Volkswagen Polo 1.6 now priced from RM69,888 for a limited time

Good news! Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is pleased to announce that the Volkswagen Polo 1.6 Hatchback is now priced at RM69,888* (*does not include registration and insurance. Applicable for Peninsular Malaysia only) for a limited time and with a monthly loan repayment of around RM737* only. 

RAINBOW ENTERPRISE GIVES OUT FREE EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAMME FOR RECONDITIONED CARS WITH GUARD MY RIDE

 Mr. Gerard Law, General Manager of GMR & Mr. Paramesvaren, representative of Rainbow Enterprise after launching the free extended warranty programme

I attended a small press event on wednesday which pertains to the fairly large reconditioned car market here in Malaysia (which makes it quite interesting actually). Rainbow Enterprise, one of the largest exporter of reconditioned cars from Japan is giving Malaysian car buyers free extended warranty coverage for the first 500 units registered commencing from 8th of March 2017. This special limited offer will be carried out through its partnership with Malaysia’s No. 1 extended warranty company Guard My Ride (GMR).

Auto Bavaria is the Official Vehicle Partner for the UNESCO Forum 2017 to be held in Kuala Lumpur from 14th to the 23rd March 2017

Auto Bavaria, the largest authorised BMW dealership group in Malaysia has announced that it will be the vehicle sponsor for the first Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Forum for the Asia-Pacific region in 2017. The event will take place from March 14th to March 23rd at the Sunway Putra Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Industry news: Malaysian automotive vendors keen to collaborate with Japanese counterparts

Recently a total of 44 Japanese automotive vendors and trading companies attended a business matchmaking session with a trade delegation consisting of 25 Malaysian automotive vendors held in Tsu City, Mei Prefecture yesterday. The event was hosted by Hyakugo Bank of Japan. Much like speed-dating in some ways where potential partners get to meet one another and see whether marriage of some sorts is possible. Business wise that is.

Opinion: Those C segment features in your B segment car may cost you an arm and a leg later on

One of the latest marketing statement from Honda Malaysia made during the launch of their facelifted Honda City sedan is that it now provides "....Malaysians with A New City that has C-segment features at B-segment price". What this basically means is that with nearly the same amount of money as the pre-facelift model, you get more equipment. Or so it seems.

New Peugeot 3008 SUV named "Car of the Year 2017"

The latest, newest Peugeot 3008 SUV has just won the Car of the Year 2017 award.  Comprising 58 European journalists (yup, a European thing, but since this is where the action is, the award is a big thing), the judging panel based their award on style, interior design and performance of the cars in contention. This prestigious trophy joins the twenty other prizes the new PEUGEOT 3008 has already won. The vehicle is the fifth PEUGEOT to win Car of the Year and the first SUV honoured in the history of the COTY prize.

Lucky Pakcik from Kuantan wins Volkswagen’s Biggest Angpow of the Year

I suppose this is a truly Malaysia thingy. A 53 Year old Pakcik wins the Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia Chinese New Year Campaign's 'Biggest Angpow of the year'.  Mr. Syed Mohammed Sohaimi, who hails from Kuantan, Pahang qualified for the promotion after purchasing a Vento 1.2L TSI. 

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia issues a statement on the very recent recall announcement by Daimler AG

The official statement by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia is published down below stating the cause of the recent recall affecting Mercedes-Benz vehicles globally. It seems the starter motor will overload under certain conditions especially if the vehicle in question has suffered from a hydrolocked engine (water has entered the engine because of flood or other water immersion issues).

Range Rover Velar - The new compact luxury SUV from Range Rover

The global launch of the new Range Rover Velar (The Fourth member of the Range Rover Family) happened a couple of days ago at the design museum at London. The name Velar is actually an English word derived from Latin. It basically means Veil or something to do about how the tongue is used to pronounce the letter 'G' and 'K'. Quite a change from the first three models - The flagship is just called Range Rover, the second in line is called the Range Rover Sport and the smallest Range Rover of them all is called the Range Rover Evoque. The Range Rover Velar slots in between the Sport and the Evoque, rounding off a complete range of luxury SUV by the Range Rover brand of vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz Cycle & Carriage Bintang officially opens the Mercedes-Benz Cycle & Carriage Bintang Cheras Autohaus - Its 12th Outlet in Malaysia

A little bit more on Mercedes-Benz Malaysia from me. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MBM) together with their oldest and longest authorised dealer here in Malaysia, Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad (C&C) had earlier today officially opened the Mercedes-Benz Cycle & Carriage Bintang Cheras Autohaus (C&C Cheras).

Isuzu Malaysia launches the 3.0L D-MAX Single Cab while upgrading the current 2.5L as well

Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd has introduced a new D-Max variant into their lineup, the Isuzu D-Max 3.0L single cab. According to Isuzu, this is the only 3.0L single cab pick-up available in Malaysia. This means that if you are a business owner with no need to carry lots of people or workers but need the convenience of a very powerful pick-up truck, this is it.

MINI Seven Edition - an Exclusive 30 units MINI 5 door for Malaysia

MINI Malaysia today introduces the New MINI Seven Edition for the Malaysian market. This is the first design model from the brands’ newest MINI 5 Door model. The new MINI Seven Edition is created as an homage to the original Austin Seven. This new MINI Seven basically pays homage to the original, properly tiny, small, compared to today's MINI cars which we first saw in the year 2000. Yes, it is a homage, a larger sized homage of a tiny car. 

MERCEDES-BENZ MALAYSIA officially opens its new corporate Headquarters and Training Academy

This is a heck of a building, the new HQ and Training Academy of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia! The new purpose-built facility located in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong is part of the company's longstanding investments in Malaysia. Now, this new corporate Headquarters shows their commitment and support of the nation’s automotive industry.

The All-New Volkswagen Tiguan is now Open for Booking! Price is estimated to be from RM149K to RM169K

Okay folks, Volkswagen is now accepting early bookings for the all-new, soon to be launched, locally assembled EEV (Energy Efficient Vehicle) tax break category, Volkswagen Tiguan. What this means is that Volkswagen's Tiguan will be priced closer to its size rivals like the Honda CRV and Mazda CX-5. There will be two variants - the Comfortline and the Highline and it will be priced between RM149,000 to RM169,000.

Alpine reveals first images of the new A110 before its official premiere at the Geneva Motor show.

Ahead of the Geneva Motor show, (Renault) Alpine has revealed the first images of the new two-seater sports car it will premiere at the Geneva Motor show.

Volkswagen Sg Besi Celebrates New Outlet with a Party for Customers

After three months of settling in and ensuring smooth operations – Wearnes Automotive today held a launch and appreciation night for its customers and media to celebrate the new Volkswagen Sg Besi outlet. The previous outlet happened to be earmarked for redevelopment by the landowners. 

Bentley Kuala Lumpur officially opens its flagship showroom and previews the Continental GT Speed BLACK SPEED by Mulliner

Last friday I attended the official opening of Bentley Kuala Lumpur's new flagship showroom here in Kuala Lumpur. Wearnes Quest Sdn Bhd, who have been the official importers and distributors of Bentley automobiles in Malaysia since 2008 had invited favoured guests, customers and members of the media to the grand opening of the showroom at Etiqa Twins, located right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle.

Happenings: College student from MSU wins Perodua Axia in MYPerodua Nation Grand Prize

Mr. Ahmad Irfan Ismail was chosen as the lucky draw grand prize winner of Perodua’s first and biggest outdoor event, MYPerodua Nation carnival held in Shah Alam from 20th January 2017 to 22nd January 2017. The 25-year old college student from the Management and Science University (MSU) was presented with a key to a brand new Perodua Axia 1.0L Advance variant.

THE NEW & ENHANCED PEUGEOT 208 GTI IS NOW IN MALAYSIA

Nasim Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of the Peugeot brand in Malaysia, has introduced to the Malaysian market the new (2017 model year) Peugeot 208 GTi. Aside from the usual equipment upgrade and some cosmetic changes, the chage that has made me the happiest is the new engine. 

MICHELIN MALAYSIA AND FEI YUE TYRES OPENS FIRST TYREPLUS STORE IN SARAWAK

Michelin Malaysia has opened its first outlet in Sibu, Sawarak via its Sarawak distributor Fei Yue Tyres Sdn Bhd. This RM2 million TYREPLUS outlet is designed with the customer in mind and can cater for all types of vehicles whilst offering competitive prices too.

SHELL MALAYSIA'S EURO 5 DIESEL IS NOW AVAILABLE IN SABAH

Good news for diesel users in Sabah. Shell Malaysia today announced the availability of its Shell FuelSave Diesel Euro 5 - a high quality, fuel-efficient diesel at 8 retail stations along the west coast of Sabah. 

HONDA MALAYSIA'S 2016 sales report, 2017 hopes & dreams, some thoughts and the upcoming Honda City facelift

Some facts and figures from Honda Malaysia. Firstly, Honda Malaysia exceeded the set target to end 2016 with a sale of 91,830 units. 15.8% market share - no1 non-national brand in Malaysia and No. 2 in total industry volume in Malaysia. Wow.

Industry News: Tire Technology International names Continental 2017 Tire Manufacturer of the Year - Innovative steps in R&D, Testing and Production

Tyre manufacturer Continental  was honored by UK-based trade journal “Tire Technology International” with its 2017 Tire Manufacturer of the Year award. Continental was chosen by a panel of 27 judges from all over the world where is chose to recognise the company's efforts in its continuous investment in the fields of research & development, testing and production equipment.

MASERATI LEVANTE SUV now on sale in Malaysia

The Maserati’s first SUV, Levante is now available to Malaysian market. After previewing Maserati's first ever SUV sometime last August, NAZA Italia has now announced its official launch into the Malaysian market. In order to make sure that the Levante is competitive in terms of pricing and in terms of desirability NAZA Italia has decided to bring in the Maserati Levante in the 3.0liter turbodiesel form, making this Maserati fuel efficient and also road tax friendly too. 

New Volkswagen 3S Centre in Tebrau, Johor Opens

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) and WN Motorworld Sdn Bhd has officially opened the new Volkswagen Tebrau 3S Centre in Johor Bahru. WN Motorworld Sdn Bhd has invested a total of RM1.5 million into this 3S Centre, a marked upgrade from its interim (temporary) facility prior to this new showroom. It is now able to better cater and support both Volkswagen sales and aftersales services in the areas of Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Kota Tinggi, Pasir Gudang and locations around the Iskandar region. 

TRUCK NEWS: HINO Malaysia Launches the Upgraded Hino 500 Series Medium Duty Trucks in Malaysia

HINO has launched their second new truck range in Malaysia for this year. This latest generation of HINO 500 trucks is quite an improvement over the previous 500 series which has been around since the early 2000s. The 500 series is also the best seller in the Medium Commercial Vehicle (MCV) segment here in Malaysia and HINO is confident that the new truck would be well received. There are new commonrail direct injection engines, new safety features as well as added refinement in all variants offered.

SPOTTED FOR SALE: 2014 DAIHATSU COPEN Roadster UnReg

One of the cars which I actually like to see more on our roads is the Daihatsu Copen. A small Kei-car 660cc turbocharged roadster that could be mighty fun to own and drive. Of course, here in Malaysia, Daihatsu's presence here is curtailed in some ways by Malaysia's way of doing things - lotsa restrictions, high taxes, promoting a local car industry and overly cautious buyers who seem to care about resale value above anything else. 

Sunday Lite: Not Fast, but a Legend....

The owner of this Proton Satria for sale has a nice title header - tak laju tapi legend - Satria Car, not fast but a legend.

It is a 1.3liter Satria by the way. The owner really holds this car in high regard. Tooooo high regard. ' Angkat bakul tekan lift sendiri ka?'

PROTON LAUNCHES THE PROTON IRIZ HATCHBACK IN INDONESIA

PT PROTON Edar Indonesia, the official distributors of Proton cars in Indonesia had recently  launched Proton Iriz hatchback at FX Sudirman Mall, Senayan. Two variants are made available to the Indonesian market, 1.3L MT Standard and 1.3L CVT Standard, priced at IDR175,250,000 an IDR185,283,000, respectively. The cars will sold in 7 colours, Cotton White, Midnight Black, Sterling Silver, Atlantic Blue, Graphite Grey, Citrus Green and Fire Red.

SHELL MALAYSIA LAUNCHES NEW ‘ANTI-AGEING’ OIL FOR HIGH MILEAGE VEHICLES

Shell Malaysia has just launched a specialised Shell Helix engine oil that can help ‘fight’ the effects of ageing in a car's engine. The new Shell Helix High Mileage 15W 50 synthetic technology multi-fuel engine oil is specially formulated for passenger cars (both petrol and diesel passenger vehicles - not commercial vehicles) with Flexi Molecule Technology to offer customised protection to engines, especially those with more than 100,000 km on the odometer. 

PROTON's Foreign Strategic Partner decision to be made by the first half of 2017

DRB-HICOM Berhad have confirmed again that will only conclude and announce their decision within the first half of this year. There have been tons of speculation on the matter and I had mentioned earlier that all of this is mere talk and even any 'expert' opinion will just be an opinion until the actual decision is released to the public. 

BHPetrol provides Electric/Plug-In Hybrid vehicle charging stations for FREE at the Sg Kayu Ara station, PJ & the Sg Besi Harmony station,

BHPetrol (Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd) recently marked its 11th year in the petroleum business by installing re-charging stations for Electric and Plug-In Hybrid vehicles at two of their stations - the BHPetrol station at Kg Sg Kayu Ara, Petaling Jaya and the one located at Sg Besi Harmony (after the toll plaza towards Seremban). This value added service by BHPetrol is a step by the company into developing a sustainable community and also a small step for the company into other renewal sources of energy.

CHEVROLET MALAYSIA INTRODUCES THE CHEVROLET COMPLETE CARE PROGRAMME

Yesterday, at a gathering of various media people at the Chevrolet S3 Centre in Puchong Naza Quest, the official importer and distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Malaysia, launched the Chevrolet Complete Care (CCC) aftersales programme. The Chevrolet Complete Care programme combines a Comprehensive Vehicle Manufacturer Warranty, with Complete Chevrolet Service, Fully Integrated Service Operating System, 24/7 Roadside Assistance and 24/7 Live Chat Customer Care Assistance for peace of mind, wherever a customer is located in Malaysia.

The services are laid down herewith (as well as in the news release right down below). It covers the following:

INDUSTRY NEWS: ISUZU MALAYSIA ANNOUNCES THAT 2016 WAS A RECORD YEAR FOR THEM

Isuzu Malaysia has announced that 2016 was a record year for them, where the brand is placed 6th in overall sales as the most popular vehicle brand in Malaysia. Isuzu also continued its domination of the Malaysian truck market, taking a commanding 38.9%.  The best selling Isuzu ELF light-duty truck tops the commercial vehicle charts for seventh consecutive years, and Isuzu Forward medium-duty truck for the third time.

BMW Group Malaysia is the Official Automotive Partner of the Le Tour de Langkawi Malaysia 2017.

This year it is BMW who are official automotive partners for the upcoming 2017 Le Tour de Langkawi cycling event. BMW Group Malaysia and Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) today announced the appointment of the premium automaker as the Official Automotive Partner of the Le Tour de Langkawi Malaysia competition for the year 2017. The premium automaker will support one of Asia’s premier cycling stage race with a fleet of BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad vehicles. They will also be the  White Jersey Sponsor for the Best Asian Rider 

Happenings: EXCLUSIVE VISIT TO DUCATI TEAM GARAGE FOR SHELL ADVANCE GUESTS

Shell Advance recently invited 100 special guests for a unique experience ahead of the 2017 MotoGP™ season. The lucky group comprised of mechanics (who have helped make Shell Advance the leading motorcycle engine oil brand in Malaysia), members of the Desmo Owners Club Malaysia and selected media. In the main pic above, you can see Ducati press officer Julian Thomas taking a wefie with some of the lucky people.

TRUCK NEWS:Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Unveils its latest 3S Commercial Vehicle Centre in Klang

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Commercial Vehicles (MBMCV) together with authorised dealer, Hap Seng Commercial Vehicle (HSCV) has officially opened its full-fledged 3S Commercial Vehicle Centre in Selangor’s Industrial Hub, Telok Gong, Klang. According to them, manufacturers and transporter companies will benefit from the full-fledged 3S Service Centre strategically located in Selangor’s Industrial Hub, Telok Gong, Klang.

Apollo Tyres offers an impressive one year UNCONDITIONAL Warranty for passenger car tyres in Malaysia

Mr. Shubhro Ghosh, Group Head - ASEAN, Middle East & Africa, Apollo Tyres believes the UCW offer will increase Malaysians’ confidence in Apollo

Starting from the 10th of February 2017 customers of Apollo Tyres here in Malaysia will be offered a one-year Unconditional Warranty (UCW) for their range of passenger car tyres. 

News: Caltex™ Havoline® and ONE Championship™ bring the fight back to Kuala Lumpur

Caltex wants you  to put the fight back in your engine, with Caltex Havoline. Throne of Tigers, will be held today, the 10th of February at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur. Ev Ting from Malaysia is expected once again to show his domination in the cage when he faces Kamal. Because of his impressive track record as a fighter, Ev was recently invited to represent Caltex as the brand ambassador for their premium engine oil brand, Havoline.

Aside from that you can also enter...

FROM SPECTATOR TO STRIKER : CHEVROLET INVITES FOOTBALL FANS TO BECOME ‘PROS’ FOR A DAY AT 2017 CHEVROLET FAN CUP

Announced in the middle of last month, Chevrolet will make fans “professional” footballers for a day through the 2017 Chevrolet Fan Cup, a global competition where winners will play at Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium, the “Theatre of Dreams.”

Happenings: SMK Sultan Abdul Samad students rise to the challenge with Caltex™ Havoline® and ONE Championship™

On wednesday, the 8th of February 2017, a select group of secondary school students from SMK Sultan Abdul Samad in Petaling Jaya had a once in a lifetime chance to meet up with  two of the Mixed Martial Arts competitors from the ONE Championship series through a CSR community initiative spearheaded by Caltex Havoline. 

Someone said I did not give 'Constructive Criticism' on the Super Narrow & therefore quite ugly looking Chana Era CM8 MPV - I now try to give constructive advise

Photo:Paultan.org

Recently someone complained that I did not give any 'Constructive Criticism' about a car he, or she was searching on. The person stumbled on the blog searching about the CHANA ERA CM8 Mini MPV and then said this,

Statement by DRB-Hicom on PROTON Holding's Foreign Partner search - My opinions are included free of charge

DRB-Hicom, who are the owners of PROTON Holdings, the Malaysian car company has issued a statement (which is posted down below) in response to the latest round of media reports on the future of Proton and who is in the running to 'take over' or enter into a partnership with Proton. This depends on which angle the journalists are writing from. 

SHELL ADVANCE LAUNCHES FULL RANGE OF SCOOTER OILS WITH DUCATI CORSE RIDER ANDREA DOVIZIOSO AS SPECIAL GUEST & LAUNCHES EXPRESS OIL CHANGE AT SELECTED SHELL STATIONS

It has been a quiet weekend for Yours Truly. Didn't do much last friday except go to a Shell Advance launch for their newest range of scooter lubricants. Well, it still is Chinese New Year week you know. Anyway, the new products launched comprised of the fully synthetic Shell Advance 4T Ultra Scooter with PurePlus Technology 5W-40, synthetic technology Shell Advance 4T AX 7 Scooter 10W-40 and Shell Advance Scooter Gear Oil. 

Industry News: PROTON appoints a new CEO for Proton Edar

Proton has appointed the dapper looking chap in the photograph above as the new CEO of its sales and marketing arm, Proton Edar Sdn Bhd. Mr Abdul Rashid Musa replaces outgoing CEO Mr Rohime Shafie effective 1st of February 2017. Prior to this appointment, he was the Chief Technical Officer of PROTON where he held several portfolios, including being instrumental in the development of the four new models in 2016 (the Perdana, Persona, Saga and Ertiga). 

BMW 118i M Sport and BMW 330e M Sport variants launched in conjunction with BMW Group Malaysia CNY festivities

BMW Group Malaysia announced the introduction of two new M Sport models for the Malaysian market – the new BMW 118i M Sport and BMW 330e M Sport. The new cars are introduced in conjunction with the premium automaker’s CNY@BMW campaign that is currently ongoing at all its dealerships nationwide. 

Proton Persona and the Proton Saga launched in Brunei

Proton has launched the all-new Proton Persona and the all-new Proton Saga over in the Kingdom of Brunei. For those that did not do too well in geography or if you are just unaware, Brunei is located in the island of Borneo (hence the name) and nicely sandwiched between Sabah and Sarawak. Of course, if you're from Brunei, or did quite well for your Geography paper, you'd probably know that already. 

TEST DRIVE: VOLVO XC90 T8 - All Hail, the King of the North

The thing about a lot of people is that they have a preconception about nearly automotive brand out there. Take for example Volvo. A lot of people have that notion that a Volvo is one of those cars for family types. Some however think that a Volvo is those old square boxes like the 240 which are meant for hipster type folks out there. Then there are some who think that you should follow precisely what Volvo's previous slogan to the tee, which is 'Volvo, For Life' and just buy one Volvo and use it for the rest of their lives. But ever since Volvo recently gave their whole line-up a good shake, a Volvo is a stupendous vehicle to drive.