Test Drive - Hyundai Kona 1.6Turbo (2021 MY) - This is Actually a Viable Choice For a Compact SUV

What we have here is the 2021 Model Year Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo compact SUV. We had a go in it just before most of Malaysia was placed under the second Movement Control Order due to the current virus pandemic. It was quite lucky in terms of timing if not this review would not have happened. We had managed to take a short trip down to Ipoh with it and if you are actually lazy to read any further, I can easily tell you that this newly launched (here in Malaysia) C-segment SUV is actually quite good for what it is.

What the Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo is a soft roader meant for urban environments with more ground clearance and all the required chunky-boi looks that make compact SUVs the choice over sedans these days. It also has the poke to move and would also give you lots of enjoyment in terms of having more than adequate performance due to its turbocharged 1.6liter engine.

SDAC-Ford Launches New Five-Year and Extended Warranty Plans For All New Ford Ranger Sold in Malaysia

Good news! New Ford Ranger customers will be able enjoy more with the new 5-year manufacturer’s warranty (with the usual terms and conditions*). This is up from the previous 3-year warranty offered before this. But even existing Ford Ranger customers can opt into this new warranty by purchasing a two new Extended Warranty. Plans (with the usual terms and conditions also**) called PremiumCARE and PowertrainCARE.

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, recently announced the new 5-year manufacturer’s warranty 1 for its Ford Ranger lineup. Why only the Ford Ranger you say? Well, currently, this is the only car that Ford sells in large numbers in Malaysia with the occasional Ford Mustang or SUV thrown in to the picture once in a while (as these are fully imported stuff which comes in small batches). So the Ford Ranger, which is also a favourite of many pickup truck fans here, gets an extended warranty. This should make many people a little bit happier.

Volvo Car Malaysia Extends Warranty to Five-years/Unlimited Mileage - Up from Three-years/100,000km Previously

Volvo Car Malaysia has IMPROVED on its manufacturer or factory warranty programme to a five-years/unlimited mileage warraty for all privately owned Volvo cars* registered from 1 January 2021onwards. Prior to this announcement, Volvo car owners were entitled to a three-year/100,000km factory warranty with a combined two-years/20,000km Extended Warranty Programme (EWP) provided by an external insurance partner. 

We mostly know that external parties to any arrangement will usually be a little bit reluctant to do things even though its been legally contracted to them. So it is a very, very good thing that Volvo Car Malaysia is now going the internal route to customer aftersales in terms of warranty issues. So with the introduction of the extended factory warranty, customers will be able to enjoy a similar level of protection at no additional cost, fully covered under the five-years/unlimited mileage warranty. So much more peace of mind. 

And Meanwhile, Perodua Sets and Sales Target of 240,000 Cars in 2021 - No Supply Issues Here Folks

And meanwhile, over at Perodua, the Malaysian compact car manufacturer has stated that they have targeted a sales figure of 240,000 vehicles in 2021. This figure is a 9% increase from the 220,163 units sold in 2020  on the back of sustained strong demand for its existing models and the extension of the sales tax exemption announced by the government recently. 

By way of comparison, Perodua sold 240,341 vehicles in 2019. So they are getting back the numbers from 2019 after sales of 220,163 in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic era (which could be something of historical significance to future historians). 

PROTON Sells and Estimated 5,964 Cars in February 2021 - A Slowdown Due to Manufacturing Supply Being Affected by The Movement Control Order Lockdowns

 January 2021 sales by PROTON - 5,964 units. This marks a decrease of 29.9% over the same month last year. Basically the current round of Movement Control Orders here in Malaysia has stalled sales in the first month of this year. However, Proton says that new or upcoming model launch plans will go on unchanged as company chases after more favourable numbers this year.

Proton's market share is estimated at 18.5%, about 1.0% less compared to the same period last year (with a total industry volume of about 32,000 units for January 2021). According to Proton, the overall figures though are a reflection of supply not being able to meet demand rather than a reduction in bookings. So it could be said that supply of new cars is slowing down sales rather than the pandemic.

 How true could this statement be?

We're Back!!! Here's a Proton Wira with a WTF Type of Downforce Mod

We're Back! Well, or starting to get back but Goddammit, this pandemic lockdown has got me totally bored of motoring as there have been no REAL experiences to... Well, experience. No actual launches to attend. No real cars to try out without lots of social distancing. So much protocol in place. You get the picture. I am all about the experience and Virtual launches bore me. So I rather do other stuff like killing tanks and ships or people in, well, PC games...which are also virtual. Go figure. But here is a Proton Wira with suspect aerodynamic mods. 

Offers and Promos from Volkswagen This Chinese New Year (2021)

In a nutshell, you can get savings up to RM10,000 on Volkswagen models, aftersales offers on parts replacement and genuine oil and that this promotion valid from now till 28 th February 2021

Official Volkswagen distributor in Malaysia, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is having another round of offers and promotions this Chinese New Year (CNY) with what they are calling as "ang pao rebates" which gives out a savings of RM1,000 over and above other rebates. As for the overall promotional campaign, it covers both new car sales as well as aftersales so no one is left out.

Feature Article: Caring About the Air Quality for Your Car

Hello folks! Happy New Year and I'm back after making myself feel better during the dull year end due to the pandemic. Here is a feature article from Proton regarding their cabin filter equipped cars and options. Good for cleaning up the air of your Proton especially since there could be viruses floating around.....

As we embrace the new norm, many of us will be spending a considerable amount of time in our cars to commute daily to work. But is the cabin of your car truly a cleaner environment? Even when travelling with the windows closed, the air quality inside can be affected by the air from the outside. It is therefore important for cars to be equipped with cabin air-filtering capabilities. However, like many other parts in your car such as spark plugs and oil filters, cabin filters are one of the parts we frequently replace in our cars but we rarely talked about. 

Video: Preview of the All-New 2021 Hyundai Elantra 7th Generation (CN7) in Malaysia - Extra Thoughts and Photos Inside

Alright folks! The All-New 2021 Hyundai Elantra (CN7) C segment sedan has been previewed in Malaysia and we had a chance to attend the media preview. Thanks to Malaysian distributors Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors. So as usual, we made a video about it. These are our thoughts about the actually gorgeous looking compact sedan (which actually isn't so compact these days as cars have gone larger by a fair bit). Malaysia is getting only 1 variant, the 1.6liter normally aspirated SmartStream engined variant with a Hyundai IVT (CVT for you and me) 8 virtual speeds transmission. It is fully imported, open for bookings and whilst prices have not been announced yet it should not be around RM120K but more closer to the RM140k mark as it is fully loaded with a lot of features.

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Set to Launch the All-New 7th Generation Elantra Mid-December 2020 - You can go book this gorgeous looking sedan if you want

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors will be launching the all-new 7th generation Hyundai Elantra (CN7) sometime mid-December 2020. This 2021 model is essentially all new and looks very nice. It will be fully imported in 1.6lirer form and since it is fully imported, prices will be at a premium but it will be specced up in terms of active safety and convenience features too. Oh, there will be a video of the Malaysian preview on our Youtube channel on the new car so stay tuned over there - https://www.youtube.com/motoringmalaysia

BMW Group Financial Services Introduces Online i-Renewal Services for the BMW and MINI Comprehensive Motor Insurance Programme

BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia has introduced a new service for their customers. This is the i-Renewal digital service for the BMW and MINI Comprehensive Motor Insurance Programme. According the them, the new programme was brought out to simplify renewal processes for BMW and MINI owners insured by the programme.

Volkswagen Cares Mobile App Has 30,000 Subscribers - It Goes to Show That With the Proper Distributors, Things Do Get Better

Volkswagen Cares, the mobile application for Volkswagen owners here in Malaysia has reached 30,000 subscribers. This has happened two years after its launch, and the app, launched by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM), who are the authorised distributors of the brand here, is part of the Volkswagen Cares aftersales initiative committed to providing the best for owners in the country. This is definitely an ongoing push by them to improve customer and ultimately brand image in the country.

Offers & Promotions: Ford Malaysia's New Aftersales Servce Promo - Running from 23 November 2020 to15 February 2021

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the chaps who are the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, have announced the latest Service Promotion for the year end. This new promo starts on 23 November 2020 and will continue to 15 February 2021. There will be savings up to 20 percent on selected parts, 10 percent discounts on labour fees for selected packages and a free 27-point vehicle inspection.

Industry Players - Billy Koh, the MD of PROTON Dealership Lesydear Automobile Sdn Bhd Talks About Conducting Business During the MCO

Hello folks! This is something different again. We have an interview with Mr Billy Koh who is the Managing Director of  Lesydear Automobile Sdn Bhd, a Proton Dealership locatedin Puchong, Selangor. Lesydear is one of the Proton dealers who had embraced the change within PROTON and had taken up the offer to upgrade their existing dealership from a 1S (sales only) outlet to a full fledged 3S (sales, service & spares).

MAN Truck and Bus Officially Opens its Port Klang Service Centre

It has been awhile but they've finally done it. MAN Truck and Bus (M) Sdn Bhd (MAN) has officially opened their new service centre in Port Klang and the brand is now able to offer fleet operators and customers more efficient and timelier vehicle care in the busiest port in  Malaysia. The new centre started operating in August and is located at Lingkaran Sultan Mohamed 2, Port Klang. With this centre, it seems that MAN now has an even greater brand presence in the area.

Site Update & New Video: Proton X50 SUV Autonomous Emergency Braking System Demonstration and Our YouTube Channel Has Now Over 7,000 Subs. Thank You!!!

New video on our YouTube Chanel folks. Actually this was released mid last week but I actually forgot to update this over here. It was updated on our Facebook page but I somehow forgot to update it over here in the Motoring Malaysia Blog. The video is another one on the 2020-2021 Proton X50 Compact SUV where the Autonomous Emergency Braking System was demonstrated at the second media preview held just before the launch of this now popular vehicle.

Mansang Logistics Takes Delivery of the First Scania New Truck Generation XT Rigid Truck and Enters into the Scania Ecolution Agreement

Mansang Logistics is the first truck operator in Sarawak to sign the Scania Ecolution Agreement. The signing of the agreement also coincided with the delivery of Mansang Logistics' First Scania New Truck Generation XT Rigid type heavy duty truck. The Scania Ecolution agreement was entered between Scania Malaysia represented by Phang Yee Fong, the Regional Manager for the East Coast and East Malaysia, Scania Southeast Asia and Lim Kee San,Head of Customer Management who represeted Mansang Logistics Sdn Bhd.

2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Arrives in Malaysia

The 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible has arrived in Malaysia . Officially launched by Lexus Malaysia, it is not merely a LC 500 coupe without a roof but was also designed with a version in mind. It allows wind in your hair feeling yet provides the same thrills as the coupe.

Shell Malaysia X BonusLink 'Ekstra Ganjaran Setiap Hari' is Currently Ongoing

Shell Malaysia and BonusLink recently launched the ‘Ekstra Ganjaran Setiap Hari’ campaign to reward loyal customers with up to 4X BonusLink Points for fuels purchases. The campaign began on 16 November 2020 and will end on 30 April 2021. During this campaign, customers can accumulate BonusLink Points faster than before, based on the principle of tiered rewards where the more purchases a customer makes in a month, the higher the points tier they move up into, and the better the rewards they will receive. Up to 4 times the usual BonusLink points amount.

This campaign is one of the ways Shell Malaysia and also BonusLink is helping out their customers. Shairan Huzani Husain, Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd said, “Helping customers and communities through the COVID-19 pandemic remains a top priority at Shell. At a time of unprecedented economic uncertainty, we’ve had to rethink our loyalty programme offerings to ensure we continue to stand behind all our customers and provide them the best value."

Enhanced Toyota Vios Soon to be Launched - Now Open for Booking

Right after announcing the new Toyota Yaris slight facelift and equipment upgrade, UMW Toyota Motor have announced that the best selling Vios will shortly be sold with a front end refresh and will also come equipped with more premium safety features. The new refreshed for 2021 Toyota Vios compact sedan will be available for booking from today onwards and you can book either online or at all authorised Toyota Showrooms throughout Malaysia.