Click here to read the rest of Perodua 333 Vision
Perodua looks like it’s quite set on achieving it’s 333 Vision. The 10 year old car company’s 333 Vision is aimed at total customer satisfaction, cost reduction and increased market share.
The Royal Customs of Malaysia confiscated 37 Wald-branded cars belonging to Amazing Tempo Sdn Bhd last week at Teluk Intan. The cars included Wald-badged Toyota Harriers and Volkswagen Touareg SUVs.
Amazing Tempo Sdn Bhd belongs to Tunku Datuk Zainol Tengku Izham and Ramzia Arshad and was issued 2025 APs this year. MITI has halted the issuance of APs to Amazing Tempo Sdn Bhd because of non-compliance.
The question we asked when I blogged about this previously is, why did MITI stop issuing APs to Wald? Why have the cars been confiscated? Has Amazing Tempo Sdn Bhd been made a scapegoat? Click here to read the rest of Why did MITI stop issuing APs to Wald’s Amazing Tempo Sdn Bhd?
Vehicle sales bounced back up from a slowdown in July 2005 to a figure that’s the second highest this year so far in August 2005.
Sales for the month of August was 50,079 units. The highest sales for a month this year was March, where 50,564 vehicles were sold.
Analysts have expected sales to drop again for September as consumers would be hesistant to purchase vehicles, instead waiting for the government to announce the new National Automotive Policy.
There was also a flat sales trend for non-national cars in August, which analysts say was probably because of the PGE fine slapped on the best-selling non-national Korean vehicles.
Sources familiar with the matter have said that Proton is unlikely to go with the equity stake exchange deal with Volkswagen AG, instead choosing to go with a tech agreement instead.
If the tech deal goes through, this will mean Volkswagen will take 51% control of only Proton’s engineering and manufacturing units and not a stake in Proton Holdings Berhad.
Proton had informed Bursa Malaysia on Monday that there was no significant breakthrough or developments in it’s talks with Volkswagen so far.
There are talks of Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby Berhad buying up at least 32% of Proton Holdings Bhd shares, with the total deal coming up to RM 1.58 billion. This stake will be purchased from the government’s stakeholding company Khazanah Nasional Berhad. Khazanah currently holds 42.7% of Proton total shares.
Talks of this stake purchase has pushed Proton stock up by 10 cents to RM8.50. On the other hand Sime shares dropped 5 cents to RM6.05.
Sime also recently bought Australian car dealership group Kloster and aims to be a major automotive player in Australia. Kloster represents Hyundai, BMW/Mini, Honda, Nissan, Chrysler Jeep, Daihatsu and Suzuki in Australia.
Update: Queries to Proton’s management on the matter have had no response, instead Proton’s management have chosen only to say “We are currently still in discussions with VW” in a brief statement to the stock exchange.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire, The Star
Naza Group managing director Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin plans on turning it’s new Penang plant into an exclusive production facility dedicated entirely to the Peugeot marque.
Naza is currently bidding for the rights to manufacture other Peugeot cars. It already has the rights to manufacture a Malaysian version of the Peugeot 206 for the regional market.
The construction of the Bertam, Penang plant is expected to start next month and to be fully completed by early 2007. It will have the capacity to produce 100,000 cars annually. The plant cost RM1 billion and was 60% funded by the company’s own generated funds and the remainder via borrowings.
Nasimuddin said the local Peugeot 206 is to be called the Naza 206 and will have 40% local content. He is tight-lipped on the expected selling price of the car.
The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has announced that it is illegal to install HID lights on vehicles without prior approval from the department.
Even luxury car importers must get approval from JPJ if their cars have HID installed straight from the factory. Click here to read the rest of JPJ makes HID illegal without approval
The Kia Rio name is refreshed in Malaysia with the new Kia Rio model being launched here in Malaysia on 7th September 2005.
[UPDATE: Read my test drive report on the Kia Rio 1.4]
The government will be revising it’s road tax rates on September 12 2005.
The government also announced it would delay any further fuel price hikes until next year. We should still be able to breath freely on RM1.62 a litre for RON97 for the time being.
Naza and Automobiles Peugeot signed an agreement today to produce a locally manufactured and branded version of the Peugeot 206 car for local and regional export markets.
Naza will be manufacturing a Peugeot 206 branded under the Naza brand, and it will come with a 1.4 liter engine. This car will be manufactured at Naza’s assembly plant in Gurun, Kedah and may shift to Naza’s 2nd plant in Penang in 2007.
Target export markets for the Naza-branded Peugeot 206 1.4 liter are Thailand and Indonesia. Cycle and Carriage Automobiles will be providing the after-sales service in Malaysia.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
