Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid now available

STUTTGART: Porsche is expanding its range of hybrids even further: the new Cayenne E-Hybrid combines the best driving dynamics in its class with maximum efficiency.

A three-litre V6 engine (340hp) combines with an electric engine (100 kW/136hp) to generate system power of 462hp.

The maximum torque of 700Nm is already available just above idling speed; the boost strategy matches that of the 918 Spyder supercar.

The Cayenne’s plug-in hybrid drive enables acceleration from 0 to 100kph in 5.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 253kph.

The new Cayenne E-Hybrid can drive up to a distance of 44km and speed of 135kph on electricity alone.

The average consumption in the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC), depending on the set of tyres used, is 3.4 – 3.2 l/100 km of fuel and 20.9 – 20.6 kWh/100 km of electricity.

Alongside the launch of the Cayenne E-Hybrid, Porsche is expanding its range of comfort and assistance systems for the entire Cayenne series with additional options such as the new head-up display, massage seats and 22-inch light metal wheels.

The boost strategy derived from the 918 Spyder supercar is a new addition. It ensures that the electric engine can be used in all the standard Sport Chrono Package’s driving modes for an additional performance boost. This means the maximum system torque becomes available as you press the accelerator pedal.

In the performance-focused Sport and Sport Plus modes, virtually all of the battery's energy can be used for a boost. In Sport mode, the battery is charged just as much as is required for a new boost. In Sport Plus mode, the battery is recharged as quickly as possible. The other modes support maximum driving efficiency.

The fluid-cooled battery, stored beneath the loading floor in the rear of the car, consists of eight cell modules with 13 prismatic lithium ion cells each. Within 7.8 hours, the high-voltage battery is charged fully via a 230 volt connection with ten amps. If the optional 7.2 kilowatt on-board charger and a 230 volt connection with 32 amps are used as an alternative to the standard 3.6 kilowatt charger, the battery is ‘filled up’ again after only 2.3 hours.

The charging process can be managed and monitored via Porsche Communication Management (PCM) and remotely using the Porsche Connect app.

The independent climate control, i.e. heating and air conditioning when the ignition is switched off, is available as standard and can also be individually controlled via smartphone.

With the launch of the Cayenne E-Hybrid, Porsche is expanding its range of assistance systems and optional features for the entire series with a variety of innovations.

For the first time, head-up display is available in a Porsche. It projects all the relevant driving information directly into the driver’s line of vision in a full-colour display.

Other new features now available in the Cayenne are the smart digital copilot Porsche InnoDrive with adaptive cruise control, massage seats, a heated windscreen, independent heating with remote operation and 22-inch light metal wheels.


Ford patents removable steering wheel

                DETROIT: Steering wheels and pedals might be optional items for self-driving cars in the future, with a new patent from Ford Motor Co.

First reported by motor1.com, a car with Ford's system would be fitted with slots for the steering wheel and pedals, and locking systems to secure the items.

The steering wheel will still have an airbag, for the driver's safety.

This idea of not having a steering wheel and pedals has also been floated by the BMW Group, in the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 (codenamed 103EX) which had its world premiere at the Roundhouse in London, England in June 2016.

The fully electric-powered 103EX does not have a steering wheel, clunky control buttons and switches, busy dashboard, or foot pedals.

Instead, the two-seater self-driving car is voice controlled by occupants seated on a silk-covered sofa, facing a transparent OLED screen that dominates the front wall of the lounge-like cabin.


Lamborghini KL sales up to 38 supercars in 2018

                SHAH ALAM: Lamborghini Kuala Lumpur has done well this year with the dealership selling 38 supercars this year, compared to 25 luxury vehicles in 2017.

Managing director Marcus Chye said the best selling was the Huracan Performante, as there were better product line-ups this year hence the better sales.

“Moving forward, sales would augur well in first quarter 2019 with the introduction of Aventador SVJ, launched three weeks ago at Pebble Beach, California, as it already has 15 orders and the demand will pick up,” he told reporters at its refurbished showroom launch in Glenmarie here today.

The 12,494 sq ft 3S facility has been updated with a new corporate design identity and a customer lounge that includes a car configurator. The service area is able to handle seven cars at a time and now comes installed with a special hydraulic lift for the Urus, Lamborghini's first SUV.

There has been a lot of local interest in the RM1mil Urus and Lamborghini Kuala Lumpur reported that it has 60 bookings to date with a one-year waiting period.


Instagram biker babe killed in crash

Pronina in a daring pose. — All pix from her Instagram page
VLADIVOSTOK: A Russian woman biker, famed for her saucy Instagram photos while doing stunts on her sports bike, was killed after crashing on a highway.

According to Russian police, Olga Pronina, 40, died after her bike went off the road and crashed into a guard railing.

Pronina, who went by the monicker "Monika9422" on Instagram, had attracted over 168,0000 online fans with her dangerous exploits, oftentimes wearing skimpy clothes while riding her BMW S1000RR sports bike at high speed. Her Instagram account was filled with photos and videos of what she did on her bike.

Media reports said the tragedy took place on July 31 here, and tyre marks on the road suggested Pronina was speeding when the horrific crash happened. The impact was so great her motorcycle broke into two. She was thrown off her bike and died before emergency rescuers arrived at the scene.

Friends described the hairdresser-turned-Instagram star as an adrenaline junkie who loved riding at high-speed. She leaves behind a 16-year-old daughter.

The tragedy is the latest to be blamed on users obsessed by social media.

A week earlier, a teenage driver in Fresno, California, was accused of causing a crash that killed her younger sister while livestreaming on Instagram.

Obdulia Sanchez, 18, lost control of the car which overturned and killed her 14-year-old sister, Jacqueline.

She remains in police custody and could face more than 13 years in prison if convicted on six felony counts.

 Pronina had worked as a hairdresser.


January start for VEP put off

                KLUANG: The Government is delaying the implementation of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) as it wants to introduce the system simultaneously at the northern and southern borders.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the VEP, previously set to start in January next year, would be delayed for some fine tuning. “The Government wants to ensure that the system is synchronised at both borders, namely the Johor-Singapore and Padang Besar-Thailand borders.

“Once the system is in place, we will start the VEP at these two borders simultaneously,” he said. He added that the ministry was confident that the VEP would be enforced early next year.

Malaysia currently imposes a road charge (RC) of RM20 (S$6.61) per vehicle on foreign vehicles entering the country via Johor from Singapore.

It was implemented at the Johor Causeway here and the Second Link Crossing in Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah, on Nov 1 last year.

The VEP, at RM25, would be valid for five years.

The RC collection had been going on smoothly at the Johor checkpoints, Liow said.

“After sorting out and finalising a few more things, we will also be implementing RC at the Thai border along with the VEP,” he said.


Stellantis CEO: All our brands get a chance, China options open

Tavares. — Bloomberg

MILAN: Stellantis, the carmaker forged from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot-owner PSA, will give all its 14 brands a chance at success and keep all options on the table for revitalising its struggling Chinese business, it top executive said on Tuesday.

In his first appearance at the helm of the sprawling group, chief executive Carlos Tavares said he was “very confident” of delivering its planned €5 billion (RM25bil) of synergies, including 80% within four years. But while he talked of cost cuts, he also committed not to cut jobs following the merger.

Tavares’ comments came as Stellantis shares surged more than 10% on their New York debut, mirroring strong increases in its French and Italian listed stocks since their launches on Monday.

The merger, completed on Saturday, has created the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker to help make the switch to the new era of electrification and automated driving.

“The purpose is not to be big, but to be great at what we do,” Tavares said, adding Stellantis would launch 10 new electrified vehicle models in 2021.

Tavares told reporters he had created a task force to find out “what went wrong” for both Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and PSA in China. They have both fared poorly in the world’s largest car market.

Tavares said the task force of Stellantis’ top five executives would work on solutions for a comeback there.

When asked if that could include a new local partner, Tavares said the company “would not exclude anything”.

Ahead of the merger, PSA and FCA pledged not to close plants and Tavares said Stellantis’ ability to spread costs to invest in new vehicles would be a “shield” against job cuts.

However, he said Stellantis would likely decide in the next few weeks whether to make a fresh investment in Britain, and in its Ellesmere Port plant in particular, in an early test for both the carmaker and the Brexit trade deal.

Stellantis will have 14 brands, from FCA’s Fiat, Maserati and US-focused Jeep, Dodge and Ram to PSA’s traditionally Europe-focused Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and DS.

Tavares, who was previously PSA’s CEO, said all 14 brands would be given the opportunity “to rebound” and invest in new products as the group focuses on profitable growth.

“All brands and all plants will be given a chance,” he said in an interview with German daily FAZ. “Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t have to change things, we have to become smarter and more efficient.”

Tavares told Italian daily La Repubblica the aim was to reach full capacity at all the group’s production facilities.

“It will take time, but we can do so as we are able to work on a plurality of choices,” he said.


F1 great Gordon Murray to develop electric vans, SUVs for carmakers, startups

                LONDON: Supercar maker the Gordon Murray Group said today it plans a £300 million (RM1.7bil) expansion over the next five years, which includes developing electric SUVs and delivery vehicles for carmakers as it shifts towards an all-electric supercar by 2030.

"Electric is what we've been missing and that's where the future is," said founder and chairman Gordon Murray, the Formula One design great who oversaw one of the sport's most successful cars to date.

The company will produce its first supercar, the T50, with a powerful V12 engine, in 2022.

The carmaker will make 100 of them next year, selling for around £2.4 million (RM14mil) each. They are already sold out.

The company will launch one more fossil-fuel supercar after the T50, followed by a hybrid model around 2026 and then a fully-electric supercar in 2029 or 2030.

The challenge for premium car firms like McLaren and Lotus, part-owned by Chinese company Geely, is that batteries are very heavy, making it hard to develop sports cars or supercars that perform like their fossil-fuel equivalents.

Murray described the supercar as a "brand building" product at the upper end of his business "while at the customer-facing end we'll focus on lightweighting and electric cars".

The company does not just see itself as a carmaker, but as an auto supplier. It has been working on designs for a lightweight SUV and a delivery van, which it aims to sell to traditional manufacturers or startups.

Over the next two and a half years the carmaker will develop a small test fleet of these vehicles to international standards.

"We're hoping to pick up a customer or two along the way," Murray said. "And it doesn't have to be a carmaker, it can be a post office, or a company like Amazon."


Man nabbed over spray attack on council officer for clamping car

                SERDANG: Police arrested a man for allegedly spraying at unidentified liquid a Subang Jaya Municipal Council officer for clamping his vehicle for failing to park in a designated parking lot.

Serdang OCPD Asst Comm Megat Mohamad Aminuddin Megat Alias said the suspect was picked up at around 10.30pm on Wednesday in Bandar Kinrara.

"The unemployed man in his 50s confessed to having sprayed the officer with a liquid during interrogations.

"He claims to have thrown away the canister when he fled the scene," he said on Thursday. "Our checks so far revealed that he has no prior record," ACP Megat said.

During a clamping operation on Tuesday along Jalan Puteri 1/4, Bandar Puteri Puchong, the officer and his partner had clamped a white Honda City for failing to park at the designated area. Moments later, at about 12.40pm, a couple approached the officer and acted aggressively.

The man sprayed an unidentified liquid at the officer and then ran off with his wife.

In September, a video of a woman screaming and threatening an MPSJ officer with a car steering lock went viral on social media. This happened in the same area as this latest incident. The woman also had her car clamped for not parking in a designated parking area.

Even though she had a disabled driver sticker on the windscreen of the car, she failed to produce the OKU card as proof when requested by the officer.


What Frank Stephenson thinks of the new BMW 7 Series

                LONDON: It's always interesting to hear what Frank Stephenson has to say about car design.

He is after all an authority on the matter and had designed a multitude of cars such as FIAT 500, MINI Cooper, Ferrari F430, Maserati MC12 and McLaren 12C/P1/720S. He was also the designer of the first BMW X5.

Since 2018, he had gone independent and set up a design studio here catering to companies from all sectors of industry that are seeking to create style, refinement and performance.

In his latest YouTube series, he trained his eye on the new BMW G70 7 Series. This time, he was more positive about the flagship model compared to his previous critiques of recent BMW designs.

Stephenson said he liked the side profile of the car without the "hockey stick" feature. He's delighted with the crease that stretches from the front headlamp to the rear taillight.

He also pointed out that BMW was more restrained with the new 7 series design compared to other models as it didn't want to stir up too much controversy with one of its priciest products.

Still, Stephenson goes back to the BMW grille, which he said was too big even for such a huge sedan. He said he would have made it smaller to create a more proportional look for the front facade yet exuding road presence.

He said he would also have integrated the daytime running lights into the main headlamps for a look akin to the pop-up headlamps of yesteryear that was well accepted.

The new 7 Series, launched earlier this year, would be available in four variants: straight-6 powered 740i, a V8-based 760i, a plug-in hybrid 750e and an all-electric i7.

READ MORE: A chat with Frank Stephenson


MAN Malaysia to introduce Euro V engine option in buses next year

                KUALA LUMPUR: MAN Truck & Bus (M) Sdn Bhd (MAN Malaysia) says it plans to introduce a low-emission Euro V engine as an option in 2023 to help bus operators reduce their carbon footprint.

In addition, it is hoping to start taking orders for the MAN electric bus chassis (e-chassis) by next year.

The introduction of Euro V engines and e-chassis would differentiate MAN Bus offerings, said MAN Malaysia managing director Andrew O’Brooks at an annual gathering for key players from the bus industry at its Serendah CKD assembly plant in Selangor.

Order-taking for the MAN e-chassis is dependent on the development of the EV-charging infrastructure, he added.

MAN is the first truck maker in Malaysia to offer Euro V engines as standard across its entire range. It said it is leading the drive towards carbon neutral status for Malaysia by 2050.

O’Brooks expressed confidence that bus operators in Malaysia would have the foresight to join the sustainability journey like many of their counterparts in the transport and logistics sector that did not hesitate to add the New MAN Truck Generation with Euro V engines as standard to their fleet.

 O’Brooks with MAN customers.


Setel adds Deliver2Me function to its app

                KUALA LUMPUR: Setel has announced its latest retail-on-the-go abilities with its Deliver2Me in-store cashless payment.

The new feature is touted to provide greater safety for users at Petronas stations nationwide.

Deliver2Me allows users to purchase selected items from participating Kedai Mesra outlets and have them delivered directly to their vehicle while refuelling.

Targeting those on-the-go, Deliver2Me offers a convenient way to shop without having to leave their vehicle.

For those that prefer the full shopping experience, Setel has introduced a cashless system to easily pay for items at 800 participating Kedai Mesra outlets through the Setel Wallet.

The feature provides the option to pay for items in Kedai Mesra with minimal physical contact as an added safety feature via Setel.

Customers will not only be able to earn Mesra points, but also perform Mesra points redemption directly through the application.

“Customers no longer need to wait in line after refuelling. We are pleased to offer greater convenience to over 1.5 million Setel users through our cashless payment system in Kedai Mesra," said Setel CEO Iskandar Ezzahuddin.

Deliver2Me is now available at six participating Petronas stations in the Klang Valley and will progressively roll out to all Setel-enabled stations nationwide starting in 2021.

Setel is currently available at over 900 PETRONAS stations nationwide and is free to download for iOS (Apple Store) and Android (Google Play Store) and Huawei AppGallery.

For more information log on to www.setel.my.


JPJ to launch e-testing for learner drivers in April

JPJ's e-testing is expected to be launched in April. — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: Those intending to take their driving licences from April may do so through the automated driving test or “e-testing”, says Road Transport Dept (JPJ) director-general Datuk Zailani Hashim.

"The system is currently undergoing trials and is expected to be launched in April.

"Those taking their driving test through the system will be able to get their results immediately as the tests will be conducted in real time.

"This will speed up the process tremendously compared to the previous two-week waiting time for test results," he told reporters after delivering his New Year message to JPJ officers here today.

He added that the system would also help reduce the need for JPJ personnel to be present at driving tests.

"At present, six to seven JPJ officers are needed to evaluate drivers when they take their driving tests.

"With e-testing, we will reduce this to two or three officers.

"This will allow the department to utilise the extra manpower for enforcement and other work," he said.

He added that the e-testing system will be based on the current six-point physical driving test.

"Those tested will have to perform tasks such as parking, driving uphill and making a three-point turn, but through simulations," he said.

The system will be implemented gradually with the 232 driving schools nationwide free to take up the e-testing application from service providers.

On a separate matter, Zailani said JPJ was carrying out advocacy with the Road Safety Department to engage p-hailing companies and educate delivery riders on safety.

He noted that there were frequent instances of delivery riders running a red light while making deliveries.

"They are pressed for time and don't care," he said.

He noted that when JPJ conducted Ops Merah late last year to target errant delivery riders, some 2,500 summonses were issued for those who ran the red light.

It was reported that there were 3,118 road deaths involving motorcyclists in 2020, more than 60% of the total 4,364 fatal accidents.

On revenue, Zailani said JPJ managed to collect RM4bil last year.

"It's considered a miracle what we achieved considering the Covid-19 pandemic, year-end floods and discounts given on summonses," he noted.

He said the department had set a revenue collection target of RM4.12bil this year.


Dec 12-18: All fuel prices up 3 sen

                PETALING JAYA: Fuel prices will increase across the board from Dec 12 to Dec 18.

The Finance Ministry said that RON97 petrol would be priced at RM2.03 per litre, up by three sen from RM2.00 per litre previously.

The price of RON95 petrol will also increase by three sen from RM1.70 per litre to RM1.73 per litre, while the price of diesel will increase by the same amount from RM1.90 per litre to RM1.93 per litre.


AB Volvo starts series production of heavy electric trucks

                STOCKHOLM: Swedish truck maker AB Volvo said on Wednesday it was starting series production of heavy electric trucks, catering to a growing demand for zero-emission transport.

It said in a statement it was beginning series production of the electric versions of models Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX, which represent around two thirds of group sales.

It added that in total, Volvo now has six electric truck models in series production globally.

Volvo, whose largest owners are Sweden's Industrivarden and China's Geely Holding, said that so far it had sold over 2,600 electric trucks in total, whereas around 1,000 of those were heavy electric.

Volvo AB has set a target that half of its global truck deliveries should be electric by 2030.


Karma teams up with Danish outfit on fuel cell propulsion system

                LOS ANGELES: Karma Automotive today announced that it will work with Denmark's Blue World Technologies to explore the viability of a fuel cell system to provide primary propulsion power for a variety of future passenger and light commercial vehicles.

Fuel cells enable fast refuelling and extremely long driving ranges, and with zero harmful emissions provide a green alternative to the internal combustion engine.

Blue World Technology’s fuel cell system would be integrated with Karma Automotive’s electric vehicle architecture and piloted in GS-6 development vehicles for evaluation purposes. Testing and validation will take place in the United States and Denmark over the next few months.

An electric vehicle powered by methanol fuel cells provides the same convenience as fuelling an internal combustion engine with gasoline. This technology has a methanol reformer to produce hydrogen on board. Methanol is a hydrogen-carrier commodity fuel already traded world-wide and it can be stored and distributed using the existing infrastructure in many countries around the world.

As a green alternative to fossil fuels, methanol can be produced using renewable sources without emitting CO2 emissions.

“We are investing in these types of powertrain technologies now to prepare for an emission-free world by having various extended-range electrification solutions that include hydrogen, ethanol and methanol fuel cells as a propulsion system,” said Karma’s chief executive officer Dr Lance Zhou. “This collaboration brings together Blue World’s strength in fuel cell development and our vast expertise in engineering hybrid propulsion systems and integrating electric vehicle technologies.”

“We are very excited about the collaboration with Karma and see great potential in combining their expertise within hybridisation and powertrain solutions with our flexible fuel cell concept that is suitable for both engine bay or skateboard platform integration,” said Mads Friis Jensen, chief commercial officer and co-founder of Blue World Technologies.


MINI Electric surpases 11,000 units produced in the UK

                LONDON: MINI in the UK has managed to achieve a production milestone as its plant in Oxford, England rolled out more than 11,000 examples of the Electric model since production began.

The MINI Electric first premiered in the UK in July 2019, during the brand’s 60th anniversary to mark the start of the British brand's roll-out of its first fully-electric model.

Since its launch, more than 3,000 MINI Electric orders have been placed in the UK alone and is priced at £24,900 (RM137,000)

The MINI Electric's drivetrain uses the very technology that initially developed for the BMW i3.

It has a 181hp electric motor that saps its electric juice from a 32.6kWh lithium-ion battery that gives it the capability to travel up to 270km.

The Electric is the second all-electric model in the brand's line-up, joining the Countryman Plug-In Hybrid.

The two models have proven to be rather popular so far - accounting for 19% of worldwide electrified MINI sales with 25% of which belonging to orders for the Countryman plug-in hybrid variant.

The company estimates that by next year, 33.3% of all orders could be fully-electric.

The original Mini, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959, was born out of the Suez crisis oil shortage and the demand for affordable motoring.

The MINI Electric is one of 13 electrified vehicles available under the BMW Group's brand portfolio.

This will be increased to a total of 25 electrified models on the road by the end of 2023, with more than half of those models fully electric.

In Europe, the BMW Group expects that electrified vehicles will account for 25% of sales by 2021, a third by 2025 and half by 2030.

As part of the company’s sustainability efforts within its corporate strategy, the goal is to have more than 7.0mil electrified BMW Group vehicles on the roads in ten years – around two-thirds of them with a fully-electric drive train.


MACC to comb through company accounts as part of RM85m probe

                JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will investigate various angles of a corruption case relating to an RM85 million project involving an automotive institute, said its chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki.

He said the probe would include a forensic inspection into the accounts of the companies involved in the case.

"All those detained (in this case) are still under investigation, and there are many things we need to look at.

"We have to look at the money channelled to the second-layer company ... this requires us to conduct a forensic (investigation into) the accounts of the company (involved),” he said at a press conference after MACC officers' basic training course parade at the Johor MACC Complex here today.

He said this when asked to comment on the development of the case.

Azam said apart from the MACC Act 2009, the case was also being investigated under the Money Laundering Act.

He said that on March 23, a total of 10 individuals - nine men, including one with a "Datuk” title, and a woman - had been arrested in connection with the case.

According to MACC sources, two suspects were believed to have solicited and received bribes of more than RM14.9 million from three more suspects, in return for helping a company obtain grants through three other companies, between 2018 and 2020.


Honda to offer new fuel cell vehicle in California in 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Honda Motor Co said on Thursday it will start selling its new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in California by year's end.

Honda is the latest automaker to bring a small number of hydrogen powered vehicles to market amid increasing zero emission vehicle mandates from California and other U.S. states.

The Japanese automaker made the announcement at the Washington auto show, saying the next-generation Honda Clarity Fuel Cell model will cost around US$60,000 (RM260,000) with a targeted monthly lease under US$500 (RM2,166). Honda declined to say how many it planned to sell.

The vehicle will go on sale in Japan in a few months and in the United States by end of the year. It will initially only be leased.

The vehicle's platform, or basic underpinings, will also be used for a new plug-in hybrid electric car due by 2018. Honda said it expects by 2020 that 20 percent of its U.S. vehicle sales will be hybrids. It will sell its 2017 Accord hybrid later this year.

One big issue for fuel cell vehicles is that there are only a handful of hydrogen refuelling stations.

Sales will begin at some dealerships in Los Angeles and Orange counties, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. Honda did not offer details about planned sales elsewhere in the United States.

Toyota Motor Corp began offering hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in October in California. Hyundai Motor Co has also leased fuel cell vehicles to about 100 US customers. Both offer leases of fuel cell vehicles for US$499 (RM2,161) a month.

Toyota has plans to sell 30,000 fuel cell vehicles globally by 2020, ramping up from an expected 2,000 in 2016. Fuel cell vehicles are a major component of the company's plans to curb polluting emissions to nearly zero by 2050.


Mercedes straddles old and new with electric S-Class reboot

                FRANKFURT: For decades, the Mercedes S-Class has defined the gold standard in luxury sedans, chauffeuring around captains of industry and heads of state. But as more consumers gravitate toward SUVs and electric cars define cutting-edge technology, Daimler AG must prove its flagship remains relevant.

The latest iteration of the S-Class, which the German carmaker will present later today, will try to please tastes old and new — offering not just the high-powered combustion variant but also an improved hybrid version and, for the first time, a sleek all-electric sibling sold from next year.

Despite its origins in the 1950s, the S-Class still pulls in major money for Daimler, particularly in China, where the company sells more of the model’s most expensive variant, the Maybach, than anywhere else.

Rivals BMW AG and Volkswagen AG’s Audi have long tried to gain a bigger slice of the market but never managed to quite crack Daimler’s dominance.

The stakes for the latest version of the model could hardly be higher. Traditional carmakers are pouring billions of euros into electrifying their fleets while still relying on combustion-powered cars for profits. Tesla Inc., which sells a competing product in the Model S sedan, zoomed past them to become the world’s most valuable car company by far, shrugging off the deepest industry slump in decades triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The new S-Class has to be the best car in the world in every respect,” said Roman Mathyssek, a consultant at Arthur D. Little GmbH.

“Nowadays that is more complex than ever before as all the traditional automotive luxury and refinement features need to be cleverly blended with cutting-edge environmental credentials, connectivity and autonomous functions.”

The hybrid model comes with an improved 100km battery range, and the series features software that enables level-3 autonomous driving, including assisted lane changing and a mechanism that keeps the car at a safe distance from other vehicles.

Tesla has been aggressively marketing its self-driving technology, and chief executive officer Elon Musk has said the company is close to achieving the requirements for fully-autonomous driving — or level-5 — this year.

Tesla’s shares quintupled this year, valuing the company at US$464 billion. Daimler, the world’s bestselling luxury-car maker and biggest commercial-vehicle producer by revenue, is worth US$55 billion.

The valuation gap between Tesla and its peers “will remain wide or wider until carmakers have viable electric-vehicle businesses” and can start shedding legacy assets, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois said in a report last week.

After the coronavirus outbreak shuttered factories and showrooms, Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius expanded a restructuring push to restore earnings. While Mercedes has maintained its sales lead over BMW and Audi in recent years, underlying profits deteriorated due to regulatory costs, ballooning expenses for new technology and poor efficiency.

The Stuttgart-based manufacturer plans to cut more than 15,000 jobs worldwide and Kallenius pledged to put a stronger focus on larger luxury cars like the S-Class or the GLE SUV to lift returns.

Defending their strong presence in the luxury-car segment during the accelerating shift towards electric cars will be key for German manufacturers to compete in the future, said Bankhaus Metzler analyst Juergen Pieper.

“It’s interesting to see that after years of various efforts to become more efficient, Kallenius and his new team now really seem to start changing things from scratch,” Pieper said.


First drive of Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe

                Sagrada Familia, Gothic Quarter and Palau de la Música Catalana. All must-see places when you are in Barcelona if you have time to spare on a working trip.

Ours was a journey sparked by a chance to drive Mercedes-Benz’s latest E-Class Coupe, which now has more in common with its mid-size sedan than before.

Barcelona was the jump station to other parts of Catalonia, that autonomous region of Spain fronting the Mediterraneans where good serrano, fine wines and cultural distractions are to be had.

Not only was the Catalonian capital hosting an eclectic bunch of motoring and lifestyle writers, it was drawing many more to the Mobile World Congress where the next smartphones and mobile tech were being foisted on the world. It was, frankly, a media-rich moment in this nook of Spain.

Now on to the subject at hand. Although a niche model, two-door coupes will continue to be an essential part of the Mercedes line-up for years to come. Dr Dieter Zetsche said as much recently even as the world has gone mad for SUVs and crossovers. Coupes like the one here, along with cabriolets, are important brand builders for the company, said the Daimler AG chairman and Mercedes-Benz boss.

Twenty-five E-Class Coupes were deployed for the international media drive. Ten E400s, 10 E300s and five E220ds form the backbone of the event with selected cars equipped with one of three suspension systems: Direct Control, Dynamic Body Control and Air Body Control aka air suspension.

We went with the E300 as this is the version that will be selling in Malaysia later this year. It came specified with the optional AMG Line package and air suspension, and not the Direct Control suspension that is expected to be standard fitment for the Malaysian market.

Direct Control suspension is the basic setup where the suspension of standard steel springs is 15mm lower than on the sedan and is tuned for comfort. Next up would be Dynamic Body Control suspension with adjustable damping offering "Comfort", "Sport" and "Sport+" drive modes. Air Body Control tops the rest with multi-chamber air suspension, including all-round roll/pitch/heave stabilisation. With three chambers of different size in the spring struts of the rear axle and two in the spring struts of the front axle, it is possible to control the hardness of the suspension in three stages. Air Body Control also offers more drive modes than Dynamic Body Control, adding in the ECO and Individual settings to the mix.

READ MORE:
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe arrives, starting from RM436K
50 years of Mercedes-Benz coupes

Daimler chief designer Gorden Wagener had this to say of the new coupe: "Our E-Class Coupé shows the next stage in the further development of our design idiom … it embodies a puristic design with an emphasis on surfaces, reduced lines and sensual forms. This reduced design idiom is ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ at one and the same time."

Close up, the four-seater looks every bit the stylish, sleek and sporty car.

The coupé proportions are characterised by a distinctive front end with low-positioned sports grille and central star, a rearward-shifted, squat greenhouse and a muscular rear end. The looks are underlined by four frameless, fully retractable side windows and the absence of a visible B-pillar.

Multibeam LED headlamps are matched with slim LED rear lights that have a new welcoming light effect and crystal look. Boot space is a large 425 litres.

The interior is where the sense of indulgence is heightened. The light wood panelling harks to Scandinavian inspirations and looks trendy combined with the beige leather upholstery and yacht-blue dash-top that sweeps all the way to the rear in a deliberate allusion to a nautical theme. On top of that, the hugely impressive dual 12.3-inch displays (albeit non-touchscreen), the head-up display and the jet turbine look of the air-cond vents are as much functional as they are talking points.

Much of what is available in the E-Class sedan is also found in the coupe. Besides the familiar dual displays known as Widescreen Cockpit in Merc parlance, other shared features include touch controls on the steering wheel, smartphone integration, extended Driving Assistance package, Remote Parking Pilot and Car-to-X communication.

 That's how much knee room in the back seat for a 179cm tall guy.

The coupe also gets Magic Vision Control, which are fancy wipers with integrated washer and heating elements to ensure a clean wipe and maximum visibility at all times.

The AMG Line, which replaced the Avantgarde standard equipment package in the test car, amplifies the sporty appeal with more aggressive front and rear bumpers, side skirts and larger 19-inch or 20-inch AMG Styling wheels. The dots in the diamond radiator grille are chrome-plated, while the brake discs on the front axle are perforated. The interior boasts features such as seats in high-grade Artico/Dinamica microfibre in black with grey contrasting topstitching, ambient lighting and an AMG leather sport steering wheel.

Overall, the new E-Class Coupe is bigger than the outgoing model with a bigger wheelbase which opens up more space for four people to travel in plush comfort. Commenting on the differences between the new and old, E-Class coupe testing chief Peter Kolb said the car’s flooring is made up of three sections from two models. Whereas the old coupe was mostly C-Class in structure, the new one had C-Class content only in the rear section while the front and middle parts were straight out of the current E-Class sedan.

The E300 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine making 245hp at 5,500rpm and 370Nm at 1,400-4,000 rpm. In contrast, the E400 Matic we later took for a short spin, has a 3.0-litre biturbo V6 mill dishing out a thumping 333hp at 5,200-6,000 rpm and 480Nm at 1,600-4,000 rpm.

 The 2.0-litre turbocharged engine of the E300 Coupe.

For the E300, performance is decent and you probably have to wait for the real AMG version to rate it as potentially amazing. The over 4.8m-long car is more grand tourer than genuine sports car, able to lap up the miles for hours without flinching. We imagine a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang would be quite agreeable for four, cocooned in the luxurious interior where not-so-tall passengers in the back would even say it’s comfortable.

The ride isn't the least bit floaty and comes across as composed and supple in most cases, complemented by a steering that's accurate The cabin is quiet at highway speeds, attesting to the good noise insulation even as the speedo sweeps past 110kph.

Turn-in to corners is sharp and the wider tracks, lowered body and adaptive suspension help keep body roll in check.

Changing gears in the nine-speed automatic is smooth and rapid, and the gearbox is able to keep up with your right foot tempo.

Cycling through the drive modes is quick and uneventful. The Comfort setting is pretty much the default for most driving situations but the Sport and Sport+ are the ones to call up when you want to have a bit of fun when the road narrows and get twisty.

Contributing to the low fuel consumption of 6.4l/100km is the aerodynamic body, which has a Cd of 0.25, the same as before despite the larger front surface area and larger wheels.

The all-wheel drive E400 we had a brief acquaintance with rode on the Dynamic Body Control suspension and was decked out in AMG Line together with a so-called Night Package for more personalisation, with a host of design details in high-gloss black.

As we drove the E400 to our next hotel stay, what registered in the mind was a car that had much meatier power delivery with a punchy low-end. One that barrels into corners with an adept chassis balance, marking it as the idealised mid-range Mercedes coupe.

The E400 will certainly be a heftier price to pay. The E300, however, will be available for less yet won’t stray far from the ideal in style and substance.

 Sit in. shut the door and the coupe hands you the seatbelt. Lunch time at OneOcean Club, Barcelona.E300 Coupe

E400 4MATIC

E220d 4MATIC (Diesel)


Hyundai unveils IONIQ hybrid

FRANKFURT: Hyundai Motor has unveiled the hybrid version of its new IONIQ – an advanced, alternative-fuel compact vehicle. The IONIQ is the world’s only car available with electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains.

The IONIQ Hybrid promises class-leading fuel efficiency but also a fun, responsive drive and attractive design – a unique mix not yet achieved by a hybrid vehicle.

The IONIQ Hybrid is equipped with a newly developed, 1.6 GDI four-cylinder Kappa engine and a 32 kW (44 PS) electric motor, which is fed by an advanced Lithium-Ion polymer battery.

The two powertrains have combined maximum output of 104 kW (141 PS) and 265Nm (27 kg.m) of torque. A new six-speed dual-clutch transmission provides responsive performance and a slick gear shift, resulting in an entertaining drive, and good fuel economy.

The IONIQ’s coupe-like silhouette is streamlined to efficiently manage airflow. Combined with active and passive aero features, this helps it achieve an outstanding drag coefficient of just 0.24 Cd, making it one of the most aerodynamic cars on sale.

The IONIQ also offers a host of advanced comfort, convenience, safety and connectivity features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 7-inch TFT information cluster brings a high-tech appearance to the cockpit, displaying a range of digital gauges in high resolution, including a number of hybrid-specific displays.

Based on an exclusive new platform, the driving performance of the IONIQ is similar to that of a regular compact car, thanks to its responsive hybrid powertrain. Ride and handling as well as noise, vibration and harshness levels are said to be tuned to contribute to a superior ride quality as well as being quiet and comfortable on long journeys.

It comes with a host of future-ready active and passive safety features such as electronic systems like Autonomous Emergency Brake, Lane Keeping Assist System, Lane Departure Warning System, and Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert provide guidance to avoid any accident. Seven airbags including a knee-airbag for the driver, as well as structural body enhancements, enabled by adapting 53% of the body with Advanced High Strength Steel, give the IONIQ’s chassis superior rigidity for responsive handling and enhanced safety.

All three versions of the car will be unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in March. The IONIQ Hybrid variant will be the first to come to market in Europe, during the second half of this year.


Perodua's sales up by 5% in 3Q

                KUALA LUMPUR: Perodua sales have increased by five per cent to 69,011 units in the third quarter of 2022 (Q3 2022) from 65,719 units in Q2 2022 as the automotive supply chain continues to improve.

The local carmaker said the rise in sales during the quarter shows that most of the major issues within the automotive supply chain have normalised.

"It is now time to further improve on production as we need to reduce the waiting period for our valued customers,” Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said in a statement today.

According to Perodua, vehicle registration jumped by 216.5 per cent year-on-year in Q3 2022 due to the lockdown imposed in Q3 2021 to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, on a year-to-date (YTD) comparison, sales rose by 64.9 per cent to 196,354 units from January to September 2022 compared with 119,093 units sold in the same period last year, it said.

Zainal Abidin said Perodua is focusing on increasing its sales momentum in Q4 2022 as well as boosting production in Q1 2023 to ensure that customers who had booked their Perodua vehicles during the sales tax exemption period will receive their car on or before March 31, 2023.

As of June 30, 2022, the number of outstanding bookings eligible for the sales tax exemption stood at above 200,000 units.

In terms of production, Perodua achieved its highest monthly production YTD at 29,077 units in September, bringing its total YTD production to 206,837 units.


Alfa Romeo to expand SUV range with performance hybrids and bigger model

The Stelvio SUV.
TURIN: It doesn't take a business guru or a motor industry expert to know that expanding a manufacturer's SUV and electrified ranges is a smart and potentially profitable way to go in the current market.

It therefore shouldn't come as a surprise that relative newcomer to SUVs and electrification Alfa Romeo is expected to announce a new range of performance hybrids and a new large SUV next month.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' CEO Sergio Marchionne is reported by Autocar as saying that he is set to announce the future plans at his company's Balocco test track in Italy exactly 14 years to the day since he took over as boss of FCA.

 Giulia sedan.

In addition to the move to build a new large SUV that will be vital to the brand's growing ambitions for US market success, the top man at FCA is also expected to announce detailed plans of a new Giulia coupe. As well as the conventional combustion engines already seen in the sedan it will be based upon, the Giulia coupe will also be offered with high-performance hybrid powertrains.

Likewise, the new large addition to the company's SUV portfolio will be offered with a mild hybrid and an electric turbo using a 48-Volt electrical system. These power boosters are sure to be more than enough to overcome the additional 200kg of weight the new model will be carrying over and above the weight of the existing Stelvio, which the new model will be sharing a platform with.

There's also the possibility of a seven-seat version of the new SUV, which is expected to go on sale towards the end of 2019.

Anyone who thinks the hybrid powerplants that are on the way will offer little more than an acceptable level of performance with a keener focus on efficiency might have to think again. The high-performance energy recovery system (ERS) drivetrains are said to be an adaptation of the HY-KERS system developed by Ferrari and Magneti Marelli for the LaFerrari, which it's claimed are even more advanced than the systems currently used in Formula 1.


Naza Automall offers tempting deals

                PETALING JAYA: The Naza Automall is now back with more automotive brands, making it Malaysia’s first one-stop automotive gallery that offers exciting deals for Naza Automall customers.

Naza Automall customers can enjoy special packages, only available at the one-stop automotive gallery for the four-wheel and two-wheel brands under the Naza Group. Additionally, the Naza Automall will also be offering deals for the MPV and SUV segments of other auto brands to meet the surge in demand for MPVs and SUVs lately.

For the full Naza brand experience, the Naza Automall will also be offering value for money promotions and special privileges for other businesses under the Group including property, agriculture, education, insurance and finance, and food and beverage.

“Naza Automall is the epi centre of our operations. We aspire to make this “the” one-stop destination for your automotive needs from entry to super luxury marques. The Automall also showcases the whole range of offerings from the Group such as property, education and F&B,” said Datuk Samson Anand George, Group CEO, Automotive Group.

To kick start the Naza Automall’s promotional campaign period, the Naza Group is rewarding its customers when they purchase their dream car or bike with a chance to win a full-expense paid 4 days 3 nights trip to catch the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finals live in Moscow.

To find out more about how to be a part of this once-in- a-lifetime experience, head on over to the Naza Automall starting May 1, 2018.

Accredited as the largest automotive showroom in Malaysia by the Malaysia Book of Records, Naza Automall will have on display 14 automotive brands both used and new from different segments and brands including Maserati, Kia, Peugeot, Citroën, Chevrolet, Ducati, Indian Motorcycle and Vespa.

The Naza Automall is an automotive enthusiast’s haven with a total build-up area of 250,000 square feet and can hold up to 2,000 cars at a time.

Located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the Naza Automall is open from 9am to 6pm on weekdays and from 10am to 7pm on weekends.


Application for inter-state travel opens

                PETALING JAYA: Only those who were already at their hometowns when the movement control order (MCO) began on March 18 are allowed to apply for permission for inter-state travel via the Gerak Malaysia app.

Federal CID director Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed said applications for the travel purpose can be made from now until April 29.

“The Gerak Malaysia app is to stop big groups from going out to apply for permission at police stations, thus preventing the risk of Covid-19 infections.

“A generated QR code will be scanned by personnel manning roadblocks, easing travel for applicants, ” Comm Huzir said in a statement yesterday.

He said applicants had to permit the app to track their locations via their smartphones to authenticate the users’ current location.

Further details on the movement schedule and guidelines would be announced by the police on Wednesday, he added.

Besides inter-state travel, he said there were also procedures in place to process several other permits in the app.

These include movement for medical reasons, grocery shopping within 10km of one’s home, and for emergencies.

However, only applications for inter-state travel were being processed at this moment, Comm Huzir said.

He had said earlier that restaurants or food stalls and surau at rest areas along the North-South Expressway would remain closed.

“Only toilets are open. Motorists are required to rest inside their vehicles at parking areas, ” said Comm Huzir, who added no group prayers would be allowed at these areas along the expressway.


Japan's GLM shows off its take of electric scooter for seniors

                KYOTO: Japanese EV maker GLM Co Ltd has released a spherical electric scooter concept designed for senior drivers that promises freedom of mobility.

It is expected to go into series production by the end of 2022.

As populations grow older, the tendency for them to get into accidents increases.

A variety of measures are being taken around the world to deter the elderly from driving, such as encouraging voluntary return of driver's licenses and the introduction of laws and regulations restricting driving hours and locations.

GLM said its compact scooter was meant to support the elderly and ensure they can continue to enjoy an active, independent, and outgoing lifestyle.

The Kyoto-based company said its research showed that a spherical design for a scooter was desirable to the elderly. At present, it is honing the design of the scooter with the propulsion system to follow later.

GLM said conventional scooters for seniors generally looked unappealing as they were designed just by attaching handles, tyres and seats onto a frame, along with cowls and various other parts.

"By and large, electric mobility scooters for seniors tend to look like they were designed for old people, making them unattractive to the many who still feel youthful."


Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak gears up to race on biofuel

                LONDON: Bentley has started a major new sustainability initiative, with the announcement of a renewable fuels research and development programme led by the most extreme road-car-based Bentley in its 101-year history.

The Continental GT3 Pikes Peak, designed and built to compete for the Time Attack 1 record at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, will be the first competition Bentley to run on renewable fuel, ahead of a goal to offer sustainable fuels to Bentley’s customers around the world.

The modified Continental GT3 racer, based on Bentley’s race- and championship-winning car, will power its way through the 20km course running on a biofuel-based petrol.

Various blends of fuels are being tested and evaluated, with possible Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions of up to 85 per cent over standard fossil fuel.

This first step marks the start of a longer programme that will investigate both biofuels and e-fuels for their potential to power the Bentleys of past and present in a sustainable way.

Bentley’s ambitious Beyond100 programme will see the brand become the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility company, with the entire Bentley model range offered with Hybrid variants by 2023 ahead of Bentley being BEV-only by 2030.

The adoption of renewable fuel for this project signals the start of a long-term ambition for Bentley, initiating a research and development programme that aims to offer renewable fuels to Bentley customers in parallel to Bentley’s electrification programme. This two-prong strategy is set to maximise the pace of Bentley’s progress towards outright carbon neutrality, as part of its Beyond100 journey.

Combustion-engine Bentleys will still be produced for the next nine years – and Bentley’s new project aims to make those cars as sustainable as possible through the use of innovative fuel technologies.

Bentley’s pinnacle Pikes Peak project is being run in conjunction with British Continental GT3 customer team Fastr, who have successfully campaigned their Bentley race car in time attack competitions across the country.

Bentley has once again turned to three-time Pikes Peak champion and former “King of the Mountain’ Rhys Millen (NZ) – who holds individual class records. It was with Millen that Bentley captured its two existing Pikes Peak records – the Production SUV record attained in 2018 with a Bentayga W12, and the outright Production Car record scored in 2019 with a Continental GT.

With the start line at 9,300 ft, the course climbs to 14,100 ft - where the air is 1/3 less dense than at sea level. This environment means that the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak features modifications both to its aerodynamics package and its engine, turning it into the most extreme iteration of a Continental GT – or indeed any Bentley road car – ever.

The biggest rear wing ever fitted to a Bentley dominates the rear of the car, sitting above a highly efficient rear diffuser that surrounds the transaxle gearbox. This rear aerodynamic package is balanced by a two-plane splitter at the front, flanked by separate dive planes.

The engine is Bentley’s proven racing power unit, developed from the 4.0-litre turbo V8 fitted to the Continental GT V8. For the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak, engine modifications together with the use of carefully selected biofuel will ensure the engine develops significant horsepower despite the rarefied conditions it will operate in. Short side-exit exhausts will ensure the car sounds as dramatic as it looks.

Further modifications include cooling air scoops in place of the rear windows, and the obligatory stopwatch mounted to the roll cage next to the steering wheel, to allow Rhys Millen to keep track of his sector times up the mountain.

The Continental GT3 Pikes Peak now enters a major test and development phase, based initially in the UK before being shipped to the USA for altitude testing. An update on the progress of the car will be issued in May, ahead of the 99th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 27. More technical details about the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak would be released in due course.


Morris Commercial teases return of the J-Type van

                LONDON: After having secured the right to the Morris Commercial name, a British brand under which a series of vehicles were made from the mid-1920s to the late '60s, the resurrected company - now functioning as a UK-based startup - has begun teasing the return of J-type van originally launched in 1949.

The Morris JE, though not an exact replica of the model launched 70 years ago, "takes the DNA and values of the original van and brings it up to date in a fun, funky and contemporary design" with an all-electric powertrain.

 A 1970 AA Patrol Morris 1000 van arrives at Buckingham Palace, part of a display of 90 historic British-built motor vehicles to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday in the forecourt of the palace in London. - AFP

Apart from these global statements about the upcoming "light commercial vehicle," the company only published a few darkened teaser images of the model.

The JE is only the first of a series of electric vehicles Morris Commercial plans to launch, though no information has yet been disclosed about those.

The 21st century rendition of the J-type van is slated to be unveiled this fall.


Ford revs up to sell hybrids with appeal of speed and power

                DETROIT: Ford Motor Co is turning to the automotive marketer’s time-tested themes, speed and power, to sell a new generation of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles to mass market customers.

Ford this week showed off a hybrid Ford Explorer it is selling to US police departments that combines a six cylinder engine with a lithium-ion battery, an electric motor and a 10-speed transmission to deliver 318hp and speed that can outrun police vehicles equipped with a larger V8, company executives said.

The Police Interceptor Explorer is a niche model. But highlighting a hybrid vehicle’s speed and functional capability is the strategy Ford intends to deploy broadly as the company begins offering hybrid systems across its highest-volume models over the next three years.

 The hybrid Explorer interior.

The new Explorer and Escape hybrid SUVs are due to hit showrooms later this year, and a hybrid F-150 pickup is scheduled for 2020.

In the past, Ford promoted hybrids such as the C-Max by stressing fuel economy. As fuel prices dropped over the past decade, sales of many fuel efficient cars, including hybrids, sagged. US consumers have been paying premiums instead for larger vehicles that offer more horsepower and towing capacity.

That market trend now is guiding Ford’s substantial bet on hybrids, combining high performance with the technology to meet tougher emissions rules in China, Europe and the United States, company executives said.

“With us and others, it was strictly around fuel economy,” David Filipe, Ford vice president for powertrain engineering, told Reuters. “If we are now able to show the customer they can get more from an electrified product, that will be the recipe,” Filipe said.

Ford is investing US$11 billion plan to deliver 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles by 2022.

Ford has developed two new hybrid drive systems. One is for smaller models like the Escape compact SUV. The other connects a 44-horsepower electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack to a 10-speed automatic transmission, and will be used for larger vehicles like the Explorer and F-150.

Both systems are designed to fit multiple models, and those vehicles in turn can be sold with or without hybrid drive. In the Explorer and F-150, the same 10-speed transmission can be used without the electric motor by substituting part of the drive shaft and little else.

The battery pack for the 2020 Escape’s hybrid system, launching this fall, fits under the floor, instead of hogging space in the rear cargo compartment, as in prior Escape hybrids. The 2020 battery pack, built by Ford, is less than half the size of the older one.

To promote new hybrid models, Ford is using lessons from the company’s successful effort to persuade F-150 buyers in the United States that a turbocharged six-cylinder engine could deliver superior performance to fuel-thirsty V8 engines that dominated the large pickup segment for decades, Filipe said.

Ford created the “EcoBoost” brand of turbo-charged engines, and promoted the 3.5-litre, six-cylinder EcoBoost sold in the F-150 as more powerful and able to tow heavier trailers than many traditional V-8s.

The automaker charges US$1,600 to US$2,595 to install a 3.5-litre EcoBoost, depending on the F-150 model. Including a smaller, less expensive six-cylinder now offered as the standard motor on certain F-series models, EcoBoost engines now power nearly 70 percent of F-150s sold, Filipe said.

Ford will also charge more for its new hybrid models. An Explorer Limited with a 3.3 litre hybrid engine will cost US buyers US$4,150 more than a model with a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, according to Ford’s consumer website.

Ford has not released official fuel efficiency ratings for the 2020 Explorer hybrid, but the company has said the vehicle should deliver more than 805km of driving with a 73 litres tank, indicating it can achieve about 9.05 l/100km compared to 11.8 in combined city and highway driving for a current, six-cylinder gasoline model.

Toyota Motor Corp’s, smaller Highlander hybrid SUV is rated at 29 miles per gallon in combined driving, with a 499-mile range.

Toyota, the leader in hybrid vehicle technology, plans to deploy gasoline-electric power systems across its lineup, including more SUVs.

However, other automakers, including Ford’s arch-rival General Motors Co and Volkswagen AG, are focusing on developing all-electric vehicles to meet regulatory and consumer demands in all major world markets.


Malaysians react to Dr M's move to set up new national car company

                PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have had a mixed reaction to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s announcement that the Government intends to launch a new national car company.

Speaking during a dialogue at the 24th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia today, the Prime Minister said the new Government is thinking of starting another national car, perhaps with an Asian country such as Thailand, South Korea or Japan as a partner.

This did not go down well with everyone, with some urging for more focus on public transport.

Within minutes of the news, SK Teo created a petition titled “We should not have a national car at this point in time”, earning five signatures out of its 100-person goal within an hour.

On Facebook, Md Haris only had a gentle reminder to offer: “Country debt 1 trillion.”

Many more spoke up for the need to instead improve public transport for the people, with Kim Guan Chuan saying that the number of cars on the roads should be reduced.

“Every day, most of the roads are choked with cars, wasting time and money,” he added.

Karthikeyan Rajamohan said the MRT 3 rail transit project should be reconsidered instead of having a “Proton 2.0”.

Noni Jelani questioned the wisdom of the proposed idea: “So this is the reason why he scrapped public transportation project. To make new car. Do we need this right now?”

READ MORE:
Dr M wants to set up new national car company

In Muhammad Nasruddin’s opinion, the move would be a waste of money: “Why la … better you build MRT 3, much more better.”

Daljeet Kaur said “one failed national car” is more than enough proof that Malaysia does not need another one.

“We need proper public transport to JB (Johor Baru) and Singapore. The train to JB is terrible. Fulfil your manifesto and don’t simply start projects that benefit no one,” she added.

Another commenter, Joel Lim, expressed alarm at the idea. “Please stop! No more national car company please. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. We had enough trying to beat a dead horse. Let private companies make cars.

“Don’t do just for the sake of doing. Our market is too small,” he cautioned.

However, Revathi Murugan said it was a good idea to have a new national car for Malaysia.

“This time, look into better safety features with stronger chassis and frame. Create back job opportunity and develop nation for a better future ... why limit Malaysians and their capabilities?” she said.

Andy Tan said Malaysia cannot rely on its oil and gas revenue to drive the economy, and hoped that the country would groom its own technology and expertise for a more “Made in Malaysia" production.

“We need our own industrial establishment, the challenge is the implementation. We failed before, but doesn’t mean we will fail again, let’s believe it this time… it is very difficult, but we have to do this,” he said, emphasising the need for transformation.

Others were wary of the cost of protectionist measures.

The idea received a resounding “No” from Louis Lai, who said the rakyat would not accept the move.

“This will make the other car prices go up! Because need to protect them again!!! We rakyat don't want this kind of protected industry! We want car price low!” he said.

Jason Ng called the idea another mega bailout in the making: “Don't you remember the Proton bailout, Tun M?”

However, Ann Lin did not mind the project, so long as additional taxes on foreign cars were removed.

Proton, which Dr Mahathir launched three decades ago, has been bought over by China’s Geely.


BMW launches new M2, tentative price from RM599K

                KUALA LUMPUR BMW Malaysia today announced the arrival of the new M2 to the Malaysian market, with online pre-booking now open as the marque celebrates BMW M GmbH’s 50th anniversary.

Two M2 versions are offered. The estimated price for the M2 and M2 with Pro Package are RM598,800 and RM642,800 respectively.

The two-door compact coupé has a chassis that brings racetrack technology to the road. It features a reduced height and lower roof line.

Both versions are powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six cylinder petrol engine making 460hp and 550Nm of torque.

Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the M2 goes from 0-100kph in 4.1s and has a 250kph top speed. The top speed can be raised to 285kph if the customer pays extra for the M Driver's Package.

The rear-wheel driven M2 features active M differential that promises high traction in any driving condition.

The car gets a new unframed kidney grille design with horizontal slats. It has a striking apron and large, nearly square shaped air intakes that underscore the high cooling requirements of the engine and brakes.

 The Pro version.

Standard are adaptive LED headlights and front wings made of aluminium to lighten the car. The bonnet comes with a power dome.

From the side, the M2 incorporates large surfaces and rectangular shapes into a classic three-box design with widened side skirts and flared wheel arches.

The M2 gets blue brake calipers and staggered wheels – 19-inch for the front and 20-inch for the rear. The Pro version comes with red M Compound brakes and staggered wheels as well.

A spoiler lip increase aerodynamic downforce, with rear diffuser and M twin tailpipes being the other notable features.

Only the Pro gets a carbon fibre roof.

At 4,580mm long, 1,877mm wide and 1,403mm tall, with wheelbase at 2,747mm, the car sees an increase of 119mm in length, 33mm in width and 54mm in wheelbase, while height has been reduced by 11mm.

Boot space is 390 litres but can be increased with the 40/20/40-split folding rear backrest.

BMW has plonked its BMW Curved Display with M specific displays on the dashboard. The display comprised a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and the 14.9-inch control display embedded with BMW Operating System 8.

M Sport seats are electrically operated with specific side bolsters, providing lateral support when cornering fast.

A head-up display is available for the first time in the M2. The two rear seats have more legroom as a result of the increased wheelbase.

Exclusive to the Pro are M seat belts and carbon fibre M interior trim.

Both versions have ambient lighting and three-zone automatic climate control.

Body colours available are Zandvoort Blue, Alpine White, Brooklyn Grey, Black Sapphire and Toronto Red.

Interior upholstery can be specified in Leather Vernasca in black with exclusive highlight; Leather Vernasca in black with blue contrast stitching; and Leather Vernasca in cognac with décor stitching.

 The M2.


Genesis targets big German 3 with G70 reveal

                SEOUL: Hyundai’s luxury arm Genesis has revealed the G70, taking aim at the big German 3 car makers of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

The G70 goes on sale in South Korea on Sept 20, with its rollout in other markets to be announced soon. Prices start from US$33,000 (RM139,000).

The all-new model was previewed on Thursday at the Hyundai Genesis Design Center in Namyang on the outskirts of the capital, a day before its official launch.

The sporty 4-door G70 sedan is designed to go up against the C-Class, 3 Series and A4 and will offer a choice of three powertrains.

It packs numerous advanced driver assist systems such as Highway Driving Assist (HDA), best-in-class safety with nine standard airbags and active hood function, and connectivity functions with server-based voice recognition technology. It has an 8-inch touch screen display supporting MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Performance features include:
> Launch Control - Maximizes power control in acceleration mode
> Rack-mounted, motor-driven power steering (R-MDPS) and multi-link rear suspension - Provides precise handling and comfortable ride
> Dynamic torque vectoring system - Improves vehicle cornering control
> Mechanical limited slip differential (M-LSD) - Allows safe driving capabilities in low friction road conditions such as rain, snow and ice

The G70 offers three powertrains – a 3.3-litre V6 petrol turbo, 2.0-litre I4 petrol turbo and a 2.2-litre I4 diesel. The 3.3-litre V6 turbo is only for the enthusiast-focused G70 Sport.

The G70 Sport is equipped with the Lambda II 3.3-litre V6 turbo GDI engine, with 370 PS and maximum torque of 510Nm. It goes from 0 to 100kph in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 270kph.

The G70 2.0 turbo petrol model is equipped with the Theta-II 2.0-litre turbo GDI engine, with 252 PS and maximum torque of 353Nm. (Sports package: 255 PS)

The G70 2.2 diesel model is equipped with the R 2.2 VGT engine with 202 PS and maximum torque of 441Nm.

The seat positions have been adjusted to lower the centre of gravity of the car. To enhance the driving experience, the Active Sound Design (ASD) system creates an aural character that reflects the engine load and driving mode settings.

Hyundai said hot stamping methods and extended use of structural adhesives have been employed to enhance torsional rigidity and improve overall body stiffness.

The G70 completes the Genesis brand’s sedan lineup, along with the G90 flagship and mid-luxury G80. Genesis launched the G90 in December 2015, followed by the G80 in July 2016. Genesis will have six models by 2021, which will include SUVs.

The G70 will also be the first vehicle in Korea to feature server-based voice recognition technology, using Kakao’s artificial intelligence platform ‘Kakao I.’

A 15-speaker Lexicon surround-sound system is available to provide an audiophile-level acoustic experience.an 8-inch touch screen display supporting MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Ten exterior colours are available: Platinum Silver, Carbon Metal, Marble White, Titanium Black, Racing Gray, Graceful Gray, Lapis Blue, Royal Blue, Blazing Red and Umber Brown.

The cabin is available in five colours: Obsidian Black, Sandstorm Gray, Velvet Burgundy, Tobacco Brown and Vanilla Beige. Two additional interior colours - Sports Gray and Sports Red - are reserved for the G70 Sport and the high-end trim level for the 2.0T.

Genesis has ranking highest among premium automakers in the J.D. Power 2017 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), topping all 13 brands in the premium segment.

The G70 will be officially launched today at “G70·Seoul 2017,” a global launch festival in Seoul’s Olympic Park. The festival features performances by artistes Gwen Stefani, Andra Day and CL in front of a 15,000-strong crowd.

“The launch of the Genesis G70 is an important milestone for our brand,” said Manfred Fitzgerald, Head of Genesis Division. “We chose Seoul, as this is our place of origin. This is where we are coming together with our customers and friends in the music industry to celebrate as a people’s festival.”


The 10 longest surviving cars of all time

The Chevrolet Suburban.
DETROIT: The all-conquering Toyota marks its 50th birthday in November and while it is the undisputed best seller of all time, it will need to stay on sale another 40 years if it wants any chance of breaking the record for the oldest car nameplate still in production. Here's a breakdown of the oldies but goodies in automobiles.

1. Chevrolet Suburban, launched in 1933 - 83 years old
The automobile may have been born in Europe, but the oldest car nameplate still in production is American. The Chevrolet Suburban first went on sale in 1933 as a commercial vehicle. Today, it is a beast of an SUV with eight seats and a V8 engine.

2. Morgan 4/4 launched in 1936 - 80 years old
Morgan has been building vehicles since 1909 and it took the UK company 27 years to move from three-wheelers to four-wheel car production. The first model, the 4/4, debuted in 1936 and apart from the outbreak of war, it has remained in production ever since - only ever receiving one exterior styling update (1955). The chassis is now made from steel, but the handmade frame is still painstakingly cut and shaped from wood.

3. Ford F-Series launched in 1948 - 68 years old
No vehicle has had so much impact on the American way of life since the Ford Model T. The F-150 is as iconic as it is useful and the latest generation models are as technologically adept -- 10-speed gearboxes, efficient V6 engines - as they are capable.

4. Toyota Land Cruiser launched in 1951 - 65 years old
Toyota's oldest car is actually an SUV and one that over its lifetime has slowly traded utilitarian looks for off-road luxury - without diluting its all-terrain capabilities.

5. Chevrolet Corvette launched in 1953 - 63 years old
Many times during its lifetime, the Corvette has run perilously close to being axed. But after decades of producing lightweight V8 sportscars that look phenomenal, Chevrolet now has a car that has the performance and poise to match -- so much so that it now competes with the best the Germans or Italians can offer in terms of road-holding and driver involvement rather than simply price.

6. Mercedes SL launched in 1954 - 62 years old
Launched initially as the 190SL roadster and the 300SL coupe with gullwing doors, the SL started life by creating the idea of the supercar but quickly settled down to become a spritely open-top tourer. But that hasn't stopped Mercedes from fitting it with supercharged V8 and V12 engines in recent years.

7. The Mini launched in 1959 - 57 years old
The original Mini went without a discernable facelift for its first 40 years, but the argument was that sometimes everything's right the first time. It's true that the little car was a revolution in terms of design, packaging and technology and that to this day, it is still the blueprint for building a city car. But if BMW hadn't bought the marque at the start of the millennium, the Mini would be no more.

8. Porsche 911 launched in 1963 - 53 years old
The Porsche 911 is not a supercar chiefly because it's reliable, but also because it seats four, has genuine trunk space and can be used as a daily driver.

9. Ford Mustang launched in 1964 - 52 years old
The original Pony Car is the fastest selling car in US history and 52 years on can also claim to be the fastest selling sportscar in Europe. The latest generation Mustang is the first to officially cross the Atlantic and demand is such that according to the latest data, a used V8 Mustang GT is losing just 0.1percent of its value over its first year of ownership.

10. Toyota Corolla launched in 1966 - 50 years old
Despite being the youngest car on the list, the Corolla is by far the most popular in terms of sales. More surprising than its 43 million examples sold is that the car is still called the Corolla. When VW replaced the Beetle, they called it the Golf (Rabbit in the US). The Ford Escort became the Focus, but Toyota has never needed to refresh the car's name to refresh interest.


Hennessey rolls out Gen 3 VelociRaptor 6x6 monster

                HOUSTON: Hennessey, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle creator, has transformed the latest third-generation Ford F-150 into an immensely capable, go-anywhere, six-wheel drive pickup – the Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6.

The modifications and enhancements go far beyond simply adding a third pair of wheels.

The Hennessey engineers equipped the new truck with sophisticated Fox suspension and dual locking rear axles – adding an impressive 50 percent more tractive grip – to ensure the VelociRaptor dominates on- and off-road.

The truck’s uprated, turbocharged powertrain produces 558 bhp and 911Nm of torque, which guarantees that the VelociRaptor’s grunt matches its significant size.

Based on the latest third-generation F-150 Raptor, the imposing Hennessey creation is significantly longer than the stock Raptor.

The extension allows the fitment of an expansive 2.4 metres long load bed that boasts 45 percent more volume than the stock 1.67-metre bed.

Hennessey has also raised the VelociRaptor to be several inches taller than standard through a combination of a three-inch lift, upgraded Hennessey 20-inch wheels and capable 37-inch off-road tires.

Hennessey is the world’s largest producer of modified Ford F-150 Raptors having built thousands of its high-performance VelociRaptor trucks for customers around the globe.

Taking these power-packed trucks to the extreme "6x6" stage is also second nature to Hennessey’s engineers. Over the years, they’ve made a host of enormous, exclusive, and highly capable 6x6 trucks from the Mammoth 6x6 TRX, and Goliath 6x6 Silverado, to the latest Gen 3 VelociRaptor 6x6.

“Everything is bigger and faster in Texas and our VelociRaptor 6x6 takes this concept to the extreme!" said Hennessey founder and CEO John Hennessey.

"Building on the capability, power, and presence of our VelociRaptor truck, our latest six-wheel drive offering will delight customers across the US and around the world with its power and go-anywhere abilities.”

Priced from US$399,950 (RM1.8mil) – inclusive of the base F-150 Raptor – the VelociRaptor 6x6 features uprated Fox suspension, locking rear axles, new front and rear bumpers, LED lights and a custom-made eight-foot load bed. Hennessey’s engineers boosted the performance of Ford’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine with enhanced air induction, a high-capacity intercooler with blow-off valve, and an upgraded engine-management system.

The first VelociRaptor 6x6 units were delivered earlier this month.

Available for international shipping, the new VelociRaptor 6x6 can be ordered through authorised Ford retailers or directly with Hennessey.


AB Volvo wins its largest electric truck order so far

                STOCKHOLM: Volvo Trucks has received an order for 100 electric trucks from shipping firm DFDS, its biggest commercial electric truck order to date, the Swedish truck maker said today.

Volvo Trucks, AB Volvo's main truck brand, said the order was one of the largest ever for heavy electric trucks worldwide, adding that deliveries would start in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The FM Electric trucks, which have a range of up to 300km, will be used for both short and long transport in Europe.

Volvo, which started serial production of electric trucks in 2019, is targeting for half of its global truck deliveries to be electric in 2030.

"We are pleased to see that growing interest among our customers is starting to be reflected in firm orders," Volvo Trucks president Roger Alm said in a statement.

A "green" shift in the transport sector, which generates roughly a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions, is widely seen as important to help align with global climate goals.


2017 CarSifu Auto Show: Attractive prizes up for grabs

The 65-inch Sharp Aquos TV.
PETALING JAYA: Three Sharp high definition televisions and 10 Sharp car ion generators from Sharp will be among the prizes to be won at the CarSifu Auto Show that’s being held at the 1Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya, from today to April 2.
 Sharp car ion generator.
Just book a car at the auto show and stand a chance to win fabulous prizes worth a total of RM19,000.

Topping the list is the Sharp Aquos 65-inch full HD television worth RM6,699 followed by the Aquos 60-inch full HD priced at RM3,999 and the Aquos 50-inch full HD costing RM2,799.

The Sharp car ion generator, which is worth RM559, is designed to fit into a car’s cup holder and comes with a car power adapter.

It can freshen up the cabin’s air by removing cigarette odour and other allergens for a more pleasurable drive.

The auto show, opens from 10am to 10pm and will display vehicles from BMW, Citroen, Isuzu, KIA, MINI and Peugeot around the Highstreet concourse area of the shopping mall.

In addition to car displays, some will be made available for test drives on a route around Bandar Utama.


More of the same: Why are EVs keeping the traditional car design?

                BERLIN: No trend in the automotive industry seems to have captured the imaginations of carmakers more than the rush towards embracing e-mobility.

But while manufacturers are trying to surpass the competition by developing electric vehicles (EVs) with the newest and most innovative of features, the traditional appearance of cars remains.

For all of the "industry firsts" being touted by the big name carmakers in electric drive, none seem willing to deviate from the traditional aesthetic of the car.

Take the Peugeot 208, which will be introduced onto the market in both, a conventional as well as electric version.

Visually indistinguishable from each other, Peugeot even make the extra effort to conceal the 208e's charging socket for its traction battery behind a fuel tank flap.

Technologically, manufacturers have the opportunity to create entirely new architecture concepts for their electric vehicle division as just a third of the original mechanical parts are needed.

Spaces that were taken up by clutches, injection pumps or exhaust pipes, suddenly give room for creative new design ideas.

"If you do not require a big engine, you can do without a huge front bonnet or vast radiator grille," says Paolo Tumminelli, renowned design professor from the Technical University in Cologne.

A big deterrent in changing the design is that it may alienate existing customers or, worse, weaken the brand identity. A possible solution is to instead create a separate company.

 The Polestar 2 cabin still looks conventional.

Volvo is doing just that with its electric offshoot Polestar, and the Polestar 2 model - which will be built from 2020.

"Compared to the normal Volvo program, it is more minimalist," says Tumminelli. However, it is still conceptually rather ordinary and could go farther in his opinion.

Citroen is much more adventurous with the Ami One Concept: a 2.5 metre long, almost cube-shaped vehicle without a bonnet or radiator grille, and is intended for car sharing.

"The vertical box design creates space in the interior," explains the professor.

In the Ami One, the designers have made use of the potential for extra space with e-mobility, omitted the excess and found a pragmatic form of mobility," says Tumminelli.

EVs generally adhere to their clean-cut image, despite their ability to also possess some serious power beneath the bonnet.

The Audi Q4 e-tron's take on the SUV - set for release in 2020 - tries to bring a touch more machismo to the fore. For Tumminelli, it's aggressive front screams, "I'll stay macho as an electric car."

The design expert doesn't offer such praise for the Piech. Produced by a great-grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and a son of former VW boss Ferdinand Piech, the electric sportscar concept Mark Zero is all too familiar.

 The Q4 e-tron.

"A familiar mix of design themes from Jaguar, Aston Martin and Porsche," analyses Tumminelli. "It is a classically drawn GT, which does not reveal anything of its innovative drive."

The fact that manufacturers barely exploit the possibilities has to do with old habits, says Tumminelli. The strategy behind vehicle design is often conservative.

"We do not worry the customer, do not confront them with difficult decisions and prefer to make cars familiar to them."


SEMA 2018: Unplugged Performance gives the Tesla S a luxe upgrade

                LAS VEGAS: Unplugged Performance, aftermarket fitters known for their premium Tesla upgrades and customisation, have turned Tesla's Model S into a bespoke supercar, which can be tailored to each owner's taste.

Yesterday at SEMA, Unplugged Performance announced their newest full Tesla vehicle upgrade package for the Model S, the S-APEX P100D, a build that can be "uniquely commissioned to the specific individual tastes of each owner" while bringing it into the supercar realm.

To reach this standard, Unplugged Performance completely reworks each vehicle. The Model S is already fairly streamlined and clean, but Unplugged adds on some extra components and materials for enthusiasts whose appreciation for the original is coupled with premium tastes.

Customers attend "an extensive consultation" with the Unplugged Performance team to develop a personalised design for the driver.

The package does, however, come with a few base upgrades.

For starters, the body is widened by 40mm per corner to lower drag and maximise performance. This can then be accompanied by the owner's choice of 19-, 20-, or 21-inch diameter ultra-lightweight wheels, paired with custom-tuned brand Plug-N-Play High Performance Shocks to make handling smooth and effortless.

Unplugged replaces the Tesla production braking system with their own Superlight Carbon Ceramic 6-piston braking system which provides better stopping power and better fade resistance, while reducing the vehicles total mass by 9kg.

As for the interior, the sky's the limit. As an example, the demonstration vehicle is trimmed in Alcantara and hand-selected premium leather, and the solid facades were resurfaced in real carbon fibre with a “factory satin clear coat finish."

The extensive custom redesign is available to all Tesla markets, starting at US$50,000 (RM210,000, not including the vehicle, of course). The demonstration S-APEX is on display at LA's 2018 SEMA Show at the Toyo Tires booth, and it features just a handful of the customisations Unplugged Performance can provide for the Model S.


Volvo cars sold in Britain now meet WLTP emissions standard

                LONDON: Volvo has become the first car maker in Britain to homologate its entire model range under the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).

All Volvo petrol, diesel and hybrid models now comply with the stringent "Euro 6d-temp" standard for tailpipe emissions, as part of the firm’s model-year 2019 range update which started production in April.

It also puts Volvo well ahead of the Sept 1 deadline where only WLTP-homologated cars can be sold in Europe.

The aim of the new WLTP cycle is to ensure published fuel economy and emissions – which all manufacturers legally must publish – offer a more realistic reflection of real-world driving, helping customers to judge better the fuel and emission efficiency of their car.

WLTP is a laboratory test, and replaces the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) that can trace its roots back to the 1980s. Both tests enable customers to make comparisons between different vehicles, but WLTP uses a driving cycle that is more reflective of on-road driving.

The WLTP test is also backed up by the new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) test – an on-road test of up to 120 minutes, which evaluates a car under a variety of driving conditions and speeds. A car can only be sold once it passes both WLTP and RDE tests.

The figures Volvo publishes for its models are achieved through the WLTP cycle, then correlated back to an NEDC equivalent for comparison purposes.

“Volvo welcomed the new WLTP testing methods when they were first announced, as greater transparency in areas such as fuel consumption and emissions helps customers make better informed buying decisions,” said Volvo Car UK managing director Jon Wakefield.

“We are pleased that we are the first to sell a complete range of cars that meets the new testing standards.”

The move to WLTP follows last year’s announcement that all new Volvo models released from 2019 will be offered in electrified-only variants, and a further announcement in April that Volvo aims for fully electric cars to make up 50 per cent of its global sales by 2025.


VW's Scout to build US$2bil plant in South Carolina

                WASHINGTON/FRANKFURT: Volkswagen's off-road brand Scout Motors said on Friday it would build a US$2 billion plant near Columbia, South Carolina, for trucks and SUVs.

The investment could potentially create 4,000 or more permanent jobs and more than 200,000 Scout vehicles could be produced annually at the facility.

In May, VW said it would re-introduce the Scout off-road brand in the United States, offering new electric pickup and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs).

Groundbreaking is planned for mid-2023 and production is projected to begin by the end of 2026. Scout, an independent US company owned by Volkswagen Group, is currently evaluating the potential for outside investment.

"We’re re-imagining Scout’s original ingenuity and electrifying its future," said Scout chief executive Scott Keogh.

Volkswagen has moved away from cars in the United States as it adds more electric models.

SUVs now account for about 80% of the US sales of the group’s VW and Audi brands. VW last sold a pickup in the United States in the early 1980s.

Scout and Travelall vehicles made by International Harvester were forerunners in both function and style of the popular SUVs from Detroit's Big Three automakers such as the Ford Bronco and General Motors Chevrolet Suburban.

Harvester stopped building the Scout and Travelall in 1980 after the oil price shocks of the mid-1970s as it went through a restructuring.

But the Scout "look" lives on in vehicles such as Ford’s current Bronco and electric vehicle startup Rivian‘s R1 pickup and SUV line.

Volkswagen first disclosed it was considering using the Scout name late in 2021. The automaker’s Traton SE business acquired US truck maker Navistar in 2020, which owns the name.

The news is the latest major auto announcement for South Carolina, which is home to BMW's US operations and its largest plant by volume. The state also has over 500 automotive-related companies and 75,000 automotive industry employees.

BMW said in October it would invest US$1.7 billion to build electric vehicles in South Carolina.

The German automaker made a new US$1 billion investment in its Spartanburg plant to prepare for EV production and is spending US$700 million on a new high-voltage battery assembly facility in nearby Woodruff, South Carolina.


Honda Malaysia on track to meet sales target

                PETALING JAYA: Honda Malaysia is confident of achieving its 2018 sales target of 109,000 units following the encouraging sales performance in the first half of this year.

In the period of January to June 2018, Honda Malaysia recorded total sales of 51,354 units, which places the company on track to achieve its sales target for the year.

Honda Malaysia received the highest number of bookings in its history in the month of June with a record-breaking 20,000 units.

The highest contributor to the total number of bookings obtained in that month was City at 36%, followed by CR-V and Civic at 14% each.

This outstanding sales performance can be partially attributed to the zero-rated GST and festive promotions that have been on-going.

Due to the overwhelming bookings, Honda Malaysia has to extend the waiting period up to four months for certain models.

Honda Malaysia apologises for the extended waiting period and would like to thank customers for the strong support towards the Honda brand and making the company the leading marque in the Non-National segment.

Based on this sales record, Honda Malaysia contributed 17.7% to the Total Industry Volume (TIV) as at June 30, 2018.

The steady sales has also maintained Honda Malaysia in No.1 in Non-National segment and No.2 in overall TIV positions in the first half of 2018.

In reviewing performance by models, City stood out as the most popular model among customers in the past six months with over 15,400 units sold translating to 30% of the total sales.

This is an impressive increase of 7% compared to the same period last year.

Following closely behind the City are the HR-V and CR-V models, which accounted for 16% and 13% of the total sales for the first six months of 2018 respectively. All three models also maintained the segment leadership position during this period alongside other Honda models such as the Jazz, BR-V, Accord and Civic.

Earlier this year, Honda Malaysia launched the New Odyssey, an MPV with unrivalled premium safety features which was brought a notch higher with the availability of Honda SENSING.

Recently, Honda Malaysia opened booking for the New HR-V at all 95 Honda authorised dealers nationwide.

For further information on Honda models and after-sales service, customers can call the Honda Toll-Free number of 1-800-88-2020 or log on to www.honda.com.my.


Meet the world's fastest tractor

                LONDON: No joke, this tractor can race at over 240kph, putting many cars to shame. This is a true story about humanity's attempt at building the world's fastest tractor — because they can.

Williams Advanced Engineering has worked as an important part of a project team to support JCB’s world record attempt to build the world’s fastest tractor.

Using its expertise in aerodynamics, Williams Advanced Engineering’s brief was to maximise the aerodynamic performance of the tractor, without compromising the integral shape of the vehicle.

Taking the standard JCB Fastrac tractor, the team analysed four key areas which together, delivered the biggest reduction in drag and largest gain.

In all, Williams Advanced Engineering ran more than 65 individual Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations.

The result was a reduction in drag of 25% over the standard Fastrac tractor and, in the hands of motorbike racer, lorry mechanic and TV presenter Guy Martin, the vehicle went on to hit  247.47kph with an average speed of 217.57kph at Elvington Airfield securing the Guinness record for the world’s fastest tractor.


China's Vantrue launches its first 4-channel dashcam with rear cabin camera

                SHENZHEN: In-car video recorders have come a long way in terms of their technical advancement. They have since become an indispensable motoring aid to support insurance claims in the event of an accident - and provide fodder for TikTok videos.

Chinese dashcam maker Vantrue recently announced the release of its 4-channel dash cam Nexus 5 (N5), which it says is the first on the market to feature a rear cabin camera.

It's an upgrade over its 3-channel N4 dashcam.

Why the need for 4 cameras, you may ask?

Vantrue said more cameras are better, with the fourth one able to capture scenes in rear seats. When a passenger accidentally leaves something behind (as in an e-hailing vehicle), the driver can help locate the lost item more quickly with the rear cabin camera.

Another advantage is that a baby in the back seat can also be monitored with the extra camera.

More importantly, by having four cameras with a 360°coverage, the N5 can piece together from all angles the chain of events leading to an accident.

Vantrue said the N5 is equipped with Sony's latest generation STARVIS 2 sensor, providing better image, reproduction and night vision. It said the dashcam supports WiFi and voice control, providing a better WiFi connection experience.

When it's time to save a clip, the dashcam can do so via a specific voice command.

It has a 10-second pre-recording function, and is able to capture an entire incident to ensure no details are missed, said Vantrue.

It has low-light night vision, with front and rear hidden infrared light design, enabling the vehicle to be monitored even in complete darkness, it added.

It is available for online pre-order from Vantrue at RM1,638. The product will ship from June 1.