MINI, the premium compact car brand under BMW Group, had introduced the New MINI Cooper S Countryman and the New MINI Cooper SE Countryman yesterday. This two new for 2021 variants are locally assembled and feature a slight refresh to the trim outside and a little on the inside too. The performance remains the same but as usual, the Countryman range of MINI is more for the small family and more lifestyle oriented.
BMW Group Malaysia today unveiled the All-New BMW 430i Coupé M Sport together with a slew of other models from BMW, BMW Motorrad and MINI. This is the newest 4 Series model and it actually features new design elements what we will see featured on upcoming BMW models. The key feature that most of us will notice is the new front end styling featuring that very pronounced kidney grille. This is the largest grille to front end ever to sit on a BMW in the past thirty or so years and maybe even more.
BMW Group Malaysia today previewed several of their 2021 models from the BMW, BMW Motorrad and MINI brands here in Kuala Lumpur. One of these models was the locally assembled variant of the All-New BMW X7 xDrive40i Pure Excellence. This is the only top of the range luxury SUV that has been locally assembled locally (well, if you don't consider the Volvo XC90 luxurious enough, which actually some do not) and with this, the brand has reaffirming their investments in the local automotive landscape through one of the brand’s many progressive pillars. On a more financial note, it makes the new X7 slightly more affordable for those that want one. This is always a good thing as the savings could allow the new owner to buy an Omega wristwatch or two with the spare change.
Volvo Car Malaysia has just launched the XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design. The XC40 Recharge here means that it is Volvo's compact crossover / SUV which comes with a full plug-in hybrid electric powertrain. With the launch of this new variant of Volvo's handsome, or pretty, depending on your preference of whether you call your cars girls or boys, this makes Volvo Car the first and only automotive brand in Malaysia to offer a full range of Completely Knocked-Down (CKD) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) to be assembled in Malaysia.
Sometime last week Proton and Huawei together launched a contest with the intention to reward their customers for their support and in celebration with this year's Chinese New Year. The theme of this contest is called, “Together. Light Up the Moments”. You folks will have a chance to win a Proton Iriz 1.6L Premium as well as Huawei products.
The contest period will be from 11 February 2021 to 30 April 2021 and in order for you to participate, place a booking for selected Proton models (vehicle must be registered by 31 May 2021), or purchase a Huawei branded device. So, you could buy a new Proton and get a chance to win a Proton, or a Huawei device, or buy Huawei device and win a Proton. Of course, this is like a lucky draw, so you stand as much chance as the person who booked a Proton or bought a Huawei during the contest period.
The Daihatsu Rocky based compact SUV by Perodua, the Perodua D55L is now open for booking! This is actually good news as Malaysians will get another featured packed compact SUV to choose in the market. According to Perodua, the D55L (not officially named as yet but let's hope they call it the Kembara) will be sold in X, H and AV variants at prices estimated between RM62,500 and RM73,400, on-the-road before insurance in Peninsular Malaysia.
As the name suggests, the 2021Proton Persona Black Edition is presented in black with gold accents subtly accentuating the bumpers and alloy wheels. Inside, it comes with black leatherette seats, door trims and floor console with black treatment for the headlining,
The 2021 Proton Exora Black Edition add style and luxury to vehicles that are usually sold on their practicality and comfort. As the name suggests, they are presented in black with gold accents subtly accentuating the bumpers and alloy wheels.
PROTON conducted another over the internet launch today where the Malaysian car manufacturer launched four Special Edition models at one go. The limited production models have been given the moniker Black Edition for the Persona and Exora models and the R3 Limited Edition for the Iriz and Saga. These new limited run variants were designed to broaden the appeal of each model while offering more choice to customers. Note the slightly more mature and discreet 'Black Edition' moniker for the more family oriented Persona and Exora and the return of the R3 branding for the more youthful Iriz and Saga (starter boy racer or ricer) models.
PROTON will be introducing its Special Edition models – the Iriz, Saga, Persona, and Exora. which is set to launch virtually on 18 February 2021 at 11am. These limited run variants will be enhanced with unique design elements for both the interior and exterior of these cars, the Special Edition models is here to meet customers’ needs and suits the most discerning lifestyle. In other not so marketing savvy words, the cars will have additional trim and shiny bits that will make them slightly different from the normal production models.
Malaysians will also be able to place bookings for the Special Edition models on the same date and time. These Special Edition models provide the same level of comfort, safety and handling that are offered in their standard models, except they have now been enhanced in the aesthetics department. Yes. They will look slightly tweaked with some bits here and there.
Perodua yesterday launched its first sustainable blueprint – the Perodua Smart Build. This is a long term business vision or strategy by the compact car maker that includes nearly the entire Malaysian automotive supplier and dealer ecosystem. The system is designed to thrust both itself and the industry towards greater globalisation in the future.
According to Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Zainal Abidin, Perodua Smart Build is designed to help Perodua and the automotive ecosystem reap the benefits of the National Automotive Policy by making the industry more competitive and progressive. Chief among the components of Perodua Smart Build are full product development by Perodua and its suppliers, the establishment of a first-class working culture and first-class thinking that will be able to contribute to the nation.
What we have here is the 2021 Model Year Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo compact SUV. We had a go in it just before most of Malaysia was placed under the second Movement Control Order due to the current virus pandemic. It was quite lucky in terms of timing if not this review would not have happened. We had managed to take a short trip down to Ipoh with it and if you are actually lazy to read any further, I can easily tell you that this newly launched (here in Malaysia) C-segment SUV is actually quite good for what it is.
What the Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo is a soft roader meant for urban environments with more ground clearance and all the required chunky-boi looks that make compact SUVs the choice over sedans these days. It also has the poke to move and would also give you lots of enjoyment in terms of having more than adequate performance due to its turbocharged 1.6liter engine.
Good news! New Ford Ranger customers will be able enjoy more with the new 5-year manufacturer’s warranty (with the usual terms and conditions*). This is up from the previous 3-year warranty offered before this. But even existing Ford Ranger customers can opt into this new warranty by purchasing a two new Extended Warranty. Plans (with the usual terms and conditions also**) called PremiumCARE and PowertrainCARE.
Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, recently announced the new 5-year manufacturer’s warranty 1 for its Ford Ranger lineup. Why only the Ford Ranger you say? Well, currently, this is the only car that Ford sells in large numbers in Malaysia with the occasional Ford Mustang or SUV thrown in to the picture once in a while (as these are fully imported stuff which comes in small batches). So the Ford Ranger, which is also a favourite of many pickup truck fans here, gets an extended warranty. This should make many people a little bit happier.
Volvo Car Malaysia has IMPROVED on its manufacturer or factory warranty programme to a five-years/unlimited mileage warraty for all privately owned Volvo cars* registered from 1 January 2021onwards. Prior to this announcement, Volvo car owners were entitled to a three-year/100,000km factory warranty with a combined two-years/20,000km Extended Warranty Programme (EWP) provided by an external insurance partner.
We mostly know that external parties to any arrangement will usually be a little bit reluctant to do things even though its been legally contracted to them. So it is a very, very good thing that Volvo Car Malaysia is now going the internal route to customer aftersales in terms of warranty issues. So with the introduction of the extended factory warranty, customers will be able to enjoy a similar level of protection at no additional cost, fully covered under the five-years/unlimited mileage warranty. So much more peace of mind.
And meanwhile, over at Perodua, the Malaysian compact car manufacturer has stated that they have targeted a sales figure of 240,000 vehicles in 2021. This figure is a 9% increase from the 220,163 units sold in 2020 on the back of sustained strong demand for its existing models and the extension of the sales tax exemption announced by the government recently.
By way of comparison, Perodua sold 240,341 vehicles in 2019. So they are getting back the numbers from 2019 after sales of 220,163 in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic era (which could be something of historical significance to future historians).
January 2021 sales by PROTON - 5,964 units. This marks a decrease of 29.9% over the same month last year. Basically the current round of Movement Control Orders here in Malaysia has stalled sales in the first month of this year. However, Proton says that new or upcoming model launch plans will go on unchanged as company chases after more favourable numbers this year.
Proton's market share is estimated at 18.5%, about 1.0% less compared to the same period last year (with a total industry volume of about 32,000 units for January 2021). According to Proton, the overall figures though are a reflection of supply not being able to meet demand rather than a reduction in bookings. So it could be said that supply of new cars is slowing down sales rather than the pandemic.
How true could this statement be?
