Mercedes-AMG GT R unleashed - VIDEO

                LONDON: Mercedes-AMG presented the new AMG GT R on Friday, heralding in the latest and most powerful member of the V8 sports car family.

The venue for this presentation was the Brooklands circuit in Britain, which is now the home of the automotive experience centre "Mercedes-Benz World".

Around 100 international media representatives were present when the 585hp "Beast from the Green Hell" was let out of its cage. The "Green Hell" refers to the birthplace of the AMG GT R - the North Loop at Nürburgring, where the new top model in the GT family was tested. The name is also a reference to the exclusive, special "AMG light green magno" paint finish of the world premiere car.

The AMG GT R is a road-going sports car with motor racing genes. With its innovative technical solutions it offers an impressive driving experience. It combines the driving dynamics of the AMG GT3 racing car with the everyday practicality of the AMG GT.

In workshops covering driving dynamics, weight optimisation, aerodynamics and design, the experts from Mercedes-AMG explained technical highlights such as the active rear axle steering, the intelligent lightweight construction, the active aerodynamic section in the underbody and the expressive design with motorsport features such as the new AMG Panamericana grille.

"We have defined every single component dedicated to performance. The result is an overall composition which reflects our motto: ‘Handcrafted by racers’. That makes this sports car a milestone when it comes to driving dynamics." Tobias Moers, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, said of the car.

The concept with front mid-engine and transmission in transaxle configuration on the rear axle, a tried-and-tested feature of the AMG GT and AMG GT S, makes for a beneficial rear-biased weight distribution of 47.3 to 52.7. In conjunction with the vehicle's low centre of gravity, this translates into agile handling and permits high cornering speeds. It has a power-to-weight ratio of 2.66 kilograms per hp.

The low-slung front section and the forwards-inclined radiator grille create a distinctive "shark nose" impression and make the car appear to sit lower on the road. At the same time, this shape lowers the vehicle's back-pressure point, enhancing the flow of cooling air and the car's aerodynamic performance.

The AMG 4.0-litre twin-turbo engine in the AMG GT R has an output of 585hp, which is 55 75hp more than the previous top-of-the-range engine in the GT S. The peak torque of 700 Nm is available between 1900 and 5500 rpm.

The increase in performance was achieved with the help of new turbochargers with modified compressor machining, smaller wastegate aneroid capsule and sharpened engine mapping. The boost pressure supplied by the turbochargers has been increased from 1.2 bar in the AMG GT to 1.35 bar. In addition, the exhaust ports have been optimised and the compression ratio modified. The entire combustion process has been retuned.

A special engineering feat is the new active aerodynamics profile, which is concealed almost invisibly in the underbody in front of the engine. At a speed of 80 km/h in RACE mode, this carbon component, weighing only about two kilograms, automatically moves downward by about 40 millimetres and changes the airflow considerably. This process results in what is known as the Venturi effect, which additionally "sucks" the car onto the road and reduces the front-axle lift by around 40 kilograms at 250kph.

The driver can feel this in the steering: the AMG GT R is even more precise to steer when cornering at high speed and exhibits even better directional stability.

Another technical highlight improving the aerodynamics of the AMG GT R is the active air management system. This system has vertical louvres positioned in the lower area directly behind the front fascia. These louvres are electronically controlled and can be opened and closed in around a second by an electric motor to improve the airflow and consequently the aerodynamic performance.

The louvres are normally closed ‑ including at top speed, during braking and when cornering at high speed. This position lowers drag and makes it possible to route the air to the underbody to reduce front lift even further. Only once predefined components have reached certain temperatures and the demand for cooling air is particularly high do the louvres open and allow the maximum amount of cooling air to flow to the heat exchangers.

The AMG GT R comes with a roof made of high-grade carbon to underscore the high-contrast look of the vehicle.

The rear end features a few innovations: The new aluminium side walls widen the rear of the AMG GT R by a total of 57 millimetres, creating space for the larger 20-inch wheels and the wider track. Both measures make for improved traction while allowing higher cornering speeds.

Despite its higher engine output, extra width, chunkier tyres, larger rear aerofoil, raised cooling-air demand and increased downforce, the AMG GT R has a lower drag coefficient (Cd) than the AMG GT.

The suspension of the new AMG high-performance sports model is also systematically designed for racetrack use. Wishbones, steering knuckles and hub carriers on the front and rear axle are manufactured entirely out of forged aluminium in order to reduce the unsprung masses. The double-wishbone concept locates the wheel firmly, with minimal elastic movements. The high camber and toe-in stability results in high cornering speeds and also provides the driver with an optimum feel for the road when cornering at the extreme limits.

The new AMG GT R is even more sensitive to steering inputs thanks to standard-fit active rear-wheel steering, which is being used for the first time on a Mercedes-AMG model. The system offers an ideal combination of agility and stability ‑ handling characteristics that are normally in direct conflict.

Up to a speed of 100kph, the rear wheels are turned in the opposite direction to the front wheels, corresponding to a virtual shortening of the wheelbase. The advantage of the AMG GT R is far more agile when steering into bends, resulting in less steering effort. Once the speed of the AMG GT R exceeds 100kph, the system turns the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels, corresponding to a virtual lengthening of the wheelbase and improving handling stability.

The interior is inspired by motorsport. Light, manually adjustable AMG sports bucket seats upholstered in nappa leather and DINAMICA microfibre come as standard. The wide-looking dashboard is reminiscent of a powerful wing and continues the aviation design theme. Four central spotlight-style vents and the individual vents at the right and left ends of the dashboard reinforce this impression.

The new exhaust system aims for a racing car sound; it also saves around 6kg of weight compared with the AMG GT S thanks to the use of titanium for the rear silencer and thin-walled stainless steel for the front section of the exhaust system.

With its hexagonal form, the large tailpipe tip centred in the rear fascia emphasises the car's motor-racing character. Two more tailpipes are located on the left and right in the diffuser. Their tips are sheathed in carbon fibre like in motorsport to protect the diffuser against high exhaust temperatures.

The exhaust flaps open and close depending on the selected AMG DRIVE SELECT mode, although they can also be controlled individually using a separate button in the AMG DRIVE UNIT. In the "Comfort" and "Sport" settings, the low-frequency sound typical of a V-8 is designed for comfort. In "Sport Plus" and "RACE" modes, meanwhile, the sound composition is more emotive.

The Mercedes-AMG GT R can be ordered from Nov 21. Its European market launch will begin in March 2017.


Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia gets new boss

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) has appointed Won-Chul Yang as its CEO, effective Feb 12.

Yang joined Mitsubishi Corp (MC) in Seoul in 1992.

From 2003 to 2006, he was the manager of MC Tokyo and moved on to become the director of strategic planning and coordination in Mitsubishi Motors Sales Korea Ltd.

He has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry.

Prior to becoming the CEO of MMM, Yang was the company's senior vice president of strategic planning and coordination since 2012.

During his tenure, the company went through a milestone launch of Mitsubishi Motors’ first locally assembled vehicle, the ASX compact SUV in Malaysia.

“We believe that Yang’S strong automotive experience, passion and commitment towards Mitsubishi Motors will continue to drive the brand and company in Malaysia to the next level,” said MMM chairman Tan Sri Marzuki Mohd Noor.
Yang replaces Tetsuya Oda, 49, who was killed in a road accident here last December. The late Oda had been heading MMM since July 2010.


'Toughest yet' Dakar Rally unveiled

                PARIS: The 39th Dakar Rally will be raced over nearly 9,000km from Jan 2-14 in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay and will demand "extreme endurance", organisers announced Wednesday.

The race will set off from the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion, with race sporting director Marc Coma promising "the toughest edition in the history of South American rally-raiding".

There will be one week spent on the Bolivian Altiplano, with five stages raced at crushing altitudes of more than 3,500m, going up to 4,500m.

"High up in the mountains, you're really tested on a respiratory level," said race director Etienne Lavigne.

"Producing an effort is more complicated. Competitors will experience this discomfort very often and for long periods."

There will also be six special stages of more than 400km, dune crossing and driving in sand, especially on the sections of the route still unknown to rally-raid regulars or during the all-important "Super Belen" stage, three days from the finish line in Buenos Aires.

"It's a very physical course for the competitors, the stages are long and on the bike or quad they'll be very physically challenged," Lavigne said, adding that the rally threw up an unprecedented series of extreme geographical scenarios and climates.

"There will be great differences between the tropical temperatures in Paraguay, the high-altitude climatic conditions (in Bolivia) and then the descent into the northwestern part of Argentina which is very dry and desert-like.

"The nature of the terrain, both tricky, rocky, off-road, numerous sandy parts on the route, along with rain, wind, sometimes snow, mud, sand, salt... It makes for a very complicated cocktail for the competitors."

Some 316 vehicles, including 83 cars and 146 motorcycles, are registered for the rally, which will feature old hands such as Peugeot's French duo of defending champion Stephane Peterhansel and Cyril Despres, and Toyota's two-time winner Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar and South African Giniel De Villiers.

Also in the running will be nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz, both in Peugeots, 2004 Dakar champion Nani Roma in a Toyota and Finland's Mini driver Mikko Hirvonen, fourth on his debut in 2016.

It will be the ninth time the Dakar Rally has been held in South America. The race was cancelled in 2008 over security threats in Mauritania, organisers taking the decision to move the rally to another continent in 2009.


VW and BMW take cash-for-clunkers plea straight to Merkel

A saleswoman wearing a face mask talking with a customer from behind a protective screen inside the re-opened Audi AG showroom in Hanau, Germany, last month. — Bloomberg
BERLIN: Top German auto-industry executives will make their case that a new cash-for-clunkers programme is needed to get Europe’s largest economy moving again.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is hosting a video conference today with officials from the likes of Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler AG to consider proposals to revive car sales.

VW chief executive officer Herbert Diess and others have made public appeals for government incentives to buy new cars, saying it would help suppliers, dealers as well as automakers recover from the coronavirus crisis.

Powerful support

They have high-level backers. Premiers of the states of Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Lower Saxony — homes of BMW, Daimler and VW, respectively — are supporting a plan to pay a subsidy of €4,000 (RM18,686) for low-emission cars as well as a €1,000 (RM4,671) scrapping incentive, according to a tweet from Bavarian state leader Markus Soeder, a leading contender to succeed Merkel after her term expires.

Reviving auto demand will be "one of the key questions for the comeback of the German economy,” Lower Saxony premier Stephan Weil said in an interview with Manager Magazin, calling for more aid for electric cars than diesel vehicles.

"Without sales incentives, many people will initially have other things on their minds than buying new cars and other goods.”

 An employee of an Opel dealership in Ruesselsheim opens for business. — Bloomberg

Merkel’s administration though has cooled expectations as it considers a broader stimulus package. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said the administration needs several weeks, with a decision on any support for auto demand not expected until late May at the earliest.

Sales across Europe cratered in April, falling by more than 96% in Spain and about 89% in France. automakers are beginning to reopen factories, hoping to meet pent-up demand from consumers who are still largely under lockdown across the continent. VW officials have warned that production could soon stop again if deliveries don’t pick up.

Some carmakers have echoed Soeder’s demands that aid should be linked to a car’s ability to emit low levels of carbon dioxide, with the most generous incentives reserved for buyers of electric cars.

Kia Motors Corp.’s European chief operating officer last week said he would support a CO2-based programme, though he’d prefer one that covered all new cars.

Sustainability shift

The coronavirus crisis hits carmakers at a sensitive time. Manufacturers are ramping up spending on electric vehicles to meet tougher emissions regulations and need profits from conventional vehicles to fund those investments.

As unsettled consumers shy away from buying cars, Germany needs to confront reality and support "models currently in serial production,” Thomas Steg, a senior VW official, said in an April 29 web conference with lawmakers.

But after Volkswagen’s diesel-cheating scandal, the industry faces more headwinds than in the past.
Lars Klingbeil, the general secretary of Germany’s Social Democrats, the junior partner in Merkel’s coalition, ruled out a decision on state support after Tuesday’s talks, adding that carmaker requests to support old technology are a no go.

The industry could use past profits to stimulate sales, and any companies tapping aid shouldn’t pay dividends to shareholders, he said.

"There are question marks over some of the instruments proposed, and some of the appearances by top managers in the car industry in recent days have not made the discussions easier,” Klingbeil said on Deutschlandfunk radio.

"Mistakes have been made in recent years, and now we have to see how we can reorganise the sector toward sustainability.”


New Moto Guzzi V85 TT arrives

                PETALING JAYA: MOTO Guzzi Malaysia, through Didi Resources Sdn Bhd, the authorised importer and distributor of Moto Guzzi officially introduced Moto Guzzi’s first Classic Enduro motorcycle, the V85 TT.

The V85 TT is an adventure machine with a 853cc engine producing 80hp and 80Nm of torque.
This is the first Moto Guzzi small block engine that can easily rev to 8,000rpm, showcasing modern technology and an exuberant nature.

The V85 TT weighs 208kg and has a 23-litre fuel tank that promises a range of some 410km.
It comes with three different riding mode of Road, Rain and Off-road.

READ MORE:  Can you tell a chopper from a bobber? Motorcycle classes explained

Each riding modes gets a corresponding engine mapping, unique calibration of the MGCT traction control (can also be disabled) and ABS, as well as different response from the Ride-by-Wire throttle control.

The V85 TT also gets the Moto Guzzi MIA, the new Moto Guzzi multimedia platform that allows a smart phone to be connected to the vehicle (via an ECU available in the rich catalogue of Moto Guzzi accessories), play music, make/receive phone calls using a helmet intercom and navigation function.

The motorcycle in standard colours of Blue Atlante, Grigio Atacama, Rosso Vulcano is priced from RM87,888 while that in Evocative Graphics (Giallo Sahara and Rosso Kalahari - a combination of red and yellow ) starts from RM89,888.

An early bird promotion entitles Guzzi fans to a special price of RM79,888 for standard colours.


Main Volkswagen brand speeds up shift to electric

                FRANKFURT: Volkswagen wants electric vehicles to make up the majority of European sales for its core brand by 2030, it said on Friday, the latest carmaker to accelerate the shift towards battery-powered models.

Fully electric vehicles are expected to account for more than 70% of its total European vehicle sales by 2030, compared with a previous target of 35%, the world’s second-largest carmaker said as it unveiled its ‘Accelerate’ strategy.

“With Accelerate we are increasing the speed on our path to a digital future,” said Ralf Brandstaetter, who heads the Volkswagen brand and also sits on the group’s management board.

“In the coming years, we will change Volkswagen as never before,” he added, saying that integrating data and software functions into cars would open up new sources of revenue.

Volkswagen said it had earmarked around €16 billion (RM78bil) for investment in the future trends of e-mobility, hybridization and digitalisation up to 2025.

The group had been a laggard on electrification until it admitted in 2015 to cheating on US diesel emissions tests and had to deal with new Chinese quotas for electric vehicles.

This prompted a strategic shift to zero-emission and self-driving technology, and it now has one of the most ambitious programmes in the industry.

Automakers are also racing to develop electric vehicles to meet tighter CO2 emissions targets in Europe and this week Volvo joined a growing number of carmakers aiming for a fully-electric line-up by 2030.

Stellantis, the product of the merger between Fiat Chrysler and PSA, plans to have fully-electric or hybrid versions of all of its vehicles available in Europe by 2025.

In China and the United States, Volkswagen expects the share of fully electric vehicles it sells to rise to 50% by 2030, the brand said, aiming to head off rivals including Tesla to become the world’s leader in electric vehicle production.

“Of all the major manufacturers, Volkswagen has the best chance of winning the race. While competitors are still in the middle of the electric transformation, we are taking big steps towards digital transformation,” Brandstaetter said.


Hyundai i30 N prepares for 24-hour Nürburgring endurance race

                BERLIN: Hyundai Motor close to production i30 N high-performance hatchback went endurance racing at the Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring endurance race (VLN) last weekend and now prepares for its assault at the upcoming ADAC Zurich 24-hour race in May.

Two of its cars will be competing at the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, where the 24-hour race will will be held.

Hyundai Motor engineers from Namyang, South Korea, and European R&D centres will help hone the car’s performance characteristics ahead of its global launch later this year.

The endurance race gives the company the opportunity to test the i30 N which will feature technical specifications very close to the actual production car.

The i30 N cars will be up against cars from other manufacturers that are heavily modified to cope with the demands of the VLN race.

The cars that Hyundai Motor will enter in the race are both equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission – the same powertrain and transmission set-up that will be used in the production i30 N.

As they race the car, engineers will identify areas for further refinement and potential performance enhancements for the i30 N.

Hyundai Motor has its own 3,600 square metre testing centre at the Nürburgring, operated by the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre.

The technical team based in Germany takes advantage of the Nordschleife’s 73 corners, gradients of up to 17% and a difference in altitude of some 300m, in order to perform a host of demanding tests.

“We want our high performance brand to have considerable racing pedigree so it is important that we compete with minimal modifications. Nürburgring is where the i30 N has undergone much of its testing and chassis development,” said Hyundai Motor vehicle test and high performance development head Albert Biermann


Latest CR-V helps Honda Malaysia blaze new record

                PETALING JAYA: It's another record for Honda Malaysia as it announced the CR-V has achieved its two months’ sales target of 1,400 bookings in just one week.

This came less than two weeks after the CR-V was launched. Honda Malaysia has set a monthly sales target of 700 at the launch of the fifth-generation SUV.

Of the four variants, the 1.5L Turbocharged Premium 2WD was the most popular accounting for 40% of the bookings, followed by 1.5L Turbocharged 2WD at 31%, 2.0L i-VTEC (2WD) at 20% and 1.5L Turbocharged 4WD at 9%.

In total, bookings for the turbocharged variants stood at 80% while the non-turbocharged variant was at 20%. The pattern showed that Malaysians were more receptive towards turbocharged engines, in line with the trend seen for the Civic, Honda Malaysia said in a statement.

Top colour chosen by customers was Lunar Silver Metallic accounting for over 30% of bookings. The new colour, White Orchid Pearl, was also popular, accounting for 27% of bookings.

The new CR-V was launched simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching as a tactic for Honda Malaysia to widen its market share in Sabah and Sarawak. The 1.5L Turbocharged Premium 2WD variant was well received in the two states, with sales standing at 38%.

The 7-seater BR-V was the first model to have been launched at the same time in Kuching and Kuala Lumpur in January. Sabah and Sarawak now contribute 6.6% to national sales, with year-on-year growth at 48% compared to the same period last year.

Honda Malaysia said it is working to ensure that the waiting period for buyers to get their vehicles is at the standard period of 1-2 months. It said all customers who have already booked the CR-V would get it by September.


Volkswagen Seremban 3S Centre officially opens

                SEREMBAN: Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) and HICOM Auto today welcomes the latest addition to the Volkswagen network – the Volkswagen Seremban 3S (Sales, Service and Spare parts) Centre.

The new RM1.5mil centre makes it the only one in Negeri Sembilan, as well as HICOM Auto's second after Volkswagen Semenyih, and is located at the Oakland Industrial area - an automotive hub in Seremban.

With a total area of 24,735 sq ft, the showroom floor is able to fit eight cars, while housing a guest lounge for the convenience of customers.

The service centre at the rear can acomodate up to 20 cars per day with its 13 service bays and 18 aftersales staff.

Operating hours for the new new centre are from Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 7.00pm, Sunday and Public Holidays from 10.00am to 6.00pm.

aftersales services operate from Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm and 8.30am to 1.00pm on Saturdays.

Based on its current location, it is also able to cater to the needs of customers in Seremban 2 as well.

As an added value service, the new 3S centre also provides “Pick Up & Drop Off” service for customers living within a 5km radius from the centre.

Additionally, customers can also request for sales advisors to deliver their new vehicles to their home or office.

“We enjoy a good relationship with HICOM Auto and DRB-HICOM, and we feel that this new 3S Centre further demonstrates the commitment shown by the Group. Congratulations HICOM Auto on today’s launch and thank you for your commitment to the brand,” said VPCM managing director Eric Winter.

For more information, log on to www.volkswagen.com.my


Bentley's entire vehicle portfolio will be electrified by 2023

                LONDON: Despite not ever having launched a pure electric vehicle, Bentley told Cnet's Roadshow on Monday that the company is planning on electrifying its entire portfolio by 2023.

More specifically, Bentley's sales and marketing chief Chris Craft had confirmed that every vehicle will be offered with a hybrid option within the next four years, though he did not reveal which models will be getting the electric treatment first.

It's possible that the upcoming models will be equipped with the same powertrain as the plug-in electric Bentayga Hybrid SUV, the company's first electrified vehicle which launched last year.

Craft went on further to promise that Bentley's first fully electric car will launch by 2025.


BMW roadshow on X family of vehicles in KL this weekend

                PETALING JAYA: BMW Group Malaysia is organisng a roadshow in Kuala Lumpur to highlight its range of Sports Activity Vehicles.

The "Choose Your World" roadshow would be held at Plaza Arkadia's outdoor carpark 3 in Kuala Lumpur from June 21-23. Vehicles on display would be X1, X2 M35i, X3, X4 and X5. Test drives are available for the X1, X3 and X4 during the three-day event.

Visitors can also take part in unique fitness games featuring action-packed strength and High Intensity Interval Training sessions by Playground Fitness. Participants would be able to redeem a gift upon completion of the activities.

Stunt performances and a BMW Lifestyle Merchandise pop-up store would also be set up for those looking for souvenirs to take home.


How a cheap component could help kill off combustion cars

CelLink's flat and easy-to-install 'flex harness'.

LONDON/BERLIN: The humble wire harness, a cheap component that bundles cables together, has become an unlikely scourge of the auto industry. Some predict it could hasten the downfall of combustion cars.

Supplies of the auto part were choked by the war in Ukraine, which is home to a significant chunk of the world's production, with wire harnesses made there fitted in hundreds of thousands of new vehicles every year.

These low-tech and low-margin parts — made from wire, plastic and rubber with lots of low-cost manual labour — may not command the kudos of microchips and motors, yet cars can't be built without them.

The supply crunch could accelerate the plans of some legacy auto firms to switch to a new generation of lighter, machine-made harnesses designed for electric vehicles, according to interviews with more than a dozen industry players and experts.

"This is just one more rationale for the industry to make the transition to electric quicker," said Sam Fiorani, head of production forecasting firm AutoForecast Solutions.

Gasoline cars still account for the bulk of new car sales globally; EVs doubled to 4 million last year, but still only comprised 6% of vehicle sales, according to data from JATO Dynamics.

NissanCEO Makoto Uchida said that supply-chain disruptions such as the Ukraine crisis had prompted his company to talk to suppliers about shifting away from the cheap-labour wire harness model.

In the immediate term, though, automakers and suppliers have shifted harness production to other lower-cost countries.

Mercedes-Benz was able to fly in harnesses from Mexico to plug a brief supply gap, according to a person familiar with its operations. Some Japanese suppliers are adding capacity in Morocco, while others have sought new production lines in countries including Tunisia, Poland, Serbia and Romania.

Tesla model

Harnesses for fossil-fuel cars bundle together cables stretching up to 5km n the average vehicle, connecting everything from seat heaters to windows. They are labour-intensive to make, and almost every model's is unique, so shifting production is hard to do quickly.

The supply disruptions in Ukraine were a rude awakening for the auto industry. Carmakers and suppliers said that early in the war, plants remained open only thanks to the determination of workers there, who kept a reduced flow of parts moving in the face of power cuts, air-raid warnings and curfews.

Adrian Hallmark, CEO of Bentley, said the British luxury carmaker had initially feared losing 30-40% of its car production for 2022 due to a harness shortage.

"The Ukraine crisis threatened to close our factory fully for several months, much longer than we did for Covid."

 What a traditional wiring harness looks like. Harnesses for fossil-fuel cars bundle together cables stretching up to 5km n the average vehicle.

Hallmark said finding alternative production sources was complicated by the fact the conventional harnesses themselves had 10 different parts from 10 different suppliers in Ukraine.

He added that the supply problems had sharpened Bentley's focus and investment on developing a simple harness for EVs that will be run by a central computer. The carmaker, a division of Volkswagen, plans a fully-electric lineup by 2030.

"The Tesla model, which is a completely different concept of wiring, we couldn't change to that overnight," Hallmark added. "It's a fundamental change in the way that we design cars."

The new generation of wire harnesses, used by electric natives like Tesla, can be made in sections on automated production lines and are lighter, a key factor because reducing an EV's weight is crucial for extending range.

Many of the executives and experts interviewed said fossil-fuel cars, which face looming bans in Europe and China, would not be around long enough to justify redesigns to allow them to use next-generation harnesses.

"I wouldn't put a penny into internal combustion engines now," said Michigan-based auto consultant Sandy Munro, who estimates EVs will make up half of global new car sales by 2028.

"The future is coming up awful fast."

'Change of paradigm'

Walter Glück, head of Leoni's harness business, said the supplier was working with carmakers on new, automated solutions for wire harnesses in EVs.

Leoni is focusing on zonal or modular harnesses, which would be split into six to eight parts, short enough for automation in assembly and reducing complexity.

"It's a change of paradigm," Glück said. "If you want to reduce production time in your car factory, a modular wire harness helps."

Among automakers, BMW is also looking at using modular wire harnesses, requiring fewer semiconductors and less cable, which would save space and make them lighter, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

The person, who declined to be named as they not authorised to speak publicly, said the new harnesses would also make it easier to upgrade vehicles wirelessly — an area Tesla now dominates.

CelLink, a Californian-based startup, has developed an entirely automated, flat and easy-to-install "flex harness", and raised US$250 million earlier this year from companies including BMW and auto suppliers Lear Corp and Robert Bosch.

CEO Kevin Coakley would not identify customers but said CelLink's harnesses had been installed in close to a million EVs.

Only Tesla has that scale, but the carmaker did not respond to a request for comment.

Coakley said CelLink's new US$125 million factory under construction in Texas will have 25 automated production lines which will be able switch different designs in around 10 minutes because the components are produced from digital files.

The company is working on EVs with a number of carmakers and looking at building another plant in Europe, he said.

While the lead time for changing a conventional wire harness can be up to 26 weeks, Coakley said his company could ship redesigned products in two weeks.

That kind speed is what legacy carmakers are looking for as they go electric, said Dan Ratliff, a principal at Detroit-based venture capital firm Fontinalis Partners, which was founded by Ford chairman Bill Ford and has invested in CelLink.

For decades, the industry has not needed to move fast to rethink a part like the wire harness, but Tesla has changed that, Ratliff added.

"On the EV side, it's just go, go, go."


Continental, Bosch buy stakes in digital map firm HERE

                BERLIN/FRANKFURT: Germany’s Continental and Bosch, the world’s largest automotive suppliers, have each bought a 5 percent stake in digital mapping firm HERE, as the industry pools resources with major carmakers to develop self-driving cars.

Germany’s premium automakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen’s Audi bought HERE for 2.8 billion euros (RM13.5bil) in 2015 from Finnish telecoms group Nokia. They now hold 74 percent.

The automakers wanted to avoid becoming dependent on third-party mapping providers such as Alphabet’s Google, a competitor in the race to develop self-driving cars. Chip maker Intel also holds a 15 percent stake in HERE.

Continental and privately owned Bosch said separately they wanted to advance their expertise in driver-assistance and other data-based technologies.

Carmakers are spending billions on developing electric vehicles and software-based mobility services as tougher emission rules, a shift towards shared mobility and connectivity are transforming the auto industry.

“Our vision for HERE is to enable an autonomous world for everyone,” said HERE chief executive Edzard Overbeek. “To achieve this you need strong partners that complement each other in different areas.”

Continental said it would sign a collaboration agreement with Dutch HERE and also seek to jointly develop a high-definition live map for autonomous cars.

Software and electronics products are the biggest drivers of growth at Hanover-based Continental which also makes fuel-injection systems and vehicle tyres. It plans to boost total sales to more than 50 billion euros (RM241bil) by 2020 from 40.5 billion (RM195bil) in 2016.

“By leveraging HERE’s technology, we look forward to generating further profitable growth in mobility services and automated driving,” chief executive Elmar Degenhart said.

A spokesman for Amsterdam-based HERE, which employs 8,000 employees in 54 countries, said it was possible that more investors will buy into the company in which Japanese electronics firm Pioneer has a stake of less than one percent.

A group of investors led by Chinese mapping firm Navinfo and Internet giant Tencent had to abandon a plan in September to buy 10 percent of HERE, after failing to win US approval.

Bosch’s statement on Thursday referred to plans by HERE to increase its diversification into non-automotive applications - a move that could help to offset risks surrounding the eventual arrival of fully autonomous cars for the mass market.

“Bosch is more than cars,” chief executive Volkmar Denner said in the statement.

He said the company saw synergies with data-based services for smart homes and smart cities - terms broadly describing the use of technology to find efficiencies everywhere from the factory floor to road traffic management.

Both Bosch and Conti said they had agreed not to disclose how much they were paying for their stakes.


American carmakers muscle up on software, tech to keep horsepower wars going

                LONDON: American carmakers will lean on technology to keep the horsepower wars going among their electric muscle cars, a tectonic shift from the big, rumbling motors of the past.

Muscle cars - long dominated by models such as Ford Motor Co's Mustang, the Stellantis-owned Dodge Charger and General Motors Co's Chevrolet Camaro - have played a crucial role in American culture with movies or TV shows like "Bullitt" and "The Dukes of Hazzard", while also serving as a brand halo that drove other sales.

That is changing, however, with the advent of cars powered by electric powertrains and loaded with computer chips, industry executives and analysts said.

"It might be the beginning of the end of the V8-powered, gas-engine muscle car," said car auction website owner Doug DeMuro, adding that the differentiation of electric muscle cars from regular family cars will come down to "weird equipment or extras that other cars don't have."

Muscle cars refer to American two-door performance-oriented vehicles, powered by near-400 horsepower V8 motors sending power to their rear wheels, helping them dish out sub-5 second zero-to-60 miles-per-hour acceleration times.

Starting in the 1960s, American carmakers looking to capitalise on demand spurred by the novelty factor and brand loyalty, used large-capacity motors to one-up rivals of the time and produce the most power – a trend that continued until the mid-2000s.

However, demand had begun to taper off in the 1970s because of rising fuel prices and was hit hard by record gas prices during the Gulf War, giving way to smaller, more fuel-efficient Japanese rivals such as Honda Motor Co's Civic and Toyota Motor Corp's Corolla.

OTA updates and 'exhaust' notes

Muscle car sales have continued to deteriorate over the years as consumers switched to trucks and SUVs, and now the EV era's emphasis on higher efficiency and lower emissions has raised the risk for muscle cars even further as the electric technologies offer great acceleration times.

"Nearly all the EVs do handle the same, they're very rigid, and they're heavy because you can't escape the fact that the batteries are very heavy weights," said racing driver Ben Collins, formerly the Stig from British motoring TV show "Top Gear".

With most car companies phasing out their gas-powered cars in favor of electric variants, automakers that had earlier differentiated their muscle cars with large engines will now rely on software updates and quirks to define their muscle cars.

GM and Dodge have both issued timelines to stop selling gas-powered muscle cars and replace them with electric variants that will wear the same badges. Dodge's Charger and Challenger muscle cars will not be made next year, while Chevrolet has laid out plans for an electric Corvette.

This shift to electric powertrains with software and technology will leave electric muscle cars fending off competition from other high-performance EVs made by Tesla Inc, Lucid Group and Rivian Automotive Inc.

Brands such as Polestar and Mercedes-Benz have announced optional power upgrades to their sedans that improve acceleration and total horsepower via paid OTA (over-the-air) software updates.

Dodge has said it will transition its muscle cars to an electric platform, and is working to differentiate those models.

The brand's chief, Tim Kuniskis, told Reuters in an interview that Dodge will sell physical radio-frequency keys to drivers who want to upgrade their car, a move to differentiate from companies that make everyday cars and roll out over-the-air (OTA) updates to improve features and give their cars more power.

"We're not going to sell you over the air update for you know, heated seats. We're going to sell you direct connection upgrades for performance and suspension and things like that, where you actually physically have to change the car," Kuniskis added.

Dodge launched a concept Charger Daytona EV last August with features to mimic the feel of driving a gas-powered car that appeals to enthusiasts, including an "exhaust" note, and the ability to shift gears, unlike most EVs.

GM said that it was using software to keep its performance vehicles interactive.

Ford, which sells an electric SUV that wears the same badge as the Mustang, said its Ford Power-Up over-the-air software updates create an "upgradable ownership experience" over time.

At their essence, the speed and performance of electric cars are functions of battery size and power rating of the motor along with factors such as aerodynamics and weight playing a role, and industry officials said consumers need not fear a future without gas-powered engines.

"In a lot of ways, electric vehicles are treated like the boogeyman to enthusiasts, as if they're coming to take away your internal combustion engines," said YouTube auto reviewer Nick Roman from Regular Car Reviews.

"Electric vehicles are simply the latest evolution in the auto industry. It's a change. And while change is uncomfortable, it should challenge you too."


WATCH: Supercar Blondie digs into Hans Zimmer's collab with BMW

                MUNICH: BMW today dropped a video where Hans Zimmer and Supercar Blondie go for a drive in an i4 electric car.

Both are celebrities in their own right. One is a Grammy award-winning film composer; the other is an automotive vlogger and presenter.

Mix them together, and you have the makings of a 3-part "Orchestra of Silence" video series under the BMW campaign to promote electric mobility.

In today's Episode 3, Blondie (real name Alexandra Mary Hirschi) quizzed Zimmer about his multi-faceted works and how he started working with BMW as a "sound designer" for its electric cars.

As it turned out, the root of the collaboration began at the 2017 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, where Zimmer was an unlikely performer who played together with a 50-person orchestra.

"BMW has always had this connection to art," Zimmer told Blondie. "They basically know that it's artists who ultimately figure out a way of integrating technology into (art) and making it an experience."

He also likens the car cabin to a recording studio, setting the stage for the design of soundscapes that are particular to electric cars.


BMW Group Malaysia in tie-up to promote child car seat safety

                KUALA LUMPUR: BMW Group Malaysia together with non-profit child safety and protection advocate Childline Foundation and baby care brand Chicco Malaysia have come together to educate and raise awareness about child car seat safety.

The campaign, dubbed 'From Day One', aims to advocate the importance of child car safety and protection with the emphasis on newborns following Transport Minister Anthony Loke's announcement that child car seats will be made mandatory for all private cars from January 2020.

With the support of the Italian childcare brand Chicco Malaysia, BMW Malaysia will gift a child car seat to the first six babies born on Father’s Day at Hospital Putrajaya.

New parents will also learn about the best child safety practices from Childline Foundation’s passenger safety consultants which include the right criteria for choosing a child car seat, proper methods for installation and lifecycle of one.

Additionally, BMW Malaysia and Childline Foundation will share key information that parents should know to keep their children safe during their travels this 'Balik Kampung' season.

Every collision has three stages of a crash and children are most at-risk when a vehicle hits something and crumples in certain areas to absorb some of the forces.

This is quickly followed by the human crash where the body moves towards the point of impact at the vehicle’s original speed due to momentum.

The body can come to a sudden and complete halt when it is restricted by a seat belt, an airbag, or the car windscreen if not buckled in.

The third crash is the internal crash, whereby a person’s internal organs are still moving forward until they hit the bone structure of the body.

As seat belts are not designed for infants or young children, the optimum protection would be child car seats.

When correctly installed and used, child car seats can reduce infant death in car crashes by 71% and toddler deaths by 54% according to the World Health Organisation's facts on road safety regarding safety restraints.

The shell of the seat forms the basis of the child car seat and is purpose-built for a child’s proportions.

The shell absorbs most of the collision force and distributes it over a wide area of the child’s body, thereby reducing the amount of stress on any single body part of the child when rear-facing.

Within the shell are energy-absorbing foam and padding that hugs the child’s body - known as side impact protection and mainly protects a child against side collisions, especially the head.

The five-point harness which is designed to hold the child in place also helps to distribute the force during a collision.

The five points of contact are both shoulders, both hips and between the legs and differs from vehicle seat belts, which are designed for adult proportions.

Choosing the right child car seat is equally as important as using one.

The rear-facing infant car seat can be used from birth to 13kg; while the convertible car seat and 3-in-1 convertible car seat can be used from birth to 18kg and from birth to 25/36kg respectively.

Infants and toddlers should ride rear-facing until at least 13kg or 15 months old.

For better protection, opt to remain rear facing until the maximum weight stated on the child car seat or when the child’s head reaches the top of the shell, whichever comes first.

It is recommended that parents opt for high back booster seats because it provides necessary head support and sometimes function with a five-point harness for children up to 18kg and can later be used with a seat belt for children up to 36kg.

Parents can move their children to seat belts only when the child passes these five steps:
1 - Child's back is against the vehicle's seat
2 - Knees are bent at the edge of the seat
3 - Lap belt is snug across the hips, not the abdomen
4 - Shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck.
5 - Child stays in this position for the entire trip

It is recommended that parents keep their child rear-facing for as long as possible.

Of all fatal and serious car crashes, 72% of that is from a frontal collision in which case, a rear-facing car seat is more likely to reduce injury.

A rear-facing car seat touches every point on the child’s back which allows the force of impact to be better absorbed by the well-padded seat.

Upon impact, a rear-facing car seat distributes the force evenly across the child’s back and neck while providing support compared to a forward-facing car seat which does not distribute these forces nearly as well.

During a collision, the child’s body will be held back by the five-point harness, but the head will be thrown forward and this could possibly result in severe neck injury.

With most collisions being frontal, the safest place to install a child car seat is at the back and parents can check the vehicle manual for the best position to install a child car seat. Never put a rear-facing car seat in the front passenger seat with active airbags.

When installing the child car seat, remember to ensure the base of the child car seat rests firmly on the vehicle seat; it should not pivot, slide, wobble or tip and if it moves more than an inch forward or to the side, then it is too loose. Use the lock-off clip, if provided, to ensure the child car seat stays secured.

Before buckling the baby in, make sure he or she is dressed comfortably in thinner clothing and parents should not swaddle their babies before putting them into a child car seat. After buckling the baby in securely, a light blanket can be snugly tucked around the baby.

After harnessing the baby into the child car seat, parents should conduct the two-finger test.

Simply slide two fingers under the pad by the collarbone and rotate the fingers by 90-degrees. If the fingers can rotate, then the harness is still too loose and should be tightened.

It is recommended to look for a child car seat with the ECE R44-04 certification which can be found on the child car seat itself; often on an orange sticker on the back or side of the child car seat.

This sticker also indicates ‘UNIVERSAL’ or ‘SEMI-UNIVERSAL’ which notes the types of vehicle for which the child car seat is approved for.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), a child up to 4 years of age has an 80% lower risk of injury in a rear-facing seat and for children aged 5 to 9 years, child car seats reduce injury by 52%.

"We look forward to the increased use of child car seats as enforcement comes into effect. However, we want to remind all parents that the use of child car seats can begin now as it is better to start protecting their children sooner than later,” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Harald Hoelzl.


AmInvest ups fair value for UMW, boost from Perodua Bezza

                KUALA LUMPUR: AmInvestment Bank Research has raised the fair value for UMW from RM4.90to RM5 as it factors in the boost from Perodua’s newest car – the Bezza – which will be launched on July 21.

It said today it expects the Bezza to give a boost to UMW’s earnings while it maintains a price-to-earnings of nine times for the latter’s auto segment.

The research house also has a fair value of RM2.30 a share for MBM Resources, which is at 9.5 times PE FY16 earnings per share. It had Hold calls for UMW and MBM.

Perodua will launch its Bezza on July 21, which is the car maker’s first B-segment sedan for young families and will be primarily marketed to existing Axia and Myvi users who are looking to upgrade.

The Bezza comes in five variants: 1.0L standard G (manual and auto), 1.3L Premium X (manual and auto) and 1.3L advance (auto only). While the final prices have not been revealed, it will be priced between the Axia and Myvi.

It has a high degree of local content. Recall that Perodua imports 10% of its raw materials, with exposure to the Yen for the Myvi and Alza, and USD for the Axia. The company's costs rose 25% last year on forex, while profit margin dropped to 4.7% from 5.8%.

“The price of the Bezza should range between RM33,000 and RM50,000 (translating to an average price of RM42,000). This would place the Bezza squarely in between the Axia (price range: RM24,000-RM41,000) and the Myvi (price range: RM41,000-RM58,000.

“At this price range, it would fare well given the price consciousness of customers in the current environment, and the increasing age of the current Perodua line-up (the Axia debuted in 2014, Alza in 2009, the Myvi in 2005),” it said.

AmInvestment said the Bezza would be the cheapest in its segment and compete with the Nissan Almera (RM69,000-RM82,000), Mitsubishi Attrage (RM70,000-RM75,000), Honda City (RM73,000-RM89,000) and Toyota Vios (RM78,000-RM98,000).

Against Proton, the Bezza would contend with the Saga (RM34,000-RM38,000) and Persona (RM46,000-RM49,000). The other Proton models are priced higher:- the Preve (RM59,000-RM74,000), Inspira (RM78,000-RM92,000) and the Perdana (RM113,000-RM138,000).

Perodua aims for volume and will rely on price to succeed with the Bezza. The Axia was priced to be the cheapest among A-segment hatchbacks and sales rose from 30,000 in 2014 (15.1% of Perodua TIV) to 99,000 in 2015 (46.6% of Perodua TIV).

Average monthly sales of the Axia, however, moderated from 9,800/month in 2014 to 8,800/month in 2015.

In terms of volume, Perodua will rely on the Bezza to reach its target of 212,000 units this year. This is because the 5MFY16 sales had underperformed, meeting 36% of the FY16 target, while annualised sales would only touch 88%.

“We believe Perodua had rushed for a mid-year launch, much sooner than most had anticipated, to get a bigger volume boost for the full year.

“We have raised the potential volume contribution from the Bezza to 12,000 (3,000 units/month for Sept-Dec) from 8,000 previously (2,500 units/month for Oct-Dec), and retain our assumption of 40,000 (3,000 units/month) for FY17. Our volume assumptions for Perodua are at 212,000 for FY16 (-1% on-year) and 219,000 for FY17 (+4% on-year),” said the research house.


New Ford Ranger made even more versatile and connected

                LONDON: The new Ranger made its global debut today, with Ford boasting it's the smartest, most versatile and most capable Ranger ever.

The next-generation Ranger will be built at Ford’s plants in Thailand and South Africa beginning in 2022, with other markets to be announced at a later date.

Order books for the next-generation Ranger will open in Europe in late 2022 for customer delivery in early 2023.

Using years of Ford truck expertise and deep understanding of truck customers, the company collaborated with customers around the globe to create a vehicle and ownership experience that next-gen Ranger owners can rely on for their businesses, family lives and adventure, it said.

The current Ranger is Europe’s pick-up segment leader and recently set a new September year-to-date sales record of 45,539 units, with market share of 39.9 per cent.

The next-gen Ranger project was led by Ford’s Product Development Center in Australia. Its international team of designers and engineers worked with teams around the globe to incorporate the latest in Ford technology, capability and safety, as well as engineer and test the Ranger to Ford’s toughest standards.

“Our team was focused on one goal – to make this Ranger the toughest and most capable we’ve ever created,” said Graham Pearson, Ranger vehicle program director. “They put it through one of the most exhaustive global testing schedules we’ve ever developed and would not rest until we were satisfied that it was Built Ford Tough.”

Customer input was key to developing the next-generation Ranger’s rugged new look.

Ford said it spent a lot of time with owners around the globe, conducting more than 5,000 interviews and dozens of customer workshops to understand how customers used their pick-ups and what they wanted and expected in the new Ranger.

Visually, the next-generation Ranger is bold and confident, with a purposeful exterior that shares Ford’s global truck design DNA.

The design features a defined new grille, and signature C-clamp headlight treatment at the front while a subtle shoulder line down the sides incorporates bolder wheel arches that gives Ranger a sure-footed stance.

For the first time, the Ranger offers matrix LED headlights. At the back, the taillights are designed in harmony with the signature graphics on the front.

Inside, the car-like cabin steps up, using premium soft-touch materials, and prominent portrait-style centre touchscreen with Ford’s signature SYNC 4 connectivity and entertainment system.

“Customers told us the Ranger needs to look tough and needs to inspire confidence,” said Max Tran, chief designer for Ranger. “They were very clear in what Ranger should be, both in the way it looks, and the way it makes them feel.”

Beneath the new bodywork is an upgraded chassis riding on a wheelbase 50 mm longer and a track 50 mm wider than the prior Ranger.

A hydro-formed front-end structure creates more space in the engine bay for the new V6 engine and helps future-proof the Ranger for other propulsion technologies. It also opens up the front of the pick-up to allow more airflow to the radiator, which helps keep running temperatures low when towing or carrying heavy loads.

Customers wanted a choice of more power and torque for towing heavy loads and extreme off-roading, so the team added Ford’s proven 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel and developed it for the Ranger. It is one of three turbodiesel engine options available at launch.

“The 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 delivers,” said Pritika Maharaj, Ranger program manager. “When you drive a Ranger with the V6 turbodiesel, it feels like a much bigger truck. And it feels really tough in the sense that it’s got endless power and torque, which is exactly what our customers wanted.”

The next-gen Ranger will also come with a choice of proven Single-Turbo and Bi-Turbo 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder diesels.

The Single-Turbo comes in two different performance levels and delivers power, torque and fuel economy, 1 which is important to small business owners or commercial vehicle fleets. The Bi-Turbo engine is a more sophisticated, performance variant for customers who want more power but need to maintain fuel economy.

To develop the ride and handling expected of a truck customers use for a wide range of work, family and play, Ford engineers moved the front wheels forward by 50 mm for a better approach angle and outboard for better off-road articulation, both of which improve the off-roading experience.

They also shifted the rear suspension dampers outboard of the frame rails to give drivers and passengers a better ride both on- and off-road, no matter if they’re carrying heavy cargo for work, or just taking the family out for dinner.

“On the next-gen Ranger, we’ve increased the tuning range to give our customers the best of both worlds – think of this as Built Ford Tough Plus – so you’ve got the capability, toughness and durability that Ford trucks are known for, plus comfort and a more car-like ride that Ranger is known for,” Pearson said.

Customers will have a choice of two four-wheel drive systems – an electronic shift-on-the-fly system, or an advanced new full-time four-wheel drive system with a reassuring set-and-forget mode, designed for capability when and where customers need it. Off-road recovery is made easier with prominent dual recovery hooks in the front bumper.

Customers wanted a flexible, modern cockpit that caters to both work and family duties. So, Ranger needs to serve as both a workspace and a haven, providing smart and connected features with more comfort and storage options than ever before, Ford added.

The heart of the Ranger’s connective experience is the large 10.1-inch or 12-inch touchscreen in the centre stack.

It complements the fully digital instrument panel and is loaded with Ford’s latest SYNC 4 system, which comes customer-ready with its voice-activated communications, entertainment and information systems.

Additionally, there’s an embedded factory-fitted FordPass Connect modem, 4 allowing connectivity on the go when linked with the FordPass app, 5 so customers can stay connected to their world.

FordPass enhances the ownership experience with features like Remote Start, 6 Vehicle Status, and remote lock and unlock functions via a mobile device.

Many of the traditional driving mode controls have been moved from the dash and centre console to their own dedicated display on the SYNC screen. With one button press, drivers can go to Ranger’s dedicated screen for all off-road and drive modes where they can monitor the driveline, steering angle, vehicle pitch and roll angles and other controls.

The screen also is linked to a 360-degree camera to make parking easier in tight urban spaces or to assist when negotiating particularly tricky terrain while out exploring.

In addition, customers can control Ranger’s new exterior zone lighting system via the touchscreen or the FordPass app.

Ranger technology will also be future-proofed to accept Ford Power-Up wireless software updates thanks to the embedded FordPass Connect modem.

The design team also created clever storage and useful features for owners. There are not only places to store your phone or charge it wirelessly (where compatible), 8 but there’s a large centre console bin to stash things. In addition, the door pockets are designed to carry more, the wide dash conceals an upper glovebox and there are storage bins under and behind the rear seats.

Additional thoughtful, customer-focused touches include a new, tough plastic-moulded bedliner that helps protect both the truck bed from scratches and owners’ knees from kneeling on a steel truck bed.

Extra cargo tie down points – on strong steel tube rails – provide convenient points to secure loads. Durable, flexible load box caps around the sides of the box and across the tailgate conceal structural attachment points for canopies and other aftermarket accessories.

In addition, Ranger offers a new cargo management system designed with dividers to hold various sized items – like timber or toolboxes.

Owners also can create smaller compartments to store objects, which would otherwise have to go in the cab, using a system of ultra-strong spring-loaded cleats that clip into rails bolted to each side of the cargo box.

The tailgate can also double as a mobile work bench with an integrated ruler and clamp pockets to measure, grip and cut building materials.

Zone lighting – controlled via the in-cabin SYNC screen or through the FordPass app – provides 360-degree lighting around the truck to help give customers better visibility around the vehicle.

Load box lighting is provided under the left- and right-hand rails and provides plenty of light for finishing up jobs in low light or finding things in the cargo box at night.

Customers in Europe will be able to personalise their next-gen Ranger from launch with a range of over 150 fully factory-backed work, urban and adventure accessories.

These accessories include those developed in collaboration with global off-road icon, ARB 4x4 Accessories.


Alfa Romeo to celebrate 110th anniversary

                TURIN: Alfa Romeo will celebrate its 110th birthday on June 24 with a series of events planned for the occasion.

Alfa Romeo will be showcasing the history of the brand with the participation of perfectly functioning examples of its iconic models in the Mille Miglia (Italy), from May 13-16, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed (Britain) from July 9-12.

At the same time, the brand will organise festivities from June 24-28 at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, in Arese (Italy), where fans and clubs will be welcome.

At the museum, visitors will have a chance to pay homage Alfa Romeo, while admiring the many models that built its reputation.

Alfa Romeo will also take advantage of the occasion to inaugurate a dedicated "110" logo, which will be spotlighted at all of the events.


BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020: An experience to treasure

                PETALING JAYA: Malaysian trio, Norizuan Abdullah, Chan Kiang Wei and Mohd Zulfakar Mohd Alghaus recently completed the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020 at 18th place – pushing through a challenging first half to place above Team India and Team North Africa, amongst others.

This year, the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020 pitted 23 teams comprising 40 different nationalities against each other on a thrilling 3,000-kilometre adventure.

The seventh edition of the prestigious motorcycle competition spanned eight days and featured multiple adrenaline-pumping challenges that saw riders zipping across the scenic landscape of both the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

“The BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy is the world’s most prestigious premium adventure motorcycle competition with diverse participants from across the globe coming together to celebrate 'Make Life a Ride'," said BMW Group Malaysia managing director  Harald Hoelzl.

"We are proud to see our local team at the competition, representing not just Malaysia but all of Southeast Asia as well for the first time – making a name for themselves on the global stage.”

Norizuan, a member of Team Malaysia said, “It is a huge achievement for us to represent Malaysia in the International GS Trophy this year. Even though we had a bumpy start, we worked hard and came out better riders.”


Bumpy road for EV adoption in Malaysia

                KUALA LUMPUR: It is still a bumpy road ahead for a significantly higher and more meaningful uptake in the electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Malaysia.

This is due to the various factors that is affecting the current EV manufacturing supply chain internationally, coupled with the high acquisition costs of such vehicles locally since these are imported and priced in US dollar, say industry observers.

However, they generally opined that there have been some progress on the infrastructure front with several parties such as Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), which is building chargers along key highways nationwide.

“We play a major role (in building the chargers) because electricity is going to be the fuel for the EVs and without it, they cannot run on the roads.

“Being the biggest electricity provider in Malaysia, this role is becoming even more important,” said TNB’s project director for EV, Mohd Junaizee Mohd Noor, at the second series of Invest Malaysia – The Road to EV organised by Bursa Malaysia and Macquarie here yesterday.

“TNB is going to be very actively involved in the infrastructure side of things.

“Soon you will see a network of TNB chargers along the highways and the major trunk roads, which we hope will support the proliferation of EVs in Malaysia.

“Along the North-South Expressway, there are only about six or seven chargers now and this will soon grow to almost 20 by the end of this year,” Junaizee added.

Despite a growing charging infrastructure, he said there were other challenges to the wider adoption of EVs in the country.

“The prices of EVs are high – but we also need to look at the overall lifecycle costs compared to the internal combustion engine vehicles.

“It may be a bit more expensive (initially) but the savings will be there as the vehicle is used in the long run,” Junaizee said.

Meanwhile, Green EV Charge Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Huzaimi Nor Omar said the high starting price point for EVs is the biggest barrier for widespread adoption of these vehicles now.

“According to the Invest Malaysia forum’s survey, people are very sensitive to the price point of these vehicles.

“When I was doing a study previously, we did a pricing profile of car buyers – for RM150,000, it actually consists about 25% of the Malaysian market while for more than RM200,000, it is about 5%.

“And most of the EVs today are actually priced above RM200,000,” Huzaimi said.

He said it is necessary to move this price point lower to make EVs more affordable to the masses.

“If we can go to RM70,000 or less, this actually covers close to 50% of the Malaysian market. With additional incentives and policies to support this, we can perhaps get more demand for EVs on the road,” Huzaimi added.

Junaizee of TNB noted the challenges of sourcing for commercial EVs in Malaysia, as there is not much supply of such vehicles.

“For TNB, 35% to 40% of our vehicles are pick-up trucks and service vans but there are not many choices at this point in time.

“Perhaps the International Trade and Industry Ministry can do something to attract EV makers that can also make commercial vehicles.

“In Malaysia, there are a lot of logistics companies and there is a good potential for them to convert their fleet to EVs but there is no supply of such vehicles,” he added.

According to Proton Holdings Bhd deputy chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah, many people were expecting Proton’s EVs to be priced cheaper, especially with its exclusive partnership with smart Automobile Co Ltd.

“This is indeed a challenge for us when we made an announcement earlier on the smart #1, as most of our customers are expecting it to be below RM150,000 but actually it is way above that figure.

“But also note the maintenance of an EV is cheaper by some 70%, based on studies conducted. So although the initial investment outlay is high, the maintenance costs are lower,” Roslan said.

He also said the potential price of the car would be determined by what the mileage range the EV’s battery could provide.

Macquarie’s Malaysian automotive analyst Danial Razak, meanwhile, noted that batteries made up some 30% to 40% of the total EV costs at present.

Macquarie’s technology and battery materials analyst Sonny Lee said it was necessary to have more localisation of the EV supply chain, especially for battery manufacturing, to bring down the overall costs of these vehicles.

Lee also noted there have been supply chain hiccups in the manufacturing of EV batteries due to the unavailability of some raw materials

“For the manufacturing of EV batteries, we need lithium, nickel, copper, manganese and graphite.

“What is of concern here is lithium as the mines are concentrated in Latin America and Australia – and the refineries are largely in China.

“The tension between the United States and China is leading to supply shortages in both the mining and refining areas,” Lee added.


Continental debuts new SportContact 6 (SC6) tyre

                HANOVER (Germany): Continental, the German tyre-maker, has officially debuted its latest SportContact 6 (SC6) tyre for the high performance segment.

The new SC6 is available in 41 dimensions for wheel sizes of 19 to 23 inches and it gets an improvement of 14% in steering precision, 11% for dry road handling, 7% for durability and comfort, 4% for overall grip and 2% for wet-grip over its predecessor - the ContiSportContact 5 P.

The 350kph-approved tyre possesses a new high-grip "Black Chili" compound that has high levels of adhesion and is soft enough to mould itself to the uneven road surfaces at the nanoscopic-level.

With a new-found adhesion level, the SC6 aids in improving a car's handling characteristics during braking, cornering and acceleration during both wet and dry conditions by combining the use of three different tread designs on the inside, outside and centre of the tyre.

When cornering, the outside of the tyre is subjected to greater forces than the inside and the rib flanks have been designed to be asymmetrical, which improves the rib's stability and allows for better transfer of lateral forces.

The tyre designers at Continental combined different block elements to form one larger unit, which are then connected to the interlaced elements on the second row of blocks.

This allows the tread blocks to support each other during fast cornering and offer optimum lateral force transfer.

Aside from the new compound and tread design, the company also created a new synthetic material - Aralon 350 (Nylon combined with Aramid), and is placed under the tread as a jointless cap ply to act as an additional reinforcement for the tyre during high speeds. .

This acts like an additional steel belt to prevent the tyre from deforming - subsequently destroying itself, during high speeds of up to 350kph and aids in improving the tyre's braking, handling and directional stability performances.

The new SC6 is currently fitted as standard on the Audi R8, Porsche 911, BMW M5, Mercedes AMG models and the Tesla S to name a few as well as the yet-to-be-launched Honda Civic Type-R.

Malaysia will begin selling the new tyre at the start of 2016.


Sime Darby Auto Performance celebrates 10 years of Porsche

                PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Auto Performance Sdn Bhd (SDAP) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Malaysia this year.

To mark the occasion, customers will receive the 10 years SDAP special edition Porsche Driver’s Selection polo tee (while stocks last) when they place a booking for new or pre-owned Porsche model, or make a service appointment from now until Sept 17.

SDAP will also be running a creative contest on both its Facebook and Instagram accounts in tandem with its anniversary celebration.

Visit any Porsche Centre in Malaysia and take your most creative selfie with a Porsche vehicle in the showroom with your most creative congratulatory wish to SDAP for its tenth anniversary to be in the running to win ‘911 GT edition’ 1:18 diecast models from Porsche Driver’s Selection.

The contest is applicable to all Malaysians and other residents residing within Malaysia, aged 25 and above. Winners will be announced at the end of the campaign and will be notified via private message.

“We can’t help but feel a little nostalgic over all the Porsche moments we’ve created with our supporters and enthusiasts throughout the decade," said SDAP chief executive officer Christopher Hunter,

"From modest beginnings and only one Porsche Centre in Glenmarie at our inception, we’ve invested substantially to continue to grow our dealer network in major cities across the northern, central and southern region to bring new levels of quality customer and ownership experience.

"Starting from our very first local launch with the second generation Cayenne to the recent 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder launch, we hope to continue to achieve greater heights of sports car fascination and evolve the brand in the country even more with our iconic sports cars.”

CarSifu posted last September that the Taycan, Porsche's first electric sports car, would arrive in mid-2020. The company said the Taycan is on course for a Malaysian debut in 2020 but it would take place towards the later part of the year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Starting out with a singular Porsche Centre in Glenmarie, the Porsche dealer network in Malaysia has since expanded a decade later. With the opening of Porsche Centre Sungai Besi, Porsche Centre Penang, the new flagship Porsche Centre Ara Damansara, as well as Porsche Centre Johor Bahru that is scheduled to commence operations next year.

Aiming to bring the total customer experience to a whole new level, SDAP is constantly offering more dynamic driving experiences, upgrading its current facilities to match its world-class Porsche products.


Land Rover issues 30th anniversary Discovery,  only for UK customers

                LONDON: Land Rover is marking the 30th anniversary of Discovery with a limited-edition exclusively for UK customers.

Based on the Discovery Sd6 SE, the "Anniversary Edition" features 22” wheels, fixed panoramic glass roof, privacy glass, an optional 380W Meridian sound system and a choice of metallic paint as standard.

A total of 400 Anniversary Editions are available in Santorini Black, Corris Grey Loire Blue or Indus Silver.

Since its launch in 1989, the Discovery has become synonymous with adventure. Put to work in the most extreme of global locations and proving time and time again that capability does not come at the sacrifice of comfort, the Discovery has become revered by customers the world over.

In 2015, the award-winning Discovery gained a sibling in Discovery Sport which globally, became Land Rover’s best-seller. Together, Discovery and Discovery Sport became a family and have sold 1.7 million vehicles globally.

Discovery has been used by global explorers, and also widely deployed for search and rescue, police and humanitarian initiatives across the world; a specially developed Discovery was recently made for the Red Cross’s new emergency mobile command centre to work with disaster response teams to help save lives.

The Anniversary Edition Discovery is priced at £59,995 (RM318,000).


MINI John Cooper Works Rally primed ahead of Dakar

                LONDON: MINI has premiered its new John Cooper Works Rally and it's undergone a slew of upgrades for the upcoming 2017 Dakar Rally event.

Based on the new MINI Countryman (F60), the cross-country rally car's development is all thanks to the collaboration of MINI and X-raid, which means it's not only longer, wider, taller and more powerful - but more capable as well.

The cross-country MINI now has a wheelbase of 2,900mm (+230mm) and measures in at 4,350mm-long (+37mm), 1,999mm-wide (+178mm) and 2,000mm-tall (+443mm).

A 385-litre fuel tank will be feeding a 3.0-litre (2,993cc) six-cylinder turbo-diesel BMW engine with a FIA-mandated 38mm air-restrictor - producing 340bhp at 3,250rpm and 800Nm of torque from 1,850rpm.

The ALL4 all-wheel drive system gets its spin from a six-speed SADEV sequential gearbox with an AP Racing clutch and has the ability to reach an estimated top speed of 184kph.

Stopping power will come from four six-piston callipers, each biting down on 320 x 32mm rotors, with the rear set uniquely cooled by both air and water, while a set of 16-inch wheels fitted with BF Goodrich 245/80 series tyres take on different terrains.

According to MINI, the key areas that have been closely looked at were the aerodynamics, thermal management, weight distribution, lower centre of gravity, modified chassis frame design and new engine mapping for better fuel economy.

The 1,952.5kg (+306.5kg - Countryman Cooper S) SUV's tubular steel frame is hidden under its carbon fibre and Kevlar composite bodywork and a honeycomb mix of the same materials is used for an underside tier that houses two hydraulic jacks (operated from within the cabin) and three spare tyres for better weight distribution, high speed stability and a substantially lower centre-of-gravity.

The suspension system is provided by specialists Reiger Racing Suspension, where each axle rides on four fully-adjustable suspension units (two per wheel) providing 250mm of wheel travel.

Lastly, an Akrapovic exhaust system and a lockable oil-cooled Xtrac front and rear differentials with a central SADEV unit have also been fitted.


Facebook bent on forging auto ties

                SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc. is seeking to boost advertising from the auto industry, a challenge because unlike movie tickets or shoes, consumers don’t really buy new cars online.

So the social network with almost 2 billion users is forging closer ties with carmakers, sending chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg to Detroit for the first time in the five years it’s hosted an annual Facebook Automotive Summit.

She shared a stage with General Motors Co. chief executive officer Mary Barra at a women’s-only event early Thursday before the two toured a factory and spoke with about 200 GM employees.

“Our industries are converging. Detroit’s writing software and Silicon Valley is building hardware,” Sandberg told about 400 auto-industry professionals at a downtown theater. “The opportunities to learn from each other have never been better.”

While there isn’t the direct path from a Facebook ad to a product purchase that there is in other industries, Sandberg said the social network is able to show more engagement and prove the value of working together. An ad for GM’s OnStar, for example, targeted users who have the service’s trademark little blue button in their cars but lack a data plan. That campaign resulted in a 7 percent boost to data-plan sales, she said.

Another success story, also with GM, was a Cadillac ad designed to drum up leads for dealers. It generated 42,000, leading directly to 450 sales, Sandberg said. “We didn’t sell the cars,” she said. “What we do is build the platform.”

The tour through Detroit was at least the second in five weeks for Facebook senior management. CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Ford Motor Co. headquarters and an F-150 truck plant in April to rub elbows with executive chairman Bill Ford.

Carmakers are using Facebook Live to broadcast video of vehicle unveilings that most people can’t attend, including 14 of the introductions at the Detroit auto show in January and Barra’s reveal of the electric Chevrolet Bolt at CES. It’s free for companies to go live with videos, but they pay to have them promoted in users’ news feeds.

WATCH: Sheryl Sandberg chats with Mary Barra (external site)

Facebook is focused on boosting sales for video advertising on its site, which should help take a cut of the US$70 billion television ad market. The auto industry still spends the majority of its marketing dollars on television, and budgets for the medium have held steady for about 10 years, according to EMarketer.

Some of that money could shift to Facebook, if the company can convince marketers that its video ads are as effective.

“The US automotive industry is the second-largest spender on digital advertising behind retail. That makes it an enormously important target for Facebook,” Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst at EMarketer, said by email.

The researcher estimates that 71 percent of the auto industry’s digital ad spending this year will go toward mobile. “Facebook obviously wants more of those mobile ad dollars.”

Autos and real estate are among the last categories that aren’t transacting online, and it’s taken longer for Facebook to break into categories with expensive purchases like travel and cars. While the company relies mostly on e-commerce, consumer packaged goods and entertainment, it’s starting to prove its value to vehicle manufacturers.

“These are real, legitimate business partnerships now,” said Blake Beers, Facebook’s manager for the US auto industry. “We’ve gotten to the point where we actually are proving that we’re shifting business metrics.”


Honda, Isuzu power up fuel cell partnership for heavy-duty trucks

                TOKYO: Japan’s Honda Motor Co and Isuzu Motors Ltd today said they would jointly research the use of hydrogen fuel cells to power heavy-duty trucks, looking to expand fuel cell use by applying the zero-emission technology to larger vehicles.

As part of a two-year deal, Isuzu will test Honda’s fuel cell powertrain, which was designed for passenger cars, in Isuzu’s commercial trucks, the companies said, which could pave the way for using the technology in a wider range of vehicles.

Automakers are looking to develop more electric vehicles (EVs) to comply with tightening global emissions regulations.

Many see battery-powered EVs as a solution for passenger cars in urban settings, but a growing number see hydrogen fuel cells as an effective way to power trucks, buses and other big vehicles.

“Although we have done extensive R&D into passenger FCVs (fuel cell vehicles), we have not been able to study how best to apply the technology to commercial vehicles,” a Honda spokesman told reporters at a briefing.

“This partnership will allow us to do that.”

Fuel cell vehicles generate their own electricity using hydrogen stored in onboard tanks.

This enables them to travel longer distances and refuel more quickly than battery EVs, while using less costly energy storage systems.

“We think that FCV technology is well suited for heavier trucks which travel longer distances, and this partnership will enable us to examine this further,” an Isuzu spokeswoman said, adding that the truck maker was also developing various lower-carbon powertrains including battery-electric technology for shorter-distance vehicles.

With its Clarity Fuel Cell sedan, Honda is one of a handful of automakers which have developed and marketed fuel cell-powered passenger cars.

Light- and medium-sized truck specialist Isuzu has for years has focused on diesel engine technology and has yet to market fully electric vehicles.

But a price tag starting around US$70,000 for the Clarity and scant hydrogen fuelling infrastructure globally, Honda has seen limited take-up of that model and other FCVs since they began marketing them around 2015.

In 2018, Honda sold just 654 Clarity FCVs, which are available only in Japan and the United States through leasing programs, compared with Honda’s total annual global sales of 5.23 million cars.

The partnership is the latest in a growing trend among vehicle makers joining forces to better compete in an industry upended by the rise of electric vehicles, self-driving cars and other new technologies.

Honda and Isuzu are reviving their vehicle partnership following an agreement in the early l990s under which Isuzu manufactured sport utility vehicles for Honda in the North American market.


Car hacking: Are car makers prepared for cyber attacks?

                MUNICH: In 2014, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek shocked the car industry by showing how easily they could hack a car: The duo were able to remotely control a Jeep's air conditioning, windscreen wipers and even the accelerator.

As more and more technology creeps into our cars — designed to make life easier, of course — the fear of somebody hacking into the system and possibly doing serious damage is becoming increasingly realistic.

"Networks are a gateway," says police commissioner Alexander Rimkus, who wrote a thesis on safety gaps and manipulation. Anyone who wants to cause trouble can find a vulnerability in the system.

For car hacking, you need to be clever, and also need money for the right equipment, says Stefan Roemmle, who is in charge of security development at Continental. But Rimkus says that there are enough criminal groups that can provide the right components — "cybercrime as a service" is how they put it.

According to Rimkus, cyber criminals today are mainly focused on blackmailing people. For example, if a hacker can get into the system of an entire fleet of cars, then that would be a very attractive method to blackmail a big company. But the 23-year-old also sees terrorist attacks on vehicles and traffic systems as a potential threat in the future.

Rimkus says there is no real solution to this vulnerability yet. But, one option would be to eventually only allow certain autonomous cars that have been certified as being safe on the roads.

"If I look back on the past few years, then cybersecurity has definitely become an increasingly important topic in the car industry," says Peter Schiefer, a specialist for semiconductors in the car industry. The company he works for, Infineon, delivers safety technology to carmakers.

Continental's Roemmle says that completely networked cars will be the norm by 2025, when every new car will have this technology. "Completely networked" means that cars will be able to communicate with each other and the surrounding infrastructure, such as traffic lights.

"Every car that is newly registered in Europe today can automatically connect the emergency call system E-Call, which means it can connect to the web," says Schiefer. He thinks that in five years time, there will be more than 100 million connected cars on the roads.

Other gateways for cyber criminals are all interfaces that exchange data with the central control system. "Every single device must be safe," says Roemmle. To avoid the nightmare scenario of having an entire fleet shut down because of hackers, Roemmle says Continental is "taking steps."

For German carmaker Volkswagen, the issue is a ticking time bomb. Rolf Zoeller, the company's head of electric and electronics development, says VW is focusing on taking "absolutely appropriate countermeasures at the highest technical level," and that the carmaker is taking hacking "extremely seriously." In 2016, Volkswagen and a group of Israeli experts founded a new company to focus on cyber security.

Manufacturers and providers also need to keep an eye on their vehicles' longevity. "The capabilities of attackers will be vastly different in five years than now," says Thomas Rosteck, head of the security department an Infineon. "So I need to already start thinking about how I want to be able to react, so how I can adapt security." Vehicles need to be prepared for potential attackers in advance.

IT security company Trend Micro estimates that the biggest weaknesses can be found in cloud technology. The company's experts assume that attackers will use artificial intelligence for cyber crime in the future. Continental's Roemmle says its vehicles' security levels in the cloud were equally secure as online banking services.

Roemmle also explains that each car has a digital key, that can shut down certain functions of the car if it detects unusual outside influence on the system.

According to experts, the kind of attack demonstrated by Miller and Valasek in 2014 would not be possible now. But it is, and will continue to be, a constant battle over who has the technological upper hand.


Police presence at country's borders to be beefed up ahead of April 1 reopening

                IPOH: More police personnel will be stationed near the country's borders ahead of their April 1 reopening, says Comm Datuk Hazani Ghazali.

The Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director said additional enforcement personnel would be deployed as the country prepares for the border reopening.

"We are always prepared because that is our duty.

"Even when the borders were closed, some smuggling activities were detected," he told reporters at the senior police officers' mess hall here today.

"We will wait for the standard operating procedure (for the reopening) and get ourselves ready," he added.

On March 8, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia will reopen its borders to international travellers on April 1.

In January, Comm Hazani said there were more than 8,000 cases related to smuggling of illegal immigrants, contraband items and wildlife last year.

He said enforcement activities will be carried out on both land and sea.

"I have already ordered our horse unit to be placed at borders in Perlis and Kelantan," he added.


Bentley launches 'business class' rear seat option after one request

                LONDON: Bentley has introduced an £8,400 (RM44,000) business class rear seat option for its Bentayga SUV after one customer moaned about a bad back.

The valued client requested that Bentley try and make the back seats of its luxury off roader more comfortable – and the tech-laden Airline Seat in the new long wheel base model is the result.

The £8,400 optional extra offers the occupant sitting behind the front passenger seat in the £211,400 (RM1.09mil) car the ability to recline his seat and stretch out.

At the touch of a button on a removable tablet that controls the seat, the backrest reclines, the seat cushion extends, the front seat folds forward and a foot rest pops out.

The Airline Seat also has a back, shoulder and leg massage function built in.

It uses 18 air-powered pressure pads to knead muscles and can constantly monitor the occupant to keep them at exactly the right temperature.

“The design was based on a customer asking what could be done to the rear seats as they suffered from back pain,” said a spokesman for the British-based luxury manufacturer.

“The customer wanted more comfort as they spent a lot of time in the back of their Bentayga and they put a request in.

“That one person’s idea sparked the Airline Seat introduction.”

The 22-way adjustable seats are now expected to be specified in at least half of the Bentayga Extended Wheel Base models sold.

The seat option could also work its way into other cars produced by the luxury car manufacturer, said the firm.

Clever tech built into the seats constantly monitors the occupant’s posture to make fine adjustments during the drive to make sure they’re comfortable.

The air pockets can be inflated and deflated in 177 different combinations throughout the seat to adjust for comfort as the journey changes.

Sensors also take readings every fraction of a second to monitor the passenger’s temperature and use heating panels and cooling fans to adjust the heat.

The system senses temperature and humidity with an accuracy of 0.1°C every 25 milliseconds.

The Airline Seats are only available as an option on the new longer wheelbase SUV as it has an additional 180mm built into the rear of the car for rear passenger comfort.

The Bentayga EWB is available to order now with first deliveries arriving in October.


New Land Rover Discovery launched

LONDON: The new Land Rover Discovery combines an exceptional design evolution with a versatile and intelligently packaged interior which embodies the spirit of family adventure that has characterised Land Rover’s premium family SUV for more than 30 years.

With Land Rover’s new Electrical Vehicle Architecture (EVA 2.0) underpinning a suite of advanced technologies, the Discovery delivers new levels of sophistication, desirability and efficiency while retaining its customary breadth of on- and off-road capability and towing credentials.

It has updated the Terrain Response 2 system and Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) updates to its new Cabin Air Filtration.

New signature LED headlights with a daytime running light signature set lower into the units create a more purposeful look, while animated sweeping front and rear indicators provide heightened visual sophistication and the body-colour front fender vent accentuates the premium SUV’s familiar broken waistline.

A revised front bumper features a wider body-coloured graphic and new side vents combine for a more purposeful and dynamic appearance.

At the rear, it features new signature LED lights, which are joined across the back of vehicle by a new Gloss Black panel. Following Land Rover’s reductive design philosophy, this panel incorporates the trademark Discovery script, providing a cleaner rear graphic.

The new R-Dynamic model brings a more assertive character and purposeful stance with a series of unique design elements, including purposeful Gloss Black and Shadow Atlas exterior accents on the outside and two-tone leather and contrast seat stitching on the inside.

With a simplified menu structure and pioneering design, Pivi Pro provides immediate responses – even when starting the vehicle for the first time.

Its built-in back-up battery means navigation initialisation takes just seconds, while the logical menus allow the most commonly used functions to be accessed directly from the customisable home screen, to reduce driver distraction.

Connectivity is provided by dual-sim technology, with two LTE modems enabling the system to carry out multiple functions at the same time – such as streaming media and downloading Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) updates – without compromising performance.

Land Rover’s SOTA technology allows owners to update as many as 44 individual electronic modules, without the inconvenience of visiting a retailer.

The straight-six engine family was designed and developed in-house and the advanced diesel is available in 249PS  and 300PS outputs, while the powerful petrol delivers 360PS. The new Discovery engine line-up in full:

P300: 300PS (221kW), 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, 400Nm of torque at 1,500-4,500rpm
P360: 360PS (265kW), 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV petrol, 500Nm of torque at 1,750-5,000rpm
D250: 249PS (183kW), 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV diesel, 570Nm of torque at 1,250-2,250rpm
D300: 300PS (221kW), 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV diesel, 650Nm of torque at 1,500-2,500rpm

The D250 and D300 six-cylinder Ingenium diesels feature lightweight aluminium construction with a low-friction design and replace the previous SD4 and SDV6 diesels. Intelligent 48V MHEV technology ensures the new engines meet the most stringent global emissions regulations and deliver improved responses.

The new Discovery models with six-cylinder Ingenium engines feature an advanced driveline which optimises the torque split between front and rear axles, using a range of sensors to distribute torque to suit the conditions.

The new Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system maximises traction, on-road dynamics and driveline efficiency, resulting in improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions in normal driving, with no compromise to Discovery’s trademark all-terrain capability.

In addition, standard air suspension provides cosseting ride comfort in all environments and features automatic speed lowering to improve aerodynamic efficiency and enhance economy when cruising on motorways.

With Terrain Response 2 technology, the Discovery is always automatically primed to suit the driving conditions while the new Wade Mode optimises the vehicle for deep water fording – even applying the brakes automatically when the driver disengages Wade Mode, to restore full performance from the first application of the brakes.

The availability of Configurable Terrain Response allows drivers to fine-tune the Discovery’s throttle mapping, gearbox shift points, steering and suspension settings to suit their preferences and requirements, so customers can personalise the driving experience for off-road driving.

It also benefits from ClearSight Ground View technology, providing drivers with a view of the obscured ground directly beneath the front of the vehicle using the central touchscreen and a combination of forward-facing cameras.

Passenger models are priced from £53,655 (RM292,266) in the UK.


Elon Musk teases new Tesla pickup

                SAN FRANCISCO: Despite ongoing issues with production of current models and glitches with its autonomous drive systems, Tesla is still pushing ahead with developing more new and exciting models.

In his usual fashion, Tesla's Elon Musk has been revealing details on Twitter of the short-nose pickup truck his company intends to build. Along with revealing some of the vehicle's specifications, Musk has also been asking potential buyers what they'd like to see in the company's upcoming commercial vehicle.

We already knew from previous comments that the Tesla pickup is going to be big, possibly as big as or even bigger than Ford's all-conquering F-150. In America that would place it firmly in the full-size pickup segment, which is much larger than European pickups like the Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara and Ford Ranger.

Musk revealed the truck will have standard dual-motor all-wheel drive, with what he is referring to as "crazy torque." That's probably to be expected considering the power figures associated with existing Tesla products.

There will also be an auto-levelling suspension setup which is really useful for a work truck, and the new vehicle will also have the ability to parallel park automatically. If the truck is to be offered in Europe in the same form and size as America, the automatic parallel parking system will be particularly welcome as an aid to squeezing a full-size truck into spaces not really designed to accommodate such bulk.

The truck will be equipped with power outlets in the bed for 240V, in the style of a true workhorse. And according to Musk, there will also be a 360-degree camera view and sonar system for monitoring its surroundings. Although he also dropped a hint of a "special built-in sensor," he didn't go further to divulge what the sensor is actually for, but instead said "Details later."

When the Tesla founder asked followers, "What would you love to see in a Tesla pickup truck?" a number of features were suggested such as heated door handles and a voice-activated bed enclosure.

As the truck will be bigger than the Model X SUV, it will be able to accommodate a larger battery, and that would be essential as a commercial vehicle with a limited range would struggle to win over potential buyers. Musk has previously estimated a range of between 640km and 800km for the pickup, but there's also the possibility of higher-specification versions with even greater ranges.

It's thought the truck will be fully unveiled in 2020 with deliveries starting the following year.