One of the oldest Automotive blogs in Malaysia. Since 2006 and going strong.
Motoring-Malaysia.blogspot.my is an award winning Malaysian motoring / automotive / car news & reviews website or auto blog. It is where we rant and rave about cars, trucks, buses, motoring, motor vehicles and any interesting automotive industry related stuff. Unswayed in our point of view and darn proud of it! It's not about the numbers...it's about passion.
Last weekend, 405 Volkswagen Beetle from many different variants came together for the 'Beetle, An Iconic Gathering' event at Putrajaya. The gathering on 13th July 2019 was organised by official Volkswagen distributors here, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) and it was joined by Beetle owners from up north in Perlis to down south in Johor Bahru making it one of the largest gatherings for what is arguably the ultimate automotive icon.
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia had recently announced the appointment of Michael Jopp as the new Head of Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Malaysia & SEA II beginning 1st July of 2019. Mr. Jopp’s appointment comes into effect as the incumbent, Mark Raine completes four years tenure in Malaysia who is now based in South Korea where is he is now the Vice President of Product & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Korea.
The official distributors of Porsche in Malaysia, Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), launched the new, eight generation Porsche 911 at the Sepang International Circuit last Friday, the 12th of July 2019. The launch coincided with the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) race series weekend here where race versions of the 911 will be competing against one another. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is used (with the new car as the Safety car seen below),and these GT3 Cup cars will compete in rounds 6, 7 and 8 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) race series. Anyway, two variants of the new Type 992 Porsche 911 were announced for the moment, the 911 Carerra S and the 911 Carerra 4S variants.
All good things come to an end. The current iteration of the Volkswagen New Beetle is in its final legs of production as Volkswagen had announced that 2019 will be its final year of production. So as a wrap up to a illustrious production run and its sale here in Malaysia, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has unveiled an homage to the Bug with the exclusive Collector’s Edition Beetle. Only 75 units of this Beetle will be on sale in this special final edition specification.
Aside from launching their new flagship SUV, the BMW X7 SAV, BMW Malaysia had finally unveiled the New BMW 7 Series. Sporting some restyled bits, notably the more prominent front end, the New BMW 7 Series will be offered here in only one variant for now, - the BMW 740Le xDrive Pure Excellence variant. This is a new-generation Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) which has a range of around 46km in electric mode and will cost interested parties RM594,000 before any insurance.
BMW Malaysia has launched the First-Ever BMW X7 luxury SUV here in Malaysia.This is the largest BMW SUV series to date.BMW calls this their luxury-class BMW Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) which they believe will set a new benchmark in the luxury segment. We get one variant - the BMW X7 xDrive40i Pure Excellence and its asking price is RM 888,800.00 before insurance. It was launched together with the facelifted 7 Series on the 11th of July 2019.
The Art of Speed is back for 2019. The show is Malaysia’s premier Old-Skool & Kustom Kulture event and it basically returns for its eighth edition, bringing with it a showcase of locally-built customised cars and bikes, art gallery, interactive activities and exciting lucky draw giveaways that visitors have come to enjoy. It is scheduled to happen at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park, Serdang (MAEPS), on 27 July 2019 (10:00 am – 11:00 pm) and 28 July 2019 (10:00 am –7:00 pm).
The recent ‘Anda Beli, Kami Derma’ Raya Charity Campaign by Shell Malaysia had managed to raise a grand total of RM1.92million. The campaign, which is in its fifth year, had ran for ten (10) days between 30 May 2019 to 8 June 2019 this time around in an effort to spread the spirit of caring and sharing during the ‘balik kampung’ season.
Goodyear Malaysia recently installed 6,680 solar panels to power its corporate office as well as production plant in Shah Alam. This is a truly noble effort in sustainability which is still sorely lacking in corporate Malaysia. The solar panels are capable of producing 2.5-megawatts of power and is connected to six Low Voltage (LV) substations that are located within the plant
The Naza Group has graciously contributed a Kia Cerato sedan to the Youth and Sports Skills Training Institute (ILKBS) in support of Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and the Malaysian contestant, Mohamad Ridzuan, who will be competing in the Car Painting category at the WorldSkills Competition (WSC) 2019.
LOKATECH Engineering Sdn Bhd has launched the first aftermarket built-in toll reader for all of us using toll roads to use. The LokaTAG built-in toll reader was made in collaboration with EFKON, the Austrian technology provider of Malaysia’s nationwide infra-red electronic toll collection system. This is the people who first provided us with the SmartTag reader for Malaysia toll roads. Do note that in conjunction with the launch there is a promotion for the built-in reader on Shopee Malaysia (inclusive of installation) which is stated down below.
Caltex with Techron ® recently powered a 28-year-old Honda Civic up a 1,000m ascent in record time, setting a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the ‘Fastest Ascent of Doi Chang Mountain Road by Car’. Now, the same petrol which was used for the record breaking attempt can be pumped into your tank at all Caltex stations nationwide. Doi Chang is a 2,175m mountain in the Chiang Mai Province in Thailand. Known for its coffee plantations it is now known for hill-climbing. At least for this record breaking effort anyway.
Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) has started their Merdeka and Malaysia day promotions for their vehicles. Those interested in financing their new Mitsubishi can apply for hire purchase with the lowest interest rate of up to 0.88% for the Mitsubishi Triton. This is exclusive with Maybank hire purchase only. As this promotion is in conjunction with the upcoming Merdeka and Malaysia Day festivities, it is valid from today until 30 September 2019 only.
MINI Malaysia has introduced the 60 Months MINI Service + Repair Inclusive Programme (MSRI) for all new MINI vehicles purchased from now to 31 st August 2019. This is in conjunction with MINI's 60th anniversary and this unique offer provides new MINI owners with 60 months or 80,000km (whichever comes first) of Free Scheduled Service and 60 months of Warranty with Unlimited Mileage across all models in the MINI portfolio. Quite a good deal for anyone who wants to own a MINI at this moment.
Earlier today, Perodua hosted the launch of PERKESO’s National ‘Safe Driving to Workplace’ Campaign 2019. The event which was attended by Human Resources Minister YB M Kula Segaran, Chief Secretary to the Human Resources Ministry YBhg Dato’ Amir Omar, PERKESO Chief Executive YBhg Dato’ Sri Dr Mohammed Azman Dato’ Aziz Mohammed and Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer YBhg Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad. The reason for this was Perodua's commitment to keep pushing for road safety even after the Hari Raya festive season has ended and they would like to collaborate with PERKESO in their push for this cause, especially for their 8,500 personnel who commute to the Perodua facilities in Sungai Choh.
Another 30 apprentices graduated from the Mercedes-Benz Apprentice Training Centre this year, to contribute towards Mercedes-Benz Malaysia's long term strategy to ensure that customers have the best brand experience. To date, 850 trainees who have undergone the three-year training have graduated from the centre The certification and training gives them the qualification to provide world-class after-sales services for Mercedes-Benz valued customers. It also gives them a career as part Mercedes-Benz.
We still haven't finished with reports on the happenings at the recent 2019 Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Expo (MCVE). Well, this could be the final one actually and it is about Shell Malaysia. The energy provider had showcased its complete end-to-end fleet lubrication solutions for the transport and logistics industry. This is the Shell Rimula range of premium low viscosity synthetic lubricants, Shell FuelSave Diesel with Dynaflex Technology and Shell Card which will benefit fleet operators by helping them achieve optimum efficiency, productivity and reduce total cost of ownership.
The facts - Solid Sales Performance by Proton. The company sold 7,615 units June 2019. 18.1% Total Industry Volume market share from a market that had SHRUNK by 30.8% to 42,090 units (for June). But this drop is common after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive holidays. But still impressive.
This is the video of my track test / session on the Sepang Circuit with the 2019 BMW M2 Competition. As I've stated in the launch article, which has a written part of this drive experience, the compact coupe is sublime. The car feels like something ol' skool as the 3.0liter twin turbocharged in-line six feels so lag free and full of throttle response.Go read it here if you haven't.
The seventh generation Lexus ES sedan will be launched here in Malaysia. Lexus Centres nationwide will begin accepting pre-launch booking for the all-new Lexus ES250 beginning today. There will be two variants of the ES250 offered, one is the ES250 Luxury and the other, the ES250 Premium. Prices are estimated to start at RM299,888 onwards for this full sized, premium Japanese sedan.
The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa, and it is Perodua's newest overseas market. The compact car company has launched their smallest car, the Perodua Axia there, which is quite a popular tourist destination. The Axia will be offered in E MT, G AT, SE and AV variants at promotional prices of 235,000 (*RM71,500), 265,000 (*RM80,600), 275,000 (*RM83,700) and 290,000 (*RM88,300) Seychellois Rupees respectively.
I was lucky to have been invited to the launch of the New BMW M2 Competition over at the Sepang Circuit last friday, the 28th of June 2019. BMW Malaysia had decided to introduce the newest BMW M Car over at Sepang at a BMW Driving Experience session which was held over the weekend. This new compact coupe is a complete premium performance vehicle which BMW designed to set new records in precision driving. After driving this around Sepang I think it will. More of that later.
The Ford Ranger has won another award here in Malaysia. Ford's global pickup truck has been named ‘2019 Malaysia Pick-up Truck of the Year’ at the Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards hosted recently in Kuala Lumpur. Sime Darby Auto ConneXion, the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia beat out the others on the Awards’ criteria, which not only included the Ranger itself, but also criteria such as growth, market share, marketing strategy, selling points and key competitive advantages.
The All-New DS 7 Crossback SUV has been launched in Malaysia by the Malaysian distributors, Naza Euro Motors Sdn Bhd. This is a premium SUV by PSA Group's newest brand, DS. It has been designed to express refinement, excellence and French know-how with the purpose to bring French luxury into the SUV market.
Isuzu Malaysia have announced their intention to reward high mileage D-Max pickup truck owners! The company is eager to reach out to D-Max owners who have clocked high mileage with their pickup trucks and reward them in the Super Mileage Challenge which is ongoing until the 31st of July 2019. If your entry is chosen, you may stand the chance to win the RM15,000 grand prize.
Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd had launched two new variants of their popular Shell Advance AX7 semi-synthetic motorcycle engine oil. These are the new Shell Advance AX7 10W-30 and 15W-50 which add to the existing Shell Advance AX7 10W-40. The two new variants are both priced at RM33.90 per 1-litre pack (recommended retail price). So there are now three different grades of the AX7 engine oil.
Naza Kia Malaysia, the official distributor of Kia vehicles in Malaysia, will be holding a carnival-themed Kia Pre-Owned Fest at the Naza Automall in Petaling Jaya on the 28th to the 30th of June 2019. There will be about 200 pre-owned Kia cars available for sale with prices starting from as low as RM8,000 depending on certain terms and conditions of course, as well as other deals on offer. It could be interesting on what's on sale at that super low price.
If you folks have been following Motoring-Malaysia's YouTube Channel, you'd already know that I had recently uploaded the preview of the Hino Poncho low-floor minibus at the Malaysian Commercial Vehicle Expo 2019 held over at MIECC in Kuala Lumpur recently. Hino's Malaysian subsidiary, Hino Motors Sales Malaysia had participated in the expo in a big way and displayed a few of their vehicles, namely the Hino Poncho minibus as well as a preview of the upcoming Hino 700 Series Prime Mover AMT.
UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) is a successful Malaysian incorporated joint-venture company between UMW Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). Today, the company and their stakeholders celebrated 50 years of local production in Malaysia with a special ceremony held at the company's newest manufacturing facility in Bukit Raja, Klang, Selangor. The historic event was graced by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah AlHaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj, The Sultan of Selangor and Her Royal Highness Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor.
MAN Truck and Bus (M) Sdn Bhd (MAN) had presented their MAN XLION special model at the recently concluded Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Expo (MCVE) 2019. This new MAN truck model with its tailor made equipment and aftersales package is in line with their motto of ‘Simplifying Business’. The MAN TGS 33.480 in the XLION package was displayed. It is a 6x4 prime mover, with its XLION lion design on the sides of the truck.
More news from the recent Malaysian Commercial Vehicle Expo 2019 (MCVE 2019). This time the news is about Daihatsu (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (DMSB) which launched the Daihatsu Business Fleet Program at the Expo. The program is designed to provide innovative end-to-end aftersales service solutions for small to medium businesses as well as those with larger fleets.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) will be organizing the Beetle, An Iconic Gathering. The event will be considered to be the first official Volkswagen Beetle gathering in Malaysia as VPCM is the official distributors of Volkswagen here. This upcoming event welcomes the participation of Beetle owners from all walks of life in celebration of this automotive and style icon. It will be held at the open-air carpark at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya this 13th of July 2019.
One of the more notable launches at the recently held Malaysian Commercial Vehicle Expo 2019 was the Malaysian launch of the refreshed UD Quester heavy duty truck. The new Quester represents an evolution of the Quester, a truck first launched in 2013, updated slightly in 2016 and now into something which is designed to cater to the latest needs in land transport. The new refreshed truck builds on its proven robustness and reliability,and introduces key features such as UD's ESCOT automated manual transmission, retarder, electrical cab tilt, engines with higher horse- power and user-friendly telematics.
Volvo Trucks Malaysia has actually launched a service program that ensures their customer's vehicles can be serviced or repaired in under 12 hours or a monetary compensation is given! This is definitely believing in their products. This was launched at the recently held Malaysian Commercial Vehicle Expo 2019 (MCVE 2019). Aside from the Uptime Promise service package at the expo, the Swedish manufacturer also launched their new Active Safety Package and hosted the MCVE Electromobility Panel discussion on how electrified vehicles will shape the future of Malaysian transportation.
Many things happened with Scania at the recent Malaysian Commercial Vehicle Expo 2019 (MCVE 2019). The first thing was the entrance of the Scania truck driven by Scania Southeast Asia Managing Director, Marie Sjödin Enström Scania Malaysia into the lobby of the exhibition centre with Dato’ Kamarudin Jaffar, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Transport in the passenger seat as part of the opening launch gambit. Then, Aone Logistics Sdn Bhd (above) signed the first Scania Ecolution truck agreement in Asia after the official launch of MCVE 2019.
MICHELIN recently unveiled the MICHELIN Energy XM2+ tyre for the affordable and budget conscious customer here in Malaysia. Michelin Energy XM2+ is designed with ultimate safety both when new and throughout its useful life as well as being developed to outperform the previous generation XM2 series of tyre it replaces in wet braking - an important feature needed in Malaysia where it rains cats and dogs very often.
I was lucky to have attended the Malaysian launch of the all-new, second generation Porsche Macan on the 21st June 2019 at Porsche Centre Sungai Besi. The Macan is Porsche's compact SUV / crossover vehicle and it has been a top seller almost everywhere since it was launched back in 2014. This is likely because it is the most affordable, practical Porsche on sale today and that it is actually easier for the men to fork out the dosh for one as their other half, would likely agree as they can drive it also...if compared to a 911 GT3 RS. So it was no shock to me that it was announced that the car already had very high demand from customers.
The fourth edition of the Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Expo (MCVE) opened earlier today .The (now ongoing) three day event has around 70 local and international exhibitors which displayed their latest crop of vehicles and product as well as working on MCVE's theme this year which focused on future transport solutions in the commercial vehicle industry.
As part of the fifth edition of the BMW Safety 360° Programme, BMW Malaysia has partnered with Childline Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on the awareness and education of child safety and protection – to introduce ‘From Day One’ campaign. This is aimed at advocating the importance of child car seats, especially for newborns. BMW Malaysia, Safe ‘n Sound and Childline Foundation to subsidise 150 infant child car seats as part of this campaign which is important as many Malaysians seem to take the child safety in passenger cars very lightly.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia continues its nationwide Raya Open House- the “Togetherness” Raya celebration at all of its dealerships. It happens this weekend, the 22nd of June, 2019, Saturday from 11am till 5pm. You can test drive available Volkswagen models and take advantage on amazing Hari Raya sales and aftersales deals.
Sime Darby Auto Performance, the folks who are the authorised distributor of Porsche cars here in Malaysia have announced that the second generation Porsche Macan will be unveiled in Malaysia on 21st June 2019 at the Porsche Centre Sungai Besi. The new 2019 Macan with Premium Package is now available for booking at all Porsche Centres with the price starting from RM 455,000 (after tax but before road tax, registration fee and insurance), inclusive of a four-year warranty, and free maintenance package including parts and labour.
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has made Malaysia the first Southeast Asian appearance of the Mercedes-Benz EQC fully electric vehicle. This is the first Mercedes-Benz under the product and technology brand EQ,which will define the future of mobility according to the Three Pointed Star. Right now the EQC 400 has been previewed in Left-Hand Drive form and it should be on sale here sometime next year.
Isuzu Malaysia has just launched new 2019 variants of their popular Isuzu Elf light duty truck and Forward medium duty truck variants. These are expected to be available 3rd quarter 2019.
These latest variants will be made available for sale from the third quarter of 2019 onwards and are expected to further increase the brand’s appeal, particularly in the light-duty commercial vehicle segment. Adding to this, some variants can be had with the 'Smoother' 6 speed automated manual transmission (AMT), like those used in large European prime movers, to make driving in traffic packed urban areas less of a chore.
Hello folks. This is our first drive in the new 2019 Mercedes-Benz S560e Plug-in Hybrid S-Class. A short drive around a circuit that was set up at an airstrip, but we managed some fun, high speed driving nonetheless. [Launch article and specs are HERE]
-New variant of Mercedes-Benz’s flagship model, the 2019 Mercedes-Benz S 560 e is the first ever S-Class plug in hybrid in Malaysia featuring state of the art safety and assistance systems and is priced at RM658,888 onwards.
-The 2019 S560e Hybrid system has a total system output of up to 475 hp - A combination of 367 hp of the 3.0 V6 petrol engine and 122hp of the EQ Power. 0-100km/h in 5.0 seconds, with an all-electric range of up to 50 km.
So Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has launched a new hybrid S-Class after a short absence. The 2019 S 560 e joins the Malaysian S-Class line-up. The latest model is a new generation of plug-in hybrid that offers customers the best of both worlds where it can be driven on battery power alone in the city and on the combustion engine when on longer drives. The new S560e can do 50km on electric power alone.
BMW Group Malaysia, ParkEasy, Shell Malaysia and Sunway Group introduce New Reserve + Shell Recharge Bays.
BMW Group Malaysia earlier today unveiled the new Reserve + Shell Recharge Bays at Sunway Pyramid today. This new venture was done together in partnership with ParkEasy, Shell Malaysia and Sunway Group. The launch of the new parking arrangement via a smartphone or mobile device application forms part of BMW Group Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to drive e-mobility or Visionary Mobility forward in Malaysia.
A new video is out on our YouTube channel. This time its our experience trying out the slightly refreshed 2019 Proton Exora Premium 1.6 T(Turbo) CVT during the recent media test drive up to Bukit Tinggi, Pahang and back to Shah Alam. It was short, but we did manage to find out some new things about the C Segment 7 Seater MPV.
BMW Motorrad Malaysia's Sixth BMW Motorrad Night Fuel Malaysia - 22nd June 2019 7.00PM to 11.00PM
BMW Motorrad fans in Malaysia rejoice! The Sixth Edition of the largest gathering of premium motorcycle enthusiasts will happen at the former RMAF Airbase, the Sempang Airport in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur. The BMW Motorrad Night Fuel Malaysia event returns to Kuala Lumpur once again in 2019 after making its round at other venues throughout Malaysia since it first started in 2016.
Isuzu Malaysia recently delivered 61 new units of their light duty trucks, the Isuzu ELF NPR75UKHW (Crew Cab), to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). The handover of the new trucks was held at the Glenmarie Golf & Country Club. Automotive Corporation Malaysia Sdn Bhd (ACM), an authorised dealer of Isuzu Malaysia were the dealers that the trucks were procured from.
The Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Expo (MCVE 2019) is coming at the end of the month. The commercial vehicle expo will take place from 20th to 22nd June 2019 at the Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC) and it the largest tradeshow for such vehicles. Daihatsu (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (DMSB) will be displaying their 2019 Gran Max Panel Van there this time around.
Videos - 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe preview - 2019 Proton Iriz Facelift Test Drive - 2019 Proton Persona Facelift Test Drive- 2019 Proton Exora Launch, Prices & Details
Selamat Hari Raya AidilFitri...Maaf Zahir & Batin. No updates here but we have not been quiet during this month of Ramadhan. We did quite a few videos over on YouTube folks so while we have been taking a break from writing, we have not been stopping doing videos, which is why I do suggest you people subscribe to the Motoring Malaysia channel over on YouTube.
I have to say that YouTube is the future as more and more people like moving pictures. It isn't as easy to produce compared to writing but both have their challenges. Personally, writing is nice as it allows your poetic side to use words to convey a picture within one's mind. As for video, it is easier to record, but on a personal note, I prefer to make our videos have better production values rather than just doing one long take and talking about a certain vehicle.
Note that I do like editing my videos so that it becomes somewhat like a mini documentary with a lot of B-Roll showing the vehicles rather than just a hand doing a walkaround.
Anyway, here are some of the videos which I have not updated here as yet. There is one on the facelifted Proton Iriz & Persona and on the newly available for sale here in Malaysia, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. Not forgetting we have the launch video of the slightly revised 2019 Proton Exora 1.6 Turbo
We should be active again after hibernating during this fasting month!!! Stay tuned for more videos!
