THE MITSUBISHI TRITON IS LAUNCHED WITH A NEW MIVEC VGT TURBODIESEL ENGINE

The new Mitsubishi (L200) Triton pickup truck which was launched in 2015 has more power now. There is a new 2.4liter aluminium block 4 cylinder MIVEC variable geometry turbo (VGT) engine powering it. It makes 181ps and a whopping 430Nm torque from the engine and you get to drive it with a 6 speed automatic transmission as well as a manual. Quite marvellous tech has gone into the engine. Which is why I am writing about it. Usually I am not so bothered about a variant launch instead of a totally new car launch.

Opinion: My actual thoughts on the newly launched Honda City X and Jazz X Malaysian specced limited editions

Since the launch of the current City in 2014, 87,000 units have been sold. The current Jazz, launched here in 2014 has sold 34,000 units to date. But the last few months have been a very tough period for vehicle sales here in Malaysia. So in order to drum up sales in a weak market, Honda has launched  the limited edition Honda City X and Jazz X sometime last week. Honda claims that the 'X' supposedly means X-clusivity, X-citement and X-cel. 

Truck News: UD Trucks delivers several Quester 8L to their new owners in Johor Bahru

 Since its introduction in May this year, the UD Quester 8L has been receiving tremendous response from new and existing customers. The UD Quester truck is the first real heavy-duty Japanese truck designed with heavy duty chassis,heavy duty cab and associated heavy features but they are coupled with the Japanese reliability of its fuel-efficient engines and also of its build quality. 

Commercial Vehicle, Truck & Bus News: BF Goodrich tyres introduces the BFGoodrich Route Control and BFGoodrich Cross Control tyres

BFGoodrich tyres, the well known American tyre brand has now introduced their commercial vehicle and truck tyres, the BFGoodrich Route Control and BFGoodrich Cross Control. The commercial vehicle tyres follow in the footsteps of the passenger vehicle tyres which was launched earlier this year.

TEST DRIVE: VOLVO SC60 T6 & T5 - These two are the SUVs for you to consider

XC60 T5

The Volvo XC60, launched in 2008, is a compact crossover SUV that has been selling extremely well globally since 2009. It is the first Volvo that brought out the styling philosophy you see in the current V40 and the S60/V60 cars. The newer XC90 SUV has moved the goalposts for premium to luxury SUVs slightly further afield but it is curious to see how the XC60 drives. I managed a few days in the XC60 T6 2.0 FWD and the T5 2.0 FWD, the two XC60 variants that are sold here in Malaysia.

Perodua and the 59th Merdeka Day celebrations

 Perodua celebrated the Merdeka day this year by having its own mini parade on the eve of Merdeka and by taking part in actual National Day celebration in Dataran Merdeka on 31st August 2016. The two-day celebration was began with a 22 car parade comprising of all 11 old and current models produced by Perodua at the manufacturer's headquarters in Sungai Choh, Rawang. Perodua then participated in the Merdeka Day parade with the two Perodua Bezza (their 11th model) seen above.

September is Ford Malaysia's ‘Truck Month’ - Deals await customers

Ford has announced that September 2016 is ‘Ford Truck Month’. They are offering special deals that make September the best time for Malaysians or anyone who can buy a car in Malaysia to become an owner of a new Ford Ranger pickup truck, which in my opinion is one of the best you can buy here in Malaysia. Especially since it now comes equipped with a reverse camera (even the 2.2XLT - prior to this only the 3.2 Wildtrak had the pleasure of such an option).

All-New Renault Koleos Launched - At showrooms mid-October, available at an Introductory price of RM172,800+

TC Euro Cars (TCEC), who are the authorised distributors of Renault cars in Malaysia have launched the all-new Renault Koleos SUV. This is Renault's new flagship SUV and it looks pretty good in the flesh...or metal to be exact. 

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia is Official Distributor of Volkswagen Cars in Malaysia - Announces 5 year Manufacturer Warranty for all Volkswagen Cars

Volkswagen Group Malaysia have officially announced that the European automotive retail specialist Porsche Holding Salzburg (PHS) will become the official distributor of Volkswagen cars, under the new company name of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM). VPCM is managed by European automotive retail specialist, Porsche Holding Salzburg, is the largest and most successful automotive distributor in Europe. The Salzburg, Germany-based company was founded in 1947, and operates today in 26 markets in Western- and South-eastern Europe, China, and in Columbia and Chile in South America.

Analysis: Why the Automobile Association of Malaysia has hit rock bottom

The middle of August 2016 will go down in Malaysian Automotive history as a black spot. We have Suzuki closing its motorcycle assembly plant here in Malaysia and the Automobile Association of Malaysia's (AAM) operations crashing to a halt. Suzuki states that there is weak local demand for their small CKD products and AAM have not paid their employees over the past 4 months with a lot of their offices closed. These two are just a few changes happening to our Malaysian economy as a whole.

Perodua delivers its 10,000th Bezza, total bookings since launch is now at 25,000 units

 Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd Managing Director, Dr Zahari Husin (right) hands over the mock key to the lucky Pn Zetty Aswani Fazwin Mahrol Puthil (second from left) as a symbolic of 10,000th Bezza delivery.

It looks like the Perodua Bezza A segment sedan is a runaway success for Perodua. It has delivered its 10,000th Bezza to Puan Zetty Aswani Fazwin Mahrol Puthil, 28 of Shah Alam. The lady must have been surprised as Perodua held quite a grand event for the handover of her Bezza. It was even attended by Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh.

My Auto Fest 2016's “Buy a car, Win a car” contest winner drives home a Nissan Almera 1.5VL worth RM82,000

Today was a very wet and gloomy Tuesday morning for most parts of the Klang Valley. But over at the Edaran Tan Chong Nissan Showroom in Glenmarie it was all bright and happy as someone was handed over the key to a brand new Nissan Almera 1.5VL with a NISMO Aerokit. Mohd Shafiq Saipollah, who visited the My Auto Fest show to get the best deal on a pick–up truck got more than he bargained for when he emerged as the winner in the “Buy a Car, Win a Car” grand prize lucky draw.

Renault Koleos feature - Design, Powertrain and more

Here is a feature article about Renault's new Koleos SUV. It will be launched this September 2016. I have to say that this is reasonably priced for a European SUV and I am looking forward to viewing it personally as it has nice styling (it looks like one of those SUVs from those German carmakers from some angles). Well, I believe that if you want to spend money on a car, it has to look decently good and then drive decently well too.  The kit count is also good too. Which means you have a lot of toys inside.

Ford's survey says that 8 out of 10 Malaysians look for fuel efficiency in a new car and other stuff

What do Malaysians want in a new car? This was recently answered in a survey recently conducted by Ford where approximately 8 out of every 10 surveyed in Malaysia (or 83%) said that  fuel efficiency is more important when purchasing a new car. That is just one conclusion of a survey of more than 9,500 drivers in 11 markets across the Asia Pacific region conducted on behalf of Ford Motor Company in June 2016.

MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience (MPSE) will be back at Sepang International F1 Circuit this year!

The MICHELIN Pilot Sport Experience (MPSE) will be back at the Sepang International F1 Circuit in Malaysia this year. It will deliver more than 25 days of motorsport related excitement and sheer driving pleasure through a slew of track activities in August and September 2016.

Sunday Lite: The Austin 152 aka Morris Commercial J4 Van - I used to go to Kindergarten in one.

One of the sad things about commercial vehicles especially passenger vans is that they end up becoming extinct faster than any passenger cars that are on sale. Most do not stop to think what has happened to any of them long after they've been scrapped or destroyed or re-exported out of the country. These days we have a lot of Japanese passenger vans plying our roads as well as some Chinese ones too. Favoured brands include the Toyota HiAce, the Westar LDVs, the Ford Transits and some funny Chinese ones like the LingLong or the JoyLong. No. I am not making this up.

Happenings: Shell Malaysia's 2016 Charity Drive Raises RM 735,000 for Underprivileged Children

Shell has raised a total of RM 735,000 for underprivileged children during its recent Raya Charity Campaign 2016. After being able to do so, the company has now visited its beneficiaries at Persatuan Dyslexia Malaysia (PDM) for a cheque presentation. The children of PDM (who suffer from are amongst the many children nationwide who will benefit from development programmes, supported by the funds raised.

BMW 330e Plug-in Hybrid launched - Let's just throw some figures and comparison into the picture for the fun of it.....

Photo: Autoworld.com.my

Today BMW launched the BMW 330e plug-in hybrid. It costs RM248,000 less insurance. It is cheaper than something with a 330i badge because it gets the EEV tax incentives. So you save over a hundred thousand ringgit if you buy one. 

Spotted for Sale: Rosak Spec - The best specification Toyota Camry in...the WORLD

Yup. We've heard sellers putting up notices of the car - 'Full Spec' 'Premium Spec' Luxury Spec' but never have I heard anyone selling a car as 'ROSAK SPEC'. Rosak means 'not working'. So now's the chance for someone to buy a Toyota Camry 2.0 (a) that isn't running for RM18,990. His life would be complete after this buying this.

Volvo Car Malaysia and Federal Auto officially open their new Showroom in Menara MBMR, Kuala Lumpur

Today, Volvo Car Malaysia and Federal Auto Holdings Berhad launched their new Volvo Retail Experience (VRE) showroom in Menara MBMR which is located close to the original showroom located beside the Federal Highway. This brand spanking new centre replaces the iconic original Federal Auto Volvo showroom which would be sorely missed. But this is actually part of what I believe to be the Volvo revival here (the first was the stupendous XC90 T8) and this is the shape of Volvo showrooms to come here in Malaysia.