Car buyers willing to wait it out to get wheels of their choice

                PETALING JAYA: Despite the long waiting period, car buyers say they are willing to hang on to get the wheels of their choice.

Faridah Begam Aziz, 52, from Ampang made her booking for a snow white Proton X50 in late February but has yet to receive the car.

She was told that the wait was due to a labour shortage and high demand for the model, adding that the salesman told her that there were more than 1,000 orders for the vehicle.

“I was informed that the wait could take up to three months. There is also demand for certain colours like red, silver and grey which will make the wait longer,” said the Zamzam Trading Sdn Bhd operations manager.

Homemaker Nur Ashikin, 28, from Shah Alam has been waiting more than half a year to get a new car.

“I booked a silver Myvi 1.5H and it has been seven months now already. I was told that the long wait is due to the transportation problem of materials as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

Nur Ashikin said the car company also told her that the shortage of semiconductor chips was another main reason.

Mohd Akhbar Shah, 19, from Ulu Kelang is also waiting for his new Myvi, which he booked several months ago.

He said despite the long waiting period, he did not mind “as long as I get my wheels”.

“This will be my first car and I had set my eyes on the Myvi for a long time. But the waiting is tough because I want the latest model. The darker colour of my choice also has a longer waiting period.

“I guess one just has to wait it out,” he added.

Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Datuk Aishah Ahmad said the forecast was that sales would remain good even after the end of the tax exemption period on June 30.

“The projection of 600,000 units of car sales for 2022 will be achieved. Post-June, we expect three months of lower sales but it will definitely pick up again.

“Local cars will do better due to their competitive pricing befitting market demand,” she told The Star.

On the shortage of workers in the automotive industry, she said it involved vendors of component parts.

As for the chips shortage, Aishah said that it could not be resolved so soon as it involved most parts of the world.

Perodua sales adviser Abdul Aziz Karim said many people were still making car bookings.

“But half the bookings may not get loan approvals, although the number of people wanting to buy cars is high. I think the government may extend the sales tax exemption as car prices are expected to increase next year,” he added.

Honda sales adviser Nicholas Foong said there was a shortage of manpower and spare parts because of the pandemic.

“Covid-19 cases have also affected plant workers as they have to slow down production; the same goes for the logistics line.

“I am unsure how these problems will be resolved but Honda is trying its best to fulfil all bookings,” he added.

Mazda senior sales adviser Annison Francis said the bookings were still strong, adding that those with cash in hand would buy irrespective of the sales tax rebate.

“However, those taking loans may think twice,” he added.

National carmaker Proton said it was ready to build as many vehicles once supply issues were sorted out.

In a statement, the firm said it was still trying to meet demand, saying every vehicle produced in its Tanjung Malim and Shah Alam plants “has a buyer waiting”.

“Our bookings remain strong this year and for the Proton X50, we received our 100,000th booking in February,” the statement read.

“The volume has exceeded all our expectations and we are trying to deliver as many units as possible, but unfortunately, some customers must wait quite a while to receive their cars.”

On Tuesday, Perodua said that it, too, was focusing on maximising deliveries to meet the demand for cars.


Iveco gets in on Malaysian truck market

                KUALA LUMPUR: The commercial vehicles market just got a little more competitive with the Italian truck manufacturer Industrial Vehicles Corporation (Iveco) looking to make serious headway into the Malaysian market.

Iveco and Federal Auto Holdings have entered an exclusive partnership that will see the introduction of the Italian manufacturer’s full range of vehicles and services along with complete solutions for the commercial vehicles industry.

The vehicles in mention, equipped with Euro three compliant engines, are the Iveco Stralis and 682 heavy commercial vehicles as well as the Trakker off-road truck, Eurocargo medium truck and the new Daily light commercial vehicle.

In the partnership with Federal Auto Holdings, the company will take on the duties of market strategy and development and will also include training programmes to ensure customer service standards are met.

All products and model variants will be rolled out in stages over the next 18 months, beginning with the new Daily, which is expected to go up against the Ford Transit.

The Daily, equipped with a 146hp 3.0-litre F1C diesel engine, is expected to be Iveco’s best seller, especially after having won the 2015 International Van of the Year award and will be available as a panel/window van as well as a Chassis cab model.

The 44-tonne Iveco Stralis with a 430hp 10.3-litre inline six-cylinder diesel engine is popularly used in the haulage industry and comes in three variants, beginning with the 4x2 tractor with air suspension or as a rough road version.

Next comes the 6x2 tractor with an air suspension or the optional twin wheels or with a third rear lift axle, while the 6x4 tractor is only available with the air suspension.

The Iveco 682 heavy-duty truck has two engine options for choice – an 8.7-litre inline six-cylinder diesel cursor 9 engine (290hp, 340hp or 380hp versions) or a 12.8-litre inline six-cylinder cursor 13 diesel engine (430hp or 480hp versrions).

The 60-tonne Iveco Trakker is a high performance truck designed to operate in off-road conditions such as mining or construction industries and comes with a 420hp 12.8-litre inline six-cylinder cursor 13 diesel engine for the 6x4 tractor model.

Lastly, the 18-tonne Iveco Eurocargo medium truck is available as an on-road 4x2 truck model equipped with a mechanical suspension and is powered by a 290hp 5.9-litre inline six-cylinder tector 6 diesel engine.

“We are confident that discerning fleet and transport operators and business owners in Malaysia will appreciate the proven quality, durability, reliability and, most importantly, the cost-efficiency of Iveco products,” said APAC Iveco brand leader Michele Lombardi.


China must develop unified, open-source smart car OS, says ex-minister

                SHANGHAI: China, the world's biggest auto market, should develop its own unified, open-source operating system (OS) for smart vehicles, as well as auto chips, to maintain its advantage in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, an ex-industry minister said today.

Miao Wei, formerly of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, made the remarks at an industry conference in Shanghai held by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

China should learn from the United States' curbs on Chinese technology companies and boost its independence in vehicle-related technology, Miao also said.

US president Joe Biden in April said the United States must ramp up production of electric vehicles to catch and surpass China.

The Harmony operating system of Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd can be used in vehicles as well as smartphones.


Acura's handcrafted 2020 MDX PMC Edition limited to 330 units

                LOS ANGELES: Months after the vehicle was unveiled at the LA Auto Show, Acura's handcrafted 2020 MDX PMC Edition is now available.

In November at the LA Auto Show, Acura debuted the PMC edition of the 2020 MDX SUV. Only 330 units total of the handcrafted, highly-exclusive luxury model will be made in the same facility that the brand makes the NSX supercar.

This SUV is equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that can send up to 290hp of power out to all four wheels via Acura's quick-shifting 9-speed transmission.

The model comes with A-Spec appearance package which soups up the sportiness of the model by adding enhancements like dark chrome accents and an eye-catching set of rims.

On the inside, drivers and passengers can enjoy a number of luxurious technologies including heated seats and a premium audio system with 10 speakers.

The integrated touchscreen display supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, putting a slew of navigation and entertainment elements at the driver's fingertips, and the collection of driver safety and assistant tech works to keep everyone in and out of the vehicle safe.

Just 330 units of the 2020 Acura MDX PMC Edition will be made -- 300 for the US market and 30 for Canada - which start at US$63,745.


New Year Goodies from GoCar Subscription

                PETALING JAYA: GoCar, Malaysia’s leading on-demand car-sharing platform, has announced exciting additions coming soon to its subscription programme (GoCar Subs) and other exclusive deals offering more savings to kick off the new year.

From now until Jan 31, GoCar is offering 50% reductions on selected GoCar Subs monthly plans exclusively through the GoCar Official Store on Shopee.

Additionally, first time users of GoCar Sharing can also enjoy savings of up to 50%.

GoCar Sharing offers customers the flexibility and convenience of opting for hourly or daily one-way or round trips depending on their needs.

To kick off 2021, GoCar will be introducing a series of all-new models on its subsription such as the Honda City, Mitsubishi Xpander, Nissan Almera Turbo and Proton X50.

Updates and announcements will be available on GoCar’s Facebook and Instagram channels and GoCar Subs website.

Customers who are interested to find out more can email their details over to subs@gocar.my to sign-up and be one of the first to be updated once these new models are launched.

Exclusive on Shopee, GoCar’s Subscription programme – GoCar Subs – is also offering 50% percent reductions on selected monthly plans.

This offer is valid for the following models:

Customers can also book their preferred model via Shopee from now until Jan 31 to enjoy these special rates and they have until Feb 28 to take collection of the vehicle.

Availability is on first-come, first served basis and customers will also enjoy a 10% Shopee coins cashback when they make their booking.

In addition, new customers who sign up for GoCar Subs can also enjoy additional savings through the NEW2SUBS promotion, which continues until Jan 31.

New customers will get:

* Free first month subscription fee,
* 50% off the second and third month subscription fee,
* Free monthly mileage upgrade from 1,650km to 2,500km, and
* SWAP fee waived for the first year,

GoCar app can be downloaded from App Store or Google Play.


5GCroCo: The program keeping autonomous cars 5G-connected throughout Europe

                PARIS: In the future, 5G should enable autonomous cars to communicate with each other so that they can not only drive without any human assistance, but also avoid any risk of collision.

But what will happen once a border is crossed and access to the domestic network is cut off?

This technical challenge is at the heart of the 5GCroCo, or "Fifth Generation Cross-Border Control" program, which is responsible for implementing all the solutions needed to guarantee the interoperability of networks when crossing from one country to another.

With the help of several operators, 5GCroCo has conducted a series of tests in the cross-border corridor between France (Metz), Germany (Merzig) and Luxembourg.

The objective is now to validate various cross-border scenarios with the help of mobile network operators and automotive suppliers.

In the long run, the idea is to achieve a seamless provision of connectivity and uninterrupted service delivery, also with a view to developing a business model for operators.

5GCroCo currently brings together a consortium of stakeholders from the automotive and mobile communications industries, with the support of the road traffic authorities.

In total, the initiative unites 24 partners from seven countries.


Land Rover breathes new life into older Defenders

                LONDON: Land Rover Classic is introducing a range of upgrades for older Defender models and was inspired by the exclusive limited-edition Defender Works V8 – 70th Edition.

The new Upgrade Kits, the first of their kind from Land Rover Classic, allow Defender owners to enhance the 90 and 110 derivatives built between 1994 and 2016.

Upgrades start with diamond-turned 18-inch Sawtooth alloy wheels which can be fitted to Defenders built from 1994 model year onwards. The wheels are a direct bolt-on fitment for Defenders built after VIN LA930456, which was built on 30 April 1993. Earlier Defender models may require later-specification wheel studs.

The Defender Suspension Upgrade Kit is suitable from 2007 model year vehicles, comprising uniquely-tuned suspension tailored for on-road comfort and dynamics with revised coil spring rates, dampers, anti-roll bars, links and bushes.

The Defender Handling Upgrade Kit adds uprated Works V8 specification brake discs, pads and callipers to the 18-inch Sawtooth alloy wheels and enhanced suspension.

The final and most comprehensive upgrade option is only available on 2.2-litre TDCi models produced from 2012 model year onwards and is only available directly from Land Rover Classic.

The Defender Classic Works Upgrade Kit includes all of the wheel, brake and suspension elements in addition to new performance-rated tyres and an engine upgrade which adds an extra 40PS to 162PS and 463Nm torque, thus increasing top speed to 172kph.

This includes bespoke badging on the front wings, an owner’s certificate, vehicle collection, health check and handover with a tour of Land Rover’s Classic Works, UK, or Essen, Germany, facility – where the upgrade is carried out.

Land Rover says that all components have been fully assessed to the same standards as Works V8 in dynamic testing, with engineers meeting the same fast road and braking targets for Upgrade Kit components as last year’s limited-run model.

READ MORE: New Land Rover Defender struts out in Goodwood still under wraps

In terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the engine meets the same EU5 N1 Commercial standards as a standard 2.2 TDCi, with emissions control systems retained.

Lastly, customers can order the Sawtooth alloy wheels, Suspension and Handling upgrade kits and have them fitted by their local Land Rover retailer as well as Land Rover Classic’s facilities in Coventry and Essen.

The Sawtooth wheel kit with tyres and Defender Classic Works upgrade kit can only be purchased and fitted at Land Rover Classic’s own facilities.

The next-generation Defender will likely be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show and will most likely retain its iconic box-like design - including the rear-mounted spare wheel.

Rumour-mills say that it could be arriving in both three and five-door design with a heavily revised and modernised cabin while featuring power units from Jaguar's Ingenium engine lineup.


Volvo Car Malaysia staff hail generous 'Family Bond' paid parental leave policy

                PETALING JAYA: The workforce at Volvo Car Malaysia is delighted by a new all-gender, paid parental leave policy that is implemented globally by the Swedish automaker.

The “Family Bond” policy will give all employees with at least one year’s service a total of 24 weeks of leave at 80% of their base pay by default.

The policy applies to either parent and the leave can be taken anytime within the three first years of parenthood. Over 40,000 Volvo employees worldwide are expected to benefit from the policy.

“The team is very happy, we have a very young workforce and they’ve began talking about maybe becoming parents next year,” said Volvo Cars Malaysia's head of People Experience Rema Chetty here.

“Reactions globally have been good, I think it’s also the paternity bit that has become something that everyone is talking about.

READ MORE: Volvo Cars introduces innovative parental leave policy globally

“Also in this part of the world, we don’t have such good paternity leave as opposed to our counterparts in Europe. Volvo saw a gap there and decided that all countries where Volvo operates from will have the same policy. Every employee within Volvo Cars will be able to enjoy the same benefits.”

Rema said employees who have adopted children and parents who foster children also qualify for the benefit.

"It’s all about bonding with the children, the company wants every new parent to take time to bond with their child. If we give them the freedom and flexibility to be who they are and to spend as much time as they want at home and to bond with their child and family they will come back as happier employees."

Volvo Cars’ global policy is inspired by national legislation in its home market of Sweden, famous around the globe for its generous parental leave arrangements.

The Geely-owned Volvo is also known as the first carmaker to introduce the three-point safety belt in its vehicles, and more recently putting a speed cap of 180kph on all new Volvo cars.


China's MG Motor seeks to take on rivals with India's cheapest electric car

                NEW DELHI: MG Motor, owned by China's SAIC Motor, on Wednesday launched the lowest-priced electric car in India, as it seeks to take on local rivals like Tata Motors in the world's third-largest car market.

The two-door Comet EV offers a range of 230km on a single charge and is priced starting at 798,000 rupees (RM43,506), under-cutting Tata's four-door Tiago electric vehicle (EV) which has a range of 250-315km and is priced starting at 849,000 rupees (RM46,287).

MG Motor is pitching the Comet EV as an ideal ride for India's congested cities and roads as it is "extremely easy to manouver in the urban jungle", the carmaker's India head Rajeev Chaba said during a virtual launch event.

"It is for those who are looking for a smart solution to combat today's urban mobility issues," he said, adding the car was easy to drive and park in various conditions.

Sales of EVs made up less than 2% of total annual car sales in India of 3.9 million vehicles in 2022-23 with Tata Motors dominating the market. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government wants to grow this to 30% by 2030.

The Comet, which is designed to seat four people, is MG's second EV in the Indian market where it sells the bigger ZS electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV). MG Motor expects EVs to account for 25%-30% of its sales in the country in 2023.

Rival BYD also launched its first EV in India last year with a plan to corner 40% of the country's electric car market by 2030.

The Comet's pricing, however, seems to be expensive compared to other entry EV car prices given its small size, Gaurav Vangaal at S&P Global Mobility said.

"Cars are not only mobility any more as it becomes part of a lifestyle. We hope MG will find enough customers for its vehicle but may fall short of its production targets," he said.

The EV market is in the grip of a global price war, with BYD setting the starting price for its new Seagull hatchback at 73,800 yuan (around RM48,000), about 6.3% lower than its initial advertised price.


Tesla 4680 battery’s secret sauce: Dry electrode coating

                AUSTIN: Tesla Inc is pioneering a new battery manufacturing process called dry electrode coating that it is applying to its new 4680 battery cells.

The dry process, which Tesla obtained via its 2019 acquisition of California startup Maxwell Technologies, replaces a traditional, complicated step of battery manufacturing that involves coating the electrode foil with a wet, chemical slurry.

The coated foil needs to go through a lengthy drying process before final assembly, and the toxic solvents used in the slurry need to be recovered and disposed of.

The electric vehicle maker has said the dry coating process has the potential to dramatically reduce the size, cost, energy consumption and production cycle time of battery manufacturing plants, while boosting the energy density and power of battery cells.

Besides Maxwell, other companies working on dry coating include California-based LiCap Technologies and Massachusetts-based AM Batteries.


Ex-Ford Germany chief likely to head VDA auto lobby, says report

                FRANKFURT: The former chief of Ford-Werke GmbH, Bernhard Mattes, (pic, front) is the favourite to head Germany’s VDA auto industry lobby when the current chief’s contract expires next year, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Mattes, currently president of AmCham Germany, is regarded highly because he is viewed as independent of the big three German automakers - Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported.

VDA’s current president Matthias Wissmann, 68, has said he would leave the association when his contract expires in early summer 2018, a spokesman confirmed. He wouldn’t comment on a possible successor.

AmCham Germany wasn’t immediately available for comment when contacted by phone and email after business hours.


Proton targets to sell 100,000 cars in 2020

                SHAH ALAM: Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong has targeted sales of over 100,000 cars in 2020 as well as top scores for Customer Service Index (CSI) and Sales Service Index (SSI).

"To achieve this, we will add to our industry leading number of 3S/4S outlets from 100 to 150 by the end of next year. Proton will also continuously improve its product quality and our long-term goal is to match the quality audit score of Geely," said Li at the prize giving ceremony of the recent Proton "Intelligence that Inspires Challenge" marketing challenge at the automaker's Centre Of Excellence (COE) headquarters.

For 2019, sales have grown by 61% for the first six months of the year, comfortably outpacing all rivals as well as Total Industry Volume (TIV).

Proton has now ended three consecutive months in second place in the sales table and sits only a few hundred units behind Japanese rival Honda for overall sales this year.

READ MORE: MAS should take cue from Proton and turn around

In the Proton "Intelligence that Inspires Challenge" marketing challenge, 12 teams competed and made their final presentations to a panel of seven judges consisting of senior management from Proton, marketing industry professionals and members of the media.

The overall winner was Team Eureka from Politeknik Port Dickson who wowed the judging panel with their innovative ideas and well thought out presentation.

Finishing second was Team Alpha from Taylor’s Lakeside Campus while third place was awarded to Team Alpha Visionaries from UTAR Kampar.


China's electric carmakers make their move on Europe

                MUNICH/BEIJING: China's electric carmakers are darting into Europe, hoping to catch traditional auto giants cold and seize a slice of a market supercharged by the continent's drive towards zero emissions.

Nio Inc, among a small group of challengers, launches its ES8 electric SUV in Oslo on Thursday - the first foray outside China for a company that is virtually unheard of in Europe even though it's valued at about US$57 billion (RM238bil).

Other brands unfamiliar to many Europeans that have started selling or plan to sell cars on the continent include Aiways, BYD's Tang, SAIC's MG, Dongfeng's VOYAH, and Great Wall's ORA.

Yet Europe, a crowded, competitive car market dominated by famous brands, has proved elusive for Chinese carmakers in the past.

They made strategic slips and also contended with a perception that China, long associated with cheap mass-production, could not compete on quality.

Indeed, Nio chief executive William Li said he foresees a long road to success in a mature market where it is "very difficult to be successful".

Chinese carmakers may need up to a decade to "gain a firm foothold" in Europe, the billionaire entrepreneur said - a forecast echoed by He Xiaopeng, CEO of electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng who said his company needs 10 years "to lay a good foundation" on the continent.

These new players, many of which have only ever made electric vehicles, believe they have a window of opportunity to finally crack the lucrative market.

While electric car sales in the European Union more than doubled last year and jumped 130% in the first half of this year, traditional manufacturers are still gradually shifting their large vehicle ranges over to electric and have yet to flood the thirsty market with models.

"The market is not that busy yet, if you compare it with combustion-engine models where each of the major carmakers has a whole range of vehicles," said Alexander Klose, who heads the foreign operations of Chinese electric vehicle maker Aiways.

"That is where we think we have an opportunity," he added on a drive around Munich in a U5, a crossover SUV on sale in Germany, the Netherlands Belgium and France.

The U5 starts at €30,000 (RM146,000) in Germany - below the average new car price and most local EV prices - before factoring in €9,000 (RM43,733) in EV subsidies - and comes in just four colours and two trim levels to minimise costs.

'German people buy German cars'

As Chinese carmakers gear up to enter Europe, they are trying out different business models, from relying on importers, low-cost retail options or building up more traditional dealerships.

The new reality that top Western carmakers like BMW and Tesla Inc now produce cars in technological powerhouse China has likely undermined past perceptions of low quality workmanship - though they can be hard to shake.

Antje Levers, a teacher who lives in western Germany near the Dutch border, and her husband owned a diesel Chevrolet Orlando but wanted a greener option.

They bought an Aiways U5 last year after plenty of research to fend off criticism for not buying local, and loves its handling and low running costs.

She said people had told her: "You can't buy a Chinese car, they're plastic and cheap and do not support German jobs."

But she feels that is no longer true in a global car industry where you find German auto parts in Chinese cars and vice versa.

"German people buy German cars, so to buy a Chinese car you need to have a little courage," the 47-year-old added. "Sometimes you just have to be open for new things."

Nio lands in Norway with Nomi

Nio launches its ES8 electric SUV alongside a NIO House - part-showroom, part-cafe and workspace for customers in the capital of Norway, a country that's also the initial base for Xpeng.

Norwegian state support for EVs has put the country at the forefront of the shift to electric.

It makes sense as a European entry point because customers are used to electric vehicles so only have to be sold on an unknown Chinese brand, said Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association.

"If you go to another European country you may struggle to sell both," said Bu, adding that her organisation has talked extensively with a number of Chinese EV makers keen to learn market specifics and consumer culture before launching there.

She is uncertain, though, how consumers will react to Nio's approach of swapping out batteries for customers rather than stopping to charge them, or the carmaker's strategy of leasing rather than selling batteries to customers.

"But where the Chinese are really at the forefront is the technology," she added, referring in particular to Nomi, the digital assistant in the dashboard of Nio's cars.

Newcomers' strategies diverge

One size does not fit all. While Nio and Xpeng have been hiring staff building up their organizations in Norway, SAIC's MG works through a car importer to sell cars in a handful of European markets.

Aiways is trying an lower-cost approach to selling cars in Europe, though Klose says it varies by market.

In Germany, for instance, the company sells its cars through Euronics, an association of independent electronics retailers, rather than building traditional dealerships.

It aims to sell across the EU by next year and to enter the US market by 2023, said Klose, a former Volvo and Ford executive.

Past failed attempts by Chinese carmakers to conquer Europe are unlikely to hurt Chinese EV makers today, as consumers have grown accustomed to electronics coming from China, he added.

Such failures included Brilliance in 2007, whose vehicle received one out of five stars in a German car crash test, damaging the brand.

"The fact there are more Chinese carmakers entering the market will also help us, as it will make Chinese brands more accepted by consumers," Klose said.

Selling cars to Europeans is a "tough business, especially if your product isn't well known," said Arnie Richters, chairman of Brussels-based industry group Platform for Electromobility.

"But if they bring a lot of innovation they have a lot of opportunity."


Audi TT 45 TFSI S line competition plus takes on dark and menacing look

                INGOLSTADT: Audi is introducing the TT 45 TFSI, the new S line competition plus to the range.

It is characterised by gloss black attachments, large wheels and a fixed rear wing.

The interior is dominated by Alcantara, leather and contrasting stitching.

The sporty heart of the TT 45 TSFI satisfies the latest level of the Euro 6 emission standard and delivers 242hp and 370Nm of torque.

A bit of historical context.

The TT has been demonstrating its special character ever since its series debut in 1998. In its third generation, which has been on the market since 2014, the compact sports car embodies emotion and dynamism in their pure form.

The new “S line competition plus” line now takes this one step further. It is available as a TT 45 TSFI with 180 kW (242hp) and a seven-speed S tronic for both the Coupé and the Roadster. The revised engine meets the latest level of the Euro 6 emissions standard. The variants with quattro drive will be available to order in the first quarter of 2021.

The combination of two equipment packages provides the ingredients for the sporty appearance of the “competition plus” models: The S line exterior package draws attention to the bumpers, the radiator protective grille, the side air inlets, the sill trims and the diffuser insert at the rear with a distinctive style.

The black styling package adds to the appearance with attachments in high-gloss black: The Singleframe, air inlets, exterior mirrors, sill trim strips, diffuser insert and a fixed rear wing all look particularly sporty with their dark finish.

The Audi rings and the exhaust tailpipes also have a black painted finish. With the Roadster, a black hood and a high-gloss black roll-over bar cover complete the look, while dark privacy glazing in the rear is available for the Coupé.

The standard 19-inch wheels in the five-arm polygon design are likewise styled in gloss black, with 20-inch wheels in the 10-Y spoke design available as an option.

Behind them, the red-painted brake calipers catch the eye and provide a harmonious contrast. The standard S line sport suspension with dynamic damper tuning lowers the body by 10mm and underscores the sporty appearance.

On request, LED headlights illuminate the road. In addition to the turbo blue solid paint finish, the customer can choose from the metallic colours tango red, glacier white and chronos gray, which is available for the TT for the first time. Regardless of the paint finish, the Audi rings behind the door are presented in black foil.

The interior of the TT 45 TFSI S line competition plus is based on the S line sport package, in which dark tones predominate. The sports seats plus are upholstered with leather and Alcantara in black – or entirely in fine Nappa leather as an option.

Embossed S logos in the integrated head restraints and contrasting stitching in express red or ara blue add accents. Elements such as the rings inside the air vents or the trim on the center tunnel are available in tango red (exclusively for the Coupé), turbo blue or slate gray.

The lower part of the tunnel and parts of the door trims are upholstered in leather with contrasting stitching. The flat-bottomed steering wheel gets a combination of leather and Alcantara. Contrasting stitching and a centre mark of contrasting colour create additional visual highlights in the driver-oriented cockpit.

The driver looks at the standard 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit with variably adjustable display modes for driving and infotainment content. The instrument panel boasts an engineered grain that was previously reserved for the TTS. The inlays are made of matt brushed aluminum or alternatively of carbon. The gear lever knob gets an Alcantara cover with S rhombus, while the gear gaiter is made from leather.

The TT S line competition plus will be available to order from this month in Germany, with deliveries starting in December. Prices will start at €47,316.30 (Coupé, RM232,000) or €49,655.80 (Roadster, RM243,000).


BMW M6 GTLM to get first public test in Florida race track

NEW YORK:  The BMW M6 GTLM will get its first public test in the Nov 17-18 IMSA test at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

BMW Team RLL is expected to campaign two M6 GTLM race cars in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

BMW’s latest endurance racing challenger recently completed its first US test at Sebring International Raceway in late October along with a M6 GT3 machine that will provide the foundation for BMW’s worldwide customer racing program. The 592hp M6 GTLM is based heavily on the M6 GT3, and is 32 horses more than the production M6, which features a 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8.

At the Daytona test, the drivers will be Bill Auberlen, John Edwards, Lucas Luhr and BMW DTM driver Bruno Spengler.

Next year will mark BMW Team RLL’s eighth season of successfully racing for BMW in North America. The M6 GTLM will be the third BMW model campaigned by the team. In the past seven seasons, racing first with the BMW M3 and then the Z4, the team has amassed 57 podiums, including 13 wins. The team finished second in last year’s GTLM class Manufacturer, Team and Drivers championships.


Digital Motors wants to bring Tesla’s Internet chops to every auto brand

                NEW YORK: It’s not that car dealers don’t want to sell online; it’s just that most of them can’t.

Automotive e-commerce — a true start-to-finish transaction — requires a sophisticated digital platform that not only makes the vehicle look good, but links to inventory management systems, complex pricing models, trade-in valuations and third-party lenders.

Of the 17,000 or so new car dealerships in the US, as tracked by the National automobile Dealers Association, the vast majority are relatively small businesses without the digital chops (or the capital) to build such an Internet engine.

Digital Motors Corp. says it can do it for them. The Irvine, Calif.-based startup has crafted a plug-and-play software package that essentially turns any old-fashioned car dealership into a Tesla-esque web store, no burnt coffee or test-drive required.

CEO Andreas Hinrichs, who spent almost 20 years in various finance roles at Daimler, was planning on a July debut, but the pandemic forced his hand.

Dealerships who had gotten wind of the startup began calling him as the coronavirus - and lockdowns - intensified, begging him to launch early.

On March 23, four months ahead of schedule, Digital Motors switched on its first client, the Orange Coast Fiat-Chrysler dealer in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The months since, Hinrichs said, have been a blur. Bloomberg caught up with the founder to discuss how much Covid-19 has accelerated digital car-shopping and why e-commerce for cars is still so far behind that of other industries.

Q: What made you think there was an opportunity here?
When you go to a dealer website, it’s always about, ‘Give me your name, phone number and email,’ just to pull you into what the industry refers to as the four-hour grind.

Now contrast this with the consumer experience that is provided by Tesla, which is the only new car that a customer can actually buy online. It takes 10 or 15 minutes. We're taking the best of both worlds between the brick-and-mortar dealer and the online experience and we allow the customer to go as far online as they want.

Then we seamlessly transition into the dealership at any point in time. We don't feel that disrupting the dealer is the right way to go-empowering the dealer is the right way to go.

Q: What has been the most difficult part?
The hardest part is taking the millions of potential inputs and combining and presenting them in a sensible way. It's the last mile that we solve very efficiently. We want to not only make car buying and financing as simple as buying something on Amazon, we actually want to make it better and become the benchmark for what a seamless online transaction looks like.

Q: How do you make money?
As a SaaS [software as a service] platform, we are charging a monthly subscription fee to our dealers and there’s a onetime set-up fee to get it all going. What we refuse to do is to tap into the transactions themselves. We don't want in any way to put our hands on the cookie jar.

Q: What share of people go all the way through to a transaction versus bouncing out and staying in limbo?
More than half of monthly sales of our dealer clients are from customers engaged with the online store, either end to end or for some part of the process.

Q: Why haven’t we seen something like this sooner?
The industry traditionally has been slow to adopt digital technologies. As a whole it’s still stuck in lead generation, which is not transactional. So we’re not surprised at all that the innovation opportunity exists, but the reason why it exists is because it’s so complicated to do the whole thing online.

Innovation has to be simple and that’s ultimately what we accomplished here.

We make the car buying experience simple. You can do it in 10 or 15 minutes online, have the whole deal put together reliably while at the same time not undermining the economic viability of the dealer.

READ MORE: Pandemic revs up race for US online car salesQ: Covid-19 has been a growth engine for you?
So we were not smart enough to predict the pandemic. Basically, we bet on the trend that, ultimately, automotive has to become digitally transactional. But then Covid-19 served as a massive accelerator.

Our original game plan was to launch the platform at the beginning of July and we basically jumped that by a full quarter. We have amazing momentum now in the market place. We will be in several hundred stores by the end of the year and then several thousand stores next year.

If you could put a number on it, how much did Covid-19 accelerate the shift to digital?
Because we're a brand new company and we were already targeting the most progressive dealers, for us it translates into scaling more rapidly than we had originally planned.

But for the industry overall, it’s probably a three-year acceleration in terms of mindset and adoption.

There were already a lot of companies that proclaim to be digital retailing providers, but they are either fractions of the process or they are glorified lead generators.

Generally, they are all very much consumer-facing, versus dealer-facing yes. We’re kind of the man in the middle. So we're not trying to change the entire world. We're just trying to eliminate the pain points that exist.


Alpine Vision Gran Turismo to be out soon

                PARIS: The Alpine Vision Gran Turismo is due to appear soon in the celebrated Gran Turismo 6 game.

The Alpine Vision Gran Turismo will be made available as part of a free update of Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 in March 2015.

Alpine presented a breath-taking full-scale model of the car at the Festival Automobile International in Paris on Jan 27, 2015.

The car will also be exhibited at the 2015 Retromobile Show (Feb 4 to 8) at the Porte de Versailles, Paris, where celebrations of Alpine’s 60th anniversary will kick off.

“The designers and engineers involved in this project were tasked with creating a car that expresses the spirit of our brand. Alpine’s genes are immediately visible in its styling, while its performance won’t disappoint either when players get behind the wheel, or their DualShock PlayStation controller,” said Societe des Automobiles Alpine CEO Bernard Ollivier.

The Alpine Vision Gran Turismo was conceived in July 2013, when 15 staff from Polyphony Digital Inc visited Alpine’s studio.

Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi, who is also Sony Computer Entertainment Inc senior vice president, had been fascinated by Alpine for some years.

Yamauchi could not conceal his delight at the idea of hosting the French brand in his virtual showroom.

“Would you be prepared to design a car for Gran Turismo?”

This simple question got the brains of the teams at Alpine thinking overtime, despite the fact that they were already busy preparing the brand’s comeback in the form of the first production car that will be presented to the public in 2016.

Very soon, the idea of a lightweight, agile, barquette-type car, in keeping with the brand’s racing programme with the A450, took form.

“As a child, I used to admire concept cars. They were like gifts that pointed to a bright future. That’s still how I see them. The technology used by car manufacturers today allows them to surpass my imagination. I am very proud to have Alpine on board with us for the Vision Gran Turismo project,” said Yamauchi.


Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 Coupé AMG Line debuts at RM399,888

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has launched the locally-assembled GLC 300 Coupé AMG Line, with features such as the Lane Tracking Package, Blind Spot Assist and MBA rear spoiler.

It is priced at RM399,888 on-the-road without insurance.

It is powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine, generating a greater performance of 245hp at 5,500rpm and 370Nm at 1,300 - 4,000rpm - setting it apart from its predecessor - the locally-assembled GLC 250 Coupé.

This is mated to a 9-speed transmission, the 9G-TRONIC PLUS.

READ MORE: Check out Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 AMG Line, also launched today

It comes with dynamic AMG bodystyling, adaptive Highbeam Assists Plus, aluminium-look running boards, and 20-inch multi-spoke light-alloy wheels.

It also has LED Intelligent Light System headlamps, Hands Free Access, and Active Parking Assist with Parktronic.

Its interior has Artico leather seats, illuminated door sills, AMG sports pedals, AMG sports steering wheel and a black piano-lacquer look or light longitudinal-grain aluminium trim.

For the GLC 300 Coupé AMG Line, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia offers Agility financing which starts from RM3,998 monthly.

Monthly instalment above is calculated based on a 3 years tenure and downpayment of 25% for the GLC 300 Coupe.

For a limited time, all Agility financing contract comes with 2 Complimentary Comprehensive Service Package.

Campaign ends on April 30th, 2019.

For more details, call 1-800-88-1133 or speak to a Finance and Insurance Executive at your nearest Mercedes-Benz Autohaus.


Nissan to retrench further in new plan to focus on US, Japan, China

                3YOKOHAMA: Nissan Motor Co Ltd will pull back from Europe and elsewhere to focus on the United States, China and Japan under a plan that represents a new strategic direction for the embattled carmaker, say people with direct knowledge of the plan.

The “operational performance plan” is due to be announced on May 28 and goes beyond fixing problems from ousted leader Carlos Ghosn’s aggressive expansion drive, the people said.

Pursuit of market share, particularly in the United States, led to steep discounting and a cheapened brand. Under the new, three-year plan — reported here for the first time — Nissan aims to restore dealer ties and refresh lineups to regain pricing power and profitability, the sources said.

“This is not just a cost-cutting plan. We’re rationalising operations, reprioritising and refocusing our business to plant seeds for the future,” one of them said.

The plan also aims to cut competition and expand cooperation with alliance partners, the people said. Nissan will follow Mitsubishi Motors Corp in plug-in electric hybrid vehicle technology, with the smaller peer taking the lead in Asian markets outside China and Japan. France’s Renault SA will likely focus on electrical vehicle technologies and Europe.

Nissan and Mitsubishi declined to comment. Renault did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 Ashwani Gupta will be spearheading the massive reforms. —Bloomberg

The plan, led mainly by chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta rather than Nissan’s low-key chief executive, Makoto Uchida, is aimed at freeing resources to invest in products and technology for the United States, China and Japan, the people said.

“The net effect is even though we reduce our R&D spend this year versus last year and make other savings, we pump those freed-up resources back into core markets and core products,” said one of the people, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak with media on the matter.

The plan is likely to take up to two weeks to be finalised, with sales and earnings targets complicated by the anticipated long-term impact on auto sales of government measures worldwide taken to stop the coronavirus outbreak, the people said.

In July, Nissan targeted an operating margin of 6% on revenue of 14.5 trillion yen (RM582bil) by March 2023, versus 3% and 13 trillion yen forecast at the time for the year ended March 2020 — the results of which are scheduled for release later this month. Management has since changed, with Uchida and Gupata appointed in December.

To be sure, focusing on its three core markets does not mean a total retreat from elsewhere for Japan’s second-largest automaker by volume after Toyota Motor Corp.

Nissan will try to maintain a presence in Europe through stepped up efforts with its Qashqai and Juke crossover sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). In Asia, it plans to further expand sales in Thailand and the Philippines which, with Australia, generate roughly 90% of sales and profit in the region excluding China, Japan and India.

Still, its new plan calls for tighter, targeted lineups in countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Russia, Brazil and Mexico — such as focusing on the beefy Patrol SUV in Africa and the Middle East. That means Nissan might need to shutter more than the 14 assembly lines announced in July. In March, it also announced plans to stop production in Indonesia.

Nissan previously put its annual global production capacity at over 7 million vehicles based on three daily shifts per plant. The new plan is based on two shifts which, with the 14 closures, puts capacity at about 5.5 million, the people said.

Under the plan, the Yokohama-based automaker aims to remain in the US market where it is tasked with eliminating the perception of being a bargain-basement brand. Though its North America sales have grown, its operating margin has narrowed.

 The current Rogue.

“For several years, everything was based on volume growth, then we shifted our emphasis to quality of sales, and we did it overnight,” said one of the people. “We did it too fast, and that choked our business.”

Nissan’s US models have an average age of over 5 years. To lower that to 3.5 years, the automaker plans to launch new and significantly redesigned cars, including a next-generation Rogue crossover SUV, the people said. It will also reduce sales to rental and other fleet operators, they said.

Nissan has been slow to launch models in Japan too. Under the new plan, the automaker will introduce six new or redesigned models over the next three years to bring the average lineup age to under 2.5 years from an undisclosed figure, the people said. Domestically, the average age of lineups from competitive auto brands is generally two to three years.

In China, Nissan’s new plan involves designing vehicles more specifically for consumers in the world’s largest auto market, instead of offering cars designed for US consumers. Its China-only Venucia brand will need to be re-positioned to better respond to competition from a multitude of indigenous brands, the people said.


Royal Alloy scooters arrive in Malaysia

                KUALA LUMPUR: Royal Alloy, a new scooter brand is slowly making its name in Malaysia and around the world.

This British brand is exclusively distributed in Malaysia by Chear Global Sdn Bhd.

The Lambreta-inspired scooter is available in the line-up of GT Series, GP Series and TG Series.

The top-of-the-line TG series is on sale in Malaysia.

The TG 250S ABS comes with 250cc single cylinder, 4-stroke and liquid cooled engine that produces 21.3hp at 8,000 RPM.

This retro-styled scooter with modern technology is priced at RM20,945 (OTR without insurance).

For details, visit www.royalalloymalaysia.com or call 03-55246383 or +6019 565 9819.


McLaren offers 'Badge of Honour' for upcoming Speedtail hyper-GT

                LONDON: The 106 individuals who have reserved the McLaren's next Ultimate Series - the McLaren Speedtail, are being offered the chance to add a unique finishing touch to their 390kph-plus Hyper-GT.

The supercar builder has selected a range of optional finishes for their car’s badging.

One of which is a combination of 18 carat white gold and carbon-fibre inlays.

McLaren Automotive’s famous brand badge, featuring the McLaren ‘Speedmark’ logo, is crafted in gold by a specialist company in the UK’s Birmingham Jewellery Quarter.

A set of three badges, two brand badges (front) and one name badge (rear), is available as part of the limitless tailoring opportunities available from McLaren Special Operations (MSO) for the three-seat Hyper-GT.

The 18 carat white-gold emblems on the front and back of the Speedtail are laser-etched with a McLaren hallmark, showing where and when they were created, and feature carbon inserts utilising McLaren’s new and exclusive TPT (Thin Ply Technology).

The front badge weighs just 100 grams, but for the more weight-conscious customer, a lacquered transfer which weighs almost nothing can be specified instead.

The gold badge set has been hand-crafted for the Woking-based sportscar and supercar manufacturer by Vaughtons, which since 1819 has been creating the most exclusive badges and trophies – including Olympic gold medals and football’s FA Cup.

It is not the first time that real gold has been used in a McLaren car, the Speedtail’s three-seat, central-driving-position forerunner, the legendary McLaren F1 of 1993, famously used gold foil as a heat shield in the engine bay.

“As beautiful pieces of exquisitely hand-crafted jewellery, the white-gold badges perfectly set off a car that in every way represents a new gold standard for McLaren luxury. They fit perfectly with the philosophy of the Speedtail, the most luxurious car in McLaren Automotive’s portfolio, as well as paying homage to its forebear, the McLaren F1,” said McLaren Automotive design director Rob Melville.

As well as being the most well-appointed McLaren ever, the Speedtail’s petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, with a now-confirmed output of more than 1000PS, will deliver a top speed of over 390kph, the mark set by the McLaren F1.

Just 106 Speedtails are being created, mirroring the number of F1s sold in the 1990s.

Each car is priced from £1.75mil (RM10mil) plus local taxes, and all have been allocated.

As standard, the Speedtail's McLaren badge is made of aluminium with a gloss black inlay.

In addition to the solid white-gold badge with TPT carbon inlays,there is also a solid platinum version available - one more element of the bespoking opportunities that MSO is offering clients to ensure that every Speedtail is unique.

McLaren’s next Ultimate Series and first ever Hyper-GT will be revealed on Oct 26, at cars.mclaren.com.


BMW X6 xDrive40i M Sport arrives at RM730K

                KUALA LUMPUR: The new BMW X6 xDrive40i M Sport has arrived at RM729,800 (on the road, without insurance) and bookings can be made on www.shop.bmw.com.my at RM5,000.

The after-sales package includes:

- 5-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service Programme
- 2-Year/ 24 Month Tyre Warranty Programme for its Run Flat Tyre offering and services
- Roadside Assistance and Accident Hotline
- BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App - BMW White Card
- BMW Service Online

With the Balloon Financing Plan from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia, monthly instalment plans for the X6 xDrive40i M Sport start from RM8,328 (based on estimates of an 80% loan on a five-year tenure).

It is offered in six colours, namely Manhattan, Artic Grey, Riverside Blue, Carbon Black, Mineral White and Flamenco Red.

They can be paired with design-perforated BMW Leather ‘Vernasca’ in either Black (for all pairings) or Tacora Red (not available for Manhattan and Riverside Blue pairings).

Power comes from a three-litre six-cylinder in-line petrol engine with 340hp at 5,500 - 6,500 rpm with a peak torque of 450Nm at 1,500-5,200rpm mated to a eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, with power channelled to all four wheels via the BMWxDrive system.

The century sprint is done in just 5.5 seconds, and combined fuel consumption is 9.0 l/100km.

Equipped with the M Sport package, the all-new SAC (Sports Activity Coupé) has a double-wishbone front suspension, five-link rear suspension and Dynamic Damper Control which come as standard.

Compared to its predecessor, it has grown in terms of length (+26mm), width (+15mm) and wheelbase (+42mm) while overall height has been reduced (-6mm).

Exterior highlights include slim twin BMW Laserlights with high-beam assistant and LED fog lights, full-LED three-dimensional taillights, roof rails in Aluminium satinated, and automatic tailgate operation.

The M Sport highlights include the M Sport exhaust system, M Sport brake, Adaptive M Suspension and 21-inch M light alloy wheels.

The interior excels with a Harman Kardon 16-Speaker Surround Sound System, Vernasca leather upholstery, front sport seats, rear moulded single-seats, roller sunblinds, as well as the automatic air-conditioning with four-zone control.

There's a two-part panoramic glass roof that is now 83% larger while the rear backrest comes with a 40/20/40-split folding function – providing a luggage capacity that can be increased from 580 to 1,530 litres.

The BMW Live Cockpit Professional is available as standard, and combined with the Head-Up Display, BMW Gesture Control and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.

The BMW Live Cockpit Professional includes a 12.3-inch Instrument Display, customisable instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen Control Display.

The latest-generation infotainment system excels with the BMW Operating System 7.0.

Rear passengers enjoy two 10-inch touchscreen displays.

There are also the BMW Display Key and Wireless Charging, along with the BMW Connected Package Professional with Teleservices, Intelligent Emergency Call and Apple CarPlay.

Driving assistance systems include the Cross-traffic Warning at the rear and Lane Change Warning, the Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, as well as the Steering and Lane Control Assistant with narrow-passage support.

There are also the Parking Assistant as well as the Reversing Assistant that remembers the last 50 metres of the drive and is able to semi-automatically reverse the car along the same route.


Ministry seeks to reward prudent car drivers via insurance premium discounts

                SERDANG: The Transport Ministry is waiting for proposals from insurance companies on how to reward prudent car drivers with premium discounts, says its minister Anthony Loke.

"We are still waiting for the proposals from the insurance industry.

"I have already conveyed that to the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) to come up with a mechanism on how to give incentives or discounts for motorists who do not have summonses or outstanding summonses with the authorities," he told reporters after launching the Petronas annual coffee break campaign here today.

"We hope to roll out the mechanism as soon as possible. Hopefully, we can have it within this year, and we can announce its implementation this year as well," he said, adding that the ministry is ready to integrate the system.

"We received complaints from insurance companies that due to the high number of car accidents, they have to pay out huge amount of claims on a daily basis," he said.

Loke said the ministry wants to use "the carrot and stick" approach to reduce the number of road accidents.

"Those who do not follow the law will be penalised. Those who follow the laws should be rewarded. It has to be something tangible, like the reduction in insurance premiums," he said.

At the event, Loke launched Petronas Dagangan Bhd's annual coffee break campaign to promote safety among motorists, especially those travelling during the upcoming festive season.

Travellers during the Chinese New Year celebration can rest and refresh with complimentary coffee and snacks, from Feb 2 to 3 and Feb 9 and 10 for the post-CNY journey at 150 participating Petronas stations across the country.

The National Safest Driver Challenge, which was also launched on Friday, will reward winners with Mesra points, PLUSmiles points and other prizes.


Court puts sales ban on Ford's Internet-linked cars in Germany in patent dispute

                BERLIN: A German court has put a nation-wide sales and production ban on Ford cars able to establish Internet connection, it said, as part of a lawsuit over the violation of wireless technology patents.

The verdict by the Munich regional court is not legally binding and can still be appealed, it said, adding a €227 million (RM1bil) security payment by the plaintiff, Japan's IP Bridge Inc, was required for it to become "provisionally enforceable".

The ruling reflects the growing tension between tech firms that want automakers to pay royalties for technologies used in navigation systems, vehicle communications and self-driving cars in their push towards autonomous driving.

"Reason of this court case is the licensing of standard-essential patents for LTE networks. Since we did not yet have received the written opinion of the court, we do not want to comment on this matter at this time," Ford said in a emailed statement.


Ford becomes latest carmaker to launch UK scrappage scheme

                LONDON: Ford has become the latest carmaker to launch a car scrappage scheme in Britain, joining the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, after months of procrastination from the government over whether to begin a national programme.

The US automaker is offering customers a 2,000 pound (around RM11,000) discount off a range of many Ford models when they trade in their vehicles registered until the end of 2009.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Vauxhall, the British version of the Opel brand sold on the continent, have all launched similar schemes in recent weeks to spur motorists to reduce emissions by replacing their gas-guzzling models with greener cars.

The plans come after Britain once again delayed in July a decision over whether to introduce a nationwide or targeted vehicle scrappage scheme, with a consultation due to take place later this year, despite worries over emissions levels.

"Ford shares society's concerns over air quality," its managing director in Britain Andy Barratt said on Tuesday.

"Removing generations of the most polluting vehicles will have the most immediate positive effect on air quality."

Ford, BMW, Vauxhall and Mercedes sell around 1 million cars in Britain, more than a third of all new car registrations.

The scrappage schemes will help support sales at a time when demand for new cars is beginning to slide substantially for the first time in around six years.

In July, new car registrations fell for the fourth consecutive month in a row, hit by a number of factors including uncertainty over Brexit and lack of clarity over future government plans around new levies on diesel models.

Britain's last government-backed scrappage scheme came in the wake of the financial crisis and ran for nearly a year from mid-2009, helping to support the car sector, which had been hit by nose-diving sales.


CarSifu Editors' Choice Awards 2022: Big wins for Perodua, Honda and Mercedes-Benz

Isham (centre) and Yeow (fourth from right) with the top winners. On hand to receive the awards are (from right) Honda's Chen and Perodua's Ahmad Suhaimi. Volvo's Moo (far left) took back the Special Recognition Award for the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.
KUALA LUMPUR: After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions, the annual CarSifu Editors' Choice Awards are back to honour cars that have impacted the local motoring scene.

At the awards presentation at the M Resort Kuala Lumpur here this evening, Perodua, Honda and Mercedes-Benz, which each won one of the three main categories, were the big winners.

Perodua's Alza AV won the Local Car of the Year, Honda's HR-V e:HEV RS was the Asian Car of the Year, and the Mercedes-Benz C 300 AMG Line scored with the Continental Car of the Year.

Volvo's XC40 Recharge Pure Electric was presented with a Special Recognition Award as the country's first locally assembled electric vehicle (EV).

The XC40 EV has seen strong demand, with the allocation for 2022 being fully sold out. Volvo Car Malaysia is expected to introduce the 2023 model soon, featuring updates.

In the 2022 edition of the CarSifu Editors' Choice Awards, 28 categories were up for grabs for 50 cars shortlisted from brands such as BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Porsche, Proton, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Other categories are Best Sub-compact Hatchback, Best Mid-size Sedan, Best Mid-size Luxury Sedan, Best Mid-size SUV, Best Small Electric SUV and Best 4X4 Lifestyle Pick-up Truck, among others.

To be shortlisted for the awards, the vehicles must have been launched in Malaysia from Jan 1, 2021, to Sept 30, 2022.

Cars were evaluated for features in safety, performance, comfort, fuel economy, handling, and styling, as well as their individual "wow" factor.

Vehicles were also judged for outstanding advancements and innovations in design, smart features, and green technology.The awards presentation, organised by Star Media Group, was sponsored by M Resort Kuala Lumpur and Carlsberg.

Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak, who was the special guest of the event, said car makers were pushing the boundaries of innovation and advancing the art of automobile development.

"Cars today are sleeker, smarter and more eco-friendly. It is highly encouraging to see more and more car makers placing greater emphasis on their environmental and safety targets," he said.

Star Media Group chief executive officer Alex Yeow said consumer demand for vehicles has been increasing despite the challenges of the past two years.

"While demand is there, consumers have the privilege of being more selective. This is where CarSifu has been playing its part in connecting auto brands with their consumers by showcasing what sets each car maker apart.

"These awards are a celebration of the finest cars and the brilliant people driving the automotive industry forward. From compact cars and hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs, to hybrid and electric vehicles – the StarCarSifu Editors' Choice Awards pay tribute to the invaluable contribution and positive impact that car makers have made," he added.

Other winners included the Toyota Camry 2.5V, which won the Best Large Sedan; the Peugeot 3008 Allure (Best Mid-size SUV); the Proton X70 1.5TGDI Premium 2WD (Best Large SUV); the BMW iX xDrive40 (Best Mid/Large-Size Electric SUV); and the Porsche Cayenne V6 CKD (Best Large Luxury SUV).

Perodua sales vice-president Datuk Ahmad Suhaimi Hashim was present to receive the Local Car of the Year award, while Honda Malaysia product planning head Daphne Chen was on hand to receive the Asian Car of the Year award. The Continental Car of the Year award would be handed to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia at a later date.

Meanwhile, Volvo Car Malaysia commercial operations head Moo Kim Seng went on stage to receive the Special Recognition Award won by the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.

(Winners List in pdf format)

> The Nominees


Alpine the legend to return to the road in 2016

                PARIS: Renault Group president and CEO Carlos Ghosn has greenlit plans to revive the Alpine brand, with the first production model due to debut in late 2016. French magazine Challenges broke the news, which was confirmed to the AFP.

According to Challenges, the CEO is willing to invest around 600 million euros to resurrect the car brand. In June, the company could unveil a new sports car coupe concept at the Le Mans 24 Hours race, where an Alpine A450B will be among the competing vehicles. The new concept is expected to resemble the famous A 110 "Berlinette" and is slated to go on sale in late 2016 for around 30,000 euros. An SUV is also said to be in the works.

Founded in 1955 by Renault pilot and dealer Jean Redele, the Alpine brand was integrated into the Renault Group ten years later. Aside from being known for its road-going production cars (Alpine 110, 310, 610, and others), the brand earned a sterling reputation at the track, winning the World Constructors' Championship in 1973 and the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1978. While the brand was discontinued in 1995, the Alpine name returned to the endurance racing circuit in 2013.

The expectations are high for this relaunch of the Alpine brand, following a previous failed attempt in partnership with Caterham. Renault's catalog will now include four distinct brands, each with a clearly defined target market Dacia in the low-cost segment, Renault for the general consumer, Alpine in the sports car segment and Initial Paris for the luxury market.


Tobias Sühlmann returns to McLaren as chief design officer

                LONDON: McLaren Automotive today announced the appointment of Tobias Sühlmann as the company’s new chief design officer, taking up the role in September.

Sühlmann’s career in automotive design spans two decades, having worked for a range of luxury brands including Bentley, Bugatti and Aston Martin.

It is a welcome return to McLaren for Sühlmann who was previously the lead designer for special projects, overseeing the design of the track-only McLaren Solus GT single-seat hypercar based on a video game concept.

Based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, Sühlmann will be responsible for every aspect of brand design, leading a design team whose roles span future concepts, exterior and interior styling, colour and materials, often working directly with customers to personalise their vehicles before they are hand-built in the adjoining McLaren Production Centre.

Tobias graduated with a diploma at Germany's Pforzheim University in 2005 before he joined Volkswagen that same year.

He went on to head exterior design at Bugatti and was the exterior design chief at Aston Martin before joining McLaren and then becoming Bentley’s design director, which was his last role before he re-joined McLaren.

Sühlmann will report directly to McLaren Automotive chief executive officer Michael Leiters.


Hyundai Kona N loses camouflage in new teaser

                SEOUL: Hyundai Motor has revealed a glimpse of the all-new Kona N without its camouflage disguise. In a series of teaser images, fans and enthusiasts can enjoy a first look at the latest member of the brand’s high-performance N range.

The all-new Kona N will be the latest addition to the Hyundai N brand line-up, and the first N model with an SUV body type.

As the first images reveal, the "hot SUV" boasts a sporty appearance, further emphasised by its wide, low stance.

For the first time, the Hyundai N division and Hyundai Design Center worked together to develop on an SUV body type, creating a product that aims to have a presence and driving fun. The all-new Kona N combines the modern design of the recently launched new Kona with the bold and dynamic language of the company’s N models.

The front view is dominated by large, sporty and iconic air intakes, and the new light signature gives Hyundai’s latest high-performance model an aggressive, powerful appearance. The lower grille defines the character of the bumper fascia: its shape is inspired by an aeronautic fuselage and extends to the side of the car, emphasising its aerodynamic efficiency and speed. An N logo on the unique upper grille completes the look.

At the rear, a large double-wing roof spoiler for enhanced downforce gives spice to the rear view. It also incorporates a third, triangular brake light, as is customary with N models. Large N dual exhaust mufflers fully express the model’s high-performance spirit. Lower down on the rear bumper, a large diffuser enhances the airflow departure. The sporty appearance is further emphasised through body-coloured fenders, bringing Kona N visually closer to the ground.

The all-new Kona N is equipped with the eye-catching features reserved for N models, such as exclusive alloy wheels and red accents that embellish the side sills.

The all-new Kona N will be the latest addition to the Hyundai N family, Hyundai’s high-performance, motorsport-inspired line-up. It will also expand the successful Hyundai SUV family.

More information will be revealed soon.


Naza sponsors Kia Picanto for hawkers and small business bash

SM Nasarudin (left) presenting the Picanto to Saifudin during a symbolic handover ceremony today.
ALOR STAR: Naza Corporation Holdings sponsored a Kia Picanto as the lucky draw grand prize for the Hari Penjaja dan Peniaga Kecil 2019.

The Picanto is powered by a 1.248cc engine and the base variant is priced at around RM50,000. There is is sportier GT Line version that retails at nearly RM60,000.

The national-level event is organised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs to honour and spur hawkers and small business owners to continue to contribute to the nation’s economy. It is being held from today until Saturday at Stadium Darul Aman here.

Naza said in a short statement that the Picanto was offered as a show of support towards nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit amongst local enterprises.

The handover ceremony was attended by minister Datuk Saifudin Nasution Ismail and Naza Corporation Holdings group executive chairman/CEO SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin.


This is the new Mercedes-Benz GLC

                STUTTGART: The new Mercedes-Benz GLC made its world debut in what the German car maker described as its most dynamic SUV model yet.

This time, it is available only with electrified drives.

The third-generation GLC is available only as a hybrid: either as a plug-in hybrid or as a mild hybrid with 48-volt technology and an integrated starter-generator. The plug-in hybrids offer a range of more than more than 100km (WLTP) – ideal for predominantly electric everyday driving.

The GLC's new rear-axle steering makes it even more manoeuvrable and safe. Off the road, it scores with numerous features such as the standard 4MATIC, purely electric off-road driving in the plug-in models, the off-road screen and the “transparent bonnet”.

“With the new GLC, we are continuing a success story into the future: since its introduction, 2.6 million customers have decided in favour of a model in this popular SUV series. As the best-selling Mercedes-Benz model in the last two years, it is one of the most important vehicles in our product portfolio," said Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Marketing & Sales.

One of the defining design highlights of the GLC is the redesigned front end, with headlamps that connect directly to the radiator grille to emphasise the vehicle’s width, and the new radiator grille as part of the standard AVANTGARDE exterior, which now has a chrome surround and a sporty louvre in matt grey with chrome trim. The AMG Line has a radiator grille with Mercedes-Benz pattern.

Other features are the wide track and flush wheels in 18- to 20-inch size. Several of the wheels available ex factory not only feature a modern design with a high-sheen finish and bicolour surfaces, but are also aerodynamically optimised.

In the cabin, the dashboard is clearly structured: the upper section has a wing-like profile with new, flattened round nozzles reminiscent of the engine nacelles of an aircraft.

The lower section has a generous trim area that flows into the curved centre console.

The 12.3-inch high-resolution LCD screen in front of the driver appears to float freely before the wing profile and trim area. The 11.9-inch central display rises seamlessly and without joints from the centre console, and likewise appears to float above the trim area. Like the dashboard, the screen surface is slightly angled towards the driver.

The new GLC is available with a leather-lined dashboard with nappa-look beltlines (optional, standard for the AMG Line). Some trim elements have innovative surfaces. These include new interpretations of open-pored veneers in brown tones as well as an open-pored, black wood veneer featuring fine, form-following inlays in real aluminium.

The GLC is apparently a popular towing vehicle, and the new edition is specifically designed for this purpose. The towing route planner for the navigation system is a new feature: in the central display, routes can be planned that are suitable for driving with the previously defined trailer.

For this, the towing route planner takes into account passage widths and passage heights, for example. The trailer to be used is defined via the trailer menu in MBUX.

“The new GLC continues our design philosophy with its sensual purity and, like the entire SUV portfolio, exudes intelligence and emotion,” says Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Mercedes-Benz AG. “With its beauty and exceptional flair, we have been able to create the modern luxury that is the hallmark of Mercedes-Benz.”

The GLC will go on sale in Europe in autumn 2022. It will  be made at Mercedes plants in Bremen and Beijing.

The lead plant in Bremen has been responsible for the GLC and its predecessor models since 2008, while the GLC has been built in Beijing since 2011. Due to the popularity of the GLC, Sindelfingen has been added as a third production site.

> GLC FACTS  & HIGHLIGHTS (pdf)

How the 'see-through' bonnet works

The optional Parking package with 360-degree camera is a prerequisite for the “transparent bonnet”, which is turned on in off-road mode.

In this mode, the central display shows a virtual view under the front of the vehicle, including the front wheels and their steering position.

The view is composed of the images from the 360-degree camera. There are two views: under the vehicle and looking ahead. At speeds up to 8kph the “transparent bonnet”, i.e. the view under the vehicle, is shown. From 8 to 20kph the system shows the view ahead. The camera image is switched off at higher speeds.

The “transparent bonnet” is extremely helpful: it enables the driver to recognise obstacles such as large stones or deep potholes in their path at an early stage.


2018 World Car of the Year shortlist announced

The Velar.
ONTARIO: One of the biggest awards in the automotive world, if not the biggest, is the World Car of the Year Award, which has just seen the final shortlist of 10 announced for 2018.

As manufacturers all around the world wait with baited-breath until the eventual winner is announced on March 28 at the New York International Auto Show, a number of them can at least bask in relative glory for being named to the current shortlist of 10.

As well as the most coveted overall award, there are five individual categories with five finalists in each, which are Urban Car, Luxury Car, Performance Car, Green Car and Car Design of the Year.

At this point Land Rover appears to have something of an advantage as two of its models, the Discovery and the Range Rover Velar, take up two of the 10 places on the shortlist.

Considering the current popularity of all things SUV and crossover, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if the award eventually went to one. But the Velar and Discovery face a stiff challenge for the overall awards from the BMW X3, Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen T-Roc and Volvo XC60 that are also named to the shortlist.

But the WCOTY award doesn't necessarily go to the most popular vehicle on the shortlist, so any one of the other four models that have made the latest cut could quite easily come out victorious. The four remaining nominees that are not from the SUV segment of the market are the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Kia Stinger, Nissan LEAF and the Toyota Camry.

Aside from the main awards, the World Performance Car category looks particularly hard to call, with the five finalists of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, Audi RS 3 sedan, BMW X5, Honda Civic Type R and Lexus LC500 all making a good case for been named the winner.


BMW heralds coming of 330e plug-in hybrid with new campaign - VIDEO

KUALA LUMPUR: The next BMW plug-in to come to Malaysia will be the 330e, which follows the launch of the X5 plug-in hybrid.

As with selected MINI and BMW models, BMW Group Malaysia is teasing the arrival of the car with the #ElectricDrivingPleasure campaign, highlighting Malaysians changing lives through innovation, ideas, and solutions.

Characterising the spirit of the campaign is Yasmin Rasyid, a marine biologist who is also an environmentalist. Yasmin is the founder of EcoKnights – a non-profit organisation working with communities on sustainable projects.

Her story is told by Paul Gan Yew Hoe, finalist of the BMW Shorties competition in 2013 for his film ‘The Boy Who Rocked the World’.

Watch the second short film from the #ElectricDrivingPleasure campaign here.


PLUS offers 20% rebate this Xmas

                KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Malaysia Berhad will be offering a 20% rebate on toll charges to PLUSMiles cardholders in conjunction with Christmas on Monday.

In a statement, PLUS said Touch ‘n Go card users would enjoy a 10% toll rebate.

“The toll rebate is only applicable to Class 1 vehicles (except taxis) travelling more than 100km.

However, the toll rebate would not cover transactions at the toll plazas in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, Tanjung Kupang and the Penang Bridge.


Hydrogen champion Hyundai races to electric as Tesla takes off

                SEOUL: Hyundai Motor Co, an early backer of hydrogen cars, has watched the electric rise of Tesla, including on its home turf. Now’s it’s going on the offensive in the battery-powered market led by its US rival.

The South Korean company plans to introduce two production lines dedicated to electrics vehicles (EVs), one next year and another in 2024, according to an internal union newsletter seen by Reuters.

Euisun Chung, leader of the Hyundai Motor Group conglomerate that also includes Kia Motors, has also held a series of meetings since May with his counterparts at Samsung, LG and SK Group, which make batteries and electronic parts.

The purpose of the talks, which were publicly announced, was for Hyundai to try to secure batteries at a time of tight supply as the race for EVs intensifies, according to several industry sources. Those manufacturers also supply the likes of Tesla, Volkswagen and GM.

Hyundai said it was collaborating with Korean battery suppliers “to scale up” its electric car production efficiently. It declined to comment on any plans to introduce dedicated production lines.

Samsung, LG and SK declined to comment.

The moves indicate the carmaker is moving aggressively to expand its electric capacity, days after Chung announced on July 14 that Hyundai Motor Group aimed to sell 1 million battery EVs a year and grab a global market share of over 10% by 2025.

There’s some way to go; Hyundai Motor Group sold 86,434 battery EVs last year, according to data from industry consultant LMC Automotive. That was above the 73,278 sold by Volkswagen Group but behind the 367,500 delivered by Tesla.

Hyundai, the world’s No.5 automaker together with Kia Motors, said its agility allowed it to lead the charge into EVs. “We are certain Hyundai is never going to fall behind,” it added.

No Kodak moment

A senior Hyundai insider, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the company had not been concerned about Tesla when the Silicon Valley company was producing high-end cars.

But it became more worried when Tesla brought out a cheaper Model 3 in 2017, according to the insider who described it as a “strategic victory”.

No traditional automaker has been successful yet in catching up with Tesla, which retains an edge in battery and software technology.

Hyundai could also face a roadblock from its powerful union, which is worried about job security as EVs require fewer components and workers than petrol vehicles; at Hyundai, this is partly because the automaker makes a number of key components for conventional cars in-house, while many EV parts are outsourced at present.

The union is pushing for the company to assemble key EV components, like battery packs and motors, in-house to offset any reduction in workforce.

“We are not opposed to EV business. Kodak went bankrupt because it stuck to film even as the industry was shifting to digital photography,” said union spokesman Kwon Oh-kook.

“We just want to protect the jobs of our members,” he said.

Hyundai said automakers and unions needed to accelerate change to remain viable in the long term.

Hydrogen v electric

Back in 2010, Hyundai Motor Co made 230 electric cars for the government, but they ended up being mothballed at a research centre outside Seoul due to a lack of charging infrastructure, according to Lee Hyun-soon, R&D chief at the time.

In a 2014 book Lee, who developed South Korea’s first petrol engines, said such electric vehicles were “not realistic”, also citing high battery costs, and that hydrogen cars — a rival clean technology — offered a “bright” future.

Along with Toyota and Nikola, Hyundai was one of a few automakers to have backed hydrogen cars. It launched the industry’s first mass-produced hydrogen car, Tucson Fuel Cell, in 2013 and the NEXO in 2018.

However the technology has not taken off; 7,707 hydrogen fuel cell cars were sold globally last year, compared with 1.68 million battery EVs, according to LMC Automotive.

In Hyundai’s home market, Tesla had its best month in June, with its Model 3 beating Hyundai’s Kona EV, as well as premium models from BMW and Audi.

“Hyundai did not expect Tesla to dominate the EV market so quickly,” another person familiar with the company’s thinking told Reuters.

Hyundai Motor Co has a market capitalization of about 25.3 trillion won (RM90bil) — less than a tenth of that of Tesla, now the world’s most valuable automaker.

While Hyundai promotes its hydrogen cars with K-pop boyband BTS, it only plans to introduce up to two hydrogen models by 2025, and 23 battery-powered models.

Peter Hasenkamp, vice president at electric startup Lucid, who previously worked at Tesla and Ford, said established carmakers faced historical “inertia” to make the EV transition.

“Part of the reason we’re based in Silicon Valley is to leverage both software and electrical engineering expertise,” said Hasenkamp.

“You’ve got a couple of generations for the big car companies to learn really how to do this well. It is a lot harder than they thought it was.”


GWM Ora Good Cat delivered in time for festive season

                KUALA LUMPUR: Great Wall Motor Malaysia (GWM) stays true to its promise this festive season by delivering the first batch of the all-electric Ora Good Cat to its customers.

As part of the festive season, the car was dressed in a giant transparent 'gift box' that made its way around Klang Valley, attracting a lot of attention.

First batch of buyers who pre-ordered the car prior to the official launch on Nov 28 received a surprise personal door-to-door delivery from GWM.

Available in two variants of 400 PRO and 500 ULTRA, the preferred version is the 500 ULTRA which offers a 500km range along with attractive features such as an electric driver massage seat and an intelligent driving assist mode.

 Cui (left) with the first local Good Car customer Lim Wai Seng (centre) and his wife who received his vehicle at their home.

GWM Malaysia managing director Mike Cui said the company was proud to have delivered the first batch of Ora Good Cat to local customers.

“As we value our customers, we hope that they enjoyed our surprise delivery of Ora Good Cat as a giant ‘holiday gift' to their doorsteps!,” he said.

Another buyer, Liow Li Liet from Subang Jaya, said she had always wanted to own an electric car.

“So when I first saw this car on GWM’s website, it’s unique cat-like design immediately caught my attention, and I just couldn’t take my eyes off it. As I have not owned an electric car before, I can’t wait to experience driving this EV and be the first few to drive the Good Cat on the road to showcase its beauty,” she said.

 (From left) GWM Malaysia head of brand & communication Daniel Lai and Go Auto Sales Salesman Zul presenting the keys of the Good Cat to second customer Liow at her home.

Following the first batch of Ora Good Cat deliveries, GWM is in progress to deliver cars to their customers in time for Chinese New Year.

“We aim to deliver more Ora Good Cat electric vehicles in the coming weeks ahead of Chinese New Year and hope that our customers get to drive their brand new car around while visiting their friends and family during the New Year,” said Chui.

Good Cat is the first electric vehicle that has been introduced by GWM Malaysia with bigger plans to roll out their strategy of nine models in three years.

The company will also begin local assembly (CKD operations) of GWM cars in 2023 as a way to show its commitment in delivering better value to their customers as well as supporting the local economy as a whole.

 The Good Cat touring Kuala Lumpur in a "gift box."

GWM Malaysia dealer Superhub also opened its first sales showroom in Puchong, Selangor recently.

Superhub also has another 4S service experience centre located in USJ, which is expected to begin operations in February next year.

The Good Cat is available for test drives at designated authorised dealers in Glenmarie, Puchong and Penang.

Visit GWM Malaysia’s website https://www.gwm.com.my for details.

Alternatively, customers can contact the company call centre at 1800-18-2882 or send their enquiries to the official customer service support team at support@gwm.com.my.


KLIMS'18: More gorgeous girls

                Carsifu dishes out another selection of the "eye candy" at The Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2018 (KLIMS'18), which is being held till December 2 at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

 www.stevenleong.com www.stevenleong.com


UMW Toyota Motor announces new deputy chairman

 Takeyama.

SHAH ALAM: UMW Toyota Motor's new deputy chairman is Akio Takeyama, effective from Jan 1.

He takes over the position from Datuk Takashi Hibi.

Takeyama has 30 years of experience in Toyota Motor Corp, and has served markets outside Japan like Europe, Africa, Oceania, Middle East, India and Malaysia.

“With my past working experience in Malaysia as well as other overseas assignments, I am confident I will continue to steer the company for stable long-term achievements," said Takeyama in a statement.

He said he would focus on improving customer service, be responsive to competition and instil the spirit of change and challenge among employees.


Musk says Tesla Model S Plaid is so good he cancelled Plaid+

                SAN FRANCISCO: Production for Tesla Inc's longest-range Model S Plaid+ is canceled, CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet on Sunday.

"Plaid is cancelled. No need, as Plaid is just so good." Musk tweeted.

Production for Tesla Inc's longest-range Model S Plaid+ is cancelled, CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet  on Sunday.

"Plaid+ is cancelled. No need, as Plaid is just so good." Musk tweeted.

Model S Plaid+, which would have been Tesla's highest-end model with a driving range of 836km, was unveiled at a battery event last year and Musk said it would adopt its next generation 4680 battery cells. But production was pushed back to 2022 from the end of 2021.

Musk on Sunday called the Model S Plaid the "quickest production car ever made of any kind."

According to the company's website the Model S Plaid can go from zero to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds and has a top speed of 321kph and an estimated range of 627km.

"Model S goes to Plaid speed this week," he said in another tweet, without elaborating.

The Model S Plaid was scheduled to be unveiled at an event on June 3, which has been pushed to June 10.

The Model S Plaid costs US$112,990 (RM467,000), according to the company's website


Ongoing delays will lead to higher car prices, says MAA

                PETALING JAYA: The production of new cars will continue to be delayed if the shortage of microchips and components persists, says the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

Its president, Datuk Aishah Ahmad, said the supply chain has also been affected by the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

“Chips and components come from where the cars are being made, so if there is a delay in manufacturing, there will be a delay with delivery.

“The shortage is also due to an insufficient number of workers at the manufacturing side.

“Industry players are also facing logistics delays. This affects costs, which is why in the long run, it is inevitable that car prices will go up,” she said on Wednesday.

MAA reported a drop in new vehicle sales from 73,222 in March to 56,213 units in April, brought about by shortages of microchips and components, as well as shipment delays. This figure also represents a decrease of 3.6% compared with April 2021.

Aishah said an appeal has been made to the Finance Ministry to extend the sales tax exemption.

Proton deputy chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said its production is gradually getting back on track.

“There is still a shortage of parts, especially chips, in the manufacturing sector, but supplies are steadily increasing so a corresponding reduction in waiting times is also expected.

“The average waiting time for Proton models now is between two and four months depending on the variants. For the X50, the waiting period is about six months,” he added.

Roslan said Proton receives about 25,000 bookings each month, and its most popular model is the Saga followed by the X50.

“Currently, the Saga and X70 have seen a surge in bookings but this was expected as updated versions of each model were recently launched.

“Orders are still being placed for Proton models at a healthy level. Our current average monthly bookings are nearly 25,000 units and our recent announcement regarding delivery dates has had no adverse effect,” he said.

A Mazda showroom in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur was found to be empty as the stock of new cars had yet to arrive.

Senior sales adviser Annison Francis said the situation, which began about three weeks ago, could be due to global supply chain disruptions and the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

“It is also due to the recent lockdown in Shanghai where most of the Japanese car manufacturers import the parts from,” he said.

The supply shortage has also forced customers to wait up to three months or even more, he added.

He said Mazda is also considering absorbing the sales tax if the exemption ends this month.

“I hope the government extends the sales tax exemption,” said Francis.

Honda is also in the same predicament.

“Due to the global shortage of semiconductors and Covid-19 pandemic, there will be a delay in parts and distributions for new car production.

“With this reduction in production output and high market demand for our products, customers who have already placed a booking with our authorised dealers may experience a delay in new car delivery depending on models or variants,” read a statement on its website.

A sales representative at a Perodua dealership in Kuala Lumpur said no matter what model people are buying, the delivery delay cannot be avoided.

“Three months at least, that is how long one has to wait for all models across the board.

“We dare not guarantee anything, because we are bound by the manufacturing side.

“Bookings for cars have been consistent these past few months at the dealership.

“I will say it is still somewhat encouraging for all models like the Myvi, Bezza and Axia, because there is always a demand for them” he added.


Nissan-backed Chinese startup WeRide develops self-driving vans

People walking past a WeRide autonomous driving robobus near its office in Guangzhou in May. — Reuters
BEIJING: WeRide, a China-based autonomous driving startup, said on Thursday that it would start developing self-driving vans for urban logistics service, with automaker JMC (000550.SZ) and delivery firm ZTO Express (2057.HK).

The Guangzhou-based startup, led by founder Tony Han, is pursuing what is known in the auto industry as a level 4 autonomous standard, in which the vehicle can handle all aspects of driving in most circumstances with no human intervention.

WeRide is currently testing autonomous passenger cars and mini-buses.

Backed by Nissan Motor (7201.T), WeRide said in a statement that it would jointly develop self-driving vans with JMC, in which Ford Motor (F.N) has a stake, and ZTO. A pilot test will take place near the airport in Guangzhou city.

Automakers and technology firms are investing billions of dollars in autonomous driving, aiming to take an early lead in what many consider the future of mobility.


Govt to make announcement on highway tolls soon, says Muhyiddin

                SEMENYIH: As the March 2 Semenyih polls draws closer, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has hinted that the Cabinet might be making an announcement in regards to highway tolls.

Muhyiddin said the Cabinet had on numerous occasions discussed ways to address bread-and-butter issues faced by Malaysians.

“It isn’t easy to solve certain problems, but we did not abandon our responsibilities. Many people criticise us for not fulfilling our manifesto pledges.

"Maybe there are one or two issues such as tolls.

“I can’t give any statement because the minister involved will be making an announcement,” he added.

Muhyiddin, who’s also the Home Minister, was speaking during his speech at a ceramah for the Semenyih by-election on Thursday night.

Muhyiddin, however, refused to reveal further details when pressed by the media shortly after his speech ended.

Separately, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng also declined to speak on the toll matter.

"Can you wait for the announcement, if there is any? Please wait for the announcement," he said.


Honda Civic in major USA marketing offensive

                LOS ANGELES: The launch of the all-new 2016 Honda Civic is now being supported with an integrated advertising campaign reflecting the dramatic, new-from-the-ground-up, completely redesigned Civic.

The visually unexpected and thrilling 30-second spot, "The Dreamer," serves as the creative foundation of the multiplatform campaign.

In "The Dreamer," the journey of the all-new Civic Sedan travels from the imagination of a Honda engineer into reality.

This is depicted with a whimsical, rollercoaster-like road around our engineer's head—it's as if the engineer's imagination has materialized around him.

This provides insight into the surreal thinking process of designing a vehicle.

The spot is set to "Walking on a Dream" by Empire of the Sun and closes by transitioning the all-new Civic from imagination into reality; the voice-over says, "Direct from our imagination. The all-new Civic."

Striking print shows the all-new Civic springing out of a Honda engineer's open hinged head, and will appear in Road & Track, Autoweek, Sports Illustrated, People, ESPN The Magazine and US Weekly.

With the focus of reaching Millennials, the Civic campaign will look to incorporate a wide mix of media, with placements across network and cable TV, online video, gaming, and mobile.

A Red Bull and Twitch partnership to host a Hearthstone gaming tournament that will be broadcast live from Red Bull Studios to Twitch's highly engaged audience.

Additionally, Thrillist will design a driving sneaker inspired by the new Civic, which will be showcased at a Thrillist hosted launch event.


Chance to visit BMW Welt and BMW Museum in Munich as BMW celebrates 100 years

PETALING JAYA: Come March 7 this year, BMW will be 100 years old and it will be celebrating this momentous occasion worldwide, Malaysia included.

To mark the centenary of the BMW brand, BMW Group Malaysia is inviting all BMW and BMW Motorrad owners to share their best moments with their cars and motorcycles with the #myBMW100Years contest.

Ten people stand the chance to win a trip to the BMW Welt and BMW Museum in Munich.

To participate, share your most exciting and memorable photograph with your BMW and tell BMW your finest moments of "Sheer Driving Pleasure".

Join the #myBMW100Years contest with these simple steps:
>     Visit the BMW microsite at www.mybmw100years.com
>    Complete the form with your personal details and your BMW vehicle identification number.
>    Share your creative photo, which highlights your greatest moment with your BMW.
>    Tell BMW your short story, which depicts the theme ‘Reflecting on your past with BMW’ in less than 1,000 characters.
>    Share your submission with friends on Facebook and Instagram to collect votes and likes.
>    The closing date for the #myBMW100Years contest is Feb 29. Selected winners will be announced on March 7 on the BMW Malaysia Facebook and Instagram pages.

For more information on the #myBMW100Years contest, go to the BMW Malaysia site.