Polestar 1 is the first car that can be bought with art

                GOTHENBURG: Artists and art collectors are now able to buy a Polestar 1 with art.

Swedish automaker Polestar is known for exploring new ways of operating in the car industry. The brand now introduces an additional way of buying its halo electric performance hybrid before it reaches end of production later this year.

Prospective buyers will be offered the opportunity to pay for the €155,000 (RM778,000) vehicle by trading art they already own.

Polestar’s initiative comes amidst a recent art boom with new ways of trading art emerging, from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to a pair of Kanye West-designed shoes selling for US$1.8 million at a recent auction – as well as auction prices for classic and contemporary art recently soaring.

“Historically, many significant art transactions have taken place outside of what we today associate with the art market,” says Theodor Dalenson, a leading private art advisor who serves as Polestar’s advisor on this initiative.

“Going back several hundred years in time, art trading mainly took place between artists and patrons. Painters like Picasso were known to trade sketches for restaurant meals. Polestar’s initiative is essentially a very natural extension of the tradition of art being used as payment for precious goods.”

Dalenson has been involved in the art world as a benefactor and has been a board member of institutions such as Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Perez Miami Art Museum, Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, Aspen Art Museum and Americans for the Arts.

Polestar will consider all forms of art, including paintings, sculptures, photography, installations and more. Incoming proposals will be reviewed by Dalenson, and if deemed relevant, receive a valuation estimate by the two largest auction houses: Sotheby’s and Philips.

It is Polestar’s intention to, after a period of ownership, sell the art, either via the above auction houses or through the dealers that represent the artists.

In April 2021, a special edition Polestar 1 was revealed at the Shanghai auto show, featuring a bespoke matte gold exterior paint job with matching brake callipers and black wheels. Inside, colour-matched gold stitching gives the interior an even more unique feel. A maximum of 25 will be built and a handful will be eligible for the initiative.

“I love the idea of letting artists and collectors buy a Polestar 1 with art - it is such a special car and we wanted to find a unique way of celebrating it before its production reaches an end," said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

"It is hand-made, precious and tangible, much like a piece of art.”

The scheme begins today and will run until Aug 15 in Europe and North America ,and submissions can be made at polestar.com/art/.


Shell celebrates anniversary through art

                KUALA LUMPUR: For 125 years, Shell has fuelled Malaysia’s progress as a trusted partner, contributing to the growth of the oil and gas industry through innovation.

To kick off its 125th anniversary in Malaysia, Shell unveiled Celebrating 125 Years, an art project involving famous artists including Datuk Lat, Cheeming Boey, Sabek, Yap Hanzhen, Amey Sheikh Ali, Caryn Koh, Thomas Powell, and Dmojo.

The eight artists will develop 15 murals at selected Shell stations nationwide, with at least one mural located in each state.

The art captures the artists’ own interpretation of progress and the Malaysian pioneering spirit, with some illustrating familiar Malaysian scenes and landmarks, while others showcasing nature and Malaysian society.

 Lat (left) and Azman.

“Shell has journeyed with Malaysians for 125 years, and together we have achieved many firsts in the industry. As one of the country’s leading fuel retailers, we aim to continue driving the Malaysian pioneering spirit, which has been integral to the country’s success,” said Datuk Haji Azman Ismail, Managing Director Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn. Bhd. and Shell Timur Sdn. Bhd.

“Each mural reflects on society’s common values, which Shell also embraces as part of its DNA: diversity, unity, respect, and inclusiveness. We believe these values unite Malaysians across the country, and will propel the nation forward into the next 125 years. Our aim is for the murals to reach out to people, share these common values, and hopefully inspire and enrich their lives,” he continued.

Shell will also be releasing a series of videos called #StationStories over the next two months, featuring some of its customers who share their personal stories and experiences.

Shell will also be hosting a gala dinner on 10 August 2016 for its partners across the industry, followed by Heritage Trail, a nationwide treasure hunt in September 2016.


Fiat Chrysler UK offers digital car sales/trade-in channel

                LONDON: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK (FCA UK) will be supporting its network with CAR@HOME.

The CAR@HOME system creates a link between a customer or prospect and a retailer through the use of video conferencing.

While virtual face-to-face meetings can be set-up to discuss customer’s needs, the system allows retailers to go beyond this by helping customers to configure their car, send in videos and images for a trade-in evaluation and even send through finance offers.

FCA UK is also rolling out a “chat” function across all of its brand and retailer websites, where customers can engage with their retailer in real time.

Arnaud Leclerc, managing director FCA UK said, “These tools will allow our retailers to communicate with their customers, while still observing all current regulatory requirements, and help everyone make a faster return to normal once this is all over.”

FCA UK has acquired Google Hangouts Meet licenses for all retailers who wish to participate, for a period of one year, while full training will be provided virtually.


Perodua donates 50 Myvis to fire dept and educational institutions

                RAWANG: In one of its biggest-scale vehicle donations yet, Perodua is contributing a total of 50 Myvis to the Perak State Fire and Rescue Department as well as 25 higher-learning institutions across the country, to aid them in their research and training.

“We are donating seven current-generation Myvis and 43 previous-generation Myvis to these organisations in the hope that they will be useful in their research, training and education,” said Perodua president and CEO Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh.

He was speaking at a symbolic hand-over ceremony held at Perodua’s Sungai Choh headquarters yesterday. Bearing witness was Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Dr Zahari Husin.

The said 25 educational  institutions  comprise universities as well as vocational, technical, industrial training and youth skills institutes.

“As a People First company, Perodua has always believed in empowering youth through education, as they are Malaysia’s future leaders and future drivers of the local automotive industry.

“Some of our many educational initiatives include the Perodua Eco Challenge and the Perodua Youth Training Programme, which is our longest-running Corporate Responsibility programme, having produced over 630 graduates since 1999,” said Aminar.

This year, Perodua trained and passed 141 candidates. Over 70% of them will be hired at Perodua service and Body & Paint centres across the nation.  The training scheme was held in collaboration with the Human Resources Ministry’s Department of Skills Development for vocational students.

“With over a million units sold since its 2005 birth, the Myvi has been Malaysia’s most popular vehicle for the past 13 years. It is therefore the perfect vehicle for local research and training as it is the most accurate representation of a vehicle on Malaysian roads,” said Aminar.


Germany believes European Commission will propose electric cars quotas

                BERLIN: Germany believes the European Commission will propose quotas for electric cars in it next review of measures to cut emissions, a spokesman for the German environment ministry said today.

The commission said on Monday it had no plans to introduce quotas for electric cars for an automobile sector seeking to recover from the Volkswagen diesel scandal.

The German environment ministry spokesman said without quotas for electric cars the European Union could miss its carbon dioxide emissions targets.


Lexus ES facelifted for a fighting chance

                BERLIN: Lexus is freshening up its luxury saloon ES, and the Japanese rival to the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes E-Class has been given a facelift both on the inside and out before it hits international markets in the coming weeks.

The car had its world premiere at Auto Shanghai in April.

On the outside, you'll spot the difference mainly in the fresh face up front where there's a new radiator grille and an updated design for the headlights, while the rear lights are also new, Lexus has announced.

The biggest change, however, is in the interior. Finally catching up with the competition years later, the Japanese manufacturer has now also installed a touchscreen. At the same time, the designers have moved the screen closer to the driver to make it easier to operate.

Nothing has changed in the safety package with its 10 airbags and numerous assistants as well as the digital wing mirrors, which, it must be said, are unrivalled in this class.

Under the bonnet, too, everything remains the same: The new ES continues to run with the familiar combination of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor.

In the ES 300h, this twin pack has a system output of 218hp and reaches a top speed of 180kph.

Consumption is said to be 5.2 litres and CO2 emissions 119 grams per kilometre.


Toyota to stop selling diesel cars in Europe

                GENEVA: Japanese car giant Toyota announced Monday that it will stop selling diesel cars in Europe, beginning the phase-out this year.

"Diesel will be phased out in our passenger cars in 2018," Johan van Zyl, president of Toyota Motor Europe, said in Geneva, where Europe's first major car show of the year opens this week.

"We will not develop new diesel technology for passenger cars, we'll continue to focus on hybrid" vehicles, he added.

An emissions cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, has heaped discredit on diesel technology, criticised for belching out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates.

This has been a major blow for car makers, who had essentially sought to bet the house on diesel as they strove for years to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.

Major cities including Paris have announced plans to ban diesel, while a top German court last month opened the way for cities to ban older diesel cars from the streets on air quality grounds.

Diesel's fall from grace has pushed manufacturers to turn their attention to producing more in-demand petrol models or make the jump to electric, or at least hybrid, vehicles.

Last year nearly 15 percent of Toyota's sales in Europe were from diesel vehicles, down from 30 percent in 2012.

Meanwhile, sales of Toyota's hybrid models have risen sharply.

Toyota vice president Didier Leroy said that back in 2011, before "Dieselgate" erupted, the company had "already started to anticipate the fact that we should not allocate resources to develop a new small diesel engine".


New Ford Ranger to launch end of October

                PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, announced that the new Ford Ranger is scheduled for launch in Malaysia at the end of this month.

The line-up will consist of the Ranger XL, XLT, Wildtrak, and the much anticipated Ranger Raptor.

For the first time, SDAC will also be introducing the Ranger XLT+ variant to the Malaysia market.

With its ‘Built Ford Tough’ credentials and a range of variants in the upcoming line-up, there is now a Ford Ranger to suit every customer’s needs and lifestyle. The New Ranger is packed with Ford’ latest innovations and is born ready to take on the world with many first and only in-class features, the likes of which has never been introduced in pickup trucks before.

Long gone are the days when pickups were designed and built only to tackle muddy tracks and tough terrains. As technology evolves and consumer preferences change, the Ranger DNA was altered, building it to be more versatile, luxurious and less utilitarian.

Features have been added for the Ranger to take on the concrete jungle. Customers now have the option of owning not just an adventure or commercial-ready truck, but also a lifestyle and family vehicle.

In Malaysia, there is a growing number of Ranger vehicles on the road purchased for lifestyle reasons, thanks to its suite of smart technologies, which is further complemented by a stylish and well-sculpted car-like interior.

Ford’s best-selling nameplate in Malaysia was refined inside out without compromising on safety and off-road capabilities, making the Ranger smarter, tougher and more powerful.

For more information on the New Ford Ranger or to register your interest for updated details, visit SDAC’s multilingual website which also features a chatbot available in three languages – English, Bahasa Malaysia and Simplified Chinese.


IndyCar to use 'Aeroscreen' cockpit protection

                INDIANAPOLIS: IndyCar will use an “Aeroscreen” to provide cockpit protection from next season, with the Red Bull Advanced Technologies-designed system giving cars a jet fighter appearance, the US open wheel series announced on Friday.

Indycar believes the Aeroscreen concept is better suited for their series, considered the most dangerous form of open-wheel racing, than the halo system used in Formula One.

The Red Bull design will consist of a polycarbonate laminated screen with an anti-reflective coating, an anti-fogging device and possibly tear-offs.

The titanium framework will mount in three areas around the cockpit.

IndyCar races on street and road courses and ovals, like the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, where cars sometimes race wheel-to-wheel at speeds reaching close to 370kph.

The full screen concept is designed to allow drivers to survive incidents like the one that killed Justin Wilson in 2015, when a piece of debris struck his helmet during a race.

“Since the first prototypes were developed and demonstrated in 2016, the potential of Aeroscreen to improve the safety for drivers in the event of frontal impacts in the cockpit area of cars has been clear,” said Christian Horner, Red Bull Advanced Technologies CEO and Red Bull Racing team principal, in a statement.

When Formula One made the halo mandatory in 2018, racing traditionalists were critical that it changed the look of cars.

IndyCar said it took aesthetics into consideration and believes it has hit on an eye-pleasing design that will be the new industry standard for driver protection.

“This car we kind of reversed engineered it where we did aesthetics first and performance second so...it has a fighter jet look to it,” said IndyCar president Jay Frye.

IndyCar has been working on a cockpit protection system and last year conducted testing with a windscreen concept, including on-track sessions where it was determined that additional work was needed before implementation.

Data from these tests was passed onto Red Bull Advanced Technologies for the development of the current design.

“We the drivers at IndyCar always wanted to make sure that if we did run something that it was going to be something great, not something rushed, something that hadn’t been tested well,” said IndyCar veteran Scott Dixon, winner of the 2008 Indy 500 and a five-time series champion.

“We’ve seen other versions of this but I think this covers all the bases.”


Volkswagen pumps €2 billion into China electric vehicle bet

                BEIJING/HONG KONG: Volkswagen AG (VW) said today it has agreed to invest €2.1 billion (RM10.2bil) in two separate Chinese electric vehicle players, upping its bet on the world’s biggest auto market as international rivals seek to muscle in.

VW said it will invest €1 billion (RM4.8bil) to take a 50% stake in the state-owned parent of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC Motors), also raising its stake in an existing electric vehicle joint venture with JAC to 75% from 50%.

Volkswagen China CEO Stephan Wollenstein said Volkswagen would have full management control of its JAC-VW joint venture.

The joint venture will launch five more electric models by 2025 and establish a car manufacturing base, said VW. The German giant aims to sell 1.5 million new energy vehicles (NEV) — including battery electric cars as well as plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles — a year in China by 2025.

In a separate transaction, VW said it will pay €1.1 billion (RM5.3bil) to acquire 26.5% of Guoxuan High-tech Co Ltd, a maker of electric vehicle batteries, becoming its biggest shareholder. VW said Guoxuan, based in Hefei like JAC, will supply batteries to its EV models in China.

Reuters exclusively reported on Wednesday that VW was in final talks to invest in the two companies.

The deals come as global rivals like US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc seek to make inroads in the Chinese car market. Tesla last year became the first foreign automaker to wholly own a car plant in China.

China has set a target of 25% of 2025 annual vehicle sales to be made up of NEVs. More than 25 million vehicles were sold in China last year.

Today’s moves also make VW the latest foreign automaker to increase ownership of operations in China since the government started to relax rules in 2018, with German peer BMW AG quick to take control of its main local venture.

VW also has ventures with state-owned China FAW Group Corp Ltd and SAIC Motor Corp Ltd.


Nissan bets on UK 'renaissance' with battery plant and new vehicle

                SUNDERLAND (UK): Nissan Motor Co bet on Britain to supercharge its European electric future on Thursday, pledging US$1.4 billion with its Chinese partner to build a giant battery plant that will power 100,000 vehicles a year including a new crossover model.

Facing the most profound technological shift in a century, the titans of the auto industry are racing to secure battery supply close to the factories where they will make the new cleaner electric vehicles of the future.

Nissan's backing for the 9 gigawatt hours (GWh) plant cements its wager on Britain five years after the Brexit vote threatened to block off the rest of the European market.

The 1 billion-pound investment by Nissan, its Chinese partner Envision AESC and local government in northeast England under its EV36Zero strategy will create 6,200 jobs at the Sunderland plant and in British supply chains.

"Nissan's announcement to build its new-generation all-electric vehicle in Sunderland, alongside a new gigafactory from Envision AESC, is a major vote of confidence in the UK and our highly-skilled workers in the North East," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

"This is a pivotal moment in our electric vehicle revolution and securing its future for decades to come."

The capacity of the new plant is on a par with one announced by France's Renault and Envision earlier this week.

Nissan will spend up to 423 million pounds to produce a new-generation all-electric crossover vehicle at the plant where it already produces the LEAF electric vehicle and the Qashqai crossover SUV.

As world powers try to slash carbon emissions by scrapping the fossil-fuel guzzling internal combustion engine, one of the icons of 20th Century capitalism, Britain has pledged to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030.

Going electric, though, is hard.

Electric future

China dominates the production of electric vehicle batteries and the processing of the core minerals such as rare earths used to make them, though the United States and Europe and are trying to catch up, albeit slowly.

Western leaders, including Johnson, are loath to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of automotive jobs - often in politically sensitive constituencies - in exchange for importing batteries from China.

 A teaser of the new electric Nissan crossover.

But unless Britain can build both battery production and supply chains, it risks losing its four-decade reputation as the investor-friendly gateway of choice for top companies seeking to export to the rest of Europe.

Envision could invest an additional 1.8 billion pounds in the battery plant to generate up to 25GWh and create 4,500 new jobs in the region by 2030. There is potential on site for up to 35GWh, Nissan said.

Nissan said its new crossover built in Sunderland, on the Alliance CMF-EV platform shared by partners Renault and Mitsubishi, would be exported to European markets.

Brexit

Japanese capital has used Britain as a gateway to Europe since the early 1980s, when then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher persuaded Nissan bosses to build their plant in the northeastern English city of Sunderland on an old air force airfield.

As British automakers withered, Nissan flourished: Thatcher personally opened the plant in 1986 and was pictured sitting at the wheel of a Nissan Bluebird.

Japanese investors worried that the United Kingdom's Brexit vote - which was particularly strong in Sunderland - would scupper their bets, though the worst ravages of a tumultuous no-deal Brexit were avoided.

The Brexit trade deal agreed with the European Union last year allowed the free trade of cars but with a dangerous twist about rules of origin: at least 40% of the value of a car has to be produced in the United Kingdom or EU to be sold in the EU.

The rules rise to 55% from 2027 - a crucial detail that would mean an imported battery, which can make up half the vehicle's showroom sale price - would close off the European market to British-based car factories such as Nissan.

It was not immediately clear if the British government had given any guarantees or incentives for the Nissan investment. The government declined to comment.

Nissan's Sunderland plant was one of the first in Europe to build electric vehicle batteries, though its stake in the joint venture was bought out by Envision AESC.

"Our announcement today comes out of lengthy discussions held within our teams, and will greatly accelerate our efforts in Europe to achieve carbon neutrality," Nissan chief executive officer Makoto Uchida said.


Hyundai Starex continues to be available with Staria arrival

                PETALING JAYA: Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) is keeping the Starex around with the arrival of the Staria.

It is positioning the Staria Premium as a luxurious 7-seater MPV, while the Grand Starex will remain its sole 11-seater MPV.

HSDM said it would not be importing the 11-seater version of the Staria.

It said the Staria Premium is Hyundai’s first luxurious MPV on par with premium Japanese MPVs, and it sits in a category that is a notch higher than the Grand Starex.

The Grand Starex features a 2.5L turbodiesel engine that is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, swivel seats on the second row, a suite of safety features, and overhead display monitor among other features.

The Staria Premium is made to order directly from South Korea with a starting price of RM358,888 with a two-year or 50,000km (whichever comes first) warranty while the Grand Starex retails at a starting price of RM165,888 with a 5-year or 300,000km warranty (whichever comes first) as well as 3 years of free service.

All prices are on-the-road and only applicable for Peninsula Malaysia; they include the Penjana Sales Tax waiver but excludes insurance.


DIAmond and IVV awards AADA and founder Kenvin Low

                KUALA LUMPUR: Asia Advanced Driving Academy (AADA) and its CEO and founder Kenvin Low has received four internationally acclaimed certifications from UK-based DIAmond Advanced Motorists and International Association of Driver Education (IVV).

The DIAmond Advanced Motorist is the largest professional membership body for drivers and rider trainers in the United Kingdom (UK) and has been an accrediting body across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

“It is an honour to be recognised internationally for our skills and quality in providing trainings for light and heavy vehicles as well as to other trainers across the region,” said Low.

“I thank DIAmond and IVV for awarding AADA with their highly sought after accreditations. We will ensure constant quality in our delivery of trainings as we continue to improve our skills in the motoring industry.”

Low is the first Asian to receive the DIAmond Driving Test Examiner certification from DIAmond, which authorises him to conduct driving tests on behalf of DIAmond.

 From Left: Atkins (grey suit) and Low flanked by AADA trainers.

Additionally, Low has been included in the IVV Accredited Training Register, which authorises him to conduct defensive driving courses for light and heavy vehicles as well as Train-the-Trainer programmes.

AADA on the other hand, is an approved training centre to conduct IVV and Train-the-Trainer courses while its trainers, Amran Hamid, Kenneth Ooi, Noor Azman Jumaat and Stanley Sip also received a certification from IVV, UK.

“These certifications are viewed as credible evidence of Kenvin’s and AADA’s above average ability in the motoring industry. Kenvin is intent on developing his team and himself, to deliver the highest possible standards of training,” said DIAmond Advanced Motorist international chief examiner Mark Atkins.

“His main strength is his desire to improve, which has not waned throughout his career. I congratulate Kenvin and his team on their unwavering hunger for improvement and wish them all the best.”

As a respectable professional driver in his industry, Low, through AADA has showcased his skills in shaping many professional drivers and also providing a comprehensive range of training courses across various industries.

 From left: Ismail (in red) with Low and Atkins while being flanked by AADA trainers.

At the event, AADA also received a certificate of appreciation from Akademi Pengangkutan Jalan Malaysia (JPJ) for conducting a Train-the-Trainer course with its employees.

Presenting this certificate to AADA on behalf of JPJ was, Akademi Pengangkutan Jalan Malaysia penyelaras program perlesenan pemandu dan kenderaan Ismail bin Hisham.

During the event, Low took the opportunity to unveil AADA’s new websites – www.aadasb.com for everyday drivers and www.safedrivingasia.com for corporate customers.

AADA also provides a comprehensive range of training programmes suitable for individuals and corporations, hence the two websites.


Anti-drink driving campaign launched

                KUALA LUMPUR: As a responsible and committed brewer, Heineken Malaysia Bhd has launched the When You Drive, Never Drink (WYDND) campaign that reinforces the company’s advocacy against harmful consumption and behaviours.

Carried out through a series of initiatives, the campaign aims to encourage consumers, business partners as well as employees to take a stand against drink-driving.

The WYDND campaign’s aim is encourage consumers to be the hero who drives sober by taking the leap to pledge to never drink when they drive.

Through the campaign, the company reiterates that there is no better way to get home safely after drinking than supporting your friends and reminding them, when they drive, they should never drink.

The campaign's WYDND Pledge encourages consumers to pledge against drink-driving.

Consumers can visit the WYDND pledge website and fill in their details to affirm their commitment to never drink when they drive.

Consumers who pledge to drive sober will receive a RM10 Grab Ride voucher.

The brewer aims to collect over 10,000 pledges, with RM100,000 worth of vouchers up for grabs.

Heineken Malaysia marketing director Pablo Chabot said the company is aiming to change the narrative, calling for consumers in Malaysia to be the hero who drives sober by pledging to say no when getting behind the wheel,” he said.

About 10% of the Heineken brand media spend annually is committed to promoting responsible consumption campaigns.

Individual consumers are encouraged to take WYDND pledge by visiting the WYDND pledge website while Heineken Malaysia’s business partners can take the Responsible Consumption pledge by visiting the Heineken Malaysia Responsible Consumption Industry Pledge website.


Paris declares first Sunday of every month to be car-free

Paris has designated the first Sunday of every month, car-free days for the centre of the capital. — AFP
PARIS: Oct 7 marked the start of a new car-free campaign here that will ban drivers in the centre of the city on the first Sunday of every month.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo made the move official this past weekend, as part of her bigger, long-term vision to clean up the city's air and make the streets more pedestrian-friendly.

While the city has experimented with car-free days in the past, and banned traffic on the Champs-Elysées on the first Sunday of every month, the newest initiative will expand the programme to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th arrondissements of the city on the first Sunday of every month.

Between the hours of 10am to 6pm, the centre of Paris will be reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, and rollerbladers. Exceptions will be made for taxis, buses, delivery trucks and private chauffeur taxis.


Porsche puts the 911 on stilts as rugged, high-riding Dakar

                LOS ANGELES: In the era of SUVs, a low sports car like the 911 is a tough sell - so why not just give it more mud-plugging material? That's the current thinking of Porsche, which is turning its cult car into a luxury off-roader.

In doing so, they are also commemorating a spectacular performance in what was probably the world's toughest rally in 1984 and naming the special model the 911 Dakar.

Presented at the Los Angeles car show (Nov 18 to 27), the 911 Dakar is getting a limited run of 2,500 models, now available for pre-order.

As to be expected, the price is more than just high: A road-legal rally 911 costs more than €220,000 (RM1mil) in its home market of Germany.

Where buyers have lots of cash, they will also need little environmental awareness, as Porsche puts fuel consumption of this gas guzzling off-roader at 11.3 litres with CO2 emissions of 256 g/km.

Anyone who can pay an additional €26,061 (RM124,000) will get a Rally Design Package, which is modelled on the original racing car with special paintwork and corresponding lettering.

With four-wheel drive and 480hp, the Dakar is jacked up high like an off-road car and is equipped with wide wheel arches, roof racks and rugged tyres.

Porsche lets you increase the ground clearance by another 3cm at the push of a button, giving you a similar amount of space under the car as in the Macan or Cayenne, Porsche says.

And if even that is not enough, special sheet metal on the underbody provides additional protection in rough terrain. Porsche is offering a special roof rack with additional headlights for extra visibility during expeditions into the unknown.

And if you really want to venture far into the wilderness, you can even pitch a roof tent on it.

Inside, on the other hand, less is more. The rear bench is missing, and sporty bucket seats are fitted in the front. According to Porsche, the 911 Dakar weighs 1,605kg and is thus only 10kg heavier than a Carrera 4 GTS.

The all-wheel drive is powered by the familiar three-litre six-cylinder boxer engine, from which two turbochargers extract 480hp, accelerating the rugged sports car from 0 to 100kph in 3.4 seconds.

In addition, there are two special driving programmes for rally and off-road. Porsche says that given the limits of the more rugged tyres, the Dakar tops out at 240kph.


Ten for Singapore Subaru final

                KUALA LUMPUR: Ten Malaysians are edging closer to winning a new Subaru XV Premium after showcasing pure will and determination, emerging as the top finalists at the Subaru Palm Challenge Malaysia Leg 2015 last week.

After keeping their palms on the Subaru XVs for over 10 hours and 5 minutes, the final 10 battled other fellow Malaysian participants to qualify for the grand finale in Singapore, the Subaru Challenge – Asian Face Off.

To stay in the running, they kept their palms on the vehicle at all times, and were only granted 10-minute breaks every 6 hours to have meals or visit the washroom.

It was tough, as they were also exposed to the scorching heat and the rain at the Piazza, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, as they attempted to qualify to the final round in Singapore where they stand the chance to win the much-coveted Subaru XV Premium, worth RM114, 000.

According to finalist Tan Chuan Meng, the challenge was a test of determination that pushed him to his limits, “I’m glad I outlasted my fellow competitors. You go into this thinking it should be an easy task and 1 hour into the contest, doubt starts kicking in, your legs start to feel sore and your mind starts telling you to just give in. It’s a real test of willpower. I can’t wait to bring this focus to Singapore!”.

The 10 Malaysian leg finalists are:

1.	Muhammad Afif Drani
2.	Ronesh Biswas A/L Bisanuth Biswas
3.	Tan Hong Sheng
4.	Subramaniam A/L Gunasegaran
5.	Vimalnath Francis
6.	Tan Chuan Meng
7.	Tan Chuan Kok
8.	Chang Wei Khang
9.	Sathivale A/L Sundrammorthy
10.	Mohammad Fadhlly R Azmi

At the Subaru Challenge – Asian Face Off in Singapore, the 10 Malaysian finalists will battle 390 other hopefuls from Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore for a brand new Subaru XV Premium.

Contestants also have the chance to win cash prizes for being Country Winner – awarded to the last person standing from each country; Asian Winner – the last person standing from all regional countries except Singapore; and a Country Team prize for the longest surviving country – calculated by adding all the individual team members’ times together.


Kia aims for seven new electric vehicles by 2027

                SEOUL: Kia has announced new details of its new brand purpose and ambitions for the future during a digital showcase event. Supported by a new brand slogan, "Movement that inspires", Kia today reveals new details of a strategy which will see the company go beyond vehicle manufacturing to create sustainable mobility solutions for customers.

Signalling the brand breaking away from its traditional manufacturing-driven business model, Kia has announced a shortened corporate name. Previously known as "Kia Motors Corporation", it will drop the word "Motors" to signify its expansion into new and emerging business areas.

"Our vision is to create sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities, and societies globally. Today we start putting this vision into action with the launch of our new brand purpose and strategy for the future," said Kia Corporation president and CEO Ho Sung Song.

Kia said it is focused on popularising battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and plans to reinforce its global product line-up with the introduction of seven new dedicated BEVs by 2027. These new models will include a range of passenger vehicles, SUVs and MPVs across several segments, each incorporating industry-leading technology for long-range driving and high-speed charging from Hyundai Motor Group’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

READ MORE: Kia unveils new logo and global brand slogan

The first of Kia’s next-generation BEVs will be revealed in the first quarter of 2021. Based on new E-GMP technology, this dedicated BEV will boast a crossover-inspired design, while offering an electric driving range of over 500km and a high-speed charging time of under 20 minutes. This will also be the first global model to bear Kia’s new logo.

With its growing range of BEVs, Kia is targeting a 6.6% share of the global BEV market by 2025, and global annual sales of 500,000 BEVs by 2026.

Kia is also developing a range of new Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs) for corporate customers. These specialised vehicles will be based on flexible "skateboard" platforms, with modular bodies designed to meet the specific mobility needs of a broad range of corporate and fleet customers. Partnerships with the likes of Canoo and Arrival will mean Kia PBVs can offer different bodies mounted on top of an integrated modular "skateboard" platform, tailored to users’ functional requirements.

Demand for PBVs is expected to grow five-fold by 2030 due to rapid and sustained growth in e-commerce and car-sharing services. Bespoke Kia PBVs will be tailored to meet the needs of corporate and fleet customers. For instance, these could include car-sharing vehicles, low-floor logistics vehicles, and delivery vehicles.

Another strategic objective under Kia's Plan S strategy is a commitment to diversify its business to offer eco-friendly mobility services, centered on electric and autonomous driving across major global cities.

In addition, Kia is ramping up collaboration and partnerships with global mobility solutions businesses, diversifying mobility services in global strategic regions. In 2018, the company invested in Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing service, food delivery and payment solutions company; and in Ola in March 2019, an Indian company offering peer-to-peer ridesharing, ride-service hailing, taxi, food delivery and other mobility services.

Kia is also establishing other mobility services, including WiBLE, a car-sharing joint venture with Repsol, Spain’s major energy corporation, in Madrid. Launched in September 2018, WiBLE operates 500 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid EVs (PHEVs) through a free-floating method that allows users to freely rent and return vehicles within the service area. WiBLE remains one of Europe’s most successful shared mobility schemes, with over 130,000 members having registered since its inauguration.

A new service, KiaMobility, was also launched in locations across Italy and Russia in September 2020. KiaMobility will be introduced to several new markets in the years ahead.

Kia will also reveal more information about the new design direction of its future products and services in the weeks ahead, with a new design philosophy which reflects the brand’s transformation.

“We want our products to deliver an instinctive and natural experience that can improve the daily lives of our customers," said Kia Global Design Center head Karim Habib.

"Our aim is to design the physical experience of our brand and to create original, inventive, and exciting electric vehicles. The ideas of our designers and the purpose of the brand are more connected than ever, with our customers at the centre of what we do.”


KL police step up ops against traffic offenders

                KUALA LUMPUR: Police here have launched an ongoing operation here to keep compliance to traffic laws as high as possible, says City police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.

He said this is because Kuala Lumpur road users have been very lax when complying with traffic rules.

"Infrastructure-wise we are world class, but we are still at a rather low level when it comes to traffic law compliance. So we have planned to bring back the dignity of road laws here so that we can be a good example to other states,” said Comm Mohd Shuhaily.

He said that operations were conducted at 16 spots in the city today to ensure motoristst toe the line such as not beating the red light, not doing illegal u-turns and only parking at designated areas.

"This includes police housing areas so that we can also educate my fellow officers and policemen in obeying the law. As long as I am the police chief in Kuala Lumpur, there will not be any discounts (for summons). We must be consistent when teaching,” he said.

When asked if enforcement during peak hours would hold up traffic, Comm Mohd Shuhaily admitted it would but said offences happened at all times – even at peak hours.

"To me, it is simple. Offences made by road users are very frequent. We understand and we do not want to trouble the masses but at the same time we must also sacrifice a little in order to bring back some national dignity,” said Comm Mohd Shuhaily.

Earlier in the day at Bukit Bintang here, a driver caught the ire of Comm Mohd Shuhaily and the enforcement team he was leading after he started using his horn excessively near a traffic stop as he tried to beat a yellow light.

Unbeknownst to him and the driver that he aimed his anger at, he did so right next to Comm Mohd Shuhaily and members of the media who were walking at a nearby traffic crossing.

Traffic police quickly pull both drivers over.

Another driver tried beating the traffic light in front of Comm Shuhaily, which led him being hauled up and given a stern warning.


MINI Electric Pacesetter to show up at Goodwood Festival of Speed

                LONDON: Following its announcement in March, the MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by John Cooper Works is making its UK debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The MINI Electric Pacesetter is an extreme version of the brand’s electric model, which has been designed and developed as the new Safety Car in the Formula E.

It will take to the infamous Goodwood Hill Climb during the racing weekend with MINI ambassador Charlie Cooper, grandson of John Cooper who inspired the John Cooper Works division of MINI, at the wheel. It will also be available for a closer look at the First Glance Paddock.

On the MINI stand the full model line-up will be showcased, including the newly launched MINI Hatch, MINI Convertible and MINI Electric, alongside the MINI Countryman SUV and distinctive MINI Clubman.

MINI ambassador and rally legend Paddy Hopkirk, who famously won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in the classic Morris Mini Cooper S Mk1, will be available to meet the public and sign autographs on Saturday 10th July.

For the third year, Murdoch London will be joining MINI on the stand for the duration of the festival, offering complimentary grooming experiences by their handpicked expert barbers.

Goodwood Festival of Speed runs from July 8-11.


Women conspicuously absent from new Toyota CEO’s management team

                TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp.’s incoming chief executive officer Koji Sato called his new management team a "diverse lineup” in terms of communication styles when explaining the carmaker’s strategy towards an electrified future.

It wasn’t so diverse in other ways. All seven of his top deputies are men.

The lack of female executives at the top of a Japanese business isn’t new.

Of the companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime bourse, 19% don’t have any women at an executive level, according to the government’s cabinet office.

At Toyota, the world’s No. 1 carmaker, only one of the nine current board members is a woman - Teiko Kudo (pic). She’ll stay on when the new directors, none of whom are female, come on board after shareholder approval later this year.

Sato’s two top deputies are now Hiroki Nakajima, who becomes chief technology officer, and Yoichi Miyazaki, who will be chief financial officer - both men.

Toyota does at least have a woman executive in Yumi Otsuka, who is chief sustainability officer.

She’s being appointed as a senior fellow from an operating officer position, according to today’s announcement.

Among Japan’s automakers, Nissan Motor Co.’s executive vice president Asako Hoshino stands out as the most senior-ranked women within the industry.

While Toyota is spending ¥4 trillion (RM131bil) to roll out 30 electric vehicle models by 2030, its strategy of offering multiple options for car buyers - gasoline engines, hybrids, battery-based EVs and hydrogen-powered cars - has led to criticism it isn’t shifting fast enough.

Sato said he’d seek to change that.


Govt assures higher fuel subsidy if oil prices soar

                PUTRAJAYA: Saudi Arabia’s move to temporarily suspend production at the state-owned Aramco’s two major oil facilities following drone attacks by Yemeni rebels will definitely affect global oil prices, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

However, he said in Malaysia, the government practices intervention through a subsidy to offset the price hikes.

"If Saudi Arabia has to stop refined oil production by one million barrels (per day), it will definitely impact the global oil prices.

"In Malaysia, when there is an oil price hike, we will provide a subsidy. Unlike in the United Kingdom, if the price of oil soars, the government will raise the tax and the people don’t complain, ” he told reporters after watching the Putrajaya Boat Race 2019 here today.

The prime minister said this when asked whether the government would review the retail price of RON95 petrol, which is capped at RM2.08 per litre, if global oil prices soar following the attacks.

Saudi Arabian energy minister Prince Abdulaziz Salman was quoted by Saudi state news agency SPA today as saying that the attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais, two key Aramco facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia, have partially halted crude and gas production from the world's top oil exporter.

In a separate statement, Aramco said the attacks "had resulted in production suspension of 5.7 million barrels of crude oil per day”.

The drone attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais were the latest incidents of terrorist aggression on Saudi oil facilities in recent months.

The Iran-linked Houthi rebels said they launched "a large-scale operation involving 10 drones” on the facilities, the group’s Al-Masirah television station reported.


Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain is a wagon that thinks it's an SUV

                STUTTGART: Audi has the Allroad, Volvo has the Cross Country and now Mercedes is jumping on the bandwagon with the E-Class All Terrain; a car that mixes station wagon practicality with greater off-road capability.

"No E-Class has ever been as versatile as the All-Terrain," said Ola Källenius, Mercedes Benz Cars head of marketing of the car that will be making its official debut at the Paris Motor Show. "The new model combines a striking look in SUV style with the intelligent space concept of the estate."

It will stand out from other E-Class models thanks to pronounced front and rear bumpers, a protective trim around the wheel arches and the choice of 19- or 20-inch wheels wrapped in fatter tyres.

But don't think that plumping for an All-Terrain will mean that you'll get a car that really is Range Rover capable when it comes to really heading off the beaten track.

The new model does offer up to 156mm of ground clearance and permanent all-wheel drive plus some genuinely clever suspension technology. The car uses Mercedes' Air Body Control system so that the ride is as smooth as possible and yaw — that rocking of the body from side to side when going over bumpy surfaces or cornering hard — is kept to a minimum.

The system can also raise or lower the ride height and work in conjunction with stability, skid and traction control systems. To simplify the whole process there's a dedicated all-terrain setting that alters the steering, gearing and throttle response as well as ride height. Information about steering angle, the angle of the car's body and data about the gradient of a slope or the steepness of the incline appear on the dashboard display.

So instead think of it as a car for all seasons and on-road conditions. The perfect vehicle for getting to a ski resort or to the stables or for getting the family home safely when the rain is torrential. And because it starts out life as a standard E-Class estate car it has a host of cutting-edge active driver safety systems, one of the best infotainment systems fitted to any car currently on sale and, of course executive levels of comfort.

As Källenius explains: The All-Terrain is a flexible all-rounder — for unpaved roads, family and leisure time."

The All-Terrain will be offered with a 2-liter 194hp diesel engine at launch and a six-cylinder diesel will follow soon after.


Nuro, 7-Eleven launch California autonomous delivery service with safety drivers

                SAN FRANCISCO: Self-driving tech startup Nuro said today it was rolling out California's first commercial autonomous delivery service in partnership with 7-Eleven, a convenience store operator.

Nuro and rivals such as Waymo are launching or planning to launch autonomous delivery services with regulatory approval in the United States, though the services are limited or not in the form of driverless vehicles.

The service will start with Toyota Priuses converted into autonomous vehicles and include a safety driver to monitor the technology, Nuro said.

"The Priuses are the first step in Nuro’s multi-phase approach to introducing commercial autonomous delivery to select service areas," Nuro said in a statement, adding that the company and 7-Eleven will make the joint decision to introduce Nuro's R2 driverless vehicles "as soon as possible."

The service will be available to customers in Mountain View where Nuro is headquartered. It is already delivering Domino's Pizza products in Houston, Texas, using its Prius and R2 vehicles, Nuro said.

7-Eleven is a unit of Japan's Seven & I Holdings Co.

Nuro was the first autonomous vehicle startup to get a permit to use automated vehicles for business from the California Department of Motor Vehicles last year in December. Two other companies, Cruise and Waymo, received their permits in September.

Nuro said earlier this month that it raised US$600 million and brought on Alphabet Inc's Google as an investor.

Alphabet's self-driving unit Waymo will deliver groceries ordered from one of the Safeway stores in San Francisco, using its automated vehicles, Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, told a Forbes event on Tuesday.

Waymo said the service will start in early 2022 and will be available to select Waymo and Safeway employees before being introduced to more customers.

Waymo, which plans to use Jaguar I-PACES automated vehicles with safety drivers, said this marks the first autonomous grocery delivery experience here.


Interstate travel: Seven police control posts on major highways

                SUBANG JAYA: Police have set up seven control posts along several major highways to conduct random inspections on vehicles during the four-day interstate travel period which began today.

Bukit Aman Traffic Investigations and Enforcement Department principal assistant director Supt Bakri Zainal Abidin said the checks were to ensure highway users complied with the regulations set by the government.

"The seven selected control posts comprise two in the northern zone, one in the southern zone, two in the eastern zone and two in the central zone. People are advised to adhere to the set schedules to prevent traffic congestion,” he said when met at the Police’s Air Wing Unit (PGU) base here.

More than four people in a vehicle are allowed during interstate travel.

Supt Bakri had earlier conducted aerial surveillance of toll plazas and major highways around the country’s capital.

When asked to comment on the current traffic situation, he said based on data obtained through the Gerak Malaysia application, some 13,000 vehicles were estimated to be travelling interstate today.

"The surveillance conducted today found there were less than the expected number of vehicles on major highways heading in three directions, namely east, south and north. We will continue to monitor the situation from time to time to ensure the traffic flow remains smooth, ” he said.

Supt Bakri said the aerial surveillance also found that the public was complying with the regulations while stopping at rest and recuperation areas along the highway.

"Only a few vehicles were seen stopping in the R&R areas and they were adhering to all the directives," he said.

As of Wednesday (May 6), a total of 143,516 travel applications submitted through the Gerak Malaysia application were approved by the police to allow those stranded in their hometowns during the movement control order (MCO) to return to the city from May 7-11.


Rolls-Royce Wraith and Dawn to exit US line-up

                PETALING JAYA: Rolls-Royce  is said to be withdrawing the Wraith coupe and Dawn drophead from its American line-up.

According to Motor1.com, the 2021 year model of both ultra-luxury two-door cars would be making their last appearance while the Ghost, Phantom and Cullinan would continue to carry the Rolls-Royce badge in the American market.

However, the Wraith and Dawn will continue to be sold in other markets.

The Wraith and Dawn are based on BMW's F01 platform which harks back to 2008 and used in the previous BMW 7 Series line-up and Rolls-Royce Ghost generation one.

 Dawn

While not stated by the anonymous source, the platform is said to be old and that BMW and Rolls-Royce had moved forward with a newer design in their current line-ups.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group.


Mercedes-Benz confirms hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered SUV for 2018

                STUTTGART: Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the innovative hydrogen fuel cell version of its family-friendly GLC SUV will enter showrooms later this year.

The move sees the German maker catching up with Toyota, Honda and Hyundai, who already have fuel-cell cars in their ranges.

Fuel cells use hydrogen to create electricity and with worries about the limited range of pure electrics, several manufacturers are hedging their bets by working on fuel-cell solutions.

The GLC F-Cell was seen at last year's Frankfurt car show and the production version is very similar in appearance.

Dealerships in Germany will be the first to get the car and only for comprehensive full-service lease schemes, Mercedes-Benz said without revealing further details. That means, for now, customers will not be able to buy the car outright.

Full lease packages typically include fuel, emergency roadside repairs, preventive maintenance, garage services and a courtesy vehicle when the car is being worked on. The deal usually includes wide-ranging guarantees.

Mercedes-Benz said the F-Cell will be reliable enough for daily use. It will be assembled at the company's Bremen factory in northern Germany.

At first glance, the fuel-cell GLC is hard to tell apart from regular editions of the popular SUV. The grille has a blue accent, the badge reads F-Cell and there are dedicated alloy wheels.

Inside, the fuel-cell GLC gets the standard cabin, which now features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a slightly smaller screen.

The F-Cell's powertrain is the most interesting part. The car is a hydrogen-electric plug-in hybrid which means the 200-horsepower electric motor gets most of its power from the fuel cell which produces electricity from hydrogen. Water vapour is the only tailpipe emission.

The 4.4 kilos of hydrogen stored in two crash-protected tanks and can propel the car for 447km, the maker says. When the hydrogen runs out, the 13.8 kilowatt-hour motor and batteries - which can be charged externally - provide a further range of 49km.

Filling the hydrogen tanks takes around three minutes. This is about the time it takes to refuel a petrol or diesel car.

The F-Cell is unlikely to sell in large numbers since hydrogen infrastructure around the world is still in its infancy.

There are only 50 refuelling points in Mercedes' home of Germany, although the company says this number will double by next year and rise to 400 by 2023.


Zero Motorcycles's electric bike line refreshed

                SAN FRANCISCO: One of the most beloved electric bike brands to date among both motorcycle and alternative fuel enthusiasts alike, Zero, announced Tuesday the release of its 2019 model line with more power, longer range, and a fresh new look.

Zero Motorcycles has been in the electric motorcycle business for 13 years paving the way for rival brands' upcoming green bikes that are trailing behind across the world.

Company CEO Sam Paschel noted that "having sold more electric motorcycles annually than all our competitors combined, we continue to be the driving force behind two-wheeled electrification. This is going to be a very exciting year for Zero Motorcycles" - which brings us to the company's new and improved 2019 motorcycle portfolio.

The dual sport line for on and off-road riding, Zero DS, received some major updates. At the starting price point, the 2019 model comes with a DS ZF7.2 battery whose horsepower increased 35%, and top speed rose 8% faster from its predecessor. Weighing in at 44kg, it's one of the lightest bikes on the market.

The second battery option for the DS is actually the same as the premium one used in the Zero DSR. With a range of 328km in the city and 156km on the highway, the DS ZF14.4 doubles the range possible with the lower power battery.

As for the DSR itself, the "pinnacle bike in the dual sport line," it still performs with 158Nm of torque capable of ripping through dirt, but now the bike is equipped with some of the company's most popular accessories like the dual-sport windscreen, tank grips, hand guards, and a 12V accessory socket.

To assist the upgraded motorcycles, Zero also released a Charge Tank accessory to replenish the battery six times faster than a typical wall outlet which amounts to 136km of city riding in just an hour.

Updates to the bikes' operating systems also preserve range via a "Long Term Storage Mode" that indicates to the bikes when to use a low-power mode to, "optimise state-of charge," and keep the battery in working condition as long as possible.

The Zero DS with the ZF7.2 battery starts at US$10,995 (RM46,000) and with the ZF14.4 at US$13,995 (RM59,000). The DSR, which is only available with the latter battery, begins at US$16,495 (RM69,000).

The entire line is now available globally in select dealerships and online with immediate shipping.


Tesla unveils more mobile servicing vehicles

                LONDON: Tesla has been busy transforming 21 Model S EVs in Britain into mobile servicing vehicles, which are then being located at Tesla service centers around the country. The same thing has been happening in all markets where Tesla operates, so the international fleet now numbers 350 of these vehicles.

If someone is unfortunate enough to have their car break down on them while they're on the road the obvious thing to do is to call out whichever one of the big mobile repair companies they're subscribed to.

That's all well and good if it's a vehicle with a petrol, diesel or even hybrid powertrain, but it shouldn't be taken for granted that whoever turns up is trained or equipped to fix a Tesla. It's therefore going to be of at least a little comfort to anyone considering buying a Tesla who might be a little concerned about reliability and getting help should the worst happen that the company is addressing the issue.

A lot of the cars being used for this purpose are former loan cars, which, once converted are wrapped with Tesla branding on the sides, to leave nobody in any doubt about what these cars are.

The conversion sees the rear bench and the two smaller seats in the trunk removed and replaced with a comprehensive suite of tools accommodated in a removable rack of sliding trays. There are also a number of built-in pieces of equipment such as a compressor and a charger for power tools, but in true Tesla style there's also the absolutely essential inclusion of a coffee machine.

There's additional tool storage located in the front where the carpet has been removed and the floor reinforced to accommodate heavier items, and what goes into a Tesla mobile service car was decided by company managers consulting with technicians.

Unfortunately for drivers, a subscription to a recovery service will still be required as the timescale for callouts of Tesla mobile service vehicles is within 72 hours. On the plus side though, drivers don't have to be present when the technician arrives as the cars can be opened remotely by the owner using the Tesla smartphone app.

At the moment, the mobile units can only fix relatively simple faults, but managers and technicians are already working on how to equip the cars to handle more extensive repairs in the future.


First drive of Jaguar XE

The premium mid-size Jaguar XE is clearly slated to take on the German brands – BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 – and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) didn’t hold back on coming out with a worthy rival.

Developed from a new platform, the XE is a rear wheel-drive car making it a complete change from the front wheel-drive X-Type (which was based on the Ford Mondeo platform as Jaguar was under the Ford Motor group at the time) that it replaces.

Now that JLR is under the Tata Group, Jaguar’s new direction is to develop all its models on a clean slate and it appears there is no holding back on the research and development costs, although some ideas and concepts were taken from existing bases in the Land Rover range.

It comes as no surprise then that the XE is built on a new dedicated line at the Solihull factory, which was once solely the production base for Land Rovers and Range Rovers, tapping no less on existing synergies.

Another similar direction is the greater use of aluminium in body construction and the XE boasts of an aluminium intensive monocoque body, mirroring that of the Range Rover models.

With 75% of the body being made of aluminium, Jaguar says this makes its XE the only car in the class to have such lightweight construction of the body.

Unlike the XJ, XK and F-Type that were developed using “exceptionally stiff bonded and riveted aluminium” structures, the XE is the latest model to use this aerospace-inspired technology.

In addition, Jaguar says the XE’s body is the first car in the world to use a new grade of high-strength aluminium (RC 5754) that is developed specifically for this model.

What makes the new alloy special is that it features a high level of recycled material and this makes a significant contribution to Jaguar’s goal of using 75% recycled material by 2020.

In body styling, the XE maintains a similar profile to the XJ with the large mesh grille that carries the distinctive snarling Jaguar head logo.

With computer-aided design (CAD) that is widely used by carmakers in shaping their respective cars along aerodynamic guidelines, the XE has lost a fair bit of Jaguar’s iconic styling individuality and that is a price to pay for modern technology.

Nevertheless, good positioning of the Jaguar logos in front and rear (where a leaping Jaguar is located on the bootlid) gives the XE the connection to its rich lineage and heritage.

With the drag co-efficient value of 0.26, the XE is also hailed as the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever, matching some of its German rivals.

The XE body has a fastback four-door profile, this being the long nose, short rear platform to give it a sense of speed and sportiness from a stationary standpoint to justify its sports saloon image.

Moving to the interior, the boot offers the expected volume to accommodate luggage for four people, aided by the 40:20:40 split rear seatrest in extending storage space, but the rear passenger legroom did seem a little wanting; it reminded us of the earlier BMW 3 Series model.

The XE comes with five engine options; two variable geometry turbo 2.0-litre Ingenium diesels (described as the most efficient ever) with different power outputs, two mono-scroll 2.0-litre petrol engines also with different power outputs and the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol to top the range.

It begins with 160PS for the lower output Ingenium diesel to 340PS for the V6 and the torque output starts from 280Nm for the lower output 2.0-litre petrol to 450Nm for the V6.

The transmission options remain constant across the model range, being the six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic; steering wheel paddle shifters are standard and drive selection is made via a rotary knob on the central console a la Range Rover Evoque.

During the global media drive in the north of Spain, which included a full-bore track session at the Navarra race circuit, we got to drive four different variants.

In suspension design, the XE retains the double wishbone base of the X-Type honed further for a sporty feel and the rear has an integral link set-up that is said to deliver sharp handling and a luxury ride.

Components of the suspension system are made from either cast or forged aluminium to achieve a lightweight construction.

For all the four XE variants we drove, there was a choice of choosing the suspension performance, beginning with the ECO damping to standard and dynamic.

Like many cars today, the steering is electrically assisted, again making the XE the first Jaguar to use this feature, with the claim that the immediate response and connected feel are retained.

With the cars provided being pre-production types, we had expected some variations in feel from variant to variant as different settings could be used for the evaluation process, and we were not wrong.

The first and fourth XE variants had the pliant suspension we liked while the second and third had a hard setting that was less comfortable; it made no difference choosing from ECO to dynamic for the latter.

As our first two XEs were diesel variants with different power outputs that surprised us with their overall performance.

Again, before we started our drive from the Vittoria airport, we were warned about keeping to speed limits, in particular when driving through the many villages and towns along the route.

We complied with that, taking some liberties only when clear country stretches or highways allowed us to explore the upper end of the their engine performance.

Although the track drive gave us the extreme view, it was the normal road driving experience that provided a better perspective of the XE.

In most cases, the two turbodiesels, the higher output 2.0-litre turbo petrol and supercharged 3.0-litre V6, gave a good account of the respective car’s driving manners and dynamic character through the winding areas.

Our favourite variant was the punchy XE S 3.0 V6.

We revelled in the guttural roar of the exhaust each time we floored the accelerator when opportunity allowed and the V6 flexed its muscle readily during passing manoeuvres.

The electric power assisted steering gave us reasonably good directional feel to be confident pushing the respective XE variants through the corners; the minimal body movement helped as well.

On the highway, the XE clearly exuded its premium standing with a quiet ride and wind noise around the usual areas was largely ignored.

We also liked the laser head-up display (HUD) that projects high-contrast colour images onto the windscreen; its use is said to be an industry first and the system is smaller and a third lighter than existing systems.

If there is a chink in the XE’s armour, it has to be the rather low grade graphics of the GPS information on the eight-inch touchscreen display at the centre of the dashboard.

The track drive was an interesting one: this was conducted using the XE S supercharged 3.0-litre V6 around the 3.9km Navarra race circuit.

Our driving instructor, Adriano Medeiros, is a Brazilian who had been in this profession for 12 years in Europe and did some racing, including Formula 2.

Medeiros took us two laps to show the ropes in getting the most out of the XE, following which we took over for three laps to apply those “instructions” at a fast trot.

Following a break, we had a full bore run in a timed and recorded distance of five laps.

Firstly, we were asked to hold the steering firmly and turn into the corner without letting go of it, similar to what you see during close-up shots of the Formula 1 driver’s cockpit.

The trouble was that we were so comfortable with the shuffle method we were taught in the early 1980s that it was hard to break 30 years of this steering habit.

Rather than messing up our drive, we stuck to our habit and could still take each lap at good speeds, overtaking one other car in a controlled manner.

The XE is almost as good as the BMW M3 sedan we drove last year; the slight lack of directional feel and greater body lean through the corners are the main drawbacks.

We had the XE’s rear out in an oversteer once for powering up too soon when exiting from a tight corner.

But with Medeiros’ advice on when to feather or slam on the brakes, and when to lift-off or floor the accelerator in subsequent laps, this Jaguar track experience was an enjoyable one, despite an off track excursion on the last lap.

You can expect this dynamic and sporty XE to arrive here by the end of the year, or early next year at the latest.


Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost arrives, yours from RM1.8mil

                PETALING JAYA: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Kuala Lumpur launched the Black Badge Ghost today - a car catering to a younger set of customers who it says are "bold and non-conformist".

The base price is RM1.8mil (before tax and options).

There's more power from the engine than the standard Ghost and the chassis has been revised for more urgent performance. The 6.75-litre V12 turbocharged engine now delivers increased power (592hp/600PS) and torque (900Nm).

The exterior and interior also get sporty embellishments to attract its target customers.

The car, based on the standard wheelbase Ghost, comes with bespoke alloy wheel introduced in Black Badge house style with carbon fibre barrel.

The name might suggests it but the car can be ordered in any colour besides the signature black. After all, bespoke is the selling point of any super luxury makes. Rolls-Royce included.

According to the automaker, black is still the most popular choice for this special Ghost, with 45kg of paint used to achieve the deep glossy paintjob.

Rolls-Royce debuted Black Badge with Wraith and Ghost in 2016, followed by Dawn in 2017 then Cullinan in 2019 for a new segment of clients wanting to drive themselves.

While Rolls-Royce is renowned for developing new colour palettes, the colour black has long been associated with power, strength and authority.

The Asia Pacific region now has one of the highest proportions of Black Badge in the world.

The cabin comes with an infinity symbol called a Lemniscate that suggests boundless power.

Advanced luxury materials have been introduced in the cabin.

Rolls-Royce said the inlays consists of a diamond pattern made of carbon and metallic fibres. Multiple wood layers are pressed onto the interior component substrates to create a dark base for the Technical Fibre layers that follow.

 Watch long enough and you will see shooting stars zipping across the 'sky' at random in the Starlight headliner, which is an extra-cost option.

The cabin also cuts down on brightwork. Air vent surrounds on the dashboard and in the rear cabin are darkened.

The Post Opulent principles of simplicity have also been applied in the clock design: only the tips of the hands and the twelve, three, six and nine o'clock markers are picked out, in a subdued chrome finish, creating a minimal clock.

In the 12 months since the Black Badge Ghost car has been available worldwide, it has become one of the fastest-selling products in the marque’s history, representing more than 3,500 units sold worldwide.

To create what is the car industry’s darkest black, 45kg of paint is atomised and applied to an electrostatically charged body in white before being oven dried.

The car then gets two layers of clear coat before being hand-polished by a team of four workers to produce the marque’s signature high-gloss piano finish.

The car is fitted with 21-inch wheels comprised partly of carbon fibre and it has the hallmark Floating Hubcap, ensuring the Double R monogram remains upright at all times even on the move.

The Black Badge Ghost is based on an aluminium spaceframe platform that debuted with the Phantom. The platform provides stiffness but is still flexible and scalable, allowing this Ghost to have all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and a planar suspension for a smooth ride and to minimise body roll.

An extra 21kW and 50Nm have been squeezed out of the V12 engine, which is expected to go the way of the dodo as the automaker jumps on the electrification bandwagon like everyone else.

You may recall it's working on its first electric car called Spectre which will launched in late 2023.

Its engineers have also tweaked the ZF eight-speed gear box and throttle response to enhance the engine’s increased power reserves.

As with all products in the Black Badge range, the "Low" mode button (ala Sport mode) on the gear selection stalk makes the car drive more sportily and changes the engine and exhaust sounds.

In Low mode, all 900Nm of torque is available from 1700rpm and gearshift speeds are increased by 50% when the throttle is depressed to 90%.

The brakes have also been modified. To bolster confidence, the braking bite point has been raised and pedal travel decreased.

 Illuminated grille is allowed in some countries like Malaysia and banned in places like Singapore. The Spirit of Ecstasy will automatically slide under the bonnet in an anti-theft maneuvre if someone whacks it with his fist or pulls on it.


New Honda Accord now in Thai showrooms

                BANGKOK: The new Honda Accord, which was launched on Feb 17, is available from today in showrooms across Thailand.

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. introduced three variants of the new Honda Accord that's been enhanced in looks and receives an array of convenience equipment and safety features.

The new Honda Accord starts with the entry-level 2.0 E at 1,385,000 baht (RM180,500), the mid-range with 2.0 EL at 1,445,000 baht (RM188,300) and the range-topping 2.4 EL at 1,635,000 baht (RM213,000).

It comes with four colour options, such as Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, White Orchid Pearl and Crystal Black Pearl.

Externally there's a new sporty front grille, and the Accord is also equipped with LEDs for the headlights, daytime running lights, fog lights and rear taillights.

Both the 2.0E and EL variants use a 2.0-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine producing 155hp at 6,500 rpm 190Nm of torque at 4,300rpm, while the 2.4-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine provides 174hp at 6,200rpm and 225Nm of torque at 4,000rpm.

Both engines are mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, and are compatible with E85 fuel.

Within the spacious interior, a combination of wood-grain and piano black inserts accent the cabin.

The list of conveniences include Engine Remote Start, Advanced Display Audio (A-DA) with Apple CarPlay connectivity or smartphone connectivity via MirrorLink system including WIFI network connection or Hotspot link for browser function.

Safety comes in the form of six airbags, Honda's blindspot monitoring system - LaneWatch, Active Cornering Lights (ACL) and Multi-angle Rearview Camera to name a few.


Toyota puts US$500mil into driverless car tie-up with Uber

Toyota executive vice president Shigeki Tomoyama sealing the investment deal with Uber's Khosrowshahi. Tomoyama is also president of Toyota subsidiary, Toyota Connected Company.
TOKYO: Toyota will pump about US$500 million (RM2bil) into ride-share firm Uber as part of a deal to work together on mass-producing self-driving vehicles, the Japanese car giant said on Tuesday.

The deal, which reportedly values Uber at about US$72 billion (RM296bil), aims at "advancing and bringing to market autonomous ride-sharing as a mobility service at scale", Toyota said in a statement.

Analysts said the move showed Toyota was motoring full speed ahead towards a driverless car future, in a race involving the world's top auto firms as well as tech giants such as Google and Alibaba.

Technology from both companies will be integrated into purpose-built Toyota vehicles and deployed on Uber's ride-sharing platform, with the first pilot rollout set for 2021.

"Hundreds of vehicles" would be involved in that first phase, a spokesman told AFP.

"The deal is the first of its kind for Uber and signals our commitment to bringing world-class technologies to the Uber network," said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

The agreement came after the smartphone-summoned ride service began to rein in its solo effort to develop autonomous vehicle technology.

Uber suspended its self-driving car programme after a crash in March, which killed a woman pushing a bicycle in a street in the US state of Arizona.

Last month, the San-Francisco-based firm took a tentative step towards restarting the programme, putting self-driving cars back on the road in "manual mode", with a driver at the wheel at all times.

The testing will enable Uber to gather data on different scenarios that will be recreated in computer simulations, and also develop more accurate mapping for the vehicles.

Uber is among a number of technology and car companies racing toward what some say is an inevitable future in which vehicles drive themselves.

The statement said the "mass-produced autonomous vehicles" would be owned and operated by "mutually agreed-upon third-party autonomous fleet operators".

Hans Greimel, Asia editor for the specialist Automotive News publication, said Toyota was "gearing up big-time for autonomous driving".

"They are feeling the pressure and they are really turning their attention towards this field," he added.

"It is a wide-open field and everybody is scrambling to feel their way. Maybe Toyota feels a sense of crisis, maybe they had a rough start but I don't feel they are behind."

Traders appeared to welcome the news, pushing Toyota stock up 1.86 percent to 7.096 yen, outperforming the wider market which was 0.64 percent higher.

Toyota had already invested an undisclosed amount in Uber in 2016 via its subsidiary Toyota Financial Services and Greimel said cash was the main attraction for Uber.

"I think what they are after with Toyota is the money more than anything," he said.

However, he added that it was possible that the more conservative Toyota could end up slowing down the Silicon Valley firm.

"Toyota is known for its safety and is more conservative but it could be a downside for a Silicon Valley company used to being very quick and nimble and making fast decisions.

"Toyota needs to double-check, triple-check everything and this might slow them down a little bit," he said.

Khosrowshahi is also looking at shifting cars to scooters and electric bikes for shorter, inner-city trips, he said in an interview published this week.

While he admitted the move would likely cost the firm financially in the near term, he told the Financial Times it made sense as a long-term strategy as "during rush hour, it is very inefficient for a one-tonne hulk of metal to take one person 10 blocks".


Cash for clunkers scheme in the works, says MAI

                CYBERJAYA: A new car scrappage programme, designed to encourage people to turn in their old cars for cash, may help boost sales for automakers.

The Malaysian Automotive Institute (MAI) has projected that the “cash for clunkers” scheme could lift total industry volume (TIV) by as much as 50,000 new cars, if implemented this year.

“We are now in talks with other Government agencies such as the Finance Ministry, other related Government bodies and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This is to ensure that if the cash for clunkers scheme is approved, vehicles will be recycled properly and not be simply dumped in the yard,” its chief executive officer M Madani Sahari said at a presentation today.

 Madani

Such a similar policy had been introduced by Proton in 2009 under a voluntary scrapping policy, in which both the Government and manufacturer equally shared the cost of forking out rebates to the consumer.

“We are now studying the viability of such programmes on whether both the Government and the OEMs can afford to continue forking out such similar amounts,” Madani said.

He said cars that were going to be scrapped under the scheme would need to be recycled properly, cleaned, oiled and so on without adversely affecting the environment. The recycled components can be retrieved again and reintroduced into the eco-system as second-hand spare parts.

Madani estimates that the cash for clunkers programme could give the industry a one-time annual sales volume boost of 10%.

On this new consideration, the TIV of the automotive industry in Malaysia could outperform MAI’s initial TIV forecast of 700,000 units, which already is an increase of 5.1% from 2014’s TIV of 665,675 units.

“The TIV may increase to more than 750,000 units should such a scheme be approved and is viable. This not only needs Government approval, but the OEMs too need to see that it is viable for their operations,” Madani said. - DANIEL KHOO


CKD Volvo S60 T8 and facelifted S90 coming, 8-year warranty on PHEV batteries

PETALING JAYA: Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) announced that it will launch the locally assembled S60 T8 sedan and the facelifted S90 sedan this year on the back of buoyant sales in 2019.

Introduced locally last October, the fully imported S60 was priced at RM295,888. It is powered by an award-winning T8 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid system that delivers 407hp. The S60 comes with Autobrake technology to mitigate oncoming collisions.

The S90, launched in Malaysia in 2017 is ripe for a facelift but don't expect major changes. As foreign reports have said last year, the refreshed S90 will see minor changes to the lower fascia, grille and headlamps. Taillights and possibly the exhaust tips could be tweaked. The current S90 available in Momentum and Inscription trims, starts from RM338,888. The base variant gets a 2.0 litre turbocharged Drive-E four-cylinder engine that makes 250hp.

 From left, Snijders, Lokman, Juhlin-Dannfelt, Madani  and Akhtar.

The kinetic energy recovery braking system from the refreshed XC90 should carry over to the new S90 as well as the latest hybrid and PHEV tech features.

VCM also announced that new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) bought from Jan 1 this year will come with an 8-year battery warranty.

This is an upgrade from the current warranty of 5 years/120,000km coverage and puts Volvo in the same league as Honda, which also provides 8 years warranty on hybrid batteries. At this point, Mercedes-Benz and BMW warranty coverage is trailing behind with their 6 year/100,000km on hybrid batteries.

 The new Volvo Car Regional Training Center.

Last year saw VCM recorded its highest delivery to date for 2019 with a total of 1,883 units and saw a growth of up to 36.1%.

“Even as the Malaysian premium segment is facing a decline, Volvo beat the odds and accomplished our highest ever year-on-year growth in retail delivery at 36.1% in 2019 compared to the previous year,” said VCM marketing & PR director Akhtar Sulaiman at the launch of the new Volvo Car Regional Training Center in Symphony Square, Section 13 here.

Also present at the launch were Ministry of International Trade and Industry secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali; Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute CEO Datuk Madani Sahari; Swedish ambassador to Malaysia Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt and Volvo Car Group vice-president Richard Snijders.

 The new Volvo Car Regional Training Center.

In conjunction with Chinese New Year, Volvo is offering attractive deals for selected car models. New buyers of the Volvo XC40 T5 R-Design will enjoy a complimentary 5-year maintenance service package.

The XC90 T5 Momentum and S90 T5 Momentum, buyers will be entitled to an "ang pow" worth RM23,888 on top of the VSA 5+ package.

Selected PHEV models will also come with a complimentary Recharge Package worth RM10,000 as well as the VSA 5+ package. This offer is valid until Feb 29. Terms and conditions apply.


Claims data points to high-end electric car risks, says AXA

                DUEBENDORF (Switzerland): Electric luxury cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) may be 40% more likely to cause accidents than their standard engine counterparts, possibly because drivers are still getting used to their quick acceleration, French insurer AXA said.

The numbers, based on initial trends from claims data and not statistically significant, also suggest small and micro electric cars are slightly less likely to cause accidents than their combustion engine counterparts, AXA said at a crash test demonstration on Thursday.

AXA regularly carries out crash tests for vehicles. This year’s tests, which took place at a disused airport, focused on electric cars.

Overall accident rates for electric vehicles are about the same as for regular cars, according to liability insurance claims data for “7,000 year risks” — on 1,000 autos on the road for seven years — said Bettina Zahnd, head of accident research and prevention at AXA Switzerland.

“We saw that in the micro and small-car classes slightly fewer accidents are caused by electric autos. If you look at the luxury and SUV classes, however, we see 40% more accidents with electric vehicles,” Zahnd said.

“We of course have thought about what causes this and acceleration is certainly a topic.”

Electric cars accelerate not only quickly, but also equally strongly no matter how high the revolutions per minute, which means drivers can find themselves going faster than they intended.

Half of electric car drivers in a survey this year by AXA had to adjust their driving to reflect the new acceleration and braking characteristics.

“Maximum acceleration is available immediately, while it takes a moment for internal combustion engines with even strong horsepower to reach maximum acceleration. That places new demands on drivers,” Zahnd said.

Sales of electric cars are on the rise as charging infrastructure improves and prices come down.

Electric vehicles accounted for less than 1% of cars on the road in Switzerland and Germany last year, but made up 1.8% of Swiss new car sales, or 6.6% including hybrids, AXA said.

Accidents with electric cars are just about as dangerous for people inside as with standard vehicles, AXA said. The cars are subject to the same tests and have the same passive safety features like airbags and seatbelts.

But another AXA survey showed most people do not know how to react if they come across an electric vehicle crash scene.

While most factors are the same — securing the scene, alerting rescue teams and providing first aid — it said helpers should also try to ensure the electric motor is turned off. This is particularly important because unlike an internal combustion engine the motor makes no noise.

In serious crashes, electric autos’ high-voltage power plants automatically shut down, AXA noted, but damaged batteries can catch fire up to 48 hours after a crash, making it more difficult to deal with the aftermath of an accident.

For one head-on crash test on Thursday, AXA teams removed an electric car’s batteries to reduce the risk of them catching fire, which could create intense heat and toxic fumes.

Zahnd said studies in Europe had not replicated US findings that silent electric vehicles are as much as two-thirds more likely to cause accidents with pedestrians or cyclists.

She said the jury was still out on how crash data would affect the cost of insuring electric versus standard vehicles, noting this always reflected factors around both driver and car.

“If I look around Switzerland there are lots of insurers that even give discounts for electric autos because one would like to promote electric cars,” she said.


Ford Ranger 2015 facelift

                THE Ford Ranger gets new updates for 2015 with a bolder, sportier look as well as improved comfort and upgraded diesel powertrains.

The Ranger now sports a new front end with a more muscular hood that flows into a new trapezoidal grille, as well as projector headlamps.

Its stylish new interior provides a car-like environment, with a central eight-inch touchscreen with colour-coded corners for easy menu navigation.

READ ALSO: New cars coming in second half of 2015

Behind the steering wheel, a new dual-TFT instrument cluster provides drivers with information about the vehicle, as well as entertainment, navigation and climate control details at a glance.

Its suspension has also been fine-tuned for additional comfort and even better handling.

The truck has is also fitted with advanced sound-deadening materials and improved insulation for one of the quietest cabin interiors in its class.

There is also a new electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) that is light and manageable for low-speed manoeuvring, and precise at higher speeds.

To help drivers stay connected, the updated Ranger has SYNC 2, which is the latest-generation of Ford’s in-car connectivity system.

Driver assist technologies include Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid, which work together to prevent the driver from unintentionally drifting out of a lane.

It also has Adaptive Cruise Control to maintain both a preset speed as well as a preset distance from the vehicle ahead.

Other smart technologies include Hill Launch Assist and Hill Descent Control, and Emergency Brake Assistance.

There is also Adaptive Load Control, which adjusts the Electronic Stability Control system based on vehicle load.

Upgraded diesel powertrains with Start-Stop technology also provide better fuel efficiency, by shutting off the engine when the vehicle is idle.

Ford’s proven 3.2-litre Duratorq five-cylinder TDCi diesel engine gets an updated exhaust gas recirculation system that helps to improve fuel efficiency by up to 18%, while still putting out 197hp of power and 470Nm of torque.

Ford also offers a standard 2.2-litre Duratorq four-cylinder TDCi diesel engine, with an improved 158hp of power and 385Nm of torque, or a high-efficiency 129hp variant for up to 22% improvement in fuel economy.

The engines are paired to either a six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

It will have tough rivals such as the Nissan NP300 Navara and 2015 Mitsubishi Triton.

For updates, check out Ford Malaysia's Facebook and its website.


Across Texas in the BMW X7

                Although the cattle business had taken a back seat to hi-tech, aerospace and petrochemical industries in Texas, mention the Lone Star State and it still conjures up romantic images of the 19th century Wild West with gun-toting cowboys and outlaws.

Industrialisation has propelled Texas from an agriculture-base into a major economic powerhouse among other American states.

If Texas was counted as a country, it would be the world’s 10th largest economy.

And despite being the second largest American state after snow-covered Alaska, Texas is still a very big place, more than twice the size of Malaysia.

It was fitting for big Texas with its vast stretches of highways to be the venue for our media test drive with BMW’s largest vehicle - the X7 (G07) sports activity vehicle (SAV) with three-row seating capability.

Our nearly 580km drive from Houston to San Antonio with a lunch stop in Austin took more than eight hours to complete.

Many have considered the current generation X5 (G05) to be a large vehicle, but the X7 gets even more generous proportions.

The X7’s length of 5,151mm is 229mm over the X5’s 4,922mm, along its longer wheelbase of 3,105mm (+130mm) and increased height of 1,805mm (+60mm).

Curiously, the X7’s width of 2,000mm is 4mm narrower compared with X5’s 2,004mm although this minor reduction was never felt nor noticed as shoulder space was still more than adequate.

Designed to be a full-size seven-seater with sporty performance, plush interior and smart driving system, the X7 can also be specified to be a six-seater.

The second row bench-type seat for three persons can be replaced by two individual seats if more personal space and comfort are required.

There are some similarity in styling with the X5 but the X7 comes with an upright front, taller bonnet, slim headlights and an oversized chrome kidney grille that gives a strong sense of presence and authority.

The sporty theme is continued with rising side character lines and satin roof rails to impart an athletic profile.

At the rear, a long horizontal chrome bar bridges the slim rear LED tailights together in the style of the current 7 Series.

While LED-type headlights come with an illumination range of some 300m, there is the optional Laserlight type that doubles the range to 600m.

Our car was the xDrive40i variant which had a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection to deliver 340hp and 450Nm of torque.

Transmission is an eight-speed Steptronic with xDrive all-wheel drive system and BMW claims the XDrive40i can do the 0-100kph sprint in 6.1 seconds with a top speed of 245kph.

Inside, the wide X7 feels roomy with large windows and three sunroofs - one for each seating row - contributing to an airy feel. The D-Pillar comes with a glass area that is garnished by the familiar Hofmeister kink.

The BMW Live Cockpit Professional dashboard, which is angled towards the driver, comes with two 12.3-inch digital screens - one as the instrument cluster and the other as a free-standing infotainment centre display.

Both screens are the high-resolution type which enables sharp images and animations to be displayed.

Also packaged in the SAV is the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant which can be activated by using the prompt sentence “Hey BMW.”

The prompt sentence can be changed to something to suit the driver’s preference and the system is useful for accessing some of the SAV’s infotainment features while letting the driver keep his hands on the steering wheel.

Our test unit also came with the optional soft Merino leather upholstery which increased seating comfort as well as the luxury factor.

In addition, the gear-shifter handle was of the “Crafted Clarity” glass-type which exudes a crystal-like sparkle when struck by sunlight, thus giving the interior a level of opulence.

To make long distance drives more enjoyable, the two cup holders in the centre console are equipped with heating and chilling features.

Head and legroom for all three seating rows are more than enough.

The second row seats can be electrically slid forward if there is the need to give third row passengers more leg room.

Entering and exiting the second and third row seats are easy as the back doors are large.

You don’t have to slam the doors as they are equipped with a soft-close function for more elegance like in the 7 Series.

There is 326 litres of boot space with the third row seats upright. Fold down the second and third row seats and available space goes up to 2,120 litres.

Driven sedately, the xDrive40i is quiet, serene and refined with its self-leveling air suspension providing a comfortable ride.

Its air suspension will lower the vehicle by 20mm if driven above 138kph or with drive mode set to Sport.

The vehicle ride can also be raised by up to 40mm if required to traverse over rough terrain, or lowered by 40mm to enable easier loading at the boot.

Ride quality was still good for our liking despite the xDrive40i being fitted with larger low-profile 22-inch wheels from the standard 20-inch.

 The 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection delivers 340hp and 450Nm of torque.

Despite having a bulk of some 2.3 tonnes, the xDrive40i does not wallow nor roll like most sports utility vehicles around  fast corners but maintains a BMW sedan-like handling and dynamics instead, thanks to its active roll stabilisation system.

Its all-wheel drive system has also been configured to give more power to the rear wheels so the xDrive40i performs like a rear-wheel drive vehicle.

The electric steering is precise and fast lane changing can be executed with confidence.

Another key feature such as the Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go make driving in traffic jams easy as the X7 will apply the brakes automatically if the car in front stops and moves forward once the front vehicle drives off.

Its steering and lane keeping assist system is also more accurate and advanced than similar systems used by other car brands that we had tried.

The xDrive40i’s semi-autonomous driving mode can continue to steer on tighter bends where other brands would have given up already and alerted for driver intervention.

In conclusion, the X7 brings the 7 Series’ prestige, grandeur and limousine-feel to the SAV segment. BMW Group Malaysia has launched the xDrive40i in July, priced at RM888,800 on-the-road without insurance.

The SAV also comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, free scheduled service and tyre warranty programme.

SPECIFICATIONSBMW X7 xDrive40iEngine: 2,998cc, six-cylinder, four vales per cylinder, BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, twinscroll turbocharger, high precision direct injection, VALVETRONIC fully variable valve control, Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing
Maximum power: 340hp from 5,500 to 6,500rpm
Maximum torque: 450Nm from 1,500 to 5,200rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission with xDrive all-wheel drive system
Suspension (front): Double-wishbone axle in aluminium construction, air suspension with automatic self-levelling
Suspension (rear): Rear five-link axle in lightweight steel construction, air suspension with automatic
self-levelling
Features: Airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Anti-lock braking system, Dynamic Traction Control, Cornering Brake Control, Dynamic Brake Control, Dry Braking function, Fading Compensation, Start-Off Assistant, DSC networked with xDrive all-wheel drive system, Automatic Differential Brake, Hill Descent Control, electric power steerng, BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, BMW Live Cockpit Professional with two 2.3inch displays, iDrive voice control and gesture control, LED headlights, 20-inch tyres, four-zone automatic climate control, Head-Up Display, ambient lighting and three-section panoramic glass roof, and Bowers & Wilkins Diamond 3D surround sound
system with 3D audio, 20 speakers and 1,500w output
Acceleration (0-100kph): 6.1 seconds
Top speed: 245kph