Toyota walking the talk

Leroy presenting the company's Concept-i series as a screen shows the company's president Akio Toyoda during a media preview of the 45th Tokyo Motor Show in October. — Reuters
 TOKYO: As one of the world’s largest multi-national companies, Toyota Motor Corp can easily leverage on its industrial clout to dominate markets and dictate consumer sentiments.

But this giant prefers to be benevolent by developing products that improve mobility for society as a whole.

Toyota Motor Corp executive vice-president Didier Leroy said the company’s definition of mobility is not restricted to the use of cars or buses but also covers anything that allows a person to go places, among them the Concept-i Walk, a three-wheeler single-person mobility vehicle.

He said once a person is able to go places, especially for the disabled or aged, they would have gained freedom to do other things.

Leroy also said the company would continue to develop future Toyota vehicles that are driver- and eco-friendly. He said even as Toyota had introduced many features to make driving safer, the driver would still be able to have fun with his car as the safety system would only intervene as a last resort.

 The Concept-i Walk.

Leroy said Toyota had sold more than 11 million units of electrified cars to-date since the company started selling its first electrified model in 1996.

Last year, Toyota sold 1.4 million electrified vehicles and accounted for 43% of the world’s market share. Electrified cars refer to hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and fuel cell cars.

Even when every car maker is unable to decide which sort of electrified car would eventually replace petrol and diesel-powered vehicles, Leroy said Toyota would produce all types of electrified vehicles to ensure every market has a suitable model.

“We want to produce the right car at the right time and at the right cost. We do not want to make just one type of electrified car and tell buyers to take it or leave it,” he said.

He said some electrified car models may have a price advantage based on a region’s tax structure and available resources.

The company’s Prius hybrid model, first launched in 1997, sparked the world’s interest in mass produced electrified and eco-friendly cars.

Leroy admitted that while Toyota does not have the monopoly on electrified car technology, the company is willing to work with those with the expertise.

He also said vehicles powered by hydrogen could play an important role in the future, citing the creation of the Hydrogen Council early this year whose key members consist of car and energy companies.


Experience contactless Touch 'n Go RFID refuelling at 88 Shell stations

                KUALA LUMPUR: Touch 'n Go Group and Shell Malaysia have officially launched Touch 'n Go RFID cashless payment system at 88 Shell service stations nationwide.

The innovative system allows motorists to pay for fuel without the need to go to the counter.

Customers need to have a Touch 'n Go RFID tag linked to their Touch 'n Go eWallet and perform a one-time registration and activation.

The RFID tags on vehicles will be detected once customers stop at dedicated RFID-enabled pumps and payment will be auto-debited from Touch 'n Go eWallets.

Customers can then proceed to fuel their vehicles.

 Seow and Effendy at the launch.

BonusLink points can also be earned with each fuel purchase.

Touch 'n Go group chief executive officer Effendy Shahul Hamid said the contactless system would enable customers to make payments at Shell stations without needing any interaction with a mobile phone app or approaching a point-of-sale terminal.

He said the new rollout showed that the RFID system could be used for other seamless payment experience beyond just paying for toll charges.

Shell Mobility for Malaysia and Singapore general manager Seow Lee Ming said the new convenient payment method was in line with the company's commitment to making its customers' journeys more seamless through innovation.

 A RFID overhead scanner at the ceiling of the Shell station.

"Over the last year, we have received positive response from over 10,000 pilot users, and we have been working closely with Touch 'n Go to continuously optimise the technology to ensure a truly hassle-free payment experience," she said.

Shell Malaysia is also expected to increase the number of its RFID-enabled services in the current 88 stations to 200 locations by the end of the year.


2019 Audi TT RS: Extreme performance and aural thrills

                INGOLSTADT: The 2019 Audi TT RS will be launched with a multi-award-winning five-cylinder 2.5-litre TFSI engine, that delivers 400hp and 480Nm of torque, enabling a sprint time of just 3.7 seconds to 100kph.

Musical accompaniment is provided by the typical five-cylinder sound: 1-2-4-5-3. Due to this ignition sequence, ignition alternates between adjacent cylinders and those far apart from one another. This unique rhythm is music to the ears of many horsepower purists.

Last year, Audi Sport received the sought-after “International Engine of the Year Award” for the 2.5-litre TFSI engine for the ninth consecutive time.

The forces of the five-cylinder engine flow via a seven-speed S tronic to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive that distributes the power as needed between the axles via a multi-plate clutch.

The driver can use the Audi drive select dynamic handling system to influence the quattro drive and other components such as the steering, S tronic, engine characteristic, and exhaust flaps.

The four modes available for this are comfort, auto, dynamic, and individual.

The low weight (1,450 kg for the TT RS Coupé without driver) and the appropriately firm suspension provide the basic prerequisites for the exemplary handling of the Audi TT RS.

At the front axle, ventilated and perforated steel discs are in action behind the 19-inch or 20-inch wheels.

As an option, the RS sport suspension plus is available with adaptive dampers in Audi magnetic ride technology. Their control technology is also integrated into the Audi drive select dynamic handling system.

The TT RS has never looked so athletic. The quattro logo in a matt titanium-look is positioned in the lower section of the gloss black grill with its matt black Singleframe.

Lateral air inlets, which have been enlarged once again, are each divided by vertical strips on the inside and outside and extend almost all the way to the front wheel wells, making the new TT RS appear extremely wide.

A continuous front spoiler that is drawn up steeply at each side pulls the front apron down sharply, giving the car its distinctive, motorsport-inspired look.

At the rear, a newly designed fixed rear wing with side winglets catches the eye. As part of the aerodynamics concept, it supports RS-typical performance and efficiency. Two large oval exhaust tailpipes create the signature RS finish.

LED headlights are standard. The optional matrix LED units regulate the high beams intelligently and with great flexibility. Also available are Matrix OLED reversing lights (organic light emitting diode) with a 3D design which distribute their extensive light with extreme homogeneity and precision.

Controls and display in the new TT RS are focused completely on the driver.

The RS sport seats with the rhombus pattern in Alcantara or optionally with a honeycomb pattern in fine Nappa leather as well as the RS logos on the seats, steering wheel, door sill trims, and selector levers underline the dynamic character of the 2+2 seater.

Special RS displays in the standard Audi virtual cockpit with a 12.3-inch screen provide information on tire pressure, torque, and g-forces.


German sports car maker Wiesmann moves closer to revival

                BERLIN: Defunct German boutique sports car maker Wiesmann has moved a step closer to its projected revival next year and will be showing two models at a British gala event in Windsor at the end of the month.

The company famed for its retro-styled roadsters with BMW engines closed in 2014. New investors plan to launch a re-engineered car next year to be produced at the factory in Dulmen, some 500km west of here.

The Wiesmanns go on show at Salon Prive in Windsor, not far from the castle residence of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. The garden party is one of the longest-running motoring events in the country.

Two V8-powered Wiesmann Heritage Editions will be on show, a GTMF5 Coupe and an MF4 Roadster.

Founded in 1988, Wiesmann's hand-built cars evoke classic sports cars with a long, swooping bonnet and short rear end.

"Wiesmann is the last thoroughbred European sports car built in Germany and I am very happy to play a part in creating its exciting future," says Roheen Berry, Wiesmann sports cars managing director.


Latest bridge collapse shows Italy can’t get a grip on roads

A stretch of the Turin to Savona A6 highway that collapsed last Sunday following heavy rains. The collapse of the raised highway came just 15 months after a deadly bridge collapse in Genoa. — AP
ROME: The collapse of a highway viaduct in northwestern Italy has underscored the country’s failure to come to grips with the aging infrastructure spanning some of its most fragile regions.

A day after a landslide ripped away part of the viaduct on the A6 highway between Savona and Turin, in the Liguria region, the government rushed to make new pledges on safety.

"We must do all we can to give Liguria a special plan for infrastructure security,” Infrastructure Minister Paola De Micheli of the center-left Democratic Party said in comments cited by Ansa news agency.

But similar promises have been made before. Pledges by the previous government, led like the current one by Premier Giuseppe Conte, to form a new agency to monitor bridges and tunnels after the fatal 2018 collapse of the Morandi span in Genoa have made little progress.

Italy has also proven incapable of spending money where it’s needed. The country’s regions are using only a fifth of funds allocated for protection from hydro-geological risks, because of bureaucratic red tape, according to the national audit court.

Italy moved to shut down two viaducts on the A26 highway running north/south to Liguria for safety checks, Corriere della Sera reported on Tuesday. The closures were ordered by Genoa-based prosecutors based on information compiled as part of an investigation into the Morandi accident.

Bureaucratic hurdles

The proposed new oversight agency, dubbed Ansfisa, is still far from seeing the light of day, according to two officials who asked not to be named discussing confidential matters.

Setting up new government bodies takes time and involves numerous bureaucratic hurdles, one of the officials said, adding that public and private operators should be forced to invest more, including on technologies like cheap risk-detection sensors.

Decades after the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s saw new highways and bridges crop up across the country, Italy is struggling to come to terms with a legacy of aging concrete, and with the specter of new disasters waiting to happen.

After the 2018 Genoa bridge collapse, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, the biggest partner in the ruling coalition, was quick to push to revoke concessions granted to operators who fail to maintain bridges and roads.

Ironclad contracts

"These are ironclad contracts which were set up with the knowledge that sooner or later someone with good sense would get into those ministries asking, ‘what the hell have you done?’” Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio said.

Five Star and the Democrats have long had policy differences on concessions, with the latter favoring a review of contract conditions rather than revocation.

Societa Iniziative autostradali e Servizi SpA, known as SIAS, manages the roadway where the bridge collapsed on Sunday. The Morandi bridge was on a stretch of highway managed by a division of the Benetton family’s Atlantia SpA.

In some cases, there is also confusion about local versus regional or even national jurisdiction.

"There are about 43,000 road bridges in Italy, and responsibility is so fragmented between public and private operators, regions, provinces and towns that for more than 1,600 of them, we don’t know who’s responsible,” said Oliviero Baccelli, professor of transportation politics and economics at Milan’s Bocconi University.

Compounding the challenge: roads and bridges built throughout often mountainous terrain, much of it in areas where steep hillsides are becoming more unstable in extreme weather.

"We need to monitor not just the infrastructure itself but also the surrounding area,” geologist Antonello Fiore, head of the Italian Society for Environmental Geology, said of the northern regions of Liguria and Piedmont.

"You can have the most stable viaduct from a structural point of view, but a landslide will rip it down all the same.”


Apple reveals autonomous vehicle ambitions

                SAN FRANCISCO: Apple has revealed it is investing heavily in autonomous vehicles in a letter asking the government to make it easier to develop self-driving cars.

The company is "excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation," Apple said in a Nov 22 letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offering Apple's opinion about draft regulations for the sector.

"Apple looks forward to collaborating with NHTSA and other stakeholders so that the significant societal benefits of automated vehicles can be realised safely, responsibly, and expeditiously," the company's director of product integrity Steve Kenner wrote.

Apple issued the letter because it is "investing heavily in machine learning and autonomous systems," an Apple spokesman said in an email to AFP.

"There are many potential applications for these technologies, including the future of transportation, so we want to work with NHTSA to help define the best practices for the industry."

Rumours about Apple's ambitions in the sector have circulated for years.

The company has a separate organisation called "Project Titan" that is developing automotive projects.

Although Apple has never officially confirmed the project, several of CEO Tim Cook's comments have fuelled speculation.

After a US$1 billion investment in a Chinese ride-hailing service called Didi Chuxing, he spoke of "some strategic things that the companies can do together over time."

However, in early September, The New York Times reported that the group had narrowed its ambitions, laying off dozens of staff as part of the project's "reboot."

Instead of designing and producing a complete self-driving car, the group will now concentrate on developing underlying technologies for autonomous vehicles.

In its letter, Apple urges the NHTSA not to penalise new participants in the sector by restricting the testing of cars under development on public roads, for which established automakers generally have exemptions.

"To maximise the safety benefits of automated vehicles, encourage innovation, and promote fair competition, established manufacturers and new entrants should be treated equally," it says.

Apple also encourages data sharing, particularly for accidents, saying that would enable the industry to "build a more comprehensive dataset than any one company could create alone."

Most major auto manufacturers and many technology groups are currently developing autonomous vehicles, considered to be the future of the automobile, along with electric power, with first production models promised for around 2020.

In related news, Japan's Panasonic Corp is in talks to buy European automotive light maker ZKW Group, accelerating its push into the automotive electronics market, a person familiar with the matter said.

The deal could be worth up to US$1 billion and the two companies could reach a basic agreement as early as this month, the Nikkei business daily reported.

An acquisition of ZKW would expand Panasonic's automotive lineup, which currently centres on batteries and navigation systems, as it shifts its focus to corporate clients to escape price competition from lower-margin consumer electronics manufacturers.

Panasonic said in a statement the reported deal was not something it had announced, and declined to comment further.

Privately held ZKW supplies light-emitting diode headlights and lighting modules to US and European automakers such as General Motors Co and BMW. It forecasts sales of about 900 million euros this year.

"ZKW is among various deals that Panasonic is considering," said the source, who was not authorized to discuss the matter and asked not to be named.

"But no details have been decided and the deal could fall through," he said.


Zapp Scooters poised to enter crowded electric motorbike segment

                LONDON: British-based Zapp Scooters plans to begin selling its new i300 electric two-wheeler this fall in Europe and early next year in the United States, the company said, as the electric motorbike segment grows increasingly crowded.

Founded by Thai entrepreneur Swin Chatsuwan, a former investment banker now based in the UK, four-year-old Zapp is going to market with a build-to-order business model, according to Tony Posawatz, a Zapp investor and adviser who was formerly with General Motors Co.

The launch edition of the Thai-built i300 will be priced at US$8,995, with a standard model to follow at US$7,495.

A key competitor, the Italian-built, battery-powered Vespa Elettrica, starts at US$7,449. Vespa is owned by Piaggio & C SpA.

"This is not your father’s Vespa," said Posawatz, who once headed GM’s Chevrolet Volt hybrid electric car program and has advised startup companies from Lucid Group Inc to Inrix.

In stark contrast to the familiar, decades-old Vespa, which was made popular by "Roman Holiday," the 1953 movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, the Zapp i300 sports a post-modern design and such features as a swappable lithium-ion battery pack.

The newcomer faces stiff competition from more than two dozen companies, many of them based in China and India, the world’s two largest markets for two-wheelers. Among the more notable rivals: Taiwan-based Gogoro and China’s Niu Technologies.

Zapp hopes its retail model - order your vehicle online, specify its features, and have it delivered to your door - will help it cut through the competitive thicket.

The company also is planning to use authorised resellers in some markets and may sell directly to corporate customers.


Japan orders tighter immigration procedures after Ghosn flees country

It remains unclear what Japan might do to bring Ghosn back. — Reuters
TOKYO: Japan said it would tighten immigration measures after former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn fled the country while on bail, its first official response to an astonishing escape that has transformed the executive into an international fugitive.

Authorities have remained quiet after Ghosn revealed on Tuesday that he had fled to his childhood home of Lebanon to escape a “rigged” justice system in Japan. All government offices and most businesses in Japan have been shut for the new year holidays.

The former Nissan Motor and Renault chairman was arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faced multiple charges of financial wrongdoing, which he denies.

Justice Minister Masako Mori said on Sunday Ghosn’s “apparently illegal” departure was very regrettable and added there was no record of him leaving the country. She promised a thorough investigation and said authorities had issued an international notice for his arrest.

“I have instructed the Immigration Services Agency to coordinate with related agencies to further tighten departure procedures,” she said, adding that Ghosn’s skipping bail was not justified, and that the court had revoked his bail.

Separately, prosecutors issued a statement defending Japan’s justice system, saying his departure ignored the legal system and amounted to a crime.

It remains unclear what Japan might do to bring him back. It has extradition treaties only with the United States and South Korea, meaning it might be difficult to return Ghosn from Lebanon.

Mori was due to brief reporters in Tokyo on Monday morning.

Arrest warrant

Lebanon last week said it had received an Interpol arrest warrant for Ghosn. It has said he entered the country legally.

A senior Lebanese security official said it was not yet clear whether Ghosn would be summoned for questioning over the warrant, but added that Lebanon does not extradite its citizens.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Ghosn slipped out of Japan aboard a private jet hidden in a large black case typically used to carry audio gear. He was accompanied by a pair of men with names matching those of American security contractors, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with an investigation into the escape.

There was no X-ray conducted of the large case, which was loaded onto the private jet that was believed to have carried Ghosn, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.

A Turkish private jet operator has said two of its planes were used illegally to carry Ghosn, with an employee falsifying the lease records to exclude the executive’s name.

According to the company, MNG Jet, he flew from Osaka, Japan, to Istanbul, where he changed planes and flew to Beirut.

Turkey has detained seven people, including four pilots, as part of an investigation into his passage through Istanbul.

Japanese prosecutors said the legal system guarantees all defendants a prompt, open and fair trial. They added that Ghosn’s more than 100 days of detention were justified on the grounds that he “had an extensive domestic and overseas network and that he could deploy his considerable influence to conceal evidence.”


VW, Ford confirm alliance to build commercial vans, pickups

                DETROIT: Volkswagen and Ford announced Tuesday that the automakers had agreed to an alliance to jointly develop commercial vans and pickups starting in 2022 in a bid to reduce costs.

The announcement came after more than six months of talks between the car giants which has also included discussions around autonomous and electrification technologies.

The companies said they had agreed to "investigate collaboration on autonomous vehicles, mobility services and electric vehicles and have started to explore those opportunities."

The deal reached between the American and German automakers to develop commercial vans and medium-sized pickups as early as 2022 does not involve cross-ownership, according to a joint statement.

VW CEO Herbert Diess said the alliance "will be a cornerstone for our drive to improve competitiveness."

Under the alliance, to be governed by a joint committee headed by the chief executives of both companies, Ford will engineer and build medium-sized pickups for both companies.

Ford will also build large commercial vans for European customers and VW will develop a city van.

The alliance follows in the footsteps of others formed in the auto industry.

Honda in October invested US$2.5 billion in Cruise, GM's proprietary technology subsidiary, in exchange for a 5.7 percent stake.

Toyota and Mazda plan to open a joint factory in the southern US city of Huntsville, Alabama in 2021.


Proton Ertiga - fuel sipper extraordinaire

                Fuel consumption is important to a lot of car owners because the lower it is then the more money you save and also, you can drive around a lot more before making the visit to the petrol station.

It’s also a matter of frugality especially with your foot on the accelerator.

The smoother and lighter you step on the pedal, the better the consumption.

It’s like the water tap in your house: turning it slightly releases a trickle of water while opening it up full just gushes it out in droves.

The former was how most of us were driving from Proton’s Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam to Bukit Malawati as members of the media participated in an eco-run challenge to see who drove the most efficiently.

By the time we got to the historical site, driving between 60-80kph, the needle had not moved and we still had a full tank.

Impressed? You bet.

The fuel gauge didn’t even move after that even; we went up atop the hill where the 110-year-old lighthouse is located for a photoshoot and then headed over to the town of Sekinchan, about 27km away, for lunch.

It’s no wonder the Ertiga received Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV)-status.

Following the Ertiga's launch, it is currently being offered in two variants - Executive (5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic) and Executive Plus 4-speed automatic, priced respectively at RM58,800, RM61,800 and RM64,800.

It is powered by the 1.4-litre Suzuki K14B engine with variable valve timing (VVT) that delivers 92hp at 6,000rpm and 130Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.

Yes, the Ertiga is a rebadge of the Suzuki Ertiga which the Japanese marque offered for the Indonesian market.

Officially, the six-seater MPV has a fuel economy (at a constant 90kph) of 5.7-litre/100km for the manual and 6.0-litre/100km for the automatic transmission.

There are some Malaysians though, with their infinite knowledge of engineering, who will no doubt come to the conclusion that a 1.4 litre engine is simply underpowered to haul an MPV.

That isn’t the case however as we got onto the Ertiga in groups to be ferried up Bukit Malawati and there was no indication at all that the Ertiga struggled or was incapable of going uphill with six people on board.

But I digress ...

Besides sipping fuel, the MPV is spacious and comfortable.

There is plenty of headroom all the way back to the third row.

However, there isn’t much legroom at the third row and for anybody above 5ft 8in, it’s going to get cramped.

There is a silver lining though, you are not going to sweat it out back there because the 3-speed four-vent ceiling mounted air-conditioner blower in the mid-row is powerful enough to cool down all your occupants.

The third row seats fold 50:50 while the second row is 60:40 and when both are folded you get a very spacious 735 litres of storage space.

The Ertiga is also well equipped in terms of safety features as it comes standard with two front airbags, reverse sensors, anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution, ISOFIX childseat points and top tethers on second row seats.

The MPV was accorded the 4-star Asean NCAP rating.

The difference between the Executive and Executive Plus is that the latter gets additional equipment such as turn indicators on wing mirrors, front fog lamp trimming, driver seat height adjuster, audio system controls on steering wheel and metallic trimming for interior door release latches.

With all the travelling we did for this outing, the Ertiga is a fuss free car to drive.

It handles well even though with a relatively high clearance of 185mm.

This was originally designed for the poorly paved and uneven roads in Indonesia.

Oddly enough when we were travelling from Bukit Malawati to Sekinchan, the road was covered with pothole patches and has some of the more extreme undulating surfaces I’ve come across.

And the Ertiga went over it like a charm - of course, you can’t drive through it on full bore but that clearance made all the difference.

Coupled with its firm suspension, it absorbs all the bumps and potholes very well.

After a short visit to the beach in Sekinchan, Pantai Redang, we headed back home using the highways.

For a car that has a high centre of gravity, it handles quite well around bends but it is not advisable to push it like you would a sedan.

The engine does roar when you step on it and it does flood the cabin with noise when you do so but if you are lightfooted, it offers a smooth and pleasant experience.

And since this MPV is marketed for families, you’d want to take it easy anyway.

It will save you a lot of petrol, too.


First drive: G20 BMW 3 Series in Portugal

                Although Portugal's southern most region of Algarve still faces the frigid Atlantic Ocean, its climate during winter is Mediterranean-like — cool and dry with plenty of sunshine.

Having a lush landscape with plenty of developed intercity highways as well twisty country roads, Algarve is a scenic place for road trips and leisurely drives.

With an international-class race track just outside the region's resort town of Portimao, Algarve is the ideal setting for BMW to showcase the seventh-generation of its 3 Series.

Given the code G20, the latest 3 Series is the continuous refinement and enhancement by BMW of its popular mid-size sports sedan offering which first hit the roads some 40 years ago.

 Kezha.

At our disposal during the international media test drive were three variants - the 330i M Sport, 320d Sport Line and M340i xDrive.

Aside from being bigger and more spacious than the outgoing F30 3 Series model which was introduced in 2012, the all-new G20 also boasts an up to 50% stiffer body, while being some 55kg lighter in overall weight.

The new 3 Series now has a length of 4,709mm (+76mm), width of 1,827mm (+16mm), height of 1,442mm (+1mm) and wheelbase of 2,851mm (+41mm).

In addition, the front track is now wider by 43mm and the rear track by 21mm, which will enhance the G20's handling and cornering stability.

BMW designer Alexey Kezha said the the low slung set-up with a longer body, short front and rear overhangs while maintaining a similar height have resulted in a sedan with sporty proportions.

Weight distribution between the front and rear wheels are 50:50. Boot capacity is a generous 480 litres.

LED headlights are standard and get a notch at the centre to give a twin-lamp or "double-eye" appearance.

"This notch styling was actually inspired by the headlights of the old E46 3 Series which had somehow been forgotten.

"We have brought back this notch styling and refreshed it into a new design element," Kezha said.

The trademark BMW Hofmeister kink at the trailing end of the rear doors have been repositioned on the C-pillars so the edge of the rear door quarter windows are frameless.

Meanwhile, a thicker and more expressive single chrome surround is used to encase the now larger BMW kidney grille elements.

The grille is the active-type which means it's slats will remained closed for better aerodynamics and open only when additional cooling is required by the car.

Drag coefficient in the new 3 Series has also been reduced from the previous generation's 0.26Cd to 0.23Cd, allowing for improved fuel efficiency and reduced wind noise.

To further reduce noise intrusion into the cabin, A-pillars are foam-filled and acoustic glass for the windscreen is standard.

The front doors can also be fitted with acoustic glass as an option if you want the cabin to be as quiet as a luxury E-segment car.

The interior feels more luxurious than before with high quality leather, premium trimmings and a large free-standing high resolution centre display.

The sporting flair is retained with the dashboard slightly angled towards the driver for a cockpit-like feel.
Instrument panel is completely electronic and can be configured to display navigation guidance and other information.

The new 3 Series also features a newly developed suspension system that continuously adjust damper firmness progressively according to driving and road conditions.

330i M Sport

Our first car, the 330i M Sport, comes with a 2.0-litre inline-4 cylinder engine delivering 258hp and 400Nm of torque.

The exhaust note is muted with the engine at idle but growled to life when the car started moving.

The 330i M Sport picks up pace rapidly and can reach 100kph from standstill in 5.8 seconds.

Drive the 330i M Sport sedately and the car responds by providing a relaxed ride and quiet cabin.

Despite large 225/40/R19 tyres, ride is surprisingly comfortable even when we were driving on rough country roads outside Faro town.

Even with a comfortable ride, the 3 Series still remains firm with minimal body roll when cornering.

Though LED headlights are standard fitment, they can be upgraded to BMW Laserlight, which has almost double the illumination range at 530m.

The 330i M Sport also features the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant that can be activated by saying the prompt sentence “Hey BMW” if which the 3 Series would reply by asking what the user wanted.

Helpful in setting navigation and setting certain car functions or accessing infotaintment using voice-control, the system can understand 23 languages.

Unlike other car manufacturers, which do not permit the prompt sentence to be changed, BMW's system allows it.

Our entertainment system is the upgraded Harmon Kardon surround sound with 16 speakers that has a crisp and clear delivery.

320d Sport Line

Instead of large side air scoops on the 330i M Sport, the 320d Sport Line has a more elegant-looking T-shaped air vents at the both sides of the front and rear bumpers.

Pushing out less power at 190hp (-68hp) but having the same maximum torque of 400Nm with the 330i M Sport, the 2.0-litre turbodiesel 320d Sport Line delivers a low- to mid-speed performance that is close to the 330i M Sport's.

However, with a subdued exhaust note, the 320d Sport Line's aural excitement falls behind.

Handling dynamics of the 320d Sport Line is similar to the 330i M Sport's but ride comfort in the turbodiesel variant is a tad better as it uses 225/45/R18 tyres.

We also tried out the Driving Assistant Professional, a semi-autonomous driving system that uses a trifocal camera and radar combination.

With the semi-autonomous system on, we found that the 320d Sport Line was able to keep itself within its lane much better compared with similar systems we had tried in other car brands.

In sharper bends where other the semi-autonomous system of other car brands would had been overwhelmed and alerted for driver intervention, the 320d Sport Line's system continues to steer on without any fuss.

The head-up display on the 320d also delivers a greater wealth of driving information compared with its rivals while the 360 degree view camera with Parking Assistant Plus makes parking easy.

The innovative Reverse Assistant, meanwhile, can reverse the 3 Series out of tight spaces by autonomously steering the exact path used by the car getting in earlier.

M340i xDrive

Featuring the most powerful engine of the three variants, the M340i's 3.0-litre in-line turbocharged engine delivers a mouth-watering 374hp and 500Nm of torque.

The M340i allocated to us was camouflaged and the visible key difference was the kidney grille, now sporting a mesh design instead of vertical louvres in the 330i M Sport and 320d Sport Line.

We jumped at the chance to check out the M340i's ultra sporty credentials on the 4.9km long Algarve International Circuit, which features 15 turns.

While the low rumble exhaust note of the 330i M SPort was satisfying enough, the M340i's was a few levels more intoxicating and enriching.

BMW claims the M340i has a 0-100kph sprint time of 4.4 seconds, which is 0.5 second quicker than the fastest outgoing F30 variant.

Floor the throttle and the M340i screams and hurls itself forward immediately without hesitation.

The all-wheel xDrive system has been configured to deliver more power to the rear wheels by default for a more rear-wheel drive sensation but the amount of power to the front and rear axles can be intelligently varied by the car according to performance requirements.

With a lowered ride height and M Sport suspension fitted, sharp corners can be charged into at high speeds with minimal body roll.

With plenty of grip plowed onto the tarmac, it was not easy to get the M340i to lose its composure even with Dynamic Stability Control switched off.

The variable sport steering is pin-sharp but feels little more taut compared to those in the other two variants.

Also, the M Sport Brakes are progressive but can bite hard to slow down the M340i quickly.

Bottom line

Some 15 million units of the 3 Series have been sold since the first generation E21 model rolled out in 1975.

The latest 3 Series raises the bar for the sports sedan segment in performance, driving joy and interior refinement.

The G20 line-up will be launched locally this Thursday at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, Kuala Lumpur. Specifications and prices will be announced then.


Consumer Reports to retest Tesla Model 3 after brake fix

                NEW YORK: Consumer Reports said Tuesday it will retest brakes on Tesla Inc’s new Model 3 sedans after chief executive Elon Musk promised a software update, but the potential hit to sales from the magazine’s negative review weighed on Tesla shares.

A review by the influential magazine on Monday said the car, despite many positives, had “big flaws,” including braking slower than a full-sized pickup truck. That criticism adds to headaches for Musk, already facing pressure over a series of crashes, production issues, and the company’s finances.

“If Tesla can update the brakes over the air - an industry first - we’d be happy to retest our Model 3,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ director of automotive testing.

In mass-market, mid-sized cars, vehicles recommended by Consumer Reports account for over 80 percent of the category’s sales volume, Barclays analyst Brian Johnson wrote in a client note.

Musk in a tweet late on Monday acknowledged the brake issue and said that the magazine’s tests had used two early versions of the car before improvements had been made.

“Looks like this can be fixed with a firmware update,” Musk tweeted, saying Tesla aimed to roll out a solution a few days. “With further refinement, we can improve braking distance beyond initial specs.”

Musk said he would ask Consumer Reports to retest using a more recently built car.

The Silicon Valley company uses so-called “over-the-air updates” (OTAs) to send software fixes and improvements to its cars.

Tesla stock, down more than US$100 a share since September, fell 3.3 percent to US$275.01 on Tuesday. The shares had finished almost 3 percent higher on Monday, helped by news of plans to deliver higher-priced, more profitable versions of the Model 3.

The Model 3 began production in July, but the roll-out has been hampered by production bottlenecks. The company now plans to build 5,000 vehicles per week by the end of June.

Musk said the variability in stopping distance was due to a braking system calibration algorithm and could indicate some Model 3s took longer to stop than others.

“If so, we will address this at our expense. May just be a question of firmware tuning, in which case can be solved by an OTA software update.”

Tesla has had a fraught relationship with Consumer Reports in the past. A year ago, the magazine pulled its top ranking for Tesla’s flagship Model S sedan due to the automaker’s failure to install an emergency braking feature, but later reinstated it after Tesla performed an OTA to add that feature.

The magazine also did not recommend Tesla’s Model X SUV, calling it “more showy than practical.”


MCO: Roadblocks nationwide to begin at midnight

                KUALA LUMPUR: The public will once again face roadblocks set up by the police, as was implemented on March 18 last year, following the implementation of the movement control order which begins at 12.01 am tomorrow.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said roadblocks this time would be more stringent, with police personnel assisted by members of the armed forces to ensure compliance.

"Roadblocks will return as before, and now, they will be in all areas, including those under the recovery movement control order and the conditional movement control order.

"Although the MAF (Malaysian Armed Forces) has similar powers to the police (to impose roadblocks if necessary) under the new emergency ordinance, but we (MAF) have agreed that we will only help," said Ismail Sabri, who is also Defence Minister.

In SELANGOR, the North Klang District Police will conduct three roadblocks, and close four roads.

North Klang District Police chief ACP Nurulhuda Mohd Salleh said the three roadblocks were - at the North Klang Valley Expressway in front of the AEON Bukit Raja Shopping Mall; Bukit Raja Toll Plaza (heading from Klang to Shah Alam) and Batu 10 Jalan Kapar (from Kuala Selangor to Klang).

In JOHOR, state chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said a total 51 roadblocks would be set up throughout the state involving the deployment of 1,040 police personnel, adding that the enforcement of standard operating procedures during the MCO would also be intensified.

In PERAK, state police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said 16 roadblocks would be set up at the state’s borders from midnight, and 352 SOP compliance monitoring teams would be deployed throughout the state to ensure compliance with the CMCO.

Meanwhile, in PENANG, state police chief Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan said 39 roadblocks would be carried out involving 1,142 policemen, soldiers, as well as members of the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force throughout the implementation of the MCO in the state.

"Apart from conducting inspections at the roadblocks, monitoring would also be done at premises, including tourist and recreation areas," he said.

In TAWAU, Sabah, the police will implement nine roadblocks, with its district police chief ACP Peter Umbuas reminding the public not to leave the house without a valid reason.

He said the roadblocks would be held at Kilometre 50 Check Point; Jalan Tiku; Batu 2 1/2 Jalan Apas; Jalan Kuhara; Jalan Tawau Lama; Jalan Tanjung Batu; Jalan Utara; Jambatan Putih intersection; and Road Chek Point (RCP) at Jalan Kalabakan.

In TERENGGANU, state police chief Datuk Roslee Chik said five roadblocks, including at the state’s borders, would be carried out under the CMCO.

"We have 544 personnel to conduct roadblocks and patrols in all the places, including village areas. I really hope all parties can understand the purpose of these restrictions and abide by the SOPs that have been set," he said, adding that the roadblocks would be located in Kemaman (Perasing Rest and Recuperation (R&R) area, Paya Berenjut and Tol Cheneh) and Besut (Pachakan and Tok Saboh).

In PAHANG, state police chief Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan said there was a sufficient number of personnel to carry out the roadblocks even though many were already serving on the field due to the floods that have hit nine districts in the state.

He said control at the state border would also be intensified, with roadblocks expected at over 20 areas.

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, a total of 17 roadblocks will be implemented, including in Lubok China/Melaka, Sungai Lui/Pahang, Tampin/Melaka and Port Dickson/Sepang, as well as at the toll plaza exit and entry from the North-South Expressway (PLUS) at Pedas, Seremban/Labu toll, Nilai/PLUS toll, Pajam/Mantin toll and Setul/Lekas ??toll.

Negeri Sembilan Police chief Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop said 150 police personnel would be assigned to control the entry and exit routes to the state with the assistance of 140 MAF personnel, as well as 60 Rela members.


Your connected car knows you. The tussle for that data's hitting high gear

                LONDON: Where you go. What you pass. Where you stop. What you listen to. What you watch. Your good habits. Your bad habits.

Companies in Europe and beyond are vying for control of the crown jewels of the connected car era: your vehicle's data.

The contest is entering a pivotal phase as EU regulators look to hammer out the world's first laws for the ballooning industry around web-enabled vehicles, pitting carmakers against a coalition of insurers, leasing companies and repair shops.

European Commission sources said the EU executive should launch an industry consultation on in-vehicle data this week which could lead to legislation later this year - the first of its kind globally.

Many companies view data as the gold of the new wired world, though for some it's more akin to air or water.

"If you don't have access to data in the future, eventually you'll be squeezed out," says Tim Albertsen, CEO of ALD , Societe Generale's car leasing division, which commands millions of vehicles.

"You'll not be efficient, you'll not have the right services, you just can't operate at the end of the day."

Car manufacturers, guarding their gatekeeper role in accessing data from their vehicles, have resisted specific regulations for in-vehicle data, saying that protecting consumers is paramount.

"Europe's auto industry is committed to giving access to the data generated by the vehicles it produces," said a spokesman for the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

"However, uncontrolled access to in-vehicle data poses major safety, (cyber) security, data protection and privacy threats."

Yet the companies lined up against them say limiting or charging what they deem unfair amounts for access to in-vehicle data could kill off competition for carmakers who already operate their own leasing firms, car subscription services and repair shops.

In some cases, they say carmakers are already restricting access to vehicle data and charging independent repair shops more for access.

"The manufacturers are in direct contact with the vehicle, so they get all the data," says Sylvia Gotzen, CEO of the International Federation of Automotive Aftermarket Distributors, or FIGIEFA, which is part of a broader alliance of repair shops and parts makers that employs 3.5 million people in Europe.

"They get the full buffet and all we get is some crumbs."

Carmakers: we share data

Vehicle manufacturers have big plans for data.

For example Stellantis, the world's No. 4 carmaker, expects to generate €20 billion (RM92bil) annually by 2030 from software products and subscription services.

Such offerings are also central to General Motors' plan to double annual revenue to around US$280 billion (RM1.1bil).

Volkswagen said data is becoming the "key source of value creation and innovation", adding that customers have "full control" over it, citing vehicle security and customer sovereignty as its main focuses.

BMW rejected suggestions it was withholding data.

The German company said it can share nearly 100 data points with third parties if drivers requested it and could make more available if companies prove a real business need for them and a willingness to take responsibility for cybersecurity risks.

Auto supplier groups like FIGIEFA say carmakers can access thousands of data points.

A BMW spokesman said the carmaker would like all sides to sit down with a mediator such as the European Commission and hammer out a list of data points that is acceptable to everyone.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares told reporters on Friday that the carmaker aggregated data, which cost money, and so needed to be paid for it.

He cited, as an example, data that Stellantis sells to cities to measure how often anti-lock braking systems are engaged at junctions and gauge which are the most dangerous.

"It is not only collecting the data, it is also about crunching the data in a way that is going to create value for somebody willing to pay for it," Tavares said.

'Data is absolutely key'

Yet other companies in the auto ecosystem, such as ALD, say they want the European Union to ensure a level playing field

ALD, in the process of buying Dutch rival LeasePlan to give it a combined fleet of 3.5 million vehicles, has a car-sharing platform that needs to run diagnostics, read the odometer, check the fuel gauge and switch cars between users. read more

It also offers an insurance product that lowers your premium based on good driving behaviour - monitoring how you accelerate and brake.

"Access to data is absolutely key for us to provide the services we do today," CEO Albertsen said.

To extract car data, ALD plugs a wireless "dongle" into the vehicle that transmits information to an in-house developed platform that it pays U.S. startup Vinli to operate. Carmakers running similar services get that data directly, putting ALD at a competitive disadvantage, Albertsen said.

Stellantis, for instance, offers car sharing and rentals through its Free2Move unit. Volkswagen could take over rental company Europcar to take advantage of car sharing and subscription services.

And most major carmakers have their own leasing units, like BMW's Alphabet and Mercedes-Benz's Athlon.

ALD's Albertsen said major fleet customers were willing to pay for the data but that he wanted regulations to ensure ALD's car-sharing unit paid the same as, for instance, Stellantis charges its own Free2Move division.

Risks for repair shops

Insurers and car repair shops say it is paramount that the EU let drivers choose who accesses their vehicles' data.

"There is a need to regulate this, as you cannot leave this in the hands of car manufacturers," said Nicolas Jeanmart, industry group Insurance Europe's head of personal and general insurance. "It should be for each driver to decide what they want to do with their data."

FIGIEFA's Gotzen said that would allow car owners to link their preferred repair shop to their car and have it run remote diagnostics if they had car trouble, instead of relying solely on the manufacturer's recommendations.

"All of this is technically possible now, but we are hampered because car manufacturers prevent us from doing this," she said.

She said FIGIEFA's members are willing to adopt carmakers' cybersecurity processes and requirements, but added cybersecurity could serve as an excuse for carmakers to restrict access.

Richard Knubben, deputy director general of Leaseurope, which represents Europe's leasing and car rental firms, said the longer the EU took to legislate car data, the more independent repair shops are at risk of going out of business because they lack access to it.

"By the time we get legislation we may already be stuck with an imbalance that we can't fix anymore," Knubben said.


Man wins Honda City and 10 years' supply of Goodyear tyres

From left: Shamsuddin and son with Chee

KUALA LUMPUR: Out of almost 4,000 entries for Goodyear Malaysia's 2019 Ramadhan Raya Promo campaign, a lucky winner took home the Grand Prize.

The campaign, held from May 1 to June 30, selected Shamsuddin bin Abdul Jalil as the lucky person to take home a new Honda City and a 10-year supply of Goodyear tyres after purchasing a set of Goodyear Assurance TripleMax 2 tyres.

"This is the time I have won a brand-new car through a contest. I still can't believe it and cannot thank Goodyear enough for this, it is good to know that my practice of replacing worn tyres to Good Year's Assurance TripleMax 2 during the festive holidays paid

The campaign's concept was conceptualised in order to advocate being safe on the roads by replacing worn tyres with new reputable tyres, particularly when driving long distances during celebratory seasons.

This echoes the concern of the Ministry of Works has for road safety, after releasing its findings that showed up to 10,000 accidents occur on the roads due to rethreaded tyres.

"The importance of car safety and tyre health cannot be downplayed. For this reason, we have made it our global commitment to encourage being safe on the road by closely monitoring the state of your tyres," said Goodyear Malaysia sales director Chee Lip Choon.


Meals at the wheel: How to snack safely while driving — if you must

                BERLIN: There are probably safer ways to eat than while steering a speeding car on a highway. But sometimes you just can't wait until the next stop.

In that case, make sure you have the right snacks and another person by your side.

Traffic safety expert Julia Fohmann warns against having a real meal behind the steering wheel. Refrain from eating a burger, for example, because "cheese and sauce dripping onto your lap will only distract you," the expert says.

If you absolutely have to eat something, little snacks are a better option while not entirely unproblematic either. If you have to fight with the packaging of a chocolate bar, for example, this means you will stop focusing on traffic. Instead, ask the front passenger to open it for you.

Another problem that arises when eating while driving is that you only have one hand on the steering wheel. In case of a tricky situation, it will take precious time to get hold of it again. And it's often those couple of seconds which are decisive, Fohmann says.

She generally recommends not to eat at all while driving. But if you don't make it till the next stop, have your front passenger help you out.


Volvo partners Waymo for fully self-driving tech

                GOTHENBURG: Volvo Car Group - together with Polestar and Lynk & Co. International is establishing a strategic partnership with fully self-driving technology development leader Waymo.

“Fully autonomous vehicles have the potential to improve road safety to previously unseen levels and to revolutionize the way people live, work and travel,” said Volvo Car Group chief technology officer Henrik Green.

Waymo is the exclusive Level 4 (L4) partner for Volvo Car Group and the companies will now look to integrating Waymo’s fully self-driving technology (Waymo Driver) into an all-new mobility-focused electric vehicle platform for ride-hailing services.

Level 4 vehicles have the ability to intervene if it senses the possibility of an accident or if there is a system failure and in most instances do not require human interaction.

“This key partnership with Volvo Car Group helps pave the path to the deployment of the Waymo Driver abroad in years to come, and represents an important milestone in the highly competitive autonomous vehicle industry,” said Waymo chief automotive officer Adam Frost.


Czech 'GyroDrive' beats flying cars for hybrid licence

Brezina (left) flies with his autogyro at the airport near Pribram city in the Czech Republic.—  All images by AFP
PRAGUE: As global automakers compete to bring the first flying car to market, Czech pilot Pavel Brezina is trying a different tack: instead of creating a car that flies, he has made a "GyroDrive" — a mini helicopter you can drive.

The engineer and owner of Nirvana Systems, a company producing motors for small flying machines, insists his vehicle is the first in the world authorised to operate both on roads and in the air.

"This is the only road certified flying vehicle I know about," Brezina said in a hangar at the Prerov-Bochor airport in the eastern Czech Republic.

"Everyone is trying to make a high-speed car that can fly, but this is a different thing," said the tall, bespectacled 51-year-old, who has 30 years' experience as a pilot under his belt.

His GyroDrive vehicle is based on a gyroplane — a mini-helicopter — that uses a copter-style rotor to move up and down, and an aeroplane-type "pusher propeller" to go forward.

Brezina's company buys gyroplane kits from a German firm, and then assembles and equips them with a system allowing the pilot-driver to switch between a petrol engine propelling the rotors and an electric engine that drives the wheels.

The two-seat GyroDrive has a maximum driving speed of just 40kph and can take its crew of two on short drives to a petrol station or a hotel.

It needs less than 100 metres to take off and reaches a top speed of 180kph in the air. Its flying range is 600km.

After landing, the pilot only has to fix the main rotor blades along the axis of the GyroDrive and pull out a built-in licence plate to transform it into a road vehicle.

Prices start at 1.5 million koruna (RM274,000), but they can reach four million koruna, depending on specifications.

While Brezina is already planning to take his wife — also a pilot — and two children to London aboard GyroDrives, inventors worldwide are frantically working on prototypes of cars that fly.

In neighbouring Slovakia, the AeroMobil company says it has received dozens of orders from customers for a flying car expected to hit the market in 2020.

"We want to build a vehicle that will not only be able to fly and drive but also fulfil each technical and legal requirement," said AeroMobil CEO Juraj Vaculik, touting "a robust testing programme".

He said AeroMobil initially plans to produce 500 units of its winged car, which uses a turbo propeller to get off the ground.

The AeroMobil is expected to reach a top ground speed of 160kph and up to 360kph in the air, with a flying and driving range of some 700km.

In mid-May, Japan's Toyota also unveiled plans to launch a three-wheel flying car dubbed SkyDrive using retractable wings and drone technology.

The vehicle is expected to have a top flight speed of around 100kph, hovering around 10 metres off the ground. It will have a top land speed around 150kph.

Silicon Valley flying car startup, Kitty Hawk, reportedly backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, released a video in April of its airborne prototype and announced plans for deliveries of a "personal flying machine" this year.

Other firms, including ride-sharing service Uber, also have soaring ambitions for their flying car prototypes.

Brezina got the licence plates for his GyroDrive in March, three years after starting the project.

For his first trip, he flew some 230km west to an airport on the outskirts of Prague, then drove downtown to have a cup of coffee in the Czech capital's central Wenceslas Square — and got stopped by the police on the way.

"Well, if you saw this driving through Prague, wouldn't you stop it? I would," chuckles Brezina, adding the police merely checked his papers and did a breathalyser test.

Brezina said he has already been safely flying gyroplanes all over Europe and beyond for the last seven years with a group of friends.

"I would liken it to a group of motorbikers, this is actually a 3D motorbike. We also travel to other continents where we rent gyroplanes," he said.

Looking into the future, Brezina said he doubts GyroDrive will take over roads and airways.

"First, it requires a set of certain qualities to become a gyroplane pilot, and second, it's not just about pushing a button. I think it will spread, but not on a mass scale."

Co-financed by the Slovak government, AeroMobil will not be everyone's flying car either because of its eyewatering price tag of 1.2-1.5 million euros (from RM5.8mil) per unit.

It will rather serve as "some kind of a flying Uber service," Vaculik said.

"Our concept is that not many people would own this flying car but many will be able to use it," he added.


Great Wall Motor says rival BYD failing on hybrid emissions

                SHANGHAI/BEIJING: Great Wall Motor has filed a report with China's regulators against BYD , it said on Thursday, claiming its rival's two top-selling hybrid models did not meet emissions standards and triggering a rare public spat.

BYD rejected the claim, saying its vehicles met China's emission standards and that it reserved the right to take legal action against Great Wall.

The public accusation from Hebei-based Great Wall - China's first listed car maker - has thrown it into an unusual, open fight with BYD, the country's largest and most successful maker of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that has emerged as a rival to Tesla.

On its WeChat account, Great Wall Motor said it had submitted documents on April 11 to China's ecology and environment ministry, the industry and information ministry and the top market regulator alleging that BYD failed to meet pollutant emissions standards in two plug-in hybrid models.

The three government agencies did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

"We firmly oppose any kind of unfair competitive behaviour and reserve the right to sue," BYD said in a statement.

Great Wall Motor accused BYD of using non-pressurised fuel tanks in its Qin Plus and Song Plus plug-in hybrids, which let the liquid inside evaporate more rapidly than it would in pressurised tanks.

The Song is BYD's best-selling SUV. The Qin is the company's best-selling sedan.

Great Wall did not provide evidence for its claim and did not explain why any issue had not been detected by regulators before.

Fuel tank pressure is an issue for plug-in hybrids because they are designed to run on electric power alone at times, meaning gasoline remains in the tank longer than it would for a normal internal combustion-engine vehicle.

Pressurised tanks, which are widely used in hybrids and plug-in hybrids, are designed to limit the evaporation of gasoline and meet regulatory standards for the gasoline fumes vehicles emit.

In its statement, BYD said Great Wall's testing was invalid. It said Great Wall appeared to have bought BYD vehicles and run its own tests without the third-party inspection and based on longer test distances required by China's regulations.

BYD, which is backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, said it welcomed a regulatory review.

"We hope everyone will act in a way that is beneficial to the industry and Chinese brands," BYD said. "The development of the new energy (vehicle) business has not been easy."

BYD has faced scrutiny over fire risks linked to the batteries in its vehicles. Last year, the automaker expanded a recall of another plug-in hybrid model, the Tang DM, after finding a risk water could get inside the battery pack.


BlackPink Malaysian concert tour tickets up for grabs at Petron

                KUALA LUMPUR: Petron Malaysia is giving away concert tickets worth over RM45,000 to the much anticipated BlackPink World Tour [Born Pink] Kuala Lumpur Concert happening this March 4 with its “Collect and Win Contest”.

This contest is open to all registered Petron Miles (P-Miles) members.

To join, they must log into the Petron Mobile App and redeem an e-voucher for 50 P-Miles points.

They will be eligible to win a pair of tickets once they accumulate a minimum of 300 P-Miles points from petrol purchases.

A total of 30 pairs of tickets are up for grabs.

New P-Miles members will automatically earn 100 P-Miles points upon account activation of their new account while existing P-Miles members can earn 100 P-Miles points when referring or sharing the referral code with non-members.

Details about the contest, which will run from till Feb 26, will be posted on Petron’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter page, and the Petron Miles website.

Petron head of retail business Shaliza Mohd Sidek said the company places priority on its customers to deliver the 'Fuel Happy' experience.

“We believe in engaging our customers with exciting and innovative programs, building trust, and strengthening our long-term relationship. I hope this concert will mark a renewed energy and kick start the new year with a bang,” said Shaliza.

On the day of the concert, P-Miles members can participate in games and activities at the Petron booth to win exclusive merchandise such as t-shirts, hand fans, concert posters, and many more.

For more contest information, visit Petron’s Facebook and Instagram Page or Petron Miles website www.petronmiles.com.my.


Michelin Malaysia starts free tyre check campaign

                KUALA LUMPUR: From May 3 till 29, 2019 at petrol stations and hypermarkets, Michelin Malaysia is providing free tyre checks in a Safe on The Road (MSOR) campaign.

The campaign involves a Michelin Truck team that provides in-truck road safety education as well as free tyre checks including air pressure, tread wear and overall tyre condition.

Michelin consultants will be on site from 11am to 8pm to evaluate the condition of the tyres and provide valuable advice on how to prolong the lifespan of the tyres.

Participating motorists will also get car service vouchers with free Petron card worth RM50 when they spend at Michelin Expert Centres.

The campaign kicked off at The Waterfront at Desa Park City, Kuala Lumpur today.

"Safety is synonymous with Michelin. This is an important aspect of our societal commitment, whether by providing tyres with uncompromising quality or relentlessly initiating road safety programmes. Malaysia recorded its highest number of road accidents ever last year and this urgently calls for a greater road safety awareness. As the festive season approaches, the Michelin Truck will go from place to place to remind the public that tyres, being the first line of defence on the road, are key to ensuring their own safety during their journey," said Michelin Malaysis commercial director (for B2B) Muhammad Arya Subrata.

Last year, Michelin conducted 1,100 tyre checks at more than 26 locations nationwide.

This year, with the support ofpartners Petron and Tesco as well as Aeon Big, the MSOR campaign will expand to more locations in Peninsular Malaysia.

The Michelin MSOR campaign locations and dates are below:


How Ford ensures its cars are spider-free zones

A team of Ford engineers, including (from left) David Gimby, Arman Sahota, and William Euliss, developed an innovative spider screen to keep spiders from nesting in Ford vehicles, like the new Ford Focus. The spider screen feature will go global with launch of the all-new 2016 Ford Focus RS next year.

DETROIT: It turns out that as well as catching flies, evoking fear in the arachnophobic and taking supporting roles in thousands of horror films, spiders are also huge car fans.

Unfortunately, this predilection for automobiles as a place where they can stretch out their legs and even think about raising a family can be a huge problem, especially when the spider in question is of the yellow sac variety.

Common across North America they have a habit of making cars their homes and blocking air and fuel vents as a result due to the density and cocoon-like nature of the webs they spin. This can potentially lead to mechanical failure.

"These particular Arachnids are not sedentary -- they are hunters and constantly roaming," David Gimby, Ford fuel systems engineer explained. "When it's time to build a birthing cocoon or an over-winter cocoon, they seek a cavity or a depression, like a fuel vapour line opening, which allows them to maximize the use of their silk."

It's a serious enough problem that Ford decided to take action. Gimby - who has no formal zoological or entomological background - decided to devote himself to studying the yellow sac's habits and trying to devise a way of preventing them from damaging engines. Beginning his studies in 1999, by 2004 he'd developed Ford's first Spider Screen for its North American models.

"We studied these species to discern how they nest, then designed an effective device for excluding the larger, problematic spiders from nesting in our cars," he says.

However, the Ford Spider Screen has now been completely overhauled and is about to go global. The first car to feature the technology that will be sold beyond US borders will be the Focus RS hot hatchback.

Blocking vapour lines stops air and vapour circulating properly this can impact on an engine's efficiency but also means that vapours that should be captured by the car's filters escape into the environment instead.

Keeping fuel vapour lines clear is key to air and vapour circulation for a vehicle's carbon canister, where fuel vapours are captured so they don't enter the environment. The Ford-developed spider screen keeps spiders out of the line, but allows air and vapour flow for optimal vehicle operation.


Syndicate preying on luxury car owners for prized auto parts

Shafa’aton (right) inspecting some of the automotive components and half-cut vehicles after police crippled a syndicate involved in fraudulent disposal of stolen vehicles. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
SUNGAI BULOH: A syndicate preyed on vehicle owners desperate to get rid of luxury vehicles with high maintenance bills.

They would offer to sell the vehicles off for the owners but halfway through the process, they would claim that the vehicle had been stolen.

They would then advise the owner to lodge a false police report, and would cannibalise the vehicle for parts which would then be sold in the local market.

Sungai Buloh OCPD Supt Shafa’aton Abu Bakar said they were alerted after receiving a report from a 56-year-old man claiming his Audi Q7 was stolen outside a bank at Bandar Rahman Putra Sungai Buloh on Sept 1.

“We investigated and found that no such theft had occurred and the complainant had handed over the vehicle to a third party to be sold.

“The third party informed him that the vehicle had been stolen and told him to lodge a police report in order to make insurance claims,” she said, adding that the owner was not aware that the car was never stolen.

She said a police team then launched a series of raids in Rawang, Setapak, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur between Sept 10 and Sept 16.

“We arrested 13 men aged between 22 and 55 including a Sri Lankan.

“When we raided a vehicle half-cut warehouse at Melaka Tengah, we seized 13 vehicle components which belonged to stolen vehicles,” she said, adding that they also  recovered engines for six cars including a Toyota Vios, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Vellfire and Mazda CX9.

She said the vehicles were connected to cases in Selangor (five cases), Kuala Lumpur (three cases) and Melaka (two cases).

“Investigations revealed the syndicate was led by a 44-year-old suspect who had a prior record for vehicle theft.

“The syndicate has been active since 2014 and has been connected with vehicle thefts and fraudulent vehicle disposal amounting to RM1.3mil,” she said, adding that the suspects have been remanded to assist in further investigations.


Ford hikes price of cheapest F-150 electric truck variant to nearly US$56,000

                DETROIT: Ford Motor Co has raised the price of the cheapest variant of its F-150 Lightning electric truck by 9% to US$55,974 (RM248,000), the company's website showed on Thursday.

The automaker has raised prices for its electric pickup trucks twice in a span of three months, as it navigates higher costs and supply chain snags.

Automakers across the globe, including Tesla Inc and Rivian Automotive Inc are also struggling with higher prices of raw materials such as lithium and have warned that high costs were here to stay.

Ford, which has previously said it was targeting annual production of 150,000 Lightning pickups by the fall of 2023, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment on the price hike.

It was, however, not immediately clear when the price hike occurred.

The move comes on the heels of the automaker adding a third work crew at an assembly plant near Detroit as it boosts production of its F-150 trucks.


Isuzu D-Max tried

The latest Isuzu D-Max has obviously made a good impact since making its entry into the market last year, winning awards and more importantly, driving up sales numbers.

The clamour for more of the new D-Max had not gone unheard and Isuzu Malaysia felt that the time was ripe to introduce a bigger engine displacement alternative.This is the 3.0L model that is promoted as the V-Cross and which is heightened further in appeal with the Safari edition and its premium features.The V-Cross Safari comes with Italian leather seats, enhanced with orange stitching and dedicated logo on the seatback; chunky matte grey bumper guard, door cladding and side steps; matte black roof rails; dark grey alloy wheels; aero spoilers at the rear and a lockable V-lid for the rear wagon.For the V-Cross 3.0, there is no discernible difference with the D-Max 2.5 in body styling, but the former comes with its special colours: there are four to choose from – Cosmic Black Mica, Garnet Red Mica, Titanium Silver Metallic and Splash White – while the Safari is available with a unique Venetian Orange Mica.As the V-Cross and Safari are brought in from Isuzu Thailand, the body colours differ slightly from the locally assembled 2.5L models.The paint selection at the Isuzu factory in Thailand is made to international market preferences while those applied at the Pekan plant in Pahang are formulated locally with slightly different tincture.The reason why the V-Cross and Safari are brought in from Thailand is because Isuzu Malaysia does not expect the 3.0L models to match the 2.5L in sales volume.It is also not cost effective to add a 3.0L variant to the local assembly line although the D-Max output is not at the maximum of its allotted capacity yet.Nevertheless, Isuzu’s market penetration had been strong and according to Isuzu Malaysia chief operating officer Daisuke Ishida, its share of the pick-up segment had grown steadily to about 11%. Another important note is that more than 70% of the V-Cross and Safari sales are expected to be made in Sabah and Sarawak, where the road tax is more conducive to vehicle ownership of higher diesel engine displacement, such as the 3.0L models.Bigger engine displacement pick-ups are also the preferred choice in those two states for the stronger grunt in taking to off-road terrain more effortlessly.Yes, pick-ups are really made to perform more off-road duties over there than they are over here, where off-roading is largely a leisure pursuit than for workhorse roles.The 3.0L engine in the V-Cross is a newly developed unit, sharing similar details with the new-generation 2.5L unit, the most significant of which is the Variable Geometry (turbo) System (VGS).With a bigger engine displacement, the output is higher, by more than 40PS at 177PS at 3,800rpm and 60Nm more torque at 380Nm that is available over the same engine rev range from 1,800rpm to 2,800.In fuel consumption, Ishida says the improvement over the previous 3.0L is more than 10% better fuel mileage while the difference to the new-generation 2.5L is less than 10%.The D-Max V-Cross is a part-time 4X4 pick-up: that means it runs in two-wheel drive mode for tarmac motoring and all four wheels can be engaged for off-roading with high and low ratios as per the difficulty of the terrain.Our sampling of the D-Max V-Cross 3.0 was in the Safari with five-speed automatic, complete with sequential manual shift mode: A five-speed manual transmission model is also available with the standard V-Cross model.The route from Petaling Jaya to Penang was all tarmac driving with about 30% of secondary road as we opted to take the highway rather than the secondary road course in the second leg.The extra oomph was clearly felt when we needed to overtake quickly on secondary roads as the V-Cross Safari picked up the speed quickly.With the maximum torque available early in the engine speed, power development with the variable geometry system built up strongly with matching gains in road speed.On the highway, the engine speed appeared almost similar to that of the D-Max 2.5 – at 110-120kph, the engine was turning leisurely at between 1,800rpm and 2,000rpm.This low engine speed cruising made for a quiet and relaxed drive and we hardly heard the engine except for the muted roar when we kicked down on the accelerator for some quick overtaking.Wind noise was also well subdued for a pick-up, which usually have higher wind resistance compared to cars.This had to do with good insulation around the doors and thick bushings at the suspension mounting points to reduce road roar picked up by the all-terrain tyres from coming through.Ride was generally good for a pick-up although the V-Cross Safari pitched noticeably when running over a series of road dips, displaying the rigid nature of the single leafspring rear suspension.Adding to the travel comfort is the automatic climate control with a single command centre on the central dashboard area, a new feature that is exclusive to the 3.0L models.Body roll was adequately checked for the winding stretches and we could carry a fair bit of speed through the milder corners.We couldn’t vouch for the extra grunt in off-road drives but we believe the higher torque should come in handy when tackling challenging terrain.For the peninsular, those who like the added flair and performance of the D-Max 3.0L variant might find these prices appealing: the V-Cross manual is priced at RM98,508.40 (on-the-road without insurance), the automatic is RM104,468.40 and the premium V-Cross Safari goes for RM115,208.40.SPECIFICATIONS
Isuzu D-Max V-Cross 3.0Engine: 2,999cc, Variable Geometry Turbo System, direct injection, common-rail, water-cooled inline 4-cylinderMaximum Power: 177PS at 3,800rpmMaximum Torque: 380Nm from 1,800-2,800rpmTransmission: Five-speed automatic with manual sequential shift mode or five-speed manualFeatures: Automatic Climate Control, Safari – premium Italian leather seats with orange stitching; chunky matte grey bumper guard, door cladding and side steps; sporty matte black roof rails; dark grey alloy wheels; aero rear spoilers and lockable lid for rear wagonWeight: 2,600kg (gross)


Ford Driving Skills for Life workshop heads to Sabah for the first time

                KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, announced that its global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) workshop will be heading to Sabah in November for the first time.

Open to all Malaysian with a valid driver's license, the workshop will be held from November 16 to 17 and is conducted for free with the aim of teaching drivers the necessary skills and practices to drive safely beyond what is taught in standard driver education programmes.

With limited seats, those interested can register at the Ford Kota Kinabalu showroom or call 088-425 355 for more information.

Conducted through a mix of classroom and practical training workshops with trained driving instructors.

The half-day two-part workshop consists of a theory course which will be held at the Ford Kota Kinabalu showroom, while the practical driving course will be conducted at Stadium Likas.

Each half-day session caters up to 30 participants and will feature the Ford Ranger-based models to teach drivers safe driving practices when driving a pickup truck.

For both days (Nov 16 and 17), morning sessions will be held from 8.30am to 1.00pm while afternoon sessions start from 1.00pm before ending at 6.00pm.

For more information about the Ford DSFL programme in Malaysia, log on to www.sdacford.com.my/news/promote-safe-driving.


Renault 'Favours the Bold' campaign kicks off with up to RM30,000 in savings

                KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Chong Euro Cars, the sole franchise holder for Renault vehicles in Malaysia, recently launched in 'Favours the Bold' campaign that offers up some attractive promotions as well as the chance to win some prizes.

“After all, fortune favours the bold as the saying goes. And what better time to get started than in the beginning of a new year,” said TC Euro Cars CEO Kuan Kim Luen.

From now until Mar 31, the campaign allows customers who purchase a Koleos sport utility vehicle in either 2WD or 4WD versions with prices starting from RM184,200 on-the-road with GST, to receive a free service and maintenance package worth RM6,850.

Budding owners of the turbocharged Captur crossover will save RM11,000 with its promotional price currently at RM98,000 and will include the 5-in-Captur aftersales service that's worth RM4,906.

The 5-in-Captur provides service and maintenance (parts and labour) for five years or up to 100,000km (whichever comes first) and complimentary 24-hour roadside assistance (Only for those who purchase their insurance under Tan Chong Insurance Business Stream).

There's also pick-up and delivery during a scheduled maintenance service at Renault service centres and mobility service of replacement car in the event any part is not available for over 48 hours (subject to availability).

For those looking to get the Fluence Dynamique, it now costs RM30,000 less to purchase at RM89,888.

But for customers who purchase any Renault vehcile from now until June 30, a lucky winner will stand a chance to drive away a fully-electric Renault Twizy
that's worth RM86,800.

Additionally, there are also nine holiday prizes from Mayflower Holidays worth a total of RM13,500 up for grabs and the Winners will be determined every two months from a draw during the campaign period.

The winner of the Twizy will be decided in July after the campaign ends.

Exclusive Renault merchandise will also be given away for each purchase as well as upon completion of test drives.

“Driving a Renault is more than getting from point A to B. It is about making a statement; always standing out and feeling bold when exploring life in a Renault. The cars are trendy and modern in their exterior styling. And they are equally exceptional in reliability, performance, comfort and safety, ensuring good value for money for customers,” said Kuan.

All Renault vehicles come with a five-year full manufacturer’s (Renault) warranty.


BMW joins Volkswagen in race for solid-state batteries

                MUNICH: BMW AG will build a prototype of a solid-state battery car before 2025, joining an accelerating race for a technology that promises to boost the power and range of electric vehicles.

The automaker said its researchers are working "intensively” on solid state batteries, calling cell storage the central plank of its electric vehicle shift.

The pledge will see BMW take on Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corp. and other major manufacturers in a fight to get the nascent system in vehicles over the coming years.

"By the end of the decade, we will have an automotive-grade solid state battery for use in our car series,” BMW development chief Frank Weber said at an event here.

The lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles currently on sale have a liquid electrolyte between the anode and cathode. Solid state batteries would swap the liquid for a solid, improving performance and safety.

"They can add range, slash charging time and eliminate the fire risk,” said BNEF energy storage analyst Cecilia L’Ecluse in a report published Monday. "That is a very big deal.”

BNEF forecasts solid-state battery costs will fall as the industry scales up over the next 15 years.


Former Tata Sons chair Cyrus Mistry dies in road accident

Mistry was the sixth chairman of the Tata group. — Reuters

MUMBAI: Cyrus Mistry, the 54-year-old former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons, died in a road accident near financial capital Mumbai today, Indian police said.

Mistry was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the US$300-billion salt-to-software Tata conglomerate, in a boardroom coup in 2016, sparking a long-drawn-out legal tussle on which India's top court eventually ruled in Tata Group's favour.

Tata Sons also has interests in the automotive segment and controls Tata Motors that owns the luxury Jaguar and Land Rover brands.

The accident took place in Palghar, located about 100km north of here, this afternoon. Mistry was travelling to Mumbai from Gujarat with three others, B. Patil, the top police official in Palghar district, said.

A senior Mumbai police official said the car in which Mistry was travelling had rammed into a divider, and that he had died at the accident site.

Several prominent politicians and industrialists tweeted their condolences after news of Mistry's passing was reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Mistry's demise untimely and shocking.

"He was a promising business leader who believed in India's economic prowess. His passing away is a big loss to the world of commerce and industry," Modi tweeted.

Mistry's family and Tata Sons did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Mistry was the sixth chairman of the Tata group, a conglomerate started over 150 years ago, and the second not named Tata. He was the brother-in-law of Noel Tata, half-brother of Mistry's predecessor as chair Ratan Tata.

Mistry's grandfather first bought shares in Tata Sons in the 1930s. The Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Group, founded by Mistry's father, currently holds a near 18% stake, making it the largest single shareholder in a firm mostly controlled by trusts.

The decades-long relationship between SP Group, one of the country's largest construction firms, and Tata Group was strained following his sacking, and SP Group has since been looking to "separate its interests" from Tata Sons.

Fund managers Reuters spoke to at the time of Mistry's appointment described him as little-known in business circles.

A graduate in civil engineering from London's Imperial College and in management from the London Business School, Mistry described himself as a voracious reader of business books and golfer, and shared his family's love of horses.

SP Group did not immediately respond to Reuters requests seeking comment on Mistry's death.


BMW forms joint venture for more progress on EV batteries

                MUNICH: The BMW Group, Northvolt and Umicore have formed a joint technology consortium in order to work closely together on the continued development of a complete and sustainable value chain for battery cells for electrified vehicles in Europe.

The project is seeking to press ahead with the sustainable industrialisation of battery cells in Europe and the associated acquisition of skills, from cell chemistry and development through to production and ultimately recycling.

”The chief objective is to make battery cells sustainable by establishing a closed life cycle loop. This starts with a recyclable cell design and continues with a manufacturing process that mostly uses renewable energy. The next step is a long period of primary use as a drive battery, possibly followed by another phase of secondary use as a stationary energy storage device. At the end of its life cycle, the cell is recycled and the raw materials reused, thereby completing the loop." said BMW Group in a statement.

The collaboration will leverage the capabilities of Northvolt Labs, a scale-up line and research facility which will be used to test and industrialize battery cells before large-scale production, with the aim of developing cutting-edge green battery cells.

It will also leverage the capabilities of Umicore, a global leader in the development and production of active materials for battery cells and resource recycling.

Umicore has recently announced it will soon start building a cathode material manufacturing facility in Europe and already runs a recycling plant for lithium-ion batteries in Europe.

Also, the BMW Group’s new battery cell centre of excellence will be inaugurated in summer 2019.


Ducati merchandise on sale

                PETALING JAYA: Due to the overwhelming response to the Ducati and Ducati Scrambler products sale on March, Ducati Malaysia is bringing back the offer from now until June 30.

Under the #MidYearMadness! sale, Ducati fans can expect markdowns of up to 60% for more than 100 types of Ducati and Ducati Scrambler merchandises and apparels.

Among the items available are helmets, gloves, jackets, riding pants and casual outfits such as t-shirts, caps and hoodies among others.

All these can be purchased from the comforts of your home.

Log on to bit.ly/FBShop_Ducati.


Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid previewed

                PETALING JAYA: The locally assembled Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid will be launched soon and we got a sneak peak of it.

This hybrid vehicle is powered by a 1.6 litre Kappa GDI four-cylinder direct injection engine, producing 105PS and 147Nm of torque.

The combustion engine is mated to a electric motor with 32kW and 170Nm of torque, a lithium-ion polymer battery and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The combined system output from the engine and electric motor is 141PS and 265Nm.

The Ioniq Hybrid include active safety features such as Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Smart Cruise Control and seven airbags.

The Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid which is due to be launched soon is locally assembled and the estimated price for the top-spec variant is around RM130K.


Japan's three top carmakers to expand Takata air bag recalls by millions

                TOKYO: Japan's three biggest carmakers are expanding a huge global recall triggered by potentially fatal air bags made by Takata Corp, saying today they will take back millions of vehicles worldwide for investigation.

Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co  said they are recalling some 6.5 million vehicles globally, while Honda Motor Co Ltd said it would follow suit, without giving details. A US Honda spokesman added, however, that any potential action would not affect cars that were sold in the United States.

Wednesday's announcements raise to roughly 31 million the number of vehicles recalled worldwide since 2008 over Takata air bag inflators, which can erupt with too much force, spraying shrapnel inside the car.

The Takata-linked recalls top the largest US recall of 21 million vehicles by Ford Motor Co in the 1980s for a parking gear problem, according to US safety regulators and safety advocates. General Motors recalled about 30 million vehicles last year, but those were for a range of defects, including faulty ignition switches.

US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said Toyota and Nissan as well as Japanese government officials have been in contact with the US safety agency over the last few days, and NHTSA will soon announce "significant new steps" related to accelerating Takata recalls.

"While precise root cause remains undetermined, the clear association with high humidity has suggested that moisture and time are factors in this defect," Trowbridge said.

Asked about the latest recalls, a Takata spokesman said a probe into the causes for the air bag defects was ongoing and that the company continued to cooperate with the automakers.

Six deaths have been linked to the defective Takata airbags, all on cars made by Honda, which announced disappointing profit forecasts last month citing high quality-related costs.

Toyota and Nissan said their recalls were precautionary and that no accidents or injuries had been reported.

They did not give further details about the suspected defects, but in documents submitted to Japan's transport ministry, the automakers said they had identified problems with inflators that were not sufficiently sealed and that were at risk of allowing in moisture during extended use.

Toyota, Japan's biggest automaker, said it would recall just under 5 million Corolla, Vitz and other models, mostly in Japan and Europe.

Many of the models were built between March 2003 and November 2007, and include 1.36 million to be recalled in Japan.

Nissan said it was recalling about 1.56 million cars globally over the same problem. The automaker said nine models in Japan were affected, including the X-Trail SUV, Fuga sedan and Isuzu Como van. It did not immediately provide details on models affected in other markets.

Takata faces multiple class action lawsuits in the United States and Canada as well as a US criminal investigation and a regulatory probe.

The company said last week it expects to return to profit in the business year started in April even though it has made few provisions for costs related to the massive global recall.


What to look out for at 2015 LA Auto Show

 Cadillac XT5.

LOS ANGELES: From supercars to SUVs, in all some 50 new vehicles are scheduled to make an appearance at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. For some, like the Jaguar F-Pace, the show will mark a first glimpse on US shores, but for 30 of that number, including the Ferrari F12tdf, LA will be the venue for the car's first-ever appearance anywhere in the world.

But despite its brand appeal, Ferrari will have to fight for attention. Porsche will be bringing a racetrack-ready version of its Cayman, the GT4 Clubsport, to this year's show and Lamborghini is prepping a new, more dynamic version of its Huracan supercar.

For those who want supercar performance with extra comfort and elegance, Mercedes will be unveiling its latest generation SL coupe complete, as always with folding hard top, and although it's yet to confirm or deny rumors, McLaren could be showing off its 570S Spider too.

SUVs and crossovers are also going to be huge draws at this year's event, especially as the West Coast is the unofficial world capital of the offroader. Range Rover is bringing its Evoque convertible - the world's first premium compact SUV drop top. It will be doing battle, so to speak, with the Cadillac XT5, a new crossover that proves US carmakers can do luxury as well as any European brand, while Infiniti will be taking the wraps off the production version of its sub-compact X30 premium crossover.

Moving up the scale, Mercedes will be debuting its GLS-Class uber-luxury seven-seat SUV, a car it's marketing as an S-Class with better ground clearance, such are its comfort and technological capabilities.

At a special event ahead of the show's press day on Nov 18, storied Italian marque Alfa Romeo will be honoured and a precession of past classics and current models will be on show, making the event the perfect occasion to finally reveal the brand's first SUV after nearly two years of teasing.

Away from new cars, there will also be a huge supply of new technology, new announcements and new strategies at this year's show. The Connected Car Expo will be showcasing 100 of the brightest tech start-ups with designs on the future of personal mobility and Volvo will be showcasing something called the 'Time Machine Concept,' believed to be a raft of autonomous driving features that won't allow drivers to correct past wrongs or check up on their children's future career choices, but could save drivers a huge amount of time.

The 2015 LA Auto Show opens to the press on Nov 18 and to the public from Nov 20-29.


Porsche to set up joint venture with German battery maker

                FRANKFURT: Volkswagen's luxury sports car unit Porsche AG is setting up a joint venture with Customcells to produce high-performance batteries that will significantly reduce charging times, the company said today.

The partnership with Customcells, a company in southern Germany specialising in lithium-ion cells, will aim to produce car batteries with higher energy density than prototypes used in Porsche's current electric cars, the company said in a statement.

European carmakers are pushing to reduce their dependence on Asia for batteries as they roll out all-electric models to meet stricter emissions targets in the European Union.

In addition to cutting charging time, improving energy density will mean reducing the amount of raw material needed in batteries to achieve the same range. It will also cut battery production costs, making electric cars more affordable.

Porsche said it will invest a high double-digit million euro sum in the joint venture in which it will hold 80%.

The production facility aims to have a capacity of 100 kilowatt hours, which will translate into about enough batteries for 1,000 cars a year.

Porsche chief executive Oliver Blume said in April the company wanted to speed up its e-mobility drive with plans for a German factory in Tuebingen to make battery cells. At that time he did not say if Porsche would seek a joint venture partner.

Customcells is based in Tuebingen.

Porsche's parent company Volkswagen has said it plans to build half a dozen battery cell plants across Europe and expand infrastructure for charging electric vehicles globally.


GM sees custom designs, personal ownership for self-driving cars

                NEW YORK: General Motors Co, which plans a ride-sharing fleet of robotaxis for next year, is looking at further business opportunities for self-driving cars, such as custom designs that could be almost unrecognisable from those of today, a top executive said on Thursday.

Custom-designed vehicles could be owned or leased by individual customers, including those outside of large cities, and used in peer-to-peer car sharing applications, said Mike Abelson, GM’s vice president of global strategy.

GM is “thinking about several models” to drive revenue from self-driving cars, according to Abelson, speaking at Citi’s Car of the Future conference here.

Abelson, one of the key architects of GM’s future transportation business, said self-driving cars used for ride sharing “are going to evolve quickly into purpose-built vehicles” that do not look like conventional cars.

While GM initially is using specially modified versions of the Chevrolet Bolt EV for its robotaxi fleet in 2019, the US automaker’s next wave of driverless vehicles will do away with the steering wheel and pedals, and could feature different seating arrangements.

The design of the vehicles would be continually adjusted to provide customers with “a more appealing experience,” he said.

Others have speculated that hoods could shorten, while passengers sit under a glass bubble.

Early leaders in deploying self-driving cars, such as GM and Alphabet Inc’s Waymo, “will have the opportunity to take a lead in new business models that will drive their companies’ profitability,” said John Hoffecker, vice chairman of consultants AlixPartners.

Abelson said GM believes personally owned self-driving vehicles “will be a big business in the future,” especially in sparsely populated rural areas where ride sharing may not reach for years.

GM’s commercial ride sharing business is expected to drive down the cost of self-driving cars in the future, Abelson said.

Affordability is seen as the biggest challenge in extending ownership of self-driving cars to individuals. But they might elect to put their vehicles into a peer-to-peer sharing service, such as those proposed by Tesla Inc and GM, and share revenue with the companies that operate those services.

Hoffecker said costs are “going down dramatically,” to the point where individuals should be able to buy self-driving cars by 2023-25.


Electric cars grab 44% market share in Norway in January

                OSLO: Electric cars accounted for a 44.3% share of Norway’s new car sales in January, rising year on year but falling short of the 50-60% range the industry forecast for 2020, data from the Norwegian Road Federation showed.

In January 2019, electric cars made up 37.8% of sales in the Nordic country and climbed in subsequent months to an overall 42.4% market share for the full year.

As it seeks to phase out the sale of combustion-engine cars by the middle of this decade, oil-producer Norway has exempted battery-powered vehicles from taxes imposed on those running on petrol and diesel.

As a result of the policy, Norway has the world’s highest rate of electric vehicle use, making it a valuable testing ground as car makers seek to promote new models.

In January, German auto maker Audi’s fully-electric e-tron sports utility vehicle was Norway’s top-selling car for the second time in four months, hitting a market share of 9.4%, registration data showed.

Audi delivered 902 electric SUVs, ahead of Renault’s Zoe with 533 cars and Volkswagen’s Golf with 511.

In 2019, Tesla’s mid-sized Model 3 was by far the most popular car in Norway with some 15,700 vehicles sold for the full year, racking up an 11% share of the market.

The California-based firm last week announced it would start early deliveries of its Model Y, a crossover utility vehicle, amid rising competition from the likes of Volkswagen, Ford, Audi, Volvo and Daimler AG.