New Ford Focus launched in Malaysia - Filled to the brim with technology

Ford just launched the new Ford Focus here in Malaysia. This is essentially a facelift of the current Mk3 Focus but it features quite a number of major changes compared to the earlier car.  The changes include slimmer headlights, a new trapezoidal grille, more prominent character lines in the front fender and bumper making it similar to that of the Mondeo and keeping things in line with the current Ford design identity. But inside and underneath, Ford has really upgraded the Focus. This car has tons of new features and even a total engine and transmission change! Call it the Mk3.5 as it truly is a major facelift.

Short Test Drive: 2015 Proton Perdana 2.0 - I get to try out this Civil Service only model and more thoughts on the upcoming model

Lunch today was memorable. It was memorable because the food was good as was the company. I also managed to try out a 2015 Proton Perdana 2.0P. Most of you readers out there would know this second generation Proton Perdana as the badge engineered 8th generation Honda Accord and one that is exclusively used by the Malaysian Civil Service, Government officials including Ministers and senior management of DRB-Hicom and Proton. 

MOTORSPORTS: Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific 2016 starts off in Suzuka, Japan

Here are some stuff on the Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific 2016. First race was last weekend over in Suzuka, Japan. The Ferrari Challenge is a one make challenge (Ferrari obviously) and you would see the latest mid-engined V8 Ferrari cars dueling it out. These days it is the 458 Italia and the 488GTB. 

Happy Birthday BMW - My short message & BMW's next 100 years

Yesterday BMW celebrated their 100th year in existence. Happy belated birthday BMW. Sorry I was busy driving running some errands in a Mercedes Benz. Sorry, couldn't help it.... But your cars and motorcycles are very nice to drive nonetheless.

New Contest from Proton - Have the longest single/family owned Proton and win the upcoming Proton SAGA!

New Contest from PROTON! Proton is now searching for the longest single owned or family owned Proton vehicle in immaculate condition and with high mileage. The Grand Prize is one of the soon to be launched all-new Proton Saga. There will be ten consolation prizes ranging from refurbishment worth RM1,000 to RM5,000 as well as the winners getting a chance to visit Proton's manufacturing facility. 

Daihatsu Indonesia gets to sell the Copen Coupe....Why don't we get it here?

I wrote in 2010 that I thought it would be good if Perodua rebadged the then Daihatsu Copen into a Perodua. It would be a breath of fresh air in Malaysia as there would be a very affordable coupe for us Malaysians to have a go with. Well, it has been 5 and a half years since and during that 5 over years Perodua has now become the number one selling car brand in Malaysia, dethroning Proton. And nothing has changed.

Spotted for Sale: 2005 Mitsubishi Colt Turbo - An alternative Junior Hot Hatch

This is a fairly interesting alternative for those interested in an affordable junior hot hatch. A 2005 Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart 1.5 MIVEC Turbo going for RM33,800. This was ridiculously expensive for a small car when it was new due to its fully imported nature. The base normally aspirated Colt 1.5 MIVEC already had a list price of around RM120K so this one is at least a good RM20K more when it was new. Even so, there were those that bought it. But I think most bought them after Mitsubishi Malaysia threw price rebates into the package. There were also some WALD badged imports - this was the time when some grey importers tried to be smart and CON-vinced the government to issue them tuning APs turning everything from a Toyota Wish , a Mitsubishi Colt or a Volkswagen Golf into a WALD branded car.

Mercedes Benz A-Class facelift launched - Four models launched, up from Three previously

Whilst members of the media attended the launch of the Mercedes Benz A-Class yesterday morning , I ended up viewing the cars later in the evening together with invited guests and customers for the launch party over at the newly opened Mercedes Benz Cycle & Carriage Bintang City Store at TREC, KL. I got home pretty late last night which is why you only saw an update of the cars on the Facebook page with the prices. Too busy mixing with people who were enjoying the live band, DJ music, food and drinks. The company was pretty good too.

TRUCK NEWS: TCIE hands over a UD QUESTER 8X4 Truck to Sun Tang Trading

Tan Chong Industrial Equipment Sdn Bhd (TCIE) sold a UD Quester to Sun Tang Trading in a key handover ceremony which took place in Cameron Highlands. The Cameron Highlands based trading company has ordered one new unit of a UD Quester 8x4 rigid cargo to meet the growing demands of trading and transportation in the agricultural industry. 

Sportscar News: Kahn Design Vengeance

Kahn Design has revealed their coachbuilt or bespoke rebuild of an Aston Martin DB9 called the Vengeance over at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show recently. It harks back to the days where coachbuilders take a chassis of a car, then outfit and rebody it with whatever they or their clients fancy.

All-New Ford S-MAX launched in Malaysia - Possibly the fastest MPV you can buy in Malaysia today

The all-new 2016 Ford S-MAX has been launched in Malaysia. Ford and local distributor has officially launched the all-new S-MAX MPV. It will be priced at RM234,988.00 on the road without insurance. 

Supercar News: Ferrari at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show - GTC4Lusso, California T Handling Speciale & More

GTC4Lusso unveiling

At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari unveiled the new GTC4Lusso (this is a reworked Ferrari FF with a new name and lots of improvements), displayed the California T with the new Handling Speciale Package which sharpens the handling of the Cali and a California T Tailor Made which shows off what you can do with a Cali if you do not want the normal but already very nice stuff in it as well as the F12, 488GTB and other cars too.

News: Mercedes Benz with Cycle Carriage Bintang unveiled their new City Store at the TREC Kuala Lumpur

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mr Mark Raine (left) and Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad, Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Wong Kin Foo. In front of the new Mercedes Benz City Store at TREC KL

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and authorised dealer Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad today set a new standard in automotive retailing with the opening of the all-new Mercedes-Benz City Store. This concept is new and it is the first of its kind Mercedes-Benz City Store. 

Porsche 911R unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show - A return to purity

You know after all the chasing for more power, bigger spoilers front and rear, the fastest ever shifting double clutch gearbox ever, the most aero shape ever, the fastest and most capable sports car ever etc. etc. bla, bla, bla, we suddenly get a surprise by Porsche. A pure, normally aspirated manual transmission Porsche for people to buy. No flappy pedals here folks. You have to row that shifter like in the good ol' days.

News: Renault Captur now priced lower - from RM117,200!

The Renault Captur is now available from RM117,200 on the road inclusive of GST but without insurance (Peninsular Malaysia price/Private registration).  Renault franchise holder and distributor TC Euro Cars are making this good looking compact crossover more competitive in terms of pricing in the very tight mini SUV cum CrossOver cum premium junior hatchback cum small sedan sector. 

First Batch of PROTON cars to Chile- The restart of exports by PROTON to other countries & other technical details

Today marks PROTON cars re-entry into the Chilean automotive market. The last Proton car exported there was a batch of Proton Wira sedans back in 1998. This time, under a new initiative by Andes Motor, a subsidiary of the Kaufmann Group who are a distributor of heavy vehicles, trucks and buses in Chile.

Say Hello to the Volkswagen Phideon - A China only flagship which replaces the Phaeton there

Volkswagen is replacing the Phaeton. But only in China. The Phideon, name taken after the Roman Goddess of Fertility, Fides is a German designed exclusive for the China market replacement for the long running Phaeton. The thing about the market in China is that Volkswagen sells in vast numbers and what ever you say about the brand anywhere else makes to relevance. DSG failures there, Volkswagen gives you ten years warranty. Want a very long wheelbase Passat, they give you something called a Mangosteen. I mean Magotan. They sell over two million cars over there yearly. Or thereabouts. Our market is tiny. Really tiny.

Truck News: Major order of 1,000 Mercedes-Benz Actros by Girteka Logistics over in Europe..really major order.

And over in Europe, Mercedes Benz Trucks procures an order for 1,000 Mercedes Benz Actros prime movers. This is Mercedes-Benz Trucks' largest fleet order from Eastern Europe in its history. A framework agreement for the delivery of 1,000 Mercedes-Benz Actros with Euro VI engines has been signed with Girteka Logistics, a Lithuanian logistics company, earlier this month. The agreement will be an important milestone in the partnership between Girteka Logistics and Mercedes-Benz Trucks. The majority of the trucks will be handed over to the logistics specialist within the current year.

Supercar News: Aston Martin DB11 unveiled ahead of its launch at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show

Photos of the upcoming Aston Martin DB11 have found their way to the internet. I do not think these things are leaked just a day or so prior to the car's official launch. It comes from the manufacturer one way or the other as it becomes too much of a coincidence as everyone seems to leak something just before a launch of everything these days.

Ford Unveils the Fiesta ST200 - Hail to the new Junior Hot Hatch King....

 Ford Motor Company has unveiled the Fiesta ST that we've always wanted - the one with more power than the current 180hp/240Nm. I loved the car when I drove it but that car had a chassis that was dying for an engine that had more power. Let's call the old one the ST180 and the new one, as what Ford calls it,  the ST200 (obviously).

TEST DRIVE: VOLVO V40 T4 1.6 - Tested the high specification V40 T5 Cross Country, so how does this entry level V40 fare?

I was handed the keys to a Volvo V40 T4 1.6 automatic recently. The V40 T4 is a C segment sized hatchback that sits on the premium end of what you'd pay for a small family hatchback. It costs from around RM175,888 and actually sits in a spot which could get you a Honda Accord 2.4, an Audi A3, a Hyundai Santa Fe and a lot of cars that come from various categories within this technically higher priced vehicle segment. It however is Volvo's entry level product here in Malaysia and as it is a Volvo, it is premium automotive brand. Hence the entry price.

Hyundai IONIQ will be launched at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show - Details

Hyundai Motor is introducing the All-New Hyundai IONIQ at the Geneva Motor Show 2016. The line-up will consist of the: IONIQ Hybrid, IONIQ Electric and IONIQ Plug-in. As the world’s first model offering three electrified powertrains, the IONIQ is an attempt to make low-to zero-emission mobility accessible to everyone but it will also try to deliver an uncompromised design and driving experience. This is a very ambitious goal if I may say so.

Volkswagen Cares Programme launched - A Free Car Workshop for VW Owners

Volkswagen Malaysia has launched the Volkswagen Cares Programme recently. This is a series of free car workshops exclusively for Volkswagen owners. The first Volkswagen Cares programme was conducted at Volkswagen Wearnes Sg Besi where a total of 12 Volkswagen owners attended this inaugural session.

Mitsubishi Outlander launched in Malaysia....buy this over a Pajero Sport if you do not go off road!!!!!

Whilst I was busy having coffee with the Missus over at Citta Mall earlier this evening, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia launched the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander for the Malaysian market. The 2.4liter petrol powered Outlander comes fully imported from Japan, and for units booked before 31st May 2016, it is priced at RM166,720 on-the-road excluding insurance. Holy crap! It magically falls between the Nissan X-Trail 2.5 and the Honda CRV 2.4! How did they ever manage a feat like that?

Great Wall Malaysia is now HAVAL Malaysia and HAVAL launches the full spec M4 ELITE AMT too!

Some quick bits. Great Wall Motors (GWM) Malaysia is now called HAVAL Malaysia. HAVAL is the name which the Great Wall Motors company wishes to market all of its products globally. HAVAL is short for 'Have All'. Makes sense doesn't it?

Stains, Scratches & Snags - What vehicle interiors are made to endure - Featuring the Ford Ranger

News: Renault's Flagship Showroom in Petaling Jaya gets some Upgrades

TC Euro Cars (TCEC), the sole franchise holder for Renault cars in Malaysia, recently upgraded its flagship Renault showroom in Section 13, Petaling Jaya.  the improved Renault showroom now features a new restaurant and pub called Tavern 13, in addition to an existing café, to create a more lifestyle experience in the showroom.

Thoughts on cool Volvo cars (Not their SUVs)- The 850 T5R and the newest cool Volvo - the S90 & V90

Recently Volvo unveiled the wagon version of the also recently launched S90. The V90 is a beautiful, beautiful station wagon that is what I remember Volvo cars were like, big, boxy and full of presence. And they were basically cars. There were no SUVs back then, we had family saloons and wagons basically. Both the S90 and V90 are stunning but they are actually very much a three box design with its edges rounded off. This is actually much like the Volvos of the 1990s. An era where Volvos were still popular everywhere in the world including here in Malaysia. 

Mercedes Benz celebrates 130! Years of Innovation at the newly renovated Cycle & Carriage Bintang Georgetown Autohaus

Mercedes Benz Malaysia celebrated 130 years of Innovation over in Georgetown earlier today. The celebration pays tribute to the brand's heritage and history, especially the invention of the automobile (by Mercedes Benz) in 1886. It was held over at the newly renovated Cycle & Carriage Bintang Georgetown Autohaus over in Penang. 

SUPERCAR NEWS: A new exhibition is unveiled at the Enzo Ferrari Museum

In celebration of Enzo Ferrari's birthday (il Commedatore would be 118 if he were alive today), a new exhibition will be unveiled at the Enzo Ferrari Museum in the Ferrari capital of Modena. The theme of the new exhibition is titled ' Red Carpet and as per the name, it is a tribute to Ferrari on the silver screen and Hollywood. 

Volkswagen Passat B7 to be the official car for Le Tour De Langkawi 2016

L – R : Mr Emir Abdul Jalal, CEO of Le Tour De Langkawi and Mr Roland Ooi, Sales Director of Volkswagen Malaysia.

The official car for the upcoming Le Tour De Langkawi will be the Volkswagen Passat . A total of 190 units of this large sedan will be used for Malaysia's premier cycling event. It will be used throughout the race by the riders and their team personnel, safety marshals and also the police. 

Cars We Still Adore: The Honda Prelude, especially the third generation BA series

One car that I wish Honda would bring back is the Prelude. The Honda Prelude is a two door coupe that was produced by Honda from 1978 until 2001. The two-door coupe was developed from the Honda Accord and spanned five generations.

Motorsports: RED BULL RACING & PUMA REVEAL NEW TEAM LOOK

Look closely at the shoes, race overalls, shirts and t-shirts in the photos herein. All are PUMA. Then take a look at the new Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car. New colour scheme. New team look. 

Note that this year there would be no more Infiniti as a main sponsor.

Ford Everest Achieves ASEAN NCAP’s 5-Star Safety Rating

I have written about the Ford Everest's perormance in the ASEAN NCAP earlier when it was announced by MIROS, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety, together with a few other cars (the Hyundai i10, Toyota Innova, Nissan Grand Livina  and a few others). Now we have a video from Ford explaining how the Ford Everest can achieve the 5 star rating a little further.

PROTON ANNOUNCES SERVICE FIX IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES FOR ITS TURBOCHARGED ENGINE MODELS

The Press Release below is the official statement by PROTON cars on the recall of its turbocharged engine models. PROTON has taken precautionary step to provide a Service Fix on the Oil Cooler Hose in all its turbo-charged powered models. The models involve are the Proton Exora, Suprima S and Prevé. This initiative is undertaken as part of our brand new promise and our continuous commitment in engaging with the customers.

Hyundai wins 2016 Kelley Blue Book Cost to Own Awards

Over in America Hyundai was named overall brand winner in the 2016 Kelley Blue Book 5 year Cost to Own Awards. The automobile manufacturer was ranked first among mainstream brands for lowest projected ownership costs over a five year period. Some of the models driving Hyundai’s success include the 2016 Accent, Elantra, Sonata, Tucson and Veloster. We do not get the Accent here in Malaysia but we do get the rest. 

Newly Upgraded Cycle & Carriage Bintang Mercedes Benz Autohaus unveiled

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd, together with authorised dealer, Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad (CCB), today unveiled the all new, upgraded CCB Autohaus in Petaling Jaya. This is the one strategically located Lot 19, Jalan 51A/219, Off Federal Highway, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. You cannot miss it as it is quite a familiar landmark if you're on the Federal Highway.

Happenings: First Renault track day for 2016 at the Sepang International Circuit

Last 4th of February,  Renault distributor for Malaysia TC Euro Cars held a track day session for Renault owners at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC). A total of 30 Renault Sport owners attended and drove their Megane RS and Clio RS cars round and round the circuit. Hopefully to their hearts content.

Renault plans to revive the Alpine brand by starting with the beautiful Vision Alpine prototype

Renault have announced plans for a new Alpine sports car. This is very good news to me. The last Alpine was sometime in the 1990s and they were like the French's answer to a Porsche 911. They had their engines like the Porsche, slung way back at the rear behind the axles. They looked good too, but this new one takes after one of the earliest and nicest looking model, the Alpine A110 - which I happen to think as one of the nicest small sized coupe ever built. Aside from some small, tiny, obscure Italian Fiat Abarth,  an Alpine A110 in French Racing Blue is awsome. Too bad they are showing it in white.

Ah...here's a proper pic of it below....

2016 Proton Perdana - Teased and previewed. An opinion.

And so, after unveiling their latest plan in order to make PROTON successful again, Chairman Tun Mahathir and CEO Dato' Abdul Harith showed us the new 2016 PROTON Perdana in top spec 2.4liter form. All of us who attended the press conference were forced to put away all forms of camera when they showed us the new car. Of course, they have already been teasing us with bits during the presentation - like the headlights above and in the presentation slide below. So there will be no full pics here but an writeup on what I think about the car after viewing it for the first time.

PROTON unveils new logo, new service assist, new aftersales initiatives and the It's in the Drive campaign + Opinion

CEO Dato' Abdul Harith Abdullah explaining to the media the new plan for PROTON

In order to bring back confidence in the Proton Cars brand, Proton Holdings Berhad held a press conference unveiling a new look (and logo), its transformation plan and its promise to provide a much better experience to its customers. 

Spotted for Sale: 2005 BMW 318i 1.8 (A) SPORTS UNCLE CAR - Yup. The E46 can be considered an UNCLE CAR

Usually when we say the car is an 'Uncle Car' it means that the car is super dull looking. Something like a two generations ago Toyota Camry or the A33 Nissan Cefiro. These are super boring to look at cars and usually driven by slightly elderly people who are as super dull looking as the car. However, sometimes even a somewhat interesting car like this E46 BMW 318i  gets called  an uncle car by the people trying to flog it off.

Ramblings on a Sunday - The upcoming Proton-Suzuki Ertiga collaboration model and what might have been

Imagine if Suzuki had brought this into Malaysia in 2012.....

I had recently heard that one of the first few collaboration vehicles under the Proton-Suzuki joint venture is the Suzuki Ertiga small SUV. Recent in this case was about a week or so ago but since it was Chinese New Year and I had opinions and news about other things to write about I have now decided to say a bit more on what I think the of this Suzy MPV and some background stuff about Suzuki in Malaysia.

An English lesson: The meaning of 'Grand'....but when it comes to cars....

The Suzuki GRAND Vitara....

Recent test results of the ASEAN NCAP has got me thinking. Not about the results but about cars that use the word 'GRAND' in their name.

grand
ɡrand/
adjective
1.
magnificent and imposing in appearance, size, or style.

ASEAN NCAP Results for Quarter 1, 2016 - Hyundai i10, Ford Everest, Toyota Fortuner, Nissan Grand Livina results

 Ouch!!!! The 1st generation Hyundai i10 with some crash test dummies....and a flying side skirt.

 MIROS / ASEAN NCAP recently performed several crash tests on the 1st generation Hyundai i10, 3rd generation Ford Everest, the current Toyota Fortuner, the Nissan Grand Livina and the Toyota Innova. 

Road Safety: Shell Malaysia partners MIROS on iRAP Programme to improve road safety in Malaysia

Shell Malaysia together with the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) will be partnering through the International Road Safety Assessment Programme (iRAP) in order to improve road safety in Malaysia. The partnership was marked with a signing ceremony witnessed by YB Dato' Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Transport Malaysia. Also present were Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Chairman of MIROS, Datuk Seri Hj Saripuddin Hj Kasim - Deputy Secretary General Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Datuk IAIN Lo - Chairman Shell Malaysia, Mr Rob McInerney - CEO of iRAP, Datuk Azman Ismail - MD of Shell Malaysia and Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon - Director General of MIROS.

Now, iRAP is an international award winning charity organisation dedicated to creating a world without high risk roads through research and evidence.

Spotted For Sale: 2001 Nissan Cefiro 3.0 Auto A32 - VIP dirt cheap...road tax is the only issue

The thing about large capacity cars in Malaysia is the road tax. The annual cost of road tax climbs steeply after 2,000cc (RM380 at 2,000cc) with another jump after 3,000cc (3000cc costs around RM2,130) which actually makes 3.2liter car's road tax cost RM3,030. So cars that are over the 2.5liter barrier are usually shunned unless they are collectible sports cars. Even so, if you can spare about RM2,100 worth of road tax per annum, you can start playing with entry level big bruisers and cruisers like this dirt cheap 2001 Nissan Cefiro 3.0 Brougham here.

Kahn Design releases photos and a video of their upcoming Vengeance supercar

Kahn Design of the UK, who are famous for modding Range Rovers and Land Rovers will unveil their latest car called the Vengeance. I believe it is based on the Aston Martin DB9 with a different front and rear end. The front end has a very toothy evil grin and the rear reminds me of a Ferrari. The overall effect seems to be close to a Zagato Aston Martin actually. But with a tad less flair than the Italian Coachbuilder. But I think this will be opinion dividing. Of course, controversy is sometimes a very good marketing tool. More people talk about it, the better.