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RHB Now ‘Race for a Ducati’ campaign kicks off

January 20, 2012 at 4:40 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Bikes, Ducati, Local News

RHB Bank has kicked off its RHB Now Race for a Ducati campaign, in which three Ducati Monsters are up for grabs. To be eligible for the prizes, customers need to perform any financial transactions via RHB Now and play the RHB Now Racer online and mobile game, which can be accessed via various channels, from PCs to iPads.

As mentioned in our earlier post, the top 10 customers with the highest score will win the weekly prizes, and the top 10 players with the overall highest scores obtained during the campaign period will be invited to a grand finale challenge, which will see the three eventual winners of the stunning two-wheeler.

The campaign is set to run for eight weeks, from today until March 15, so there’s plenty of time to play the game. In conjuction with the campaign, there’s also a nationwide Race for a Ducati roadshow, with no less than 20 stops at selected RHB Bank branches having been outlined.

The Monster will be on show, of course, and the Diavel and Streetfighter 848 are scheduled to make appearances at some stops. You’ll be able to buy Ducati merchandise as well as bikes at each roadshow – RHB Bank esteemed customers and staff will be able to enjoy exclusive package deals on Ducati products.

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Perodua sold 180k cars in 2011, takes 30% market share

January 20, 2012 at 3:02 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua

Perodua had a media briefing in KL this morning, revealing its 2011 performance and targets for this year. In a difficult year for the auto industry, the brand once again became the top selling marque in Malaysia, shifting about 180,000 vehicles in 2011. Retaining this title means that Perodua has been top of the tree for six consecutive years now.

The 180k figure is slightly down from the record breaking 188,600 vehicles sold in 2010, but then the total industry volume (TIV) also fell from from 605,156 to just below 600k units. Perodua’s market share also saw a slight decline from 2010′s 31.2% to 30%.

Exports grew from 4,000 units in 2010 to 8,000 units last year. Perodua revealed that Sri Lanka is its top export market now, taking over from UK. Bosses say that once overall cost is further lowered, exports will be ramped up, with a target of 20,000 units by 2015, or about 10% of total output. For 2012, they plan to export 10,000 cars.

Of the 180k local total, Perodua sold 81,904 units of the Myvi, which retains its title as Malaysia’s best selling car, 60,675 units of the smaller Viva, and 37,402 units of the Alza, which is the biggest car it sells.


Click to enlarge chart

2011 saw the introduction of the new Myvi in June, before Perodua wheeled out the “Lagi Power” 1.5-litre Myvi SE and Extreme in September. The Myvi is also exported CBU to Indonesia as a Daihatsu Sirion, launched at IIMS in July.

It wasn’t an easy year to launch such a big model, with the launch coming so soon after the triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear) that hit Japan, but the company pulled through (Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh singled out partner Daihatsu for their efforts) and reclaimed lost ground with the popular new Myvi.

Among other obstacles they faced were the amended hire purchase act that came into effect mid 2011, the weak global economy, a strengthening Japanese yen and the recent Thai floods, although effects from the latter was minor compared to the Japanese disaster.

Looking ahead, Perodua sees 2012 as cautiously positive. Datuk Aminar revealed the target of a 4% sales increase to 188,000 units on the back of network growth and “aggressive promotions” throughout the year. Besides new competitors, Perodua sees inflationary pressures, slower growth and Bank Negara’s credit tightening measures (Malaysia’s household debt levels are very high) as challenges.

At the event, Perodua also announced a new flagship 3S Centre to be located in Section 19, Petaling Jaya. This RM30 to 40 million facility will be the model for future sales and service centres in Malaysia and abroad. It will also be the central region’s hub in the company’s new “decentralization” approach. Construction will start in March or April and it’s expected to start operations in 2013.

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Fancy a Ducati Monster 795? You can simply win it in the RHB Now Racer contest!

January 20, 2012 at 11:14 am By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Advertorial, Bikes, Ducati, Local News

If you’re a big fan of two-wheelers, then you’ll know the Ducati Monster 795 to be one pretty impressive bike. So, if you fancy the chance of riding one off for free, then you’ll be chuffed to hear that RHB Bank is putting no less than three of these 87 hp Monsters up for grabs.

There’s only one way to win one, and that’s through the RHB Now Racer game, which can be played via the Internet or through a mobile device. In the game, which runs until March 14, participants will take on the role of a RHB Now’s Avatar riding a legendary Ducati bike

The objective of the game is to manoeuvre along one of eight racing tracks that are unlocked weekly, meticulously dodging and jumping over various obstacles – such as sticky tar on the road and giant spikes – along the way. You’ll need to pick up as much treasure as possible and cover as much distance as you can within the given 60-second time limit to rack up the highest possible score.

The top 10 contestants with the highest game scores every week get weekly cash prizes, and the scores are locked in the ‘RHB Now Racer’ leader board. The top 10 overall game winners with the highest game score during the campaign period will then be chosen for the grand finale challenge, where they will compete on a finale route at a dedicated site to see who takes home those three Ducatis.

Sounds simple enough, and the neat thing is that the game can be played numerous times. The scores, however, are only recorded when you make transactions on RHB Now, Internet & Mobile Banking, which of course means that you’ll need to be a RHB Bank/RHB Islamic/Easy by RHB customer registered with RHB Now Internet & Mobile Banking to be in the running for those bikes and the seven grand finale consolation prizes – starting from RM7,000 – as well as 80 weekly prizes of RM200 each.

Each transaction above RM50 carried out via RHB Now online or mobile – and these includes BillPay, Western Union, prepaid reload, PayPal as well as online and mobile purchases from participating merchants – offers you the chance to play the game and lock-in a high score.

You’ll find the game online via ‘RHB Now Racer’ campaign website at www.rhb.com.my, and if you’re doing the mobile route, the ‘RHB Now Racer’ mobile game application can be downloaded from App Store (for iPad & iPhone) or Android Market (for Android phones).

All the necessary details about the RHB Now Racer campaign can be found online at www.rhb.com.my, so if you’re a RHB customer, head on over to see how you can try and make that Monster yours.

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Car Clubs to battle each other out at the Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring: The Sequel Car Club Contest!

January 20, 2012 at 7:46 am By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Advertorial, Cars, Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring, Local News

Similar to the first Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring challenge Castrol Malaysia organised last year, the Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring: The Sequel will see the participation of local car clubs in a car club-specific contest of the challenge yet again.

The driver of the campaign is the new and improved Castrol EDGE which is now engineered with Titanium Fluid Strength Technology™ which makes it the strongest and most advanced performance oil from Castrol. The all-new EDGE is able to adapt to different requirements needed by the engine, including the immense pressures of pedal-to-the-metal driving at the Nurburgring!

To take part in this contest and to win attractive prizes, the car clubs will have to publicize the Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring: The Sequel, which also takes place at Castrol Malaysia’s Facebook, via their respective online forums and social media. These car clubs will be judged based on three main categories namely, Most Prominent Key Art Feature, Most Active Forum Discussion and the Best Use of Social Media.

This contest is now open to all car clubs in Malaysia and this phase of the contest will end on 27th February, however the earlier the car clubs starts, the higher the chance of winning. Top 10 car clubs will be selected from the first phase and representatives will be invited to participate in an exclusive driving challenge at the MAEPS Motorsport Park on 17th March 2012. Car clubs will battle it out in BMWs with engines lubricated with the all-new Castrol EDGE which also minimizes metal-to-metal contact and maximizes engine performance.

The grand prize winner will walk home with RM5,000 cash and Castrol EDGE products. 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded RM3,000 plus Castrol EDGE goodies and RM1,500 plus Castrol EDGE goodies respectively. The remaining six places will not walk home empty handed, as consolation prizes will be awarded.

To take part in the event, simply email the name of your car club and the contact number to harvinder@driven.com.my. Does your club has what it takes?

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Mercedes-Benz’s turn to do the triple play – C-Class Coupé, SLK and CLS introduced in Malaysia

January 19, 2012 at 8:25 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mercedes Benz

Earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia introduced the new CLS, SLK and C-Class Coupe in the country. The company is looking at the models to effectively widen and deepen the brand’s offerings of niche models, and complement MBM’s portfolio of CBU models already available in Malaysia.

The C-Class Coupé, which made its international market debut in June last year, is available in three petrol engine guises here, these being the 156 hp C 180 and 204 hp C 250, with the 306 hp C 350 available as special order. All three models wear a BlueEFFICIENCY tag.

The C 180 Coupé, which comes wearing an AMG Sports package, is priced at RM305,888, while the C 250 Coupé goes for RM388,888.

Meanwhile, there are three variants available for the third-generation SLK, which made its market debut last March, and these are the SLK 200, SLK 250 and SLK 350, all with a BlueEFFICIENCY suffix again.

Power outputs are 184 hp and 204 hp for the SLK 200 and SLK 250 respectively, while the 3.5 litre V6 mill in the SLK 350 offers 306 hp.

Features include the Benz Airguide draught-stop system, and the SLK 200 gets the Dynamic Handling package thrown in. In terms of pricing, only that for the SLK 200 was mentioned at the launch, and this one goes for RM460,888.

Lastly, the second-generation CLS, which arrives in its 306 hp CLS 350 BlueEFFICIENCY form, with the 408 hp V8-equipped CLS 500 BlueEFFICIENCY available only through special order. The CLS 350 rolls in at RM760,888.

We’ve driven the three cars – MBM hosted a media drive up to Penang this week, so stay tuned for the first drive impressions of all three models next week.

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Castrol Malaysia brings you the Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring: The Sequel – win the ultimate driving experience in a BMW M3 at the Nurburgring!

January 19, 2012 at 1:56 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Advertorial, BMW, Cars, Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring, Local News

It is a new year and it is time for yet another exciting round of the Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring! Just like the first edition last year, this sequel will see one lucky grand prize winner head to the legendary Nurburgring race track in Germany to enjoy the ultimate driving experience with the BMW M3, which uses Castrol EDGE with Titanium Fluid Strength Technology™.

Now engineered with Titanium Fluid Strength Technology™, the new and improved Castrol EDGE is the strongest and most advanced performance oil yet from Castrol. It is up to 40% stronger than a leading competitor and stronger for up to 35% longer. The new Castrol EDGE is able to withstand high pressures of up to 10,000 kg per square cm. That’s hard to picture, so try thinking of the pressure exerted by two elephants standing on top of a stiletto!

To take part in this 2- stage contest is pretty simple. All you need to do is to head to Castrol Malaysia’s Facebook page and click on the Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring: The Sequel application. Here you will have to complete as many laps as possible in a virtual BMW M3, on a virtual Nurburgring! There is a trick to winning as well, enlisting your friend’s help on Facebook will help boost your distance. This simply means that the more you and your friends play, the higher your chance of winning.

There will also be Pit Stops during the virtual race where you will face three challenging questions. This stage of the contest which starts today, ends on 27th February 2012. From here, the Top 20 will get the chance to battle it out at the grounds of the MAEPS Motorsport Park in a BMW.

Here, the top 20 finalists will undergo a defensive driver training and battle it out in a BMW in the ultimate test of driving skills at the exclusive Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring event. We will select one grand prize winner who will get the opportunity to push a BMW M3 around all 72 corners at more than 200km/hour at the iconic Nurburgring track.

The 2nd place winner will get to enjoy the Castrol EDGE Experience Nurburgring at the comfort of his or her own home with a Castrol EDGE-branded Apiga AP1 Professional Racing Simulator Cockpit which comes complete with a steering wheel, pedals, Sony Playstation 3 console, Gran Turismo 5 and a 40-inch Sony Bravia television, cool huh!

The 3rd place winner will walk home with a Tag Heuer Kimi Raikkonen F1 watch while 4th and 5th places will get an iPhone 4S 16GB and a Microsoft Xbox Kinect 360 respectively. That’s not all folks! 6th to 10th places will walk home with a pair of Oakley Hijinx shades while 11th to 20th places will get an iPod Shuffle 2GB. Now that’s a lot of attractive prizes to be given away – if only we were eligible! Hurry up and show who’s the strongest before the contest ends!

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Nasim hands over Pug 308 Turbo to ‘Gimme More’ winner

January 19, 2012 at 1:11 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Peugeot

Lim Hui Min of Kuala Lumpur didn’t expect to be having two Peugeots in her household, but now she has. The owner of a 207 sedan now has an additional Pug, in this case a 308 Turbo, and she didn’t have to fork out a sen for it.

Lim was chosen ahead of 434 other Pug 207 owners as the winner of the Peugeot 207 Gimme More campaign, which sought to reward customers who purchased either a 207 or a 207SV during the campaign period, which ran from July to December last year.

Participants were required to answer three questions and complete a slogan describing what they like the most about the 207. A total of 50 winners were selected from the entries, with Lim bagging the grand prize. The following 20 winners received an iPad2 each, while the remaining 29 winners received exclusive Peugeot merchandise.

Local Pug boys Nasim recently handed over the car to Lim at a special handover ceremony at Peugeot Puchong. Speaking at the ceremony, Nasim COO Datuk Samson Anand George said that the campaign gave the company a chance to see just how creative its customers were in describing what they liked the most about the 207.

“It wasn’t easy picking the 50 winners and judging by the response we received, there are many proud 207 owners,” he said.

Lim’s winning entry was: “I love the Peugeot 207 because it brings back the joy of driving!”
The 33-year-old IT consultant, who purchased her 207 in September, said she came up with her slogan while in her car during heavy traffic.

“I was stuck in a jam and the idea came to my mind. I like the stability and smoothness of the 207. I didn’t think I would win, so it was a pleasant surprise,” she said. Despite winning the 308 Turbo, Lim said she will continue to drive her 207 while her husband will use their brand new ride.

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Proton P3-21A Tuah spotted on carrier along the Guthrie

January 19, 2012 at 1:08 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Reader Iwan spotted what looks to be a Proton P3-21A being transported along the Guthrie Corridor Expressway earlier today. Nothing much to reveal, since it’s under wraps, but the car cover is thin enough to offer an outline of the vehicle, which seems to be wearing less disguise and cladding save white masking points at the rear, door panels and headlamp area. In any case, expect the car to be spotted more in the coming future …

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Malaysia in discussions with automakers about making the country a hybrid and EV assembly/distribution point

January 19, 2012 at 12:11 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Local News

The Malaysian government is in the midst of discussions with foreign automakers for the latter to set up electric and hybrid vehicle assembly and distribution points here, Bernama reports.

Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who made the announcement, said that the discussion is at several stages, adding that the government will wait for the respective companies to make the announcement.

“The manufacturers are from many countries, but I cannot reveal the details for now. Some are serious, and some want to think about the idea,” he told reporters at the launch of the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Showcase in KL on Wednesday.

Mukhriz said the plans are in line with the government’s aspiration to transform Malaysia into an electric and hybrid vehicle hub in the region, and also said that Malaysia is trying to look at it from the standpoint of the Asean market rather than just the local market alone.

He added that the government is also talking to several automotive parts and component makers to establish plants here.

“We understand also that there are a number of different components in the car manufacturing industry, including in the hybrid business. So once we are talking wih the automotive sector, we are also talking to the parts and components suppliers to convince them to look at Malaysia as a serious destination for their investment, while at the same time supporting the industry as a whole,” he said.

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BMW Group Malaysia achieves record sales in 2011, ActiveHybrid models to make local debut this year

January 18, 2012 at 3:41 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Local News

BMW Group Malaysia, in a press briefing this morning, announced that 2011 was a record breaking year for them in terms of sales. The company sold a total of 5,604 vehicles last year, consisting of 5,003 BMWs, 301 MINIs and 300 Motorrad bikes. This surpasses the sales figure of 2010 by 24%, making Malaysia one of the fastest growing markets in the entire BMW Group network.

At the event this morning at Pavilion KL, Briscoe, together with Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, unveiled the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept Car, which will be on show at the posh mall till this Sunday. The futuristic concept car is featured in Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, where it is driven by saviour of the world Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise.

The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics is quite a sight, but it’s not coming to your neighbourhood BMW showroom anytime soon. What is coming are BMW’s ActiveHybrid models, in F30 3-Series and F10 5-Series form, sometime this year. But don’t expect cut price BMWs – these models are powered by 3.0-litre turbo engines, and will not enjoy the tax breaks given to hybrids from Toyota and Honda.

If you didn’t know, BMW’s ActiveHybrid models aren’t all out eco cars, they pack in plenty of performance. We’ve covered them it detail already – click here and here for more on the ActiveHybrid 3 and ActiveHybrid 5. We’ve also driven the ActiveHybrid 7, click here to read the review.

Hybrids aside, BMW Group Malaysia is without doubt the biggest proponent of diesel engines in Malaysia, and it will continue to bring in ‘d’ models. They say that diesels now account for 15-20% of total sales in Malaysia, which is encouraging, but to increase that number, the company is hoping that the Government will do its part in this matter.

“The Malaysian government’s long stated intention of introducing Euro IV spec for fuel for instance is a critical step towards the country’s evolution into an actual green tech advocate, and it’s our hope that greater emphasis will be given towards the alternative engine technologies that are readily available today in the discussion of the second review of the National Automotive Policy scheduled for this year,” said Geoffrey Briscoe, MD of BMW Group Malaysia.

“It is vital that while we pursue new alternatives to achieve sustainability, attention is also given to improve on existing tech such as Advanced Petrol and Diesel engines which run on the lower sulphur content Euro IV spec fuel, as well as the introduction of incentives for all hybrid tech including those for hybrid vehicles above 2,000 cc, as these engines can prove to be more efficient than their smaller counterparts,” urged Briscoe.

If this wish list comes true, BMW won’t be the only party benefiting, but Malaysian car buyers as well.

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