It may not be a century old, but the over 50-year old Century battery brand needs no introduction. The company introduced two of its new products to the media today at the KL Performing Arts Centre in Sentul, along with its new slogan “More Life. Less Worries”. One new product is the high performance Ultramax battery and the other is actually a service – Century Battery Assist.

Let’s start with the physical product. Ultramax is positioned higher than the brand’s current Marathoner car battery range. It is touted as Malaysia’s longest warranty battery, with Sirim certification. The 1-for-1 warranty is 21 months long, which means that should your Ultramax go flat within the warranty period, Century will replace it with a brand new unit.

Upon closer inspection, the 21-month warranty is only for private petrol powered vehicles. Private diesel vehicles, commercial use vehicles and taxis get a six-month warranty, possibly due to expected heavy duty use. The Ultramax, which trounces the Marathoner (itself not a bad product) in about every category, is priced from RM250 to RM290.

Warranty claims can be done via selected dealers that are already trained by Century. When asked about potential disagreements with the dealer, Century bosses say that if the case is legitimate (no improper use) and the battery is proven to be dead (not because of other failures such as the alternator) users should have no problem with the claim. The policy is “no questions asked”.

As for Century Battery Assist, think of it as an AAM-style 24-hour auto assist, but focusing on batteries. So if your car has a flat battery, call 1-800-2288379 (or for easier memory 1-800-BATTERY) and the operator will ask you a few questions to confirm that it’s a battery related problem. A technician on a motorcycle will then arrive within 45 minutes to replace your battery, with a new Century unit, of course.

Century promises call pickup in 15 seconds, callback on completion and a service rating SMS. They also assure that the uniformed riders will look pleasant, not intimidating, which is an important factor in emergency scenarios. By the way, the rescued party pays only for the battery – the assistance and installation is free.

At present this service is limited to the Klang Valley, but Century is looking at nationwide expansion once they have good experience running it. Also, Battery Assist will carry the Marathoner range for now, as it is more comprehensive in terms of sizes. The Ultramax will be carried when its size range expands.

This is a useful service, especially when one is stranded with a flat battery in ungodly hours. Now, you don’t have to abandon your ride till the next morning or scratch you head thinking who to ask for help. Take it down, 1-800-2288379.