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CKD Volkswagen Passat 1.8 launching tomorrow?

November 22, 2011 at 10:50 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Volkswagen

Bernama has reported that the locally assembled CKD version of the Volkswagen Passat 1.8 will be launched tomorrow. The national news agency got the news from Group Managing Director of DRB-Hicom, Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil, after the opening of International College of Automotive (ICAM) yesterday.

The DRB boss told reporters that about 70 units of the Passat 1.8 model will be marketed initially. No price was given though, as they are still awaiting government’s approval.

This comes as a bit of a surprise, since Volkswagen Group Malaysia only recently launched the fully imported Passat in mid October, alongside fellow CBU models Jetta and CrossTouran. In CBU form, the D-segment Passat is powered by a 1.8-litre TSI engine with 160 PS and 250 Nm, paired to a 7-speed DSG ‘box.

Kit includes 17-inch alloys, bi-Xenon headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights, RCD 510 touch-screen, 6-disc CD changer / eight=speaker audio system and leather seats. Other items include cruise control, electric parking brake with auto-hold function and hill-hold control, PDC for the front and rear and a tyre pressure monitoring system. It is priced at RM184,888.

We’ll keep tabs, in the meantime you can read our review of the CBU Passat here.

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Next Bike targets 300% sales growth for Ducati in Malaysia

November 21, 2011 at 2:39 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Bikes, Ducati, Local News

Next Bike Sdn Bhd, the sole importer and distributor of Ducati motorcycles in Malaysia, is looking at a 300% sales growth this year following good response for their latest model, the Ducati Monster 795. The latest Monster, aimed at Asia, had its world debut in Malaysia last month. The RM59,900 naked bike is powered by a 803 cc L-twin 2-valve per cylinder Desmodromic air cooled engine, producing 87 hp and 78 Nm.

More than 200 units of the Monster have been sold just one month after its launch, a huge jump from the 50 Monsters Next Bike sold last year. In 2010, they shifted 120 units of Ducatis, bringing the total amount of Ducatis sold in Malaysia to over 1,000 units. This figure is expected to rise sharply with the relatively affordable Monster 795.


EICMA 2011 debutant Ducati 1199 Panigale is open for booking, coming soon

“We have planned out a variety of programmes to help boost the sale of Ducati bikes and within the next 12 months, more exciting Ducati models are expected to be introduced. One of the models is the 1199 Panigale that was recently launched in EICMA Italy and we have already started taking bookings,” revealed Naza Group Joint Executive Chairman, Datuk Wira Hj SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin.

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Megane RS 250 shines at exclusive Renault Sport trackday

November 17, 2011 at 4:53 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Renault, Test Drive Reviews

Track days are a luxury for the car enthusiast, especially since there are no smaller (and cheaper) circuits around the Klang Valley, and our only hope is a Formula 1 circuit. A lucky bunch of people recently got to enjoy a track day – these folks are the owners of Renault Sport cars. The event was arranged and sponsored by distributor TC Euro Cars, a subsidiary of Tan Chong Motors.

“People who buy a RM230,000 car with a manual transmission mated to a 250 hp engine are definitely driving enthusiasts; it is with our customers in mind that we felt that what better place to enjoy the full capability of Renault Sport cars than on a Formula 1 track,” said TCEC’s GM, Reza Mutalib.

From what we heard, TCEC is also planning to have a number of exclusive track days in 2012 to further accommodate the growing RS family. We heard about this trackday from a contact who owns a Renault Sport, so we called up TCEC to see whether we could come along for the ride.

Over 60 people showed up at Sepang, the bulk of them owners of the Megane R26, Clio RS and Megane RS250. There were also some who had booked the hot Megane and waiting (im)patiently for their cars to arrive. These soon to be owners had a taste of what their future ride can do on track as they were given demo laps, and from their smiles and expression, not one regretted his decision!

I asked, and apparently the car has been sold out for months. New stocks that are expected to arrive by the end of the month are mostly booked, too. Not that I have the bank balance…

If you haven’t already gathered from our test drive report, we adore the Megane RS 250 for its superb performance (not just speed, but handling and flow) and comfort as a daily driver (unlike say, a Civic Type R). It also amazed me that Renault Sport managed to better the Megane R26 in about every aspect, and the old timer is a cracker, mind you.

Back to the track. Before I drove, I strapped myself in the passenger seat with Denis Lian, who is of course the pro who set the Sepang lap record for the Megane RS 250 at 2 mins 43 secs last year. Denis not only used every ounce of the car’s grip and brakes, but every inch of the track as well – and this is what separates racers from the regular enthusiast. After that we swapped seats for a chance for him to laugh at my skills.

He didn’t (because he’s nice, not because I’m good), but instead gave me pointers as we took on full laps of Sepang. My first full throttle of the day was at the exit of Turn 2 on to the right sweeper and straight before standing (literally) on the brakes for T4. Unlike the R26 and Golf GTI, the Megane RS doesn’t feel as fast as it really is, probably due to the much improved refinement.

But make no mistake, this car is very quick even if it doesn’t kick. We also recently found out that it actually makes much more than the stated 250 hp – click here to read.

Traction out of corners is superb in this LSD equipped car, as I discovered in T4, and one can confidently lean into the following S bends without the fear of Megane throwing you off the road. It will lose traction eventually, but the process is progressive, and you’re likely not to be caught unawares, unless one’s fully drowned in adrenalin, or just plain foolhardy.

Next up was a dab of the brakes before aiming for two apexes in a U. The Megane RS does allow for some degree of roll, which is not a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of “work”. The way the suspension “breathes” on the road (as opposed to hopping around) was evident here as I clipped the raised kerbs, without my head hitting the roof or bum shifting in the Recaro.

The final corner before the back straight really brought out the reactive nature of the chassis. This is one FWD car that can dance and flow along, and not just rely solely on grip from the nose. The straights saw me reach about 190 km/h before starting to brake at the 100m mark.

Those four-pot Brembos with 340 mm slotted discs are incredible, to say the least, marrying strong bite and a nice easy to modulate natural feel. 100m isn’t much when one’s hitting 200 km/h, and I’m happy to report that I made the corner with room to spare.

By the way, the Megane RS 250 comes standard with the R.S. Monitor, which displays real-time data (stopwatch with memory function, acceleration timer, g-force meter, turbo pressure, oil temp, torque/power figures) plus the option of five throttle map settings.

Didn’t really have time to play with all that, but I left the g-force meter on, and as you can see, we pulled about 1.2g of lateral acceleration. We achieved the same on the road in our earlier test drive.

Amazing performance on track for a car that’s so usable on the road. With the car and now the track days, these Renault Sport owners have double happiness. As for me, I left the track one part happy, two parts envy!

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Proton to continue building the Satria Neo, in Shah Alam

November 17, 2011 at 1:14 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Proton, Proton Satria Neo

Proton has stated that it is not stopping production of its Satria Neo hatch, despite a report saying that it was set to do so. Proton MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin said that the company was shifting the manufacturing of the model to its main plant in Shah Alam, from Tanjung Malim, and that it was rearranging its facilities at Tanjung Malim in order to bring in its new model (in this case the P3-21A Persona replacement set to arrive next year), according to Bernama.

“There is no truth in the report that we are ceasing production at the Tanjung Malim plant and shifting to Shah Alam. People may misinterpret that we are stopping production in Tanjung Malim to “kill the brands produced there,” Syed Zainal said at a press conference yesterday, in response to an earlier news report that the Satria Neo was nearing the end of its production cycle.

He was speaking at a press event to shout the company’s clean sweep of APRC titles this season, and hinted that a special edition Satria Neo to commemorate the APRC victory would be coming about. “Expect some exciting derivative of Neo, perhaps some special edition,” he said, adding that a “yellow Neo” with “some of the DNA of the S2000″ could be coming out in Q1, 2012.

Syed Zainal did however say that the company has decided to discontinue the sale of its Savvy hatchback, which was introduced in June 2005, and was also phasing out the Gen.2 model from the domestic market. “We are shifting the production of Gen.2 and as you know, we are talking to our partners in China and Iran to assemble the model there. We are still in negotiations,” he said.

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Govt gives oil companies deadline extension to produce Euro 4 grade diesel – they now have until 2014

November 16, 2011 at 1:03 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Diesel Cars in Malaysia, Local News

It was supposed to be 2012, but it looks like we won’t be getting Euro 4 or Euro 5 grade diesel next year after all. This is because the government has given petroleum companies a two-year extension to the original deadline to offer better quality fuel. They now have until 2014 to roll out Euro 4 fuel.

This was revealed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, who said that the oil companies requested for a later date, claiming that they weren’t ready to upgrade. “The industry has, however requested for an extension, saying that it was not ready to make the change.

“Although the government has agreed to the extension, the delay is ultimately hindering the progress of diesel usage in the country. In Europe, about 70% of new vehicles run on the higher grades of diesel,” Kong added, reminding us of what we’re missing out.

So it looks like Malaysia will continue to remain as a laggard in fuel quality, even as our neighbours and supposedly less sophisticated markets like India and China move up to better stuff. As the world moves on, it will become even harder and not worthwhile for manufacturers to “custom make” and dumb down engines to suit our Euro 2M pumps. Sad news, for both car enthusiasts and the environment.

Learn more about fuel standards in our previous post here.

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Peugeot Blue Box Kota Kinabalu commences operations – Peugeot 508 also introduced in Sabah

November 11, 2011 at 2:55 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Peugeot

Nasim has launched its latest Peugeot centre in the country, with the opening of Peugeot Blue Box Kota Kinabalu earlier today – the event also saw the unveiling of the Peugeot 508 in Sabah. Peugeot Blue Box Kota Kinabalu comprises of a showroom at the 1Borneo Hypermall and a 2S dealership for after-sales services in Kolombong.

In June this year, Nasim appointed Angkatan Hebat Motor as its sole dealership in Sabah. Angkatan Hebat Motor is a unit of Angkatan Hebat, the fleet management services provider to the Sabah state government, and is also a dealer for several commercial and passenger vehicle brands.

As part of Nasim’s agreement with Angkatan Hebat Motor, the latter will look into expanding its Peugeot network to a few other cities in Sabah from next year onwards. Once these dealerships are in place, Nasim is confident of achieving its target of a 2 to 3% market share of the passenger car market in Sabah.

“With the launch of the Peugeot Blue Box Kota Kinabalu, we are confident the all-new 508 will be a success in the Sabah market,” said Nasim COO Datuk Samson Anand George. “Peugeot Blue Box Kota Kinabalu is part of an expansion drive by Nasim to ensure the Peugeot brand has representation in all the major markets in the country,” he added.

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UMW Toyota says Toyota recall of 550,000 vehicles over crankshaft pulley issue doesn’t affect Malaysian models

November 10, 2011 at 5:50 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Lexus, Local News, Toyota

UMW Toyota Motor has issued a statement regarding reports in the news regarding a voluntary safety recall campaign issued by Toyota Motor Corporation on approximately 550,000 units of certain Toyota and Lexus models in Japan and other countries.

The exercise seeks to replace the crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine affecting 283,200 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles in the US, with the remaining total being in other markets. In this case, there’s a possibility that the crankshaft pulley may become misaligned, causing noise or illumination of the discharge warning light and in some cases result in a sudden increase in steering effort.

The recall involves the following Toyota models – the 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna and Solara, the 2004 Avalon and the 2006 Highlander HV, while affected Lexus models are the 2004 and 2005 ES 330 and RX 330, as well as the 2006 RX 400h.

UMW Toyota said through the statement that it has received confirmation from TMC that all Toyota and Lexus models sold by UMW Toyota are not affected by this voluntary safety recall exercise, and as such, advises its customers that there is no cause for concern on this matter.

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Need assistance? Well, they’re all EARs, it seems

November 10, 2011 at 12:10 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Local News, Technology

It’s called EARs, or Emergency Assistance & Response Services, to give it its full name, and it’s a nationwide personal safety and automotive assistance service, ready to aid anyone who find themselves lost, stranded or in need of emergency personal or automotive help. The service, which is subscription-based, works through means of a mobile phone, in this case an iPhone application known as the EARsAlert2, which allows users to seek for help at the touch of a button.

How does it work? Well, say you’ve been involved in an accident, and may be in shock or injured, uncertain of your whereabouts or frustrated from having to contact many different parties for help, such as family members and friends, auto services and tow trucks, among others.

The service simplifies the entire process – just tap on the icon on your phone and a signal is immediately sent within five seconds to EARs which identifies your name and pinpoints your location via GPS. You’ll receive a call from an EARs agent within a short timeframe to ascertain your condition and safety, and to confirm what kind of emergency service or assistance you need.

The agent will then contact the relevant service providers to assist you. At the same time, EARs will also alert five of your closest contacts to inform them about your situation. The service is also able to assist with police reporting, workshop coordinations for repairs and insurance claims, if needed.

In the event of a personal emergency, such as a kidnapping case, if the EARs app is launched and the person is not contactable by the agent, the five closest contacts are immediately alerted via SMS and one primary contact is contacted to act upon the situation, armed with important information like location coordinates.

“EARs was conceptualised mainly because I have many friends and family members who have experienced vehicle breakdowns or personal crimes, or who have had their car stolen,” said EARs CEO Edwin Ong. “Although there are services for each of the situations I’ve just mentioned, these services tend to work independently of one another, hence I felt the need for an all-in-one total solution for personal and automotive assistance, leveraging on a mobile device which many of us already have.”

According to the company, in 2008 there were a total of 373,047 vehicle accidents which resulted in 6,527 deaths, and in 2009, there was a 15% increase in crimes, totalling 198,622 or 544 reported cases per day – every day, there was at least one murder, 19 cases of rape and 243 stolen vehicles. Meanwhile, last year, there were 1,022 vehicle accidents per day (or the equivalent of one accident every 1 minute and 44 seconds).

“In light of statistics like these, we believe that EARs will bring great peace of mind to many Malaysians,” said Ong. “People can be assured that there’s someone they can call on at any time of the day who will be able to help them, regardless of whether they need a tow truck or personal assistance.”

The Breakdown and Assistance (BRASS) plus Personal Alert (PAL) combined packages are priced at RM75 per year, or RM10 per month. You can find out more about the service here. As for the app, it’s available on iTunes for iPhone users to download for free, and users can play around with the app in demo mode without an account. It’ll soon be available for other smartphones.

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First group of Proton Amazing Holidays winners revealed

November 9, 2011 at 3:29 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Proton has announced the first group of winners of its Amazing Holidays contest. The contest is part of Proton’s Very Important Proton (VIP) programme aimed at acknowledging and rewarding customers.

The lucky half dozen are Proton owners Rosliza Abu Bakar from Klang, Tan Siang Loong from Ampang, Hairul Nizam Abdul Rani from Kuantan and Ahmad Radzlan Mohamed Yusof from Kluang. The contest, also open to non-Proton owners, also sees two winners in this category: Kong Pooi Yee from Batu Caves and Lee Liew Chloe from Kuching.

All winners will receive a 3D2N getaway at either the Hard Rock Hotel in Penang, Tanjung Jara Resort in Terengganu or Casa del Rio in Melaka.

The Amazing Holidays contest is really easy, requiring contestants to answer only two questions. With four more rounds to go, there will be another 24 winners over the next four months. For more information and to join, go to www.protonvip.com.

The VIP programme, initiated in the middle of this year, also includes the more well known “My Proton Makeover” contest. The Overhaulin’ style effort has already seen R3 rework Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga. Next up for Proton’s motorsport and tuning department is Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 17-year-old Proton Wira. Stay tuned to see how that one turns out!

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Hyundai Veloster arriving in Malaysia Q1 next year

November 9, 2011 at 1:15 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hyundai, Local News

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors says it will be launching the Veloster three-door coupe sometime in the first quarter of 2012.

“We have been receiving enquiries about the new Veloster from Malaysian car enthusiasts and I’m delighted to announce that this revolutionary three-door coupe, the first of its kind in Malaysia, will be arriving on Malaysian shores in the first quarter of next year,” said HSDM’s MD Dennis Ho.

The car will arrive here in its 132 hp 1.6 litre Gamma II engine form. Stick shifter fans will be pleased to know that the Veloster 1.6L will be available in both automatic and manual transmission versions.

Complete specifications of the model will only be announced at the launch in Q1 next year, though HSDM adds that it’s currently studying the possibility of bringing in the GDi (Gasoline Direction injection) and Turbo GDI models in the near future, with a consideration of the fuel quality here – a decision will be made upon the completion of this study.

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