Fake engine oil worth RM45,000 seized

                KULAI: Johor Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has seized fake engine oil worth RM45,692 in an operation at a premises here.

Its enforcement chief, Zubit Hamza, said the operation was conducted by seven officers at a premises that supplies engine oil in Senai following a complaint by the oil’s trademark owner and investigations.

“We found 377 boxes containing more than 4,000 one litre engine oil,” he said.

He said the items were being sold at a cheaper price of about RM10 per bottle.

“We will continue carrying out such operations and conduct checks on premises that are suspected of supplying or selling fake engine oil in an effort to protect consumers rights as well as protect the property of companies.

“Business owners involved in such activities will face legal action,” he said.

He said the items were seized under Section 8(2)(c) of the Trade Description Act 2011, which carries a penalty of RM10,000 for each item falsified or a three-year jail sentence or both for the first offence.

He also advised the public to lodge reports on any fake purchases to the ministry’s toll free hotline at 1-800-886-800 or WhatsApp to 019-279 4317.


MPVs and SUVs: Top people movers for different budgets

                Multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) started out decades ago as vans converted to fit extra seats with nicer interior upholstery.

Now, MPVs and their sports utility vehicle (SUV) cousins are designed from the ground up with style, creature comforts and safety features to rival other classes. Here is CarSifu‘s take on the models to consider.

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PEUGEOT 5008
The multiple award-winning Peugeot 5008 seven-seater MPV offers sporty handling and at the same time, high levels of refinement.

It is powered by a 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine with 165ps and 240Nm of torque, mated to a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic gearbox with tiptronic and sport mode.

It has heaps of safety features and driver assistance systems like six airbags, electronic stability programme, a reverse camera and front and rear parking sensors.

The equipoment level here is impressively high - the entertainment set-up includes a multimedia system with dual seven-inch LCD screens built in the front seat headrests, two bluetooth headphones and two separate video RCA connectors.

There is also a World In Peugeot Sound six-speaker system, a seven-inch retractable colour screen, GPS navigation, colour HUD (head-up display) for the driver, and a panoramic glass roof.

All four front windows have a one-touch automatic powered up/down function.
Price: RM159,888; five-year warranty with unlimited mileage.

INFINITI QX80
The Infiniti QX80 is a behemoth of an SUV, and billed as an eight-seater.

It is almost 2 metres in height, and drivers need to be wary when entering covered car parks.

There is nothing subtle about it, as Nissan created it to convey power and strength.

To move its massive 2,829kg kerb weight, there is 405hp and 560Nm from a 5.6-litre V8 naturally aspirated engine which is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission.

It is filled to the brim with high-tech occupant safety and comfort features, such as a Bose Cabin Surround sound system with 15 speakers, and Infiniti’s All-Mode 4 wheel drive system with Auto, 4-High and 4-Low modes.

One highlight is its Backup Collision Intervention (BCI) technology, where in reverse gear, the QX80 will help the driver detect crossing vehicles and objects behind the SUV, and, if necessary, the system can automatically engage the brakes to help avoid a collision.

Driving the QX80 is fun, as it is nimble and offers a silky-smooth ride quality.

Price: RM797,837; three-year or 100,000km warranty - whichever is earlier.

LEXUS LX 570
The Lexus LX 570 is another gigantic SUV measuring 5 metres in length and almost 2 metres in width, aimed at those with extremely deep pockets.

It is powered by a 5.7-litre V8, the largest engine in the Lexus range, which generates 362hp with 530Nm of torque and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

It can accelerate from standstill to 100kph in 7.7 seconds.

The LX 570 gets goodies like a triple-linkage multimedia system, and an ArmRest Control Panel in the second row which allows control of the ventilated seats and fully-automatic air conditioning system with 4-zone independent temperature control.

There is also full-time 4-wheel drive, and a TORSEN limited-slip locking centre differential to distribute power 40:60 front-to-rear, as well as a Multi-Terrain Monitor which displays images of areas around the vehicle when traveling at low speeds.

There’s even an underfloor view, helpful for avoiding holes and rocks.

Price: RM923,960; three-year or 100,000km warranty - whichever is earlier, and five-year or 100,000km free service package.

HYUNDAI GRAND STAREX ROYALE
You can really fit a full soccer team into this 11-seat MPV, which has an impressively long 3,200mm wheelbase and four seat rows.

There is plenty of grunt from its 2.5-litre VGT diesel engine with 170ps and 392Nm of torque, mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that delivers power smoothly.

Also, the seats can be configured in various ways; for example, there are 180-degree swivel seats for the second row, and the bench for the fourth row can be adjusted for more luggage space.

For more comfort, there are six large ceiling mounted air-conditioning vents.

Safety features include dual airbags, electronic stability programme, brake assist, traction control, front and rear parking cameras, as well as front and rear parking assist, and a Safe Drive Recorder, which records video in the event of a mishap.

For entertainment, there is a six-speaker audio system, a DVD player with 7-inch LCD screen, and an audio visual navigator with touchscreen display.

There are three variants, priced at RM157,228 (Standard); RM167,925 (Premium): RM177,677 (Deluxe).

The Standard variant also gets leather upholstery, while the Premium and Deluxe variants have Nappa leather seats and cruise control.

The Premium variant has a powered sliding door (left side only), while the Deluxe has this feature on both sides.

Price: RM157,228 to RM177,677; five-year or 300,000km warranty.

MERCEDES-BENZ V 220 D
The new Mercedes-Benz V-Class provides optimum flexibility in the cabin.

With two equipment lines; V-Class and V-Class Avantgarde, an Exterior Sports package and an Interior Design package for each line, two wheelbases, three body lengths from 4,895 – 5,370mm, and also many optional extras, the new V-Class can be individualised to suit most needs.

The V 220 D has a 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with two-stage turbocharging, that generates 163hp and 380Nm with a fuel consumption of just 5.7 litres per 100km.

It offers optional 4-way lumbar support and active seat ventilation, and all lighting functions in LED technology.

Fine nappa leather is available for the seats, steering wheel and shift lever.

As standard, the V-Class has four individual luxury seats with armrests in two seat rows.

As an option, a folding table can be installed between the single seats.

There are 11 driver assistance systems based on state-of-the-art radar, camera and ultrasound sensors.

Standard equipment includes Crosswind Assist, which helps the driver to stabilise the V-Class in strong, gusting crosswinds, and Attention Assist, which can warn of inattention and drowsiness.

Price: starts from RM434,888.

MAZDA BIANTE
As part of Mazda’s design philosophy, KODO (soul of motion), a vehicle is much more than just a mass of metal and the Japanese carmaker has gone to great lengths to portray such a philosophy with its Biante MPV.

With a boxy disposition, the Biante seems a little on the compact side for its segment, but thanks to the high roof line, all eight passengers within the cabin get copious amounts of headroom and plenty of window real estate for an exceptionally good all-round visibility.

The Biante is recognised as an Energy Efficient Vehicle and gets it drivability and pulling power from a high-compression 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G engine producing 147bhp at 6,000rpm and 190Nm of torque at 4,100rpm.

A six-speed SkyActiv Drive gearbox manages the power before sending it to the front wheels and its list of amenities include electric sliding doors on each side, paddle shifters, 7.0-inch LCD touchscreen with navigation, DVD headrest monitors, keyless entry, reverse camera, and iStop idling stop system to name a few.

It also comes equipped with two airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brake-force distribution, dynamic stability control and traction control for safety.

Price: RM150,057; warranty is three-years or 100,000km (which ever comes first).

MAZDA5
Within Mazda’s line-up of MPVs is its smallest contender that’s more of a station wagon that has the ability to fit seven individuals within its cabin.

A SkyActiv 2.0-litre engine powers the front wheels, while mated to a six-speed SkyActiv-Drive gearbox, with 146bhp at 6,000rpm and 190Nm of torque at 4,100rpm.

The Japanese carmaker has brought appeal to its Mazda5 by endowing it with versatility and functionality thanks to the Karakuri (hidden) utility box located under the second row seats and Karakuri seventh seat that gets folded away from sight.

Passenger access to the cabin is made easy by including electric sliding doors on both sides and passengers can access the third row seats via the walk-through layout - through the middle of the second row seats, or the one-touch walk-in mechanism that pushes the second row seats to the side.

Cup holders are aplenty – all the way from the front to the third row seats and the door pockets are more than accommodating with other storage pockets littering the front compartment.

With the inclusion of dual headrest mounted monitors, rear seated passengers can be easily entertained for that long haul journey thanks to the seven-inch LCD screen DVD player with a navigation system and a reverse camera.

Safety equipment includes two airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, dynamic stability control and traction control.

Price: RM157,280; warranty is three-years or 100,000km (whichever comes first).

HONDA ODYSSEY
This Honda MPV is available in a single variant - a powerful 2.4- litre DOHC i-VTEC engine which pushes out 175PS at 6,200rpm and 225Nm of torque at 4,000rpm - mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Odyssey is spacious inside and has a wheelbase of 2,900mm and convenient with power sliding doors on both sides along with Smart Entry and Push Start Button, front and rear auto air-conditioning, second row captain cradle seats and retractable third row seats.

For safety, it comes with a multi-view camera system with multi-angle rear view camera, blind spot information with cross traffic monitor, front, side and curtain airbags, smart parking assist, vehicle stability assist (VSA), anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist (BA) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD).

Price: RM255,500 (on-the-road price with insurance) and comes with five-year warranty with unlimited mileage (terms and conditions apply).

KIA SORENTO
This SUV from KIA features three rows of seats which makes it a very attractive people mover.

It comes with a 2.4 liter DOHC Theta II engine which pushes out 176PS at 6,000rpm, 227Nm of torque at 3,750rpm and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive (AWD).

It comes with HID projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights with a wide panoramic sunroof and roof rack.

It also features a 4.3in touch screen with CD /MP3/AUX/USB with six speakers, rear view camera, smart entry and push start button with 1,047 litres of boot space with the third row folded down.

Safety-wise, it comes with six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS), Traction Control System (TCS) and Hill-Assit Control.

Price: Starts at RM159,888 inclusive of 6% GST with a five year warranty - terms and conditions apply.

PERODUA ALZA
From Malaysia’s preferred national carmaker, Perodua, comes an affordable compact MPV that’s visually similar in shape to the Myvi, but offering enough space to fit seven persons on-board.

The Alza is available in three trim levels starting with the S variant, followed by the SE and ending with the range-topping Advanced.

Except for the Advanced, both S and SE variants can be had with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.

All variants get a 1.5-litre 3SZ-VE engine that powers the front wheels with a maximum of 102bhp at 6,000rpm and 136Nm of torque at 4,400rpm.

Price: From RM52,332 to RM65,432 (depending on variant); warranty is five years or 150,000km (whichever comes first).

PROTON EXORA
Proton, the country’s pioneer national carmaker, has a seven-seater mid-sized MPV that comes in three variants starting with the standard Executive, followed by the mid-range Premium and the range-topping Super Premium.

Regardless of variant, it is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine, mated to a CVT gearbox, developing 136bhp at 5,000rpm and 205Nm from 2,000 to 4,000rpm,

Standard fitment impresses with items such as keyless entry, reverse camera, third-row air vents, front fog lights, anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution and even follow-me home light.

Depending on variant, the number of airbags increases from two to four over the standard E variant while adding electronic stability control, leather seats, automatic cruise control, daytime running lights, a rear spoiler, electric folding mirrors with integrated LED signal, DVD player and Bluetooth connectivity to name a few.

Price: RM65,623 to RM80,989; warranty is three years or 100,000km warranty (whichever comes first).

Optional accessories: 16-inch Wheel Assy by R3 (RM1,900) in either Full Silver or Full Gun Metal.

CITROEN GRAND C4 PICASSO
Conventionally shaped with five doors, Citroen’s Grand C4 Picasso is anything but conventional when it comes to its styling that’s seen as more futuristic than contemporary.

This large people mover is equipped with a six-speed automatic gearbox and the French carmaker has provided its award winning MPV with two engine choices of a 146bhp/370Nm diesel or 163bhp/240Nm petrol engine.

This particular MPV should appeal highly to the style-conscious who prefers something more posh than powerful - but Citroen was able to combine the two and make it even more ‘versa-style’.

This seven-seater has been packed with ‘créative technologie’ within its loft-inspired cabin that’s seen as comfortably enjoyable by most and related to travelling in “business class” by many.

Such ‘technologie’ include a seven-inch touch screen driver interface, 12-inch HD panoramic screen with navigation, park assist, active cruise control, 360-degree view and massage function for the both driver and front passenger seats.

Safety is more than bolstered with the inclusion of collision risk alert, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, electronic stability programme, which has been added over the usual anti-lock braking system, electronic brake assist, dynamic stability control and traction control.

Price: RM195,888 (diesel) and RM185,888 (petrol); five year warranty with unlimited mileage.

ISUZU MU-X
The seven-seater comes in two versions - the entry-level 4X2 and top-of-the-range 4X4 - and both is powered by the 2.5-litre VGS four-cylinder turbodiesel engine.

It produces 136PS at 3,400rpm and 320Nm of torque from 1,800 to 2,800rpm mated to a five-speed automatic with manual mode.

This Thai-assembled vehicle comes standard with projector headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, a multi-function steering wheel, a large multi-info display, an integrated head unit with Bluetooth connectivity, six speakers and air-conditioning vents on all three rows.

This vehicle comes with a little extra such as LED daytime running lights, 17-inch wheels, automatic climate control, a Blaupunkt Android-based touchscreen navigation system with DVD playback, a factory-fitted drop-down rear LCD display, a tonneau cover and a boot storage organiser box.

Price: MU-X 4X2 (RM165,552) and the 4X4 RM178,578.

All prices are on-the-road with insurance as well as a three-year or 100,000km warranty whichever comes first.

BMW 220i GRAND TOURER
The BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer is a premium seven-seater MPV which was launched last year and is available in only one variant, the 220i Luxury.

Powered by a 2.0 litre TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder engine, producing 192hp at 4,700rpm and 280Nm of torque from 1,250 to 4,600rpm, it is mated to an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission.

It comes with powered seats with driver’s side memory function, “Fineline” stream fine-wood trim with Pearl Chrome finishers, a 6.5-inch iDrive display with navigation as well as a seven-speaker sound system.

There is also the push-button start with automatic start-stop, auto lights and wipers, Park Assistant with front and rear sensors and reverse camera.

Safety-wise, it features six airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with ABS and Dynamic Braking Control (DBC) as well as ISOFIX child seat anchors for the outer second-row seats.

Price: RM279,800 on-the-road without insurance, inclusive of a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty with a five-year/100,000km free service package.

TOYOTA AVANZA
The 2016 7-seater Toyota Avanza was launched recently, with new 1.3- and 1.5-litre dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) engines for better fuel efficiency.

There are four variants priced at RM72,280 (1.3E manual); RM78,970 (1.5E automatic); RM81,670 (1.5G automatic) and RM83,980 (1.5S automatic) on-the-road.

The new engines provide more power and better fuel efficiency.

All 1.5-litre variants come standard with a Bluetooth-capable audio system, that features a 2-DIN unit with CD-player and tuner, USB, MP3-playback and AUX connectivity.

Also offered are optional DVD-AVX or DVD-AVN audio systems, with large touchscreens and reverse cameras.

The new Avanza has nine possible seat layouts, and the second row can be easily folded with a one-touch tumble operation.

Safety features include two airbags, front disc brakes, ABS (anti-lock braking system) and EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution).

Also, there are childproof locking systems on the rear side doors and two ISOFIX points on the second row.

Price: RM72,280 to RM83,980; three-year or 100,000km warranty - whichever is earlier.

INOKOM SANTA FE
This seven-seater SUV is offered in four variants, with 2.4-litre petrol units priced at RM167,735 (Elegance grade) and RM189,429 (Premium grade), while 2.2-litre diesel units are priced at RM181,385 (Elegance grade) and RM201,134 (Premium grade).

In terms of equipment level, the Santa Fe really impresses as all variants have six-speed automatic gearboxes and active-on-demand 4WD, all-round disc brakes, electric parking brake, automatic headlamps, leather upholstery, a 12-Way powered driver’s seat, rear air vents, and smart key with push start button.

Also standard is a Safe Drive Recorder, which records video in the event of a mishap as well as Flex Steer, which allows drivers to choose from three steering assistance levels - Normal, Sport and Comfort.

Safety is another area where the Santa Fe excels, as all variants have electronic stability and downhill brake control, hill-start assist, and traction control as well as vehicle stability management.

The Premium variants come with extra goodies like six airbags, 19-inch wheels, HID xenon head lamps, dual-zone automatic climate control, a sunroof, wipers with rain sensors, powered tailgate, first-in-class Audio Visual Navigator infotainment system, and reverse camera.

The Santa Fe offers very compelling packaging and SUV buyers will be hard-pressed in making their final decisions.

Price: RM167,735 to RM201,134; five-year or 300,000km warranty.

CHERY MAXIME
The seven-seater Maxime is the successor to the Chery Eastar, which sold several thousand units in the last few years as many saw it as a decent choice in the below RM90,000 MPV segment.

Malaysia was the first country to get the right-hand-drive Maxime, which has a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder DVVT (dual variable valve timing) engine that delivers 136hp and 182Nm of torque to propel its 1,590kg kerb weight.

A seven-speed CVT (continuously variable transmission) with manual mode, provides smooth and linear power delivery.

The Maxime offers value-for-money, with features like two airbags, ABS, EBD, all-round disc brakes, cruise control, and an MP3 and USB-capable audio system with six speakers.

Its fabric seats are firm and comfortable, and rear seats can be folded to create a flat rear loading area.

With both the rear two rows folded, the MPV’s rear cargo area is an impressive 2,240 litres.

Price: RM86,800; five-year or 150,000km warranty - whichever is earlier.

VOLKSWAGEN CROSS TOURAN
This seven-seater MPV offers multiple seating configurations and an array of safety features that gave it a top Euro NCAP 5-Star rating for adult occupant protection.

The safety kit includes curtain airbags for front and rear passengers including front side airbags, ABS, EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution), anti-slip regulator, electronic differential lock and electronic stabilisation programme.

It is powered by a 1.4-litre TSI twincharged direct petrol injection engine with 140PS and 220Nm, mated to a lightning-quick seven-speed direct shift gearbox.

Volkswagen also generously packed the Cross Touran with features like automatic headlight activation, bi-xenon headlamps, Climatronic air-conditioning with dual-zone temperature control, park distance control, cruise control, and a height and reach adjustable steering wheel.

There are also rain sensing wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels and a electronic panoramic tilt/slide glass sunroof.

Price: RM169,888; five-year warranty with unlimited mileage and mobility guarantee.

NISSAN GRAND LIVINA
This seven-seater is among the top picks in the country’s best-selling non-national MPV since its debut in 2007.

In late 2013, it was updated with more than 50 enhancements while retaining its core concept of “Drives like a sedan, fits like an MPV”.

There are three variants, priced at RM83,534 (1.6L Manual); RM86,584 (1.6L Auto) and RM95,945 (1.8L Auto).

Optional accessories and Impul packages are available for all variants.

Its electric power steering helps in reducing fuel consumption.

Aside from dual front SRS airbags, Nissan’s Zone Body Construction, collapsible steering wheel, anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist system, the driver and front passenger also get seatbelt pre-tensioners with load limiters.

Standard features in the top 1.8L variant include LED indicators on wing mirrors, as well as Nissan’s Intelligent Key (i-Key) system which allows for keyless entry and start.

By pulling lock-release straps, rear seats can be folded flat for more cargo space.

Price: RM83,534 to RM95,945; three-year or 100,000km warranty - whichever is earlier.

NISSAN SERENA S-HYBRID (Facelift)
This is the country’s first locally-assembled hybrid MPV, which offers the largest and most flexible interior space in its class.

It can accommodate up to eight people while offering 14 different seating and cargo configurations.

The Serena S-Hybrid, also Japan’s best-selling MPV, is powered by Nissan’s 2.0L, 4-cylinder DOHC direct-injection petrol engine.

Mated with a XTRONIC CVT gearbox with Adaptive Shift Control (ASC), it delivers 147PS of power, with a maximum torque of 210Nm at 4,400rpm.

Fuel consumption is rated at 15.2km per litre on the Japan JC08 test cycle.

The S-Hybrid system features an Idling Start-Stop System which automatically switches off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop in traffic, and starts again when the brake pedal is released.

Safety features include dual airbags, ABS, EBD with brake assist, hill start assist, vehicle dynamic control and traction control.

The Premium Highway Star package costs about RM10,000 extra and includes a 10.1-inch roof-mounted LCD panel, a 6.5-inch multimedia navigator with rear view camera, DVD player, iPod connectivity, USB and Bluetooth, roof spoiler, V-Kool Elite security film, leather seats and door visors.

Price: RM132,978 (Highway Star) and RM143,063 (Premium); three-year or 100,000km warranty - whichever is earlier. — Story by THOMAS HUONG, JAY WONG and RIZAL JOHAN


CES 2019: Vehicle screens go super-sized as tech catches up. Just look at Byton

                LAS VEGAS: Take a glance at the vehicle displays shown at CES and you could be forgiven for thinking you are at the movies.

"This is not science fiction!" announced the head of Byton, an electric vehicle startup, onstage earlier this week at the global technology conference in Las Vegas. CEO and chairman Carsten Breitfeld was referring to the jaw-dropping, 48in (1.22m) screen inside the Chinese-funded company's M-Byte car.

Byton's vehicle will not be built until later this year. But its super-sized display – supplied by China's BOE Technology Group – is proving an undeniable trend in the automotive world, fuelled by the rise of more connected cars.

"The screens are the window to the digital world," said Gorden Wagener, chief design officer for Daimler AG , Mercedes-Benz's parent. "Screens are the new horsepower."

The 2019 Mercedes EQC crossover features two 10.25in displays behind a glass surface forming a free-standing screen.

It is not just futuristic electric and luxury vehicles that are upping the size ante. Fiat Chrysler's 2019 RAM 1500 truck boasts a 12in vertical display in its dashboard.

Besides the centre console, instrument clusters, which house driving controls, and rear-seat entertainment displays are both growing in size. Automakers like Audi that combine the centre console and instrument cluster often refer to a "cockpit", necessitating a wide, sweeping screen, like Byton's, and more consolidated computing power.

Carmakers are adding a rear view mirror display to project images from a rear-facing camera, while "heads-up displays" – where projected images float on the windshield to impart valuable information to the driver – are an exploding market.

"We're living in a display-centred world," said Brian Rhodes, Connected Car Research Lead at IHS Markit. "I don't think it's coincidental we have a lot of screens in vehicles that look just like tablets. That's clearly the trend."

The average size globally of a vehicle's centre display in 2018 was 7.7in, according to IHS Markit, and it is projected to grow to 8.4in by 2024.

Heads-up displays are the fastest-growing display segment, Rhodes said. There are currently about 6.3 million cars in the world that have these displays, but that figure is expected to balloon to 14.1 million by 2024, he said.

Clunky user experience?

Tesla Inc was the first to wow drivers and send rival automakers scrambling when it came out in 2012 with a 17-inch LCD display for the Model S. Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google subsequently introduced CarPlay and Android Auto, which allow streaming music, maps and other apps to be accessed through the car's centre display.

That, more than Tesla's influence, is the primary reason automakers have embraced larger screens, Rhodes said. But Apple and Google's debut inside the car's main display ushered in fraught soul-searching by automakers, who have been loath to cede such valuable real estate to tech rivals, yet anxious to give consumers the iPhone experience they crave.

That tension is still playing out inside the car, where some automakers have been "passive-aggressive" about fully integrating Apple or Google for an optimal experience, said automotive research director at Gartner, Mike Ramsey. The result is an often clunky user experience.

In some cases, Ramsey said, "They're supersizing the screen without any actual benefit."

In October, influential US magazine Consumer Reports yanked the recommendations of four vehicle models from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, Ford Motor Co and Honda Motor Co Ltd due to consumer feedback about freezing or blank screens.

Although such problems originate from the back-end tech that drives the content and not the screens themselves, "from the consumer's view it's one and the same", Rhodes said.

Short of inviting the technology companies further into the car to control the user experience – as Volvo AB announced in November it would do with an Android-based infotainment system – automakers are faced with the task of designing an interface that consumers actually want to use.

"If it's being led by the automaker to design the user interface it can be a big ask," said Rhodes. Until recently, he said, it "wasn't their core competency."

Mercedes' MBUX user interface released last year at CES is seen within the industry as the one to beat.

"Of course we want to own the real estate in our own car," newly appointed Daimler AG CEO Ola Kaellenius told a small group of journalists on Tuesday. "You need to own your own digital soul of your car."

Key to that, however, was having an "open source mindset" so that Mercedes' ecosystem could integrate with others, he said, such as Google and Apple's.

Clarity is key

Automakers say that if done properly, a bigger screen can enhance safety by providing more useful information, such as lights about to turn red, accident alerts or road conditions ahead.

Driver distraction would decline, not rise, with a larger screen, they say, as drivers would no longer need to struggle through a myriad of options cluttered on a small screen.

"You need a place to visually display that information to the driver in a way that is effective and not distracting. So you need real estate," said Abe Chen, vice president of Digital Technology at Byton.

The optional 10in display on the 2020 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle – and the standard 8in display – were designed to discourage drivers from getting immersed in too much data by stacking information, including CarPlay and Android Auto, Ruth Vann, Ford's user experience supervisor, told Reuters this month.

"There are things we will lock out while driving," she said, adding that customers will be encouraged to use voice commands.


Idris Elba takes a road trip for Jaguar

                LONDON: To promote its new compact sports sedan, Jaguar has teamed with Idris Elba, the star of the former BBC series "Luther" and of "Mandela Long Walk to Freedom."

The actor will take the Jaguar XE on a mini European tour, documenting his road trip in a series of short films to be released online starting February 10.

In the meantime, updates will be posted to Jaguar's pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Over three days, Elba will travel around 750 miles from London to Berlin, including a detour to the Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium.

The actor will be at the wheel of a Jaguar XE packing a 2.0L engine with 160hp. With CO2 emissions of just 99g/km, the model is the most fuel-efficient ever produced by Jaguar. Fans can look forward to watching the short films chronicling the road trip this February.

Unveiled last summer at London's Earl's Court before going on display at the Paris Motor Show, the new Jaguar XE will be available in Europe later this year at a starting price of 37,000 euros (RM152,000). The sports sedan is not expected to arrive in the US until 2016.

The new XE stands out for its bonded and riveted aluminum construction, which makes it the lightest and most rigid Jaguar of all time. It is also the first Jaguar to come with electric power steering system, a feature that contributes to the car's enhanced energy efficiency.


CEO to set out Ferrari's route into electric vehicle era

                MILAN: Nine months after taking the top job, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna will be expected this week to explain how the carmaker will preserve its cachet — and top tier prices — in a future of electrified cars.

The Italian luxury sports carmaker is set to unveil its much awaited business plan on Thursday, heading into the new era of cleaner, silent and electric mobility.

That is a particular challenge for the likes of Ferrari, which built its brand over decades by perfecting the roaring and super powerful engines that drive its cars.

A tech veteran with 26 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Vigna, who started at Ferrari last September, is tasked with marrying innovation with tradition.

"We should expect a clear focus on technology transition, qualifying the key burning question, namely how the company will evolve in this new environment, not only in terms of products portfolio," said Marco Santino, a partner for automotive practice at management consultants Oliver Wyman.

Ferrari has already presented four hybrid models and promised its first full-electric car in 2025.

It has said strategic partnerships will be key to accessing new technologies while keeping capital expenditure under control.

The company is expected to reveal the relevant areas for new partnerships, which could develop along the lines of an existing tie-up with Britain's Yasa, now part of Mercedes, which is supplying technologies for electric drive for Ferrari's hybrid models.

The CEO said earlier this year that Ferrari would rely on partners to develop bio and synthetic fuels which could be an additional green option alongside all-electric technology.

New SUV

By announcing its first sport-utility vehicle (SUV), the Purosangue, for the coming months, Ferrari is also moving into a lucrative market segment where competitors such as Lamborghini, part of Volkswagen group, already operate.

"A key challenge in the mid-term is to maintain best-in-class profitability while supporting a unique effort in developing new technologies and innovative solutions," Santino said.

Besides core technology, Vigna has a number of other areas where he could leave a mark, analysts say, including data and connectivity, intellectual property, Formula One motor sports performance and increased manufacturing complexity.

Ferrari's range has risen to nine models, plus limited edition cars, in recent years, with six-, eight-, 12 cylinder, hybrid and soon full electric engines under production.

Investors appear to be keeping faith. Shares in the company have been almost flat in the past 12 months, versus an 18% drop for the European auto index and a 13% drop for the luxury index.

Rival Aston Martin lost almost 70% over the same period, while Tesla shares were among the few to outperform Ferrari.

But Vigna has something to prove.

"A lot is riding on the upcoming Capital Market Day to change valuation parameters for a business which seems to have been on autopilot in recent years and may need a transformational strategy," analysts at Jefferies said.


Volkswagen creates US diesel emissions claims program

                WASHINGTON: Volkswagen of America said Thursday it is creating an independent claims program for the owners of nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles that emit up to 40 times legally allowable emissions.

The German automaker said it was naming compensation expert Ken Feinberg, who administered compensation funds for the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, BP Plc Deepwater Horizon oil spill and General Motors Co ignition switch crashes, to create and administer the program.

VW has acknowledged that 482,000 2.0 litre 2009-2015 diesel cars and 85,000 3.0 litre SUVs and larger cars have higher-than-allowed emissions and faces more than 500 US lawsuits.

VW said Feinberg "will develop an independent, fair and swift process for resolving these claims."

Camille Biros, deputy administrator of the VW claims program, said it is too early to say if the program would offer buybacks to vehicle owners, cash or other specific compensation for mileage or performance harmed by emissions repairs. "Everything is on the table," Biros said.

Feinberg said the program would need to know what VW's recall fixes are before it can move forward.

"Until we have an understanding of the remedies" we can't predict costs, Feinberg said on a conference call.

One goal of the program is to get claims out of the legal system, Feinberg said. In other similar compensation programs participants have agreed to forgo lawsuits, but no decisions about that have been made, he said.

While Feinberg is highly respected in the legal community, some attorneys representing Volkswagen plaintiffs said they were concerned that the fund could undermine litigation already under way in California.

“I’m suspicious and I’m concerned, but I’m open-minded,” said plaintiffs’ lawyer Chris Seeger.

VW Group of America President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Horn said Feinberg's "extensive experience in handling such complex matters will help to guide us as we move forward to make things right with our customers."

Separately, a group of business leaders including Tesla Motors Inc chief executive Elon Musk on Thursday urged the California Air Resources Board to order VW to transition to electric vehicles, rather than try to fix diesel vehicles.

The state board and the Environmental Protection Agency are investigating VW's conduct and considering potential fixes. VW is still barred from selling 2016 diesel vehicles as regulators consider their repair plans.

"A giant sum of money will thus be wasted in attempting to fix (VW diesel) cars that cannot all be fixed," the business leaders wrote.

Instead, Musk and others urged California to order VW to accelerate the sale of zero emission electric vehicles.

The letter argues EVs would significantly offset diesel emissions and California should require VW to invest in manufacturing in the state. VW declined to comment.

"A satisfactory way to fix all the diesel cars does not likely exist, so this solution sidesteps the great injury and uncertainty that imposing an ineffective fix would place on individual diesel car owners," Musk and others wrote.


Police to keep close watch on 76 traffic hotspots

                KUALA LUMPUR: Police have identified 76 traffic hotspots along major expressways nationwide to be monitored during the Hari Raya Aidiladha holidays.

Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Comm Datuk Mat Kasim Karim said at least 4,700 personnel would be on duty between June 28 and July 2 to ensure traffic remains smooth flowing.

“During our operations, we will be placing an emphasis on motorcyclists and being omnipresent in areas that have been identified to have heavy flow of traffic.

“This is to allow us to work on getting traffic flowing again in order to avoid congestion.

“We will be focusing on six main offences, namely speeding, beating traffic lights, overtaking on double white lines, cutting queue, misusing emergency lanes and using mobile phones while driving,” he said yesterday.

He said the hotspots would be monitored closely while more patrols would be conducted at accident-prone areas.

“We will station police personnel along these major roads as a means to being omnipresent so that motorists know that they are being monitored. Our personnel will be placing emphasis on enforcement of traffic rules, especially on offences which could lead to accidents,” he added.

Comm Mat Kasim advised motorists to always abide by the traffic rules in order to keep themselves, their family members and other motorists safe.

“Plan your journey carefully to avoid getting stuck in traffic and be courteous and cooperative with other road users during your journey.

“Motorists should also give their full focus on the road and control their emotions while driving to avoid any untoward incidents,” he said, adding that motorists who experienced traffic congestion could also use alternative routes or stop at the various rest areas to take a break.

He also advised motorists to make sure their vehicles are well maintained and road worthy before making their journey.

“Motorists should also ensure they have had enough rest before they start driving,” he said.

According to the Malaysia Highway Board, traffic was slow moving from Tapah towards Gopeng along the North-South Expressway at around 12.35pm yesterday.
Through its official Twitter account, it also tweeted that traffic was slow moving from Slim River towards Sungkai.

Meanwhile, along the Elite Expressway, traffic was slow moving heading north from Putrajaya towards Putra Heights, Putra Heights towards Bandar Saujana Putra, USJ towards Shah Alam and Seafield towards USJ.

Along the Kuala Lumpur Karak Expressway, traffic was slow moving from Gombak towards Lentang.


GM and Cruise sue Ford to block use of 'BlueCruise' name for hands-free driving

                DETROIT: General Motors Co and its Cruise robo-taxi subsidiary have filed a lawsuit to stop Ford Motor Co from using the name "BlueCruise" to market its hands-free driving technology, the companies said on Saturday.

In a statement released shortly after midnight Detroit time, GM said Ford's use of the BlueCruise name infringed on GM's Super Cruise trademark, as well as Cruise's trademark.

"While GM had hoped to resolve the trademark infringement matter with Ford amicably, we were left with no choice but to vigorously defend our brands and protect the equity our products and technology have earned over several years in the market," GM said in its statement.

In the lawsuit, filed on Friday, GM said the automakers had held "protracted discussions" over the matter but failed to resolve the dispute.

GM is claiming trademark infringement and unfair competition in the lawsuit. The No. 1 US automaker has asked the court for an order to prohibit Ford from using the BlueCruise name and unspecified damages.

Ford called the lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, "meritless and frivolous".

"Drivers for decades have understood what cruise control is, every automaker offers it, and 'cruise' is common shorthand for the capability," Ford said in a statement. "That’s why BlueCruise was chosen as the name for the Blue Oval’s next evolution of Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control."

Automakers are racing each other to deploy technology to enable drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel in traffic jams or on highways. The so-called Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, such as Tesla Inc's semi-automated Autopilot technology, are not supposed to allow drivers to fully disengage from driving for extended periods.

Automakers have used the word, cruise, for decades to describe cruise control systems which allow drivers to set a speed the car will maintain, usually in highway driving.

"Ford knew what it was doing," GM said in the lawsuit. "Ford's decision to rebrand by using a core mark used by GM and Cruise will inevitably cause confusion."

GM announced in 2012 it would use the name Super Cruise for its hands-free driver assistance technology, and has been marketing the technology using that name since 2017.

GM's majority-owned Cruise self-driving vehicle unit has been operating since 2013.

Ford announced it would use the name BlueCruise for its hands-free driving technology in April this year.


Face mask while driving: Excessive or sensible?

                BERLIN: Health officials in a growing number of countries are calling on people to wear face masks in public to protect others from being infected with the novel coronavirus.

But does it make sense to wear one while driving? And is it even legal?

The main reason health officials are calling on people to wear masks is because in theory anyone can carry and spread the Sars-Cov-2 virus without knowing it or showing symptoms.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says face coverings are advised "whenever people are in a community setting, especially in situations where you may be near people."

As such, if you want to be safe when in a shared car or with passengers, it certainly does make sense to wear a mask while driving.

However wearing a face mask while driving does also come with a few possible risks.

First, if you do wear a mask at the wheel, you may want to make sure it's one that doesn't make you completely unrecognisable.

Otherwise there's a chance you'll be flouting local laws in some countries preventing you from covering your face while driving.

Concealing your identity at the wheel can be seen as suspicious, and police in some places such as in the US and Europe can fine you for driving while covering your face.

Given the context of the of the pandemic, authorities may be less stringent, unless, however, you're wearing an oversized mask, particularly one that could get in the way of you being identified by speed cameras.

Professionally made surgical masks are designed to cover only essential parts of the face, but that can't be said of all masks being worn during the pandemic.

"With self-produced masks, on the other hand, caution is required if the majority of the face is covered and identification is therefore no longer possible," said Daniela Mielchen, a legal expert in road safety in Germany.

Another problem with home-made masks is that they can cause glasses to steam up if your breath is sent upwards towards them. "If this is the case, you need to take the mask off immediately, as otherwise there's a risk of impaired vision," said Mielchen.

All this only applies to drivers, however. Other passengers can and should wear a mask in the car, especially if they're in a taxi.


Toyota C-HR  gets Asean NCAP 5-star safety rating

                KAJANG: The Toyota C-HR has bagged the maximum 5-star safety rating at the recent New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asian Countries (Asean NCAP) crash test result announcement.

The announcement was held at the Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) office in conjunction with MIROS’s new gallery opening ceremony in Kajang, Selangor.

The C-HR which was launched in March in Malaysia, received 49.72 points for the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), 20.86 points for Child Occupant Protection (COP) and 20.73 point for Safety Assist Technologies (SATs) assessments.

With the C-HR scoring in all aspects including effective breaking avoidance, seat belt reminders, blind spot technology and advance safety assist technologies, it received 5-Star rating with an overall score of 91.31 points.

The compact cross over was built under the latest Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform which is now being used by many new Toyota models.

With TNGA, vehicle developers have much more flexibility in the three key areas of design, powertrain and dynamics.

The C-HR was introduced with a single variant, a 1.8-litre petrol engine with 7-speed Sequential Shiftmatic CVT. Its safety features include ABS as standard with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), also fitted with 7

Airbags and Traction Control (TRC) as well as Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and a Blind Spot Monitoring system (BSM).

The C-HR is also equipped with an Electric Parking Brake and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards while moving on a steep slope.


Bentley Mulsanne Speed, Continental GT and Bentayga arrive for 'Be Extraordinary Tour'

                KUALA LUMPUR: To commemorate the start of Bentley Asia Pacific's ‘Be Extraordinary Tour’, the company unveiled the Mulsanne Speed, limited edition Continental GT V8 S ‘X’ and Bentayga with carbon fibre Styling Specification.

Making its Malaysian debut is the Mulsanne Speed priced from RM2,588,000 and featuring a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 537PS and 1,100Nm of torque, allowing it to sprint from 0-100kph in 4.9 seconds and onwards to 305kph.

The ultra-luxurious Speed comes equipped with a selectable sports suspension, 21-inch hand-finished ‘Speed’ alloys, dark tinted front and rear lamps, rifled sports exhausts and ‘Speed’ badges on the fenders.

Inside, it boasts of the Mulliner Driving Specification that comes as standard and adds on diamond-quilted seats, a knurled gear knob, drilled alloy sport pedals and an optional carbon fibre waist rail inserts.

The more sportier and compact special edition Continental GT V8 S ‘X’ with a starting price of RM1,728,000 receives the Blackline kit and Carbon Fibre styling.

This means it gets slapped with dark tinted front and rear lamps, black door glass surround and carbon fibre door mirrors, while rolling on 21-inch Gloss Black five twin-spoke directional wheels.

The lower body styling features of the car has improved the car’s aerodynamics by reducing front-end light, increasing stability at higher speeds, while Black Wing Vents reside behind the front wheels.

Additionally, the illuminated treadplates bear the brand’s name that light-up automatically upon opening the door.

The Bentayga sport utility vehicle (SUV), with a base price of RM1,749,000, gets featured with a carbon fibre Styling Specification, which uses specially commissioned high gloss black carbon fibre parts for the exterior.

The hand-crafted parts have a unique weave pattern which have been mirror-matched like the internal veneer and consists of a front splitter and air blades, rear diffuser and spoiler, mirror cowls, the Flying ‘B’ wing vents and a pair of deployable sill steps.

The tour is located at the Bentley Kuala Lumpur showroom on Jalan Pinang and is open to the public on Oct 25 (9am to 6pm) to 26 (2pm to 6pm) before heading to Taiwan.

Visitors will get a glimpse of the brand’s racing heritage, craftsmanship and the people that have helped make the brand with the Flying ‘B’ what it is today.

This involves a personal introduction that allows them to discover the process of sourcing for flawless hides to the meticulous handcrafting skills required to hand-stitch a steering wheel of a Mulsanne.

"In addition to showcasing our new retail space and product lineup to a wider audience, this is a fantastic opportunity for us to contribute to the story about the People of Bentley," said Wearnes Quest managing director Jerry Lee.

Bentley Mulsanne Speed

Bentley Continental GT V8 S 'X'

Bentley Bentayga with Styling Specification


Pairing your phone with your car can be a hassle, but it’s worth it

                MUNICH: Being able to access smartphone content while behind the wheel is extremely practical, whether it's to make a phone call, listen to music, or have the next chapter of an audio book read aloud.

But pairing your phone with your car can be a nightmare sometimes. How and whether you can make it work primarily depends on the smartphone's operating system and the vehicle's technical capabilities.

"In the best case, (pairing) happens automatically and the user doesn't even notice that the smartphone is connecting to the car's entertainment system," says German tech expert Timo Brauer.

"That means access to the content has been established and you can use the device immediately."

One way to pair your phone with your car is via Bluetooth, which will allow you to make phone calls and listen to music, and also send text messages, Brauer explains.

However, if you want to use more features, you have to connect using Android Auto or Apple Carplay, either wirelessly or by cable, depending on the phone's operating system. By now, most modern cars support these two interfaces.

No distractions allowed

"The basic idea with Apple Carplay and Android Auto is to mirror certain functions or apps onto the vehicle display – and only with a limited amount of information, so as not to distract the driver," explains Hannes Rügheimer from the trade magazine connect. This includes, for example, music playback or navigation.

However, the controls are greatly reduced compared to what you would get on the smartphone. With WhatsApp or iMessage, for example, you only receive a notification that a new message has arrived.

"You can also have the message itself read out to you, but not read it yourself on the vehicle display," says Rügheimer.

Whether the interaction between smartphone and Apple Carplay or Android Auto works wirelessly or with a cable mostly depends on the age of the vehicle.

"New vehicle models usually support both variants, but on slightly older ones up to around 2019, only the USB variant usually works," Rügheimer says.

However, you can use an adapter to convert a wired connection to a wireless one.

Some don’t play ball

Some vehicle manufacturers have complicated things further, however. The Tesla system, for example, doesn't support Apple Carplay or Android Auto, Brauer says, adding that you can only connect your smartphone to the car via Bluetooth to use its functions.

If you're driving an older model with an old-school car radio, you have the option of replacing the installed device. A modern receiver for the car is available from around €300 (RM1,347)/US$300 (RM1,342).

"Alternatively, you can also mount an external display with Carplay and Android Auto on the windshield or dashboard," Brauer says. But that requires cables, including for power supply.

Another option is to place the smartphone in a suitable holder in the field of vision. However, Hannes Rügheimer advises against this: "For one thing, there is a great risk of distraction.”

Depending on the country you live in, it may also be illegal to interact with your smartphone while driving.

Voice control is always safer

In the interest of safety and to keep distractions to a minimum, most systems can now be operated using voice control. In addition, Apple Carplay and Android Auto severely limit the number of apps you can use while they're running.

"Apple and Google check each individual app plus the specific implementation before they allow access to the car display," says Rügheimer. For example, audio streaming is possible, but TV or video streaming is not.


Singapore Motorshow 2020: F44 BMW 218i Gran Coupe introduced

                SINGAPORE: The BMW 218i Gran Coupe (F44) was unveiled at the Singapore Motoroshow (2020).

Due to officially arrive in the coming few months, the car is expected to be priced around the SGD$170,000 (RM515,000) mark.

Riding on the same platform as the X1 and X2 compact sport utility vehicles, the 2 Series Gran Coupe has a 2,670mm wheelbase and measures in at 4,526mm-long, 1,800mm-wide and 1,420mm-tall.

Seen here as a 218i, it means that a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged B38 engine powers the front-wheels with its a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to manage power delivery.

Output has been rated at 138hp from 4,600 to 6,500rpm and 220Nm of torque from 1,480 to 4,200rpm and allows the 218i to sprint from 0 to 100kph in 8.7 seconds.

Although unofficial, standard equipment for the 218i should mean that it will come equipped with full-LED headlights, 17-inch wheels and a standard sport steering wheel among others as well as the option to upgrade and/or add M Sport goodies.


Nissan unveils Chinese New Year offers

                KUALA LUMPUR: Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) is welcoming the year of the Water Tiger with the introduction of special new year colour to the ever popular Nissan X-Trail 2.0L Mid and Nissan Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid Premium Highway Star.

The X-Trail 2.0L Mid is now available in the new colour Monarch Orange.

The X-Trail comes with Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) dynamic driving technologies such as Intelligent Forward Collision Warning with Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and High Beam Assist.

Meanwhile, the Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid Premium Highway Star, now features a two-tone theme with the new Radiant Red colour option with distinctive black floating roof.

The Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid offers best-in-class fuel economy of 14.2 km/L (NEDC R101), and comes with innovative features such as the Hands-Free Dual Power Sliding Door, Dual Back Door, 7 USB-Powered Ports, Intelligent Around View Monitor (I-AVM) with Intelligent Moving Object Detection (I-MOD), and Smartphone connectivity with Apple CarPlayTM and Andriod Auto ready.

The Radiant Red Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid Premium Highway Star and Monarch Orange X-Trail 2.0L Mid are year 2022 model stock.

To embrace the celebration of the Chinese New Year, ETCM has also extended the attractive 1.88% interest rate for selected Nissan models to Feb 28.

This Chinese New Year campaign further rewards customers who purchase and register a Nissan car an opportunity to participate and win Lazada Vouchers up to RM50,000.

Additionally, customers who test drive the all-new Nissan Almera Turbo during the campaign period are also eligible to win a RM500 Watsons voucher.

For more information, log on to www.nissan.com.my or call Nissan Customer Care Centre hotline at 1800-88-3838.


First Jazz Hybrid owner gets Mugen body kit for free

Aneesa and her daughter with the new Jazz.
BANGI: Aneesa Abdul Rashid became the first Malaysian owner of the new Honda Jazz Sport Hybrid i-DCD.

She was also given a full Mugen body kit for her silver-coloured Jazz and tickets to the 2017 Formula 1 Grand Prix in October worth a total of RM6,350 from Honda Malaysia.

The handover ceremony was held at a Honda dealership here today.

 At the handover ceremony with Aneesa and her daughter are (from left) Honda Malaysia managing director and CEO Katsuto Hayashi and its group vice-president, Akkbar Danial.

“I have been researching the market for a second car for my family," said Aneesa. "I was impressed with the sport hybrid system ... the flexible cargo space makes this vehicle very practical for family outings.”

Malaysia is the only country outside of Japan to introduce Honda’s new Intelligent Dual-Clutch Drive Hybrid system (i-DCD) that is found in the current Jazz. In Japan, close to 865,000 units of hybrid vehicles equipped with i-DCD system has been sold as of June. The technology dates back to 1999. Over 525,000 units of the Jazz Hybrid have been sold globally to date.


The world is dangerously dependent on Taiwan for semiconductors

Taiwan’s grip on the semiconductor business represents a choke point in the global supply chain. — Image from Ambiq Micro via TSMC
TOKYO: As China pushes the world to avoid official dealings with Taiwan, leaders across the globe are realising just how dependent they’ve become on the island democracy.

Taiwan, which China regards as a province, is being courted for its capacity to make leading-edge computer chips. That’s mostly down to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest foundry and go-to producer of chips for Apple Inc. smartphones, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

Taiwan’s role in the world economy largely existed below the radar, until it came to recent prominence as the auto industry suffered shortfalls in chips used for everything from parking sensors to reducing emissions. With carmakers including Germany’s Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co. of the US and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. forced to halt production and idle plants, Taiwan’s importance has suddenly become too big to ignore.

US, European and Japanese automakers are lobbying their governments for help, with Taiwan and TSMC being asked to step in. Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron discussed the potential for shortages last year and agreed on the need to accelerate Europe’s push to develop its own chip industry, according to a French official with knowledge of the matter.

The auto industry’s pleas illustrate how TSMC’s chip-making skills have handed Taiwan political and economic leverage in a world where technology is being enlisted in the great power rivalry between the US and China - a standoff unlikely to ease under the administration of Joe Biden.

Taiwan’s grip on the semiconductor business - despite being under constant threat of invasion by Beijing - also represents a choke point in the global supply chain that’s giving new urgency to plans from Tokyo to Washington and Beijing to increase self-reliance.

By dominating the US-developed model of outsourcing chip manufacture, Taiwan “is potentially the most critical single point of failure in the entire semiconductor value chain,” said Jan-Peter Kleinhans, director of the technology and geopolitics project at Berlin-based think tank Stiftung Neue Verantwortung.

Chip industry choke points

The industry’s biggest companies are siloed in just a few countries

The Trump administration exploited that pinch point to deny Beijing access to technology.

By banning access to all US chip technology including design, it was able to cut off the supply of semiconductors from TSMC and other foundries to Huawei Technologies, hobbling the advance of China’s biggest tech company.

It also negotiated with TSMC to establish a US$12 billion chip fabrication plant in Arizona. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. is set to follow, with a US$10 billion facility in Austin, Texas.

The “CHIPS for America Act” introduced to Congress last year aims to encourage more plants to be established in the US.

Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, plans to reintroduce the bipartisan bill this year with a view to securing US$25 billion in federal funds and tax incentives. McCaul said in a statement he’s working with colleagues in the House and Senate “to prioritise getting the remaining provisions of CHIPS signed into law as quickly as possible.”

News that Intel Corp., the onetime industry leader, was considering outsourcing production of some chips to TSMC under its former CEO underscored the need for a US player that can fabricate at the leading edge, said a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee staff who is not authorised to speak publicly.

The European Union aims to bolster the bloc’s “technological sovereignty” through an alliance armed initially with as much as 30 billion euros (US$36 billion) of public-private investment to raise Europe’s share of the global chip market to 20% (without a target date) from less than 10% now.

It’s also encouraging Taiwan to increase investments in the 27-nation bloc, with some success. GlobalWafers Co. - based in TSMC’s hometown of Hsinchu - just boosted its offer for Germany’s Siltronic AG to value the company at 4.4 billion euros, an acquisition that would create the world’s largest silicon wafer maker by revenue.

That’s not to say Taiwan is the only player in the semiconductor supply chain. The US still holds dominant positions, notably in chip design and electronic software tools; ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands has a monopoly on the machines needed to fabricate the best chips; Japan is a key supplier of equipment, chemicals and wafers.

But as the emphasis shifts to ever smaller, more powerful chips that require less energy, TSMC is increasingly in a field of its own. And it’s helped Taiwan form a comprehensive ecosystem around it: ASE Technology Holding is the world’s top chip assembler, while MediaTek has become the largest smartphone chipset vendor.

Semiconductor production

The industry is divided into three main areas, though businesses are integrating other specialisations to centralise their supply chain

Tokyo, too, is attempting to attract TSMC to set up in Japan. With 110 billion yen (US$1 billion) earmarked last year for R&D investment and another 90 billion yen for 2021, some of that may go to a TSMC facility, which reports have said the company is considering setting up in Japan.

“TSMC is becoming more and more dominant,” said Kazumi Nishikawa, an official working on technology issues at Japan’s Economy Ministry. “This is something everybody in the chip industry must find a way to deal with.”

China, in its five-year plan presented in October, is channelling help to the chip industry and other key technologies to the tune of US$1.4 trillion through 2025.

Yet even that kind of money doesn’t negate the need for Taiwan.

Indeed, China has long tapped the island for chip-making talent; two key executives at China’s top chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., used to work at TSMC: co-chief executive officer Liang Mong Song and vice chairman Chiang Shang-yi.

But with Washington stymieing China’s progress, there is also speculation that Beijing could resort to stealing chip IP, with Taiwan at the heart of those endeavors.

Taiwanese cyber security firm TeamT5 has observed a steady increase in attacks on the island’s chip industry corresponding to the tightening of US export controls on China.

While it’s not always possible to know if these are Chinese state actors, “they are all attacking the Taiwanese semiconductor industry,” Shui Lee, a T5 cyber threat analyst, said.

Fellow analyst Linda Kuo said the Taiwanese government was alarmed by a ransomware attack on TSMC in 2018 and had announced plans for some US$500 million to help the industry become more aware of cyber security issues.

The greater worry is that TSMC’s chip factories could become collateral damage if China were to make good on threats to invade Taiwan if it moves towards independence.

TSMC's capital spending of as much as $28 billion for this year suggests it's going to stay out in front.

“Taiwan is the centre of gravity of Chinese security policy,” said Mathieu Duchatel, director of the Asia program at the Institut Montaigne in Paris. Yet while Taiwan’s status in the global chip supply chain is a “huge strategic value,” it’s also a powerful reason for Beijing to stay away, said Duchatel, who’s just published a policy paper on China’s push for semiconductors.

Assuming Taiwanese forces were to be overwhelmed during an invasion, “there is no reason why they would leave these facilities intact,” he said. And preserving the world’s most advanced fabs “is in the interests of everyone.”

For all the moves to reel back domestic chip fabrication, it’s optimistic to think the supply chain for such a complex product as semiconductors could change in short order, Peter Wennink, ASML chief executive officer, told Bloomberg TV.

“If you want to reallocate semiconductor build capacity, manufacturing capacity, you have to think in years,” he said.

In the meantime, geopolitics means chip shortages could become a more regular occurrence, according to Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China.

“This is going to move on to the point where actually because of export controls, because of governmental intervention, there will be all of a sudden supply chain disruptions not just because of capacity problems,” he told Bloomberg Television. “So better get prepared.”


Drive-in cinemas get go-ahead to operate

                PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians can watch movies under the stars soon with the green light given for drive-in cinemas.

But with the Covid-19 pandemic, strict standard operating procedure (SOP) will be imposed on cinemagoers and operators.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said patrons must remain in their vehicles throughout the movie with food ordered online only.

Revealing the decision made by the special ministerial committee chaired by him, the Senior Minister said Rela personnel would keep things in check at the sites.

The ministries in charge of drawing up the SOP would be Multimedia and Communications, and Housing and Local Government, he added.

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Soft, warm and vegan-friendly, Volvo cars go leather-free

                LONDON: Volvo Cars said today that its vehicle range will go leather-free or "vegan-friendly" by 2030, offering instead bio-based and recycled materials to a customer base that increasingly wants sustainably sourced products.

"We've got a new generation of customers coming through, they're far more interested in the products they buy and having an ethical story behind them," said Robin Page, Volvo's head of design. "They want to understand where the materials come from."

Volvo said the shift recognises customer concerns over animal welfare issues in the leather industry and the environmental impacts of cattle farming.

It also coincides with the sustainable aspirations of Volvo's plan to offer an all-electric car lineup by 2030.

Volvo's current all-electric C40 Recharge model is already leather-free, and the company is exploring using materials such as Nordico - made from forestry byproducts, recycled corks and plastic bottles - that head of design Page said has the same "softness and warmth" as leather.

"For someone who loves leather but is aware of the negative effects of leather on the environment, this is a good, modern way to capture the properties but is the right material for the future," Page said.

The carmaker also aims to use recycled polyester to cut its carbon footprint and linen from flax plants grown in Sweden in between crops, which replenishes the soil. Volvo will also use flax fibres for door panels.

"Consumers are not just focused on the sustainability of the end product but also the material that goes into it, including the sourcing" said Stuart Templar, Volvo's director of global sustainability.

 Page and Templar (inset).


Beijing autoshow postponed until further notice

                SHANGHAI: Organisers of the Beijing autoshow, which was scheduled to be held in late April, said today that they will postpone the event until further notice due to the Covid-19 resurgence across the country.

"We will pay close attention to the development of the epidemic, and strive to enhance the event's organisation and service work according to the requirements of the epidemic prevention and control policy," Secretariat of Auto China said in a post on its official WeChat account.

"The specific holding time after the extension will be notified separately."

Reuters reported the postponement citing sources in March.


Proton records higher sales in 2020

                KUALA LUMPUR: Proton sold 109,716 units last year, an increase of 8.8 per cent over its landmark performance in 2019 with 100,821 units sold.

The car maker said market share for the year also rose to an estimated 21.1 per cent, equating to a 4.4 per cent increase.

“The main drivers of volume growth were the Persona, Iriz, Exora and Saga, while the X50 surpassed expectations despite its later than planned arrival," said chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong in a statement on Sunday.

"This performance combined with a 49.8 per cent increase in export volume, allowed Proton to buck the trend of the Malaysian automotive industry which is expected to contract by an estimated 13 per cent.”

Proton's announcement came on the heels of Perodua's which reported stellar sales despite the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Saga remained the company’s best-seller for 2020 while the launch of the X50 and strong sales for theX70 combined to make Proton the number one sport utility vehicle (SUV) brand in the country.

Li said Covid-19 had brought economic activity to a complete halt and its adverse effects required quick, prudent and tough management decisions.

"At Proton, the last few years of vigilant cost control and improved efficiencies allowed the company to react quickly to the crisis.

"This meant that despite the shutdown, there were no layoffs or salary cuts. More importantly, constant monitoring and agility allowed the company to ramp up production very quickly after the lockdown," he said.

Proton lost over two months of car production and sales due to the Movement Control Order.

Li said despite the restrictions placed on the global movement of goods, 2020 saw a strong year for the company’s export division, with a bumper month in December.

It saw the first locally assembled Saga roll-off the assembly line in Kenya and then make its debut alongside the X70 in Pakistan where both models would be sold initially as complete built ups (CBUs) but later as complete knocked downs (CKDs) following the completion of a plant in Karachi later this year, he said.

The Saga also burst onto the scene in Egypt and Bangladesh but it wasn’t the only model to make a big splash overseas last month, said Li.

"The X50 entered its first export market when it made its international debut in Brunei on Dec 19, making it the fourth Proton model to be launched in the kingdom in 2020 after the Persona, Iriz and Saga arrived in January," he said.

As a Malaysian brand, Li said Proton felt compelled to step up for the nation when the pandemic hit.

The company was able to use its resources to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus, loaning 50 units of the X70 to the Health Ministry while also producing and delivering about 120,000 face shields to frontliners, among others.

“Year 2020 was a real test of Proton’s mettle as we had only just begun our new trajectory. The nature of this pandemic for an organisation like ours, which depends on global supply chains, put great strain on the business.

"However, a combination of good strategy and hard work has left us not only with an increase in sales against a decreasing market but a renewed belief in our product strategy, quality and commitment to our customers. We will continue to put the pedal to the metal in 2021 and strive to improve all aspects of the business,” he added.


Toyota still world's top automaker

                TOKYO: Toyota kept its title as the world’s biggest automaker today as it announced record sales of 10.23 million vehicles last year, outpacing General Motors and Volkswagen, but a shaky outlook for 2015 could see it lose the crown to its German rival.

The worldwide annual sales figure beat Volkswagen, which logged sales of 10.14 million vehicles, and US-based GM, which said it sold 9.92 million cars last year.

But Toyota also said sales would decline this year to an expected 10.15 million vehicles, as demand falls off in its home market.

That will likely mean Volkswagen will be in pole position this year as the German automaker rides momentum in emerging economies that could see it take the lead in global auto sales for the first time.

“Their focus is not No. 1,” Peggy Furusaka, an auto-credit analyst at Moody’s Investors Service, told Bloomberg News, referring to the Japanese firm.

“Toyota is more concerned about keeping profitability than chasing numbers. So for coming years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Toyota selling fewer cars than VW.”

Toyota broke GM’s decades-long reign as the world’s top automaker in 2008 but lost the crown three years later as Japan’s earthquake-tsunami disaster hammered production and disrupted the supply chains of the country’s automakers.

However, in 2012 it once again overtook its Detroit rival, which sells the Chevrolet and luxury Cadillac brands.

Toyota boosted its fiscal year through March profit forecast to 2.0 trillion yen (US$16.97 billion), and said revenue would come in at 26.5 trillion yen, as it saw strong results in North America while a sharply weaker yen inflated its bottom line.

But it earlier warned over a downturn in some other key Asian markets including Indonesia and Thailand, which has been hammered by political unrest.

There are also growing fears about the entire industry’s prospects in China owing to concerns about the health of the world’s number-two economy.

Toyota’s upbeat announcement comes despite the firm struggling to recover its reputation for safety after the recall of millions of cars around the world for various problems, including an exploding air bag crisis at supplier Takata.

The maker of the Camry sedan and Prius hybrid has frozen the building of new plants for the three years until early 2016, and a Toyota executive at the Detroit auto show told AFP last week that the giant automaker is emphasising quality of sales rather than volume.

Among the moves, Toyota is pushing further into the fast-growing market for environmentally-friendly cars, especially in China where officials are struggling to contain an air pollution crisis.

Toyota said this month it had been swamped by domestic orders for its first mass market hydrogen fuel-cell car, with demand in the first month nearly four times higher than expected for the whole year.

The company received more than 1,500 orders for its “Mirai” sedan since its launch in mid-December. It had planned to sell 400 in Japan over 12 months.

It has also announced plans to develop components for hybrid vehicles with two Chinese automakers in an unprecedented technology-sharing deal aimed at increasing green car sales in the world’s biggest vehicle market.

The deal marked a shift away from Japanese carmakers’ traditional reluctance over such deals for fear of losing their competitive edge.

Previously, Toyota would make key components such as batteries and motors in high-cost Japan and then ship them to joint ventures overseas. But that drove up the price of models such as its Prius, which has seen sluggish sales in China.


Nissan stays cool on lidar tech, siding with Tesla

                YOKOHAMA: Nissan Motor Co Ltd said on Thursday it would, for now, stick to self-driving technology which uses radar sensors and cameras, avoiding lidar or light-based sensors because of their high cost and limited capabilities.

The Japanese automaker unveiled updated self-driving technology a month after Tesla Inc’s chief executive Elon Musk called lidar “a fool’s errand”, berating the technology for being expensive and unnecessary.

Nissan, which wants to have its self-driving cars on city streets by 2020, has long shunned lidar, a relatively new technology for automobiles which has recently been the subject of an influx in investment by many of its rivals.

“At the moment, lidar lacks the capabilities to exceed the capabilities of the latest technology in radar and cameras,” Tetsuya Iijima, general manager of advanced technology development for automated driving, told reporters at Nissan’s headquarters.

“It would be fantastic if lidar technology was at the level that we could use it in our systems, but it’s not. There’s an imbalance between its cost and its capabilities.”

Iijima unveiled Nissan’s own latest self-driving technology, which enables hands-free driving in single lanes on highways on predefined routes.

The technology, to be released in Japan later this year, uses radar and sonar sensors along with cameras to compile the three-dimensional mapping data required for cars to “see” their surroundings.

Apart from sonar, side radar and around-view monitoring cameras, Nissan said it has developed a “tri-cam” that focuses on three points to the front and sides of the vehicle to capture a wide area of view.

Tesla also relies on cameras and radars for its self-driving technology.

Nissan wants to add its self-driving technology to more of its affordable models to boost sales and recover from a profit slump. When reporting earnings earlier this week, the automaker said it had hit “rock bottom” in the aftermath of a financial scandal involving its ousted Chairman Carlos Ghosn.

Fool’s errand?

Lidar is currently used by companies including General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Alphabet Inc’s Waymo as automakers and tech firms race to develop self-driving cars.

Lidar technology uses light-based sensors that fire roughly 1 million laser pulses a second as it collects measurements that are analysed and processed into 3D models and maps.

More than $1 billion in corporate and private investment has been pumped into some 50 lidar startups over the past three years, according to a Reuters analysis in March of publicly available investment data.

Still, it is a technology in flux.

Initially using bulky spinning devices placed on the roof of cars, lidar developers have transitioned to more compact solid-state devices that can be mounted on other parts of a car. These now sell for less than US$10,000 in limited quantities, and are widely expected to eventually sell for as little as US$200 in mass production.


Here's the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 track killer

AFFALTERBACH: Mercedes-AMG will ring in the 2015 motorsport season at the beginning of March with the sonorous sound of the V8 engine: the new Mercedes-AMG GT3. It will be making its debut appearance at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Mercedes-AMG GT3 will blaze new trails in customer sports with its intelligent vehicle concept. The excellent racetrack performance of the standard GT already provides the best possible basis for this.

Powerful acceleration is ensured by the seasoned and now further enhanced AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine taken from the SLS AMG GT3.

The standard Mercedes-AMG GT already provides the ideal prerequisites for the GT3 racing model, with its low centre of gravity, perfect distribution of weight and wide track width.

For this layout guarantees precise cornering properties, high lateral acceleration, first-class agility, a high level of traction and low inertia when having to change direction fast.

Its matte paintwork in designo selenite grey magno covers the muscular contours like a second skin. The widened vehicle body, the large air intakes, the diffuser and the huge rear aerofoil all signalise a desire to attack.

Every modification to the bodywork has been made for the purpose of maximising power output and aerodynamic performance.

As in the road going version, the vehicle structure of the GT3 consists of a very lightweight yet extremely rigid aluminium spaceframe, offering outstanding protection for the driver.

In order to reduce the vehicle weight further still, the engine cover, doors, front wing, front and rear aprons, sidewalls, side skirts, diffuser, boot lid and rear aerofoil are all made from particularly lightweight yet high-strength carbon-fibre.


Security hole in petrol subsidy website patched, calls for accountability

                PETALING JAYA: The Government says it has fixed the loophole in the petrol subsidy website that allowed banking details of individuals to be revealed to the public.

The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs said in a statement it had patched up the vulnerability within hours of being informed on Thursday and that the site has been re-open for use by the public.

"Referring to the technical issues concerning the official portal of Petrol Subsidy Programme, the ministry has taken immediate action to address the problem.

"At 1pm on Thursday, the technical issues have been successfully addressed, and the PSP portal has been re-activated with improvements on its system and data security aspects," it said.

The microsite, which went live on Oct 15, could potentially have exposed the details of 2.9 million people that the ministry had identified as belonging to the B40 group that qualify for fuel subsidies.

Local tech forum Lowyat.net had reported that once a person’s MyKad number is entered onto the site, it would reveal the name of the user’s bank, along with the last four digits of the account number.

However, when Lowyat.net looked at the underlying code – or source code, which can be easily viewed from any web browser – the full account number was visible.

Punish errant organisations

In the wake of this data leak, experts are calling for regulatory bodies to take punitive action against organisations that expose users’ personal data, making them vulnerable to scammers.

“In most countries, regulatory bodies define, manage, influence and control how data should or shouldn’t be used by any company or individual,” said enterprise information management vendor ASG Technologies general manager for Asia Pacific Praveen Kumar.

“Unless there is a commercial deterrent defined by regulatory bodies, the business case to invest in data governance, protection and management is not easily justifiable.”

Praveen added that as a result, most companies valued data and treated it as an asset to be merely monetised.

Malaysia ranks as the fifth-worst country in terms of protecting the personal data of its citizens.

Fong Choong Fook, director at cybersecurity company LGMS, said the security flaw was probably caused by the ministry rushing to launch the microsite.

“The bigger concern now is if someone could have used the website as a tool to steal information, just imagine what that can a person do with the details.

“Impersonating an authority figure such as a bank or police officer is a tactic often used by Macau scammers. The more information they have about a user, the more convincing they can be,” he said.

Fong added that the website developer should have encrypted the information.

“This is why I’m not surprised that Malaysia was ranked as one of the worst in personal data protection.

“Both private and public sectors are not fully aware of their responsibility to protect data,” he said.

Malaysia ranked poorly at data protection

A study by British tech website Comparitech on privacy and surveillance in 47 countries placed Malaysia as the fifth-worst country in terms of protecting the personal data of its citizens.

The worst was China followed by Russia, India and Thailand.

Fong said that there were not enough prosecutions to bring irresponsible organisations to justice.

“We hardly hear of any party being penalised when it comes to data leak or data loss. So overall, the entire ecosystem is poorly coordinated,” he said.

The report gave Malaysia a score of 2.64 out of five points based on several criteria, including privacy enforcement, data sharing, visual surveillance, identity cards and biometrics, and government access to data.

It further notes that currently only the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) protects the personal data of a person in the country.

“Also, our PDPA doesn’t apply to government agencies, so there is no way they can be held accountable if there is any data loss on their part,” said Fong.

He added that Malaysia should take a page out of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to improve data privacy.

“The five best-performing countries in protecting the privacy of its citizens are European. The GDPR has made very clear the consequences of non-compliance, and the penalty is really heavy,” he said.

Ordinary folk suffer

Meanwhile, Praveen said the risks of not managing personal data carefully have greater consequences for the consumer and end-user than the enterprise using the information.

“As regulatory environments enact more stringent penalties, there would be a marked difference in how data is stored and analysed by most organisations,” he said.

Last year, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) terminated the contract of Nuemera (M) Sdn Bhd, which was linked to a massive data leak involving 46.2 million telco accounts in 2017.

Numera was contracted in 2014 by the MCMC to manage its Public Cellular Blocking Service (PCBS) to stop stolen phones from making calls, messaging or connecting to the Internet.

Earlier this month, Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo told The Star that his ministry was looking at the GDPR as part of its move to amend PDPA.

“The GDPR has many provisions which are very important and helpful but we have to consider requirements that are unique to us.

“So, we’re going to look at the GDPR, the different recommendations that have been put forward by stakeholders, and come up with our own model to see what’s suitable for us to present here,” he had said.

Gobind added that amendments and improvement to the current Act would hopefully be presented to Parliament by the middle of next year.

In the meantime, Fong said there were many measures users could take to minimise the consequences of a data breach.

Steps you can take

“Change your password every now and then, choose a strong password, and you should not use the same password across different websites.

“These are some of the common practices individuals can adopt to protect themselves just in case there’s a data leak,” he said.

Praveen also reminded individuals to be responsible for the data they share, and to be aware of the kind of personal information they reveal to companies and through websites.

“Individuals should also avoid providing personal information to unknown sources.

“It is also important for people to clear the cache and history of their web browsers so that personal data does not get stored unknowingly.

“When using a connected device, people need to be careful about which WiFi networks they are connecting to and avoid phishing emails,” he said.

Phishing is the practice of fooling users into giving away confidential or sensitive data.

In a separate study conducted by US tech giant Microsoft Corp and IDC Asia/Pacific in June titled “Understanding Consumer Trust in Digital Services in Asia Pacific”, 41% of consumers in Malaysia said they feel that the government should take the lead in building trust, followed by technology companies and communities.

The study showed that only 24% of consumers in Malaysia believed their personal data would be treated in a trustworthy manner by organisations offering digital services.

In a statement that accompanied the study, CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said: “As our digital economy continues to grow manifold, it has also opened various risks. Data privacy remains a key concern, with both consumers and businesses being at risk of a data breach.”


Slow traffic on major highways

                KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic on several major highways heading towards the Klang Valley was reported to be slow-moving since this afternoon, with more people returning home after the Chinese New Year holidays.

A Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) spokesman, when contacted by Bernama, said southbound traffic experienced congestion, namely before the Juru Toll Plaza and also from Tapah to Bidor.

Congestion was also reported before the Gombak Toll Plaza exit heading towards the city centre.

"There was also a car which caught fire at KM41.3 of the Bukit Tinggi-Genting Sempah stretch heading towards Kuala Lumpur, which caused the emergency lane to be blocked,” he said.

He also said that traffic in both directions along the highways, including around major toll plazas such as Karak and Kuala Terengganu, as well as at Sungai Besi and Skudai, was still moving smoothly and under control.

He added that traffic flow on all major highways was smooth this morning, but moving slowly in the afternoon, and this was expected to last until late afternoon.


K-pop idol helps police nab drunk driver

                SEOUL: Korean singer-actor Lee Jun-young proves that he’s a responsible citizen when he helped the police to catch a drunk driver recently.

A Korean news portal reported that the 24-year-old star had followed a car for one hour, after suspecting it was driven by a drunk person.

The member of K-pop group U-Kiss spotted the car on the night of Aug 25 as he was heading home after practice.

Although Lee alerted the police with a phone call, he continued to tail the vehicle to ensure the police knew the suspect’s location. This eventually led to the driver’s arrest.

According to the report, a footage from Lee’s dashcam had the singer informing the police by saying: “The driver in front of me seems drunk. The car is moving in a zigzag manner.”

Allowing the police to track his phone, Lee kept the communication line with the police open. Later, he handed the recording on his dashcam to the authorities and cooperated with the investigation.

The idol – who’s also known as Jun – joined as a new member of U-Kiss in 2017.

Also an actor, Lee was recently seen in the K-drama Please Don’t Date Him. He also makes an appearance in one of the episodes of D.P.

Next up, he is set to star in the romance drama I Will Be Your Night, opposite actress Jun In-sun, in which he will be playing the leader of an idol group.

Related stories:


Flux lets you subscribe to Proton X50 from RM1,858 per month

                KUALA LUMPUR: The Proton X50 is now available on the Flux subscription service.

Flux customers can choose between Flagship or Premium variants of the compact SUV.

The SUV comes in a choice of Snow White, Jet Grey and Passion Red colours.

Starting from RM1,995 per month for a 36-month subscription with an X50 Flagship, this subscription fee includes roadtax, insurance, maintenance and wear & tear. The Premium variant is offered at RM1,858 monthly.

Flux’s Concierge service delivers a door-to-door service and is also on hand for all maintenance and documentation needs of the subscribers.

All Flux cars come with 24/7 nationwide unlimited roadside assistance, emergency dispatch services and car theft recovery.

At the end of a three-year subscription, Flux customers have the option to buy over the X50 at a transparent guaranteed future value (GFV) of RM78,000 under Flux’s Subscribe to Own programme.

Once a reservation is approved, the customer would get the vehicle within seven days.

Flux also provides a service to help customers sell off their car at a mutually agreeable price.

The X50 is also available for corporate subscription through Flux Business Class.

For more details, go to https://driveflux.com.


New Camaro 'more slippery' than ever

                DETROIT: Chevrolet will introduce the all-new 2016 Camaro on Saturday during a special public event at Detroit’s Belle Isle Park.

In the build-up to the occasion, the car maker has revealed how much more aerodynamic the  Camaro SS has become following 350 hours of wind tunnel testing improved performance, stability, cooling and lower wind noise intrusion

“The importance of aerodynamics increases exponentially as we increase vehicle performance,” said Kirk Bennion, Exterior Design manager.

“As engine output increases, we need more engine cooling. As acceleration and top speeds climb, we need to reduce lift for better high-speed stability. However, we cannot make any changes at the expense of increasing drag, which can hurt fuel economy.

“To balance these different aerodynamic targets, we tested literally hundreds of changes on the new Camaro, millimetres at a time.”

For example, the initial design called for the lower grille bars to be set at a 20-degree angle to the horizon. However, after meticulous testing, the team improved engine-cooling airflow by 1 percent by shifting the angle to 13 degrees – a change that achieved the airflow target while maintaining the original grille design.

And rather than a traditional front air dam to reduce aerodynamic lift, the team developed a flush belly pan that stretches from the front grille to the centre of the vehicle. Paired with small “spats” forward of the front tyres, the smooth underbody helps reduce total lift by 30 percent – while also reducing aerodynamic drag.


VW’s China partner buying much bigger ships to transport cars

                SHANGHAI: China’s biggest automaker is finalising an agreement to buy two ships capable of carrying almost twice as many cars as its current transport vessels amid a surge in global demand for vehicles.

SAIC Motor Corp., which has joint ventures with both Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. in China, will acquire the vessels through its transport unit, Anji Logistics, according to people familiar with the matter.

The so-called roll-on-roll-off ships both have capacity to carry 7,600 cars, the people said, asking not to be identified because the details aren’t yet public.

They’ll bolster Anji Logistics’s current fleet of about 25 vessels, which only have capacity to transport up to 4,300 vehicles each. A deal is likely to be signed in the coming weeks, the people said.

A representative for SAIC declined to comment.

The plan comes as the world’s ports battle congestion problems, with containers piling up and vessels stuck outside waiting to dock.

An increase in demand amid the pandemic for consumer goods like computers, apparel - and cars - has added to the pressure on supply chains, with shipments delayed because of shortages in key components like metals and semiconductors.

China trade data released over the weekend showed vehicle exports surged 86% to 220,000 units in October, while total car exports in the first 10 months of the year more than doubled to 2.43 million units. SAIC was the top exporter.

Shanghai-based SAIC revised up its export target in July and is on track to ship 55,0000 vehicles in 2021, an annual increase of about 40%, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Anji Logistics serves other carmakers too, including Tesla Inc. and Chinese electric-vehicle upstart Nio Inc., and its annual shipping capacity stands at more than 2 million vehicles.

The price for building a new vessel that can move 7,600 vehicles is about US$76 million, according to consulting firm TreaBoat Research.


Bollinger electric truck sports brilliant Passthrough and Frunkgate

                DETROIT: Did you know electric trucks have the unique ability to haul extra long objects?

Yes they can, thanks to the absence of the traditional powertrain.

Bollinger Motors realised this and has been granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its Passthrough and Frunkgate.

Bollinger Motors is a US-based company that is building the world's first all-electric, on- and off-road trucks, the B1 Sport Utility Truck (SUT) and the B2 Pickup Truck.

The Passthrough refers to the opening that spans the length of the vehicle, from the front-cargo space (frunk), through the interior of the cab, to the rear of the vehicle.

The Frunkgate refers to the fold-down portion on the nose of the truck, similar to a tailgate. The Frunkgate allows cargo to be inserted through the front of both the Bollinger B1 and B2.

The original press release can be found here.