Volkswagen Track Day 2018 - Sepang Circuit 21st September 2018 - It was damp after the rain...So it was fun in the Golf TSI R-Line & the Golf GTI

Last weekend was Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia's (VPCM) Volkswagen Track Day 2018 at the Sepang International Circuit. Friday, the 21st of September was a session for the media fellas and VPCM's fleet customers. These are basically people who report for motoring media - print, online & broadcast as well as lifestyle media if I am not mistaken (I didn't pay attention...I was just there to have some fun with the cars provided). Saturday night, the 22nd was for Volkswagen car clubs and customers invited by VPCM to have a go around the track.

The Toyota Fortuner and Innova Receives Upgrades and Enhancements For Malaysia - Prices for Fortuner, Innova & Hilux Also Announced

 UMW Toyota Motor, the official distributors of Toyota in Malaysia have announced slightly upgraded and / or enhanced specification for the Toyota Fortuner SUV and Innova MPV and Hilux Pick-up Truck. These slightly different specified models will be made available for booking from 3 September 2018 onwards, with the sales launch and deliveries to customers to take place later in September 2018. 

Proton Cars Re-Starts Exports to Egypt - Local Distributors Alpha Ezz El-Arab Set To Sell An Estimated 1,000 Units in 2018

Proton Cars are really getting their ship back in shape. This time around, they have started sending cars to Egypt again after an absence. Proton held a flag-off ceremony for this first batch of cars at its plant in Tanjung Malim earlier today. The small ceremony basically marks Proton's first shipment to Egypt in almost three years. 

Proton X70 Exclusive Media Preview Official PROTON Video - We Get Some Airtime in the Vid!

Proton has just released a short video on the recent media preview of the upcoming X70 SUV. I get interviewed on what I thought about it. You can see me blabbering for a few seconds at around the 1min 30sec mark. 

Truck News: Scania Malaysia Delivers 12 Trucks to Circular Agency Sdn Bhd

Recently, we have been hearing a lot from the folks at Scania Malaysia and their trucks as well as buses. This time, the commercial vehicle manufacturer has delivered 12 new Scania trucks to Circular Agency Sdn Bhd.  Circular Agency purchased 11 units of Scania G410LA6x2MNA trucks and 1 unit of Scania G360LA4x2MNA truck.

The Volvo XC90 T5 is Now Offered in Malaysia - 2.0Liter 254hp Turbocharged Petrol Engine Instead of the XC90 T8's Hybrid Powertrain

Volvo Car Malaysia has added another variant of their innovative and extremely popular Volvo XC90 here. The Volvo XC90 T5 is the latest variant of their 7-seater premium SUV line-up. It joins the XC90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription and Inscription Plus.

Naza Kia Malaysia's SST Prices for Kia Vehicles is Here...

Here are Kia Sales and Service Tax (SST) prices as announced by Naza Kia Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The prices are inclusive of 10% sales tax applicable for vehicles as well as a comparison with GST prices.

BMW Malaysia Launches the BMW i8 Roadster For The Malaysian Market - Prices Start at RM1,508,800 Onwards

The BMW i8 Roadster has been introduced for the Malaysian market. BMW's flagship hybrid sports car in its open top form had been unveiled at the Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) 2018, at which BMW Malaysia is the official E-Mobility partner. The event saw many BMW Plug-in Hybrids acting as official cars for the event. This is the first-ever i8 Roadster and hopefully will spawn many more generations of open top i8 Roadsters to come.

Happenings: The Team From Malaysia Wins the Castrol Asia Pacific Cars Super Mechanic Contest 2018

The long weekend here in Malaysia coincided with the The Castrol Asia Pacific Cars Super Mechanic Contest 2018 finals which was held at the KLCC Convention Centre last Sunday. The Malaysian team, which consisted of Low Pai Khoon, Yim Shao Ze and Alvin Tan Yong Jun, was crowned the Regional Champion of the Castrol Asia Pacific Cars Super Mechanic contest 2018. Team Thailand and team India were runner-up and second runner-up respectively. 

Upcoming Events: Velocity Motor Show 2018 at Desa ParkCity This Malaysia Day Weekend - 15-17 September 2018

The Velocity Motor Show 2018 will happen at the Plaza Arkadia Outdoor Carpark in Desa ParkCity, Kuala Lumpur from 15 to 17 September, 10am to 10pm. Iti is this Malaysia day weekend by the way, so if you are not on holiday or want to go to a automotive related event, here is something for you to go to.

Peugeot Malaysia Announces Latest Prices Reflecting the SST Implementation - Slight Drop in Prices For The French Brand Too

Nasim Sdn Bhd, the authorised distributors of Peugeot cars in Malaysia, has announced the latest prices for the Peugeot range of cars officially sold in Malaysia. This follos the Government of Malaysia’s announcement on the Sales and Service Tax (SST) implementation effective from 1st September 2018. The new prices reflect the 10% sales tax applicable for motor vehicles aside from other excise duties already payable. 

TEST DRIVE: The 2018 Mercedes-Benz C350 e Plug-in Hybrid - The Ultimate Compact Luxury Sedan... For Now

Two years ago, or thereabouts, I had the chance to try out the then newly launched in Malaysia W205 Series Mecedes-Benz C-Class in its C300 AMG Line and C180 Avantgarde forms. It was a very memorable introduction to the new C-Class at the time and, to say the least, I was impressed with the two cars. The W205 C-Class first appeared in 2015 and you could say that things have moved on since then. With this review of the 2018 W205 Mercedes-Benz C350 e Plug in Hybrid, AND, another article on the 2018 C200 which will be written after this one gets published, I shall let you folks out there know what I think of this year’s crop of C-Class.

PROTON Previews Their Latest Car - The Proton X70 SUV - Bookings Start From The 8th September 2018 Onwards - Price? Not Announced For The Moment

I was one of the many Malaysian media who were invited to take a look a the upcoming Proton X70 SUV. Yes, the Geely Boyue in its Proton form has been officially previewed by PROTON without any camouflage for the first time to a group of people and they have also chosen X70 as its name. It is also Proton's first SUV ever.

[Update - PROTON has launched the X70 - Details are here and prices start at RM99,800 onwards.]

Volvo Car Malaysia Announces New Prices Following Re-introduction of SST

I am keeping this short and sweet. Following the re-introduction of the Sales & Services Tax (SST) by the Ministry of Finance Malaysia starting 1 September 2018, Volvo Car Malaysia have released their updated price list of its model range.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia announces new SST pricelists & Product Upgrades - Namely the GLC 200, GLC 250 and New Night Edition Variants for the GLA 200 & CLA 200

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia had earlier today announced effective September 1, 2018, prices of all Mercedes-Benz premium automobiles are adjusted according to the government’s enactment of SST. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia also states that the company is committed to continue providing its premium range of products and services at the best value, putting their customers at the centre of their activities.

BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo Has Been Launched in Malaysia - 630i GT Variant, CKD at an Estimated Price of RM450,000

BMW Malaysia unveiled the First-Ever BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo here in Kuala Lumpur earlier today. The 6 Series GT, as it is called, replaces the previous BMW 5 Series GT and is essentially the second generation of what is the BMW Gran Turismo range of fastback luxury cars. Here, we will get one variant, the BMW 630i GT. The other surprise revealed today is that the 630i GT will be locally assembled in Kulim, Kedah like its other 3,5 and 7 Series brethren. This basically adds another very premium BMW to the CKD line-up. 

The Daihastu Gran Max Panel Van with Automatic Transmission is Officially on Sale in Malaysia

Daihatsu Malaysia has officially launched the New Gran Max Panel Van (AT) as we have written about earlier. The new panel van  is the first automatic transmission small commercial van to be sold here and it is specially designed to accommodate the requirements of mobile SME businesses (business ‘on-wheel’) that is blooming in the country as well as other corporations and government agencies. So everyone can basically drive it easily as these days, there are many who cannot drive a manual. Times have changed.

The Perodua Alza Gets A Facelift & More Equipment - Three Variants with Prices Starting from RM51,490 Onwards

The Perodua Alza compact MPV has just been facelifted. The nation’s most popular and most affordable seven-seater Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) has been updated for 2018 and beyond with slightly different looks in line with the current Perodua styling and new equipment inside. This is the second time Perodua has facelifted and improved the Alza though.

Hino Ultimate Drive 2018 - Hino's and Possibly The First Ever Light Truck Driver's Skill Contest Held in Malaysia

Today marked a special milestone in terms of the commercial vehicle industry here in Malaysia. Hino Motors Sales (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (HMSM) have organised the HINO ULTIMATE DRIVE 2018 Competition for Light Commercial Vehicle Drivers. This first ever event for LCV drivers was held at the Hino Total Support Customer Center (HSTCC) in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan. 

SST Prices for BMW Cars, Motorrad & MINI in Malaysia Have Been Released - CKD Prices Mostly Goes Down with CBU Prices Mostly Up

BMW Group Malaysia have released prices for BMW Malaysia cars, BMW Motorrad (motorcycles) and MINI Malaysia. 

The Proton 1-Tank Adventure Finals - Heck of an Adventure and Our Findings - One of Them Was That The Proton Persona Actually Saves Fuel

The Grand Final of the PROTON 1-Tank Adventure  happened over the weekend of 11-12 August 2018. The economical driving competition took contestants from Kulai, Johor all the way to Juru in the state of Penang. What happened was that everyone really wanted to prove that they could do 700km and more on a single tank in a Proton Saga, Iriz or Persona and it was a fantastic, incredible, tiring, scary, intimidating and an unbelievable experience. 

New Prices for Volkswagen Cars With the New SST Tax Structure Announced - Lower Prices for CKD Cars, Slightly Up for CBU ....

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) have announced the revised prices of all Volkswagen models under the Sales and Service Tax (SST) structure which came into effect on the 1 st of September 2018. It would seem that the new prices of Volkswagen cars are now lower than previous prices with 6% GST if you want a locally assembled (CKD) Volkswagen. Prices for fully imported (CBU) models are slightly higher.

Perodua Slashes Prices by 1-3% With the Reintroduction of the SST...What? How???

Perodua has released their latest car prices in line with the government’s reintroduction of the Sales and Service Tax (SST) effective 1 September 2018. The very surprising thing is that the new prices for all its models have actually been reduced by between 1-3% (for selected models) compared with Goods and Services Tax (GST)-era pricing. This actually bucks the rumours that prices should go up after SST gets reimplemented. Surprising indeed.

Happenings: Ford and Sime Darby Auto Connexion Concludes its 10th Anniversary Extravaganza with a Customer Winning a Ford Fiesta 1.5L Sport

Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the authorised distributor of Ford in Malaysia recently concluded its 10th Anniversary Extravaganza where a customer drove away a brand new Ford Fiesta 1.5L Sport.  Mr. Logeshwaran A/L Balasubramaniam from Pahang was handed the keys to the car at a recent prize giving ceremony.

Happenings: Renault ‘Buy & Win’ Contest Ends With A Renault Twizy Fully Electric Car Handed Over to the Winner

The Renault 'Buy & Win' Contest which was held from January to June 2018 had found the grand prize winner. TCEC, the sole franchise holder for Renault vehicles in Malaysia, recently handed over the Grand Prize of a Renault Twizy 100% electric vehicle to Mr Lam Ming Wei, the winner of the Renault ‘Buy & Win’ contest.

Castrol Asia Pacific Cars Super Mechanic contest 2018 Malaysian Leg Concludes

The Malaysian leg of the Castrol Asia Pacific Cars Super Mechanic contest 2018 recently concluded on the 24th of August 2018. This was basically after months of intense battle and it finally ended when the Northern Region team who participated were named the Malaysian Grand Champions in the Castrol organised competition. 

Scania Sees Potential In Sarawak - Delivers More Vehicles to Customers Over There

Scania Malaysia recently stated that they is growth potential for the company over in Sarawak due to various factors including better road network over there. In preparation for this, Scania is ensuring that it has the services and support in place for its customers and future customers in Sarawak while ensuring that drivers there are trained to achieve the best fuel economy, safety and performance.

Perodua Will Reimburse Cash Amount to Remaining 3,100 Myvi Customers Whose Deliveries Are Affected by Production Issues

Recently, Perodua had announced that they had temporarily halted production of the Myvi due to a vendor supply disruption. This has caused many customers and potential customers to worry whether they can register their new Myvi before 1st September 2018, which is the date SST will be implemented replacing GST (tax) after a three month tax holiday. However, the good news is that Perodua will be reimbursing a cash amount to the remaining 3,100 identified customers who were originally set to receive their Myvi before 1 September 2018.

Volkswagen Malaysia Extends The Tax Holidays For Limited Stocks - You've Now Got Till 15th November 2018!!!

Super good news! If you want to buy a Volkswagen that is! Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) have announced an extension of the tax holiday for its range of models with the Price Protection Scheme. According to the good folks at VPCM, the Scheme will cover all Volkswagen models registered from now till 15 th November 2018 and it is while stocks last. 

Trucks: Muhammad Khairul Bin Abd Halim of Setia Maju Jaya Logistik Wins the Malaysian UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge 2018

Muhammad Khairul Bin Abd Halim from Setia Maju Jaya Logistik Sdn Bhd has managed to win the 3rd edition of the Malaysian UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge 2018. His skillful driving during the finals have earned him a place at the UDEMC Global Final 2018 which will be held in October 2018 over in Japan.

BMW Malaysia X FLYPROJECT Unveil the BMW i8 to the Malaysian Public At the Largest Outdoor Flycycle Class

Recently, BMW Malaysia and FLYPROJECT organised the country’s largest outdoor FlyCycle class at The Square, Publika and unveiled the new 2018 BMW i8 there. This is some form of mass exercise / workout session organised by BMW Malaysian and FLYPROJECT as part of the premium automaker’s commitment to create awareness on Visionary Mobility and Electro Mobility. 

Asbenz Stern Kuantan Autohaus Officially Opens in Kuantan, Pahang - More Mercedes-Benz Touch Points Over At The East Coast

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) and dealer partner, Asbenz Stern Sdn Bhd (Asbenz Stern)have officially opened the Mercedes-Benz Asbenz Stern Kuantan Autohaus in Kuantan, Pahang. The new Mercedes-Benz Autohaus is now poised to bring Mercedes-Benz products and services to customers and those interested in the premium brand in Kuantan, the surrounding areas and also along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Trucks: The 2018 Fuelwatch Challenge Malaysia Champion is Haree Murughan

Haree Murughan A/L Muniandy from ASTRO Productions Sdn Bhd has won this year's Volvo Fuelwatch Challenge. For 2018, 1550 drivers had participated in the qualifications held nationwide between June and July this year, with only the top 9 finalists gathered at Shah Alam for the final round of this annual driver's competition.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Launches the All-New Third Generation CLS as Part of the Mercedes-Benz Dream Cars Range

Last Friday, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia unveiled the all-new third Generation CLS-Class 4 door coupe together with 2 other cars in what the premium marque calls their Mercedes-Benz Dream Cars range - the Mercedes-AMG GT C and the 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet. This is the range of cars that people aspire to have and for those that can afford them, are the cars that they WANT to have. 

Weststar Maxus Opens Their New 3S Centre in Bukit Mertajam, Penang

Aside from launching the refreshed Maxus V80 commercial van, Weststar Maxus had officially opened their new 3S (Sales, Service & Spares) centre in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. The new 3S centre will provide Weststar Maxus with a more viable customer touch point for current and future Maxus customers in the Northern states.

Weststar Maxus Launches The New V80 Commercial Van

The refreshed 2018 Maxus V80 commercial van has been launched by Weststar Maxus over in Penang recently. According to the brief, the cost-competitive commercial van can be customized to meet individual business needs. 

The New Aston Martin Vantage Has Been Unveiled in Kuala Lumpur - Prices Start at RM1.6 Million Onwards

The new Aston Martin Vantage has finally made its way to Kuala Lumpur. The evocative name was first used in 1951 on a high-output engine option for the DB2, and many years after that, the 'Vantage' moniker was quickly established as a model in its own right. So now, this newest Aston Martin Vantage carries on the name and the heritage.

Proton and Dealer Regal Motors Officially Open the New Proton 3S Centre in Section 13 Petaling Jaya

There is a new Proton 3S dealership in Section 13 Petaling Jaya. Proton, together with their dealer, Regal Motors Holdings Sdn Bhd has officially opened their new new 3S outlet over there. Regal Motors is not a new Proton dealer but they had actually shifted its entire 3S operations to Section 13, Petaling Jaya from its Old Klang Road premise in order to serve customers better as well as benefiting from a more strategic location right smack in Petaling Jaya's busiest business district.

Trucks: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Commercial Vehicles Delivers 24 FUSO Trucks To Oil & Gas Company Pentas Flora Sdn Bhd

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Commercial Vehicles (MBM CV), the authorised distributor of FUSO trucks in Malaysia, together with authorised FUSO dealer, Vista Wheels Sdn Bhd, have officially delivered a total of 24 FUSO light duty trucks to Pentas Flora Sdn Bhd. Out of that 24 units, they recently delivered 5 units at a small ceremony. Pentas Flora are the only and largest privately-owned oil refinery plant operators in Malaysia. They have chosen FUSO trucks to be their main transport vehicle throughout Malaysia.

Proton and Geely Enter into an Arrangement to Set Up Production Facilities and a Network of Dealerships for Proton Cars in China

PROTON and Geely Holding Group had earlier today signed a Heads of Agreement to set up a joint-venture arrangement that will allow PROTON to assemble and market their cars in China. This was done during Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ongoing visit to China. The Joint Venture arrangement will include the set-up of a production plant in China and also develop a network of Proton Car dealerships in China.

BMW Group Malaysia Begin Exports of the MINI Countryman to Thailand

BMW Group Malaysia has started its exports of the newly unveiled, locally assembled new MINI Countryman. They had delivered the first units for its export programme to Thailand making BMW Group one of the few manufacturers exporting cars from Malaysia. The variants exported to Thailand are the MINI Cooper S Countryman and the MINI Cooper S Countryman Hightrim.

Daihatsu Gran Max Panel Van with Automatic Transmission (AT) to be Launched - Prices from RM69,888.00 Onwards

The 2018 Daihatsu Grand Max 1.5 liter panel van with an automatic transmission (AT) option will be launched by Daihatsu Malaysia soon. This is quite a surprise as usually we almost never hear of a commercial van fitted with an automatic transmission here in Malaysia. It fact, this is the first by the looks of it. 

The 2018 BMW i8 Coupe Has Been Launched in Malaysia - The Ultimate Electro Mobility Coupe is Back With Some Improvements Under the Skin

BMW Malaysia has unveiled the New 2018 BMW i8 Coupé for the Malaysian market. According to BMW, the new BMW i8 epitomises the revolutionary combination of extreme power and absolute efficiency and it has some additional tweaks for this model year onwards.

Go Auto Group of Companies and SIRIM Berhad entering into a Memorandum of Understanding to Develop Battery Technology and also Vehicle Connectivity

Go Automobile Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (GAM), the manufacturing arm of Go Auto Group of Companies and SIRIM Berhad (“SIRIM”), an agency under the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) to form a long-term strategic collaboration and partnership between both parties.

KIA Mega Merdeka Promos & Offers for the Kia Cerato 1.6 SX & Kia Picanto EX

Naza Kia Malaysia, the official distributor of KIA vehicles for this glorious country has announced the KIA Mega Merdeka campaign from now till the end of August 2018. This is a sales promotion with exclusive deals and value-added privileges for the Kia Cerato 1.6 SX and the Kia Picanto EX. It is held in conjunction with the 61 st Merdeka celebrations and is a final chance to enjoy the tax holiday before SST is implemented.

PROTON Has Slightly Updated the Ertiga - New Dark Seat Fabric & Infotainment System

PROTON Cars have now updated the Proton Ertiga 6 seat (7can fit but middle seat in the middle row does not have a three point seatbelt, only lapbelt for Indonesia spec vehicle, hence 6 seater rating)  compact SUV to better suit Malaysian car buyers. The MPV was unveiled in Penang on Sunday at the awards ceremony for the Proton 1 Tank Adventure competition.

Mazda Jelutong 3S Centre, Penang Opens - The 85th Mazda Outlet in Malaysia

Bermaz Motor has been busy. They have recently launched the updated 2018 Mazda CX-3 and unveiled the 2018 Mazda 6 at the official opening of the 85th Mazda outlet in Malaysia. The latest Mazda branch and 3S Centre is located in Jelutong, Georgetown, Penang. 

Malaysia Automotive Institute and Institut Otomotif Indonesia Enter into a New Memorandum of Understanding

The Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) and the Institut Otomotif Indonesia (IOI) has entered into a a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster long-term collaboration in the area of automotive industry development, yesterday. The new arrangement was entered into between the two countries' government agencies in order further realise future potential of automotive industry collaboration between the two counties.

The PROTON 1 TANK ADVENTURE Write-up - Oh...We Have to Take Part in the Finals Tomorrow!!! [With Links to the Facebook Videos]

Those that have been following our exploits on our Facebook page would know that we recently (17-18 July 2018) won the Proton Persona Media category for the Proton 1 Tank Adventure Central Region. Now, we have to compete in the Finals which is scheduled to be held tomorrow. We are competing against the best from the Northern, Southern, Sabah and East Coast legs to see who gets the best.

The Updated 2018 Mazda 6 is Now Open For Booking - 2.0L & 2.5L Petrol and 2.2L Diesel Variants in Sedan and Touring Wagon Available

Bermaz Motor have announced that the refreshed and New 2018 Mazda 6 will start selling here in Malaysia soon. According to the official Mazda distributors of Malaysia, the New 2018 Mazda 6 has been upgraded with more of a focus on premium feel and elegance. This is in line as the 6 is Mazda’s flagship passenger car (there are no Mazda9 sedans you know, only the full sized Mazda CX-9 SUV).