Archive for Naza

Naza’s new Chevrolet distributorship has been made official earlier this week, after it signed a Distributor Sales and Service Agreement with General Motors for the Chevrolet brand here in Malaysia. Naza is now the sole and exclusive authorized distributor, while Cergazam which was previously the temporary ‘custodian’ of the brand will continue on as a dealer.

The dealership network for Chevrolet currently stands at 8 in Malaysia, and Naza plans to increase this to 18 by the end of this year, including 5 Naza-owned dealerships. All outlets will be 3S outlets, which means when you buy your car from the dealership, they will also be able to support your servicing. Certain brands have a mix of 3S dealerships and pure ’sales’ dealerships where you would have to go somewhere else for your servicing needs.

The existing Chevrolet line-up will remain for now, but the first new car to be launched soon will be the Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 with the 6-speed transmission. Naza and GM are also discussing the possibility of CKD operations at Naza’s Gurun plant in Kedah. Naza will also honor the existing warranties of Chevrolet cars sold in Malaysia through the previous incarnation of Chevrolet, a JV between GM and DRB-HICOM.

In other Naza related news, Naza Automall (along the Federal Highway) will be extending its hours from its previous 9am to 7pm hours to new opening hours of 9am to 10pm, an extension of 3 hours past the usual operating hours. So if you’re stuck in the Federal Parking Lot Highway late in the evening you can detour and check out some cars.

Peugeot has big plans to increase its presence in Asia, and Malaysia – via its partner Naza – plays a major role in this programme. At a press conference this afternoon, Peugeot deputy managing director Nicolas Wertans unveiled the company’s new identity for the first time outside of France (simultaneous with the launch of the 408 in China) and laid out what’s in store for us in the near future.

Peugeot plans to make Naza’s Gurun plant its right-hand drive manufacturing hub that will not only serve the ASEAN region, but possibly Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa. Exports will start this year, where the T33 compact sedan will be shipped to Thailand and Indonesia.

Peugeot has started the expansion of its ASEAN regional office in Petaling Jaya and Mr. Wertans said that a new team is being sent from France to study the market. This team will be based here to better understand the taste and expectations of Malaysian carbuyers.

Five new models will be launched in 2010, the 3008, 5008, 308 CC, RCZ and T33 sedan. The 3008 is a crossover while the 5008 is Peugeot’s version of the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso. Moving on, the 308 CC is a metal folding roof coupe-convertible while the RCZ is a compact sports coupe that follows the Audi TT’s template, shown in the metal at last year’s Frankfurt show.

These cars are all fresh offerings, even in Europe, and the RCZ isn’t even on sale yet in the UK, so this blitz reflects our market’s newfound importance. No chance of these cars coming in with Peugeot’s excellent HDi diesels however; we’ll have to make do with petrol engines from the Prince family.

The T33’s impending launch has been covered on this blog before. It’s essentially a 206 Sedan with an updated nose, but Wertans won’t confirm the 207 Sedan name. To be launched by the end of the third quarter this year, it will come with a Peugeot badge (not Naza) and a 1.6-litre engine paired to a “Porsche” Tiptronic gearbox, likely to be the same drivetrain as the 308 VTi. With a sales target of 500 units per month, the T33 is set to be Naza’s bulk seller, taking over from the phased out 206 Bestari.

Meanwhile, the 408 that was launched hours ago in China, codenamed T73, could come in the near future. Wertans said that Peugeot “is seriously thinking about it, but it’s too early to tell”. The booted 308 is not a replacement for the 407, and isn’t likely to carry the “408″ name in every market it’s sold in – besides China, it will go to Brazil, Russia, India and other developing markets.

These plans will further boost Peugeot’s Asia sales, which grew by 45% in 2009. The French company hopes to expand in emerging markets, as its core market becomes highly saturated (currently 60% of total sales are from Western Europe, where it holds a 7.2% market share).

The new lion logo, “Motion & Emotion” tagline, and design language previewed by the gorgeous SR1 concept forms part of a “major repositioning for the next decade” said Wertans. The SR1 features styling cues that will be on Peugeot’s next generation of cars (no more “big mouth” grille) while the part car, part scooter BB1 concept is confirmed for production. “It’s not if, but when it’s coming to Malaysia,” said Wertans of the four-seat BB1, although he must have looked very, very far ahead when saying that.

Peugeot today announced its intentions to make Malaysia its regional hub through its relationship with the Naza Group. Peugoet is currently distributed in Malaysia by Nasim Sdn Bhd, which took over the franchise from Cycle & Carriage.

Since Nasim took over, a nice European marque has been made an affordable choice for many Malaysians, undercutting its competitors both in terms of price and specifications. Turbocharging and direct injection technology in a petrol engine for the masses! Naza sold 3,766 Peugeot cars in 2009, comprising of 2,347 units of the 206 Bestari, 885 units of the 308, 491 units of the 407 and 43 units of the 207 CC. For 2010, the group is targeting to sell 2,930 Peugeots in Malaysia, which will include the “T33″ entry-level model, to be produced at Naza’s Gurun plant.

Peugeot themselves are expanding its ASEAN Regional Office in PJ, which will manage operations for the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China). Peugeot’s ASEAN Regional Office in Malaysia currently runs an ASEAN training centre and technical help desk for after-sales technicians in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East.

The Naza Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with General Motors to be the official distributor of Chevrolet cars and parts in Malaysia. The MoU was signed by Naza Group joint executive chairman SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin and General Motors Southeast Asia Operations and Chevrolet Sales Thailand President Steve Carlisle.

“This is part of the group’s on-going efforts to continuously look out for viable business opportunities with foreign partners to complement and consolidate our automobile sales portfolio,” the conglomerate said.

This expected announcement confirms longstanding rumours linking the two parties which started even before GM and DRB-HICOM officially parted ways. We will deliver updates as it becomes available.

It was quite an open secret that Naza was looking to take over custody of the Chevrolet brand in Malaysia, even before the official break up announcement by DRB-HICOM and GM. So a Starbiz report saying that Naza and GM are in talks for the exclusive distribution of Chevy comes as no surprise.

Although the report, which quotes an unnamed “industry source” said that GM is in talks with several parties, it didn’t mention any local company besides Naza. According to the source, Naza and GM will make an announcement by the second week of January.

In the meantime, GM is counting on dealer Cergazam Sdn Bhd to manage the franchise until a new partner comes on board.

Naza taking on Chevrolet in its stable will be quite interesting as it already handles one of Chevy’s big rivals in Kia, and we can imagine that one of the big topics on the discussion table with GM will be how Naza will manage this situation.

The Naza Group targets to achieve sales of 25,970 units next year with major contribution coming from its Kia division. Joint executive chairman SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin broke down the 2010 sales target to 22,000 Kia vehicles, 2,930 Peugeot vehicles and 1,040 units of the Naza Forza.

Naza plans to launch four new Kia models which will include a “recreational vehicle” in the first half of the year. The conglomerate will also introduce four new Peugeots in 2010, including the “T33″ entry-level model that will be manufactured at its Gurun plant.

Our guess is that the “RV” in question will be the new Sorento, while the Soul and Forte Koup should also be coming. How about the facelifted Optima to make it four?

On the Peugeot front, T33 is the 207 Sedan, which despite the name is a booted 206 with the 207’s “big mouth” face. Naza will be counting on this small saloon to provide the bulk of Peugeot sales. My personal prediction for the other three is 207, 308 CC and a crossover, possibly the 3008.

Naza Kia Sdn. Bhd. has officially launched the Kia Forte for the Malaysian market at the Pavilion KL. As previously mentioned, three models of the Forte are available including the 1.6 EX, the 1.6 SX as well as the range topping 2.0 SX.

There are some updates on some questions that readers have asked in the previous story. Yes, the engine in the 2.0 liter model is the single variable valve timing model. The 1.6 liter engine is able output 126 PS at 6,300rpm and 157Nm of torque at 4,200rpm while the 2.0 liter variant makes 156 PS at 6,200rpm and 194.2Nm of torque at 4,200rpm.

All models are offered with 2 years warranty or 50,000 kilometers, which ever comes first and there is no option for a warranty extension for now.

They plan to sell 6,000 units annually and also revealed that it will introduce more than four new models in various segments next year.

Kia Forte 1.6 EX – RM75,800
Kia Forte 1.6 SX – RM81,800
Kia Forte 2.0 SX – RM93,800

Continue reading to view live images of the launch, or read the related post earlier today to find out the full specifications of the car.

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Kia Forte here in Malaysia: amazing value for money

Click here to read the rest of Kia Forte officially launched at the Pavilion KL!

This colour not available in Malaysia!

The gorgeous new Kia Forte is now in Malaysia, or at least in the official sense after its launch at the Pavilion KL which will happen later this evening. We’ve already seen the Kia Forte on Malaysian roads as early as May this year when it was spotted in Shah Alam with JPJ plates.

The Forte is pretty much a game changer for Kia, but this ‘renaissance’ did not start with the Forte. Personally for me from a consumer point of view, the first Kia that I had a desire to consider as a daily driver was the Kia Optima. The Optima was just chock full of equipment, including a very nice Infinity surround sound system. It also had a very nice black interior with aluminium trim all over. The Optima’s 2.0 liter engine based on the GEMA platform was nice and spritely, and the car’s road behaviour didn’t fall short either. The only thing that I could complain about was the rather drab exterior looks.

But the Forte has been the first Kia that had emotional appeal – it has a really good design – something that you would look forward to being parked in your driveway every morning. The Koup is even better. It has such a sporty stance and looks good even in a boring silver colour, as seen in South Korea earlier this year (read my short test drive report).

Three models will be available, the 1.6 EX, the 1.6 SX and the 2.0 SX. The cheapest variant is the EX, priced at RM75,800 OTR, while the SX goes for RM81,800 for the 1.6 liter model and RM93,800 for the 2.0 liter model. Just as a comparison, the i30 goes for a much more expensive price, between RM92,388 for the basic 1.6 manual up to RM112,888 for the 2.0 liter automatic. The Elantra/Avante (which you could consider the Hyundai equivalent to the Forte) goes for RM95,301.80 and that’s without OTR costs. So the Forte has actually got very good competitive pricing. It’s a C-segment sedan (Civic, Lancer, etc) but no doubt alot of people will be cross-shopping between Japanese B-segment cars and the Forte.

Like its price indicates, the 2.0 SX is the range topping version. The 2.0 liter engine that you get is of the newer GEMA type that’s also found in the Optima. The Mitsubishi Lancer’s 2.0 liter engine is also derived from the GEMA project. Kia calls theirs the Theta engine. It is not the latest version with the 165 PS rating though, due to the fact that the engine is the version with single variable valve timing. The 165 PS engine has dual variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust.

The 2.0 liter engine makes 156 PS at 6,200rpm and 194.2Nm of torque at 4,200rpm. The 1.6 liter engine is from the Gamma family (not to be confused with GEMA) and produces 126 PS at 6,300rpm and 157Nm of torque at 4,200rpm.

Click image for enlarged version

Click image for enlarged version

The 2.0 is chock full of equipment (you can refer to the full specs table I’ve put above) but let me give you a list in one breath. You get disc brakes all-round, driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags (a total of 6), ABS brakes, a black interior, a metal-look for the dash fascia, a Supervision cluster (Kia’s version of Optitron), leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering, electric power steering (the 1.6 liter models get the hydraulic version), tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment, steering wheel audio, keyless entry and ignition (yes, a start button), full auto climate control air cond, leather seats, active headrests, 17 inch wheels wrapped with 215/45R17 tyres, a 4 sensor reverse sensor with a distance display on the multi-info trip computer display (no need to just listen to the beeps), electrically-adjustable heated wing mirrors, etc.

Even with the 1.6 SX, you still get stability control, although the airbag count has dropped to 2 for the driver and passenger. The baseline 1.6 EX model has steel wheels but it is not extremely ‘baseline’ to the fact that there are no safety features – there is still 2 airbags, and all three models have ABS anti-lock brakes.

The Forte 2.0 SX is the only sedan you can get under RM100,000 with 6 airbags and ESC stability control. It’s price versus equipment value beats even that other C-segment vehicle under the Naza stables, the Peugeot 308, but the 308 has that fantastic BMW-PSA Prince direct injection turbo engine of course.

The Forte will be available in 6 colours – Bright Silver, Metal Bronze, Ebony Black, Titanium Silver, Spicy Red, and Clear White. We will have another report coming later tonight with coverage from the Forte’s launch in Pavilion, so stay tuned.

This is the new Naza Picanto, just launched by Naza Kia Sdn Bhd a few days ago at The Curve. Yes, this is the CKD Picanto that was previously called the Naza Suria, but now the Suria name has been dropped and replaced by the Kia name, though the Naza badge remains. The Suria name was probably inspired by the Picanto’s Korean market name, which is the Kia Morning.

The most obvious change is of course the aesthetic update to the latest look that has been available from Kia internationally. With the latest facelift in Korea, there were actually two different front ends available but Naza has picked the version with the rounded foglamps to sell here. There is another one with leaf-shaped look foglamps and funkier alloy wheels, probably some kind of special edition.

On the inside, the interior has been updated with orange backlighting for the controls and meter cluster. The meter cluster is complete with an RPM meter but there is no water temp meter. The head unit provided is a 1-DIN design with USB support so you can read your MP3 files off a USB thumbdrive and do away with carrying CDs in your Picanto. The 1.1 liter engine revs up to 6k RPM and puts out a peak of 64 PS at 5,500rpm and 96Nm of torque at 2,800rpm. I like the fact that peak torque is made under 3,000rpm, which is usually the point an automatic car would shift gears if driven gently. But in any case acceleration from 0 to 100km/h will take a long 15.1 seconds.

In terms of safety, the front passenger and driver get two airbags – one each. The airbags are only available on the more expensive EX model. None of the models have ABS. There are four 3-point belts and a lap belt for the rear center. Wheels are 14 inch steels for the LS and 15 inch alloys for the EX, wrapped with 165/60R14 and 175/50R15 tyres respectively. The EX goes for RM46,800 while the LS goes for RM44,500. If you are in the market for one I’d recommend you just go for the EX since you get alloys and two airbags for a premium of RM2,300.

Also note that the Picanto is basically the original car that the Hyundai i10 was based on, and the i10 is sold at a higher price of RM48,888 in Malaysia. But the i10 comes with ABS brakes and a 5-year warranty while from the Naza Kia website it appears the Picanto gets 2 years, though it looks like a (optional?) 2 year extended warranty program is also available. Also, the i10’s CKD packs come from India, while the Picanto’s CKD packs probably come from Korea.

Look after the jump for an E-Brochure and a gallery of the Picanto.

Click here to read the rest of Naza Picanto: latest facelift now in Malaysia

Thanks to reader awak for alerting me about a new update for the Naza Citra, or should we call it the Naza Citra 1.5 now since there is a Citra 2 Rondo and this particular version is an update to the Citra 1. The old second generation Kia Carens has been given a new breath of life by Naza Kia and is priced lower than the Citra 2 Rondo.

The new design is very curiously Saga-like with a blackened area between the upper and lower center grille on the front end, and the rear design features a new rear bumper with an integrated diffuser-lookalike design.

A quick check on local classifieds sites already reveal many salesmen posting up entries and prices range between RM59,888 to RM65,888, making this one of the cheapest 2.0 liter MPVs around, though what you’ll be getting is a model that first debuted in 2002.

Look after the jump for more images of the new Citra facelift.

Click here to read the rest of Another facelift for the old Naza Citra?

Click for enlarged image

UPDATE: The Kia Forte has been launched in Malaysia. Follow the link for more details on specs and price.

Reader acesDSI spotted this Kia Forte with JPJ plates roaming the streets of Batu 3 Shah Alam heading towards Section 20 Shah Alam. It looks like the good-looking Kia Forte is going to be launched soon, and sources in Naza say it’s most likely to be offered in CKD locally assembled form.

Although we cannot really see the badge on the car because of the resolution of the photos, the photographer said the car had Naza badges on, so maybe what we’re going to get is a Naza Forte instead of a Kia Forte.

Click for enlarged image

There are positive and negative points about that, firstly having a Naza badge on is likely to give the company more bargaining power with duties resulting in a lower price, which is ultimately beneficial for consumers if a simple badge swap (that could even be supplier by showrooms) will “fix” it. Secondly it will stop potential customers from waiting for Naza Kia to Naza-ize a Kia Forte in anticipation of further price drops.

If the Naza Forte is to become a proper bread and butter sedan for Naza Kia it has to replace the Spectra in the product range so expect it to come with a 1.6 liter engine, with larger engines reserved for the Kia Koup 2-door coupe which I tested in South Korea recently.

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.

The Malaysian Reserve reports on its front page today that Naza and PSA Peugeot-Citroen are looking at introducing a 1.6 liter entry level car that will be sold in Malaysia and also assembled and exported from here to other ASEAN regions. This solidifies plans for Naza to turn Malaysia into Peugeot’s assembly hub for the region.

Naza currently already exports the 206 to various countries including Nepal. It is in line with Peugeot’s international entry level car strategy for this to be some variation of the 206 and since we already have the 206 in 1.4 liter variety, perhaps the new compact car will be the 207 Sedan which is essentially a 206 sedan with 207 aesthetics. A 1.6 liter engine will be good news. Ideally it should be priced around the new Hyundai Accent’s level, but who knows. There is also a 307 Sedan that exists.

Look after the jump for more shots of the 207 Sedan.

Click here to read the rest of New 1.6L entry-level Peugeot for M’sia in 2010?

The Naza Group’s SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin has revealed that Naza Kia, Naza Corporation and Nasim Peugeot will be unveiling a few new models this year, in addition to the CKD Peugeot 308 VTi and 308 Turbo and the CKD facelifted Peugeot 407 already launched this year.

There will be 2 new Naza-badged models, one new Kia-badged model and 3 new Peugeot models launched. The Kia-badged car is very likely to be the new Kia Forte (shown above, gallery after jump), which is said to be launched in Q2 this year. The two Naza-badged models will also be based on Kia models, they could be a new facelifted Naza Suria and an all-new monocoque Naza Sorento, based on the new facelifted Suria and the upcoming Kia XM Sorento.

A report by StarBiz claims 2 of the 3 new Peugeot models to be the Peugeot 3008 and the Peugeot 207. The 207 could be the real 207 or it could also be the 207 Compact (206+), a facelifted 206 with 207 looks, which would be a repalcement for the Naza 206 Bestari. The third model could be the Peugeot 308 CC 4-seater coupe-convertible unveiled recently, which would complete the current 308 VTi, 308 Turbo and 308 GT offerings.

Read the related links below to read our past coverage on all of these cars that are expected to hit our shores by the end of the year.

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Peugeot 3008 Crossover: details and photos
New Peugeot 206+ entry-level car for Europe (207 Compact)
Kia unveils Kia Picanto facelift
New Kia Sorento snapped without disguise
First photos of new Kia Forte sedan

Click here to read the rest of More new models from Naza’s Kia and Peugeot distributors this year

The three sons of the late Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin Amin are now Group CEOs of the Naza Group with various different companies under their portfolio. The brothers would like to share with you via this site how the Naza Group is managed now after the passing of the late Tan Sri. The oldest son SM Faisal is now in charge of the Naza Motor Trading group which handles brands such as the Naza World parallel importer, Naza Italia’s Ferrari and Maserati, Naza-Brabus, Naza Premier Auto’s Porsche, Mazda under Naza Wheels, Mercedes-Benz under NZ Wheels, Perodua under Naza Mekar, Harley-Davidson under Naza Prestige bikes, Ducati under Next Bikes, Naza-badged Hyosung bikes under Naza Bikes, Naza Bikers Dream parallel imported bikes, and Naza Ventures, a prestige limo service provider.

SM Nasarudin handles Naza’s three official distributorships – Peugeot via Nasim Peugeot, Kia via Naza Kia and Naza Corporation’s own-brand products such as the Naza Forza. He is also the CEO of NZ Diners, the franchise holder of Bubba Gump Shrimp in Malaysia. Other Naza companies that fall under his jurisdiction include Naza Pan Asia (property investments), Naza Automotive Manufacturing, Naza Hotel Management, NZ Communcations (creative solutions), NZ Galaxy, Naza Academy, and Naza Defence. While Naza TTDI which has a flagship project in the Golden Triangle – Platinum Park is also managed by Nasarudin, their youngest brother SM Faliq is the new MD.

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SM Nasarudin appointed Naza Group CEO