Archive for Local News

As expected, there will be another round of fuel price revisions coming mid-November (likely the 15th of November 2008, this Friday) and Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Shahrir Samad indicates that it will most likely be a price cut.

The government announced previously that it aimed for the fuel prices to be revised every 2 weeks and it has kept to this for the past month or so quite diligently. Each round of revisions brought cuts, with the most recent being a 15 sen cut to RM2.15 per liter for RON97 petrol and RM2.05 per liter for RON92 petrol and diesel. This came into effect on the 1st this month.

Anyone want to try to guess how much the cut will be this time?

Nasim Sdn Bhd is having a second Test Drive campaign for the locally assembled facelifted Peugeot 407 this weekend (15th to 16th of November2008) at its Peugeot showrooms from 10am to 7pm.

The following are the Peugeot showrooms taking part in the event: Peugeot Blue Box Glenmarie, Peugeot Bangsar, Peugeot Klang, Peugeot KS Blue Box, Peugeot Plentong (JB) and Peugeot Penang. Click here for the contact details of the Peugeot centers in Malaysia or call 1-800-88-6292.

The Nissan Navara was launched today and is now available for sale at all Nissan dealers. The Navara does not replace the Frontier but is positioned as a new offering above the Frontier, priced at RM103,721.90 for the sole 2.5 liter automatic model in Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak prices are both RM104,800.00. Nissan has been offering both models in alot of countries now, with the old Frontier renamed as the D22 or the NP300 but sold in limited quantities.

Look after the jump to find out more about the new Nissan Navara.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan Navara with 174 PS launched in Malaysia!

We may not see our fuel prices ever dropping below RM1.92 per liter, if the current Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister gets his way. Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs is of the opinion that the government should scrap the RM0.30 per liter fuel subsidy if the cost of fuel minus the subsidy ended up being less than RM1.92 per liter.

This is because he feels RM1.92 per liter is a reasonable price to pay for fuel in Malaysia. In fact, since a floor price of RM1.92 per liter is being suggested, we could also see sales tax for petroleum introduced if unsubsidised fuel ends up being priced under RM1.92 per liter!

“I believe that we should try as best as possible to reduce or even stop forking out money for fuel subsidy and use it for development and economic purposes. Despite a decline in global fuel price, the amount of subsidy the government has to fork out is still substantial. I also believe that if the price is any lower than what I have mentioned, the public will not practice wise spending because an essential item is cheap,” said Datuk Shahrir.

The new higher fuel prices has forced me to be more frugal with my accelerator pedal. My driving is alot smoother and I managed to stretch my mileage from about 450 to 500km per tank to 620km per tank thanks to a new driving pattern. But at the same time, you have to acknowledge that those from the really poor income bracket need all the help they can get and would definitely benefit from having a fuel price lower than RM1.92 per liter without increasing their consumption unreasonably!

Government fuel subsidy expenditure for the months of June, July and August 2008 was RM1.97 billion, RM1.95 billion and RM1.42 billion respectively. In addition to that, the government also paid out an additional RM2.5 billion between April to September 2008 for the RM625 per vehicle subsidy.

“The government has spent up to RM16.8 billion just on fuel subsidy and RM2.5 billion on rebates for motorists and motorcyclists. All that means from January to December, we’ll be spending about RM19 to RM20 billion. If we can save some money on subsidy, that savings will be spent to tackle the issue of economic growth,” the Minister added.

The RM625 subsidy will be gone next year. In its place will be a new system that has yet to be decided by the government.

Source

As indicated earlier this month by Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad, a cut in fuel prices have been announced effective from tomorrow, but despite a big fall in crude oil prices worldwide, the reduction for all three fuel types is a maximum of 15 sen a liter.

According to the government, this is supposedly to help the petrol dealers cope with losses of existing fuel stock. However Shahrir noted that there are some in the government who prefer more significant cuts at one go. I reckon if crude oil prices continue to remain low, the next revision of prices that is likely to happen on the 15th of November 2008 will another maximum drop of 15 sen until it reaches a proper low price according to market rates.

The following are the new prices of fuel in Malaysia slashed by 15 sen each effective tomorrow, the 1st of November 2008:

The photo above is quite appealing isn’t it? A convertible, cruising by the seaside, in its “natural environment”. The cheapest brand new convertible that you can buy in Malaysia right now is the Peugeot 207CC from Nasim Sdn Bhd, priced at RM158,888.

For that price you get the variant powered by the normally aspirated 1.6L producing 120hp at 6,000rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4,250rpm (88% or 140Nm available from only 2,000rpm). This is the same BMW-Peugeot Prince engine found in the MINI Cooper. It has Valvetronic throttle-less operation and variable valve timing. Power goes to the front wheels via a 4-speed Tiptronic System Porsche gearbox.

Equipment includes 17 inch alloy wheels, automatic light-sensing headlamps, fog lamps for both the fonrt and rear, electrically adjustable and folding mirrors, dual zone climate control air conditioning, a 6-speaker MP3 CD player with AUX input, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, an air conditioned glovebox, 4 airbags (front and side) with a deactivation switch for the front passenger, and of course the very thing that allows Peugeot to call it a “coupe-convertible” - the one touch folding hard top. With the top up, boot space is 449 liters but when the top comes down its reduced to 187 liters.

5 colours are available - Thorium Grey, Aluminium, Obsidian Black, Neysha Blue and Asmara Red. The 207CC is a 2+2 seater - for those who need a true 4 seater convertible Peugeot offers the 307CC but unfortunately not in Malaysia, perhaps for the moment. Look after the jump for a photo gallery and a video.

Click here to read the rest of Peugeot 207CC in Malaysia for RM158,888

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong said last week that a review of the National Automotive Policy will be ready to be presented to the Cabinet in Q1 2009, which means it could be anytime before April 2009. According to Datuk Liew, his ministry has taken into consideration local and global developments as well as feedback from automotive industry participants and related government agencies in the NAP review so that the review will be able to boost the competitiveness of Malaysia’s automotive industry.

Related Posts:
New Malaysian National Automotive Policy
Thoughts on the National Automotive Policy
Full Text of the National Automotive Policy
NAP Tax Rates as of 22nd March 2006

Source

New Mazda distibutors Bermaz Motor has just launched the new fully imported facelifted Mazda RX8 in Malaysia. The compact 4-door Mazda RX8 rides on an aluminium double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension. Its large 18 inch wheels are wrapped with 225/40R18 low profile tyres.

The RENESIS engine in the RX8 is the new improved model that was launched with the facelift. The gas seal lubrication system has been changed from a mechanical type to a electromagnetic type, and there is now one additional nozzle for a total of 3 now. This improves lubrication performance, which extends rotor seal life and fuel efficiency.

A peak horsepower of 212 horsepower (lower than the manual version which revs higher for more power) is achieved at 7,500rpm while peak torque is 211Nm of torque at 5,500rpm, which puts the car’s power figures rather close to the Civic Type R’s 225 PS and 215Nm.

As you know, the engine is a high revving one, but you should only put such strain on the engine after it has properly warmed up. Much like the BMW M3, the RX8 has a variable redline that prevents overrevving when the engine has not warmed up yet. Its redline varies and goes up in 3 stages according to engine conditions. I’ve never seen the actual car yet but apparently according to sources on the internet, the automatic version has both its redline and peak horsepower point capped to 7,500rpm, presumably because of the transmission?

Our Malaysian-spec RX8 goes for RM233,699 OTR w/o insurance with a 3-year warranty and comes with a 6-speed Activematic automatic transmission and a 9-speaker Bose Audio system with an in-dash 6-CD changer, 8 airbags, an 8-way electric driver’s seat, ABS, DSC, EBD, body-colour coordinated leather seats, and more - a full list of the equipment can be found in a table after the jump together with a hi-res gallery.

Click here to read the rest of Mazda RX-8 from official importer for RM233,699

Naza Italia’s Ferrari service center at the Naza Automall in Petaling Jaya is now fully operational, complete with equipment and a staff of 7 Ferrari service specialists with a total combined experience of over 68 years, with the team’s manager Mr Joseph with 9 years of experience with Ferrari. This is a precursor to a new 45,000 square feet Ferrari flagship showroom that will be ready and operational in early 2009. Naza claims the center will be one of the largest and most advanced outside of Ferrari’s own facilities in Italy.

Click here to read the rest of Naza Italia’s Ferrari Service Center

Toyota Avanza - 7 seats at an affordable price

Everyone is reporting a trend in vehicle size downsizing in efforts to reduce fuel consumption and emissions as well as reduce cost of purchase/ownership in these financially depressing times. For those who travel alone or with one or two passengers most of the time it is easy, but motorists who have to lug a whole family around its going to be hard to find something to fall back on. This is probably the reason why the 7-seater Toyota Avanza is doing extremely well in Malaysia. There’s just nothing else.

Nissan Grand Livina - good to drive thanks to its car-based chassis

The other car manufacturers are catching up though. Nissan’s more elegant answer to the Toyota Avanza is the Nissan Grand Livina - although more expensive than the Avanza it is enjoying brisk sales and currently has a waiting list. Our national carmarker Proton is also developing a new 7-seater MPV and spyshots of the Proton MPV have already been posted on this blog, so check it out. The Proton MPV is probably the most eagerly awaited of all, given the “Proton discount” that its price tag is most likely going to have, it’s probably going to offer the most space for the least amount of money out of all the new MPVs coming out next year.

The Honda Freed - it can even sit 8!

Honda has always had a few vehicles that could sit more than 5 people based on the Honda Jazz platform. You had the Honda Mobilio and Mobilio Spike which looked quite typically Japanese quirky and may not be tuned to ASEAN tastes (Suzuki suffered a similiar fate with the Suzuki APV which looked like a Juara-ish K-van), but the newly launched Honda Freed based on the Jazz platform as well looks like it could have potential in the ASEAN region.

In fact there were rumours going around a few months ago right after the Freed’s unveiling that Honda would be ASEAN-izing the Freed and setting up a production base in Indonesia for it, though these still remain rumours at the time being.

Could a 7-seater stretched Hyundai i20 platform work?

Kia is also coming up with a baby MPV codenamed the YN based on the same platform as the Kia Soul and the Hyundai i20, and if they’re smart they should seriously consider developing a 6 or 7-seater version for emerging markets! Although Korean cars have quite some way to go here in Malaysia, Kia seems to be doing quite alright when it comes to value people movers, just look at the amount of Naza Ria and Naza Citras around. It will be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March next year. A locally assembled, 7-seater version of this upcoming baby MPV could be a sales hit if the launch timing is right, but of course it will face competition from both the Proton MPV and another local competitor, likely to be the cheapest 6/7-seater in Malaysia, the upcoming Perodua MPV.

Been there, done that. Expect the new Perodua MPV to follow the formula of the Toyota Sienta, but not necessarily its looks!

The Perodua MPV will be based on a new MPV being developed by Toyota and Daihatsu at a cost of 180 million USD including expanding manufacturing capacity in Indonesia. The development and production schedule seems on track for a Q1 2009 international revealing in Indonesia next year, and Perodua’s Datuk Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar has stated in an interview early this year that a Perodua-badged version of the MPV will be launched in September 2009. But for a statement made so long ago, bear in mind it could be outdated by now and in fact it may have been pushed earlier because of the Proton MPV!