Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and Asbenz unveil a new Autohaus in Langkawi

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and Asbenz today officially unveiled its latest Autohaus to date located on the island of Langkawi. The new Mercedes-Benz sales and aftersales centre is a significant milestone as the two companies extend their rich history of 20 years in Kedah. The new Autohaus features the brand’s latest luxury retail standards, catering to an exclusive clientele with a penchant for luxury and top-end vehicles in this island. Being a tax exampt haven, this is where you can officially buy your duty-free Mercedes-Benz.

FEATURE: Volvo Car Malaysia - The Makers of Tomorrow - Innovations Throughout its 96 years, its 57 Years in Malaysia and its range of Electrified Vehicles

In celebration of Malaysia’s independence and national day, Volvo presents Makers of Tomorrow: which is this article featuring Volvo cars in classic silhouettes of yesteryear to its ground-breaking pure electric and hybrid cars today. All of these have been proudly manufactured in Malaysia over the past six decades.

By bringing together the past and present, this exhibition on display commemorates Volvo’s 57 years of growing together with generations of Malaysians as it celebrates its 96th global anniversary this year.

FLUX Merdeka Pop-Up Showroom on the 28th of August 2023 and Win a Month's worth of FLUX Subscription for a Mercedes-Benz EQE AMG

Conjuring the spirit of Merdeka, FLUX, the leading All-in-One vehicle subscription platform, is organising their 1st "Merdeka Pop-Up Showroom.". It will be held over at FLUX’s head office in Solaris Mont Kiara on 28th August 2023, running from 11 am to 4 pm.  FLUX will be offering exclusive deals during the event and you even stand a chance to win a Mercedes- Benz EQE AMG subscription for 1 month, absolutely free.

The Lotus Emira i4 First Edition with a 4-Cylinder 360hp Engine is now available in Malaysia from RM988,000 onwards

Lotus Cars Malaysia has now expanded to Lotus Emira range for our market with a second engine. You now can get the final lotus with an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), in this case a 2.0liter 4 cylinder turbocharged engine which makes 360hp. After this, there will only be EV Lotus' and if you want that feeling of a mechanical engine behind your seats (the Emira is mid-engined) this is your last chance to book one at aspecial offer price of RM988,000 on the road with tax (but sans insurance). This offer is valid only for the Emira i4 produced in 2023 before the actual prices take into effect.

MINI Malaysia has some offers for you right now till the end of September 2023

MINI Malaysia offers an electrifying experience with unrivaled financing options from as low as 0.98% of interest rates. British Flair with German Engineering, presents electrifying offers for Malaysians you can get exceptional savings and financing options if you book a MINI now till the end of September 2023, especially the MINI EVs. One great offer is that customers of new MINIs can enjoy the limited-time offer with a 0.98% interest rate through the Straight-Line Financing to experience cutting-edge electromobility at an affordable rate.

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) returns to Malaysia for Rounds 9 &10 at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend (26-27 August)

A weekend of racing Porsches The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) makes its way to Malaysia again for Rounds 9 &;10 at the Sepang International Circuit, this from this 26th and 27th of August 2023. This marks the second time PCCA is having its race venue here and adds to the Merdeka month of August for Malaysians.

Zontes 350 Series of Scooters Launched in Malaysia - the 350E Touring and the 350D Urban Scooters

Yesterday, I was able to attend Zontes Distribution Sdn Bhd's launch of their new 350 Series Scooters. Zontes Distribution is part of Eurotech Wheel Distribution Sdn Bhd, the official importer and distributor of Zontes motorcycles in Malaysia and wants to stir up the pot for the larger engined scooter category. The new 350 Series scooter is packed with technology and a host of premium features normally found on higher capacity motorcycles sold in 2023, and yet comes with some very competitive pricing.

Regas Premium Sabah Unveils the First Public EV Charging Facility in the State of Sabah

Yesterday,  Regas Premium Sabah officially unveiled the state’s first public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging facility which is located at the basement parking of T1 @ Bundusan. This milestone initiative reflects Regas Premium Sabah';s commitment to pioneering solutions for electromobility in the state, in line with BMW Group Malaysia’s charging infrastructure expansion plans nationwide. So, more inroads in terms of usability of electric cars over in Sabah.

Public Bank Berhad enters into a collaboration with Proton New Energy Technology Sdn Bhd (PRO-NET)

Public Bank Berhad  had formalised a collaboration with Proton New Energy Technology Sdn Bhd (PRO-NET) by entering into a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) on 9 August 2023 which aims to provide financing facilities on financial products and services sold by PRO-NET (which was set up to sell new energy powered vehicles like EVs etc), and to embark on digitalization via systems integration with smart Malaysia (PRO-NET's first vehicle dealership in Malaysia) and its authorized dealers.

This collaboration will enable Public Bank to facilitate digitalisation via online submission of hire purchase end-financing applications and Floor Stocking facility through smart customer App and their authorized dealers thus improving the market shares in the EV automotive industry. Basically, this arrangement allows smart Malaysia dealers to have financial instruments available from Public Bank right from the start of sales of smart vehicles here, especially the upcoming smart#1 compact crossover car.

17 HINO Trucks handed over to Transcargo Worldwide Sdn Bhd

Hino Motors Sales (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (HMSM) recently handed over 17 trucks to Transcargo Worldwide (M) Sdn Bhd at the Hino Malaysia dealer, Truck Solutions Sdn Bhd in Port Klang. 10 units of the Hino 300 Series PRO and 7 units of the HIno 500 Series trucks was part of the package and it was an arrangement made as part of Transcargo Worldwide’s fleet expansion plan.

Transcargo Worldwide is an integrated logistics company that was incorporated in Malaysia in 2007. The company focuses on air freight, sea freight, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution, inland and cross-border transportation, Ecommerce Logistics, and value-added services. Their services cover the gateway of Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Penang Airport and Seaport, Klang Port, Pasir Gudang Port, Tanjung Pelepas Port, and borders with Singapore and Thailand.

Sime Darby Motors Launches Dedicated Automotive Training Academy at the Sime Darby Motors City

On  the 11th August 2023 Sime Darby Motors, Retail & Distribution, Malaysia recently launched its automotive Training Academy, which has the aim to empower its entire workforce with the latest skills and knowledge in the fast-evolving automotive industry. The new centre is located at the Sime Darby Motors City automotive complex and will be integral to Sime Darby Motors’ ongoing pursuit of excellence to be at the forefront of the Malaysian automotive industry. With the focus of electrification in vehicles, it is a good time to improve technical skills in the industry.

Audi Roadshow at the Pavilion KL from 14 to 20 August 2023

Audi roadshow at Pavilion KL folks! From the 14^th – 20^th August 2023, Audi fans and visitors will be able to experience design and innovation of our latest e-tron range where the e-tron GT quattro and RS e-tron GT will be featured at the Centre Court area located on Level 2 in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

smart Malaysia has allowed us to show you the stunning interior of their upcoming (to Malaysia) smart #1 - We have also driven it so our Opinion is here

 Yup. A few weeks after we were invited to a preview of the soon to be launched in Malaysia smart #1 battery electric crossover we can now show you interior shots of the car with what we can say will be the trim that is selected for #1 sold in Malaysia. Barring last minute changes of course. Like I mentioned in the previous post, the smart #1 is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely, so it features so many Mercedes-Benz touches that I feel that this is essentially a rebadged, slightly more entry level variant of the EQ range of electric vehicles that Mercedes-Benz produces. 

Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur Introduces Malaysia to the World’s First Super Tourer - The DB12

Yesterday, Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur previewed the DB12 Super Tourer to members of the media, and before we start with the usual details and specifications of the car, I have to say the DB12 is a stunner. In terms of its styling, it takes the best of the classical Aston Martin styling cues and wraps it around a very modern GT styled body which looks better than the one it replaces by a fair bit. I think that grille up front says it all.

smart Malaysia Unveils the smart #1 at EVx 2023 - Details and Some My Thoughts On it and PHOTOS of the #1 from the Media Preview prior to EVx 2023

smart Malaysia made its official Malaysian debut at the Electric Vehicle Expo (EVx) 2023 in Setia City Convention Centre in Shah Alam, where they had an exclusive sneak peek of its all-electric vehicle, smart #1 that was displayed on the show stand of Mercedes-Benz and smart Malaysia, for the very first time in Malaysia. smart, these days is a joint venture electric car designed and manufactured by Mercedes-Benz and Geely. This has been possible when Geely entered into partnership with Daimler (holding company for Mercedes-Benz) in 2019 and from just a very compact city car, smart is still a compact city car, but is now fully an electric vehicle brand.

The Award winning Hyundai IONIQ 6 is now available in Malaysia - 2 Variants from RM289,888 onwards

Friday, the 21st of July 2023 marked Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) official launch of the  Hyundai IONIQ 6 battery electric car in Malaysia. The IONIQ 6 is a winner of three prestigious global acolades – the 2023 World Car of the Year, 2023 World Electric Vehicle of the Year and 2023 World Car Design of the Year. This streamliner type all-electric sedan is Hyundai’s second IONIQ model and also its second recipient of the three aforementioned World Car Awards after the IONIQ 5 in 2022 and is now available in Malaysia in two variants, priced on-the-road before insurance, at RM289,888 for the Max RWD variant and RM319,888 for the Max AWD variant, inclusive of an eight-year/160,000 km battery warranty. 

The All-New Next-Gen Ford Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel to have a Show-and-Tell in Kota Kinabalu on 21-23 July 2023

Important news for those of you who are in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah this weekend. Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, will be bringing the Next-Generation Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi Turbo Diesel Show-and-Tell event to Sabah from 21 to 23 July 2023. The three-day event is set to take place at the Likas Complex Area in Kota Kinabalu, from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm. There, you can even test drive the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel across a specially designed off-road route.

DRB-HICOM and Geely work together to attract investors to the Tanjung Malim Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV)

Today DRB-HICOM via PROTON and Geely held the Global Investors & Vendors Convention 2023 which showcases investment opportunities at the Proton City in Tanjung Malim. The location will be renamed as the Automotive High Tech Valley and will be a place where both Malaysian and Chinese vendors can come, set up shop and develop cars especially for those new energy vehicles (NxGV), whether battery electric or other ways and also as a hub for Geely to test and tropicalise their vehicles for the equatorial (and harsh climate regions). The innaugural event saw over 200 participants including government agency officials, Malaysian vendors and 42 automotive suppliers from China.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and their Authorised Dealers/ Retail Partners enter into new arrangement of a new agency sales model for Malaysia

Folks, Mercedes-Benz has decided to change their retail strategy that aims to offer a comprehensive customer experience when purchasing a Mercedes-Benz passenger car. Mercedes-Benz together with all its retail partners here in Malaysia have entered into a new agreement on key points for the introduction of the agency model in Malaysia. This changes the way how the brand allows its cars to be sold via their dealerships and it will be expected to begin start in September 2023. This is also the first time such a system will be implemented in the South East Asian region also.

The brand with the Three Pointed Star will drive the transformation together with all its retail partners to meet the changed customer needs in the digital era. From what we understand, it now ensures the best customer experience with only one price anywhere you buy throughout Malaysia. i.e, The price is the same throughout Malaysia.

Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad adds 20 units of the Longest Ever in Malaysia Scania K410EB6X2 Double Deck Coach in Malaysia - Transport Minister also announces Extra 200 PSV Bus Licenses for East Coast Folk to Apply

Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad (E-Mutiara) earlier today added to its fleet of express busses 20 units of the longest ever Scania K410EB6X2 double-deck coach in Malaysia at 13.5 metre length - the first of such a length in the country. The launch ceremony was witnessed by Guests-of-Honour YB Tuan Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport Malaysia (MOT) and Mr Robert Lejon, Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of Sweden. Ms Heba Eltarifi, Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia handed over the coaches to Che Ibrahim Che Ismail (Pak Nik), Executive Chairman of E-Mutiara. With this latest addition, E-Mutiara will launch their first luxurious express coaches in Malaysia and start another chapter in their long and successful sustainable partnership with Scania. 

Volvo Trucks Malaysia (Volvo Trucks) previews its fully electric heavy duty prime movers in Malaysia which are the first to be launched in Southeast Asia with Two Units already bought by Swift Haulage Berhad

Today, the 11th of July 2023, marked a historic day in terms of Malaysian automotive history. Volvo Trucks Malaysia (Volvo Trucks) officially launched their fully electric FM Series heavy duty prime movers in Malaysia. These are the first electric heavy duty prime mover series of trucks to be launched in Southeast Asia and also the first to be adopted by an operator in the region where integrated logistics provider, Swift Haulage Berhad had purchased two units of the model. The announcement at the media preview this afternoon was made at the Volvo Trucks headquarters in Shah Alam shows off the Volvo Trucks' role in accelerating the industry’s transition to electromobility, in line with the nation’s net zero carbon ambitions. 

PROTON SAGA 38TH ANNIVERSARY MINI CARNIVAL- 9TH July 2023 at the Proton Centre of Excellence in Subang Jaya

PROTON will be celebrating the 38th birthday of the Malaysian automotive icon, the Proton Saga. The mini carnival to commemorate the compact car will be held at Proton's Centre of Excellence on Sunday, 9th of July 2023. This special event serves as a celebration of the remarkable history of the Proton Saga, a vehicle that has won the hearts of millions of proud owners over the years. The carnival pays homage to this beloved model and plays a vital role in reinforcing the PROTON brand through its timeless charm and market popularity.

The carnival will divided into three exciting segments:

The All-New Toyota Innova .... Now Innova Zenix, has been launched with 2 variants from RM165,000 - Full details and thoughts about it too

UMW Toyota Motors has just launched the all-new Toyota Innova Zenix. This could be the peak in Innova development as the vehicle marks a change for the better in so many ways that even I am happy to be writing about an Innova. But before that, the new Innova Zenix will be sold in two variants - the Innova Zenix 2.0 V with 8 seats and the 2.0 HEV (Hybrid with 7 seats - where the middle row features captain style individual seats with sliding trays). These will cost RM165,000 and RM202,000 respectively in Peninsula Malaysia without any insurance but on the road pricing.

PHS Automotive Malaysia (PHSAM) officially launches seven fully-electric Audi e-tron models to the Malaysian market - Variants of the Q8 e-tron variants, the e-tron GT & the RS e-tron GT

Yesterday, PHS Automotive Malaysia (PHSAM) launched seven fully-electric Audi e-tron models to the Malaysian market.  This is the largest fleet of all-new fully electric vehicles premiering in Malaysia, and is priced from RM383,990 The Audi e-tron range comprises of a family of SUVs, sportbacks and four door coupé. Audi states that the e-tron range is purpose-built in terms of design and performance in mind

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia launches the facelifted 2023 A-Class range - A200 to the uber fast A45 S 4Matic + [PHOTOS & VIDEOS]

The facelifted 2023 Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been launched for the Malaysian market. It features restyled front and rear lights, all models get the power bulges (or power domes) on the bonnet and has thwe latest generation of MBUX (NTG7). According to Mercedes Benz Malaysia, the A-Class model range is  geared to customer wishes, fine tuned to suit  requests from the pre-facelift A-Class buyers.

If you wish to view the launch presentation by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, here is a video of it below.d

Perodua Axia E returns as the most affordable new car in Malaysia, but it's actually still based on the previous generation car

 Perodua earlier today launched the previous generation Axia E again. Basically the cheapest new car you can buy in Malaysia, the Axia E is targeted at the lower income group and comes with a price of RM22,000 before insurance. This is definitely the 'menu Rahmah' of the car industry folks. If you're familiar with the term 'Rahmah' here folks. Definitely the RM5 meal equivalent.

MALAYSIAN MADE GRACSHAW LAUNCHES THEIR JAPAN EDITION MOTORCYCLE HELMET

Yesterday, Gracshaw, a made-in-Malaysia motorcycle helmet brand under Double Site Marketing Sdn Bhd,  officially launched its Japan Edition motorcycle helmets. The Japanese inspired edition, comprises of six unique designs – Kurita, Tsuru, Japop, Tengu, Oda and Karasu was showcased for the first time at the recent Terengganu Bike Week 2023 and was well received by biking enthusiasts there.

The MICHELIN BRAND EXPERIENCE 2023 - Showcasing the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 and the Michelin Primacy SUV+

 Recently, Michelin, the world’s leading tyre company, hosted the MICHELIN BRAND EXPERIENCE 2023 at Sepang International Circuit. This was a return after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The three-day event featured exclusive opportunities to experience the new MICHELIN Pilot Sport 5 and the MICHELIN SUV+ tyres and had the support from the official vehicle partner, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.

VIDEO: A very, very, very short test drive of the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor 2.0l Bi-turbo Diesel Pickup truck

This is a  video of the very very short test drive we had with the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor 2.0l Bi-Turbo pickup truck. Totally impromptu and unscripted. 

The launch event held at the Technology Park in Bukit Jalil continues throughout this weekend where interested parties can register and try out the Ranger Raptor. We managed a very, very short test drive of the Ranger Raptor 2.0L and we were quite impressed with its SUV or even car like refinement inside, even though we were doing a little bit of off-roading. Noise suppression was seriously good and it does feel more SUV rather than a pickup truck. The video is below:-

The Next-Gen 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel is Now Available in Malaysia - We get a short test drive in this Pickup Truck! VIDEO inside

Earlier today I managed to spend some time at the launch event of the Next-Generation 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor. Organised by the good chaps at Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, the Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel allows us to have another engine selection for Raptor. The 2.0-litre diesel engine variant joins its 3.0-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 petrol engine counterpart in the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor line-up allowing those who like the frugality of a diesel engine (like the previous generation and its cheaper road tax) with all the goodies of the latest one.

New Video: Scania Previews their Battery Electric Truck as they start marketing and sales of the type

 

Hello folks. As per the last article in the blog, Scania have started selling their Battery Electric Trucks here in the region. This is the video (below) of the preview held last week at Scania's Malaysian headquarters. I managed to attend it and take a look at what their future plans are and also see what their Electric truck is all about.

SCANIA Begins Regional Sales of Battery Electric Trucks for Customers to Comply with ESG Targets

Scania has started sales of battery electric truck in this region. The Battery electric trucks have been introduced for customers’ regional operations to meet their Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) goals. Last Thursday, I attended the first preview for Malaysian customers at Scania Malaysia Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam where we got to see a battery electric Scania truck which will be used in Singapore for garbage collection (which actually suit electric trucks are they offer practical use for stop-start collection for last mile delivery or collection as well as being quieter than any internal combustion engined truck)..[UPDATE - Video of the preview is HERE]

SISMA Auto officially opens their BYD 3S Centre in Glenmarie, Shah Alam

SISMA Auto, the Multi-brand premium automotive group earlier today opened the largest BYD 3S Centre in the automotive hub of Glenmarie, in Shah Alam, Selangor The new 3S centre which RM5 million is a Class-A BYD facility and has a spacious nine-car display showroom and a 16 service bays which was designed to accommodate the growing number of BYD customers. This comes after the news that BYD has already sold over 1,000 units of their Atto3 SUV in Malaysia.