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PETRONAS Syntium lubricants – get rewarded with a free Bluetooth headset, a knapsack or a travel bag

August 9, 2011 at 11:59 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Advertorial, Cars, Local News

PETRONAS is having a promotion for their PETRONAS Syntium range of lubricants from now until 18 September 2011 (or while stocks last), where you can get different rewards when you purchase PETRONAS Syntium lubricants.

As Harvinder advised in Episode 4 of Travel Safe & Save with PETRONAS Primax 95 Xtra, always use a handsfree kit if you need to receive phone calls while you are driving. This is where this promotion comes handy – you can get a free Bluetooth headset with every purchase of 4L PETRONAS Syntium 5000/3000/1000, available in two colours.

And for your traveling needs, you’ll get to pick from either a knapsack or a traveling bag if you buy a 4L pack of Syntium 800, with both options available in two colours each.

The following are the Syntium oil weights and grades available:

  • Syntium 5000 SM 0W-30
  • Syntium 5000 SM 0W-40
  • Syntium 3000 SM 5W-40
  • Syntium 1000 SM 15W-50
  • Syntium 800 SM 5W-30
  • Syntium 800 SM 10W-40
  • Syntium 800 SL 10W-30

Check out the PETRONAS Syntium website for more information on the promotion.

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Mitsubishi Pajero Sport production begins in Bangladesh

August 9, 2011 at 6:00 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Mitsubishi

Another production location opens up for the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, in Bangladesh – Mitsubishi has announced that it has begun local production and sales of the SUV in the country.

The Pajero Sport is being assembled at the Chittagong plant of Pragoti Industries Limited (PIL), MMC’s business partner in Bangladesh, and will be sold through PIL’s domestic sales network. The initial production and sales figures is expected to be around 500 units annually.

PIL is a state-owned automobile assembler operated by the Bangladesh Ministry of Industries and has had operational ties with Mitsubishi since 1977, when it began assembling and selling Mitsubishi models there. The previous-generation Pajero has been sold in the country since 1995.

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MIROS gets new director-general

August 9, 2011 at 5:38 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Local News

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, otherwise known as MIROS, has a new director-general. Associate Professor Dr Wong Shaw Voon, director of the Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics (VSB) Research Centre of MIROS has been appointed to the post of director-general of the institute with effect from August 1.

Dr Wong succeeds Professor Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, who has ended his secondment to MIROS after a tenure of three years and returns to Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Dr Wong, who has a PhD in mechanical mngineering from Dublin City University, has served as the director of VSB since the establishment of MIROS in 2007. He is currently on secondment to MIROS from Universiti Putra Malaysia.

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Caltex launches bubbly new brand campaign – ‘Enjoy the Journey’ replaces 10-year old ‘What Drives You’ tagline

August 9, 2011 at 5:08 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Local News

Have you noticed Caltex’s new brand campaign? After years of faithful and outstanding service, the cleaning team of little men has been retired and in comes a bubbly new brand image along with a new tagline – Enjoy the Journey.

Chevron Malaysia Limited, the operator of Caltex, recently held a briefing session on its new brand campaign and strategy, which is aimed at enhancing the Caltex experience and providing a positive impact for Chevron, Caltex retailers and customers.

According to Chevron, they came up with the new tagline based on intensive market research conducted in Caltex operating markets in Asia Pacific, South Africa and Pakistan. ‘Enjoy the Journey’ replaces the well known “What Drives You” tagline, which is 10 years old.

Chevron is using more emotive imagery in this new campaign, including the use of bubbles as a recurring feature to symbolise “escapism and happiness”. Bubbles is also linked to washing, which makes things clean, making it a good detergency metaphor for the cleaning power of Techron, Caltex’s fuel additive.

As part of efforts to reinvigorate the Caltex brand, which has been in Malaysia for 75 years, Chevron will employ mobile bubble dispensing Techron Ambassadors as well as a customised Caltex station locator app for iPhones and Android smart phones. Similar apps for Nokia, Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry are on the way.

The service stations will also be getting a facelift, following the lead of the Caltex station in Bandar Utama, PJ.

“Our customers are the inspiration behind the new ‘Enjoy the Journey’ campaign. It positions Caltex as the brand that understands the needs of all motorists, and works hard to make their journey a little more enjoyable by providing high quality products, services and facilities. We continuously strive to deliver on this promise each time our customers pull in at our service stations,” said Faizah Abdul Samad, Chevron’s Marketing Support Manager for Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia.

For more info, check out Caltex’s Malaysia website.

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Honda cuts off slow selling Crosstour from Accord family

August 9, 2011 at 2:53 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, International News

The Honda Accord Crosstour didn’t get off to the best of starts. Born as a model year 2010 car, the media didn’t quite like it, and it looks like not many customers do as well. In July, Honda sold just 1,477 units of the odd looking crossover, 35% less than the same month last year. 2011 year to date figures read 11,518 units versus 15,655 for the same period in 2010.

Against that backdrop, Honda has decided to drop the Accord name for the model, which from model year 2012 onwards will be called just Crosstour. No reasons were given, though. Perhaps the association wasn’t bringing any good to the Accord nameplate, which remains popular, and the same association has failed to give any boost to the Crosstour.

Assembled in Ohio, the Crosstour is based on the Accord platform and mechanicals, although it has distinct sheetmetal and a rear hatch. It’s powered by a 3.5-litre i-VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), producing 271 hp and 344 Nm. The EX-L model comes with Honda’s Real Time 4WD. Auto headlights, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and an USB audio interface are new for 2012.

Of the big Japanese carmakers, Honda looks to be the most affected by the earthquake/tsunami disaster, and it will be betting heavily on the success of mainstays such as the new Civic.

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SPIED: Proton GEN-2 refreshed, gets Persona LED lamps!

August 9, 2011 at 12:57 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Spyshots

It looks like the Proton GEN-2 will be refreshed again. Our Harvinder Singh was turning off the NKVE into the Elite highway when he came across a trailer of GEN-2s. That’s nothing to shout about, but his eagle eyes spotted some unusual rear lights on the GEN-2s. They’re not the usual “crop circle” units, but look similar to those on the Persona Elegance!

These rear lamps, which include nine LEDs in two rows, first appeared on the Persona Elegance facelift model back in March 2010. Two months later, Proton gave the GEN-2 a refresh, adding the usual SE treatment that includes a black roof, but without the Persona Elegance’s new tail lamps. Click here to view a live showroom gallery of the GEN-2 in its present form.

Besides the new tail lamps, our spyshots reveal no black painted roofs or grey rims and door handles. And instead of “CPS 1.6″, the badge on the left side of the tailgate just reads “1.6″. Could we be looking at a new “base line” variant equipped with the 1.6-litre Campro IAFM engine? The current GEN-2 range is solely powered by the 125 hp Campro CPS, whether you’re buying High-Line or Medium-Line.

The wheels and the rear spoiler are existing items. More pics after the jump!
[Read more...]

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Next gen Lexus GS to come with 2.5L V6 engine – GS 250

August 9, 2011 at 11:38 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Lexus

Last week, we posted on Lexus’ planned major lineup revamp, which will see its GS, ES, IS and LS sedans either redesigned or re-engineered by spring 2013. This, plus a halo “LFA Roadster”, will work to address flagging sales in the crucial North American market.

First out will be the new GS, which will be launched at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18 – a teaser is already out, click here to view it. The production car should retain much of what we see on the LF-Gh Hybrid Concept from the New York show earlier this year – in line with Lexus’ push for a more dynamic image. For the GS, out goes the soap bar shape for sharper BMW E60 style styling.

Around since 2005, the current GS has its smallest engine pegged at 3.0 litres (GS 300), but reports from Thailand say that the new model will have a smaller 2.5-litre V6 engine to better compete with BMW’s 5-Series and Mercedes’ E-Class. This logical move means that for the first time in the GS’ 20-year history, the car will have an engine smaller than 3.0 litres.

This move will allow Lexus to dodge Thailand’s maximum excise tax of 50% for cars with more than 220 hp (GS 300 has 229 hp), allowing it to be priced at “the level of its intended rivals”. The Thai assembled BMW 523i Highline and Mercedes-Benz E250 CGI Avantgarde sell for 4.249 million and 4.299 million baht, respectively. The current Japan made GS 300 is priced between 5.39 million and 5.99 million baht, putting it out of contention.

Lexus already has a 2.5 V6 in its IS compact exec, so this is no big issue. Perhaps Malaysia is part of the plans as well, since we have a road tax system based on engine capacity, and our market is used to mid sized execs with relatively small engines.

The fourth-generation GS will make its first appearance in our region later this year at Thailand’s Motor Expo.

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Mazda to drop Wankel rotary combustion engine?

August 9, 2011 at 10:51 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda

Rumour has it that the proponent of the Wankel rotary combustion engine, Mazda, may be planning to drop the tech it first adopted nearly five decades ago. The next-gen Renesis rotary has been in development since 2007, but economic hardship is ever slowly pushing the Japanese automaker towards ending things on that front.

According to reports, there’s a huge, ongoing discussion within the company on whether it should continue pursuing movement on the Wankel front. So says the automaker’s executive officer of product planning and powertrain development, Kiyoshi Fujiwara.

Fujiwara states that the development of the rotary has been halted at the moment, and not just because of technical issues – three major problems were identified with the current rotary engine generation, though two of these three blocks have been overcome. Seemingly, with the need to cut costs, Mazda leadership is cutting back on programs, and the one with the engine happens to be on the list.

The reports add that much of the rotary’s survivability will depend on how the company’s SkyActiv fuel-saving technologies take off. If they do, and brand sales pick up, then there’ll be the necessary dough to invest back into the rotary’s development, Fujiwara says. He hopes that such a move will take place, since the tech is very much part of the company’s DNA. Don’t hold your breath for anything to happen for a good four to five years at least, though.

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BYD sales decline by 20%, sales boss resigns as a result

August 9, 2011 at 10:19 am By Danny Tan Filed Under BYD, Cars, China

Not every sales stories from China is a rosy one. Private Chinese automaker BYD, which is partly owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, is seeing sales slump. After it almost doubled in 2009, BYD sales rose by just 17% in 2010, way behind the 32% industry average. For the first half of 2011, sales have dropped 20% year-on-year to 242,419 units, according to JD Power.

In the midst of this, sales Vice President Xia Zhibing has resigned. Xia’s departure is officially listed as for “personal reasons” in the company statement, but industry observers and analysts believe the real cause behind his resignation is the company’s sharp sales decline this year. Xia, 37, has been the sales chief since 2005.

Analysts point out that the government’s scrapping of tax incentives for small cars has resulted in a drop in demand for models from mass-market brands this year. However, BYD sales are falling faster than the industry at large. Also blamed is BYD’s aggressive dealership network expansion over the past two years. It backfired in 2010 when more than 20% of its dealerships closed, according to local media.

Or could it be BYD’s model lineup itself? The company has plenty of models that are “inspired” by other marques – Estima, Honda City, Merc SL, Megane CC, Altis, Optra 5, you name it. Could it be that the average Chinese is no longer digging “imitation” products when it comes to cars?

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Ford Fiesta Centura – marking 100 years of Ford in the UK

August 9, 2011 at 10:09 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

Over in the UK, Ford has introduced a special edition Fiesta called the Centura, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Ford in Britain. Available only in a metallic Panther Black finish, the variant pays tribute to the first Ford vehicle to be manufactured in the UK, namely the Model T in 1911.

The Centura is based on the Fiesta Zetec, in its 82 PS 1.25 litre petrol form, but adds on a comprehensive list of additional standard equipment worth nearly two thousand quid, including LED daytime running lights as well as automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers.

Also in the package are chrome mirror and door caps, 16-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels, reverse parking sensors and a parking camera mounted in the rear view mirror.

Just 1,000 examples of the Fiesta Centura edition will be made, in both three-door and five-door form. The Fiesta remains the UK’s best-selling car, with 52,327 sold in the first half of this year, and the edition should happily add to those numbers.

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