10-seater Hyundai Staria to launch in 4Q22 with estimated price from RM170,000

                PETALING JAYA: Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) will be introducing a new 10-seater variant of the Hyundai's spaceship-inspired MPV, Staria, in the fourth quarter of the year.

Available in three variants of Lite, Plus and Max, prices are estimated from RM170,000 with a booking fee of RM1,000.

The 10-seater Staria variant was introduced following the seven-seater luxury version that was launched in October last year.

The Staria features Hyundai’s new design language that is futuristic and evokes the streamlined form of a spaceship.

Its sleek exterior is defined by a single stroke running from front to rear — inspired by the curve of light that illuminates the Earth’s horizon at sunrise when viewed from space.

The Staria’s front is embellished with horizontal daytime running lights (DRLs) and a positioning lamp on its front, both running across the width of the vehicle.

This is complemented by a bold, wide radiator grille with a unique pattern.

Its generous legroom is among the best in its segment and can be converted into expansive additional cargo space when all seats are pushed together, made possible by the versatile long sliding seat function.

The full-flat mode applied to rear passenger seats makes the Staria a perfect choice for activities that require a lot of room and interior flexibility, such as camping and for equipment-intensive transportation.

Powering the new variant 2.2-litre CRDi turbodiesel that delivers 177PS and 431Nm of torque paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

HSDM managing director Low Yuan Lung said the company had been getting enquiries for the 10-seater variant as the replacement for the Starex.

“Like the Starex, this 10-seater variant is ideal for big families, tour operators and businesses but with vast improvements and more functionalities in every aspect of the vehicle as compared to the Starex,” he said.

Interested parties can now walk into any authorised Hyundai showrooms to place a booking.

Booking can also be placed online via Hyundai’s online shopping platform, Cl!ck to Buy at www.hyundai.com.my/clicktobuy/.


UMW Toyota Motors investing RM2bil in plant for EEVs

                KUALA LUMPUR : UMW Toyota Motors Sdn Bhd is investing RM2bil for the construction of a new assembly and manufacturing plant in Klang which is set to commence operations in 2019.

The new plant which encompasses 670,000 square metres will be situated in Bukit Raja, Klang. It will have an initial production volume of 50,000 vehicles and will primarily be focused on passenger cars and energy efficient vehicles (EEVs).

Combined, the new plant and the group's existing plant in Shah Alam will have a total production capacity of between 90,000 and 100,000 vehicles per annum.

Financing for the new venture will come from internally generated funds, confirmed UMW Toyota president Datuk Ismet Suki (pic).

According to UMW Toyota Motor deputy chairman Akio Takeyama, construction for the plant will begin during the second half of this year, while manufacturing operations is set to commence by early 2019.

"The new plant will allow the Toyota Group to enhance efficiency and cost competitiveness. This is a big leap forward for us as this represents the biggest investment made by the Toyota-UMW joint venture in Malaysia," he said.


Cosmetics businessman admits impounded Rolls-Royce is his, rejects accusations

File pic of a Ghost, Series II.
PETALING JAYA: Cosmetics millionaire Datuk Seri Aliff Syukri Kamaruzaman admits he has overlooked the road tax validity of his Rolls-Royce Ghost that was impounded by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

However, the entrepreneur, who is popularly known as “Abang Terlajak Laris”, was furious with the backlash he received from netizens. They accused him of cheating by using a Sarawak road tax when the said vehicle is in Peninsular Malaysia.
 Aliff. - Image source: Instagram
Aliff claimed that the road tax and vehicle registration were handled by his management staff. “Do you think I have time to buy the road tax or licence (plate)? All of these are done by my employees,” he said. The road tax for the luxury car is around RM20,000 in Peninsular Malaysia compared with RM5,873 in Sarawak.

“Sometimes, I don’t understand what I have done so wrong until there are so many haters when I have no problem with anyone?

A Rolls-Royce allegedly registered under D’Herbs Holdings Sdn Bhd, a company founded by Aliff, was among 20 vehicles impounded by JPJ during an operation in Jalan Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, on New Year’s Eve.

JPJ deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman had said the luxury car was rented and was driven by an Australian man.


New 46km Sibu flyover open to road users ahead of Gawai fest

                SIBU: The Sibu flyover, which is part of the Pan Borneo Highway project, is now open to road users.

Public Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said with Gawai less than a week away on June 1, the public can now travel with ease.

"The opening of the flyover is timely, especially with Gawai just around the corner," he said when visiting the site earlier today.

He said this flyover can be used by vehicles from Bintulu to Kuching without using the roundabout.

Likewise, he said, vehicles from Sibu Airport to Bintulu can also use the highway.

"This makes it easier for users without having to use the roundabout. This project is finally completed albeit a delay," he added.

Asked about the cost of the flyover, he said it cost RM950mil with the route starting from the flyover up to Sungai Kua with a distance of 45.6km.

Nanta also reminded road users to obey traffic rules such as the speed limit.

"Drive according to the set speed limit of 90kph. Don't see this road as a perfect (excuse) to drive fast," said the Kapit MP.


Waze shares traffic predictions for Chinese New Year

                KUALA LUMPUR: With mum’s home-cooked feast waiting for you, there’s nothing worse than being stuck in a traffic jam on your way to the reunion dinner.

It can be difficult to decide when to start your journey, but don’t fret, Waze has some driving traffic predictions to help you make the most of your trip home so you can spend less time in the car and more time with the family.

Best and Worst Times to Travel Around Malaysia

Don’t want to be late for the reunion dinner? Travelling back to your hometown to see relatives? Want to meet up with your friends for karaoke? Do it on time with this tip!

The images below show which times you should avoid when you are out and about before and during Chinese New Year.

Best and Worst Times to Drive in Kuala Lumpur

Those that aren’t leaving the Klang Valley for the holidays can also take advantage of Waze’s prediction on the best and worst times to drive in Kuala Lumpur.

How are Malaysians Celebrating Chinese New Year?

Waze has also identified popular ways Malaysians celebrate the Chinese New Year. Planning for a catch-up with friends and family? Perhaps a high tea at a hotel or a big restaurant feast in the mall isn’t the most ideal if you get stuck in a jam.


Big fun in a MINI package

                The first time I ever drove a Mini was my grandma’s old red Morris Minor. It was a delight and I had often wondered if there ever was any chance to drive a car like that again.

So, when Miniscape came with an opportunity to test-drive all five MINI Coopers from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baru and back, I agreed immediately. Time to relive the nostalgia!

On the first day of Miniscape, we were introduced to each MINI one by one. My fingers tingled with excitement as I drove the Cooper Countryman first and then the Cooper S 3-door for the first leg of the trip.

The Countryman boasts of its safety awards it received and is well deserved. Its corner brake control and strong frame enhances the vehicle’s handling, giving it a stable and smooth ride.

Driving the Cooper S was a blast and above my expectation. Despite being the earliest model in the MINI range, it still carries a degree of oomph with good cornering grip with its big tyres, stronger brakes and a nice steering making it just as exciting to drive.

After a short break and lunch in Malacca, I tested the Cooper 3 Door. While the lesser twin of the Cooper S, it maintains its premium look with its interior furnishings and still packs a punch from its Twin Turbo engine.

It is the perfect fit for those who enjoy the simple pleasure of driving, which I thoroughly did as I slowly cruised my way to Johor.

One of the interesting thing I discovered during the drive was the Mini Driving Modes. With just a simple flick, I could change into either one of the three different modes of Green Mode, Mid Mode or Sports Mode.

Green mode is basically fuel saving and I am sure is most useful for the day-to-day commute. The Mid Mode gives you that balance between fuel saving and power for that casual drive around.

And my favourite mode, the Sports Mode or also known by the nickname GoKart Mode, which gives you that great MINI experience when you want to indulge yourself with some driving thrill. In this mode, a light step on the accelerator pedal is enough to unleash a quick burst of power, and combined with its superb, sharp and responsive handling, it was almost like I was riding a roller coaster or a Go Kart, hence its nickname.

For the second day, I drove the Cooper S 5 Door for the second leg of the journey back to Cyberjaya.

Now, this MINI is about balance where it is more roomy compared with the three door but compact enough that you will have no trouble parking it.

Like other MINIs, it was also fitted with the in-built Dynamic Stability Control which applies selective brake pressure or engine power to give the driver much more control of the car, especially during really tight turns.

The suspension is superb as well, where it still feels smooth on uneven roads. Midway through the drive, we were treated to a surprise stop at a nearby racing circuit.

Here, we got to test drive the Cooper Countryman and Cooper S 3 Door in a racing environment.

It was exhilarating to say the least as we took turns to weave in and out the bends at high speed and try to clock the shortest time.

We pushed both cars to the max and I personally enjoyed the Countryman, more so because it was a John Cooper Works upgrade with higher horsepower, sportier transmission, stiffer suspension and oversized brakes, among other upgrades.

I let loose my inner speed demon but its above par handling made sure I was in control of the car everytime.

With that exciting bit over, the last car to test out was the Clubman.

The Clubman is the largest of the MINI range and in my opinion, the most luxurious as well as most comfortable.

Its iconic split rear doors with a foot-activated sensor is marvellous, most helpful when your hands are full with groceries.

Its premium interior finishing is nothing short of my expectation and it’s so comfortable driving in it. It felt like I was driving a beautifully crafted car. Yet, it still maintains the Twin Turbo engines but with the added 8 speeds auto transmission which none of the Minis have, it was a perfect drive home after a perfect day.

All in all, when BMW brings back a classic, it brings back in style, sophistication, speed and more importantly, it brings back fun into driving a MINI again. - PATRICK CHIN


June 8-14: Fuel prices unchanged

                KUALA LUMPUR: The retail prices of RON97 and RON95 petrol and diesel will remain unchanged for the period from June 8-14.

The Finance Ministry, in a statement today, said that RON97 petrol remains at RM3.37 per litre, RON95 (RM2.05) and diesel (RM2.15).

The weekly retail prices of the products were set based on the Automatic Pricing Mechanism formula.


An eclectic mix for Scion at SEMA

                LAS VEGAS: For this year's Specialty Equipment Market Association show, Scion, Toyota's America-only marque for up-and-coming car buyers, will be showcasing models going from subtle luxury to extreme styling based on LA culture and horror series.

Whether it's called the Toyota GT 86 in Europe or the Scion FR-S in the US, whatever the hood emblem, the car that wears it is one of the best affordable sports coupes on sale anywhere in the world.

It has a willing boxer engine sitting as low as possible for the best centre of gravity. Drive from its four cylinders goes only to the rear wheels, and, because those wheels are shod in low-rolling resistance tyres, the car offers tail-out controlled oversteer on demand, pretty much at any speed and in any gear.

Unsurprisingly the Scion FR-S has become in recent years the de-facto automotive guinea pig for aftermarket and customization firms to show off their capabilities at SEMA - from exaggerated body kits, to huge wheels and generous servings of turbocharging, with very mixed results.

Now Scion has unveiled its own take, the limited edition Release Series 2.0. Just 1,000 numbered examples will be available and each gets a full black Alcantara interior with caramel accents. The steering wheel and gear knob are leather wrapped, there's a smart key and push button start, dual-zone air conditioning and special door sill plates. Outside, the car sports a special Lunar Storm paint finish, front and rear spoilers and 17-inch matte black multi-spoke alloys. And all for just US$29,510.

"The FR-S is well known for being a fabulous sports car, and now we're taking it up a notch in the luxury arena," said Scion Vice President Andrew Gilleland. "It's the perfect car to take from the race track during the day to the red carpet that evening."

Scion will also be serving up versions of its iM five-door hatchback and iA sedan.

Two streetwear brands, illicit and Crooks and Castles have both overhauled an iM in line with their apparel ranges and customer base, while Eddie Huang, the writer behind book and TV adaptation "Fresh Off the Boat," has reimagined the iA sedan as a modern version of the classic LA lowrider with a gold-plated grille and the ability to raise and lower its wheels.

But it's the Outcast, inspired by the horror comic of the same name and conceived by Skybound Entertainment, that's going to cause the biggest potential commotion when delegates arrive at this year's Las Vegas event today. Built to behave like it's possessed by evil sprits, it will move and jerk independently thanks to clever pneumatics and will even breathe smoke, make demonic noises and glow different colours.


Mazda posts 47% plunge in annual profit, skips financial forecasts

                TOKYO: Mazda Motor Corp today declined to give an earnings forecast and posted its lowest annual profit operating profit in eight years as the coronavirus outbreak hammered global vehicle demand.

Profit at Japan’s No. 5 automaker came in at 43.6 billion yen (RM1.7bil) for the year ended March 31, nearly half the 82.3 billion yen (RM3.3bil) for the previous year and its lowest since the year ended March 31, 2012.

Still, it exceeded a consensus estimate of 25.7 billion yen from 17 analysts polled by Refinitiv.

Mazda declined to give an earnings forecast for the current business year due to uncertainties about the longer-term impact of the coronavirus on its operations and sales.

It saw a 9% decline in global vehicle sales last year to 1.42 million units, after sales dropped by 20% during the fourth quarter, when vehicle plants and car showrooms began to close due to lockdown measures ordered in many countries.

The automaker took a particularly big hit in China, its second-largest market and where the coronavirus originated.

Global automakers have begun to gradually resume operations at their vehicle plants, but weak demand, supply chain disruptions and social distancing measures at factories are expected to limit output in the coming months.

Any recovery in car demand is expected to be slow and patchy with job losses and reduced income likely to weigh on consumer spending. Fewer people commuting to work may also dampen demand for new cars.

Some analysts believe global vehicle sales this year could tumble by a third, a much steeper decline than the 11% fall seen in the 2009/10 financial year amid the global financial crisis.


Police arrest man who sparked car park fire near LRT station

                PETALING JAYA: The man who threw a bottle of petrol at his ex-wife’s car and set it ablaze has been arrested by police.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zani Che Din said the man, who is in his 20s, was picked up late Monday and has been remanded for four days. The case has been classified as causing mischief with fire or an explosive substance.

The man, who is going through a divorce, showed up at the car park near the Taman Jaya LRT, where the woman’s boyfriend was working, at 1.30pm on Monday only to see him getting into his ex-wife’s car.

ACP Mohd Zani said earlier that the boyfriend, 20, was walking to the car when the ex-husband showed up on a motorcycle and approached him.

The boyfriend realised that the man was about to throw the bottle at the woman’s car which had the door open, as she was cleaning up the inside.

She, however, managed to jump out before the flames engulfed the car.

The man quickly fled the scene, leaving behind his slippers and helmet.

A fire quickly spread to five other nearby cars, ACP Mohd Zani said, adding that three loud explosions were also heard.

The explosions initially sparked rumours that a bomb had been set off and pictures of the fire went viral on WhatsApp.

Police later refuted the rumours, making it clear that there was no bomb.

Four cars were badly damaged in the incident.


DRB-Hicom Autofest 2017 is on

                PETALING JAYA: DRB-Hicom's Autofest 2017 promises to be one of the most memorable one since its introduction in 2013.

The biannual event will be featuring Modenas’s entry into a new segment, which is the street bike category.

The carnival will also include showcases and fabulous offers from the 10 brands under the group’s automotive portfolio, namely Proton, Lotus, Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Isuzu and Tata.

The three-day family styled carnival will be held from May 19 to May 21, 2017 from 10am to 6pm, at the EON Complex in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.

The public will get to to view the latest cars, trucks and motorcycle models, as well as take advantages of irresistible deals which includes special discounts and amazing exclusive packages from the automotive companies.

Due to tremendous response obtained during last January’s Autofest, DRB-Hicom has extended the carnival to three days to allow more visitors to take advantage of the amazing offers to own a new car and celebrate this coming festive season in comfort and style.

Euromobil, one of the main distributors for Audi passenger cars in Malaysia is seen as potential crowd puller as they offer discounts of up to RM90,000 for selected models, ranging from its mid-luxury sedans such as the A3 to its luxury SUV series such as the Q range.

Proton cars will offer up to RM13,000 discount, while the Honda range will shave up to RM12,000 off their prices.

The Volkswagen range will see discounts of up to RM4,000 being offered, and the Isuzu pick-up range will see discounts of up to RM8,000.

The highlight of the carnival would be the reveal of the Modenas PULSAR NS200, Modenas PULSAR RS200 and the Modenas V15, three new offerings from Modenas, made successful through a collaboration with Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) which was launched a day earlier.

A special car auction will be held for Proton, Audi and Mitsubishi brands this time on May 21, 2017 (Sunday) at 2.30pm aside from other attractive deals.

Throughout DRB-Hicom Autofest 2017 other automotive-related products and services such as car accessories, auto financing, auto insurance and car inspection services (by Puspakom) will also have discounts.

The DRB-Hicom Autofest 2017 has also lined up various fun-filled activities for the entire family, including games such as air hockey and foosball, children’s play area, stilt walkers and clowns, a Pikachu show and street clown performances.

Visitors can get a memento of their visit at the DRB-Hicom Autofest photo booth, and also tuck in at the food trucks serving local and western cuisine.

If you’re feeling lucky, stand a chance to win the grand prizes which includes an LG Smart 65” TV, LD 530l fridge, HP Notebook and other fabulous prizes which will be given away through lucky draw sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

DRB-Hicom will also provide shuttle services from the Glenmarie LRT station and nearby parking locations for the convenience of visitors to the DRB-Hicom Autofest 2017.

For more details about the event, visit DRB-Hicom Autofest Instagram page.


2016 Geneva Motor Show: DMC Lamborghini Huracan

GENEVA: Renowned tuner DMC has taken the wraps off the Lamborghini Huracan Jeddah Edition which is currently on display at the Geneva Motor Show.

This editon has been equipped with a restrained carbon fibre body kit which includes a new front splitter with vertical fins at the sides.

The car also features carbon fibre side skirts, a carbon fibre rear diffuser, and a Countach-inspired rear wing.

For the finishing touch, DMC installed 20- and 21-inch black Y-spoke wheels with 255/30ZR20 and 325/25ZR21 tyres.

They are backed up by a high-performance braking system which features black brake calipers.

The Jeddah Edition is based on the Huracan LP 610-4 with power provided by a 5.2-liter V10 engine that produces 610hp and 558Nm of torque.

It is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and an all-wheel drive system which enables the car to accelerate from 0-100kph in 3.2 seconds.


VW revises service pricing guide as zero-rated GST kicks in

                KUALA LUMPUR: Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia says it has updated its service pricing guide to reflect the zero-rated GST, which takes effect today.

The service pricing guide - which is available on the Volkswagen website, is meant to help owners in understanding the maintenance cost of their cars.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia managing director Erik Winter urged owners whose Volkswagen cars are due for service to make an appointment at their respective service centres and to take advantage of the 0% tax holiday.

“Our commitment to our customers extends to our efforts in maintaining a strong level of transparency when it comes to owning a Volkswagen car, hence the availability of the service pricing guide,” he added.

The company has been working to improve the car ownership experience. Part of this move was the introduction of the three-year free maintenance programme in early 2018 and the five-year manufacturer’s warranty and five-year roadside assistance offered on all models.

For details of the service pricing guide, go to the local Volkswagen site.


Mitsubishi offering 50% off on replacement parts for flood victims

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) is offering a 50% discount on spare parts prices till Jan 31 for Mitsubishi vehicles damaged by the floods.

Only vehicles bought from authorised dealers of MMM can qualify for this special discount.

“We hope that this Flood Relief Program will help ease the burden of our customers through this difficult period,” said MMM acting chief executive officer Toshiyuki Okumura.

MMM, together with its authorised dealers, had also pledged RM50 each for every Mitsubishi vehicle that was registered in December 2014.

To date, a total of RM81,000 has been raised to support flood relief efforts.

This fund will be used to replenish necessities such as school supplies and household utilities.

MMM will also be holding a clean-up programme at flood-hit areas such as Kuala Krai and Tanah Merah in Kelantan, as well as Temerloh, Pahang to assist flood victims until January 10, 2014.

Triton Tuners Club (TTC), the official club for Mitsubishi Triton owners in Malaysia, is also supporting this initiative.

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia's customer careline is 1-800-18-6611 (Mondays to Fridays, 9am - 5pm).


Skoda's new Enyaq electric SUV comes with its own free umbrella

                FRANKFURT: Skoda has pulled the drapes off an entirely new, entirely electric car, the Enyaq, set to hit the road in 2021 with an ample range of up to 510km from one battery charge.

The 4.65-metre-long off-roader is the first battery-powered car to be developed by the Czech subsidiary of VW and comes packed with Skoda's trademark practical features.

First there's the integrated ice scraper, then an umbrella that lives in the door and even features designed for an electric car, such as a special cleaner for the charging cable.

Technically closely related to VW's ID3 and ID4, the car will be available in numerous configurations, according to Skoda.

Three battery packs of 55 to 82 kWh are planned for standard ranges between 340km and 510km. The engine mounted on the rear axle will also be available in three variants with 109, 132 or 150 kW.

Pay an extra fee and you can get some versions of the car with a second 75 kW motor at the front so you can bolt around in four-wheel drive.

The Enyaq's top speed is set at 160kph, while the RS top model is afforded enough power to hit 180 kph.

Like other Skoda models, the Enyag is particularly spacious, the Czechs say, and the integration of the batteries in the car floor and the motors close to the axles leaves more room for passengers.

Despite being about 4 cm shorter than an Octavia, the Enyaq offers about 5 cm more leg room at a wheelbase of 2.75 metres. The boot holds at least 585 litres, not counting the nearly 50 liters of storage space in the interior. Prices in Europe start at 33,800 euros.


From iPhones to e-axles: how Nidec is pushing into EVs

                TOKYO: The miniature motors that make iPhones buzz on silent helped power Japan's Nidec to become a 1.5-trillion-yen (US$14 billion) company.

In recent years, Nidec’s founder Shigenobu Nagamori has turned his attention to autos, and a technology which turns electricity stored in the battery into propulsion power.

This technology, called an e-axle or e-drive, is emerging as a new competitive front as the auto industry shifts to electric vehicles. By 2030, Nagamori says he wants a 35% slice of a global e-axle market that is forecast to be worth US$20-US$30 billion a year by then, up from an estimated US$2.8-US$3 billion now.

He is betting that electric cars will follow the same route as room aircons, washing machines and computers, with key components, such as motor systems and central processing units, standardized and supplied by a few dominant tech firms.

“Laptops and aircons from different makers might look different outside, but you look inside, the (key) parts are all more or less the same. The gut technologies of EVs are going to become as commoditized or standardized” as these items, Nagamori told an earnings news conference earlier this year. E-axles and batteries will come from a few competitive suppliers, he predicted.

To ensure Nidec emerges as one of these suppliers, Nagamori, a no-nonsense 76-year-old, has set his sights on acquiring gear-maker JATCO from Nissan Motor Co and combining it with Nidec's motor and power-control electronics business.

Some details of this effort, which Nissan is resisting, are reported here for the first time. The takeover battle underscores how quickly electrification is reshaping the auto industry.

“Nidec brings to the auto industry the tech industry’s approach,” says Daiwa Securities analyst Shiro Sakamaki. “Like cell-phones and laptops, car models are already being redesigned at an increasingly rapid pace, and Nagamori is betting that trend will accelerate and automakers are going to leave the development and manufacturing of technologies such as the e-axle to suppliers.”

Nagamori declined to be interviewed for this article. Nidec declined to comment about its pursuit of JATCO.

About E-Axle

The e-axle, or e-drive, combines an electric vehicle’s gear, motor, and power-control electronics. It’s the “brain” that controls how a vehicle manages energy stored in its battery and transforms it into power. It also helps to recover energy lost in braking and returns it to the battery.

In other words, a well-designed e-axle maximises a vehicle’s power efficiency and acceleration and helps extend its driving range and its smoothness.

The technology has emerged as a competitive front in part because automakers are under pressure to cut electric vehicles’ manufacturing costs to make them as affordable as mainstream gasoline cars. E-axle systems and batteries present the industry with the biggest margins for efficiency gains and cost savings.

Advances in new technologies are critical to global efforts to cut CO2 emissions. Vehicle-based CO2 emissions account for roughly 17% of emissions from all sources, according to Zifei Yang, an analyst at the International Council on Clean Transportation in Washington.

Moreover, says Yang, the rate of reduction in vehicle emissions has slowed as more people drive bigger, more polluting SUVs. Other analysts point to trends in emerging economies such as China and India where large numbers of middle-class consumers are trading in mopeds for cars.

Some automotive technology suppliers have combined efforts to make e-axle systems.

Japan’s Denso and Aisin formed a joint venture called BluE Nexus in 2019 and Toyota earlier this year moved to invest in the company, taking a 10% stake.

This year US parts supplier BorgeWarner agreed to acquire UK-based Delphi, and Japan’s Hitachi Automotive merged with three Honda group suppliers.

Automakers Volkswagen and Ford, and Toyota and smaller Japanese brands are each forming an EV technology alliance in part to drive down e-axle manufacturing costs.

Tesla initially developed its own e-axle technology. Reuters couldn’t determine whether it continues to use it in more recent models.

GM, Nissan and some other carmakers believe e-axles offer such a large margin for cost efficiencies and product differentiation that they want to design and manufacture their own systems. GM believes it can better integrate the e-axle with the battery and the rest of the vehicle, making for a quieter, smoother and more economical drive, said Adam Kwiatkowski, GM’s executive chief engineer for global electrical propulsion systems.

“Technologies in a vehicle that are technically complicated, house a whole bunch of IP, and are capital intensive, you are always better off designing and producing them yourself,” Kwiatkowski told Reuters in an interview.

If GM doesn’t design its own e-axles, Kwiatkowski added, it will have to buy them, it won’t be sure of their technical details or efficiency and will be locked into drive unit designs that may not be optimal.

A different approach

Nidec’s Nagamori has said he believes the way to become a market leader in e-axles is to focus on making the technology inexpensive.

The way to do that, he says, is by being able to produce every component and sub-technology that goes into an e-drive system, and by building up scale to produce more.

That’s in part why Nidec, a motor specialist, has been on the hunt for firms with an expertise in power electronics. It acquired automotive electronic control system producer Honda Elesys Co from Honda in 2014 and the automotive electronics division of Japan’s Omron Corp in 2019.

To close out the e-axle technical loop, Nidec has set its sights on JATCO, an automotive transmission producer in Fuji city at the foot of Mt. Fuji, 75% owned by Nissan.

According to two sources familiar with Nagamori’s thinking, Nidec’s founder believes JATCO is in play because of financial problems at Nissan that have already forced the automaker to sell non-essential assets, including its fleet of corporate jets.

Over the past year, Nidec has poached several Nissan executives, including its former vice-COO Jun Seki.

Nagamori succeeded in hiring Seki shortly after he was passed over for Nissan’s top job last year. News emerged late on Oct 8, 2019 that Makoto Uchida had been chosen as Nissan’s new global chief.

The following morning, Seki received a call from a headhunter, said one of the sources. Nagamori wanted to sit down with him.

Shortly thereafter, Seki travelled to Kyoto to meet Nagamori, intending to rebuff the approach, the source said. Instead, Nagamori talked Seki into considering helping Nidec ride the wave of electrification sweeping the auto industry and turn Nidec into a 10-trillion-yen company by 2035.

In November, as talks between the two men progressed, Nidec contacted Nissan about its interest in taking a controlling stake in JATCO. The answer was “no,” according to well-placed sources at Nidec and Nissan, because Nissan’s top executives want to keep key e-axle technology in house. Nissan declined to comment about the matter.

By late December Seki resigned from Nissan, and on Jan 13 this year he boarded the bullet train to Kyoto, to eventually assume the position of Nidec’s president and COO.

Among Seki’s first tasks: recruit more top talent from Nissan, which he did by bringing in a few of his former colleagues, and finish the takeover of JATCO.

In February, Nidec approached Nissan again about acquiring JATCO, and once more Nissan’s answer was “no,” said the same well-placed sources at Nidec and Nissan.

According to these sources, Nissan’s COO Ashwani Gupta told Seki and other Nidec executives that Nissan considers JATCO “one of our core technological competences” and is only interested in talking about forming an alliance to collaborate on developing next-generation e-axle technology.

The sources said Gupta added that if Nissan were desperate for cash, it would sell its 1.5% stake in Daimler AG before selling its stake in JATCO. Nissan declined to comment.

Nissan repeated the message on Aug 6 when two Nidec managers visited the carmaker’s global headquarters in Yokohama, one of the well-placed sources said. Then, on Aug 19, Gupta told staff at JATCO’s head office that JATCO is “an important asset for Nissan” and a “partner.” JATCO spokesman Masako Fujita confirmed the gist of Gupta’s remarks.

Nagamori remains confident about the prospects for Nidec’s e-axle business. He is set to pump 500 billion yen into setting up factories in China, Mexico and Poland and investing in the technology.

And Nidec is engaged in what some competitors describe as aggressive pricing by cutting its price to automakers to about US$1,200 to US$1,300, well below the industry’s estimated average cost of US$1,800.

Nidec has signed supply deals with Geely, as well as GAC Motor and its joint ventures with Toyota Motor Corp and Chinese EV upstart NIO.

Nidec is also rumoured recently to have landed additional deals to supply Geely’s joint venture with Daimler and a joint venture between Great Wall Motor and BMW. Nidec declined to comment on the rumoured deals. It also declined to comment about pricing.


New Mazda MX-5 driven

You will notice a few things about the Mazda MX-5. It’s easily dwarfed by most cars in a parking lot. Sitting in its bowels, your eyes will come level with the tail lights of a modern-day Mercedes E-Class. And no worries when on the move… you can still yack normally with the person next to you without the wind drowning out the dialogue when the soft top is down.

Not bald? Then, the other thing to note is your hair won’t get mussed up if your head stays below the wind-breaker called the windscreen. And that should account for most people unless one is sized like (the late) Richard Kiel.

This toyish-looking roadster from Hiroshima is something of a legend, a driver’s car of a certain repute. Now in its fourth generation, it is stirring up emotions again.

READ MORE:
Mazda MX-5 hits millionth mark

This little car’s  existence was inspired by the first Lotus Elan of the 1960s and other small sports cars of that era. Mazda got the form and emo-driving formula right in most ways and since then, has seen the cheeky little roadster that could, conquer the world. Known as the Miata in the United States and Eunos in Japan, it’s just MX-5 everywhere else.

From the get-go, the MX-5 was built for driving pleasure and happy endings. And for more than twenty years, it has managed to stick to this calling - growing into a star in its own right. Over 950,000 MX-5s sold worldwide since 1989 is sheer validation, making it the best-selling roadster of all time. Along the way, it has also picked up the 2015 Car of the Year Japan award.

What has changed in the new MX-5? Plenty. The latest Mazda 2-seater is lighter, more rigid, more powerful, yet more fuel efficient, faster and safer than before. Thanks to smart packaging, it’s even shorter than the original, with more cabin space and a deep boot, adequate for two people.

One must admit that the current sports car delivers on beautiful proportions – starting with its low, short front overhang to a compact cabin that places the occupants in the centre. The body panels wrap around to extend right into the door trim, dissolving the visual boundaries between the vehicle’s interior and exterior and creating an open-feeling interior design.

The MX-5 features a more aggressive face that’s modernised with LED headlights and matched with revised rear sporting LEDs as well. Round tail lights are retained in a classic throwback.

The cabin design shows purpose with instrumentation that are kept to a minimum so as not to distract from the business of driving. Nothing is out of place and the interior doesn’t come across as cheap. There’s a refined and subdued elegance to it, complemented by leather aplenty. Typical of sports cars is a centrally located rev meter in the dial cluster. Like the rest of the Mazda stable, the big screen infotainment display is affixed to the dashboard and is simple to operate, with controls on the sporty steering wheel to adjust settings. There’s no glove box to speak of, but a shallow central console box and another bigger compartment in between seats serve as space to tuck away small items. The Bose stereo system, which includes  speakers in the headrests, delivers audio with good clarity.

Safety gear is certainly superior to those in average cars. The MX-5 gets four airbags, anti-lock braking, stability and traction controls, lane departure warning, high beam control and adaptive headlights.

The key to making the MX-5 an inherently good drive is its lightness. Weight reduction came in various forms, small and big. Aluminium is extensively used except for the doors and windscreen frame. Engineers made thinner seats and lightened other components like the air-conditioner, headlamps, gearbox, suspension, brake discs...well, you get the drift. Even the canopy is lighweight and you could easily open or close the top with a single-arm motion.

Get in and it feels like the MX-5 wraps around you as you sit closer to the rear axle than the front. While getting in is easy, exiting requires more effort. That’s part and parcel of roadster ownership.

The 2.0-litre SkyActiv engine isn’t muscular by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s poky enough for a one-tonne car with 158hp and 200Nm on tap.

The powerplant is responsive, routing power to the rear axle via a six-speed automatic transmission, which adds a blipping function and Drive Selection for a sporty sensation.
Step on the power, and you will quickly find grip is prodigious in this hunkered-down car. It’s hard to unhinge it. Induce oversteer by piling enough power and speed into corners and the back wheels will give way progressively without nasty surprises.

The canvas top succeeds in muffling out much of the external noises,  but engine and exhaust notes are never far from earshot. At the risk of sounding risqué, go topless on a breezy, cloudy day, and the MX-5 is in its element while allowing you to revel in a bit of exhibitionism.

Hear the engine sing as you pile on the speed. It’s when you are pushing the envelope that you come to appreciate how well the MX-5 behaves as a point-and-shoot projectile with a very engaging steering and feedback. Build up speed in the straights and the car feels like it was born to run and gallop as far as the fuel tank will take it. You could drive it like a city runabout and it will readily comply, but where’s the fun in that?

At RM227,000, this Mazda isn’t cheap, but if you are the type who digs open-top motoring in the tropics and have the wherewithal to indulge in it, the MX-5 is an education in driving pleasure. Enough said.


Porsche Macan base price starts at RM415K

                KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the authorised importer of Porsche vehicles in Malaysia, today announced the new entry-level Porsche Macan base price starts from RM 415,000.

The price includes all applicable duties excluding registration fee, road tax and insurance as well as a four-year warranty, complimentary service and maintenance package.

Recently introduced in May (Refreshed Porsche Macan arrives) , the enhanced Macan brings with it an extensive range of equipment as standard at the the entry-level, such as the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) gearbox, latest generation Porsche Communication Management (PCM) and three-zone automatic climate control.

There's also lane departure warning system, power steering plus, park assist (front and rear), Porsche entry and drive, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPM) and anti-theft protection (ultrasonic interior surveillance).

Available as an option for the LED headlights are the Porsche dynamic light system Plus (PDLS Plus), which continuously adjusts the headlight level in keeping with the traffic ahead and any oncoming traffic.

Under the hood lies a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine providing 252hp (+15hp) from 5,000 to 6,800rpm and 370Nm of torque from 1,600 to 4,500rpm - allowing it to race from 0-100kph in 6.7 seconds (6.5 seconds with optional Sport Chrono Package) before reaching a top speed of 229kph.

For sure-footedness, the 1,770kg Porsche Macan installed its Traction Management (PTM) for the active all-wheel drive system. An air suspension system with levelling control including the PASM with adaptive dampers is available as an option.

For etertainment, the latest Porsche Communication Management system (PCM) has been installed as standard with a high-resolution 7.0-inch touchscreen providing smartphone-like ooperation and comes with Bluetooth connectivity, USB and SD card interfaces as well as Apple CarPlay.


Toyota poised to dethrone GM in 2021 as US sales leader

                WASHINGTON: Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp is poised to outsell General Motors Co in the United States in 2021, which would mark the first time the Detroit automaker has not led US auto sales since 1931.

In the first nine months of 2021, Toyota sold 1.86 million vehicles in the United States compared with GM's 1.78 million, or just over 80,000 more vehicles. For all of 2020, GM's US sales totalled 2.55 million, compared with Toyota's 2.11 million and Ford Motor Co's 2.04 million.

The year has been marred by a shortage of semiconductors used heavily in vehicles, forcing automakers to focus on their most profitable models.

The automakers are set to report full-year 2021 US sales results on Tuesday.

GM has been the largest seller of vehicles in the United States since 1931, when it surpassed Ford, according to data from industry publication Automotive News.

Toyota isn't boasting about the expected accomplishment.

Senior Vice President Jack Hollis said in a statement that the automaker is "grateful" for its loyal customers, but "being No. 1 is never a focus or priority."

GM spokesman Jim Cain said the Detroit automaker had a very strong sales year in the United States in full-size SUVs and pickup trucks as it has focused on profitability, and as the supply of semiconductors improves, so will sales.

"I wouldn't rush out, if I were (Toyota), and get a 'We're No. 1' tattoo," he said.

GM under chief executive Mary Barra also has emphasised profitability over volume, abandoning such money-losing markets as Europe and Russia.

Edmunds auto analyst Jessica Caldwell said Toyota will outsell GM in 2021 "unless the Detroit automaker pulls off a miracle."

But she added "it's unlikely that this is indicative of a long-term shift" and noted GM sells more brands than Toyota.

Cox Automotive forecast Toyota will outsell GM for all of 2021 in the United States: "Toyota has successfully managed tight inventory all year."

For the entire industry, Cox Automotive forecast US new vehicle sales will be down 32% in December over December 2020 - the slowest pace since May 2020, when the country remained mostly closed during the first wave of the COVID pandemic.

Industry analysts forecast around 15 million vehicles sold for all of 2021 in the United States. US vehicle sales will remain well below the five-year average of 17.3 million from 2015-2019.

IHS Markit forecasts U.S. sales are expected to reach nearly 15.5 million in 2022, up an estimated 2.6% from the projected 2021 level of approximately 15.1 million vehicles.

Auto buyers have seen prices jump dramatically. Edmunds said average transaction prices for new vehicles hit another new record in November at US$45,872 - compared with US$39,984 in November 2020.

Edmunds also forecast used vehicle prices will surpass the US$30,000 mark for the first time in 2022.

IHS Markit forecast worldwide new light vehicle sales of nearly 82.4 million in 2022, up 3.7%, while 2021 sales are expected to be up just 2.9% globally from 2020.


Ni Hsin gets VTA approvals from Road Transport Dept for electric bikes

                KUALA LUMPUR: Ni Hsin Group Bhd's electric vehicle (EV) unit has received the vehicle type approvals from the Road Transport Department for two models of its EBIXON EV bikes - the TAILG BOLD and TAILG TORQ - in the personal and commercial categories resectively.

According to Ni Hsin EV Tech Sdn Bhd managing director Khoo Chee Kong, the company will start local assembly of the EBIXON EV in November for launch on the Malaysian market.

He said the company targets to sell 50,000 units of EBIXON EV in Malaysia and Asean in the next three years as demand in the region is expected to see explosive growth over the next three to 10 years, surpassing Europe and East Asia.

"The venture into the e-mobility business is in line with the group’s commitment on ESG.

"The Ni Hsin EV bikes are the first fully adapted EV bikes for the domestic personal and commercial market and will create a new standard in clean transport across the country and beyond," he said.

Ni Hsin EV Tech had on March 23 entered into an original equipment manufacturing agreement with Dongguan Tailing Motor Vehicle Co Ltd for the manufacture of electric bikes.

Under the OEM agreement, TAILG will make the electric bikes and deliver components, spare parts and software while NH EV TECH will assemble and test as well as run quality control and commission the bikes in Malaysia.


Tesla used car price bubble pops, weighs on new car demand

Customers checking out the Model 3 sedans and Model X SUV at a Tesla showroom in Shanghai in 2020. — Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla buyers who waited months for their new car have had an unusual choice for much of the past two years: keep the new electric vehicle, or sell it at a profit to someone with less patience.

But the days of the Tesla flip are numbered — a potential threat to new car prices that are already getting cut.

Prices of used Teslas are falling faster than those of other carmakers and the clean-energy status symbols are languishing in dealer lots longer, industry data provided to Reuters showed.

The average price for a used Tesla in November was US$55,754, down 17% from a July peak of US$67,297. The overall used car market posted a 4% drop during that period, according to Edmunds data. The used Teslas were in dealer inventory for 50 days on average in November, compared with 38 days for all used cars.

Rising gasoline prices, an effect of the Ukraine war, boosted demand for Teslas, one of few long-range electric vehicles in the market.

Tesla Inc itself raised prices faster than prices for other cars, building its profit margins. And buyers of some new Teslas took advantage of the booming market to sell their relatively new cars for a profit, then order new ones, driving demand for Tesla's new cars.

Now fuel prices are easing, interest rates are rising, Tesla output is increasing, and EV competition is growing, leading used Tesla prices to fall faster than the market, and creating a cascading effect on prices of new Teslas.

Tesla last week doubled a US new-car price cut to US$7,500 for Model Ys and Model 3s delivered this year, adding to investor jitters about softening demand.

Nearly a third of used Teslas for sale in August were 2022 models up for resale, a sign that original buyers were aiming to flip, analysts said. That compares with about 5% of other brands on the used market, research firm Edmunds said.

"You can't sell your current Tesla for more money than you paid for it, which was true for a lot of the past two years," said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at car sales website iSeeCars.com. "That would reduce demand for new Teslas."

On Thursday, Musk said that the "radical interest rate changes" have increased the prices of all cars, new and used, and that Tesla potentially could lower pricing to sustain volume growth, which would result in lower profit.

Indeed, Tesla is hardly alone: the US used car market thrived as global vehicle manufacturing hit snags, but it now is facing a “used vehicle recession,” one analyst said, after used car seller CarMax last week reported an 86% drop in third-quarter profit.

But Tesla is leading the retreat: the factors that pushed up prices of its vehicles were exaggerated compared with other brands because Teslas were "basically for a long time really the only viable product when it came to used EVs," said Ivan Drury, director of Insights at Edmunds.com.

EVs such as the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are coming to market with a lot of buzz, said Liz Najman, content marketing manager at EV researcher Recurrent.

Software engineer Greg Profitt bought a new Model Y last year for US$49,000 and sold it three months later for US$12,000 more. He ordered a new one — but has just bought a used Tesla at a discount.

"The economy kind of scares me to buy new " he said, adding that the new US$7,500 discount would be too little to sustain demand.


Humble urban garbage truck gets high-tech battery makeover

The 16-ton Volvo FL Electric truck that can be turned into a garbage truck or for delivering goods.
BERLIN: Automakers from Tesla Inc. to Ford Motor Co. are developing ever-sleeker, futuristic-looking electric cars. Volvo AB has something a little chunkier in the race: the battery-powered garbage truck.

The Swedish company will start producing electric versions of its brawny trash haulers next month starting with Europe, with cities from Hamburg to Gothenburg to Zurich already signed up to buy.

Volvo says it expects its two new electric models, which can be used for a variety of heavy-duty urban jobs, to do well because they’re emissions-free and much quieter than diesels, whose engines fire up when they lift a dumpster.

Surprisingly, these hulking trucks offer some compelling advantages for electrification. Garbage vans typically follow regular daily routes that rarely exceed 97km, easing range concerns. And with frequent stops, they return energy to the battery each time the driver hits the brakes.

"We believe this technology can be a large contributor to reducing emissions," said Anna Thorden, product manager for electric mobility at Volvo Trucks. "Electric trucks are beneficial for drivers, cities and the global climate."

While diesel remains the most popular fuel source for trucks, ahead of natural gas, it faces restrictions that will likely boost demand for battery-powered vehicles, said Nikolas Soulopoulos, an auto analyst at BloombergNEF.

Hostile environment

City centres are becoming increasingly hostile environments for combustion vehicles. Paris, Madrid, and Hamburg have already introduced limited bans on older diesel cars, and Barcelona, London and Rome plan to keep them out altogether by the end of this decade.

"For these kind of jobs, electrification has a real potential,” Soulopoulos said. "Cities are worried about air pollution and are making it much more expensive for diesel trucks to come in.”

Volvo is offering two versions, one weighing 16 tons and a larger model clocking in at 27 tons.

The company wouldn’t say how much they will cost, though Soulopoulos estimates the sticker prices for the first generation of heavy-duty e-trucks will be about double their diesel equivalents. But by the middle of this decade the total cost of ownership will be about the same due to their lower maintenance costs and fuel consumption, BNEF predicts.

It’s not just the purchase price that operators need to consider. Buyers must also set up a charging infrastructure, adding to the already higher up-front investment. But Volvo says customers should also count incentives including tax breaks and lower toll fees in some regions, cutting the lifetime cost of the vehicle.

Moreover, batteries are rapidly becoming more powerful and more affordable, meaning ranges and potential applications will multiply in coming years, Thorden said.

In Europe, the US and China, Volvo faces growing competition from rivals also working on rigs ranging from long-distance freight haulers to urban vans to stop-and-go workhorses such as garbage trucks.

StreetScooter, a German startup bought by Deutsche Post AG in 2014, developed a no-frills electric delivery van that turned into a surprise hit. Tesla in 2017 unveiled the Semi, a long-haul e-truck that can accelerate from zero to 60 miles in 20 seconds (production hasn’t started yet). And BYD Co., the Chinese electric-vehicle maker backed by Warren Buffett, has a range of e-trucks on offer for freight delivery and waste management.

Daimler AG, the No. 1 globally in conventional heavy trucks, this year plans to show customers an electric version of its popular Mercedes-Benz Econic truck.

The new variant can be adapted for a variety of jobs — starting with one for quieter and cleaner garbage collection in cities. The company will begin testing the truck next year and expects to start serial production in 2022.

As Mercedes introduces a greater range of applications for the electric Econic — think cement mixers, tow trucks, and delivery vehicles, "cities could theoretically replace their entire fleets,” said Karsten Fuchs, product manager for specialty trucks at Mercedes-Benz. "Customers are already asking.”


Isuzu D-Max enhanced for 2023

                KUALA LUMPUR: Isuzu Malaysia's popular D-Max pick-up truck line-up has been updated for 2023 and now comes with new body colours and a range of features.

The new line-up gets a more dynamic-looking redesigned "fanged" radiator grille that is available across all variants of X-Terrain, Premium, Auto Plus, Standard and Single Cab.

 New radiator grille.

Among others, the company has introduced a new trendy colour of Islay Gray Mica for the flagship X-Terrain and Premium variants, as well as replacing the previous Silky Pearl White with the more lustrous new Dolomite White Pearl.

The Sapphire Blue is also replaced with the livelier Biarritz Blue Metallic and the new shade is available in the Premium automatic, Auto Plus and Standard automatic variants.

 New alloy wheel design.

Aside from the new radiator grille design, the D-Max also gets new alloy wheel designs in 18- and 17-inches for a sportier appearance.

The seats are also redesigned and in black now with the X-Terrain getting a new Cafe Brown finish on most of its soft-touch interior.

Overall, the 2023 D-Max line-up still uses the 3.0-litre VGS engine with 190PS/450NM or the 1.9-litre VGS with 150PS/350Nm and a six-speed automatic or manual transmission in 4X4 or 4X2 drivetrain.

 Blue ambient lighting for the footwells.

The electronic rear differential lock, previously only offered in X-Terrain, is now available in all variants with 4X4 drivetrain.

Aside from the blue ambient lighting for footwells, the X-Terrain also gets a high-resolution digital recorder to capture videos of 1440p at the front and 1080p at the rear of the pick-up truck.

 Rear facing digital video recorder camera.

Footage can be saved to an onboard memory card or downloaded to a smartphone with an app.

In addition, the X-Terrain, Premium and Auto Plus also get an improved wireless smartphone charging pad with a 15W output for faster charging.

 Wireless charging pad with additional USB Type-C charging port.

The wireless charging pad in X-Terrain and Premium is equipped with an additional 2.1A USB-C port to charge another device.

Other new inclusions include a new remote keyless entry and 12-volt power socket for the Single cab variant while the 3.0-litre Premium automatic is fitted with an uprated suspension now capable to handle loads of up to 775kg from 580kg previously.

 The 360-degree around view monitor was first made available in the 2022 D-Max X-Terrain.

Isuzu Malaysia chief executive officer Shunsuke Okazoe said the D-Max line-up had made tremendous inroads by being a highly innovative, sophisticated, safe and capable truck featuring handsome and modern styling.

"For 2023, we have taken it up a notch with a number of enhancements that will increase its appeal," he said.

Its chief operating officer Kenkichi Sogo said most of the updates to the 2023 D-Max were achieved through close collaboration between the company and Isuzu dealers.

"Through an intimate understanding of our customers' requirements, we are able to effect timely enhancements that meet the needs and desires of D-Max users," he said.

On-the-road prices without insurance for private use in Peninsular Malaysia are:

> X-Terrain 3.0 AT 4X4: RM150,938
> Premium 3.0 AT 4X4: RM135,638
> Premium 1.9 AT 4X4 : RM129,149
> Auto Plus 1.9 AT 4X2: RM105,499
> Standard 1.9 AT 4X4: RM111,499
> Standard 1.9 MT 4X4: RM104,099
> Single Cab 3.0 MT 4X4: RM101,888
> Single Cab 1.9 MT 4X2: RM94,949


Local company to invest RM5b in EV project, says MIER

                KUALA LUMPUR: Plan are in motion to set up an electric vehicle plant on a 161.87-hectare site at the Enstek Industrial Park in Negri Sembilan with an investment of RM5bil.

Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) chairman Tan Sri Dr Kamal Salih said the project would be developed by a local investor, partnering with Elenvi Otomotif Sdn Bhd.

"MIER has been tasked by Elenvi and the investor to conduct a feasibility study and business, investment and financial plan which will be presented to the Prime Minister for his consideration.

"This is a private sector investment and it will be up to him (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) to decide if it should be our third national car,” he told reporters at the MIER’s 34th National Economic Briefing here today.

READ MORE: Indonesia plans overhaul of auto rules to form electric-car hub

MIER did not provide any details of the private funder for the investment.

Kamal said the first electric car showcase would be launched in October by Dr Mahathir. .

MIER earlier signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with 20 strategic partners, including Elenvi for the electric vehicle project.

The MoUs highlighted seven technologies, including the electric car, solid state hydrogen, 5G and biojet fuel from palm oil.

The signing of the MoUs was part of MIER’s new research plan for the period of 2019-2023 dubbed "Crouching Tiger Plan” which was in line with the new government’s aspiration to achieve "shared prosperity 2030”.

Kamal said the plan consisted of three objectives, namely tackling income and wealth disparity, creating a progressive economy that is of high value and knowledge-based, as well as for the country to emerge as a leading economy in Asia.

"We hope that the proposed concept and planning can be further scrutinised by people at all levels and groups.

"And it will be brought to the grassroots level for feedback and to garner better ideas before it is included in the 12th and 13th Malaysian Plans in order to achieve shared prosperity by 2030.”


BMW and MINI Malaysia add one year extension for service and repair

                PETALING JAYA: BMW Malaysia and MINI Malaysia introduced an added one-year extension to Service + Repair Inclusive Programs for new BMW and MINI vehicles purchased between now until June 30, 2019.

The offer now provides new owners 6 Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service Programs for all new BMW vehicles and 5 years/Unlimited Mileage MINI Service Inclusive and 5 years/Unlimited Mileage MINI Repair Inclusive for vehicles purchased for the festive season.

Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia, Harald Hoelzl said, “Customers are at the heart of what we do at BMW Group Malaysia, from best-in-class ownership experience to first-class services. In the spirit of celebration in the coming festive period, we are thrilled to extend these exclusive programs to our loyal BMW and MINI customers and deliver the complete Premium Ownership Experience.”

The scope of services made available with the extended warranty programs is in accordance to the BMW Condition Based Service (CBS) status and includes service vehicle check, engine oil change, along with servicing for air filter, fuel filter, micro filter, spark plug and brake fluid.

The exclusive offer will be available to all new purchases of BMW and MINI vehicles with a JPJ registration dated within the programs period from now to June 30, 2019.

Additionally, the MINI 5 years/Unlimited Mileage MINI Service Inclusive and 5 years/Unlimited Mileage MINI Repair Inclusive Programs will also be applicable for fleet packages, duty-exempted vehicles, the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program and the Returning Expert Program (REP) customers.

During the campaign period through the BMW ChargeNow Promo, new owners of any BMW iPerformance vehicles will receive the BMW i AC Fast Charging Cable and BMW ChargeNow card, which grants straightforward access to partner charging stations like ChargEV by Malaysian Green Technology Corporation.


BMW shifts Designworks Studio in California to reflect hybrid work culture

                LOS ANGELES: BMW Group has moved the US headquarters of its design studio to Santa Monica, California.

Designworks had been based in Newbury Park, about an hour’s drive northwest, since 1988.

It has additional outposts in Munich and Shanghai.

The news comes as the innovation office for the automotive group celebrates the 50-year mark since Chuck Pelly founded it as DesignworksUSA in 1972.

Pelly’s consultancy became a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW in 1995. It designs things for many clients, including a futuristic camper concept for North Face, business class cabins for EVA Air and the livery of David Letterman’s new hybrid BMW race car.

BMW Group design director Adrian van Hooydonk characterises the move, which takes Designworks US square footage down from 70,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet in the new space, as a response to the demands of today’s work-life balance.

"Why go on the 101 at a certain time?” he says during a recent tour of the office building, referencing LA’s notorious highway traffic.

"We’re not going to force people to do that. But I believe that with all the stuff we put in here-and coming out of the whole Covid home-office period of roughly three year-I think people will want to get together here.”

Opened on Monday, Designworks’s 65 employees will be encouraged to use the studio at least three days a week, a spokesman confirms.

The new space incorporates minimalistic Scandinavian-style furniture with warm wood tones, oranges and chocolate browns.

It sports the hallmarks of hybrid office life: small booths, group tables, and individual work stations that can be used as standing or sitting desks.

Such furniture as modular sofas, black marble tables and tall bar stools come from Muuro and Knoll.

What the new Designworks’s office doesn’t have is staging for the large clay models traditionally used in automotive design, which helps explains the radical downsizing.

Van Hooydonk says that setting aside much space for clay modelling is no longer necessary.

"Basically, our design work is done in the computer,” he says.

"If we want something milled, we can do that with outside companies. The space is still just large enough to put a car model in and to look at that if you want to do a check. But the ways of working that we have now are far more connected with Munich — far more digital. We felt that the footprint of the studio needed to reflect that.”

News of the move follows multiple significant announcements in recent weeks from the Munich-based automaker.

On Oct 15, BMW announced it would move manufacturing of its electric MINIs from the UK to China, citing production line inefficiencies.

It also said it would invest an additional US$1.7 billion in its South Carolina facilities to build six new EV models by 2030.

Designworks will not be open to the public, although some events will be accessible to non-employees.


Valeo's e-bike comes with adaptive auto gearbox

                PARIS: Valeo has adapted its 48V motors to bicycles, resulting in the most high-performance electric assistance system for bikes to date.

The Valeo Smart e-Bike System is the first solution in the world to integrate both an electric motor and an adaptive automatic transmission in the pedal assembly. With this new electric assistance system, the bike adapts to the cyclist, and not the other way around.

The gears change automatically and the system’s algorithms instantly adapt to the amount of electric assistance the cyclist needs right from the first pedal stroke.

Previously unavailable on the market, the Valeo technology developed in partnership with Effigear comprises a 48V electric motor and a seven-speed automatic, adaptive gearbox in a single unit located in the pedal assembly, providing the best electric assistance for bikes to date.

Given the motor’s torque of 130Nm, it can multiply the cyclist’s effort by eight, while other systems on the market offer up to a fivefold boost.

Used on a cargo bike, Valeo’s electric assistance allows a cyclist carrying a 150kg load to climb a 14% gradient (the equivalent of a parking lot ramp) without breaking a sweat, whether moving forward or reversing. Valeo’s electric motor is also more efficient than the 24V or 36V motors installed on the vast majority of e-bikes available today.

The adaptive automatic transmission, which is a world first for electric bikes, uses an algorithm to understand and instantly adjust to each person’s needs, taking into account their riding style and journey.

The gears shift smoothly, with no buttons or levers needing to be pressed. Thanks to Valeo, electric bikes can now benefit from the same advantages as cars in terms of adaptive automatic gearboxes.

The Valeo Smart e-Bike System includes an anti-theft function integrated directly into the pedal assembly that, when activated, blocks the use of the bike. It also boasts a pedestrian push-assist function, which is particularly useful when carrying heavy loads, and a boost function that makes it easier to overtake other cyclists and climb hills.

While historically bicycles have systematically evolved through the addition of new components, Valeo started from scratch, developing a system that eliminates the need for many vulnerable bike parts.

There is no longer any need for derailleurs, sprockets, handlebar shifters or the cables that go with them, or a traditional bike chain, which can now be replaced by a cleaner belt system.

As a result, electric bikes can say goodbye to around 50 parts that are often fragile and require constant maintenance.

On average, a traditional model needs to be serviced at least once a month, even if it’s just to tighten the chain, lubricate the chain and/or derailleurs, or put the chain back in place. With its technology, Valeo has removed the weakest link in the electric bike: the chain.

Rather than build bikes, Valeo aims solely to equip them with its electric assistance solution. With this in mind, it has developed three prototypes to show how its solution can be adapted to all types of models: a city bike, a mountain bike and a cargo bike for transporting loads (featuring unique reversing and braking energy recovery functions).

The electric bike market is booming, with a 15-fold expansion expected over the next 10 years, bringing global sales to €270 million (RM1.3bil) in 2030 (McKinsey/Center For Future Mobility - 2020).

The market for electric cargo bikes, designed especially for deliveries, is also set to grow substantially as regulations prohibiting access to city centres for polluting vehicles gradually come into force.


Catch debut tour of all-new Ford Ranger at selected locations

                KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, will be previewing the next-generation Ranger at selected locations from today.

The pick-up truck will be displayed at Centre Court, Queensbay Mall, Penang from 10.30am to 10.30pm daily from today to Aug 7.

It will also be displayed at Toppen Shopping Mall, Johor Baru from 10am to 10pm daily from Aug 10-14.

The vastly-improved model will also be making appearances at Kuching Vivacity Megamall from Sept 7-11 and Kota Kinabalu Suria Sabah Shopping Centre from Oct 5-9.

Revamped from the ground up, the next-generation Ranger will once again redefine the segment as an all-rounder lifestyle vehicle for work, family and play.

With an edgier styling, improved road and off-road performance, smarter technologies and safer driving features, an enhanced cargo management system, a more refined and connected interior and a premium SUV-like feel, the next-generation Ranger is bound to stand out from the crowd wherever it goes.

Apart from getting close and personal with this next-level vehicle, there is also exclusive Ford merchandise to be won.

Sign up at the “Register” page here to score exclusive invitations to a venue closest to you.

For more information about the next-generation Ranger, SDAC and Ford, follow the Ford Malaysia Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and https://www.youtube.com/c/fordmalaysia channel or visit www.sdacford.com.my.


Mercedes-Benz Malaysia revises specs and prices of A-Class sedan, GLA and GLB

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has updated the specifications and revised the  prices of its entry-level A Class sedan, as well as the GLA and GLB sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

A-Class sedan

The A-Class comes in the A 200 Progressive Line and A 250 AMG Line variants, and are now priced at RM220,458 and RM243,857 respectively.

Prices are on-the-road without insurance until the end of sales tax exemption period.

The model gives the three-box sedan design a sporty spin with plenty of interior space and large boot.

The A 200 sedan base variant now comes with ambient lighting with 64 colours to create fascinating schemes on illuminated air vents, doors or the dashboard.

Several safety and convenience innovation systems like Active Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Keyless-Go Comfort Package and Wireless Charging have also been added for a new dimension of safety, convenience and stress relief.

GLA

The GLA is available in two variants of GLA 200 Progressive Line and A 250 AMG Line, and are priced at RM241,379 and RM271,164 respectively.

The second-generation has features a sharpened and compact SUV character with an expressive design.

The GLA 200 base variant now comes with ambient lighting to create specific moods during night driving.

Upgrades also include safety and convenience systems like Blind Spot Assist (now also in the GLB 200), Active Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist and Wireless Charging.

GLB

The fully-imported GLB is sold in two variants of GLB 200 Progressive Line and GLB 250 AMG Line, and are priced at RM271,788 and RM320,965 respectively.

The GLB features an classic boxy design of SUVs and comes with a boot capacity of up to 1,805 litres and third row seating.

The GLB 200 is now also equipped with ambient lighting.

Likewise the other models, Blind Spot Assist now comes as a standard specification on the GLB 200.

Other upgrades include Active Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist and Wireless Charging.


Mercedes in-car commerce is next step up in luxury

                STUTTGART/LONDON: Daimler AG has teamed up with Visa to offer what it calls “native” in-car payments.

This means that entering passwords or relying on mobile devices for payment authentication may soon be a thing of the past as the vehicle itself becomes a biometrically enabled payments device, thanks to Visa’s Delegated Authentication technology.

From spring 2022 onwards, Mercedes-Benz customers in the UK and Germany will be able to make payments using a fingerprint sensor in the car, with other European markets to follow.

Purchases can then be made directly through the car’s head unit, or MBUX. The solution is anticipated to be available in other markets globally at a later stage.

In-car commerce has become an integral aspect of the luxury customer experience. For example, Daimler Mobility's global payment platform called Mercedes pay enables customers to buy goods and services directly in their car, including Mercedes me services, as well as for other use cases such as fuelling and parking.

Daimler will be the first car company in the world to incorporate the Visa Cloud Token Framework into its vehicles.

Visa’s Cloud Token Framework is a cloud-based security technology that allows more flexibility across multiple devices as Visa Cloud Tokens protect and remove sensitive payment information by converting data and storing it securely.

They also enable multiple device pairing in and beyond the car, which are then directly integrated with the consumer’s bank credentials. This significantly improves the overall payment experience as consumers no longer need to enter long card numbers to complete a purchase or switch between devices to authenticate payments.

The solution will be used to initiate a two-factor authentication.

In the next two years, the number of connected cars is estimated to increase to more than 352 million worldwide and the total volume of in-car payments is set to reach US$86 billion by 2025.

Mobility trends like electric vehicles, car sharing, autonomous driving and connected cars are increasing the demand for innovative payment methods within the vehicle itself.

Today, when you buy car-related services, many require the motorist to use a separate device to log onto an app or website.

Daimler and Visa’s ambition is to enable users to have a hassle-free payments experience through the car, while also expanding the choice and quality of experiences available to them.


Proton boss to quit, paving way for Geely to nominate its choice

Ahmad Fuaad will leave Proton from Sept 30.
SHAH ALAM: The rumours have some basis after all. Proton chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Kenali will step down effective Sept 30 as the automotive firm’s shareholders DRB-Hicom Bhd and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd draw close to concluding their corporate exercise.

In a statement to Bursa Malaysia, DRB-Hicom said its foreign strategic partner Geely Holding, which holds a 49.9% stake in Proton, would nominate a suitable candidate as the CEO of Proton’s wholly-owned subsidiary Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (PONSB).

PONSB is the Proton group’s main production, operations, manufacturing and marketing company. Apart from PONSB and the holding company Proton Holdings, the other key entity in the group is Proton’s wholly-owned distribution outfit Proton Edar Sdn Bhd.

DRB-Hicom did not give any candidate name, saying that an announcement would be made in due course. However, a report from the China-based car news portal Automotive Review previously suggested that former Dongfeng Honda Engine Co Ltd deputy general manager Li Chunrong, who has officially joined the senior management of Geely, was slated to oversee Proton’s operations.

Datuk Radzaif Mohamed, who became Proton deputy CEO at the same that Fuaad became CEO on April 1, 2016, will continue in his deputy CEO role at PONSB.

For all three entities, DRB-Hicom will have an additional seat at the board of directors level to match the 50.1% that DRB-Hicom holds.

In Friday’s statement, DRB-Hicom said it and Geely Holding was working towards completion of their corporate transaction “which is expected to materialise very soon.”

Both parties were “ intensifying efforts” to finalise the detailed business plan for the Proton group, it noted.

“The detailed business plan is vital towards producing a solid ‘road-map’ for Proton Group for the years ahead; and is one of the key items to be concluded as part of the completion exercise. The business plan will incorporate strategies for both companies to develop new vehicles together for the global market,” it explained.

On the completion of the transaction “soon”, DRB-Hicom said it would make an announcement on the composition of the board of directors at each key entity of the Proton group.

Apart from future appointments of the board members, DRB-Hicom confirmed that its group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar would continue as the overall chairman of Proton Holdings.

“Among others, Syed Faisal’s role is to ensure that the tie-up will achieve its benefits and ultimately, provide a return on investment to the shareholders, namely DRB-Hicom and Geely Holding,” it said.

In the statement, Syed Faisal commended Fuaad on his tenure at the carmaker.

“He has done an impeccable job in his short tenure at Proton Holdings. Under his watch, Proton had rolled out four new models in a span of eight short months,” he said.

“He also played a vital role in closing Proton’s search for a suitable FSP. The need for an FSP in Proton was one of the key priorities of DRB-Hicom at the point of our acquisition of Proton in 2012.”

Fuaad was appointed as CEO of Proton Holdings on April 1, 2016, after assuming the position of chief operating officer/senior group director of DRB-Hicom in 2013. He is joining independent power producer Malakoff Corp Bhd as its CEO effective Oct 1.

On Proton Holdings deputy CEO continuing his deputy CEO role at PONSB, Syed Faisal said this was in order to ensure a smooth integration.

Similarly, Abdul Rashid Musa, who was named as CEO of Proton Edar Sdn Bhd in February 2017, would also continue in his role as the CEO at the distribution arm.

“With Radzaif and Rashid remaining in their positions, this ensures continuity within the Proton Group. It will also ease the transition of the future CEO of PONSB and this can only be good for the venture,” Syed Faisal said.

DRB-Hicom and Geely Holding signed a heads of agreement on May 24 to enable the Chinese carmaker to become a FSP for Proton. On June 23, both parties inked the definitive agreement in Kuala Lumpur.


Girls of KLIMS’18

                KUALA LUMPUR: Besides the heavy metal at the Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow (KLIMS’18), attractions also include the gorgeous brand ambassadors who sportingly pose and preen for the cameras.

The tall Korean models at the Hyundai area were definitely a crowd pleaser, and don't miss the K-Pop Viva Dance Studio performance and product presentation showtimes (Weekdays - November 26 to 30 at 4pm, 6pm and 8pm).

Do take note that at 4pm, there is only product presentation.


New MINI charging station springs up near Jonker Street, Malacca

                KUALA LUMPUR: BMW dealer Seong Hoe Premium Motors unveiled a new MINI charging station comprising four chargers in Kota Syahbandar, just two kilometres from the iconic Jonker Street, to address the historical city’s rising demand for electrified vehicle (EV) infrastructure to support locals and tourists visiting from out-of state.

Located at the main entrance of Bank of China on Jalan KSB 1, Taman Kota Syahbandar, the facility is equipped with four parking lots and comprises two Stellar40 40kW DC chargers as well as two Nexus 22kW AC chargers – supplied by EV charging provider ChargeSini.  As is typical, the DC facility — actually a single device with two guns — will supply 40kW when only one car is charged and split it equally when two are charged.

Users will be charged a minimum fee of RM5 upon booking confirmation. The charging rates for the DC charger is RM1.20 per kWh or RM0.80 per minute, whereas the AC charger rates starts from RM0.07 per minute at 3.7kw to RM0.40 per minute at 22kW.

The new MINI chargers from Seong Hoe Premium Motors form part of the 1,000+ charging facilities available under BMW Group Malaysia’s network thus far.

Seong Hoe Premium Motors is BMW Group Malaysia’s longest-serving dealer in Malacca. It was appointed a dealer in 1979.

Access to over 400 of these facilities provided are through partnerships with ChargEV and Yinson Greentech, while the partnership with JomCharge enables access to over 100 charging facilities, Gentari with over 150 facilities as well as 160 facilities from new partners such as Shell Recharge with ParkEasy, ChargeN’Go, ChargeSini, Go To-U and FlexiParking.

Over 100 BMW i and MINI charging facilities are also available at most authorised dealerships, as well as partnering venues across the country, with more to come.

 The 40kW DC charging device with two guns.


Renault to explore hybrid vehicles with Geely

                BEIJING/SHANGHAI: Renault and Geely said today they would jointly develop petrol-electric hybrid vehicles for China and South Korean markets, as the French automaker revives plans for the world's biggest car market after exiting a Chinese venture last year.

In China, where over 25 million vehicles were sold last year, Renault will use Geely's newly-launched hybrid car system to jointly develop vehicles under the Renault brand, the companies said in a statement. They did not disclose production details for the vehicles.

This is the first move since Weiming Soh, a former senior Volkswagen executive, became Renault's China chief this year.

Last year, Renault quit its main China joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group due to poor sales. Currently, it is making cars and vans at three tie-ups in China.

In South Korea, where Renault is making cars at Renault Samsung Motors venture, Renault will explore making cars with Geely's car technologies, they said, adding they will focus on other Asian markets.

Automakers are keen to use petrol-electric hybrid vehicles, which have better fuel efficiency than all-petrol counterparts, to meet increasingly tougher auto regulations around the world. These hybrid vehicles, which drivers cannot charge with electricity directly, are different from plug-in hybrid cars.

China has some of the world's strictest rules regarding the production of greenhouse gas-emitting vehicles, as it battles unhealthy levels of air pollution in its crowded cities.

Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda have long been developing and making hybrid cars but Chinese automakers including Geely, owner of Volvo Cars and has a 9.7% stake in Daimler AG, and Great Wall are following and rolled out their hybrid car technologies in the past year.

Last year, Geely and Daimler said China could emerge as a manufacturing and export hub for hybrid powertrains jointly developed for Volvo and Mercedes-Benz cars.


2017 Geneva Motor Show: Toyota i-TRIL Concept

                GENEVA: The Toyota i-TRIL Concept, making its world debut at the 2017 Geneva motor show, is a small, agile vehicle designed for urban dwellers who travel extensively - often in stop-start traffic - to shop, visit restaurants, socialise and take children to school.

At just three metres long, 1,510mm high and featuring 1,200mm front and 600mm rear tracks, the compact i-TRIL offers spacious seating for three adults in a one-plus-two layout.

It is driven by electric-motor power and weighs a mere 600kg (about half the weight of a conventional small car) with Toyota aiming at a range of more than 200km between charges.

The i-TRIL Concept is capable of operating fully autonomously, and was developed by Toyota Motor Europe in collaboration with the company's ED2 design studio in France.

The i-TRIL has "active lean" technology that allows the vehicle body and front tyres to lean into a corner while the motorised rear tyres remain perpendicular to the road at all times.

Previous experience with this ingenious technology in vehicles such as the i-ROAD enabled Toyota's engineers to discover that a lean angle of 10 degrees is ideal for combining stability, grip and driving pleasure.

Allied to 25 degrees of front-wheel steering, it equips the i-TRIL with a turning circle of just four metres (similar to that of the Toyota iQ), making it highly engaging to drive at even modest speeds.

Butterfly-opening doors are hinged on the sloping windscreen pillars for maximum ease of access, even for rear-seat passengers, while requiring no more opening room than conventional doors.

When the cabin doors are opened, they also remove a section of floor to narrow the vehicle's footprint and make stepping out simpler, with a shorter stride. The front seats can also be swivelled by up to 20 degrees for easier entry and exit.

Steering, acceleration and braking are carried out by drive-by-wire control nodes, similar to electronic game controllers.

As there are no pedals, drivers can stretch out their legs in comfort and wear any type of footwear without risk of losing control of the vehicle.

There are no other controls or switchgear, and no driver's instrument binnacle. In manual driving mode, a simple head-up display projects all necessary information.

It uses voice activation technology to communicate with the vehicle's artificial intelligence for the control of multimedia and infotainment systems.

During autonomous driving, the control nodes automatically retract into the driving module, which itself moves forward and is stowed within the dashboard to allow the driver maximum freedom of movement.

The instrument panel extremities on the left or right automatically illuminate whenever the i-TRIL is about to enter a corner, letting all occupants know which way the cabin is about to lean.

The front seat headrest is fixed to the roof of the vehicle, and pivots down into position when the i-TRIL is switched on.

The interior has Alcantara front-seat trim, fabric rear-seat upholstery and a wooden floor finish - all made from recycled materials.

It has Goodyear 19-inch front and 20-inch rear tyres.


Be serious: Not a lockdown, but not a holiday either

                PETALING JAYA: Many Malaysians don’t seem to get it. We are to stay at home, period. Instead the movement control order has led to many of us hitting the highways to balik kampung.

Some of us have gone on “Cuti Cuti Malaysia” and joined the large crowds at tourist spots, at least, until last week.

The worst is the large number of Malaysians who still eat at restaurants and food courts, that are flouting the laws by remaining open and allowing dine-ins.

I woke up this morning to find pictures that have gone viral showing scenes of people in Sarawak, having breakfast at eateries.

Then there was a picture of a large number of people at a Penang food court waiting for their food to be packed. It did not show these Penangites eating, but the number of people sitting and chilling out defeats the purpose of the government's decision.

In most of the places, it involves older people, who are most at risk.

Malaysians are taking this order too lightly although the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases have shot up dramatically with the first two deaths reported.

We now have the highest number of cases in South-East Asia, yet some of us are taking it lightly, and even indifferently.

Beyond reading the daily news and talking about it, our actions and health practices, especially the constant washing of hands, are still not being practised by many.

There were over 16,000 people including 1,500 foreigners at the Tabligh gathering in Sri Petaling mosque, with the health authorities now fighting against the clock to trace those who had attended.

A 34-year-old Malaysian man who attended the event died on Tuesday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba announced, the first death linked to the Feb 27-March 1 event.

Out of Malaysia’s 673 confirmed coronavirus cases, nearly two-thirds are reportedly linked to the four-day meeting, Dr Adham said.

The reality is that it will be difficult to trace all the participants because of the mobility of people, and it doesn’t help that over 1,000 people would have since left Malaysia.

It’s a time bomb. They may not even know that they have already caught the virus and would have passed the killer bug to fellow travellers and their family members.

No one can tell how many of these participants had been infected and are, in turn, spreading the virus.

A Christian pastor from Sarawak has also died from Covid-19, making the two the first Malaysian fatalities.

While he has a history of diabetes and hypertension, it isn’t known where the first point of contact was.

It cannot be verified if it was from a gathering such as a church event or a wedding but certainly efforts have been made to screen those he had contact with.

Malaysians need to stay home – the current restricted movement is just for two weeks, which is the incubation period of the virus and to enable the authorities to trace those who have been infected.

The message must be driven to everyone, and that includes royalty and ministers.

If you have no business or requirement to visit hospitals or crisis centres, just stay at home.

That’s the whole point. This is not the time for publicity.

And there is absolutely no reason to get your wantan mee, mee goreng or chicken rice from the shops. You can have all that you have missed in a fortnight. Use delivery services if you need food.

The government has been extremely lenient by not imposing a lockdown. It does not even want to use the term but instead calls it a movement control order.

But unfortunately we are dealing with Malaysians, who refuse to accept that we have to minimise the spread of the virus. If the numbers do not subside by the last few days of the two weeks, we should brace ourselves for the long haul and tougher actions, as is seen in other countries.

It could lead to a total shutdown or even curfew if the situation does not improve, and the economic losses would be even greater.

If that’s not enough, the annual Cheng Beng Festival, or the Chinese All Souls Day, of tomb sweeping will take place around April 4-6, with crowded praying activities at cemeteries and temple premises.

It involves a lot of travelling, and another round of balik kampung, but the reality is that such activities this year have to be postponed, and Malaysians have no choice but to resort to praying at home. There is no other way.

Again, we cannot allow religious bodies to decide – the Federal Government has to put its foot down, with the support of the Taoist and Chinese leaders.

Filial piety is important but it is more important to express and demonstrate it when these old folks are still alive, and not after they have passed away.

So, Malaysians, please take this first 14 days very seriously. Yes, this is a matter of life and death – literally. This is not a holiday but a shutdown. — WONG CHUN WAI


Volkswagen to introduce 48-volt mild-hybrid technology

                WOLFSBURG: The backlash against diesel car engines is gathering pace, and if you need evidence, the announcement by Volkswagen that it's going to start introducing 48-volt mild-hybrid powerplants as a fuel-efficient alternative to diesels should do the trick.

The first VW to feature such a propulsion system will be a Golf-sized model, although other vehicles in the Volkswagen range are likely to be getting the systems in the near future.

Frank Welsch, Volkswagen's head of development, recently told Automotive News Europe, "Once we have it in an MQB-based model it's more or less plug-and-play." Welsch has also been reported as commenting on the sidelines of the press launch for the new VW Polo last month, "We can put it on other models because we have a modular platform."

The MQB platform is the base for a number of Volkswagen models that range from the sixth-generation Polo subcompact that enters the European market in the autumn to larger compacts such as the Golf hatchback and Tiguan crossover. It also underpins plenty of models from VW's other brands, including the likes of the Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon compacts.

Manufacturers are increasingly adopting 48-volt systems for reasons of fuel efficiency as diesels are facing a backlash from consumers and governments due to their levels of toxic NOx emissions. Renault is another manufacturer also embracing the technology by offering it for its latest Scenic minivan.

It's actually smaller diesel engines that are feeling the heat most as making them compliant with ever-tightening emissions regulations is proportionately more expensive than it is for larger units. For example, Volkswagen has added selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to the two 1.5-litre diesels it's going to offer in the new Polo. Vicente Franco, a senior researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation, says adopting SCR adds around 200 euros (RM980) to the cost of a diesel. However, VW's Frank Welsch claims that adding after-treatment systems to diesels adds something like €600-800 (up to RM4,000) in material costs.

A mild hybrid is much more like a regular petrol engine than a full hybrid as the electric motor does not propel the vehicle on its own as it can and does in a full-blown hybrid. In a mild-hybrid system the electric motor is only there to assist the petrol engine to deliver better fuel economy.


Kia Motors Corp partners Bermaz Auto to take over Kia auto operations in Malaysia

                KUALA LUMPUR: Kia Motors Corp has formed a strategic partnership with Bermaz Auto for the expansion of Kia's business in Malaysia.

They are expected to set up Kia Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a new joint-venture company to undertake the assembly of completely knocked-down (CKD) Kia vehicles in Malaysia.

The three models planned for the Malaysian market are the Seltos and Carnival with the third model to be announced later.

In addition, Kia has also appointed Bermaz Auto subsidiary Dinamikjaya Motors Sdn Bhd as the new distributor of Kia vehicles in Malaysia.

 Seltos.

As the new distributor, Dinamikjaya Motors holds the right to distribute and sell Kia vehicles, both CKD and completely built-up (CBU), sell genuine parts, provide afterssales services and build Kia’s brand reputation and awareness in Malaysia.

Kia Asia Pacific president and chief executive officer Tae Hun (Ted) Lee said in addition to Bermaz Auto's proven capability in successfully building up automotive marques in Malaysia and the Philippines, the company also has automotive manufacturing experience.

 Carnival.

"We believe we have placed the Kia brand in good hands under the capable leadership of its executive chairman Datuk Seri Ben Yeoh," Lee said.

Yeoh said the Kia joint-venture and distributorship co-operation would complement the company's existing group automotive businesses.

"Kia marque vehicles are well-known for their stylish looks, packed with smart features, frequent facelifts and new launches that keep prospective buyers excited over its products," he said.


UK in talks with 6 firms about building battery plants, says FT

                LONDON: Britain is in talks with six companies for building gigafactories to produce electric vehicle batteries, the Financial Times reported today, citing people briefed on the discussions.

Ford Motor Co, Nissan Motor Co Ltd, LG Corp , Samsung and start-ups Britishvolt and InoBat auto are in talks with the British government or local authorities about locations for potential factories and financial support, according to the report.

The British government's plan to prohibit the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and hybrids by 2035 will require the country's vehicle plants to shift to producing electric models.

A UK business department spokesman told the FT the government was "dedicated to securing gigafactories, and continue to work closely with investors and vehicle manufacturers to progress plans to mass produce batteries in the UK".

So far, there are 38 planned gigafactories across Europe, according to green lobby group Transport & Environment, with only Britishvolt's project being disclosed in the UK, the newspaper said.

In early-stage talks with the British government, Ford has indicated it was exploring making batteries in the UK that would then be shipped to Turkey for use in a planned electric version of its Transit van, the FT reported.

Ford may make parts of battery modules in Britain before shipping them to Turkey for final work and installation, according to the report.

Nissan's talks with the government about building a battery plant at its Sunderland manufacturing complex hinge on energy costs, the FT said.

LG and Samsung are both in early-stage talks with the UK government about investments, and the companies are only likely to proceed if they have deals with major car makers, the report added.

The six companies and the British government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.