Kedah’s Sungai Petani racing circuit has been thrust into the spotlight again, with the latest state government saying the state has not forgotten about the project, and is in the midst of raising funds to finance the construction.
A bit of background history to this – plans for a northern race circuit in Kedah existed way back in 2014. We have Pasir Gudang in Johor and the tiny Dato’ Sagor track in Perak, and Batu Tiga is long gone with Sepang taking over duties in the Klang Valley, but we have nothing in the north, so the Kedah Menteri Besar at that time Mukhriz Mahathir announced plans to build a 1.6 km circuit on a 70-hectare site on Sungai Petani, with completion expected around 2017.
Nothing happened until 2017, when the Prime Minister at the time Najib Tun Razak announced that he had approved an allocation of RM30 million to build a race circuit in Sungai Petani. The project was aimed at eliminating illegal street racing, with Najib saying, “The track will benefit the youth, there will be no more need for Mat Rempit to race on the streets. They can race all they want on a track then.”
Motorsports comes in many forms – Ford Ranger Raptor on a Baja course at Sepang circuit
However, the Kedah Chief Minister at the time Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said the state did not want to rush into things as maintaining a circuit can be costly.
No news about the circuit since then, but the present Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has given some updates in a Bernama report about what has been going on with the project.
According to Sanusi, RM10 million out of the approved RM30 million budget had been spent on earthwork, but work had halted ever since due to insufficient budget. He says the previous state government had changed the original plan and costs had bloated to RM73 million, but the KBS ministry was unable to channel the extra allocation to cover the new costs.
The plan now is to revert to the original design that was given a RM30 million budget, and to sell some of the land allocated for the circuit to fund any shortfall. Thus, the land allocated for the circuit will be divided into a commercial area and a motorsports area.
After an initial plan to open in November 2021 was delayed, the new MRT Putrajaya line is scheduled to open at 3 pm on June 16 2022, according to a report by FMT.
A total of 12 stations would be opened in Phase 1, and if all goes well Phase 2 would be happening in January 2023 as per the original schedule.
The following are Phase 1 stations:
Kwasa Damansara (P) (MRT Kajang Line interchange)
Kampung Selamat
Sungai Buloh (P) (KTM Port Klang interchange)
Damansara Damai (P)
Sri Damansara Barat (P)
Sri Damansara Sentral (P)
Sri Damansara Timur (P) (KTM Port Klang interchange)
Metro Prima (P)
Kepong Baru
Jinjang (P)
Sri Delima
Kampung Batu (KTM Seremban interchange)
The stations with (P) in the list have parking lots. Interchanges with other lines are also marked in the list.
Phase 1 basically comprises of the first twelve stations from Kwasa Damansara, which run across a 17.5 km section. Trains can travel from Kwasa Damansara to Kampung Batu in 24 minutes. The remaining 28 stations out of a total of 36 will be part of Phase 2, bringing the line up to a total length of 57.7 km.
A target fuel mechanism will be implemented soon, as the government cannot continue to pay for a blanket subsidy due to a sharp jump in fuel pricing.
The government’s total fuel subsidy bill is currently expected to be RM28 billion for the whole of 2022, a sharp rise from the RM11 billion in 2021.
This was revealed by MITI Senior Minister Azmin Ali during a press conference in the US today, where he is currently on a Trade and Investment Promotion Mission.
We have been hearing this messaging for quite some time now. Finance minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said Malaysia’s T20 group use up more than half of the fuel subsidy bill. So that’s 20% of the people using more than 50% of the subsidies. So I suppose the idea is to stop this 20% from using the subsidies, saving the government 50% of its subsidy bill every year?
The question is how will the target subsidies be implemented? The government has proposed various ways in the past. In 2008, the government decided to issue a one off fuel subsidy of RM625. It was paid when you renew your road tax. The fuel subsidy was per vehicle, up to a maximum of 5, and for cars it had to have an engine cc of 2,000 and below.
In 2014, there was another plan where those earning below RM5k per month would receive full subsidy, while those earning between RM5k and RM10k would only get partial subsidy. No subsidised fuel for those earning five figures a month. This plan never went through.
But that was the past. Thanks to the pandemic, the government of the day is now used to crunching the data it has and paying out subsidies based on what it knows about how much each rakyat earns.
The simplest way to pay out fuel subsidies would be to sell it at market price at the pumps and pay out subsidies the same way cash aid such as Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia, Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat and Bantuan Khas COVID-19 have been paid out in the past. If you think you qualify but somehow were excluded in the automatic eligibility process, there are ways to appeal.
How do you think the targeted fuel subsidy scheme should be implemented?
There are reports in Indonesian media that claim Tesla has agreed to build a battery and EV factory at an industrial complex in the Central Java province, quoting Bahlil Lahadalia, the country’s Minister of Investment and head of Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board.
Talks have been going on for some time now but it was reported that Indonesia’s discussions with Tesla to build a factory in the archipelago had fallen through back in March 2022. Talks restarted sometime in April, culminating in a meet between Indonesian president Joko Widodo and Tesla CEO Elon Musk at SpaceX’s facility in Texas, where Musk said he would visit the country in November this year.
There has been no official announcement from Tesla on an Indonesian investment so far. Indonesian Minister Lahadalia did not give any specifics either, only saying Tesla will enter Indonesia this year.
The only ASEAN country with an official Tesla retail presence so far is Singapore. No word on a Malaysian retail presence, but there is an intention to explore starting with supercharger sites, presumably to support Singaporean Tesla vehicles driving on Malaysian roads.
An Indonesian Tesla battery factory is likely, even if an Indonesian Tesla car factory isn’t a sure thing at this point. Tesla wants a nickel supply, and Indonesia is rich in the resource but has banned raw nickel exports to encourage processing within the country. So if Tesla wants the nickel, it can have it only if uses it to build a final product inside Indonesia.
Of course, if a battery factory is already in Indonesia, it increases the likelihood of a regional car factory in the country as well since it would make for a more tightly integrated supply chain.
Malaysia is also interested in courting Tesla to set up a facility here, with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri extending an official invitation earlier this month, but from a layperson’s perspective it certainly looks like Indonesia is ahead of the game when it comes to being the site for a regional factory.
We first got hints of the Nissan Ariya EV SUV making a possible introduction in Malaysia back in February when we saw it make an appearance in Malaysian Nissan distributor Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s Chinese New Year greeting video.
Tan Chong was one of the first companies in Malaysia to embrace electric cars – it introduced both the Nissan Leaf under the Nissan brand as well as the Renault Zoe and Twizy under the Renault brand.
The latest generation Leaf’s price recently got updated to reflect its new import and excise duty exempted status – it’s now priced at RM168,800, down from its initial launch price of RM188,888.
But the Leaf has been around for some time now and perhaps has lost a little lustre. The market is full of new models now, and Nissan has upped its game with the new Nissan Ariya, the Japanese automaker’s first mass market fully electric passenger car since the original Leaf.
What segment does the Nissan Ariya compete in?
The Nissan Ariya measures 4,595 mm long x 1,850 mm wide x 1,655 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,775 mm. As a comparison, it’s stablemate the T32 Nissan X-Trail currently sold in Malaysia measures 4,690 mm long x 1,820 mm wide x 1,740 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,705 mm.
Externally, the Ariya is a little shorter and lower than the X-Trail, but it is a bit wider. It has a longer wheelbase compared to the X-Trail.
This is typical of electric cars, where the trend is for longer wheelbases in relation to exterior length and segment size because axles powered by electric motors are not constrained by combustion engine and gearbox placement. So I think it’s safe to call the Ariya a C-segment SUV like the X-Trail.
What are the electric motor and battery choices?
The Nissan Ariya line-up is built from a few combinations of motors and battery packs. You either have 2WD where a single motor drives the front wheel, or AWD versions where you have two motors, one driving the front axle and one driving the rear axle.
There are two choices of lithium ion battery packs – a 66 kWh pack with 63 kWh usable, or a 91 kWh pack with 87 kWh usable. One big improvement over the Leaf’s design – they now use active liquid cooling instead of passive air cooling, which should result in improved battery health and higher peak DC charging rates.
The 2WD versions are focused on economy and maximising range. The 91 kWh 2WD version has the longest rated range – up to 610 km. Its electric motor is a bit more powerful, rated at 178 kW compared to 160 kW on the 2WD 66 kWh variant, but you will notice it is actually 0.1 seconds slower in the 0-100 km/h sprint because the additional power is merely to offset the extra weight of the larger battery pack.
The AWD models have a more performance and handling bias – Nissan has produced some pretty cool marketing videos to sell the benefits of the e-4ORCE electric AWD system.
The fastest Ariya you can buy is the 91 kWh 290 kW version, which can hit 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, while being rated for 580 km range. Having two motors instead of one makes it less efficient than the 2WD version. The 66 kWh AWD model kind of sits in the middle, it’s not the fastest and cannot go the furthest, but it’s cheaper to buy than the models with the fastest acceleration or the longest range.
How much could the Nissan Ariya be priced in Malaysia?
Given that CBU electric cars currently enjoy import and excise duty exemptions until the end of 2023, it could be possible to directly convert the Japanese pricing for the Nissan Ariya to try to predict Malaysian pricing.
The following use currency conversions at the time of publishing:
Nissan Ariya 2WD 66 kWh – 6,600,000 yen (RM226k)
Nissan Ariya 2WD 91 kWh – 7,400,800 yen (RM254k)
Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE AWD 66 kWh – 7,200,600 yen (RM247k)
Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE AWD 91 kWh – 7,900,200 yen (RM271k)
A starting price of RM226k up to RM271k would put the Ariya smack in the middle of the hotly contested RM200k-RM300k EV range which are full of other electric SUVs.
The following EVs would be competing with the Ariya:
BMW iX3 M Sport Inspiring 73.8 kWh – RM298k
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Lite 2WD 58 kWh – RM199k
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Plus 2WD 58 kWh – RM230k
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Max AWD 72.7 kWh – RM260k
Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 AMG Line 66.5 kWh – RM278k
Volvo XC40 Recharge BEV 78 kWh – RM262k
With a 100 km/h sprint time of 5.1 seconds, the most performance-oriented Nissan Ariya would be second fastest accelerating EV of the lot, beating the Ioniq 5 Max AWD by 0.1 seconds and only losing to the Volvo XC40 BEV’s 4.9 seconds time. The slowest of the lot would be the EQA, only being capable of a 8.9 second sprint, significantly slower than even the slowest Ariya 2WD 91 kWh model.
You can read more about the Nissan Ariya in our previous story, which we published back in July 2020. Yes, it’s been nearly two years since it was first unveiled and it’s only going to roll into showrooms this year. Guess that’s what a pandemic and chip shortage does to automotive product timelines.
What do you think, would you consider a Nissan Ariya over its competitors given a similiar budget? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Eyeing a great deal on a used car? Well, you’ll be able to find exceptional offers at the Jom Beraya Di myTukar event happening this weekend, May 20 to 22, at the myTukar Retail Experience Centres in Puchong South, Selangor and Plentong, Johor Bahru.
You’ll find a huge selection of pre-owned cars to pick from, with the variety ranging from budget daily runabouts to premium sedans, and there is of course a large spread of SUVs, MPVs and pick-up trucks. With more than a thousand vehicles to choose from, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for!
To sweeten the deal, MyTukar is offering goodies with every purchase of a vehicle at the event, in this case free Raytech tint and RM200 worth of Shopee vouchers. You’ll also be in the running to win prizes worth up to RM12,000, including a 3D/2N trip to Langkawi.
You can rest assured about the quality of your purchase. All the cars available at the event have gone through a refurbishment and a 160-point inspection to obtain the coveted myTukar Certified label, which means no mileage tampering and no major accident, fire or flood damage. Each vehicle also comes with a 12-month warranty for the engine and gearbox.
Making a purchase is also hassle-free, as myTukar will take care of the Puspakom inspection and registration with JPJ of the vehicle for you. Likewise, getting a loan and insurance for the car – you won’t have to go hunting for this, as you’ll be able to choose from a provided list of banks and insurance companies.
Taking it further, should you find it inconvenient to pick up your purchase, the company will be able to deliver the car to your doorstep. Buying a car has never been this easy, so head on down to the myTukar Retail Centres in Puchong and Plentong this weekend – from 9.30am to 6.30pm – to find your next ride.
China is positively overrun by mini electric vehicles at the moment, as a consequence of the success of the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. Since its launch two years ago, the little tyke has become the bestselling EV in China – battling the Tesla Model 3 and Y at the top of the global standings in the process – and spawned a heap of copycats, including the Chery QQ Ice Cream. That’s ironic, given the QQ name’s infamous history.
Anyway, there’s a new version of the QQ, called the Wujie Pro. Wujie is Mandarin for “unbounded”, which should give you a hint as to the car’s remit. Yes, this is an Ice Cream with a longer range – much longer, in fact, as it has more than doubled to an impressive 408 km, up from a minuscule 170 km maximum.
Despite its range being identical to the eQ1, the Wujie Pro gets a slightly larger 40.3 kWh lithium-ion battery. A smaller 30.6 kWh unit is also available, delivering a claimed range of 301 km. It should be noted that Chery typically lists figures from the old NEDC cycle, so real-world range is likely much lower.
The larger battery sizes also allow the Wujie Pro to offer more than three times the Ice Cream’s power, though it’s only gone up to a maximum of 70 kW (95 PS) and 120 Nm of torque, so don’t go expecting Porsche levels of performance from this rear-engined, rear-drive two-door.
The 30.6 kWh version is even less powerful at 55 kW (75 PS), although the torque output is inexplicably much higher at 150 Nm. Chery claims an acceleration time of 4.8 seconds (under six seconds with the 75 PS motor), but it’s only from zero to 50 km/h, and while the Wujie Pro can reach 100 km/h, its top speed is just 125 km/h (120 km/h with the 75 PS version).
Both variants support DC fast charging of an unspecified output, filling their batteries up from 30 to 80% in half an hour. The 30.6 kWh battery, on the other hand, can accept up to 3.3 kW of AC charging which takes between six to ten hours to top it up, while the 40.3 kWh unit can be charged in under seven hours using a 6.6 kW charger.
The Wujie Pro is more than just an Ice Cream with a bigger motor and battery – the entire car has been redesigned, although it retains an all-aluminium construction. The design is much edgier and less cutesy, with “Thunder Tomahawk” T-shaped head- and taillights that stretch the entire height of the front and rear ends, plus a downturned centre front air intake and a large skid plate-style rear bumper insert.
Along the side, the upper and lower window lines intersect to form an X-shaped C-pillar and a prominent rear spoiler, while the flush pop-out door handles are also fitted. There are a number of crossover-style features, including roof rails and Citroën C4 Cactus-style bumps along the rockers; these, together with the bumpers, get contrasting colour highlights. The flat-faced turbine-style wheels measure 16 inches in diameter.
The interior has also received a comprehensive makeover, sporting a clean horizontal dashboard and full-width air vents that sit above it. Behind the two-spoke steering wheel lies a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, but it’s the massive “floating” touchscreen next to it that dominates the cabin, measuring between 10.25 and 12.9 inches across.
Running on a Qualcomm 6155 quad-core processor, the infotainment system supports WiFi and 4G connectivity, offers voice control and Gaode and Tencent navigation and will even let users karaoke and browse Douyin (the original Chinese version of TikTok) using the big screen, presumably while charging. The car is also available with a “540-degree” camera system, combining a conventional 360-degree camera setup with a forward-facing 180-degree camera to enable users to “see through” the bonnet.
Despite the diminutive size, the car is also relatively fully-featured in terms of safety. Unlike the Ice Cream, the Wujie Pro gets dual airbags and stability control as standard. What’s more, range-topping models come with a few driver assistance systems such as forward collision warning (no autonomous emergency braking, unfortunately), lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, lane change assist and a door opening warning.
One thing you should know is that the Wujie Pro remains tiny, measuring just 3,402 mm long, 1,680 mm wide and 1,590 mm tall, with a 2,160 mm wheelbase. By comparison, a Perodua Kancil is only seven millimetres shorter and has a 120 mm longer wheelbase; had the Chery been 200 mm narrower and just two millimetres shorter, it would fit within current Japanese kei car size regulations.
Introductory pricing ranges from 79,900 yuan (RM52,600) for the base 30.6 kWh model to 101,900 yuan (RM67,100) for the top-spec variant with the 40.3 kWh battery. Buyers can pre-order their cars through a “crowdsourcing” model by paying a 999 yuan (RM660) deposit, entitling them to several benefits such as a mystery gift, a “lifetime warranty”, a year’s worth of car washes and free roadside assistance.
The Wujie Pro will likely continue to be a China-only offering, but Malaysians can expect to get the equally minuscule eQ1 soon after Chery gets its local relaunch this year. As mentioned, that car gets the same 408 km range using a 38 kWh battery and the QQ’s less powerful 55 kW (75 PS) motor, and it could be priced well under the RM100,000 mark.
Back in 2019, Nissan showed off the IMk Concept that previewed a future kei car featuring a fully electric powertrain. Well, fast forward to today, and the carmaker has delivered such a model by introducing the all-new Sakura.
Named after the iconic Japanese cherry blossom, the Sakura is billed as an affordable kei EV that will go on sale in Japan this summer, which is anytime between June to August. How affordable? Prices start at 2,333,100 yen (RM80,007) for the base S variant before moving up to 2,399,100 yen (RM82,271) for the mid-range X and topping out at 2,940,300 yen (RM100,830) for the top-spec G.
For context, Nissan’s other kei cars available in Japan are the Dayz – priced between 1,327,700 and 1,666,500 yen (RM45,513 and RM57,128) – and Roox – this goes for between 1,546,600 and 1,843,600 yen (RM53,017 and RM63,198).
However, with Japan’s clean energy vehicle subsidy scheme, the Sakura will actually be priced from approximately 1.78 million yen (RM60,965), so it’s not too far off its internal combustion engine counterparts.
Regardless of variant, the Sakura features an underfloor-mounted 20-kWh, 350-volt lithium-ion battery that powers an MM48 electric motor driving the front wheels. The motor is rated at 64 PS (63 hp or 47 kW) – in keeping with kei car regulations – and 195 Nm of torque, allowing for a top speed of 130 km/h. Three drives modes are offered – Eco, Standard and Sport – plus drivers will also be able to use e-Pedal Step, which is a system for one-pedal driving.
In terms of range, Nissan quotes up to 180 km on a full charge following the WLTC standard. That’s not a lot but remember that kei cars are typically used in cities, surveys conducted by the company indicated that 53% drivers only drive 30 km daily (31% do 30-100 km, 10% do 100-180 km, while just 6% do over 180 km).
As for charging, the company says that when the battery warning light is illuminated to signal a low state of charge, it takes eight hours to fully recharge the battery to 100% using a 2.9-kW AC input (Type 1 connection), or about 40 minutes to get to 80% with a 30-kW DC input (CHAdeMO connection).
The battery can also be used as a mobile power source during emergencies and provide a day’s worth of electricity to a home, assuming you don’t need more than 12 kWh per day, which is the average power consumption for general households in Japan.
Design-wise, the Sakura looks a lot like the IMk before, albeit slightly pared down as is the case with most production cars that transition from concept. Up front, there’s a closed-off grille with an insert featuring many horizontal lines that blend into the ice hockey stick-shaped DRLs and slim headlamps.
Meanwhile, the front bumper sports a large, trapezoidal-shaped intake and black angular sections at the corners that house parking sensors. Down the sides, we find a window line that rises towards the C-pillars and a generally boxy shape. The 14- and 15-inch wheels available are also highly reminiscent of what was fitted to the concept and takes inspiration from the Japanese mizuhiki decorative knots.
At the rear, a wide-width light bar links the small taillight clusters, just above a black trim piece with the Nissan script. The bumper here mimics what you saw at the front, with angular trims at the corners and the bottom portion.
Compared to the IMk, the Sakura is actually a smaller car, measuring in at just 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide, 1,655 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,495 mm. Depending on the variant, the kei EV weighs between 1,070 and 1,080 kg, and it will accommodate four passengers and up to 107 litres of cargo.
Like the exterior, the interior of the Sakura is also clearly derived from the IMk. You get a two-spoke steering wheel, a front seat bench and a “shelf” on the dashboard with a small storage slot under the rightmost air vent.
This “shelf” separates the upper two screens for the centre air vents, the latter made to look like the stretch the width of the dash, while beyond that, copper-coloured trim visually connects to the “floating” window/side mirror controls on either side. Look closely around the cabin and you’ll find quite a few Sakura motifs as well.
As for other points of interaction, the gear shift lever and climate controls get their own dedicated console, with USB ports and a stowage underneath. There’s also the large nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, placed beside a seven-inch digital instrument cluster.
The Sakura comes with Nissan’s ProPILOT driver assistance system, so features like adaptive cruise control, front collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist are present. As a first for a kei car, it also gets the ProPILOT Park system to assist drivers by automatically parking the vehicle for them.
Finally, the Sakura comes in 15 body colours, including four two-tone options, while the interior colours include black, beige and blue grey.
With the current, L663-generation Land Rover Defender having made its global debut in 2019, the 90 and 110 short- and long-wheelbase bodystyles – with three and five doors respectively – will soon be joined by an even longer version, which will be called the Defender 130.
This will offers seating for up to eight persons in a 2-2-3 seating configuration over three rows, and will bring the latest in chassis and digital technologies, said Land Rover.
With this being a teaser for the time being, Land Rover has yet to reveal what the interior of the Defender 130 would look like, though the longest version yet would most naturally look very similar, if not identical to those of the Defender 110 and Defender 90 in the front half of the cabin.
Interior equipment should mirror those already available to the Defender 90 and 110, namely the Pivi Pro infotainment setup with a 10-inch touchscreen or the optional 11.4-inch unit, along with a Meridian sound system, wireless mobile device charging, 3D surround view camera, ClearSight Ground View forward camera feed, ClearSight interior rear-view camera feed, and more.
For reference, the Defender 110 in the Malaysian market can be specified in either the P300 which packs a 300 PS/400 Nm 2.0 litre Ingenium four-cylinder petrol engine, or as the P400 with the 400 PS/550 Nm inline-six cylinder petrol with mild-hybrid assistance.
Both examples are paired with the ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, and a two-speed transfer case sends drive to all four wheels. Being a Land Rover product, the Defender 130 should stay close to its key off-roading capabilities, such as a 900 mm wading depth.
Other markets also receive the 2.0 litre Ingenium turbodiesel engine in varying states of tune, a D250 mild-hybrid diesel as well as a P400e petrol plug-in hybrid. For those who must have the biggest engine available to the Defender, the Defender V8 gets a 5.0 litre supercharged V8 producing 525 PS and 625 Nm of torque, and can be specified in three- and five-door bodystyles.
GALLERY: 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 P400 MHEV 3.0L seven-seater in Malaysia
GALLERY: 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 P400 MHEV 3.0L five-seater in Malaysia
If you love both cars and Lego sets, you’ll be interested in this one – a new 3,776 piece Lego Technic set featuring the Ferrari Daytona SP3.
Lego has not officially announced this, but there have been various reports of it appearing on retail websites with a price of 399.99 USD and an official release date of August 1 2022, perhaps prematurely as the listings have been taken down now.
The new Lego Technic Ferrari Daytona SP3 will supposedly feature a rotating engine and doors that can open, which is to be expected considering it is part of the Lego Technic range.
Local Lego seller MrBrickHunt has already opened pre-orders for the set for RM1,599.90 under Shopee’s 20 day pre-order terms, so if you’re interested you can place an order. The item listing mention the list price will be RM1,699 (so the pre-order is RM100 off) and estimated shipping date is 10 June 2022.
If you’re wondering what the real thing costs, you’re looking at a cool RM8.4 million (before taxes) for one of these, if you’re even chosen to buy one in the first place. Under the hood is a normally aspirated 6.5 litre V12, spinning to a stratospheric 9,500 rpm to make 840 PS and 697 Nm of torque.
