With 2018 done and dusted, it’s time once again for us to crunch the numbers and determine the most popular stories posted on paultan.org for the year prior. From vehicle launches to the reintroduction of the sales and services tax (SST) following our change in government, there was no shortage of stories that attracted your attention and comments.
Unsurprisingly, news involving our national carmakers, Proton and Perodua, were popular among you guys, especially with the former’s introduction of its first-ever SUV model. Meanwhile, stories relating to Japanese also made up a good part of the top 10 list compiled. For some fun facts, there were 3,849 posts on paultan.org in 2018 – an average of 15 posts per weekday – reaching 17.5 million users.
Without giving too much away, here’s a list of the top 10 most popular stories on paultan.org in 2018:
10. Nissan Serena S-Hybrid – fifth-gen previewed in M’sia
First previewed in Malaysia at the end of March 2018, the fifth-generation C27 Nissan Serena was officially launched later in May. Redesigned inside and out, the MPV features a S-Hybrid powertrain and seating for up to seven people in a 2-2-3 configuration. We’ve already had a go in the new Serena, and you can find out our thoughts on the MPV, here.
A reminder that going the sambung bayar route is risky and can sometimes go terribly wrong, this case saw a man “losing” his car that he paid for to the actual owner of a Proton Saga who decided to “redeem” back his vehicle with the help of 12 men. Obtaining a car via sambung bayar might seem tempting, cost wise, and easy, but it’s ultimately illegal.
8. Perodua D38L SUV set to debut this year – report
As it turns out, Perodua did indeed debut its new SUV model in 2018 during the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show, albeit hidden in a box. Since then, we’ve discovered a lot more information about the SUV model, including its name.
7. Toyota C-HR open for booking in Malaysia, RM146k est
The Toyota C-HR remained a popular vehicle among readers in 2018, just like it was when the crossover made its first official preview in 2017. Interested parties have been waiting for the vehicle’s pricing for some time, and when it was finally revealed, you guys were quick to share your opinions.
6. Reintroduction of the sales and services tax (SST) in Malaysia
The change in government brought along with it a three-month tax holiday, which was then followed by the reintroduction of the SST. Unsurprisingly, many of you wanted to know how the return of the SST would affect car prices relative to GST-inclusive prices.
The Honda HR-V is one of the more popular cars in our country, and when order books were open for the facelifted model, it generated quite a bit of buzz. However, in the months since then, we’ve driven the new HR-V but there’s still no word on official pricing as of yet.
4. 2018 Perodua Myvi – full spec-by-spec comparison
Our spec-by-spec comparison of the Perodua Myvi was posted in November 2017, but it remains a popular story for our readers in 2018, most likely as a buying guide for Malaysia’s most popular car. As a recap, the Myvi comes in four variants – 1.3 Standard G, 1.3 Premium X, 1.5 High and 1.5 Advance – with only the first available with a manual option.
3. 2018 Toyota Rush launched in Malaysia – new 1.5L engine, Pre-Collision System, est from RM93k
Toyota’s seven-seater SUV arrived in October 2018 with a major overhaul to its design and feature set, available in two variants. Aside from a more efficient powertrain, the Rush also came with the ‘Safe-T Plus’ package that includes six airbags, a blind spot monitor with rear-cross traffic alert, vehicle stability control and Pre-Collision System.
When it was announced that Malaysia’s GST, previously set at 6%, would be zero-rated (0%) from June 1, 2018, many wanted to find out just how much cheaper cars would be. Based on the data provided by Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), it was a mad rush as car buyers benefited from the tax holiday.
1. 2018 Proton X70 SUV launch in Malaysia, from RM99,800
Did you guess right? Was it any surprise that Proton’s first-ever SUV model attracted the most attention in 2018? The X70 is the first product to emerge from the Proton-Geely partnership that was inked in June 2017, and it appears to be well received based on the number of bookings the company has recorded since the model’s launch.
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Did you guess right? Was it any surprise that Proton’s first-ever SUV model attracted the bashers in 2018? The X70 is the first product to emerge from the Proton-Geely partnership that was inked in June 2017, and it appears to be poor received based on the number of bookings the company has received since the model’s launch. Habisla X70!
If 15k bookings are considered as “habisla” for X70, then what figures is considered “berjayala”? 20k? 25k? Stop talking nonsense! It’s bad enough we already have a resident troll talking trash daily, no need to add another trash talker.
Nobody wants a China car. Better buy Toyota based Aruz.
Why buy a China car that is 95% sold only in China and completely rejected by ALL First World countries?
Huawei, Xiomi, Vivo, Oppo already beaten all Japs handphone to dead. The Anuz will be beaten badly by the mighty X70.
Proton fairytales are the top 1 most popular story in the comment section
Suggest the name Toyota/Perodua SA EA8X
with the china factories down fall happening, how you think they will move the production over to Malaysia instead of providing jobs to their own people?
If they want to move, it’s already done instead of CKD!
2019 review and check if this X70 still make in Malaysia yet!