Australian car production ends as GM Holden closes plant

                SYDNEY: Australia’s near 100-year automotive industry ended today as GM Holden Ltd, a unit of US carmaker General Motors Co, closed its plant in South Australia to move manufacturing to cheaper locations.

The closure comes a year after Toyota and Ford similarly moved out, eliminating thousands of manufacturing jobs. It adds pressure on the government to help those made redundant find work in a battleground state ahead of a federal election in 18 months.

“The end of Holden making cars in Australia is a very sad day for the workers and for every Australian. It is the end of an era,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters at a regular briefing today. “Everyone has a Holden story.”

Turnbull has sought to soften the impact of a declining automotive industry in a state which historically determines who forms government by making South Australia a defense industry hub.

The government plans to increase defence spending by nearly A$30bil (RM99.4bil) by 2022, with the manufacture of a fleet of frigates, armoured personnel carriers and submarines to be concentrated in South Australia.

But John Camillo, state secretary at Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union in South Australia, said nearly 2,500 newly unemployed will need government help finding work.

“They need to be retrained to be able to work in defence, mining, aerospace, because we are going to be building ships,” Camillo told reporters outside the GM Holden plant in Elizabeth, 26km north of state capital Adelaide.

Camillo was joined outside the factory by hundreds of workers and car enthusiasts who had gathered to greet the last car off the production line.

Rising discretionary income and record-low interest rates have encouraged consumers to buy new cars, but many turned against the large passenger cars for which GM Holden is known.

“Consumers want fuel-efficient small cars and sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and overseas manufacturers have been able to profit from changing tastes,” said William McGregor, industry analyst at IBISWorld.

Monthly SUV sales hit a record in June, surpassing 40,000 cars, Bureau of Statistics data showed.

GM Holden, whose SUV range proved unpopular with Australians, will shift production to Germany where advanced automation will help keep costs low as it revamps its line-up.

GM Holden began auto production in 1948 with then-Prime Minister Ben Chifley driving the first car off the production line, declaring it “a beauty”.

“I have bought four of them,” said Shane Oliver, an AMP Capital economist who described the closure as a “sad day”.

“But it’s clear that not enough Australians agreed, opting for foreign-made SUVs instead.”


BMW X7 Dark Shadow Edition: Limited to 500 units

                MUNICH: The BMW X7 is now offered in a limited edition of about 500 units - called the Dark Shadow Edition.

It features the BMW Individual special paint finish in Frozen Arctic Grey metallic, used for the first time in a BMW X model.

In addition to the side window surrounds, the covers of the B and C columns and the exterior mirror bases, a black chrome finish is also featured on the frame and the bars of the BMW kidney grille, the Air Breathers and the tailpipe covers of the exhaust system.

It gets an M sports package, and 22-inch M light-alloy wheels in V-spoke design with a Jet Black matt finish.

There are also an M leather steering wheel and BMW Individual equipment details such as Merino full leather upholstery in the specific two-tone variant Night Blue/Black with contrasting seams, and the roof liner in Night Blue with Alcantara finish.

Black merino leather is used in the lower section of the instrument panel and on the front backrests.

In addition, BMW Individual interior trim finishers in Fineline Black with aluminium inlays contribute to the fascinating aura of the edition model’s interior.

In the centre console area, the unique design is underscored by means of BMW Individual interior trim finishers in Piano Black finish bearing an edition logo.


VW speeds push into electric cars with US$40bil spending spree

                WOLFSBURG/HAMBURG: Volkswagen approved a 34 billion euro (RM167bil) spending plan on Friday that accelerates its efforts to become a global leader in electric cars.
The world’s largest carmaker by unit sales will spend the money on electric cars, autonomous driving and new mobility services by the end of 2022, it said after a meeting of its supervisory board.

“With the planning round now approved, we are laying the foundation for making Volkswagen the world’s No. 1 player in electric mobility by 2025,” Chief Executive Matthias Mueller told a press conference.

The carmaker’s projected spending is significantly bigger than its pledge two months ago that it would invest more than 20 billion euros on electric and self-driving cars through 2030.

Electric and autonomous vehicles are widely seen as the keystones of future transport, but pioneers such as Tesla Inc and other manufacturers are still working out how to make money on them as poor charging infrastructure, high battery costs and electric vehicles’ still limited driving range weigh on customer demand.

Until it admitted two years ago to cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests, Volkswagen had been slow to embrace electric cars and self-driving technology.

But the emissions fraud, and new Chinese quotas for electric cars, prompted a strategic shift to zero-emission and self-driving technology, and Volkswagen now has one of the most ambitious targets in the industry. It has pledged to offer an electric version of each of its 300 group models by 2030.

The group said its total investments in electric vehicles capacity and projects will amount to about 72 billion euros (RM353bil) by 2022, confirming an earlier Reuters story.

To fund greater spending on electric vehicles, it will draw on cost savings in all areas of operations, including vehicle development, administration and manufacturing, as well as strong cash reserves.

Its net liquidity still stood at around 24 billion euros after nine months even though about 17 billion euros of funds have been paid out to cover costs for its dieselgate scandal. VW’s core autos division has made cost savings of about 1.9 billion euros since the start of this year, nearly meeting budgeted cost cuts for the full year.

Mueller said VW will maintain spending discipline in order to shoulder the increased investments in new technologies while it grapples with billions of dollars of costs for its emissions scandal.

The carmaker aims to cut overall spending on factories, equipment and technology to 6 percent of automotive sales by 2020 from 6.9 percent last year, counting on growing revenue and deliveries in coming years.

Wolfsburg-based VW wants to increase the share of electrified vehicles to 3 million cars, or a quarter of group deliveries, by 2025. The forecast assumes that group auto sales will keep growing to reach about 12 million a year by the middle of next decade from 10.3 million last year.

Works council chief Bernd Osterloh said spending targets approved on Friday would strengthen VW’s 10 German factories, noting that 3 billion euros alone will be invested at the base plant in Wolfsburg, including to prepare for the launch of the next-generation Golf hatchback.

Investments of more than 1 billion euros will be assigned to a plant in Zwickau, eastern Germany to ramp up electric-car production at the site, which in future will only make zero-emission vehicles, VW said.

Output of the combustion-engine Golf hatchback as well as the Golf and Passat station wagons will be shifted from Zwickau to the underused factories at Wolfsburg and Emden, VW said, confirming a Reuters story.

“It was long and hard bargaining to safeguard the interests of the employees but I think we can live well with the compromise,” Osterloh said.


Audi activesphere concept reveal on Jan 26

                INGOLSTADT: Audi is about to introduce the next member of a family of four concept cars: the Audi activesphere concept.

The electric crossover coupe will celebrate its world premiere during the “Celebration of Progress” on Jan 26, 2023.

In a brief statement, Audi said the concept car "provides ultimate freedom and is the perfect companion for ambitious outdoor adventures."

While the concept car would have an elegant design, Audi said its other forte would be its off-road performance and advanced communication technology.

The four members of the Sphere family - skysphere, grandsphere, urbansphere and activesphere - present Audi's vision for the premium mobility of tomorrow.

The concept vehicles are all electric and share a fascinating design with the possibility of automated driving.


Audi CEO arrested over diesel scandal

                FRANKFURT: Volkswagen’s supervisory board suspended crisis talks to find a stand-in boss for its Audi brand which were convened after German authorities arrested current Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler as part of a probe into emissions test cheating.

Stadler’s arrest on Monday threw Volkswagen (VW) into turmoil as it struggles to recover from cheating revelations, which emerged after regulators blew the whistle in September 2015 on the carmaker’s use of illegal software.

The directors of Audi and Volkswagen discussed how to run its more profitable division without Stadler, but failed to come to a conclusion, the carmaker said late on Monday.

“The supervisory boards of VW and Audi have not yet reached a decision and continue to assess the situation,” a spokesman for VW said.

The arrest has kicked off a new debate over VW’s governance which could raise tensions on its supervisory board, putting at risk a fragile truce between management, VW’s controlling Piech and Porsche families, as well as representatives from labor and the region of Lower Saxony.

 Stadler at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March.

VW has for years said only lower-level managers knew of the emissions cheating, but US authorities filed criminal charges against former VW boss Martin Winterkorn earlier this year, and Munich prosecutors widened their probe into Audi this month.

Munich prosecutors said Stadler was being investigated for suspected fraud and false advertising and for his alleged role in helping to bring cars equipped with illegal software on to the European market.

Following his arrest, Munich prosecutors said Stadler, the most senior active VW official to be remanded in custody since the scandal broke, was being held on fears he might hinder their investigation.

“We need to find a solution for Audi’s leadership for the time when he is not here,” the source familiar with the talks said about Stadler’s position. “We will comment on this later.”

Stadler was given additional responsibilities for group sales in a revamp announced by VW’s new chief executive Herbert Diess in April.

On Monday, VW and Audi directors were discussing the leadership crisis in separate meetings, with one source saying Dutchman Bram Schot was the front runner to become interim Audi chief.

Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said VW’s supervisory board had already picked Schot for the job and only needed the formal approval of Audi’s directors. VW denied any such appointment had been made.

VW has set aside around US$30 billion to cover fines, vehicle refits and lawsuits since its “dieselgate” scandal broke, and has announced plans to spend billions more on a shift to electric vehicles as it seeks to rebuild its reputation.

Whereas group CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned in the days after the cheating was disclosed, Stadler resisted requests to fall on his sword, and instead received backing from the Porsche and Piech families to remain in his post.

“His arrest is another low point in VW’s diesel saga,” said Evercore ISI analysts, who have criticised the group for a slow pace of reform. “Almost three years after the diesel scandal broke, it takes police to take action against the Audi CEO.”

The United States filed criminal charges against Winterkorn in May, but he is unlikely to face US authorities because Germany does not extradite its nationals to countries outside the European Union.

The Munich prosecutors said the move against Stadler was not made at the behest of US authorities. The 55-year-old was arrested at his home in Ingolstadt in the early hours on Monday, they said.


Porsche and Mercedes-Benz team up to boost museum visitor arrivals

                STUTTGART: Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have adopted a co-operative approach to draw visitors to their respective museums here.

Visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum who present their entrance ticket to the Porsche Museum will receive a 25% discount on the regular ticket price of €8 (i.e. €6) or on the concessionary price of €4 (i.e. €3). The same principle applies at the Porsche Museum.

The promotional discount is valid from now until Dec 30.

"Stuttgart has not one but two great car museums. It's unique and a real stroke of luck. Many visitors tell us that the museums are the only reason they travel to Stuttgart. We are honouring this with a joint campaign," said Mercedes-Benz Classic and Customer Centre head Christian Boucke.

The Porsche Museum and the Mercedes-Benz Museum will be swapping two of their classics in August. A Mercedes-Benz W 111 230 S from 1966 will be on display in front of the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen () while the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Bad Cannstatt (opened in 2006) will host a Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 from 1975.

The two "ambassador" cars are being swapped to promote a visit to both museums.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum brings the Mercedes-Benz legend to life – and with it the history of individual mobility. The multi-award-winning building designed by the Dutch architecture firm UN Studio Ben van Berkel has been home to some 160 vehicles and more than 1500 other exhibits for the past 10 years.

On nine levels, paths wind in the shape of a double helix along a time axis stretching from the invention of the motor car by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886 to the present day. The Mercedes-Benz Museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary throughout this year by staging a number of events as well as a special E-Class "Masterpieces" exhibition. The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Bad Cannstatt was opened in 2006.


BMW Motorrad wants to mine TikTok for its youthful user base

                MUNICH: Mobile video platform TikTok is a mini YouTube on steroids and its demographics and reach is attracting BMW Motorrad, which wants to attract a new target group and build up long-term loyalty.

Consider TikTok's attractive stats. The app has 800 million monthly active users, 500 million of which are in China.

According to a survey by Global Web Index, 60% of TikTok users are in the 25-44 age bracket. And it said 52% of TikTok users are status seekers.

On TikTok, users create short videos of up to 15 seconds using previously selected background music. In addition, so-called branded hashtag challenges increase user motivation to get involved and create specific content.

In this environment, BMW Motorrad is the first motorcycle manufacturer to use this opportunity to break new ground in communication.

BMW Motorrad said its content is customised for TikTok and "enriches the entire brand presence with a creative facet".

The short video formats create a new approach to the brand.

BMW Motorrad said in a statement that the videos are very up-close and direct and allow viewers to gain insights into motorcycle brand and its lifestyle.

It also said it wanted to exploit TikTok's branded hashtag challenges to win over more of the young people who gravitate to this social media channel.


China's 'father of EV' urges more hydrogen infra to develop fuel cell vehicles

Wan asserts that fuel-cell vehicles are suitable for logistics and long-term transportation purposes. — Reuters
BEIJING: China needs to strengthen its infrastructure for the distribution of hydrogen as a fuel to accelerate development of its fuel-cell vehicle industry, a high-ranking government industrial policy advisor told a conference today.

“Experience tells us the most important thing for developing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles is to build infrastructure that integrates hydrogen production, storage and transportation,” Wan Gang, vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, told a conference in Boao, China.

That’s important in order “to accelerate commercial applications of the technology,” he said, according to a transcript provided by the conference organiser.

While stressing the importance of new energy vehicles, Wan - a former science minister widely regarded as a key promoter of electric vehicles in China - noted that China will not forbid traditional internal combustion engines as it is a big country with complicated local environment and climate situations.

Wan, who is often referred to in state media as China’s “father of EV”, is leading a research team to plan China’s new energy vehicle development over the years 2021 to 2035. He said fuel-cell vehicles are suitable for logistics and long-term transportation purposes.

China is the world’s largest new energy vehicle (NEV) market. For all of last year, NEV sales jumped almost 62% even though the broader market shrank. However, NEV sales grew just 1.8% in May versus 18.1% in April.

Senior industry executives and academics in China have urged the government to support hydrogen fuel-cell technology due to its suitability for commercial vehicles. Geely in May launched its first hydrogen bus model.


JPJ rakes in RM15mil from e-bidding

                JOHOR BARU: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has managed to collect RM15.6mil from five states within the last four months in revenue since the launch of its e-bidding system (JPJeBid).

JPJ vehicle registration numbers unit director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said that the highest collection was recorded in Putrajaya and the Federal Territories since the system began running in April this year.

“So far, we have conducted the JPJeBid in Putrajaya, Federal Territories, Kedah, Penang, Sabah and Johor will be the sixth state.

“In Putrajaya, the department collected RM3.1mil in revenue followed by Federal Territories (RM1.56mil) and Sabah (RM1.1mil), ” he told the press at the state JPJ headquarters here yesterday.

Mohd Rusdi expected the revenue collection through the JPJeBid system would increase by the end of this year when all states had gone through the system.

He said Negri Sembilan would be the last state in the system, which is expected to be on Nov 28.

“So far, about 57,165 individuals have registered as bidders under the JPJeBid system, ” he added.

Mohd Rusdi pointed out that registration was open to all Malaysians and those with permanent resident status aged 18 years and above as well as registered businesses and companies.

He said members of the public or companies that do not have records through the mySIKAP system such as vehicle record, licence or summonses must register at the state JPJ headquarters or branch offices.

Mohd Rusdi said that the JPJeBid system had so far been well received by the public as it was hassle-free.

“Our online system is user-friendly and there is no requirement for documents and bank drafts when bidding for numbers manually, ” he added.

Mohd Rusdi however said that successful bidders had only 12 months after receiving the offer letter issued by JPJ to register the numbers to their vehicles.

If they fail to do so, JPJ had the right to keep the numbers and the government would forfeit their money, he added.

Meanwhile, Johor JPJ director Razali Wagiman said the state was targeting to collect more than RM1mil in revenue through the JPJeBid for the JTR vehicle registration plate numbers.

He added that the results of the five-day bid, starting at midnight today until 11.59pm on Sunday, would be announced on Monday.

JPJ has set the starting price for normal numbers at RM300 with RM15 increments for each bid.

Bidding for “golden numbers” are set at RM20,000, with subsequent bids at RM1,000 increments.


Toyota Avanza with new engines

                KUALA LUMPUR: The new 2015 Toyota Avanza was launched recently with new 1.3 and 1.5-litre dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) engines, for better fuel efficiency.

There are four variants priced at RM69,072 (1.3E manual); RM75,787 (1.5E automatic); RM78,477 (1.5G automatic) and RM80,810 (1.5S automatic) on-the-road including GST (goods and services tax) and insurance.

It has a 36-month/100,000km (whichever occurs earlier) warranty.

For the 1.5-litre engine, power is higher at 105ps while the maximum 136Nm of torque is now at 4,200rpm.

The 1.3-litre engine also has higher power at 97ps, with torque increased to 121Nm.

Features such as electronic throttle control have improved fuel consumption by up to 15%.

The Avanza 1.5S and 1.5G have 15-inch wheels, while the 1.5E has 14-inch wheels.

All variants have alloy wheels, except the Avanza 1.3E which has steel wheels.

For a sportier look, the optional aerokit includes a front bumper spoiler with integrated day running lights, rear bumper spoiler and side skirts.

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

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

The DVD-AVN includes an internet browser (requires a wifi internet connection by the user) and GPS route navigation.

The new 2015 Avanza has nine possible seat layouts.

The second row can be easily folded with a one-touch tumble operation

Safety features include two airbags and 3-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) seatbelts, ventilated front disc brakes, ABS (anti-lock braking system) and EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution).

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


Why Mercedes-AMG GT Concept is a cut above

                GENEVA: The Mercedes-AMG GT Concept is the clearest sign yet of what the company's upcoming Formula 1-inspired four door supercar will look like - and go like.

Unveiled today, the new car is the first celebratory concept planned over the course of 2017 to mark AMG's 50th anniversary. But as well as marking a birthday, the car should be seen as marking the birth of a third distinct AMG-infused model line.

"With the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept we are giving a preview of our third completely autonomously developed sports car. And extending the attractive AMG GT family to include a four-door variant," said Mercedes-AMG chairman Tobias Moers.

The car which demonstrates Mercedes's new overarching design language that will soon be used to refresh all of its existing model lines, is pitched as a super sports car on the track or Autobahn and a super-practical luxury four-door fastback (i.e., a large car with tapering coupé proportions) the rest of the time. So much so that it has very generous truck proportions that can be increased by moving the rear seats.

However, it also has foldaway mini cameras that take the place of traditional wing mirrors and hiding behind the very bold front grille is the same type of active aerodynamics and cooling system found on the current Mercedes-AMG GT sportscar.

"The GT Concept embodies the most extreme expression of our design idiom and underlines anew the autonomous profile of AMG as a performance brand," said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler AG. "Through perfect proportions it creates a puristic design with the emphasis on its surfaces, featuring sensuous shapes and is hot and cool at the same time."

The overall visual impression is of a replacement for the current generation CLS, the luxury GT that ushered in the current trend for four-door cars that look like sports coupés. Thanks to its popularity we now have the BMW 6 Series Grand Coupé, the Audi A7 and the Volkswagen Arteon Gran Turismo.

But what this car offers that its competitors can't, at least in its concept form, is a hybrid powertrain developed by the Mercedes Petronas AMG Formula 1 team that sees a twin-turbo V8 mated to a second battery-powered electric motor. "[It] illustrates how we are defining performance of the future at AMG," said Moers. "This performance hybrid powertrain offers an impressive electric range and the opportunity to generate a system output of up to 800hp in its last level of development. It covers the sprint from 0-100kph in less than three seconds - which corresponds to a super sports car level."


FIA agree to F1 spending cap of US$145mil for 2021

                PARIS: Spending by Formula One teams will be capped at US$145 million (RM632mil) in 2021 with a subsequent limit of US$135 million (RM588mil) by 2023, it was announced Wednesday as the sport's rulers attempt to stem the bleeding from the coronavirus pandemic.

The FIA's World Motor Sports Council ratified the amendments to F1's rules in a season decimated by Covid-19 with 10 of the scheduled 22 races already either cancelled or postponed.

From 2021, spending will be capped at US$145 million with a limit of US$140 million (RM610mil) for 2022 and US$135 million for 2023-2025, based on a 21-competition season.

"A major step forward for @F1 and motor sport's sustainability. Thanks to all, @fia, @F1 and the teams for this achievement," tweeted FIA president Jean Todt.

Before the pandemic struck, a spending cap of $175m was set to be introduced next year in a bid to help even up the competition.

"The World Motor Sport Council has approved further changes to the regulations governing the FIA Formula One World Championship primarily due to the ongoing need to reduce costs and safeguard the sport in light of the Covid-19 pandemic," said a FIA statement.

As well as a budget cap, the FIA also agreed to a host of changes to technical and sporting regulations.

The most significant of these was the introduction of a handicap system for aerodynamic development, also set to be brought in for 2021.

Under the agreement, the lower a team finishes in the constructors' championship, the more wind tunnel time they will be allowed to use to develop the car the following year.

"Formula 1 wins today," said Zak Brown, the chief executive of McLaren.

"This is a crucially important moment for our sport. F1 has been financially unsustainable for some time, and inaction would have risked the future of F1 and its participants."

On Tuesday, McLaren, which also makes supercars, said it planned to cut 1,200 jobs and signficantly scale down its racing division after the coronavirus crisis hit sales.

British media reports said about 70 of the racing team's 800 jobs will be eliminated by the restructuring plan.

Earlier this month, F1's managing director Ross Brawn had warned of a "tragedy" if financially struggling teams were forced out of business.

"The message is clear. We've got to cut costs and have a reduction of the cost cap... If we lose some teams in this period it would be a tragedy," he said.

"There is going to be a much more equitable prize fund in the new agreement. The midfield teams in particular are going to be much better off in terms of their proportion of the prize money.

"So a good midfield team should be able to score podiums, maybe a win, and should be able to show a small profit. If we can achieve that we should have a very sustainable future."

The 2020 Formula One season is due to get under way in Austria with back-to-back races on July 5 and 12.


Toyota Supra gets souped-up by TRD

TOKYO: Toyota has revealed via its Japanese TRD site the Supra TRD Performance Line Concept, which makes the model look more like a racecar than a street-legal sportscar.

Toyota's in-house tuning shop TRD unveiled on Monday an amped-up Supra Concept on its Japanese market-site decked out in carbon fibre before the standard Supra has even been launched. The model is officially entitled the Supra TRD Performance Line Concept and features a collection of aerodynamic-improving enhancements.

As for the carbon fibre changes, the concept has been outfitted in a new three-piece carbon front splitter, some side skirts, door inserts, a truck spoiler, and some rear spats, all supposedly improving the vehicle's aerodynamics: the side skirts allegedly lower the center of gravity, the door garnishes suppress turbulence, the rear spats guide the wind to the back of the rear bumper, and the spoiler balances the vehicle.

To finish the look, this Supra TRD features a new set of 19-inch forged aluminum wheels that "improve steering response and straight running stability." No interior or powertrain modifications appear to have been made.

As of right now, this is Supra TRD is nothing but a concept model — the parts are not yet available for purchase. At the bottom of the concept's official page, however, "To Be Continued" is written, so maybe we'll see a catalogue including all these carbon fibre parts beside the Supra when it's officially released this summer.


Little Porsche 718 Cayman punches above its weight

                The 718 Cayman is not exactly a Porsche that gets many hearts going from zero to ‘racing’ in an instant, but it can sprint to 100kph from standstill in under 5.0 seconds.

Much like the smaller species of crocodile that this two-seater Porsche is named after, the little Cayman is arguably an under-rated sportscar that looks inherently similar to its stablemates, but yet easily distinguishable.

It is undoubtedly a sensual looker with its fluidic curves that start from the front and melts away towards the rear.

For this review, it is the entry level Cayman which sits under the more potent Cayman S model variant and comes dressed in Carrara White Metallic sheet metal, while fitted with over RM82,000 worth of features on top of its standard fitment.

Such goodies include keyless entry, LED headlights, BOSE surround sound system, 20-inch Carrera S wheels, stiff 14-way powered sports seats and a GT sports steering wheel to name a few, bringing its total net selling price to RM617,108 while being accompanied by a four-year warranty and four years or 100,000km free service and maintenance.

Not to mention, it is also available under the Porsche 360 Financing programme for those looking to dive deep into the world that is Porsche.

Despite its compact dimensions, this ‘little’ Porsche doesn’t come lacking in driving potency.

The rear houses a 295hp and 380Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged horizontally-opposed engine in the rear that has a raspy tone befitting of its smooth and punchy power delivery.

Inside, the cabin’s been wrapped in black leather with the Porsche logo prominently embossed onto the headrests and it seemed like a tight fit for this 175cm-tall writer coming from a more spacious cabin environment, but in all honesty, it didn’t take long to get used to it.

After a few short stints of full-throttle application, the experience is much akin to getting strapped into a fighter jet versus a commercial jetliner’s.

The chassis feels ‘uber’ inflexible and the suspension has a stiff-yet-compliant feel to it - according it some acceptable comfort levels. Activating Sport or Sport+ mode only makes it less compliant with the suspension taking a 10mm dip to up the car’s communicative drive.

This sports car just keeps wanting more corners thrown its way and it’ll keep smiling while negotiating curves and soaking up the bumps.

Extending the rear spoiler helps keep the rear end in check especially while engaging the ‘twisties’ and barrelling down long straights, in which case the spoiler pops up automatically.

Under Normal circumstances, the engine feels light and very much peppy, yet able to drive smoothly off the line. Even though steering response is nothing short of being firm when at speed or feather-light when in traffic, regardless of the situation, it always has a direct feel to it.

For the more adventurous, Sport mode makes the car feel high-strung and ready to bolt the very instant the throttle gets punched.

In Sport+ mode, for those who are new to the Porsche experience, it’s much like how a crocodile explodes out of the water when flooring off the line.
Definitely not meant for the faint-hearted.

This mode deems it perfect for those track days, giving drivers the impression of a race-bred car that all Porsche vehicles have been imbued with for that raw unadulterated driving experience that purists demand and enjoy.

Here, the car’s throttle response has clearly become overly sensitive, the steering significantly more weighted and the rear wheels get a little more slip for some torque steer.

The PDK’s gear shifts are now absolutely abrupt and having no concern for comfort levels. They’ll engage very quickly and directly with slight jerks on the up and down-shifts while at high engine speeds.

Stand on the brake pedal and there’s no complaints from the cross drilled discs. They feel very robust and direct with a high level of stopping power, regardless of driving mode.

The disparity between the three driving modes is noticeable and aren’t overly differentiated. Drivers can easily decide if they want a little more or not and the car will simply comply.

It’s a perfect introduction to Porsche’s line-up, being small and more than nimble. This Cayman can be the everyday commute that simply enjoys bending to a driver’s whims and fancies - be it civilised or not, and it’ll also add a new dimension to our repetitive lives.

Home. Work. Race. Repeat.

SPECIFICATIONS: Porsche 718 Cayman (982) fourth generationEngine: 1,988cc four-cylinder turbocharged boxer
Maximum power: 300hp at 6,500rpm
Maximum torque: 380Nm from 1,950 to 4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission

Top speed: 275kph
Acceleration (0-100kph): 4.7 seconds

Standard features: Dual-zone automatic climate controls, front and rear Park Assist, Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), power steering plus, wheel centres, active suspension management, floor mats, tyre pressure monitoring system,

Added options/upgrades: Automatically dimming mirrors with integrated rain sensor, power folding exterior mirrors with courtesy lighting, LED main headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus, Porsche entry and drive, reverse camera, headlight cleaning system covers, Sport Chrono package, 20-inch Carrera S wheels in satin black, black sports exhaust tips, 14-way powered leather sports seats with Porsche crest embossed, light design package, matching cabin inserts, multifunction GT ports steering wheel, key FOB in matching paint and Bose surround sound system with connectivity.

Price with standard equipment: RM530,000
Price with added options/upgrades: RM617,107


Ford's rewards for responsible driving

                LONDON: Can offering people tangible rewards as well as praise help them break bad driving habits? That's the question Ford is attempting to answer via a new experiment that leverages elements of gamification plus fitness and activity tracking apps.

One of the ways that fitness apps are deemed to motivate their users to exercise more or to hit harder targets is by ‘rewarding' progress. The Ford-led Driver Behaviour Project, which is being conducted in London, turns entire vehicles into huge activity and behaviour monitors for the same reason - generating a driver ‘score'.

"Like an activity-tracking app that shows the distance we cover and calories we burn, a personal driver score encourages people to drive smarter," said Jonathan Scott, project lead, Ford Smart Mobility.

Ford equipped 40 Fiesta city cars with a plug-in sensors that volunteers drove around the English capital as their daily drivers over 4,000 hours and 160,000km. Every bit of data relating to steering wheel adjustments to brake pressure, the time of day and even the weather conditions was collected and analysed against historical traffic flow for the roads in question via an app.

"We wanted to better understand how people use our products so we could help them to improve that behaviour - and a score, combined with guidance, makes it easier to improve," Scott said.

Using the app, the volunteer drivers can quickly see how their driving style ranks thanks to a personal score and more importantly, are able to understand how it could be improved, by smoother acceleration, or better gear selection, for example. And the data is such that users can see how they perform on individual journeys on different days and at different times.

As well as helping Ford design the next iteration of its passenger cars, the company believes the data could be used, with the drivers' permission, to create a ‘mobility profile' that could enable "drivers to save money on services tailored to their needs," Scott explained. So for instance, higher-scoring drivers could get access to cheaper car insurance, a discounted car rental rate or priority access to car-sharing or pooling services.


Dutch customiser reveals Tesla Model S wagon

                LONDON: Niels van Roij is a London-based Dutch car designer known for projects such as the Future London Taxi, a TVR Artemis concept around eight years ago, and most often for taking luxury cars and turning them into limousines.

It was revealed a couple of months ago that Roij was working on something that looked a lot like a Tesla Model S hearse, but new renderings of his Tesla Model S 'shooting brake' project have just been released and are getting people excited.

This latest design for a Model S conversion sees a new sculpted rear end with a bold stance added to the original Tesla profile, and there's also a longer roof and a good deal of chrome around the side windows that van Roij claims adds visual length and "reduces the extra optical mass" of an estate car.

In a press release to go with the new renderings, Van Roij said his team had come up with no less than 16 different design themes from three initial propositions, before settling on what now appears to be the final design.

Further bespoke conversions are planned based on different platforms. But of this one, Van Roij said, "The conversion merges seamlessly with the Tesla base vehicle, while clearly communicating through form, design language and materials that this is a tailor-made Shooting Brake."

But don't expect to see this new take on the Tesla Model S on roads near you in the not-too-distant future; in fact you would be lucky to ever set your eyes on one outside of a car show or in a museum.

This particular design has been commissioned by a shooting brake collector and EV enthusiast in the Netherlands called Floris de Raadt, and only 20 of them are going to be built by a company called RemetzCar, which is located close to Amsterdam. It will eventually go on sale in the first week of March next year, but the price is yet to be revealed.


JPJ hits the brakes on 'Keke Challenge'

A screen capture of a woman doing the 'Keke Challenge'. - YouTube
PETALING JAYA: Any individual that endangers others while attempting the viral "Keke Challenge" might be slapped with a fine.

It requires the person to jump out of a slowly moving car and dance to the song In My Feelings by Drake.

Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Seri Shaharuddin Khalid (pic) said that if such conduct endangers others or causes accidental collisions, a fine might be imposed.

For now, the Department will examine the legal provisions in place for such a course of action.

Shaharuddin was speaking to the media after visiting the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Bukit Kayu Hitam today.

The police have also warned the public to stop the "Keke Challenge" on the road, with City Traffic Investigation and Enforcement chief Asst Comm Zulkefly Yahya stating that they did not want anyone to get hurt.

The dance became a craze when comedian Shiggy uploaded a video of him getting jiggy to the tune, gaining five million views in a short period of time.

It exploded further when celebrities Will Smith and Ciara copied the dance.


New Infiniti QX50 is as big on economy as it is on luxury

                LOS ANGELES: Ahead of its in-the-flesh reveal at the La Auto Show, Infiniti has taken the wraps off its new mid-size luxury SUV and the ground-breaking engine technology behind it.

The QX50 is a vehicle that very much has storied European brands, as well as American and Japanese carmakers firmly in its sights.

In terms of interior packaging for leg-, shoulder- and luggage-space the car is on a par with or betters the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. Meanwhile, thanks to the fact that this new-generation XQ50 is a clean sheet design, built from the ground up on a new platform with new materials and a closer focus on performance; the resulting car has a much greater torsional rigidity, meaning that it could also be on a par in terms of handling and driver involvement, too.

"The QX50 is the most important vehicle we have ever launched, and it embodies everything the brand stands for: Beautiful design, advanced technology and empowering performance," said Christian Meunier, Infiniti Global Division Vice President. "As a premium, mid-size SUV, it's the right vehicle at the right time in one of the world's fastest growing segments."

And that means it's heading into a massively competitive market and therefore needs something truly special to stand out. Luckily, the QX50 has a genuine ace up its sleeve.

It is the first mass production vehicle in history to boast a variable compression ratio engine.

The car can actually automatically adjust its compression ratio to maximise performance or optimize fuel efficiency, by autonomously raising or lowering the stroke of the cylinders, thus increasing or reducing the engine's cubic capacity.

"Variable compression ratio technology represents a breakthrough in powertrain development. The QX50, powered by our VC-Turbo, is the first production vehicle ever to give drivers an engine that transforms on demand, setting a new benchmark for powertrain capability and refinement," said Meunier.

The best way to describe what the engine delivers is to imagine having a sprightly turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood that is lightweight and can serve up 268hp, 380Nm of torque and sufficient acceleration to catapult the SUV from 0-100kph in 6.3 seconds.

But when racing stops and cruising starts, the engine can alter the ratio step by step — i.e., how far down each cylinder moves in order to let in fuel before it is compressed with air and combusts to power the wheels — from a sprightly 8:1 all the way down to 14:1, in effect becoming a virtual diesel engine in terms of fuel economy and torque delivery.

And as the engine is mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission it means that the car is always running in the optimum rev band, whether for performance or for fuel preservation.

The powertrain in the outgoing QX50 was a V6 engine. The new model, despite missing two cylinders, can offer the same power and performance but also serves up a 35% increased fuel efficiency (when the QX50 is specified with two-wheel drive).

As well as engine tech, the new car gets safety tech including parent company Nissan's ProPilot system, which can autonomously control acceleration and braking in single lane highway situations as well as adjusting steering to ensure lane discipline.

"Our intention [with ProPilot] is to empower the driver and enhance feelings of pleasure behind the wheel, not to remove the driver from the equation," said François Bancon, Vice President, Product and Programs.


500,000 Facebook Live viewers bring new Nissan Micra to life

                PARIS: Personalisation is key to the appeal of the new Nissan Micra, and 500,000 Facebook Live viewers have discovered that for themselves by helping to build a car on the social media platform.

The event was a world-first, three-part interactive broadcast direct from the Micra factory in Flins, France. Nissan fans were put in the driving seat and helped to decide the exterior colour, interior trim and other personalisation options of the B-segment hatchback.

The three live shows were seen by a total of 500,000 Facebook users from across Europe. Their 15,000 votes and reactions whittled down the Micra’s 125 personalisation options to create their "perfect" car – an Echo Grey Micra, with Energy Orange exterior pack and Energy Orange interior trim.
Replay the three Facebook Live broadcasts at:LIVE #1: https://www.facebook.com/NissanUK/videos/1325414750830019/LIVE #2: https://www.facebook.com/NissanUK/videos/1325601717477989/LIVE #3: https://www.facebook.com/NissanUK/videos/1325702437467917/TV stars Mike Brewer and Edd China – best known for presenting the popular motoring show Wheeler Dealers – presided over the live broadcasts, engaging with viewers while they cast their votes.
During the voting, the duo showcased some of the new Micra’s advanced features. These included the Nissan Intelligent Mobility driver assistance technologies and the unique-to-Micra BOSE Personal audio system, with speakers built into the driver’s head rest for an immersive 360° listening experience.

“On Wheeler Dealers we’re used to bringing used cars back to life – so building a car from scratch on the production line was completely new for us. Constructing a Nissan Micra with the help of Facebook Live and bringing all of its personalisation options to life was a real buzz,” said Brewer.

“I love getting under the skin of any car I’m restoring, and we know that people love a car with bags of personality. To use the latest technology to bring that experience to people from across Europe, and give them the final decision on our Micra’s design, was pretty amazing,” said China.


Shell to service 500 cars for free

                KUALA LUMPUR: Equipped with 15,000 litres of V-Power fuel and 6,000 litres of Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology, Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd is set to reward 500 vehicle owners (worth RM600 each) with its two-day “#LoveMyRide” Festival.

Admission is free for the festival being held at the Martrade Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) in Kuala Lumpur from June 13 to 14 (10.00am till 7.00pm) and will involve 100 student mechanics from Despark College and Shell Helix branded workshops.

Individuals will be selected randomly via an online application at www.lovemyride.com.my after completing a pre-oil change survey and registering their car and personal details.

The exclusive treatment provides each motorist with Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology 5W-40 fully synthetic engine oil and up to 31 litres of Shell V-Power fuel.

Also, Shell Malaysia will attempt to set a record for ‘the most number of cars in a lubricant changing event in 12 hours’ with the Malaysia Book of Records.

During the festival, there will be the latest BMW and Mazda cars available for a test drive, an F1 race car simulator challenge, Shell PurePlus Mocktail Mixology sessions, over 50 of KL’s top food trucks and gastronomic cafes and a flea market.

In addition, the main stage will feature live performances by Reza Salleh, IamNEETA and Diandra Arjunaidi.

“We want those who have never tried Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology to really experience what a motor oil made from natural gas could do for a car engine,” said Shell Malaysia Trading managing director Azman Ismail.


Rains unleash pothole mayhem in Klang Valley

                SHAH ALAM: Heavy rains have turned roads bad in many parts of the Klang Valley, said residents and motorists.

Kota Kemuning resident Lee Kok Sam said roads there were filled with potholes due to the wet conditions over recent weeks.

“The road from the McDonald’s to Gamuda Walk is terrible.

“I have noticed that the potholes have worsened,” he said.

Motorist Lilian Ong complained about having to avoid a large number of potholes in her housing estate in Kota Kemuning.

“Persiaran Anggerik Vanilla is a dirt road after heavy rains started at the beginning of December,” she said.

She said the city council should have been prepared for the wet spell and fixed the damage before it got so bad.

A motorist reported that Jalan Pipit in Puchong, Selangor, was “really bad”.

In Kuala Lumpur, residents said that part of Jalan Tun Sambanthan in Brickfields has “sunk a little”.

They claimed that the damage was made worse by a seeping water pipe below the surface, which had been badly repaired.

Shah Alam City Council corporate communications and public relations division chief Shahrin Ahmad said it has a team to repair potholes, among other tasks.

“Our Quick Response Team, or Pantas, are on duty 24 hours a day,” he said.

He said Pantas was in contact with the Meteorological Department and during rainy periods, would also handle flash-flood situations and fallen trees on roads.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall said that it was monitoring the effects of flash floods in the city around the clock.

Its Civil Engineering and Urban Transport Department senior deputy director Hew See Seng said that multiple departments were involved in the task.

“We are also looking into road repairs, fixing burst water pipes and rubbish clearing.

“There is a lot of rubbish clogging drains after a downpour, causing flash floods,” he said.

Also, the Selangor government was looking to use a new tar premix to patch potholes, which would result in better road conditions, reported StarMetro on Dec 7.

The material was more durable and better suited to Malaysian weather.


Tesla stops taking new orders for flagship models outside N. America, says Electrek

                AUSTIN: Tesla Inc has announced it has stopped taking new orders for its flagship Model X and Model S outside North America, Electrek reported on Friday.

According to the report, which cited an email Tesla started sending to customers waiting for their Model S and Model X orders in Europe, the US electric-vehicle maker expects deliveries outside North America to start in the second half of 2022.

Tesla, whose shares were down nearly 2% in early trading, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The company, which delivered over 9,000 Model S and Model X cars to customers in the third quarter, had paused production of the two models earlier this year while installing new equipment to ramp up production.

READ MORE: Tesla's shift of HQ to Austin, Texas finalised


Raja Motor needs more mechanics to fix flood-ravaged bikes

                DENGKIL: Raja Motor's workshop is filled to the brim with flood-ravaged motorcycles for repair - after his 40 seconds to fame - and he is looking for more hands on deck.

"I need additional workers (mechanics) to speed up the process of repairing motorcycles that were flooded. Many flood victims around Dengkil sent their damaged motorcycles to my workshop, especially after my video about this free service spread on social media.”

That was the ‘SOS call’ from the owner of N Rajendran Motor workshop, N. Rajendran, 54, or better known as ‘Abang Raja’ regarding the shortage of manpower following an overwhelming response from flood victims who were his regular customers.

"The number of motorcycles damaged by floods is quite large. So I hope anyone with experience and knowledge in motorcycle repair will come work with me.

"If you live outside Dengkil, I will bear the cost of accommodation, food and drinks," he announced unabashedly when met by Bernama here on Wednesday.

The name Rajendran or Raja Motor has gone viral and recorded the highest search on Google and social media when his 40-second video uploaded by the public spread like wildfire since Dec 30 last year.

In the video, Rajendran, who was then in Kampung Chemperai here, invited residents to send motorcycles damaged by floods to his workshop located in Dengkil town.

Soon, he and two employees had to extend operating hours of the workshop until 9pm.

"As a reward to my employees and any prospective employees, I will give them a bonus helping me realise this sincere intention. This is the time to reciprocate the goodwill of my regular customers,” he said.

Operating at his workshop of 33 years, he and his mechanics have repaired more than 80 motorcycles belonging to flood victims living around Dengkil to date.

The father of four, aged between 15 and 25, called on owners to be patient as each repair took one to two hours with costs of new spark plugs, engine oil and air filter, all borne by him.

"I want to help in terms of ringgit, which I can't really afford as my house and items were also damaged by floods. I just hope they pray for my business to prosper,” said Raja who hailed from Selangor.

Meanwhile, workshop worker Muhd Nur Firdaus Che Razali, 21, who is eyeing a diploma in Automotive studies, is an Automotive Certificate graduate from the Industrial Training Institute Mersing, Johor.

"I want more knowledge and experience but I did not expect the flood to happen and Abang Raja offering free repairs. This is my chance before I continue my studies at diploma level,” said Nur Firdaus who started work at the workshop last month.


Britain's Johnson to unveil green plan that may halt sales of petrol cars

                LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to unveil a green 10-point plan on Wednesday, as he weighs controversial proposals to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars within a decade.

The much anticipated policy document has already been delayed at least twice and could be moved again. It is currently scheduled for Nov 18, people familiar with the matter said.

The government is considering bringing forward the current 2040 prohibition on the sale of gas and diesel cars to 2035, or earlier.

The BBC and the Financial Times on Saturday reported that the ban will come into effect in 2030, with hybrid cars barred from 2035. However, three senior government officials said no decision had been taken yet.

Johnson promised a self-styled green industrial revolution to meet a law calling for net-zero emissions by 2050, and this week set a target to create 2 million green jobs by 2030. He is seeking to balance car industry concerns with climate goals at a time when the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to weigh on long-term growth.

Research by Greenpeace and Green Alliance shows that only a 2030 ban, which also covers plug-in hybrids, would put the UK on track to meeting its target of reaching net-zero by the middle of the century.

Driving down pollution

The car industry has warned that a 2030 ban “could have a devastating impact on the UK automotive industry” at a time when it’s already dealing with uncertainty caused by Brexit and the pandemic.

Britain’s recovery is trailing behind the world’s major industrialised nations and the economy was still almost 10% smaller than before the pandemic, in the three months through September, according to data released Thursday,

As the host of the next round of global climate change talks, known as COP26, Johnson is under particular pressure to show leadership on tackling climate change by setting out domestic policies that will drive down emissions.

The government last week once again delayed a key energy white paper that could include financing plans for nuclear power, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage technology. These technologies are key to reducing pollution, but too expensive to work without subsidy.

He is also expected to announce a new 2030 climate change target ahead of a Dec 12 United Nations summit, which is required by all countries under the terms of the 2015 Paris Agreement.


Hanoi sets up roadmap for motorcycle exhaust emissions control

                HANOI: Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment has proposed a roadmap for controlling motorcycle exhaust emissions, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Local authorities will set up a legal framework in 2023 and issue a plan on exhaust emissions control, and consider zoning areas for air environment protection and motorcycle limitation.

In 2024 and 2025, they will pilot annual inspections of the motorcycles that have been used for five years and over.

From 2026, the vehicles already used for three to five years and over must undergo regular exhaust emission inspections. Authorities will also limit those failing to meet emission standards in the zoned areas.

The department had recently conducted a survey of 3,867 local vehicle owners, and 86 per cent of them voiced support for controlling exhaust emissions from old motorcycles.

The emission control through regular inspection and maintenance is said to generate considerable benefits, including saving fuel costs, reducing by up to 35% of the carbon monoxide emissions and 40% of the hydrocarbon emissions, and easing the budgetary burden on health services to address air pollution effects, the department noted.

As of July, there were more than 7.6 million vehicles in the Vietnamese capital, including over one million automobiles and nearly 6.5 million motorcycles.

They exclude vehicles from other localities passing through the city, according to the municipal Department of Transport.


First all-electric Polestar 2 delivered

                GOTHENBURG: Sino-Swedish carmaker Polestar has delivered its first European Polestar 2 customer car at its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Thunder-coloured fastback was specified with a Charcoal WeaveTech vegan interior.

This first European delivery marks another crucial step for the electric start-up brand.

Following Europe, the brand looks to also begin deliveries in China and North America throughout.

The first Swedish customers are joined by customers in China and the first Norwegian customers in the first week of August.

Afterwhich, it will be customers in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK who will begin to receive their cars.

Deliveries in Switzerland and North America will follow from then on.

The 408hp electric car has a 78kWh lithium-ion battery that powers two electric motors - one for each axle, and can travel up to 445km with 0-100kph sprints taking just 4.7 seconds.

Polestar 2 was officially revealed online in early 2019 and rolls off the line from a shared production facility in Luqiao, China since March 2020.


Monterey Car Week: A tour of the horsepower parade for the wealthy

                MONTEREY (USA): When August comes around, the Monterey Peninsula, a drive of two hours south of San Francisco, is dedicated to handsome cars.

The world's most beautiful and valuable classic saloons, coupés and cabriolets owned by fastidious collectors come together for the Concours d'Elegance.

These days the classics are joined by a raft of new metal when the Concours weekend morphs into Monterey Car Week (Aug 11-20).

Luxury is the byword here, with no common, bread-and-butter models to be seen again in 2022.

Bugatti, for example, brought along the Mistral roadster, which is the last from the marque to be equipped with an outlandish 16-cylinder engine. Only 99 will be built, but there is no need to rush since each will cost upwards of 5 million euros.

McLaren's Solus GT has a breathtaking price tag too. The British maker is asking £3 million (a good €3.5 million) excluding taxes for the carbon model with a home-grown V10 engine turning 619 kW/840 hp. The plan is to built just 25 of them.

Luxury brands from Britain have apparently also taken a shine to such micro-editions and some celebrate the event as a renaissance of traditional coach-building. Aston Martin hss spun back to the 1950s with its stunning two-seater open cockpit concept DBR22.

The show is a fitting debut too for the sublime Bentley Batur two-door grand coupé. Eighteen examples are planned at around €two million apiece. Naturally the batch was sold out before the premiere.

At €260,000 for a set of ignition keys, the Lamborghini Urus is at the bottom end of the Pebble Beach market. The SUV has been given a makeover and will arrive in showrooms as the uprated Performante version.

Aston Martin's range-topping Vantage Roadster gets a mighty V12 motor for the last time while budding track aces will lap up the be-spoilered and be-winged, race-ready GT3 RS.

The Mercedes G wagon is very long in the tooth but the three-pointed star pitched a stretched "4x4x2" version with a wide-body on portal axles, seen strutting its stuff across the golf courses around Pebble Beach.

The electric Vision EQG was seen parked right next to it, as if to hint that the boxy off-roader has an electric future.

Meanwhile Bugatti boss Mate Rimac has ruled out a pure electric car form the ultra-exclusive brand for the next 10 years.

Petrol-heads can take comfort too from the words of engineer Andreas Preuninger, who rose to become a Porsche legend as the father of the go-much-faster GT3 models.

He announced that the radical concept of an RS model with its highly-tuned petrol combustion engine will continue for the time being.

Naturally, the electric revolution has already left its mark in Pebble Beach and many stars of Car Week are therefore plugged in.

This applies to the three Sphere studies by Audi, which can be seen together for the first time, as well as Mercedes EQG and an extravagant self-driving saloon concept from US maker Lincoln.

A born-again DeLorean also aims to drive back into the future of the once dormant marque with the gull-winged Alpha5 family car.

Equally competing for the dollars of the rich and famous is Lucid's Sapphire Edition of the flagship Air here. The streamlined sedan is said to be the most powerful four-seater in the world with more than 882 kW/1200 hp on tap.

Perhaps the most charming novelty is the Meyers Manx, which is celebrating the comeback of the electric beach runabout car on the Monterey Peninsula.

A revived dune buggy is the ultimate Californian vehicle concept, which makes it all the more odd that pioneers Volkswagen did not think of this marketing coup first.

As an authentic reinterpretation of a classic, the Meyers Manx 2.0 creates a funky link between past and present.


Tesla to set up electric car manufacturing unit in southern India

                BENGALURU: Billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc will set up an electric-car manufacturing unit in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, according to a government document seen by Reuters on Saturday.

“Tesla will be opening an electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka,” the state government said in a brief statement.

The statement was part of a broader document outlining the highlights of India’s budget to its people in the local language of Kannada.

Last month, the electric carmaker incorporated Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited with its registered office in the city of Bengaluru in Karnataka, a hub for global technology companies.

State chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa had then said in a tweet, which was subsequently deleted, that Tesla would start its operations in India with an R&D unit here.

It was not immediately clear if the Saturday statement was referring to the same unit.

Tesla and the office of Karnataka state chief minister did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comments.

Musk has tweeted several times about the company’s impending foray into India. In December, the Tesla CEO confirmed in an exchange on Twitter that Tesla will launch in the country in 2021.

India has been keen to reduce its oil dependence and cut down on pollution, but its efforts to promote electric vehicles have been stymied by a lack of investment in manufacturing and infrastructure such as charging stations.

To boost investment, India plans to offer US$4.6 billion in incentives to companies setting up advanced battery manufacturing facilities, Reuters reported last year.


Acura NSX struts out in Detroit

                DETROIT: Twenty-five years since its first appearance and the highly acclaimed Acura (Honda) NSX makes a return with a new mid-mounted twin-turbo engine mated to a nine-speed transmission, all-wheel drive and a hybrid drive train.

Honed at the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife, the upcoming NSX and its mid-mounted 75-degree, DOHC V6 engine with twin turbochargers is married to a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) developed in-house by Acura.

Furthermore, the V6 engine employs a race-inspired compact valve train and dry sump lubrication system to help lower the centre of gravity, while the all-new nine-speed DCT delivers synapse-quick gear changes and rev-matching downshifts.

 Acura NSX

Housed between the engine and transmission is the rear direct-drive electric motor which provides support during acceleration, braking and transmission shifting performance.

Additionally, each of the NSX’s front wheels are independently driven by a high-output electric motor for better torque response and dynamic left-to-right torque distribution - dynamic torque vectoring.

Furthermore, it enhances acceleration and braking performance for a "zero delay” launch performance and handling response that seems to anticipate the driver’s desire.

Acura has begun accepting custom orders for the new NSX starting in June, with customer deliveries expected later in the year.

 Acura NSX

The NSX's chassis has been developed under the concept of a “human-centered supercar,” which features a classic low and wide proportions married to modern and alluring surfacing, an aggressive front design, and tail lights that pays homage to the original NSX.

The signature side intake and floating C-pillar collects air to feed the mid-mounted engine and directs airflow over the rear deck to increase downforce.

To accommodate the new longitudinally mounted twin-turbo V6 and 9-speed DCT, the production vehicle was lengthened (+3 inches) and widened (+1 inch) with a slightly more cab-forward package, compared with the proportions of the NSX Concept shown in 2012.

Every element of the exterior body design has been fashioned for total airflow management for both stability-enhancing downforce and vehicle systems cooling.

The NSX has undergone extensive testing at the company’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel in Raymond, Ohio, leading to a number of significant changes from concept to final body design, including modified hood vents, new front fender vents, modified side air intakes, and an optimized deck spoiler.

Dimensionally, the NSX comes measuring 4,470mm-long, 1,940mm-wide and 1,215mm-tall, with a wheelbase of 2,630mm, front track of 1,655mm and its rear track at 1,615mm.

Inside, the NSX interior boasts of exceptional forward visibility, simple and intuitive controls, and class-leading ergonomics - most notably is the seat, which features top-class holding performance with outstanding comfort and easy ingress/egress.

The NSX’s instrument cluster is a dynamic TFT display that responds to changes in the driver-selectable Integrated Dynamics System with pertinent graphics and information.

The centre console holds the Power button that readies the sport hybrid powertrain, nested in the centre of the new Integrated Dynamics System dial control.

Interwoven under the handcrafted leather dash panel is the exposed midframe — a functioning chassis structural member that reflects the design aesthetic of a naked sport bike.

 Acura NSX

An ultra-thin, yet super strong A-pillar design and low-mounted instrument panel minimize obstructions to the driver’s view of the road.

Acura's engineers have tweaked with its dynamic torque-vectoring technologies, including Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), to create an intelligent powertrain.

The NSX's chassis is the world’s first all-aluminum supercar by utilizing a space frame design — an internal frame constructed of aluminium, ultra-high strength steel and other advanced materials.

Anchored by a carbon fibre floor, torsional and bending forces are taken up entirely by this ultra-rigid structure, which also utilizes advanced joining technologies.

 Acura NSX

The NSX also features a world’s-first casting technology that combines the design and manufacturing flexibility of a casting process with the strength and elongation properties of a forged material, enabling significant weight reduction.

The body panels are composed of a combination of aluminum and sheet molding composite (SMC).

Furthermore, the NSX features an “Advanced Sports Package” with placement of key powertrain components – the mid-mounted engine, twin front motors and Sport Hybrid battery pack and power control unit, which optimizes to concentrate vehicle mass low and toward the centre of the vehicle and enhancing dynamic response.

The combination of this packaging concept and the lightweight body give the NSX the lowest center of gravity in its class.

The NSX utilizes a fully independent, all-aluminum front and rear suspension and puts its considerable power down through ContiSportContact tyres — 245/35Z R19 front and 295/30Z R20 rear—mounted on 19x8.5 inch front and 20x11 inch rear aluminium alloy wheels.

Powerful, natural and confident braking performance is provided by six-piston front and four-piston rear monoblock callipers squeezing ultra-high performance carbon-ceramic brake discs.

 Acura NSX

Handling is greatly enhanced by Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All Wheel Drive (Sport Hybrid SH-AWD), enabling lightning-quick response to all driver inputs—steering, braking and throttle—along with the stability, control and launch performance of all-wheel drive.

Agile Handling Assist (AHA) uses the subtle application of brake torque to further enhance yaw response and dynamic stability.

The NSX’s dial-operated Integrated Dynamic System features Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track modes.

The system adjusts engine, motor, transmission and chassis response, as well as the engine sound level, based on the needs of the driver and driving environment.

Quiet mode enables electric-only driving at lower speeds for short durations.

Dynamic vehicle responses become increasingly sharp as the driver moves from Sport to Sport+ mode and, finally, to Track mode, where the NSX reveals the full spectrum of its performance capabilities.

 Acura NSX

The NSX also features a “launch” function to achieve the ultimate in “zero delay” launch performance, aided by both the engine and three electric motors.

The NSX will be manufactured exclusively at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, where approximately 100 associates will conduct full body construction, paint, and final assembly using domestic and globally-sourced parts.

The PMC and its processes have been developed to perfectly blend associate craftsmanship and technology in a new approach to manufacturing.

By in-housing the body construction, Acura maintains complete control over total body quality, including critical strength, suspension accuracy, and fit and finish — from initial construction all the way to final assembly.

Associates will utilize innovative techniques to deliver next-generation craftsmanship and world-class quality in the realm of specialized, supercar vehicle production.

Acura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSXAcura NSX


Price of RON97 petrol up 14 sen, price of RON95 and diesel unchanged

                PETALING JAYA: The price of premium RON97 petrol has gone up 14 sen to RM2.79 for the month of October.

However, the price of RON95 petrol and diesel are the same at RM2.20 and RM2.18 respectively.

The new price of RON97 petrol was announced on the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry's official Facebook account on Sunday evening and took effect from 12.01am on Oct 1.

He had said the government had allocated RM3bil in subsidies for both RON95 and diesel, to ensure the price of these fuels would not be floated in the market.

The level of subsidies to maintain the price of RON95 and diesel will increase as the world oil price rises.

Over the last week of September, the price of crude oil breached the crucial level of US$82 per barrel due to the tightening of the market and the reluctance of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) leaders to immediately boost production.

A report by Bloomberg over the week noted that with the US sanctions on Iran taking full effect in early November, oil prices could rise to US$100 per barrel before the end of 2018.


Mazda6 for US market made more engaging

                LOS ANGELES: For 2017, Mazda has made a host of driver-focused improvements to its sporty sedan that strictly adhere to its "horse and rider as one" design and development philosophy.

The Mazda6 is already one of the best vehicles in its class in terms of finding that balance between practicality and driver enjoyment. But rather than rest on its laurels, Mazda is making the sedan even more engaging for 2017.

When the new model goes on sale in September it will be the first Mazda available in the United States to get something called G-Vectoring Control (GVC). The system actively monitors and in some cases controls the car's engine, transmission, the chassis set up and the body's movement so that everything feels sharper and more intuitive to the driver.

Rather than turn the sedan into an out-and-out sportscar, the idea behind GVC is to make everything more communicative and confidence inspiring. The driver understands and feels the car's behaviour and that gives him or her greater control or confidence, whether stuck in traffic or enjoying the turns and undulations of a mountain road.

Mazda calls this type of technology "Jinba Ittai" — literally translated as "Horse and rider as one" and in recent years has become a bedrock of the company's design philosophy.

Jinba Ittai is why the new MX-5 Miata has a spring-loaded gear shift that "slots into place" when the driver selects a gear. The experience is meant to feel rewarding and accurate and is one of the tiny details that helped enormously when the car was voted World Car of the Year 2016 in April.

As well as a communicative driving experience, the new Mazda promises new levels of soundproofing. This has led the engineers to examine everything from panel gaps and door seals as well as simply adding insulation in order to cancel noise. Even the glass in the driver and front passenger doors is now thicker to deaden unwanted sounds.

The car retains its 184hp 2.5-litre engine for 2017 alongside a proper six-speed manual transmission — Mazda is one of the few companies to offer a manual transmission as the norm in this segment — although a six-speed automatic is also available, as is for the first time the choice of Nappa Leather trim on the seats.

READ MORE: What new G-Vectoring Control does for Mazda3


Carmakers are racing to re-invent the wheel with smarter tyres

Michelin's airless concept tyres are certainly weird: They come in psychedelic blue, with a spidery sponge-like form that makes them look like underwater corals.
BERLIN: Cars that drive or even fly themselves may be just around the corner. So why not reinvent the whole wheel and the tyre attached to it?

There is no law that says that car tyres have to be black all over and made of rubber compounds.

Leading tyre makers are working on some cool new tyre concepts which they say would provide a smoother and more comfortable ride. Some like Michelin of France and Japan's Bridgestone say tyres can even do without air too which would end the pain of punctures.

Michelin's airless concept tyres are certainly weird: They come in psychedelic blue, with a spidery sponge-like form that makes them look like underwater corals.

Scientists say flexible structure like these using new high-tech materials can provide sufficient support for a vehicle's weight.

Synthetic elastomers to replace rubber are costly and difficult to produce, but makers are not content to draw up new tread designs or tinker with the molecular structure of the natural rubber used to make conventional tyres.

One of the most radical new ideas comes from a US company which recently unveiled a spherical tyre for the future. Goodyear is using a 3D printer its Akron-based innovation centre which involves a non-pneumatic tyre wrapped in thermoplastic.

Goodyear says its DuraWeb technology provides both stiffness and flexibility to carry heavy loads and maintain a smooth ride, unlike conventional tyres which are discarded when worn out, Goodyear's concept wheels can be recycled.

Goodyear's futuristic concept is being tried out on lawn mowers to start and it will doubtless take a long time before its debuts on a road car.

Michelin, too, is thinking well into the future. The "Visionary Concept" introduced a few months ago is being produced using recycled materials in a 3D printer. It is designed to replace both the rim and the tyre at the same time. The tyre profile is also programmed in the 3D printer to suit its particular application.

The nature-inspired structures should be both stable and elastic, meaning that driving stability and comfort would be at the level of rubber tyres. Another advantage of an organic tyre is that, after its use, it can be processed and reused.

While these two designs offer radical rethinks of tyres, Pirelli and Continental are more likely to work on the evolution towards the future, proving a greater sense of the current reality.

Pirelli's Conesso is a smart tyre which can monitor vital tyre data and communicate this information to the driver using a smartphone app.

Sensors are built into the tyre sidewalls and these keep on a eye on air pressure, pressures, tread wear and the estimated remaining tyre life in kilometres.

The Connesso alerts the driver when tyre pressure drops or the tread wear limit is approaching and can swiftly identify the nearest tyre dealership. It can even book a service appointment. The system also works when the car is at rest.

Continental's ContiSense and Contiadapt also use sensors to report on the status of tyres and can tailor their characteristics to suit prevailing road conditions.

Tyre data is monitored constantly and if a tyre is penetrated, the driver gets an immediate warning. Hannover-based Conti says the acts more quickly than rivals, which generally only warn when tyre pressure is already falling.

Contiadapt tyres feature three different tread zones, tailored for driving in wet, slippery or dry conditions. The zone is the major contact point between the vehicle and the road surface.

Tyre pressure and rim width and grip level are varied by ContiAdapt which has its own mini-compressor for inflation and deflation. It also chooses the right tread pattern for current road conditions.

Spherical tyres from Goodyear or the sponges from Michelin are a long way down the road but the ideas from Pirelli and Continental could soon find their way into cars in the local dealer showroom. Conti expects its high-tech tyres to be available within five years.


B20 biodiesel plan to be carried out by end-2022

                KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, the world's second-biggest palm oil producer, expects its B20 biofuel plan to be implemented nationwide by the end of 2022, according to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali.

Malaysia's B20 programme in the transport sector, which entails a 20% mix of palm-biodiesel into petroleum, was initially scheduled to be completed by mid-2021 but later delayed to 2022 as the country prioritises economic recovery from the pandemic.

The palm oil industry should also take proactive action to reduce food contaminants in refined palm oil, he said in remarks prepared for an online conference today.

The industry should target to lower 3-monochloropropanediol esters, or 3-MCPDE, to below the EU-prescribed level of 2.5ppm.

Mechanisation and automation in the upstream sector is important as there's an over-dependence on foreign labour. Any disruption to the labour force will have a significant impact to Malaysia's palm industry.


Vehicle sales seen to fall for first time in 6 years

                PETALING JAYA: Vehicle sales in Malaysia this year are expected to drop for the first time in six years as subdued consumer sentiment, a sluggish economy, weaker ringgit and tighter lending requirements take its toll on the local automotive industry, according the Malaysia Automotive Association (MAA).

MAA forecast Malaysia’s total industry’s volume to drop by 2.5% to 650,000 units in 2016 against last year.

The automotive industry has been growing for six consecutive years since 2010, peaking at a new all time total industry volume (TIV) high of 666,674 units last year, albeit at a marginal increase of 0.03% against 2014.

MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad explained that its members forecast a less robust year for 2016 mainly due to the subdued global economic growth, uncertainties over the fall in crude oil price and the slowdown in China’s gross domestic products.

“Malaysia’s economy too is expected to expand at a slower pace of 4% to 5% this year and the ringgit will continue to impact business confidence and consumer sentiment.

“The persistent weak ringgit will continue to affect business confidence and consumer sentiment,” she said in a press briefing yesterday.

Another factor would be the tighter lending guidelines including for hire purchase loans but the authorities to rein in household debts.

“We hope that banks will look into a leaner hire purchase loan guidelines. As of now most banks have shortened the hire purchase repayment period up to maximum of seven years from the previous nine years.

“This is expected to have an impact on the lower income group buying power. Inevitable and expected price increase will also be a factor.

“But, some sub-segments of the private vehicles sales such as pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles and luxury cars are expected to withstand the choppy waters ahead,” she said. Out of the projected TIV of 650,000 units, the MAA expected 575,250 to be passenger vehicles and the remaining 74,750 commercial vehicles.

This was in contrast with last year’s 666,675 units, of which 591,298 were passenger vehicles and the remaining 75,376 were commercial vehicles.

Aishah said 2015’s TIV growth was attributed to factors like stable economy and employment rate, sales increase in the fourth quarter, following normalisation in the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, aggressive sales campaign, new offers and schemes for car buyers and introduction of new models.

National brandnames Perodua and Proton still conquered the two biggest chunks of market share at 32% with 213, 307 units and 15.3% with 102, 175 units respectively last year.

Honda was the top non-national brand at 14.2% or 94,902 units, Toyota was a close 14.1% at 93,760 units (of which 65,295 were passenger vehicles and the remaining 28,465 were commercial vehicles).

In third spot for non-national brands, Nissan was third with 7.1% at 47,235 vehicles of which 41,941 were passenger vehicles and the rest of 5,294 commercial vehicles.

“We are praying for 2017 to be a better year,” she said.

For 2017, the MAA expects sales to rise 3% to 669,500 from this year. TIV for 2018, it estimates TIV to rise 2.5% on-year to 686,200 and for 2019 (702,000) and in 2020 (717,444).

According to 2015 market review, Perodua was the top seller with a share of 36.1% when it sold 213,307 passenger vehicles followed by Proton with a market share of 15.3% or 102,175 units. On the effects of the Transpacific Partnership Aggreement (TTPA) on the industry, Aishah did not expect many benefits except for those sourcing out from North America, Mexico and Canada to explore these new markets.


Perodua Axia wins two Frost & Sullivan awards

                KUALA LUMPUR: The Perodua Axia has bagged two awards at the annual Frost & Sullivan Malaysia Excellence Awards ceremony here on Wednesday.

The Axia was awarded the Value-for- Money Car of the Year Award (1.3L and below) based on affordability and fuel consumption efficiency that contribute to a better cost of ownership.

It also received the Car of the Year Award because it became the leading passenger vehicle model based on impressive growth of sales volume in 2014 and 2015, that led to the increment of market share within its own segment, and its overall impact on the total industry volume (TIV) for 2015.

“These two awards show we are committed in giving our customers the best quality, value for money and good driving experience,’’ Perodua president and CEO Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said.

The Axia is the compact car maker’s first EEV (Energy Efficient Vehicle) which comes with four variants (Standard E, Standard G, SE & Advance); Perodua has sold about 154,103 units since it was launched in September 2014. It continues to receive favourable bookings to this day.

The awards were presented by Frost & Sullivan managing director for Malaysia & senior vice president for Asia Pacific Hazmi Yusof to Aminar.


Xiaomi plans US$15bil foray into electric cars

 A Xiaomi store in Beijing. — AFP
BEIJING: Xiaomi Corp. plans to invest about US$10 billion (RM42bil) over the next decade to make electric cars, embarking on its biggest-ever overhaul to enter China’s booming EV market.

Billionaire co-founder Lei Jun will lead a new, standalone division that will invest an initial 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) on smart vehicle manufacturing, the company said in an exchange filing.

The Chinese smartphone maker joins tech giants from Apple Inc. to Huawei Technologies Co. in targeting the vehicle industry, betting future cars will grow increasingly autonomous and connected.

Xiaomi could invest a total US$15 billion (RM62bil) on the project over the next three years, including external financing, a person familiar with the matter said before the announcement.

The company will contribute about 60% of the envisioned sum and plans to raise the rest of the funds, said the person, who asked not be identified because the plans are private.

Xiaomi becomes the latest to pile into an already crowded arena, where an array of automakers from Tesla Inc. to local upstarts Nio Inc. and Xpeng Inc. are battling for a slice of the world’s biggest EV market.

Search giant Baidu Inc. and Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. are also said to be teaming up to build electric cars. EV sales in China may climb more than 50% this year alone as consumers embrace cleaner automobiles and costs tumble, research firm Canalys estimates.

The Beijing-based company will outsource car assembly to contract manufacturers, a model it uses for its smartphones, according to the person. Xiaomi relies on contract manufacturers such as Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group to make its mobile devices.

However, the company has no plans to choose "established” automakers for its manufacturing partners, the person said. Great Wall Motor Co. last week rejected a Reuters report it will help Xiaomi make EVs.

Lei led a review of the EV industry’s potential several months ago and a final decision to enter the arena was made in recent weeks, said another person familiar with the matter. Xiaomi has already hired engineers to work on software to be embedded in its cars, the person added.

It’s venturing into unfamiliar territory. The smartphone maker also had just under 100 billion yuan of cash and equivalents at the end of 2020.

Founded by Lei more than a decade ago, Xiaomi became the fastest-growing smartphone maker in China in the fourth quarter of last year after Huawei found it difficult to source key chips because of US sanctions.

Beyond phones, it’s best known for running internet services and making a range of cut-price home gadgets from rice cookers to robo-vacuums.


Kia Cerato Koup and Hyundai Veloster Turbo duke it out in war of Korean turbos

                Hyundai and Kia cars are rivals in most market segments, yet both marques are part of the same family.

Their cars share a lot of parts under the skin, and it’s no secret that both Korean marques use the same engineering know-how and automotive technology.

Both Korean car marques had formed the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group in 1998, and is today, the world’s fifth largest automaker by sales (about 8 million vehicles sold in 2015).

However, there are distinctly separate marketing, branding and distribution operations for Hyundai and Kia.

This is also reflected in Malaysia, where the marques are distributed by two different companies.
Here, Kia vehicles are distributed by Naza Kia Malaysia while Hyundai cars are distributed by Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors.

We take a closer look at the Hyundai Veloster Turbo and Kia Cerato Koup, which have funky styling and sporty looks.

Kia Cerato KoupHyundai Veloster Turbo

It’s not surprising that both cars share a few common features and technology.

Both cars have a motor-driven power steering (MDPS) with Flexsteer that provides Normal, Comfort and Sport modes.

Although a tad numb in terms of feedback, the MDPS is precise and can deliver fuel savings of up to three per cent.

Kia Cerato KoupHyundai Veloster Turbo

They are also imported from Korea, and run on tyres sized 225/40 R18 from Korean tyremakers Nexen (on the Cerato Koup) and Hankook (on the Veloster Turbo).

While both cars have many similarities, there are a few notable differences.

Both cars have the same 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol direct injected engine, but on the Veloster Turbo, it was tuned with a lower power output for some European markets.

Both cars output 265Nm of torque.

It should be noted that although the Cerato Koup is higher powered with 204PS, it delivers this at higher engine speeds of 6,000rpm.

Kia Cerato KoupHyundai Veloster Turbo

The Veloster Turbo makes its 186PS maximum power and 265Nm of torque at slightly lower engine speeds.

Also, the Veloster Turbo gets a more sophisticated seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which provides faster gear changes, improved acceleration and better fuel efficiency compared with the conventional six-speed torque converter automatic on the Cerato Koup.

In terms of powertrain and engine tuning, the Veloster Turbo has adequate performance.

As for footprint, the Cerato Koup is the longer car (by 280mm) and has a slightly longer wheelbase (extra 50mm).

Kia Cerato KoupHyundai Veloster Turbo

There is more rear cargo room in the Cerato Koup (433 litres), compared with the Veloster Turbo (320 litres).

Also, unlike the Veloster Turbo, the Cerato Koup has rear air-conditioning vents.

Both cars have sunroofs, but the Veloster Turbo gets a larger panorama sunroof - so the cabin gets more natural light.

Kia Cerato Koup

The two-door Cerato Koup has muscular and athletic looks, with a sleek cab-forward styling and eye-catching frameless doors.

It also comes packed with lots of nice features such as keyless entry, push-start ignition, automatic HID (high intensity discharge) projector headlamps, LED (light-emitting diode) front fog lamps and rear lights, dual-zone automatic air-conditioner with cluster ioniser, rear air-conditioning vents, and high-quality leather seats.

While there are no powered seats here, the driver gets a air-ventilated seat which is useful on a hot day.

This is activated by pressing a button, following which cool air is channelled through the seat back and cushion.

At night or in dark areas, we really liked the Smart Welcome Lighting System where the electric wing mirrors unfold, and puddle lamps and door handle pocket lights illuminate automatically as we approached the car with the smart key.

There is a spacious boot, cabin recesses and a deep storage box between the front seats for keeping small items.

It is a two-door car, so you will need to flick a lever on the side of the front seats, to tilt and slide them forward to access the rear seatbench.

The cabin has a high-quality ambience, and you get a dark and sporty interior with an electric sunroof, leather upholstery and chrome door handles.

The front bucket sport seats are highly supportive and well-bolstered, and we found the fit and finish of the cabin materials to be top-notch.

We also liked the audio quality of the Bluetooth-enabled, six-speaker hi-fi system.

Our only criticism concerns the size of the 4.2-inch centre display touchscreen, which we felt to be a tad small.

As a result, we sometimes had to peer hard when the rear view camera is operational.

As for driving performance, this is where the Cerato Koup excels in terms of get-up and go quality.

There is hardly any turbo lag, and it can do the 0 to 100kph sprint in 7.4 seconds.

Its 265Nm of torque gets you ample low-end grunt which kicks in at an early 1,750rpm to 4,500rpm.

For spirited driving, the Cerato Koup will certainly put a smile on the face of enthusiastic drivers.

The suspension is on the firm side but well-tuned for adequate comfort, even on poorly-maintained and bumpy roads off Old Klang Road.

The Cerato Koup comes with ample safety features like six airbags, ISOFIX anchor points and Electronic Stability Control, as well as adequate stopping power with all-round disc brakes.

It is a well-packaged and stylish car that delivers plenty of bang for the ringgit.

Hyundai Veloster Turbo

Unconventional and unique is how we’d best describe the Veloster Turbo, which strangely has three doors to access the cabin.

It comes feature-packed to entice with its sporty 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery, panoramic retractable sunroof, keyless entry with push-start button, Mobis sound system, seven-inch touchscreen with reverse camera and Bluetooth connectivity.

More importantly, paddle shifters have been provided for those playful moments to raise the fun-factor and help the driver feel more engaged during such drives.

Admittedly, the Veloster Turbo’s looks isn’t something that would make budding owners go “ga-ga” over, even though its so easily identifiable.

In fact, the way it’s been styled seem to attract those who want to stand out and depart from the norm.

This makes the Veloster Turbo an eye-catcher for some and perhaps the reason for it to be such a rarity on the roads today, especially when its lacking a rear right door to the cabin.

However, what it doesn’t lack is the ability and willingness to put the power down.

Drivers will find that there’s plenty of “go” from the pedal when demanded and even after being pushed hard during most of the few days we had it, the Veloster Turbo didn’t seem like a heavy drinker from its fuel tank.

To make it even more frugal, its Eco mode allows it to sip even more lightly and when there’s demand for more power, there’s little hesitation to deliver thanks in part to the quick reflexes of the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

During our previous review of the Veloster Turbo, we didn’t particularly enjoy the DCT’s behaviour, but this time around, it seemed more well-mannered with smoother transitions on the up and down-shifts when in traffic.

As for the Cerato Koup’s six-speed automatic transmission, it too has smooth shifts that feel direct and responsive, while taking just a fraction longer to execute when the engine gets pushed till its limits.

Even though the engines are practically the same, the Cerato Koup feels far more robust and a little more visceral in its power delivery with its additional 18PS, which gives it a 0.6 second edge for 0-100kph sprint times at 7.4 seconds versus the Veloster Turbo’s 8.0 seconds flat.

In terms of comfort levels, the Veloster Turbo’s stiff chassis and suspension set-up felt more refined with just a tickle more suppleness to the ride over the Cerato Koup’s.

Inside, we also liked the fact that the Veloster Turbo’s front seats are well-bolstered around the waist for those tight and twisty routes when at speed as well as the symmetrically-designed centre console over the Cerato Koup’s.

Although the brakes could come with a bit more bite, we maintain that the Veloster Turbo is a quick, zippy and fun car to own.

But with the oddity of Hyundai leaving out the other rear door and the possibility of getting concussed when the boot closes, at least there’s that saving grace where rear-seated passengers are able to enter with a lot more grace than with the Kia.

Verdict
There’s no denying the fact that the Cerato Koup is more attractive being RM23,100 more affordable than the Veloster Turbo and the two cars come almost as equally equipped as the other.

In terms of equipment, both come with paddle-shifters, sunroof, projector HID headlights, LED daytime running lights, colour touchscreen with reverse camera, keyless entry with push-start button and leather upholstered seats.

What sets these two Koreans models apart, other than the obvious design cues, is the way the engines have been tuned.

Kia Cerato KoupHyudai Veloster Turbo

Furthermore, the use of a conventional six-speed automatic gearbox roughs up the Cerato Koup’s feathers making it lose ground to the Veloster Turbo’s more refined seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

Although the six-speed transmission is a smooth operator, it just wasn’t able to trump the DCT’s almost seamless shifts at higher engine speeds, which allows the Veloster Turbo to remain more poised and calm.

Kia Cerato KoupHyundai Veloster Turbo

But too much “calmness” also dulls the driving excitement a little as well.

In terms of amenities, the Veloster Turbo may be the ‘bigger” winner with its larger 7.0-inch colour touchscreen and panoramic sunroof, but it doesn’t have the Cerato Koup’s rear air vents and an additional 113 litres of boot space at 433 litres.

After much deliberation, we concluded that the unique-looking Veloster Turbo with all its goodies just didn’t seem convincing enough for the sizeable RM23,100 premium over the Cerato Koup, which had better performance, a little more fun and almost all the amenities of the Hyundai. — Reviews by THOMAS HUONG and JAY WONG; photos by ART CHEN

Kia Cerato Koup
Kia Cerato Koup Kia Cerato KoupKia Cerato Koup    Kia Cerato KoupKia Cerato Koup Kia Cerato Koup Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Hyundai Veloster TurboHyundai Veloster TurboHyundai Veloster Turbo   Hyundai Veloster Turbo Hyundai Veloster Turbo  Hyudai Veloster Turbo


Carsome secures RM120mil funding

                KUALA LUMPUR: Carsome, Southeast Asia’s largest integrated car e-commerce platform, recently completed its Series D fundraising and has announced that it managed to raise US$30mil (RM120mil).

Considered one of the largest all-equity financing to-date within the region's online automotive industry, it was led by Asia Partners and was joined by existing Carsome investors Burda Principal Investments and Ondine Capital.

Carsome co-founder and group CEO Eric Cheng said  the fundraising round - the largest equity investment in Carsome’s history, was a strong endorsement of its integrated business model, with complete digital processing across used car sellers, dealers, and buyers.

“We will use this capital to strengthen our regional leadership in consumer-to-business (C2B) used car e-commerce and accelerate our already successful new offering in the business-to-consumer (B2C) segment. We look forward to rolling out Southeast Asia’s first-ever C2B and B2C integrated e-commerce platform for used cars, a significantly superior new retail experience,” said Cheng.