada Kumpulan Wang Industri Elektrik dan menurut Takiyuddin, kerajaan tidak mengenakan apa-apa surcaj meskipun ia sepatutnya dilepaskan kepada pengguna.

Tambah beliau, antara Julai hingga Disember tahun lalu, kerajaan telah membelanjakan sebanyak RM1.672 bilion bagi pembayaran bahan api bagi penjanaan elektrik yang sepatutnya dilepaskan kepada pengguna dari bulan lalu hingga Jun 2022.

“Harga sebenar dengan kenaikan harga arang batu yang mendadak di pasaran global telah mencecah US$105.09 setan metrik berbanding harga yang diunjurkan pada 2021, iaitu hanya US$67.45 setan metrik.

“Ia menunjukkan kenaikan harga bahan api sebanyak US$37.64 setan metrik yang menyebabkan mekanisme Pelepasan Kos Bahan Api Tidak Seimbang (ICPT) ini terpaksa mengenakan kos dilepaskan kepada pengguna komersial dan industri dengan surcaj sebanyak 3.70 sen per kilowatt jam,” jelas beliau.

Persoalannya, selepas rebat yang diberi kerajaan ini tamat pada tahun Jun 2022, adakah kadar kenaikan kos penjanaan elektrik yang ditanggung kerajaan selama ini akan dilepaskan sepenuhnya kepada pengguna membuatkan bil elektrik akan menjadi semakin mahal?

Jika benar, ia secara tidak langsung akan melambatkan pertumbuhan penggunaan kenderaan elektrik di Malaysia. Pertukaran daripada kenderaan petrol kepada kenderaan elektrik dilihat lebih menguntungkan memandangkan
harga petrol
 yang semakin mahal di samping membantu meningkatkan kualiti udara.

Namun jika harga elektrik juga semakin mahal, apakah perbezaan kos di antara penggunaan kereta berjanakan petrol dan elektrik akan semakin kecil atau boleh diabaikan sekaligus, terutamanya pada waktu ini memandangkan harga kebanyakan kereta elektrik di Malaysia masih lagi di tahap ‘kayangan’.

Walaupun harga kereta elektrik masih mahal, namun harga pemilikan kereta terbabit lebih murah berbanding kereta menggunakan petrol. Namun jika kos elektrik akan dinaikkan kelak, harga yang dikenakan di stesen pengecasan sedia ada juga kemungkinan besar akan dinaikkan.

Jumlah
stesen pengecasan
 yang belum mencukupi di serata Malaysia juga menjadi sebab utama mengapa orang ramai masih berkira-kira untuk menggunakan kenderaan elektrik di Malaysia. Jika pengecasan kereta hanya dilakukan di rumah sahaja, sejauh mana ia akan memberi kesan kepada bil elektrik selepas rebat kerajaan tamat pada Jun nanti?

Berdasarkan statistik penjualan kenderaan elektrik tahun lalu, hanya 274 kenderaan elektrik telah berjaya dijual di Malaysia. Dengan pengecualian cukai kenderaan elektrik bermula tahun ini sehingga hujung 2025, angka tersebut pasti akan meningkat dari semasa ke semasa.

Jadi persoalannya, patutkah kita beralih kepada penggunaan kereta elektrik sekarang atau tunggu sehingga lepas bulan Jun nanti bagi memastikan apakah perbezaan kos yang perlu ditanggung setelah tamat subsidi elektrik kerajaan?


Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Gets A Honda Civic Type R For His Birthday

Honda Malaysia today presented a brand new Civic Type R to His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah as a gift in celebration of His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s official birthday.

Besides the Civic Type R, the company also presented a Civic 1.5L VTEC Turbo Premium to Her Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj.

Both cars, which were handed over to the King and Queen by the Managing Director and CEO of Honda Malaysia, Toichi Ishiyama, at a ceremony held at Istana Negara earlier today, will be used on a daily basis as escort cars.

“On behalf of Honda Malaysia, I am truly honoured to present the Civic Type R to His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his daily use, and also the Civic 1.5 VTEC Turbo Premium to Her Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Raja Permaisuri Agong to be used as an escort car,” said Toichi Ishiyama.

Powered by a 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo engine mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox, the Civic Type R, which is one of the fastest front-wheel drive production cars in the world, produces 310 PS and 400 Nm of torque.

Key features include 3 driving modes (Comfort
,
Sport, and +R), Adaptive Damper System (ADS), Drive-by-Wire throttle (DBW), Electronic Power Steering (EPS), as well as Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).

The Civic 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo on the other hand, is due to be updated with new features like the Honda Sensing package, and will be making its Malaysian debut later this year.

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


2016 US-Spec Chevrolet Cruze Dashboard Previewed In CarPlay Promo Video

In a video demonstrating the 2016
Chevrolet

Cruze
’s support for Apple CarPlay, General Motors has revealed its production-spec dashboard design ahead of its North American debut on June 24
th
 in Detroit, Michigan.
From what we’re able to glean from the brief video, the second generation Cruze will feature a dash layout quite similar to that of the China-only variant, sans the bronze colour trim – although that might be available as an option nonetheless.
We’ll let you be the judge on the merits of its looks, althought to us, it does look like a step in the right direction, and Chevrolet has made clear its intention of embracing new technologies, such as
in-car connectivity and infotainment
, that are typical of more premium marques.
General Motors also teased exterior for the US-spec Cruze when it’s launch date was made known. We’ve delved deeper into what you can expect in
our previous story here
.
Powertrain details are not confirmed, and we’ll know the full engine and transmission options once the Cruze makes its US unveil. But from the China-spec Cruze, there are a 1.5-litre 110hp unit as well as a 1.4-litre turbocharged unit with 146hp.
The base engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic while top cut 1.4 turbo gets either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT.
Below is the full video showing the second-generation Cruze’s CarPlay support and interior preview:


Kahwin Dalam Pesawat Untuk Elak Sekatan COVID-19 – Kisah Bollywood Ke Cerita Sebenar?

Sepasang pengantin baharu di India menerima kecaman teruk setelah melanggar garis panduan COVD-19 di negara itu dengan mengadakan majlis perkahwinan dalam pesawat yang dihadiri seramai 160 orang tetamu.

Negara
India
 kini sedang serius dalam memerangi gelombang kedua virus COVID-19 di sana ekoran jumlah keseluruhan kes positif yang dikesan di sana sudah mencapai lebih 27 juta kes. Ketika ini, jumlah kematian keseluruhan yang dicatatkan pula telah melebihi 300,000 orang. Oleh itu, pelbagai garis panduan untuk memerangi COVID-19 telah dikeluarkan oleh kerajaan sana seperti had jemputan ke majlis sosial, sekatan perjalanan dan penjarakan sosial.

Namun perkara tersebut langsung tidak menghalang Rakesh dan Dakshina untuk melangsungkan perkahwinan mereka di dalam pesawat Spicejet sambil ditemani seramai 160 tetamu yang terdiri daripada rakan-rakan serta keluarga mereka. Pasangan tersebut telah menyewa pesawat khas Boeing 737 dari Madurai ke Bangalore melalui sebuah syarikat agensi pelancongan.

Pesawat terbabit dipercayai berlepas dari negeri Tamil Nadu yang mengenakan sekatan seperti hanya 50 jemputan dibenarkan untuk majlis perkahwinan. Dengan menjemput seramai 160 orang untuk majlis perkahwinan mereka, pasangan ini didapati telah melanggar SOP yang dikeluarkan oleh kerajaan negara tersebut.

Bukan itu sahaja, berdasarkan video pendek tentang perkahwinan mereka tular di media sosial, pasangan pengantin serta para penumpang kelihatan amat mesra tanpa memakai pelitup muka dan tidak mengamalkan penjarakan sosial sesama mereka. Dengan bilangan kes positif COVID-19 di negara terbabit, perbuatan ini mengundang rasa marah banyak pihak.

Seorang pegawai daripada Direktorat Jeneral Penerbangan Awam (DGCA) melaporkan pada Times of India bahawa seorang anak kapal yang bertugas di pesawat SpiceJet ketika kejadian, telah digantung kerja. Oleh kerana perkara tersebut berlaku tanpa pengetahuan SpiceJet, beliau telah menyarankan syarikat penerbangan berkenaan untuk membuat aduan dan mengambil tindakan kepada pasangan dan tetamu yang turut serta dalam majlis tersebut.

Jurucakap terbabit juga menyarankan syarikat penerbangan berkenaan untuk melarang mereka yang terlibat dalam hal ini daripada menaiki pesawat pada masa akan datang sebagai pengajaran kepada mereka. 'Tiada double standard' bak kata rakyat Malaysia. Untuk pengetahuan anda, tiada kebenaran dikeluarkan untuk pasangan ini melangsungkan majlis perkahwinan di atas pesawat tersebut. Semua penumpang dan pelanggan pesawat terbabit sudah diberi penerangan jelas tentang larangan serta garis panduan COVID-19.

“Ejen dan pelanggan telah diberi taklimat terperinci berkenaan penjarakan fizikal dan peraturan keselamatan COVID-19 yang perlu dipatuhi di lapangan terbang dan di dalam pesawat sepanjang perjalanan. Biarpun selepas diberi peringatan berulang kali, penumpang tidak mematuhi peraturan tersebut, pihak penerbangan akan mengambil tindakan yang sepatutnya,” kata pegawai SpiceJet.

Meskipun perbuatan ini dianggap hebat dan ‘badass’ oleh sesetengah pihak, namun perkara ini jelas mencerminkan sikap pentingkan diri oleh penganjur dikala negaranya sedang tenat berdepan dengan penularan wabak COVID-19 di sana. Namun jika nak difikirkan semula, tindakan rakyat India tersebut tidaklah begitu berbeza dengan rakyat negara ini. Malah ada saja geng kayangan di negara ini yang gigih melangsungkan majlis perkahwinan ketika
Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan
 dan melanggar beberapa SOP seperti tidak menggunakan pelitup muka dan tiada penjarakan sosial. Malah majlis tersebut turut dihadiri oleh orang kenamaan seperti selebriti dan menteri sendiri.

Malah selain majlis perkahwinan, ada juga rakyat Malaysia yang mengadakan
pertunjukan fesyen
 ketika pandemik melanda tanpa mengikut SOP yang ditetapkan. Lebih menjengkelkan, penganjur tersebut sendiri ada memuat naik video di Instagram beliau dan mengesahkan bahawa pertunjukan fesyen tersebut tidak mengikut SOP sambil berseloroh.

Ingatlah, hanya kerana anda ada duit, tidak semestinya anda berhak untuk melakukan apa sahaja terutama ketika musim COVID-19 ini. Kalau tak nak ikut
SOP
 yang telah dikeluarkan oleh kerajaan, anda berpotensi untuk menyumbang kepada peningkatan kes positif COVID-19 di negara ini. Jangan pula disebabkan sikap bodoh sombong anda, orang lain pula yang terkesan.

Kita suruh jaga diri, bukan pentingkan diri sendiri semata-mata! #KitaJagaKita


Toyota Commences Production Of All-New RAV4 In Japan

Toyota Industries Corporation recently held a flag-off ceremony for the all-new
fifth generation RAV4
, which began production at its Nagakusa plant in Aichi Prefecture. The all-new RAV4 assembled at the Nagakusa plant will be exported first, before being offered for sale in Japan next year.
First unveiled at the 2018 New York Auto Show back in March, the fifth generation model is built on the company’s TNGA-K platform, the same platform that underpins the all-new Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES.
For the North American market, the all-new RAV4 is available with two petrol engines and one hybrid powertrain. The line-up comprises of five petrol variants and four hybrid variants.
The new RAV4 will be released in Japan early next year, available at Corolla and Netz dealerships across the nation.
Closer to home, we
reported
 back in 2017 that there are plans to introduce the all-new RAV4 in Indonesia as part of a region-wide campaign. Malaysia is most likely going to receive the all-new RAV4 at a later date.


Frankfurt 2017: A Closer Look at the Honda Urban EV Concept

If there's anything we love, it's a company that pays respect to its history and heritage. Honda is one such company, and the most recent example of this was at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the form of the Honda Urban EV Concept. We
wrote about it briefly earlier
, but this time around we've got a closer look at what promises to be the future of urban electric mobility for Honda.
The key thing to note is that this model, at least in a form that loosely resembles this, will be making it into production by 2019. For the older readers out there, the overall shape of the car may look a little familiar- and this is because you see the same styling in the original first generation Honda Civic hatchback.
It's an interesting homage to the original Civic in the sense that this EV will be a fresh start for Honda in the world of electric mobility, as the Civic was a fresh start for them with passenger cars. If this kind of design language continues for the rest of their products, Honda will have a pretty handsome fleet on their hands.
Unfortunately, exterior styling like this almost never survives the time between development and production. If you've ever wondered why sharp flat noses are so rare these days, it's largely because of pedestrian crash safety requirements and the like that forces manufacturers to smoothen out the front end.
Still though, the little touches like the LED badging, the external charge indicator, and retro styled lights could be very appealing in a production car. They are features that give this little vehicle some quirk and character, throwing back to the past and embracing the future in the same breath.
Perhaps the inside is where things get inspiring. There's a full width display atop a dashboard carved from wood and metal- an extremely luxurious touch which doesn't seem mass-production friendly for a company like Honda, but we can dream. The doors have little screens inset for the cameras that replace the rear view mirrors.
The rear hinged doors are a nice touch, although not entirely necessary or practical. But the rest of it is pretty functional and perfectly feasible if they were to go through with this little electric car. Hopefully we see the return of the bench seat, which is something normally reserved for MPVs and omitted from conventional cars for transmission tunnel requirements or other packaging reasons.


2023 BIMS: Toyota Prius gets Thai debut. Stepping stone for Malaysian launch, alternative to Civic RS e:HEV?

Following its global premiere last year and
Japanese market debut in January
, the new-age Toyota Prius has made its way to ASEAN, debuting at the ongoing Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS).

Apparently, the unit shown at BIMS is there only for display purposes, to represent Toyota's approach to carbon neutrality at their booth. There's no word from Toyota Thailand as to whether they'll be marketing the car there, but it might just be a matter of time and that the yellow fifth-gen Prius at BIMS currently is one big teaser of that possibility.

The fifth-gen Toyota Prius is built on Toyota's ever-popular TNGA platform (Toyota New Global Architecture). There are many versions of the fifth-gen Prius, but judging by the
HEV badging
 on the one at BIMS, that particular Prius is the hybrid version and not the plug-in hybrid.

There are eight variants available for the 2023 Prius HEV in Japan, where customers can choose between a 1.8 or 2.0-litre powerplant and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive system.

The most affordable Prius HEV, is a 1.8-litre 2WD car, and it is priced at 2,750,000 yen(RM91k). The most expensive all-new Prius, for now, is a 2.0-litre car with all-wheel drive(E-Four), and that Prius is priced at 3,920,000 yen(RM130k).

The 1.8-litre 2WD Prius is built for those who want the most fuel efficiency. It achieves great fuel efficiency of 32.6 km/L, which is about 4 km/L more than the 2.0-litre Prius. However, if one wants a more potent Prius, one would have to go for the 2.0-litre car, as it generates 196PS. All variants however are equipped with 4.08 Ah battery pack.

Since Toyota and Honda are like cats and dogs, we can't stop wondering whether Toyota Malaysia will bring the Prius HEV into the country to give the Civic RS e:HEV come competition.

Now that the Prius is all sporty and powerful, it would actually give the excellent hybrid Honda Civic a run for its money. Which one would you buy? the Honda Civic RS e:HEV or the most powerful 5th-Gen Prius HEV?


Lapor Kemalangan Kepada Polis Selepas Tempoh 24 Jam – Boleh Ke Tidak?

Rasanya ramai sedia tahu bahawa setiap
kemalangan jalan raya
 yang berlaku perlu dilaporkan kepada
pihak polis
 dalam tempoh 24 jam. Tapi apa yang berlaku sekiranya laporan dibuat selepas melebihi tempoh tersebut?

Apabila kemalangan berlaku, membuat laporan polis semestinya menjadi langkah pertama yang harus diselesaikan oleh mereka yang terlibat bagi menuntut ganti rugi daripada pihak insurans atas kerosakan yang ditanggung.

Seperti yang ramai sedia maklum, laporan polis juga harus dibuat dalam tempoh 24 jam selepas kemalangan. Tetapi pernahkah anda terfikir, apa yang bakal berlaku sekiranya mangsa kemalangan itu cedera parah dan tidak mampu untuk membuat laporan?

Apa yang bakal berlaku jika laporan dibuat selepas tempoh 24 jam? Adakah laporan tersebut tidak diterima oleh polis dan syarikat insurans?

Kenapa Perlu Lapor Polis Dalam Tempoh 24 Jam?

Laporan polis perlu dibuat dalam tempoh berkenaan kerana undang-undang sudah tertulis di bawah Seksyen 52(2) Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 (APJ) yang menyatakan sekiranya kemalangan berlaku, pemandu kenderaan tersebut hendaklah melaporkan kemalangan itu di balai polis terdekat dalam tempoh 24 jam selepas kemalangan berlaku.

Pemandu juga diminta untuk mengemukakan
lesen memandu
 serta perakuan insurans jika diperlukan kepada pihak polis. Secara logiknya, melapor polis dalam tempoh 24 jam dilihat bertujuan untuk memudahkan urusan bagi pihak polis, pemandu dan syarikat insuran.

Memandangkan ia sudah tertulis sebagai undang-undang dibawah APJ, perbuatan tidak melaporkan kemalangan kepada pihak polis boleh dianggap sebagai satu jenayah seperti yang termaktub di bawah Seksyen 119(1) APJ. Hukuman yang boleh dikenakan ke atas kesalahan itu adalah denda sehingga RM2,000 atau dipenjarakan sehingga 6 bulan.

Walau bagaimanapun, mereka yang lambat membuat laporan polis tetap diberi pelepasan oleh pihak polis sekiranya mereka mempunyai alasan yang munasabah. Sebagai contoh, kecederaan yang dialami akibat kemalangan membuatkan pemandu terlantar di hospital dan sukar bergerak untuk ke balai polis. Sama juga bagi mereka yang tidak sedarkan diri selepas kemalangan.

Tambahan pula, Seksyen 119(1) APJ juga menyebut perbuatan tidak melapor kepada polis hanya akan dikira sebagai suatu jenayah sekiranya ia dilakukan tanpa alasan yang sah. Jika alasan anda lambat membuat laporan atas sebab-sebab yang logik, sudah pasti pihak polis akan sedia membantu.

Settle Tepi Salah Ke?

Tidak dinafikan, sesetengah pihak memilih untuk tidak membuat laporan polis terhadap kemalangan kecil yang tidak melibatkan kerosakan besar. Mana tidaknya, jika kemalangan kecil itu dilaporkan, pesalah yang melanggar atau menyebabkan kemalangan akan dikenakan saman.

Tetapi tahukah anda bahawa perbuatan
settle tepi
ini melanggar undang-undang? Sebagai contoh, jika anda telah melanggar sesebuah kereta dan sudah
settle tepi
 dengan memberi ganti rugi berbentuk wang kepada pemandu yang dilanggar, pemandu tersebut masih boleh membuat laporan dan mendapatkan
tuntutan ganti rugi
 pihak ketiga meskipun bayaran sudah dibuat melalui
settle tepi
.

Dah
settle tepi
, tapi masih kena saman dan Diskaun Tanpa Tuntutan (NCD) anda juga mungkin bakal terkesan. Kan rugi tu?

Kesimpulannya, walaupun tindakan melapor kepada polis boleh menyebabkan pemandu yang melanggar dikenakan saman, lebih baik laporkan sahaja pada pihak polis sekiranya berlaku kemalangan, tidak kira kemalangan besar atau kecil dalam tempoh 24 jam selepas kemalangan untuk mengelakkan cerita sebenar kemalangan dipusing-pusing oleh pihak tidak bertanggungjawab.


Proton X70- Segment Leader In January With 2,777 Units Sold

Deliveries of the Proton X70 have gathered pace as more units of the new fully-imported SUV become available. Last month, the new X70 set a Malaysian record for most registrations by an SUV model in its launch month with over 1,300 units.
For January 2019, Proton managed to deliver 2,777 units, another new record which the company says it’s the highest number of registrations for a
C-segment SUV
 (Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi ASX, Volkswagen Tiguan) in a single calendar month.
Combining the sales with the contemporary models, the company achieved another strong month of sales with 7,007 units, which Proton estimates should place them at a market share of 14.5%.
“Proton is thankful to be able to start 2019 on a positive note. We already knew we would end the month with the most 3S/4S outlets in the industry (74) but the market leading sales growth rate figure and the record-setting number of SUV registrations is due to the humbling support we have received from Malaysian car buyers,” said Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.
“There is still a long way to go for the brand to fully recover but we will strive to continue to deliver a premium experience at our outlets while improving our model offerings,” added Dr Li.
In conjunction with the Chinese New Year festive period, Proton is offering savings of up to RM4,000 depending on the model.


Geneva 2018: Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe, Debut's Most Powerful V8

The camouflage stickers are finally gone! After various teaser photos, the latest addition to the Mercedes-AMG family has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2018.
The concept of the 4-door AMG GT, first appeared at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, headlined by an unheard-of 805 horsepower mega-hybrid monster. Today's premiere of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe packs a 639 hp power output, while not near the Concept's idea, the figure still eclipses the track-ready AMG GT R.
The exterior design of the new AMG GT 4-door Coupe model features a long and low front bonnet, with the roofline steeply ending at the rear to highlight its sporting credentials. Extremely slim LED tail lamps, a signature of the AMG GT design, are beautifully sculptured into the rear section, together emphasizing the pronounced rear wheel arches.
With a top speed of 315 km/h, active aerodynamics is very much necessary to keep the AMG GT 4-door Coupe planted. A multistage-retractable rear spoiler deploys according to drive modes - a flatter profile during high speed drives, while a steeper angle for added downforce during cornering.
An optional aerodynamics package gets you an enlarged front splitter, bumper flics, modified rear diffuser and a fixed rear wing with manually adjustable angles.
Opening the doors with frameless windows (a true Gran Turismo feature), owners are greeted by the familiar high tech Mercedes-Benz Widescreen Cockpit dual display at the upper half of the instrument panel. A new “Supersport” view displays various AMG-specific information, such a shift-up indicator, reminiscent of motorsport.
Inspired by the two-door Mercedes-AMG GT, the stylised-V centre console of the new 4-door model features capacitive switches. A new performance steering wheel brings frequently used features closer to the driver through customizable switches and the AMG drive program controller.
At the back, the rear bench is configurable, either with a bench for three or two individual seats.
Three engine choices are available, with two V8 engines and one inline-six engine. Both the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engines will bear the 63 nomenclature.
The 63 S will have the highest output setting of the 'M178' engine series, at 639 hp from 4,500 to redline and 900 Nm of torque. The regular 63 delivers 585 hp and 800 Nm. 0 – 100 km/h acceleration is completed in 3.2 seconds for the 63 S, while the regular 63 takes just 0.2 seconds more.
Thanks to all-wheel drive in the AMG GT 4-door Coupe, these times are even faster than the lighter AMG GT R which takes 3.6 seconds.
The Mercedes AMG GT 53 meanwhile is fitted with the company’s all-new 3.0-litre inline-six engine together with mild electrification. Engine output is 435 hp and 520 Nm, while the EQ Boost effect adds up to 22 hp and 250 Nm of torque.
The EQ Boost starter-alternator combines a starter motor and an alternator in a powerful electric motor, nestled between the engine and transmission.
The AMG GT 53 accelerates from rest to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, and achieves a top speed of 285 km/h.
Both V8 engines send power to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9G 9-speed transmission that features a wet clutch for low weight and immediate response. A specially tuned torque converter, meanwhile, is used in the transmission of the Mercedes AMG GT 53 called the AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G.
The AMG GT 4-door Coupe has AMG Performance 4Matic+ intelligent all-wheel drive system as standard. While the system varies torque split between front and rear axles all the time, drivers can still unleash all the torque to just the rear wheels for some serious sliding fun through the Drift Mode.
Cornering duties are taken care by specially tuned AMG multi-chamber air suspension, rear-wheel steering, electronically-controlled locking differential, and 20-inch tires in the 63 S model.
Sales release of the Mercedes AMG GT 4-door coupe will begin in summer.


Mercedes-Benz Rastatt Plant Rolls Out 5 Millionth Car, Adds Production Of A-Class Sedan

Mercedes-Benz today announced that its plant in Rastatt, Germany has rolled out 5 million vehicles to date since it began producing the first A-Class back in 1997.
In addition to the milestone achievement, the plant, which is currently producing the A-Class hatchback, B-Class, and the GLA crossover, has now broadened its portfolio with the addition of
the A-Class Sedan
.
This means that the new A-Class Sedan is now being produced at two plants within Mercedes-Benz Cars' global production network – Rastatt, Germany and also in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
"Our team in Rastatt is looking forward to putting the new A-Class Sedan on the road in the customary Mercedes-Benz top quality. The Rastatt team demonstrated its competence and flexibility once again during the compact car production ramp-up cascade in 2018,” said Thomas Geier, Site Manager of the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant.
“The production of the five millionth Mercedes-Benz compact vehicle highlights the Rastatt plant's importance as the lead plant for Mercedes-Benz's compacts in addition to which it is ideally prepared for an upcoming compact electric vehicle of the EQ product and technology brand."
According to Mercedes-Benz, the Rastatt plant is also the centre for all matters relating to the qualification of personnel involved in the production of new compact models.
In the future, a compact Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle of the EQ product and technology brand will also be produced at the Rastatt plant.
Staffed with more than 6500 personnel, the Rastatt plant is the lead plant for the worldwide production of compact cars in the global production network of Mercedes-Benz.
In the year 2018 itself, more than 300,000 vehicles rolled off the production lines in Rastatt.


Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce Roadster Unveiled: Limited To 500 Units

Meet the
Lamborghini Aventador
 LP 750-4 Superveloce Roadster, the first-ever series-produced, open-top Lamborghini to bear the Superveloce name, of which only 500 will ever be made, recently unveiled at ‘The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering’ event during the Monterey Car week in California.

Performance-wise, the Aventador SV Roadster shares the same 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine with the
SV coupe
, with an output of 750hp and 690Nm of torque, 50hp more than the standard Aventador. The engine is paired to a seven-speed ISR transmission that sends the power to all four wheels via a Haldex Generation IV 4WD system.

Similarly, the SV Roadster is 50kg lighter than the standard
Aventador
, although it accomplishes the century sprint (0-100km/h) in 2.9 seconds, which is 0.1 seconds slower than the SV coupe. Top speed is unchanged at more than 350km/h.

Other shared hardware the car adopts from the SV coupe include adaptive Magneto Rheological Suspension, a pushrod damping system and Lamborghini Dynamic Steering (LDS).

Lamborghini
 also point out that the SV Roadster features a power rear window that allows the engine sound to flood the cabin with “invigorating tones and harmonics during spirited driving”. In short, when you floor the throttle, your ears will thank you.

Like the standard Aventador Roadster, the SV version comes with a two-piece hardtop. Unfortunately, there isn’t any powered mechanism to put it up, so it’s a manual affair to attach it to the carbon fibre monocoque. Thankfully, the two roof parts weigh less than 6kg and can be stowed easily in the luggage compartment, making them easy to handle.

‘‘The Superveloce is the purest, most sports-oriented and fastest series production Lamborghini ever. The Roadster version represents our commitment to satisfying our passionate clients with immensely emotional driving dynamics combined with an extraordinary open air experience,’’ Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini said during the press conference at The Quail.

If the idea of an open-top hardcore Lamborghini roadster appeals to you tremendously, the Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce Roadster will be priced from €357,000 (RM 1,615,391) in Europe.


iCarData: The Best Time To Buy/Sell A (LF) Hyundai Sonata 2.0L Elegance.

Do Korean cars such as the Hyundai Sonata depreciate faster than their Japanese counterparts?

With large swathes of the car market gravitating towards SUVs – both small and large – and super-practical hatchbacks such as the Perodua Myvi and Toyota Yaris, the traditional sedan workhorse has had to play second fiddle for both young car buyers and growing families.

As you might surmise, this problem doesn’t so much affect budget sedans such as the Perodua Bezza and Proton Persona, but as you progress upwards in the price scale – such as into the RM150k and above range – and things get tougher for the traditional sedan.

At that price scale, a slew of premium SUVs and full-sized MPVs start to dominate an already ultra-competitive price point. Cars such as the
new Honda CR-V
,
Mazda CX-5
,
Nissan Serena Hybrid
, and Hyundai Grand Starex all retail for less than most D-Segment sedans – and are superb at what they do!

Therefore, carmakers such as Toyota and Mazda have all reverted to importing – the
Toyota Camry
 and
Mazda 6
 respectively – D-Segment sedans from other markets, because it is simply more cost-effective than the large financial outlay required to execute a full-fledged CKD operation, especially with dwindling volume. Currently, the
Honda Accord and Volkswagen Passat
 remain the only CKD assembled vehicles in this segment.

But, what about left-field choices, such as the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima… even the Proton Perdana?

Well, it’s not all doom and gloom for the traditional sedan, it will continue to live, it will still have fans, and while it may not be the de-facto choice for families, it remains a prestige statement for professionals and business people alike. In addition, with fewer sedans bought new, they hold a quantum of exclusivity on the used car market, which should help steady demand, and therefore resale prices after a few years.

Overview

We have previously covered the more popular D-Segment sedans such as the
Honda Accord
,
Nissan Teana
 and
Mazda 6
, in this report, we will be looking at something unique – the Hyundai Sonata ‘LF-generation’ which was first introduced here in Dec 2014.

Having run its course over the last six years, it is now succeeded by the
eighth-generation Sonata
, which was officially launched here in November. This gives us an opportunity to examine how this longstanding member of the Hyundai range has fared in terms of resale value over the years.

Of course, tracking average used vehicle deals across the country has until now been nigh-on impossible, but given the resources of our in-house developed
iCarData
 – we can now draw insight and examine resale value patterns across hundreds of models and thousands of used vehicle listings from all over Malaysia.

iCarData's algorithm-based data takes the guesswork out of vehicle depreciation and thus offers valuable fiscal advice on the best timing to make that all-important purchase or sale decision.

The “LF-generation” Hyundai Sonata was made available in three variants at launch – namely the Elegance-B at RM 139,268 Elegance for RM145,768 and the Executive for RM153,768, OTR excluding insurance.

In addition to a larger shell, the LF also delivered a quieter cabin and larger bootspace than its predecessor, the YF Sonata, as well as improved levels of equipment and safety features. Keyless entry with push start, steering audio controls, cruise control, auto headlamps including the Hyundai Smart Trunk System were standard features of the model. The mid-point Elegance variant further added 6 airbags, a Super Vision Cluster 4.2-inch colour screen instrument panel, front parking sensors, and a reverse camera.

Under the hood, the LF Sonata is powered by a 2.0-litre ‘Nu’ four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine which was good for 154 PS and 194 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

Specification of the 2014 (LF) Hyundai Sonata 2.0L Elegance

Engine: 2.0-litre (NU) inline-four, VVT, Petrol

Power: 154 PS @ 6,200 rpm

Torque: 194 Nm @ 4,000 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic, Front-wheel drive

Safety: Six airbags, Stability Control, Dashcam recorder, ISOFIX anchor points

Origin: Fully-imported from Korea

Price: RM145,768 – December 2014 launch (OTR without insurance)

We have taken into account the following to keep our numbers accurate and representative.

Vehicle variant: (LF) Hyundai Sonata 2.0L Elegance (6AT), delivered between January and July 2015.

Depreciation is calculated using the original list price of RM145,767 (Excl. Insurance)

Depreciation percentage does not take into account special/seasonal offers or rebates on the original selling price.

The 2.0L Elegance variant is used for comparison for its conclusive spread of data points across the market.

Notwithstanding that, depreciation for other variants may differ, in particular, the 2.0L Elegance-B variant.

Based on ICarData, here's the summarized data for depreciation:

And the graphical analysis below:

Blue line: Average selling price (RM) by year

Grey line: Cumulative depreciation (RM) by year

Orange line: Retained value percentage by year

Conclusion

I suppose the bigger question we are trying to answer here is, do Korean cars - which at the outset offer superb value, great design, and as opposed to popular opinion, extremely reliable motoring - depreciate as much as their Japanese counterparts? Well, in short, the answer is not really.

If we were to draw a comparison against the
Nissan Teana
 which we covered recently, the depreciation percentages are largely identical right up to the first five years.

After a six-year period, the Nissan Teana retains around 40 percent of its original value, likewise, the Sonata retains approximately 39 percent.

Though it must be said that the Sonata does not hold value as well as the seminal Honda Accord - which retains approximately 45 percent of its overall value after six years.

In terms of resale value, the Sonata depreciates in a rather organic fashion, dropping around 10 percent year-on-year which is par the course for large sedans.

The most significant drop, a dip of 15 percent happens in the second year, which can be attributed to competitor product launches, or a slightly softer market.

With that said, the intersection point between cumulative depreciation and retained value sum intersect just after the fourth year.

This pretty much means buyers who snap a 4.5-year old Sonata are getting it at pretty much half of the new car price, which is a bargain considering the quality of the product and safety features that are on offer.

And as for sellers, our experience would lead us to believe that they should hold off the sale of their cars until after the fifth-year. This is to take advantage of the full warranty period and enjoy the peace of mind that offers.

Also, after the fifth year, depreciation rates start to stabilise, only 6 percent between the fifth and sixth year, so this would offer sellers more time to find a suitable buyer and decent selling price.

For some great deals on the (LF) Hyundai Sonata, click
here
.

If you're looking to sell your Hyundai Sonata, we have two solutions for you too.
List it on carlist.my
 or better still use
Carlist Bid
 where we remove all the hassle of selling your car for you as you get searching for your next upgrade.

Which make/ model would you like us to research next? Let us know in the comments.


Ford Damansara Becomes First Dealer in Malaysia to Deliver All-New Mustang

Ford Damansara; operated by Capital Intertrade Sdn Bhd, became the first Ford dealer in the country to hand over
the all-new Mustang
 to its owner last Saturday at the facility in Damansara.
The grey 5.0-litre V8 Mustang, which was bought by a royalty who wants to remain anonymous, is actually the second of its kind to be delivered here in Malaysia, after the first unit was handed over by Sime Darby Autoconnexion itself at the brand’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya.
For those who didn’t know, this is the first time in more than 50 years, the Mustang is available officially in Malaysia. Offered with a choice of two exhilarating engines - a 5.0-litre V8 producing 416PS of power and 530Nm of torque, and a turbocharged 2.3-litre EcoBoost producing 317PS of power and 432Nm of torque, the car is priced at RM598,888 and RM488,888 respectively.
With eight airbags and Ford’s SYNC 2 connectivity system with 8-inch touchscreen, the new Mustang is not only smarter and safer than ever before, but also arguably the most technologically advanced.
Equipped with an array of smart and innovative technologies, the all-new Mustang is definitely smarter than your average pony. It features the award-winning Ford SYNC 2 in-car connectivity system, allowing drivers to use natural voice commands to control the car’s entertainment system, climate controls and connected mobile devices.
The Mustang is also big on safety, and comes equipped with an eight airbag configuration, including front, side, curtain and knee airbags.
Other key technology and safety features include:
MyKey – a programme that promotes good driving habits, such as seat belt use, limiting vehicle’s top speed and decreasing audio volume
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) – in an emergency, EBD balances brake force between front and rear wheels, giving the driver greater control
AdvanceTrac with Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) – adjusts to provide the driver with greater control in a range of road and weather conditions, in comfort, sport and normal modes
SOS – Post-Crash Alert System
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Rear View Camera, with audible parking sensors
Intelligent Access with Push Button Start
Ford Damansara is located at Sungai Penchala, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Looking for a Ford? Find one now at
Carlist.my


Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet Revealed In Detailed Sketch

The upcoming
Mercedes-Benz
 S-Class cabriolet has been “leaked” by the German carmaker themselves through this detailed sketch that reveals both the car’s interior and exterior styling.
This new S-Class cabriolet will be the first convertible S-Class since 1971 (W111/W112) and will join the other variants in the current S-Class lineup – the sedan (W222), the long-wheelbase sedan (V222), the even longer
Mercedes-Maybach
 (X222), the even, even longer
Mercedes-Maybach Pullman
, plus a coupe (C217) to boot.
Based on the sketch by Robert Lesnik, Director for Exterior Design at the Three Pointed Star, the
S-Class
 cabriolet will retain most of the styling from the already stunning coupe with its scalloped sides, sloping chamfered rear, and semi-clamshell bonnet. To beef up its crash safety, the A-pillars are reinforced as well.
The cabriolet is a full four-seater with the centre console running between the front occupants and into the rear. Meanwhile, the S-Class coupe’s dashboard is ported into the cabriolet as well.


When Honda Invented The World’s First In-Car Navigation System

What you see here, an exhibit at the Honda Collection Hall at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Tochigi, Japan, is the world’s first commercially available in-car navigation system. Launched in 1981, well before Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) services were available for civilian use, this gyroscope-based Electro Gyrocator, as the feature was known back then, was first introduced as an option in the second generation Japanese market Honda Accord and its upmarket twin, the Honda Vigor.
The US government-owned GPS system that all our modern Google Maps, Waze, Garmin and other navigation systems rely on, were only opened for civilian use in 1983 but GPS only became accurate enough for drivers (accuracy of about 3 metres) in year 2000.
When Honda attempted to solve the problem of drivers getting lost, they didn’t had much to work with. Remember that this was 1981, still the era of the cassette-playing Sony Walkman. Electronics were mostly used for analogue signal processing rather than digital. There were no multi-gigabyte flash memory cards, only 1.44 megabytes floppy disks.
Most younger drivers today don’t have the necessary skills to read a map, and even less understand the challenge of navigating oneself by following a folded map, while driving in an unfamiliar area.
Without the necessary network of satellites, digital hardware and high capacity data storage, how then would one go about creating an in-car navigation system?
Simple: the same way how all great engineering feats were achieved in the age of antiquities: by a lot of improvisation.
The Intelligent Automobile – As Envisioned In the ‘70s
In 1976, Katsutoshi Tagami, then an engineer at Honda R&D in-charge of Honda’s power generator products, was summoned by his Senior Managing Director Tadashi Kume.
Realising that automotive electronics was fast becoming a crucial part of vehicle development, Kume reasoned that it would be unwise to rely on suppliers for such a crucial part of a car.
“I want you to take charge of electrical equipment for automobiles," Kume told Tagami.
"Your role," Kume explained, "is to bring us up to the level of other manufacturers and eventually get a step ahead of them."
Kume had drafted a rough strategy for which the eventual goal was to create an autonomous Honda car that drivers could input a destination, and have the car drive itself there.
Of course, this was a long shot and such a dream would not be realized until 36 years later, in 2012, ironically not by a car company, but by Google, who even more ironically was using a modified second-generation Toyota Prius, which became the world’s first autonomous driving vehicle.
Kume’s "Automatically Adaptive and Creative Electronically Controlled System" strategy created the foundation for Honda to pursue various research into automotive electronics, which later culminated in the PGM-F1 electronic fuel injection system, cruise control, and later on other digitally controlled ‘by-wire’ systems for the steering, throttle and brakes.
A navigation system was one of the components of this theoretical autonomous Honda car so it was identified as an area that Honda should research on.
No satellites? Use a gyroscope
As mentioned earlier, GPS systems suitable for in-car navigation use would not appear until year 2000.
Kume had no idea of what the future would hold, but during a visit to a training site of Japan’s Self-Defense Force, he noted that a tank’s gun barrel was able to maintain sight of the target – the so-called ‘zero-target’ point – regardless how much the tank off yaws as it moves across rough terrain.
He was told this was possible by using a gyroscope device.
Upon hearing Kume’s idea, one of Tagami’s staff suggested that a gyroscope can be adapted for a navigation system, with the ‘zero-target’ now set to the target road.
The general idea was that if a driver knows where he started from, a system that is able to continuously sum his total distance covered and the direction of travel, which should in theory able to guide a driver to his destination.
To understand how the system works, we must first drop our 2015-era understanding of how in-car navigation systems work.
This is no Waze, and it couldn’t give you turn-by-turn instructions. Remember that the required digital electronics, digital map storage and satellites were not yet available.
Instead, the concept of navigation here is closer to a skill known to most senior drivers who could read map – you’d first have to determine your current location, plot a course on the map to your destination, and follow that course on the map. Honda’s early navigation system worked the same way – because that’s how drivers of that era navigate.
The driver pinpoints his destination on a special plastic map provided by Honda with a felt marker pen. It’s like drawing on an overhead projector’s transparency paper (remember those?).
The plastic map was then fed into a system’s cathode ray tube (CRT, remember those?) screen, which has blinking dot representing the vehicle’s current position.
The driver can then drive along the plotted route, referring to the blinking dot for his current position.
Without this solution, it was impossible for a driver to read a map and drive at the same time. Honda’s system basically solves just that.
Although initial tests showed promising results, Honda found that the system’s accuracy was highly dependent on the ambient temperature, which affected the helium gas inside the gyroscopes.
To improve the gyroscopes, Tagami approached Stanley Electric, the only company that agreed to support Honda’s project, which many thought to be a ridiculous idea to pursue. The image below is a gyroscope made by Stanley Electric for Honda.
The biggest problem faced by the team however, arose when they learnt that even if Honda succeeded in solving the gyroscope’s accuracy, the system will not be entirely accurate because of the way conventional maps are produced.
On a map of a 1:100,000 scale, a road of 10 meters wide is shown via a line only 0.1 mm thick. Clearly this is too small for anyone to read. Thus, it is impossible to do a map of an urban area by strictly following everything to scale. Some degree of freedom in altering the thin lines slightly is necessary to make the map legible. Tagami’s team learned that this practice of called ‘deformation’ is common in cartography.
It quickly became clear that to proceed further, Honda would have to assume the responsibility of producing the maps that the prototype navigation system could work with.
The fateful drive from Suzuka To Tokyo with the boss
By early 1981, five years after Tagami was transferred from the power products team to the automotive electronics team, it was time for Tagami to demonstrate his prototype navigation system to his boss.
Tagami was to pick his boss Kume from Suzuka, where he was attending a meeting with dealers in that area, and drive him back to his house in Tokyo.
Tagami had no idea where Kume’s house was. Kume merely circled the location of his house on the map, and inserted it into the map holder in front of the CRT display fitted to the car’s dashboard.
Guiding himself with the blinking dot on the screen, Tagami navigated himself to Kume’s house, entering and exiting various highways as per the map’s guidance. When the blinking dot got nearer to the circle, Tagami stopped the car and told his boss, "I believe your house is around here."
It was a decisive moment for Tagami. After a moment of silence, Kume said "Okay, you passed the test. My house is right over there."
On August 1981, Honda introduced the Electro Gyrocator as a dealer option for the Japanese market second generation Honda Accord, which went on sale the following month. The feature was also offered for the Accord’s upmarket twin, the Japan-only Vigor.
Considering that the task of creating the map fell squarely on Honda, the feature was prohibitively expensive, reportedly costing a quarter of the car’s selling price. Clearly it’s not going to be a commercial success. The feature was discontinued a year later and was not introduced to other markets.
While the Electro Gyrocator feature did not sold well, the experience thought Honda many crucial basic knowledge on map and information storage technology.
When the necessary digital electronics and storage technology were invented, Honda already had sufficient knowledge to offer the world’s first telematics system that could offer real-time traffic information - the HDD-based InterNavi Premium Club. The feature was available on the Japanese market Honda Odyssey in 2003, 10 years before anyone knew what Waze was.
As advanced as InterNavi Premium Club was, it relied on Japanese mobile communication standards and Japanese road information infrastructure, which either was not compatible or not available in other countries, so it could not be offered outside of Japan.
Earlier this year, Honda’s Electro Gyrocator was awarded the IEEE Milestone award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Honda is the only automotive company to receive the award, sharing the honour with the Tokaido Shinkansen (Central Japan Railway Company’s Bullet train, 2000) and Apollo Lunar Module (2011, Northrop Grumman Corporation).
Today, Honda’s Saitama R&D Centre X focuses on projects beyond the automobile. It is thinking not just 20 or 30 years ahead, but well into the post-car era, where people no longer have need for a private car. It is actively involved in various robotics projects like the Asimo and Walking Assist (below), to help people lead a meaningful life. Honda’s longterm goal is to be a company that society wants to exist, to solve everyday problems humans face.


Man Bought A Honda F1 Car, Boldly Plans To Rebuild It For Track Days

How would you go about owning an F1 car. A real F1 racer, not some replica, but something that actually raced. To the owner of this 2007
Honda
 RA107, previous driven by Rubens Barichello, the answer is to rebuild it and have it screaming around a track once again.
The Brit is from Somerset in England, an obvious F1 fan, and was the highest bidder at Bonhams auction in December 2010 held at Mercedes World, Brooklands, with a winning sum of £37,000 (approximately RM218,000). Honestly, quite a steal for an actual F1 chassis – oh, did we mention there’s no engine included? Still, not bad.
He says: “The car was sold to us without engine and steering wheel, but apart from that, it is remarkably complete.”
There’s certainly a mountain of work in the way between him and his girlfriend completing the rebuild. In fact, it’s a rebuild to the point of actually being able to take it, reliably, to track days. A very admirable goal, and certainly not wanting for ambition. He posted about his new acquisition to the forum of
F1Technical.net
, going by the name of ‘F1snake’, hoping to garner support and possibly expertise on how to approach the project.
To make up for the lack of an engine, the couple has in mind a Honda 3.0-litre H1V8, but detuned (temporarily) to 500hp, as a possible replacement. Once they get more familiar with the car, they plan to ramp that output to 750hp.
“We’ll have to make a frame to take the stress loading between the bulkhead and gearbox, as the H1V8 is not really designed to be used as the main stress member.”
As for the transmission, the couple said the racing-spec X-trac electro-hydraulic shifter will most likely be replaced with a pneumatic sequential, intended to be built into the existing carbon housing. With that left intact, the original suspension pick up points won’t have to be tampered with.
It’s been over four years since that forum thread began, and from what we know the project is still ongoing, at least incrementally. Funds, it seems, are hard to come by and F1 parts are far from cheap – or components that could replace F1 parts.
We wish them all the best for the remainder of their project, hopefully closer to completion than beginning. Can’t wait to see it out on the track once again. Perhaps this could set a new precedent of ordinary folk repurposing used racing thoroughbreds for themselves. What a world that would be.


Geely Mulls USD 1.9B Revival Plan For Lotus - Second Plant Planned

Geely is mulling a huge USD 1.9 Billion investment plan to revive the Lotus brand.
Bloomberg reports
, quoting sources familiar with the matter, that the investment plan is part of Geely’s efforts to revive the iconic British into a premium automaker that can rival the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. Funds will reportedly go towards growing the company’s technical workforce and establishing new design and production facilities.
The proposal’s initial phase involves expansion of the Hethel plant by hiring 200 new engineers.
The second phase involves establishing a research and design centre based in Coventry, which Geely has reportedly committed to two months ago. The plan finally involves establishing a second production facility in the U.K., tentatively in the West Midlands region.
Bloomberg also reports that Geely is in talks to increase its 51 percent controlling stake in Lotus Cars, which was acquired through its
49.9 percent purchase of Proton Holdings
 last year.
Recently, Geely appointed Feng Qingfeng, vice president and chief technical officer of Geely Auto Group as the
new CEO of Lotus
 – succeeding Jean-Marc Gales.


Leona Chin Roleplays As Mitsubishi Sales Person - Teases Mitsubishi Triton Phantom Edition

The guys who brought us the staged video of local drifting icon Leona Chin pranking a group of supposedly driving school instructors are now back again - this time with Leona playing the role of an unsuspecting sales person for a Mitsubishi Triton.
The video, obviously staged, is Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia's rather unconventional way previewing its upcoming new variant of the Mitsubishi Triton - the Triton Phantom Edition.
Not much is known about the Triton Phantom yet, but it is clear that Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia have been listening to their customers - many of whom don't really fancy the huge chrome grille in front.
The video, obviously staged, is Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia's rather unconventional way previewing its upcoming new variant of the Mitsubishi Triton - the Triton Phantom Edition.
Not much is known about the Triton Phantom yet, but it is clear that Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia have been listening to their customers - many of whom don't really fancy the huge chrome grille in front.
So the Triton Phantom edition features a matt-like black finished grille, with a new bumper-integrated bull-bar to complete the meaner look. Also new are some decorative decals at the sides of the deck, with a new deck lid cover and sports bar. The standard car's silver polished wheels have also been replaced by black coloured alloys.
Inside, the leather seats are clearly different from the ones fitted to the Triton Adventure VGT, featuring embossed 'Phantom' logos.
Related link:
Review: 2015 All-New Mitsubishi Triton – 178 PS Of Tax-Free Goodness To Replace Your Sedan


PDRM Now Has 425 New Honda Civic 1.8S Patrol Cars

Polis Diraja Malaysia gets a fresh set of patrol cars: the Honda Civic 1.8S

Late last week, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Putrajaya, the Royal Malaysia Police were officially handed the keys to 425 units of the Honda Civic 1.8S, presented to them by Honda Malaysia.

Because of social distancing and all, we imagine there wasn’t any shaking of hands or a close shoulder-to-shoulder photo op allowed. The white Civics were already decked out in the proper exterior treatment at the time of the handover ceremony, replete with police livery and roof-mounted flashers.

The delivery of these cars were initially planned for an earlier date but was subsequently delayed due to the Movement Control Order coming into effect on March 18th. On this, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia, Mr. Toichi Ishiyama said: “We are delighted that we are now able to resume the plan to deliver these new mobile patrol and enforcement vehicles which are expected to assist in the tasks and responsibilities of the police force in effectively responding to emergencies, maintaining law and order.

“We are pleased that the Royal Malaysia Police have chosen the best-selling model in C-segment,

the New Civic, to assist them in their daily tasks, enforcements and administrative duties for

the country,” he added.

The locally assembled 1.8S is offered by Honda as their entry-level variant of the popular Civic sedan and is powered by a - you guessed it - 1.8-litre naturally aspirated i-VTEC four-cylinder engine producing a respectable 141PS and 174Nm, mated to Honda’s Earth Dreams CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) for excellent fuel economy.

Each Civic 1.8S is equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, remote engine start, and a 7-inch infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though we wonder if PDRM officers have much use for that last feature.

Despite lacking the active safety features of the Honda SENSING Suite in the Civic 1.5TC-P, the 1.8S is fitted with 6 airbags, Anti-Lock Brakes, and Vehicle Stability Assist, backed up by a five-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating.

With the police patrol cars now needed throughout the country to enforce the updated standard operating procedures (SOP) during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), we reckon it won’t be long until these Civics are spotted on duty.


Lamborghini Urus - More Drive Modes Teased

Just weeks from its official debut, Lamborghini has teased yet another drive mode of the Urus super-SUV - this time highlighting the vehicle’s “Terra” or “Land” driving mode.
Having previously highlighted the “
Sabbia
” or Sand drive mode – the Terra drive mode is demonstrated by bashing a Urus test vehicle on dusty gravel roads and rough mountainside paths with sheer drops on either end.
The “Anima” or “Soul” toggle can select six drive modes:
Strada – Street
Sport
Corsa – Race
Sabbia – Sand
Terra – Land
Neve – Snow
The Urus will be powered by (in-house developed) twin-turbo V8 which is expected to produce in the region of 650 hp, with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version to follow later.
In fact, if one freezes the frame at 9-seconds, it gives a peek at the car's digital-display instrument cluster and 6,750 rpm redline.
The Urus will be will be unveiled on 4th December 2017 at the company’s home in Sant’ Agata, Bolognese.


Volvo To Build Lynk & Co Vehicles In Belgium Plant - Alongside XC40 and V60

Volvo has confirmed that it will produce cars for new car brand Lynk & Co at it's manufacturing plant in Ghent, Belgium starting late 2019.
Lynk & Co was launched as a new volume brand by Zhejiang Geely Holding, in 2015. The announcement represents a closer collaboration between the two companies, following
Volvo’s acquisition
 of a 30 percent stake in Lynk & Co last year.
Besides Volvo's 30 percent stake, Lynk & Co is also co-owned by Geely Auto (50 percent) and Zhejiang Geely Holding (20 percent).
By providing Lynk & Co with production capacity at its Ghent plant, Volvo Cars is backing the expansion of the new car brand in Europe and further diversifying its business.
Volvo’s joint production with Lynk & Co will also have a positive effect on cost levels, employment, and production volumes at the Ghent plant, further generating economies of scale related to the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, used by both Volvo Cars (on the
award-winning XC40
), and Lynk & Co vehicles.
Ghent is one of two car manufacturing plants (the Torslanda plant being the other one) operated by Volvo Cars in Europe, and has produced Volvos since 1965. The plant has a workforce of around 5,000 people and currently builds the XC40, V40 and V40 Cross Country, S60 sedan, and will soon start producing the
all-new V60 estate
.
Javier Varela, senior vice president for manufacturing and logistics at Volvo Cars adds, “Our Ghent plant is one of the most efficient car manufacturing plants in Europe with a highly skilled workforce. Lynk & Co’s decision to pick Ghent for their European production demonstrates the high levels of quality control that underpin Volvo’s global manufacturing strategy.”


Projek Rel Berkembar Gemas-JB Siap Akhir 2023 – Ada 11 Stesen, Sejauh 197km

Projek Landasan Berkembar Elektrik Gemas-Johor Bahru sepanjang 197 kilometer dijangka siap sepenuhnya pada akhir tahun 2023.

Berdasarkan kenyataan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif YTL Construction (Rail Division), Datuk Seri Azmi Abdul Aziz, projek mega itu kini sudah memasuki fasa akhir dengan kira-kira lebih 85% kerja-kerja pembinaan sudah selesai.

ETS Gemas-JB Lengkapkan Landasan Kereta Api Berkelajuan Tinggi Dari Perlis Ke JB

Dengan siapnya projek landasan
kereta api berkelajuan tinggi
 (ETS) Gemas-JB ini kelak, maka lengkaplah landasan kereta api berkelajuan tinggi dari Padang Besar, Perlis sehingga ke
Johor Bahru
. Ketika ini, perkhidmatan ETS hanya sampai di Gemas.

Landasan sejauh 197 kilometer itu bakal melalui 11 stesen seperti:

Johor Bahru (JB Sentral, bersebelahan tapak projek RTS JB-Singapura)

Kempas Baru (stesen utama)

Senai (stesen akan datang)

Kulai

Layang-layang

Renggam

Kluang (stesen utama)

Paloh

Bekok

Labis

Segamat (stesen utama)

Dengan menggunakan tren berkuasa 25,000 voltan, tren ini mampu bergerak sehingga 140 km/j dengan anggaran masa perjalanan dari KL Sentral ke JB Sentral selama 3 jam 30 minit.

Tambah Azmi, apabila rel berkembar tersebut siap dibina nanti, ia bakal memanfaatkan komuniti setempat untuk bergerak ke bandar-bandar besar tanpa menggunakan kereta di samping meningkatkan ekonomi.

Sementara itu, Azmi berkata pihaknya juga bakal menawarkan pakej pengembaraan baharu dari Asia ke Eropah dengan menggunakan perkhidmatan kereta api. Pakej itu meliputi perjalanan kira-kira 18,755 kilometer yang bermula dari Johor sehingga London yang akan melalui beberapa stesen utama termasuk di
Bangkok
, Beijing dan Mongolia.

Pembinaan Tertangguh Punca Projek Lambat Siap

Terdahulu, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Ekonomi), Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, berkata salah satu projek infrastuktur terbesar negara yang dibina dengan kos RM9.55 bilion itu mengalami kelewatan 1.6% berbanding jadual asalnya.

Pada awalnya, projek ini dijangka siap pada tahun 2021, namun berikutan isu pengambilan semula tanah yang perlu diselesaikan serta penularan wabak COVID-19 Mac 2020, menyebabkan pembinaannya tertangguh.

Walau bagaimanapun, projek itu dilaporkan masih kekal dengan kos asal daripada jumlah peruntukan pembangunan berjumlah RM56 bilion yang diperuntukkan untuk 2020 walaupun berlaku kelewatan daripada jadual asal.

*Kredit foto dan video: SCM Southern Corridor Malaysia


AirAsia Riders Given Full-Time Employment With RM3k Minimum Salary

AirAsia

delivery riders
 (both Super App and Food) will be offered full-time employment with a minimum salary of RM3,000.

This was announced by the AirAsia Super App and AirAsia Food owner,
Capital A Bhd
, earlier this week. The company's chief exec,
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes
, also mentioned that these full-time delivery riders will also receive some added benefits in the form of EPF, Socso, savings account, medical coverage, annual leave, and others.

**Image credit: AirAsia

"Gig workers are the heroes of our delivery operations"

According to Tan Sri Tony, "We are thrilled to be welcoming the riders into our family. As many people know, AirAsia has always been about people, and we believe that people are our greatest asset. This applies across all of Capital A’s business units, including the AirAsia Super App."

“Just as our baggage handlers, cabin crew, and pilots are the backbones of our aviation business, these gig workers are the heroes of our delivery operations," added Tan Sri Tony.

*Image credit: AirAsia

20 permanent riders + looking for more

This might possibly cause an overload of applicants, but both AirAsia Super App and AirAsia Food will conduct a proper screening process as part of the hiring procedures. It's a tactic for them to bring up the fight against other super app companies like Grab and FoodPanda.

The event organised by the company also saw six new full-time riders being awarded two brand-new motorcycles and a number of flight tickets. Quite a nice perk to have as part of the AirAsia family. But, are they now working on the clock? Is it still a gig economy? More details to follow.


2021 Proton Iriz Active Spyshots Leaked – But Why?

It’s not necessarily the
Iriz
 we need – but is it the one Malaysians want?

You know how you can tell that crossovers and SUVs are starting to become the vehicle of choice? When manufacturers start making crossover-esque versions of their regular model range. We’re not talking about crossovers based on the same platform – there are many successful models that get this done. No, we’re referring to the same model, lifted slightly (or not) with rugged looking cladding.

And yes, we’re talking specifically about the 2021 Proton Iriz Active – which had spy shots leaked on the Chinese language automotive portal, Automachi. From the photos, we can see facelift revisions being adapted for the 2021 Iriz, in addition to thick black overfender-type body cladding and roof rails atop. The wheels seem to be 16-inch units – possibly underneath slightly taller suspension.

The interior also seems to be revised with this model, including what looks like body-coloured inserts – whether this is specifically for the 2021 Iriz Active or across the Iriz range is something we’ll have to see later on. From a powertrain perspective, it’s likely to use the same 1.6-litre VVT engine that Proton uses in the higher-spec Iriz and Persona, paired with a CVT-type automatic transmission. There is also a 1.3-litre VVT unit though that’s reserved for the entry-level models (and paired with a manual transmission if you desire).

Proton isn’t the first manufacturer to do this. From a local standpoint, Perodua was arguably the first with the
Axia Style
 variant – which didn’t actually raise the car at all but had the black body cladding and larger wheels. Even so, there have been many manufacturers that have done the exact same thing – Audi has had their allroad quattro A6 variants since the late 90s, Volkswagen gave us the CrossGolf and CrossPolo from the mid 2000s, and even more recently we see Porsche with their
Taycan Cross Turismo
.

What’s the point of all this? Well, if the suspension is actually raised it does allow users the ability to go on mildly rough roads – not that the cars are actually used for this purpose. More than that, it’s to capitalize on a growing group of owners in the market for a crossover, even if they may not want to commit to something as large or bulky, or prefer a more budget-friendly option.

Regardless of what you may feel about the 2021 Iriz Active, it’s probably going to sell in huge numbers. We just wish Proton would give us a hotter
Iriz R3
 again – perhaps with the return of the 1.6 VVT manual variant, and some hopped-up powertrain components in honour of their race-winning racecars.

*Photo credits to Automachi, Irizians

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Beijing 2016: Lexus unveils new IS

Lexus
 has taken the covers off the new IS at the ongoing
2016 Beijing Auto Show
, armed with a fresh new look and a number of important changes.
From what we can see, the entire front fascia of the new model has undergone a transformation, highlighted by new headlamps, large air intakes in the front bumper and an evolution of Lexus’ spindle grille.
The bumpers, with incorporated air intakes, flow dynamically from the fenders, giving the new front end a high level of aggressiveness. The new grille folds back at a higher point, changing its top and bottom proportions that enhance its sporty feel with a visually lower center of gravity.
And then, we have the F Sport grille, which features an exclusive 3-dimentional F-mesh pattern, with jet-black metallic coating that incorporates functional brake ducts. Meanwhile, changes to the rear are highlighted by more pronounced “L”-shaped LED light guides that are now triple layered within the taillight housing and new rectangular chrome exhaust tips that accentuate the car’s sporting nature.
In keeping with the same theme as the exterior, improvements have been incorporated into the new IS’s cabin. The first thing that’s sure to catch your eye is the multimedia display screen that has grown from 7 inches to 10.3 inches. The new high-resolution monitor offers a larger and clearer image of the various functions of Lexus’ innovative multimedia system. Also, “Enter” buttons have been added to the sides of the Remote Touch Interface (RTI) on the center console.
On the center dash the audio and ventilation-control panel has been refined to fit completely within the knee bolsters, with a new hairline-finish surface that provides both a high-quality feel and improved appearance. For interior colors, Moonstone and Ivory have been replaced by Chateau, a new light shade that blends the elegance of Ivory with a more modern light-gray hue. Other changes to the new IS include new cup holders, a new larger leather-wrapped palm rest with stitching for the RTI and new markings on the in-dash analogue clock.
Under the hood however, the new IS remains unchanged. Power is supplied by the
recently-added 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline-4
 engine with intercooler, which comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. While maximum power is rated at 240hp at 5,800rpm, peak torque readings stand at 350Nm at 1,650 to 4,400rpm.
Safety wise, the new IS has been upgraded with the Lexus Safety System +. It combines Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beam (AHB) and Radar Cruise Control.
Thinking of purchasing a Lexus IS? Find one now at
Carlist.my


Adakah Sistem KEJARA Berkesan? – Apa Guna Sistem Demerit Di Atas Kertas?

Sistem KEJARA adalah singkatan kepada Sistem Kesalahan Jalan Raya, iaitu suatu prosedur pemberian mata demerit kepada pemandu kenderaan bermotor yang melakukan kesalahan terjadual di bawah Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 dan kaedah-kaedah di bawahnya.

Bilakah kali terakhir anda dengar tentang
sistem KEJARA
? Adakah ketika anda mendapatkan
lesen kenderaan
 anda dahulu? Untuk pengetahuan anda yang dah lama tak dengar tentang KEJARA, sistem ini masih digunapakai di negara ini. Kesalahan terjadual yang dimaksudkan dalam perenggan di atas merupakan 23 jenis kesalahan yang ditetapkan di dalam Kaedah-Kaedah Pengangkutan Jalan (Mata Demerit) 2017 yang menyebabkan mata demerit diberikan kepada pemandu sekiranya kesalahan tersebut dilakukan.

Senarai Kesalahan Terjadual yang telah disenaraikan dalam Kaedah-Kaedah Pengangkutan Jalan (Mata Demerit) 2017

Jenis Kesalahan

Mata Dimerit Yang Diberikan

Pemandu Kenderaan Selain Kenderaan Barangan Dan Bas (PSKBB)

Pemandu Kenderaan Barangan Dan Bas (PKBB)

Memandu tidak cermat dan tidak bertimbang rasa

10 mata

10 mata

Menjaga sesuatu kenderaan motor semasa berada di bawah pengaruh alkohol atau dadah

10 mata

10 mata

Memandu atau menjaga kenderaan motor dengan kepekatan alkohol melebihi had yang ditetapkan

10 mata

10 mata

Tidak mengadakan spesimen nafas apabila dikehendaki oleh pegawai polis

10 mata

10 mata

Tidak mengadakan spesimen nafas bagi ujian nafas atau spesimen darah atau air kencing bagi ujian makmal apabila dikehendaki oleh pegawai polis

10 mata

10 mata

Memandu kenderaan barangan yang membawa muatan yang boleh mendatangkan bahaya atau berkemungkinan menyebabkan bahaya

0 mata

10 mata

Membawa kenderaan barangan yang membawa muatan yang menjulur melebihi bahagian belakang, hadapan atau tepi kenderaan barangan tanpa kebenaran Ketua Pengarah

0 mata

10 mata

Memandu kenderaan barangan dengan muatan yang terjatuh atau tumpah daripada kenderaan barangan

0 mata

10 mata

Memandu kenderaan barangan yang tidak sesuai yang menyebabkan atau berkemungkinan menyebabkan bahaya

0 mata

10 mata

Tidak mematuhi atau mengabaikan arahan polis, pegawai pengangkutan jalan atau warden lalu lintas dalam mengawal selia lalu lintas semasa memandu atau mendorongi pemandu

4 mata

6 mata

Tidak mematuhi atau mengabaikan petunjuk yang diberi oleh isyarat lalu lintas semasa memandu atau mendorongi kenderaan seperti:

a) Isyarat merah

4 mata

6 mata

b) Isyarat berhenti pada simpang jalan

4 mata

6 mata

c) Isyarat had laju (i) melebihi 40km/j

4 mata

6 mata

d) Isyarat had laju (ii) melebihi 25km/j ke 40km/j

3 mata

5 mata

e) Isyarat had laju (iii) melebihi 1km/j ke 25km/j

2 mata

4 mata

Tidak mematuhi isyarat merah

4 mata

6 mata

Melebihi had laju yang dikenakan pada sesuatu kenderaan seperti berikut:

a) Melebihi 40km/j

4 mata

6 mata

b) Melebihi 25km/j ke 40km/j

3 mata

5 mata

c) Melebihi 1km/j ke 25km/j

2 mata

4 mata

Memotong kenderaan di garisan berterusan

4 mata

6 mata

Memandu kenderaan barangan dengan melebihi had berat maksimum dengan muatan yang dibenarkan

0 mata

6 mata

Membawa orang dalam kenderaan perkhidmatan awam melebihi bilangan yang ditetapkan dalam apa-apa lesen yang sah atau perakuan kenderaan awam

0 mata

6 mata

Memotong kenderaan motor di sebelah kiri

4 mata

6 mata

Memandu, menunda, menolak, meletak atau meninggalkan tanpa berjaga kenderaan di lorong kecemasan

4 mata

6 mata

Tidak memberi laluan kepada kenderaan yang mempunyai keutamaan berbanding dengan lalu lintas lain

3 mata

5 mata

Menggunakan atau cuba untuk menggunakan telefon bimbit atau apa-apa kelengkapan komunikasi lain dengan tidak menggunakan alat bebas tangan semasa memandu

3 mata

5 mata

Memandu kenderaan barangan atau perkhidmatan awam secara berterusan di lorong paling kanan

0 mata

4 mata

Memandu kenderaan motor tanpa memakai tali pinggang keledar mengikut cara yang dikehendaki oleh jenis dan binaan tali pinggang keledar itu

3 mata

3 mata

Menunggang motosikal tanpa tanpa memakai topi keledar mengikut cara yang dikehendaki oleh jenis dan binaan topi keledar itu

2 mata

2 mata

Mana-mana pemandu yang melakukan kesalahan terjadual seperti di atas akan menerima mata demerit seperti yang tertera. Tetapi, mata demerit hanya akan diberikan kepada pemandu, bukanlah pada kenderaan yang dipandu. Jika mata demerit anda semakin tinggi, lesen anda berkemunginan besar akan digantung. Rujuk jadual dibawah untuk lebih info:

Peringkat

Tindakan

Lesen Memandu Kompeten (CDL)

Lesen Memandu Percubaan (PDL)

20 mata pertama

Amaran

Batal

20 mata kedua

Lesen digantung 6-8 bulan

-

20 mata ketiga

Lesen digantung 8-10 bulan

-

20 mata keempat dan seterusnya

Lesen digantung 10-12 bulan

-

Lesen PDL akan terbatal sekiranya pemandu memperolehi 20 mata demerit atau lebih. Walaupun Lesen CDL hanya menerima penggantungan sekiranya mengutip mata demerit melebihi had ditetapkan, Lesen CDL tersebut boleh juga dibatalkan oleh Ketua Pengarah JPJ apabila pemandu tersebut telah menjalani pengantungan lesen memandu selama 3 kali dalam tempoh 5 tahun.

Walau bagaimanapun, pengurangan mata demerit sebanyak 50% akan diberikan sekiranya pemandu tidak melakukan kesalahan terjadual dalam tempoh dua belas bulan daripada kesalahan terakhir. Malah, kursus pemulihan turut ditawarkan oleh JPJ kepada pemegang lesen memandu yang mengumpul mata demerit di bawah 20 mata bagi mendapatkan pengurangan. Tetapi, insentif pengurangan mata demerit ini hanya diberikan sekali sebelum tempoh penggantungan atau sebelum pembatalan lesen memandu.

Jika lesen anda digantung, anda diharamkan untuk memandu dalam tempoh tersebut. Selain itu, anda tidak boleh memohon lesen memandu apa-apa kelas dan lesen serta kenderaan pemandu akan disenarai hitamkan sepanjang tempoh tersebut. Bila pandu tanpa lesen yang sah, anda boleh dikenakan denda tidak kurang daripada RM3,000 dan tidak melebihi RM10,000 atau boleh dipenjara tidak melebihi 3 tahun.

*Kredit foto: Harian Metro

Penggantungan atau pembatalan lesen memandu oleh KEJARA akan bermula apabila pemegang lesen memandu itu menyerahkan lesen memandu fizikalnya di mana-mana pejabat JPJ yang ditetapkan oleh Ketua Pengarah dalam tempoh 21 hari daripada tarikh penyampaian notis itu dibuat atau selepas 21 hari daripada tarikh penyampaian notis itu. Jika lesen tersebut tidak diserahkan, tindakan penggantungan/pembatalan tetap juga akan dilakukan sebaik sahaja tempoh 21 hari itu tamat.

Namun sekiranya lesen anda dibatalkan oleh Ketua Pengarah di bawah Kaedah-Kaedah Pengangkutan Jalan (Mata Demerit) 2017, anda masih boleh memohon semula lesen memandu baharu (bermula dengan Lesen Belajar Memandu LDL) selepas dua bulan daripada tarikh pembatalan lesen memandu tersebut.

Tetapi, tahukah anda bahawa pemberian mata demerit ini hanya akan diberikan kepada pemandu apabila notis saman diselesaikan seperti membayar kompaun atau membayar denda di mahkamah? Persoalannya, bagaimana jika pemandu itu enggan membayar
saman
? Adakah mata demerit tersebut hanya wujud diatas kertas dan bukanlah di dalam sistem dan pemandu tersebut masih bebas? Bukan kita tak pernah dengar orang ada saman terkumpul sampai beribu-ribu. Jika pemandu mengelak daripada membayar saman, adakah beliau akan terlepas daripada menerima mata demerit?

*Kredit foto: BERNAMA

Tidak juga. Untuk pengetahuan anda, sekiranya anda tidak membayar saman, memang mata demerit tidak dapat diberikan kepada anda ketika itu. Tetapi, anda bakal menghadapi masalah untuk
memperbaharui lesen
, cukai jalan dan insurans kenderaan sekiranya ada diantara saman berikut merupakan saman blacklist.

Seperti yang anda sedia maklum, terdapat dua jenis saman jalan raya iaitu saman blacklist atau saman bukan blacklist. Antara senarai saman yang sering disenarai hitamkan adalah saman akibat kematian lesen, roadtax mati dan tidak memakai helmet/tali pinggang keledar. Senang cerita, bila anda terima saman daripada PDRM atau JPJ di
Sekatan Jalan Raya (SJR)
, selesaikanlah dengan secepat mungkin bagi memudahkan anda di masa hadapan. Anda boleh menyemak sama ada nama anda telah disenarai hitam atau tidak di laman web rasmi JPJ.

Sementara itu saman bukan blacklist kebiasaannya merupakan saman yang tidak diberi secara depan-depan tanpa tandatangan anda seperti saman speedtrap dan saman parkir. Walaupun saman ini dikatakan tidak berpotensi untuk membuatkan nama anda disenarai hitamkan, tapi jika anda kantoi ada saman tertunggak, anda boleh disaman sebanyak RM300 di bawah Seksyen 53 APJ 1987 bagi saman-saman yang tertunggak itu.

Jadi sekiranya anda berhajat untuk melarikan diri daripada membayar saman kerana ianya bukan saman blacklist kerana tidak mahu diberi mata demerit oleh sistem KEJARA, anda perlu fikirkan semula kerana pada 2011, Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 telah dipinda di mana JPJ akan bekerjasama dengan mana-mana majlis perbandaran dalam menguatkuasakan pungutan denda. Boleh dikatakan saman seperti saman parkir ini mempunyai level yang sama seperti saman JPJ kerana saman tersebut akan muncul dalam sistem. Pendek kata, majlis tempatan juga ada hak untuk blacklistkan nama anda kerana majlis tempatan akan merujuk pesalah trafik kepada JPJ untuk diambil tindakan. Jadi nak tak nak, kena la bayar saman kalau tak mahu dipanggil ke mahkamah atau disenarai hitam.

*Kredit foto: The Star

Diharapkan, sistem KEJARA boleh dikemaskini mengikut arus semasa bagi memperkasakan lagi penguatkuasaannya. Antara contoh yang boleh dilakukan adalah mengeluarkan mata demerit semasa notis saman dikeluarkan dan bukanlah sewaktu pembayaran dibuat. Pasti ramai yang lebih peka dengan sistem KEJARA sekiranya mereka menerima saman bersama notis mata demerit kerana jika mereka tahu mereka sudah mengumpul mata demerit, ini boleh menggalakkan mereka untuk menyelesaikan saman dengan lebih cepat.

Sebaik-baiknya, selesaikanlah saman-saman yang tertunggak sebelum apa-apapun. Kalau anda menunggu kerajaan untuk melaksanakan
program diskaun saman
, ia mungkin mendatangkan risiko kepada anda kerana tempoh diskaun saman ini tidak menentu, Silap-silap waran tahan dari mahkamah yang sampai dulu! Anda mungkin boleh abaikan saman-saman yang tertunggak, tetapi ingatlah bahawa anda tidak sesekali boleh sorok saman tersebut. Saman itu tetap tercatat di dalam sistem. Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah jua!

Bagi mereka yang ingin menyemak jumlah mata demerit yang terkumpul, anda boleh membuat semakan mata demerit di portal Rasmi JPJ.

Yang paling penting, jangan kumpul saman macam kumpul harta karun pula. Sentiasalah berhati-hati ketika memandu!

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Gov. Preparing To Fully Enforce Child Seat Usage In 2020, Begin Seat Testing

As part of the Government's effort to rightly introduce the mandatory use of child seat usage in cars from 2020, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) performed their first public child seat dynamic test.
With the regulation timeline now in placed, Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke said only child seats that meet UNECE R44 and R129 design standards will be allowed for sale in Malaysia.
MIROS, together with top seatbelt and airbag systems supplier Autoliv Hirotako Safety Sdn Bhd presented the child seat dynamic testing facility at the latter’s premises in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
The live demonstration that was done by MIROS and Autoliv Hirotako Safety proved both companies' readiness and capabilities in performing the dynamic test on automotive child seats for consumers before that deadline in under nine months.
The dynamic test demonstrated to the public involved a dummy from P-category (representing three-year-olds) placed in a child seat being accelerated to 50 km/h and stopped to a standstill within 6 feet.
The test facility at Autoliv Hirotako Safety can also use dummies in the Q-category and plus assessment on child seat designs conforming to newer UNECE R129 standards.
Late last year, YB Anthony Loke said the industry as a whole was not ready, as there was not enough suppliers, insufficient stocks that met design standards, and a mechanism for affordable pricing.
He also said more needs to be done by various agencies such as the Road Safety Department (JKJR) to hold advocacy and awareness programmes on child safety in the car.
Learn more about how important the usage of a child seat is, as well as how easy they are to be mounted in modern cars on sale today.
Video: Isofix child demo installation
Keeping the kids safe in your car


Drift King's Nissan 350Z From F&F: Tokyo Drift Can Be Yours For A Cool RM903k

Now you may recall that a
Toyota
 Supra which made its debut in 2001’s
The Fast and the Furious
 was
sold for a large sum of money recently
. Now, the Nissan 350Z from the franchise’s other movie,
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
is going up for sale as well and it won’t be cheap either.
Cheshire Classic Cars
 is handling the sale of this immaculate
Nissan
 350Z which Takashi or better known as the Drift King, owned and piloted in the movie. Remember this scene? Yeah, this car actually executed that drift up the car park ramp along with other high speed footage seen throughout the movie.

That’s because unlike the Supra, this is an actual performance-tuned 350Z made by Veilside for the movie which means this isn’t limited to being just a stunt car, it is the real business. For starters, the APS twin turbocharged engine bumps the power from 280 to 430hp with 583Nm of torque while a NISMO twin plate clutch and two way differential handles the power transfer to the rear wheels.
Completing the look is Veilside Version 3 Wide Bodykit with the iconic decals and the interior receives a full roll cage, sports bucket seats, and a Sparco steering wheel.
The car itself is set up for drifting but if you like, can be returned to a more standard specification.
Now we come to the question of price and it isn’t cheap. The 2002
Nissan 350Z
 from Tokyo Drift costs £149,995 (RM903,282)! For that money, you do get a drift machine with a low mileage of just 9,800km. In addition to that, the car comes with full documentation to prove its authenticity and is registered for road use as well.


Jika Kereta Tiada Masalah, Jangan Tukar Baharu – Nasihat Jurual Kereta

Sekiranya kereta sedia ada anda masih elok dan tidak mempunyai masalah besar, anda dinasihatkan untuk
membaik pulih
 sahaja segala kerosakan kecil tersebut daripada menukarnya dengan kereta baharu, terutama ketika keadaan ekonomi seperti ini.

Nasihat tersebut dikongsikan oleh seorang
jurual kereta
, Muhammad Shah di Facebook di mana beliau telah menemui beberapa insan yang terkeliru serta dalam dilema untuk menjual kereta yang sedia ada dan menukarnya dengan MPV terhangat di Malaysia ketika ini
, Perodua Alza 2022
.

Keperluan Atau Gaya?

Menurut Shah, ada daripada mereka yang mahu menjual semula
Perodua Ativa
,
Myvi
 dan
Alza lama
 untuk di tukar kepada Alza baharu, namun ada daripada kereta yang mahu dijual itu dikeluarkan pada tahun 2019 ke 2022 (tahun kereta).

Ini bermaksud bayaran pinjaman kereta itu masih ada dan baki yang perlu dijelaskan masih banyak. Ini adalah sesuatu yang kurang sihat di mana menurut Shah, majoriti penduduk Malaysia menggunakan 60% daripada gaji bulanan hanya untuk membayar hutang.

“Tidak dinafikan Perodua Alza 2022 memang menggamit golongan2 RCB (
Replacement Car Buyer
), tidak kira tua atau muda kerana
sporty Vibes
 Alza 2022 tu sendiri, namun jangan terkeliru diantara keperluan dan gaya,” jelas Shah.

Tambahnya, selagi kereta sedia ada anda tiada masalah atau hanya ada beberapa kerosakan kecil, seeloknya baikilah kereta tersebut dan jangan tergesa-gesa membeli kereta baharu kerana anda bukan sahaja menanggung hutang bulanan, tetapi kos tersembunyi lain seperti cukai jalan, insurans serta penyelenggaraan yang perlu diambil kira.

Ukur Baju Di Badan Sendiri

Menurut Shah, 6 daripada 10 orang pembeli Alza 2022 meletakkan wang deposit minimum sebanyak 10%, manakala 4 lagi mengharapkan pinjaman penuh meskipun dasar BNM meletakkan syarat tidak boleh membuat pinjaman penuh.

Berdasarkan pengalaman beliau sendiri sebagai jurujual dan penasihat jualan kereta, kebanyakan yang meminta untuk pinjaman penuh ini memiliki tangga gaji RM1600.00 - RM2500.00.

Apabila beliau melihat dokumen pemohon termasuk rekod CCRIS yang masih ada, kebanyakannya hanya mempunyai ruang berbaki 40% ke 30% daripada pendapatan mereka untuk digunakan bagi membayar pinjaman Alza 2022.

“Bahkan ada yang mempunyai anak 1 dan bergaji bersih RM2000 juga sudah berani untuk memohon, Ini satu perhitungan yg tak sihat,” katanya.

Beliau menasihatkan mereka yang bergaji 2500 ke bawah untuk fikir semula dan mengambil model kereta yang sesuai dengan pendapatan mereka. Jadikan Alza 2022 sebagai kereta Idaman sahaja agar terus bekerja keras mencapai impian.

Ingatlah, ukur baju di badan sendiri!


New Volkswagen Golf Mk 7.5 Introduced In Malaysia – Sportline, R-Line, GTI, and R – From RM 155,990

One month after teaser materials hinting to a new Golf were first spotted on Volkswagen’s Malaysian website, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has today started order takings for the updated Golf, loosely known as the Golf Mk 7.5.
As before, the new Golf’s family will be powered by three engine variants, all turbocharged – a 1.4-litre for the TSI Sportline and R-Line (150 PS/250 Nm), a 2.0-litre for the GTI and R, but at a different state of tune; 230 PS/350 Nm and 290 PS/380 Nm respectively.
It remains fully-imported from Wolfsburg, Germany.
The most obvious difference between the new Golf and the outgoing model are the new bumpers, tail lights, and headlights.
There are four variants on offer – TSI Sportline (from RM 155,990), TSI R-Line (from RM 169,990), GTI (from RM 239,990), and R (from RM 295,990). All prices are on the road excluding insurance. However, the TSI R-Line will only be available for viewing at Volkswagen dealerships at a later date due to stock unavailability.
Below is a summary of the specifications hierarchy for the new Golf Mk 7.5 family.
Golf 1.4 TSI Sportline (from RM 155,990)
1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
7-speed dry-type DSG dual clutch automatic transmission, front-wheel drive
150 PS of power (10 PS more than Mk 7 Golf), 5,000 to 6,000 rpm
250 Nm of torque, 1,500 – 3,500 rpm
0-100 km/h in 8.2 seconds
Halogen multi-reflector lights with LED daytime running lights
LED tail lights
16-inch alloy wheels
8-inch touch screen Composition Media infotainment system with 8 speakers and App-Connect (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Mirror Link)
Dual zone automatic air-conditioning
Rear air-conditioning vents
'Zoom' fabric seats
Seven airbags
Electric parking brake
Extended Electronic Differential Lock (XDS)
Auto Hold
Automatic post-collision Braking System
Golf 1.4 TSI R-Line (from RM 166,990)
R-line front and rear bumpers, grille, fender trims
Rear spoiler
LED headlights with dynamic cornering lights and dynamic turn signals
LED tailights with dynamic turn signals
Keyless entry and engine push-start
17-inch Singapore alloy wheels
Sport diffuser with trapezoidal chrome exhaust trim
12.3-inch Active Info Display (1,440x540 resolution)
Reverse camera
Later models of the R-Line will be introduced later at RM 169,990, which adds among others, a set of R-Line Vienna leather seats
Golf GTI (from RM 239,990)
2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
6-speed wet-type dual clutch automatic transmission
230 PS of power, 4,700 – 6,200 rpm (10 PS more than before)
350 Nm of torque, 1,500 – 4,400 rpm
0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds
GTI-motive LED headlamps with ‘double L’ pattern LED daytime running lights
GTI-specific exterior trims
18-inch Milton Keynes allow wheels
Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive damping system with five modes – Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, Individual
Vienna perforated leather seats with red accents
Golf R (from RM 295,990)
7-speed wet-type dual DSG dual clutch automatic transmission, 4Motion all-wheel drive
290 PS of power, 5,500 – 6,500 rpm (10 PS more than before)
380 Nm of torque, 2,000 – 5,400 rpm
0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds
19-inch Pretoria alloy wheels
9.2-inch touch screen Discover Pro infotainment system with 8 speakers, 10 GB Jukebox, and App-Connect (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Mirror Link)
Vienna perforated leather seats with R logo


Tokyo 2019: Nissan Unveils IMk Concept, Its Compact City Car Of The Future

Nissan today unveiled the IMk Concept, a concept car that combines chic design, cutting-edge technologies, and powerful EV acceleration in a compact body to create the “ultimate urban commuter” of the future.

The 100% electric car hints at the new direction of Nissan’s design language and how it helps bring to life Nissan Intelligent Mobility – the brand’s vision for changing how vehicles are powered, driven and connected to society.

Immersed in this vision, Nissan designers and engineers looked at a vehicle segment that’s prevalent in their native Japan and becoming more so the world over – the city car.

Equipped with the latest ProPILOT advanced driver assistance technologies and seamless connectivity features, the IMk provides a glimpse of how urban-oriented cars may look and feel in the near future.

On the exterior, the IMk’s looks and proportions reflect a minimal aesthetic, drawing on Nissan’s new design philosophy, called Timeless Japanese Futurism.

Adopting the simplistic nature of traditional Japanese design, the exterior is characterized by flowing lines. Carefully applied Japanese motifs add refinement and intrigue. Dipped in an Akagane paint scheme – reflecting a reddish copper color – the concept pays homage to artisans who formed copper into functional works of art.

A close look reveals additional elements of “Japanese DNA” throughout the IMk. The V-motion signature “shield” and combination taillights feature a trellised, woodwork-type impression.

Inside, the Nissan IMk concept’s cabin is a new type of “room” that exudes the nature of a cafe or lounge. The bench-style seat, with a dimpled texture, promotes a relaxing, welcome space that gives the impression of sitting on a floating cloud.

The dashboard and sections of the doors are upholstered with light tonal materials, adding to the cozy atmosphere. Akagane-colored accents along the instrument panel, doors and steering wheel add brightness to the interior and a premium feel to the vehicle as a whole.

Interlocking with the lower door section are wood slats that are a nod to the Japanese wood joinery technique of kigumi, which create a sense of inner calm. This feature is highlighted by special hidden lighting. Dark coffee-colored floor carpeting with woven strands of metallic fiber enhance the cozy, relaxing setting.

Other than the start button and shifter, the IMk’s thin dashboard is void of physical controls. Powering up the IMk reveals cabin comfort controls and settings with soft glowing icons within the Akagane trim.

Important driving information, such as vehicle speed and navigation directions, appear in “midair” by way of a bezel-less prism display. Customized information is communicated to the driver via holographic displays.

Interior accent lighting mimics the prism display’s color scheme, depending on displayed content. When using the touch-sensitive surface – for example, when swiping while viewing a map – a touch of whimsy is displayed in the form of a flock of birds flying across it.

Representing Nissan’s step towards fully autonomous driving, the concept comes with the latest technologies to assist drivers in a wide range of environments, from expressways to city streets and parking lots.

The smartphone-enabled ProPILOT Remote Park feature with valet parking feature can search for a parking space automatically after you and your passengers step out of the car. When you’re ready to hit the road again, a simple tap of a button brings the car to you.

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


Paris 2018: Mercedes-Benz Unveils All-New B-Class

When Mercedes-Benz unveiled the first B-Class, it was a more interesting and more spacious alternative to the rather diminutive second-generation A-Class. Things changed quite rapidly with the following generation, when the A-Class became the poster-child of the range, spawning the CLA- and GLA-Class models which provide a not insignificant chunk of sales for the three-pointed star. The B-Class, while being a fairly competent small family hauler, was left to the sidelines in favour of spicier A45 AMGs and a customer base that was growing ever younger.
But the third-generation B-Class has just been unveiled at the Paris Motor Show 2018, and it's a step in the right direction for the "tourer" of the brand. The design brief for this generation was for the B-Class to stand out among minivans, and they've certainly managed to achieve this with far sportier looks achieved in a more subtle fashion.
The B-Class gets its dynamic styling not through add-on body items, but through changes to the overhang and roofline that accentuate a sporty character. The headlights and taillights have gone through a large revision, merging more smoothly with the body for a more cohesive design that improves both aerodynamics and aesthetics.
While exterior styling may be what gets people through the showroom doors, it's what's on the inside that counts - quite literally, in the case of the B-Class. The dashboard sees a full reworking from the ground up, with more aggressive styling that suits a more youthful nature on the whole.
The launch of the fourth-generation A-Class has set the standard for all Mercedes-Benz interior designs, and the B-Class is no different with
the full MBUX package
, including that "Hey Mercedes" voice control and touch controls as well. The huge screen is the centrepiece of the car's dashboard, and a welcome replacement to the free-floating design that has grown a little old.
At launch, the car will be available with a variety of powertrains and gearboxes, including the new eight-speed 8G-DCT gearbox that is paired with the B200d and B220d diesel options. The B180d, B180, and B200 will stick with the 7G-DCT that we're more familiar with.
Outputs for the diesel models range from 116 hp and 260 Nm to 190 hp and 400 Nm, while the two petrol variants offer 136 hp and 200 Nm, or 163 hp and 250 Nm. The most powerful diesel variant is an entirely new engine, known as the OM 654q, and will already meet upcoming emissions regulations due in 2020.
A number of features that the B-Class will come with depends heavily on the options selected, and in the case of our country we're really at the mercy of what Mercedes-Benz Malaysia decides to pick for us.
That being said, the flexibility of options and the number available is still an important consideration; we're not talking heated seats, but things like adaptive suspension and 40:20:40 split rear folding seats with a sliding second row (a feature that can vary the luggage space between 455 litres and 705 litres on the fly, with 1,540 litres when dropping the rear seats).
And of course, chief among these features are the Intelligent Drive functions derived from the S-Class. The B-Class is afforded those same luxuries, through the use of cameras and radar systems in combination with map data in order to anticipate traffic conditions up to 500 meters ahead and to drive semi-autonomously in certain situations.
Known items like Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Emergency Stop Assist, and Active Lane Change Assist are all present, along with Active Brake Assist as standard for collision mitigation whether it's a car, cyclist, or pedestrian.