Motorsport: Audi R8 LMS Cup 2017 Starts at Sepang this May 6 and 7, 2017

Six years after the inception of the Audi R8 LMS Cup and Asia’s leading sprint race is still going strong! In fact, the R8 LMS Cup rounds at the Sepang F1 Circuit will be the season opener, before the action races off to Japan, Korea and two locations in China for this thrilling championship. 

Mercedes-Benz Hap Seng Star’s Autohaus Bukit Tinggi, Klang is officially opened

The biggest premium brand in Malaysia has expanded its wings a little bit more. Mercedes-Benz now have another Autohaus (3S) Centre in Bukit Tinggi, Klang. The Mercedes-Benz Hap Seng Star Bukit Tinggi Autohaus is Hap Seng Star’s fifth Autohaus in Klang Valley. This new full-fledged 3S centre enhances coverage for customer care and convenience in Klang.

Happenings: KIA OWNER WINS THE KIA RIO SEDAN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MALAYSIA AUTOSHOW 2016

Dr Atiqah Farah Zakaria, receiving the car from Dato Samson Anand George, Group Chief Operating Officer, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings Sdn Bhd

April 26, 2017 was definitely an unforgettable day for Dr Atiqah Farah Zakaria. She had booked the Kia Grand Carnival at the recent Malaysia Autoshow 2016 and because of that, won a Kia Rio Sedan worth RM74,000.

Hyundai Santa Fe conquers the Antarctic driven by Great Grandson of Sir Ernest Shackleton - I Dig those fancy wheelarches!

Hyundai Motor has made history when a near-standard 2.2-litre diesel Santa Fe became the first passenger vehicle to be driven across the continent of Antarctica from Union Camp to McMurdo and back again. The Santa Fe was driven by Patrick Bergel, the Great Grandson of legendary polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. 

NEW TOP RANGE TURBO DIESEL VARIANTS OF NEW KIA SORENTO AND NEW KIA SPORTAGE LAUNCHED

Good news! Naza Kia Malaysia, the official distributor of KIA vehicles in Malaysia have introduced The New Kia Sorento HS Turbo Diesel beginning today and New Kia Sportage GT Turbo Diesel. Both vehicles will be in all Kia showrooms nationwide. 

Nearly Half of Malaysian Customers Don't Know What Auto Finance Deal They Entered Into - Duh!

Nearly half (43%)of Malaysia new-car buyers do not fully understand the terms of their auto finance product, according to the inaugural J.D. Power 2017 Malaysia Auto Consumer Finance Study,SM released today. In simple English, most of you guys out there don't know what the heck you just signed with the bank. You could have signed your soul away and not realise it according to JD Power. Well, that's according to me lah. Not them. But you get my point.

Industry News: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia's Quarter 1 2017 Performance Report - Everything is still ship shape!

Things are still rosey for Mercedes-Benz here in Malaysia during this first quarter of 2017! Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) has reported that it had delivered 2,945 vehicles to customers in the first quarter of 2017, registering double digit growth of 11% compared to the first quarter of 2016. Mercedes-Benz remains the undisputed leading premium brand in Malaysia with 2.3% total industry market share.

PERODUA BEZZA awarded the “Malaysia Good Design Mark” by the Malaysia Design Council

The Malaysia Design Council had recently recognised the Perodua Bezza as a well designed car under the “Public Areas and Transport Products” award category under the “Malaysia Good Design Mark” (MGDM) awards  at “The “Malaysia Good Design Mark” (MGDM) Award Ceremony 2016/2017 held on the 18th of April.2017.

Offers: PROTON's Amazing 5 Value Campaign - Ongoing till the end of April 2017

PROTON cars have a lot going on in the month of April 2017. There is a promotional offer valid from 1-30 April 2017 for all Proton cars bought during this period. This means the whole current line-up - the Proton Saga, Iriz, Persona, Ertiga, Exora, Preve, Suprima S, and Perdana can be purchased under April's PROTON Amazing 5 Value Campaign. 

Motorcycles: MODENAS TO COLLABORATE WITH INDIA’S BAJAJ AUTO LTD - Is this Modenas' strategic partner?

Motosikal Dan Enjin Nasional (MODENAS), Malaysia's national motorcycle brand will enter the Malaysian street bike segment through collaboration with Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) from India. The collaboration will be initiated in stages including distribution, and technology transfer through the development of a dedicated assembly hub in MODENAS’ plant in Gurun, Kedah. Eventually, MODENAS and BAL are also planning penetration into international markets, using the MODENAS brand in ASEAN and beyond.

Industry news: Perodua maintains 35.9% market share in 1Q with Bezza top in “A” segment

Was just perusing through a Perodua press release regarding its first quarter performance for 2017. Impressive as always. They have a market share of 35.9% or 50,300 cars registered from a total of 140,000 vehicles sold in Malaysia so far. 

PROTON PERDANA AWARDED THE ‘MALAYSIA GOOD DESIGN MARK’ BY THE MALAYSIA DESIGN COUNCIL

The All New Proton Perdana has been awarded the ‘Malaysia Good Design Mark’ (“MGDM”) accredited by the Malaysia Design Council (“MDC”). The award was accorded to the Perdana under the Public Areas and Transportation Products category. The Perdana, which was officially unveiled on 14 June 2016, received the accreditation in reference to a good design in a well-rounded product which was developed and manufactured locally.  

Trucks & Buses: The first Hino Total Support Customer Centre (HTSCC) outside of Japan opens in Sendayan

Hino Motors Sales (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd today officially opened its RM8 million upgraded Hino Total Support Customer Centre (HTSCC). This centre is set to be the catalyst for the company’s business growth in the region. The HTSCC, the first in the world outside of Japan is built with international standard specifications from Japan to assist its customers who need to comply with the Malaysian government Safety, Health and Environment Code of Practice (SHE COP).

Ford Ranger FX4 variant added to the popular Ranger pick-up truck line-up

Ford Malaysia and its distributors Sime Darby Auto Connexion have released a new variant of their ever popular Ranger 2.2 pick-up truck. It gets a lot more features and equipment.

BMW Group Malaysia Introduces the All-New BMW 740Le xDrive

BMW Group Malaysia today introduced the All-New BMW 740Le xDrive. This is the newest BMW 7 Series variant in the country. It will basically replace all previous selling BMW 7 series variants sold here in Malaysia as it takes full advantage of the EEV tax breaks as well as adding new features and equipment too.

Trucks: Volvo Trucks Malaysia Unveils the Volvo FH Series of Trucks for the Malaysian Market - We Test Drive The Volvo FH13

Volvo Trucks Malaysia has unveiled the Volvo FH Series of Prime Movers. This is the premium flagship truck for Volvo Trucks in Malaysia. With this new range of trucks, the marque now offers best-in-class fuel economy, reliability and safety. Built for long-haul regional distribution and with superior torque and power, the Volvo FH Series is highly capable of handling deliveries of over-sized loads over long distances.

Renault and TC Euro Cars have locally assembled the Renault Captur crossover - Prices start at RM109,000 and there is an early bird offer too!

Renault  and  TC  Euro  Cars  (TCEC) have begun locally assembling the  Renault  Captur. This funky urban crossover/compact SUV  is  now  EEV-certified  and  more affordable  at RM109,000.  Malaysia  is  the  only  country aside from Renault’s  facility  in  Spain  which assembles the Captur. This is another milestone in the local assembly of Renault cars in Malaysia. 

Motorsport: History Made with the First Malaysian driver ever to compete in the Ferrari 488 Challenge / 2017 Ferrari Challenge APAC

There is a Malaysian competing in the 2017 Ferrari 488 Challenge in the Ferrari Asia Pacific. This is the first time ever a Malaysian will be doing so. In this category I thought about this before as whilst Malaysia does not seem like it has a lot of Prancing Horses around, we actually do have a whole lot of them prancing around. In fact, we have a very high number of them registered and on the road. One of the highest in the South East Asian region. So finally, a Malaysian, Mr Zen Low will be competing for the whole season. A piece of local Ferrari history, no doubt. Mr. Low has gotten off to a spectacular start, earning second place in the first race and third in the second race of the competition. Congratulations!

Awards:Perodua Bezza bags 2017 Frost & Sullivan’s Malaysia Car of the Year Award, Debut Car of the Year Award and the Perodua Axia bags the Value for Money Car of the Year

Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd Managing Director, Dato' Dr. Zahari Husin received the award at the 2017 Frost & Sullivan;s Malaysia Car of the Year Award recently.

Now just prior to launching the slightly enhanced Perodua Bezza, Perodua managed to capture the 2017 Frost & Sullivan Malaysia Car of the Year award. The 2017 Frost & Sullivan’s Malaysia Car of the Year award was based on the model’s substantial sales volume, sales growth, market share in its segment and overall impact to the total industry volume. 

MINI Malaysia launches the MINI Cooper Countryman - Cooper & Cooper S variants from RM239,888 onwards

MINI Malaysia  unveiled the All-New MINI Countryman on friday, 14th of April 2017. This is essentially version 2.0 of the maxi sized MINI. The first generation (codenamed R60) was first launched back in 2010 and was produced till sometime last year. 

Perodua Slightly Enhances Their Popular Bezza Sedan

There have been reports making their rounds stating that the popular Perodua Bezza sedan will have a makeover. The rumours are true. Perodua have announced that the Bezza will get enhanced styling which includes a slightly redesigned rear bumper and new chrome platinum finish for the Bezza Premium X and Bezza Advance variants.

Motorcycle / Scooter News: NAZA PREMIRA SIGNS MOU WITH METRO DRIVING ACADEMY

Good news! Vespa Malaysia has collaborated with Metro Driving Academy to give free riding lessons for B2 license with every purchase of selected new Vespa models. This is part of the “Vespa, Why drive? Let’s ride...” campaign.

THE JAGUAR F-PACE HAS BEEN VOTED 2017 BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL CAR IN THE WORLD

The Jaguar F-PACE is officially the best and most beautiful car in the world after being awarded two titles at the 2017 World Car Awards, scooping the prestigious World Car of Year and World Car Design of the Year. Jaguar's first SUV is the fastest selling model Jaguar has produced and is only the second vehicle to claim the historic double in the 13-year history of the World Car Awards. To win the pair of trophies, the F-PACE saw off the competition in a vote of 75 influential motoring journalists from 24 countries.

Google-TNS have come up with a study on how Malaysians buy their cars these days

Google together with TNS have revealed how Malaysians start their process in purchasing their new car. The blue coloured font is Google's official press release after the graphics below. My comments are below that in black.

Second Generation Porsche Panamera launched in Malaysia [UPDATED - Video test drive of the 2017 Panamera]

Porsche, through their authorised distributor here in Malaysia, Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), have officially launched the all-new Porsche Panamera four door coupe. This is the second generation Panamera and builds on what the previous generation has achieved. This is one popular Porsche. Like the Cayenne SUV, it has filled up a spot in the luxury car market.

Happenings: NAZA World Group of Companies celebrates an honest taxi driver

(L to R) Ong Bee Leng - Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) Chief Executive Officer, Zamrod Bin Adam, Datuk Wira SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin- Group Executive Chairman NAZA World Group of Companies, Athirah Binti Zamrod & Muhammad Zain Bin Zamrod

Some feel good, chicken soup for the soul moments happened recently when the NAZA World Group of Companies celebrated an honest taxi driver at an event held at BLVD House, NAZA Tower last Saturday evening, 8th April 2017, by providing his children with education subsidies.

Upcoming Events: MotoNation 2017, a Lifestyle Auto Show and Carnival is happening in December 2017

There is a new automotive event planned for the end of this year. MotoNation 2017 will be held on  the 1st to the 3rd December 2017 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). The organisers have claimed that this event is the first automotive lifestyle carnival in South East Asia of its kind. It would be the first that brings together B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) programs. In layman's terms, businesses get to network and everybody else gets to enjoy what's on display or showcased there.

TEST DRIVE: THE FACELIFTED FORD RANGER 3.2 WILDTRAK - A Characterful Engine Makes this a very special Pick-up

Pick-up trucks are getting more and more versatile these days. This is especially true when it comes to those double cab variants that allow you to carry four other passengers and a lot of cement bags at the same time whilst traversing rough terrain. This is because most come with a 4 wheel drive setup which allows you to go nearly everywhere. It is most useful for construction companies to small time contractors. The versatility of these pick-up trucks make them very popular as is their affordability here in Malaysia.

Commercial Vehicles: Shell Lubricants Malaysia officially launches the Shell Rimula Express workshop network

Shell Lubricants Malaysia has officially launched the Shell Rimula Express workshop network of branded commercial vehicle workshops nationwide. Selected commercial vehicle workshop owners will have the opportunity to collaborate with Shell where they will become part of the Shell Rimula Express network. 

Financing: BMW Group Malaysia Introduces New Full Circle Programme for the BMW X1 sDrive20i and the All-New BMW 530i M Sport for its Corporate Programme Partners.

BMW Group Malaysia today introduced the Full Circle Programme by BMW Credit Malaysia, a new and exclusive financing offering for its existing BMW Corporate Programme customers. The new financing program offers greater flexibility with a wide range of settlement options and ensures future-value peace of mind assurance for purchases of the BMW X1 sDrive20i and the All-New BMW 530i M sport by its existing corporate customers.

MOTORCYCLES: MODENAS' Revival Begins With The Launch of The Kriss MR2 & Also Plans for Strategic Partner Tie-Up

National motorcycle manufacturer Motosikal Dan Enjin Nasional (MODENAS), part of the DRB-HICOM group had launched the latest Modenas Kriss underbone (moped) motorcycle. The Kriss has been their most popular model over the years and they hope that with the introduction of the new MR2 model to the popular KRISS line-up, it will improve its current market share of the entry level underbone motorcycle segment from 8% to 10% by the end of 2017.

Hyundai Motor Wins Two Prestigious Red Dot Design Awards for the Hyundai Azera and the i30 & an Azera in Vietnam

I must say that Hyundai is on a roll when it comes to coming up with award winning designs. Hyundai Motor has recently received recognition for its evolving design philosophy, receiving prestigious Red Dot Awards for outstanding design for the fourth year in a row. Both the Hyundai Azera – badged as Grandeur in Korea – and i30 (Elantra Sport) were recognized by the internationally-renowned awards programme, in ‘Transportation Design’ within the ‘Product Design’ category.

New Volkswagen Tiguan launched in Malaysia - Two Variants, the Comfortline & Highline - Priced from RM148,990 onwards

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has officially launched its stylish new SUV, the all-new Tiguan. Locally assembled in Pekan, the all-new Tiguan is priced at RM­148,990 for the Comfortline and RM168,990 for the Highline. 

TEST DRIVE: 2017 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 1.4 TSI COMFORTLINE & HIGHLINE

The Malaysian C segment SUV market is a burgeoning market. Everyone is in it. Super tough market. Super, super tough. It's so tough we have the Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Germans, the French and also most probably the Americans via Ford or Jeep. Speaking about Jeep, I don't even remember if they still have stock of their Jeep Whatsitsname compact SUV. Don't ask me. I just can't remember.

New Exhibit/Tour at the Land Rover Solihull Factory - 50 YEARS OF VELAR: THE STORY OF RANGE ROVER

 Land Rover launches a new visitor attraction at its Solihull home over in the UK. The new exhibit was created to celebrate 50 years of the world's most revered luxury SUV - the original Range Rover prototype which was actually codenamed 'Velar'. The tour takes visitors on a journey from the 1967 Velar prototype to the new Velar. The interactive exhibit showcases British design and engineering story behind the world’s greatest luxury SUV. 

Industry News: Continental’s tire plant in Alor Setar gets a new Plant Manager

The international tyre company Continental has announced the appointment of Carlos Bernabe as Plant Manager for its Passenger & Light Truck Tyres and Two Wheel Tyres manufacturing facility in Alor Setar, Malaysia. He joined the Continental Malaysia team in Alor Setar on January 1, 2017, succeeding Juergen Jacobs Dowling, who has been leading the plant for the past three years and is currently pursuing his career within Continental in South Africa.

I attended the International Automotive Aftermarket Conference by MAI and here are my thoughts about that as well as the industry as a whole

I was privileged to attend the second International Automotive Aftermarket Conference organised by the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) earlier today. “Spearheading Technology, Enhancing Automotive Aftermarket Industry” This one-day international conference attracted 100 participants, consisting of local and international industry stakeholders, academia, automotive recycling associations, and Government agencies. 

Truck News: Volvo Trucks grows its market share in Malaysia’s premium heavy-duty commercial vehicle segment

Volvo Malaysia announced today that it had recorded an increase of 4.8% in sales for its Volvo truck brand for financial year 2016, compared to the previous year. The growth was achieved through the sale of 370 units of trucks. This has led to the brand capturing 45% of the market share in the European heavy-duty prime mover segment in Malaysia, making it the top truck brand for the year.

Classic cars: Back when Hino made cars - the Hino Contessa 1300 Coupe

HINO is known in these parts as a reliable truck maker. It has been like that since the 1970s when the first set foot into Malaysia and slowly grew their brand into what it is today. Of course, it wasn't like that in the mid-1960s. The company made cars then.