Zhejiang Geely Automotive Company is China’s biggest privately-owned automaker and specialises in making budget cars for first-time buyers like it’s 1.3 liter Geely Merrie which looks like a mutated Mercedes Benz and the 1.6 liter Geely Freedom Cruiser. Other models produced by Geely includes funky names like Uliou, Maple, Urban Nanny and Beauty Leopard.

Most of Geely’s models are based on a 1987 Daihatsu Charade. Their engineers truly know how to milk the most out of a platform, with small cars, medium sized cars and even vans (Urban Nanny) being based on the 1987 Daihatsu Charade platform. For those who do not remember platform model years, the 1987 model is the G100.

Geely will be the first automaker from China to assemble cars outside of China at it’s plant here in Kuantan. The Geely plant in Kuantan is owned by Information Gateway Corporation Sdn Bhd. The plans had been delayed so far because of the NAP, and pending approval from our government. The government has given the go ahead, so production is expected to start soon.

Geely will be assembling the Geely Freedom Cruiser here in Malaysia in 1.3 and 1.6 engine options. Geely may make 2 other larger models in the 1.8 liter engine range later. The Freedom Cruiser is said to be based on a Daewoo design, with engines design licensed from Toyota.

These cars are meant for the export market, with almost all of them destined to be shipped out around the region. The target sales for the Malaysian market is so low that it’s almost negligible.

Geely rove Malaysia rong time!

Source: Wikipedia Geely 7151CK Freedom Cruiser, Shanghai Daily

Related: IGC to start Geely assembly in October 2006

Naza Kia Academy Sdn Bhd and Kia Motors Corp signed a memorandum of understanding last Friday to make Naza’s RM 21 million academy one of Kia’s overseas training centres. The Naza Kia Academy will serve as Kia’s Asia Pacific training center.

The Naza Kia Academy is part of the Naza Automotive Complex in Gurun Kedah, of which total investment is worth RM500 million so far. It also hired 1,100 people. Another RM150 million expansion is planned for plant expansion in order to achieve a 4,000 units a month production target.

For more details on the facilities the Naza KIA Academy Overseas Training Center offers, read my previous post here.

Naza also plans sales of 50,000 units this year. It’s sales for 2005 was 32,544 units, up from 21,323 units in 2004. Naza currently produces the Naza Ria, Naza Citra, Naza Sorento, Kia Spectra and Kia Pregio here in Malaysia. The Kia Pregio is also built for export, as KIA uses Naza Automotive Manufacturing as the global production centre for the van. Basically certain people’s allegations that Naza is a rebadge outfit generating no incoming funds for the country is not entirely true, as Naza is bringing in foreign funds through the export of the Kia Pregio.

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Today is a busy Monday for me, things are breaking down in all my client’s offices. And I’ve also been working on a new project over the weekend, hopefully it will be up to beta stages soon. It’s something related to cars as well.

So see you guys tonight, and if you’re bored just keep playing the Ram Rash ad on repeat heheh

Videos from Dodge’s new series of advertisements for the Dodge Ram. The campaign is known as “Ram Rash”. They really have NOTHING to do with the car it is advertising, but a whole lot different from Volkswagen’s Fast and Un-pimp Your Ride ads. Have a good weekend guys.

Click here to read the rest of Ram Rash Advertisement

A statement has been given by Proton Berhad regarding the completion of the sale of it’s stake in MV Agusta SpA to Gevi SpA on 1st March 2006. As of 1st March 2006, Proton has dumped it’s entire 57.75 stake in the Italian motorcycle company.

Gevi SpA will assume MV Agusta’s restructured frozen debts of 106.9 million euros (473.7 million ringgit) and shoulder working capital requirments of 32.5 million euros (144 million ringgit).

Proton MD Syed Zainal Abidin Syed said, “There was no doubt that by continuing to have MV Agusta in Proton’s stable would definitely have put Proton at great risk should the company fall into bankruptcy. The disposal therefore would minimise the risk of this exposure to the company.”

The latest round of Euro NCAP tests was not very favourable for the Chevrolet Aveo, a rebadged Daewoo Kalos. Among all the cars in the latest batch of tests which included the Kia Cerato, Peugeot 207 and Alfa Romeo 159, the Chevy Aveo was singled out for unacceptably high risk of injury to the driver’s chest.

The car received 2 stars in the passanger protection area, and another “struck through” star. For pedestrian safety, it got 2 stars and it scored 3 stars for the child protection area. The crash tests were done at 64km/h.

“There is a clear difference emerging between those car manufacturers who are trying to improve the protection their cars offer to pedestrians and those who still see that as a low priority. When cars can achieve creditable results without any advanced technology, there is no excuse for the very low levels of performance we have seen in this phase,” says Euro NCAP Chairman Claes Tingvall.

As for the rest, the Alfa Romeo 159 scored pretty well, it managed to get a 5 star EuroNCAP rating together with the Peugeot 207.

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Hmm. According to Naza Group head honcho Tan Sri Nasimudin S.M. Amin, Mercedes Benz is now getting popular with youths as young as 22 years old, especially the C and A class (though the source article says E and B class which I seriously think is a misquote), as there are models below RM200,000. These cars are given as graduation gifts, or a present for a child or girlfriend. I wish I was in that social circle, don’t you? Meanwhile on the other end of the social ladder, we’re still trying to cope with the steep hike in petrol prices. Heh, funny.

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A group of students from the West Philadelphia High School’s Academy for Automotive and Mechanical Engineering have come up with a prototype hybrid car that runs on soybean fuel. And it’s a sports car, which delivers more horsepower than entry-level Porsches, but yet gets mileage similiar to the Toyota Prius. How on earth?

Click here to read the rest of Students build hybrid sportscar powered by soybeans

Nice video on BMW’s prototype Auto Park system. The narration is in German though, so I don’t really have any idea what they are going on about. But it’s pretty cool watching the 5-series station wagon being parked automatically. Video is after the jump. Also, check out Volvo’s Self Park System developed in collaboration with a Swedish university.

Click here to read the rest of BMW Auto Park

Volskwagen AG is in talks with Cycle and Carriage Bintang Bhd for a dealership agreement. Cycle and Carriage Bintang currently distributes Mazda, Peugeot and Mercedes Benz marques in Malaysia.

Well, looks like there we have it. Cycle and Carriage for the distributorship and AutoStadt Asia as the sole importer. Not sure about Quasar Carriage. Anyone want a Volkswagen Golf TDI?

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