Archive for Local News

The Naza Group of Companies wants to move from being a family owned institution of management to that of an organization of 23 companies adhering to a multinational organization culture of focusing on improvements.

The latest in a series of steps taken is an effort to “upgrade” its human resources or staff – a signing with Motorola University, where 1,000 of the Naza Group’s employees will be trained and developed to improve their skills focusing on increasing productivity and revenue. The training will be provided by Motorola University based on programs that Motorola has developed on the way of becoming a Fortune 500 company.

Naza will offer these programs to employees of all 23 Naza companies under SM Faisal, which will include leadership development, lean manufacturing, customer driven total solutions and the Motorola Six Sigma Program series.

There are many big companies who are actually family-owned but are managed and run by trained professionals. One example very close to Naza is the BMW group, which has been majority (about 46%) owned by the Quandt family since the 50s. It is a proven formula that works.

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Reader Nazril sent in these 3 shots of the new Perodua D46T MPV, which apparently is being displayed in near full glory at the Minggu Amanah Saham 2009 in Johor Bahru. Thanks Nazril! Now we can compare these shots with the already revealed shots of the Japanese model so we can see what the differences are.

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Quite interestingly these shots show a dashboard that has its dash-mounted shifter very intact – it’s not been moved to the floor! So that’s nice. The dash has a two tone design, dark att the top and beige at the bottom, with some form of integrated audio head unit with steering wheel audio control on the steering wheel.

The front seats are joined together (not the backrests though) as a single bench, and the arm rest in the middle looks like it can be flipped up to become a small backrest for the middle area, unlike the bench seat this part was found in the Passo Sette. No sign of a handbrake so it must be foot-operated!

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Of course there are some changes compared to the Japanese unit. The displayed Perodua D46T MPV interior used blue backlighting for its head unit and a blue instrument panel, while the Japanese car uses orange. The head unit design is also very different, but I see a little mic there so there should be a Bluetooth handsfree.

Air conditioning controls have been changed from automatic climate control with an LCD panel to a manual 3-knob version that looks like it shares parts with the Toyota Vios, but this 3-knob control is also found in the low spec versions of the Passo Sette.

For more info on the new Perodua MPV (currently called by its Perodua D46T codename) based on the Toyota Passo Sette set for a launch later this year, refer to the linked posts below.

Related Posts:
Toyota Passo Sette: 7-seater MPV full details
Perodua MPV D46T spotted at Restoran Jejantas Sg Buloh
Perodua MPV D46T to sell for RM56k to RM66k!

Some of you have enquired on the song at the end of the Proton Exora launch video posted up yesterday.

The song is “Menawan Dunia” by Aubrey Suwito, lyrics by Tinta S and performed by Badri Ibrahim. Look after the jump to listen to the song, and you will also find the lyrics.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Menawan Dunia Song and Lyrics

Proton has sent the Proton Exora for crash testing using the Applus+ IDIADA facility in Spain. The tests were required to engineer the Exora to meet Euro NCAP 4 star standards, which Proton claims the Exora will be able to achieve based on its tests conducted at IDIADA according to Euro NCAP test specifications.

In this story are tables listing the tests – note that P0 and P1 denote two different stages of prototypes, so the earlier P0 car would have failed some tests which the P1 car passed later because of revisions to the prototype specs.

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The Exora was designed to be able to achieve a 4 star Euro NCAP equivalent of crash safety but of course you can’t just rely on your engineering data for that, you have to actually crash it and see what happens, and if it doesn’t go as to what you predicted, go back to the drawing board and fix it.

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A total of 32 Proton Exora crash test vehicles were destroyed in various tests including a rollover test. The cost of these vehicles amounted well into a Ringgit figure that is 8 digits long, because at the early developmetn stages you are essentially making a few nearly one-off parts, so when things are not produced in volume they are very expensive.

These videos have already been inserted into the launch, specs and price story that I published right after the Exora launch ceremony, but here they are again after the jump for those who missed them.

Related Posts:
Proton Exora: Malaysia’s first MPV from RM69,998!
Proton Exora platform to spawn new models
Proton Exora Prototype Test Drive Experience!
Proton Exora: Body Control Module and a few more juicy details!
Proton Exora Technology Exhibition
Proton Exora Prime Concept
Proton Exora Prestige Concept

Click here to read the rest of Proton Exora Crash Testing Videos

Proton has always had this problem. The high development cost of vehicle platforms. Vehicle platform and engine technology are some of the main reasons that they need a technical tie-up. Whether it is to share a platform with an existing manufacturer, or sell their own platform to recover some of the development cost, the world economy is just in too much of a crappy condition for Proton to have so many platforms.

Continue reading after the jump for a glimpse into Proton’s new platform strategy.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Exora platform to spawn new models

After a long long wait, Malaysians finally have a decently sized MPV at a decent price to choose from. The new Proton Exora is here and two variants will be available at launch time – a 1.6 liter automatic high-line and a 1.6 liter automatic medium-line, priced at RM75,998.00 and RM69,998.00 respectively OTR with insurance. Head on after the jump for the full scoop on the Exora.

Click here to read the rest of Proton Exora: Malaysia’s first MPV from RM69,998!

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We’ve seriously come a long way and it has been a long wait for this vehicle which will be Proton and the country’s first ever affordable people mover, at under RM80k for a vehicle that can decently move 7 adults and some minor luggage. We first knew this vehicle simply by the name Proton MPV until its name – Proton Exora – was handpicked by a contest winner and unveiled a few months ago.

Stay tuned for 1030pm tonight where this site will unveil plenty more juicy details on the new Proton Exora. There was a previous report on a test drive experience of a prototype car, I hope you’ve all read that already otherwise please check them out in the linked related posts in this story. Some interesting BCM details in those stories!

Other than the specs and price of the Proton Exora I will also share with you my initial driving impressions of the actual production car, instead of the previous drive session which was with a prototype. So come back later tonight, it’s a decent product and I am as excited about writing the story as you hopefully are about reading it!

Related Posts:
Proton Exora Prototype Test Drive Experience!
Proton Exora: Body Control Module and a few more juicy details!

1,000th customer Chandrsekaran A/L Ramasamy with his new MINI

Remember the 1000loveMINI contest? The 998th, 999th and 1000th MINI customer in Malaysia won a visit to the MINI Plant Oxford in the UK, and a limited edition MINI roof art for their car by Munkao, inspired from an Iban shield. The basic design is the same but the colour will be customised according to the choice of the winning customer’s MINIs.

The other part of the contest involved existing MINI customers and a photography challenge. One had to take a photo with her MINI and send it in with a photo caption. The winner was Khor Pee Lynn from Penang, whose slogan was I love my MINI because… it’s my love at first sight”. She will also get to join the 3 other winners to Plant Oxford.

There are a lot more photos here, check it out.

Related Posts:
MINI Production Triangle and Plant Oxford tour
MINI Collection Fashion Show

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The Naza Italia Lifestyle Centre is the largest Ferrari and Maserati showroom out of Italy. Sitting beside the Federal Highway in PJ, it has 2 floors with Ferrari on the ground floor and Maserati on the top. I paid a visit last week to check out the limited edition Ferrari Scuderia 16M Spyder. Have a look at some photos after the jump, and remember you can click the images for a larger resolution version!

Click here to read the rest of GALLERY: Naza Italia Lifestyle Centre in PJ

Proton managing director Datuk Hj Syed Zainal says Proton is in very preliminary talks with Renault on a technical collaboration, which sources in the company say are centered around the supply of a diesel engine for Proton. Proton is also toying with the idea of a Laguna-based Perdana but this is just one of the many options that are being looked at including one based on the SAIC-owned Rover 75 platform.

Renault currently has various diesel engines ranging from 1.5 liters to 2.2 liters including the M9R 2.0L diesel, which comes from the same family as the MR petrol engines found locally in the Nissan Grand Livina and Nissan Sylphy.

These talks between manufacturers happen all the time and could range from a simple supplier and customer relationship to a technical collaboration, and this happens even more often these days due to the pressure on manufacturers to reduce costs, increase sales and improve profits.

Proton says an equity sale is not being considered in these talks.