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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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