1st of April 2021 Marked the Official Transfer of UD Trucks to Isuzu Motors

UD Trucks was officially acquired by Isuzu Motors from the Volvo Group on the 1st of April 2021. This move was part of the completion of the strategic alliance between the Volvo Group and Isuzu Motors. There has also been the first round of management changes up top with new members to the UD Trucks board of directors. This is not surprising as these things usually happen when overall control of a company changes hands.

Isuzu Malaysia Will Finally Be Launching the 3rd Generation D-Max and its coming This Month!

Isuzu Malaysia had announced on the 1st of April 2021 that the all-new Isuzu D-Max will be making its Malaysian debut in a few weeks. Finally, as this was launched 18 months ago in Thailand and most automotive pundits speculated that Malaysia would only get it in 2022. This is good news to those who like pickup trucks and also want something new from Isuzu.

HINO Motor Sales Malaysia Officially Opens 3S Centre Operated by Auto Skyline Sdn Bhd in Johor Bahru

Yesterday, Hino Motors Sales (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (HMSM) officially launched its new 3S (Sales, Service, and Spare Parts) centre operated by Auto Skyline Sdn Bhd (Auto Skyline). This newly renovated sales and service centre would meet the needs of Hino customers in the Johor Bahru region and bring a more up to date customer experience for the brand. The new 3S centre which was renovated at a cost of RM120,000  aims to provide the best support solutions that optimally suit customer needs.

Porsche Asia Pacific and Shell to Implement EV Charging Network Between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang

 

Porsche Asia Pacific and Shell have jointly announced the implementation of Southeast Asia’s first cross-border high performance charging (HPC) network with 12 charge points at six Shell stations strategically located along Malaysia’s North-South highway, offering EV drivers the possibility of smooth and convenient travel between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang. Six Shell stations in Malaysia will soon offer high performance direct-current chargers capable of charging EVs such as the all-electric Porsche Taycan at up to 180 kW. The new high-performance chargers redefine EV charging with an assurance of speed and range

The partnership essentially demonstrates the commitment between Porsche and Shell to drive the future of electric mobility in Southeast Asia by spearheading connectivity between the two countries, which handle one of the world’s busiest international land border crossings at the Sultan Iskandar Building and Woodlands Checkpoint. Of course, this will happen when borders are open again post pandemic lockdowns and all.

Do read on....and our thoughts about this are at the bottom of this article!

BMW Group Malaysia Introduces Two New Mobility Applications for BMW and MINI Owners - These Replaces the Current Ones in Use

BMW Group Malaysia has introduced the New My BMW App and the New MINI App which has been designed to enable greater digital personalisation of the Premium Ownership Experience replacing the current one. The New My BMW App and New MINI App will completely replace the BMW Connected and MINI Connected applications respectively by July this year. Additionally, users who are already registered under the BMW and MINI Connected applications will not need to register again to sign into the New My BMW App and the New MINI App. 

New for 2021 Volvo FMX Heavy Duty Truck to be launched in Malaysia Soon - A Slight But Noteworthy Refresh is Coming

Volvo Trucks Malaysia have been dropping preview pics of the latest 2021 Volvo FMX heavy duty truck over the past couple of days in their Facebook page. It seems that the truck has had one important update from the two photos you see in here, and it looks like the cabin seems to be bigger.

2021 Toyota Corolla Cross Has Been Launched - Priced from RM124K Onwards for 2 Variants

The all-new Toyota Corolla Cross has been unveiled online today. According to UMW Toyota Motor, the Corolla Cross will go on sale from 25 March 2021. It offers a Corolla crossover for those who want a C segment sized car or a Corolla for urban and outdoor adventures. The new model will be a CBU or fully imported model from Toyota's plant in Thailand and is available in two variants; the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8V and Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8G. They are priced from RM134,000 (without sale tax exemption) and RM124,000 (with sale tax exemption until 30 Jun 2021) in Peninsular Malaysia without insurance. Still reasonable in terms of pricing as it is an ASEAN import thereby benefiting from the ASEAN tax break arrangements.

The UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge 2020 Winners - Every Country is Declared a Winner Due to the Pandemic & Some Details on the Competition, UD's Tie-up with Isuzu and More

Last Tuesday, March 16 2021, UD Trucks held a virtual awards ceremony for the winners of the Extra Mile Challenge 2020 local driving competitions. Instead of having 1 winner from the finalists, a total of 10 winners from 9 countries joined the ceremony virtually to be honored and officially crowned Ultimate Drivers. The folks at UD Trucks decided that due to the challenges the world is currently facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic (where travel restrictions are abound and work itself was challenging in every continent due to lockdowns) it was deemed wise to crown all of the country winners as joint champions. 

Shell's “Ekstra Kilometer, Ternyata Berbeza”’ Campaign Features the FuelSave 95 Petrol

Shell Malaysia has unveiled their latest brand campaign; “Shell FuelSave 95 Ekstra Kilometer, Ternyata Berbeza”, this is a targeted campaign featuring a refreshed look at its Shell FuelSave 95 proposition. The campaign is anchored on Shell FuelSave 95’s robust capabilities: delivering extra kilometers and partnering customers to make the most out of their everyday journeys. It is in the Malaysian national language - Bahasa Malayu and it definitely targeted at a specific crowd, i.e those who speak and understand the language.

PSA: Perodua Requests Customers Only Deal With Authorised Sales Personnel to Avoid Being Scammed

In light of the popularity of Perodua vehicles especially the recently launched Ativa SUV, Perodua urges both existing and potential customers to only deal with its authorised sales advisors to avoid being deceived by apparent scams that have surfaced after the Ativa’s launch on 3 March 2021. Go through official channels people, don't expect special deals and freebies especially if  you know the car is newly launched or has a long waiting list.

Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Exhibition (MCVE) Set to Return in 2021 as Key Event for Commercial Vehicle Industry

The fifth Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Exhibition (MCVE) organised by Asian Trucker Media is set to take place from 21 st to 23 rd October 2021. The bi-annual exhibition is the biggest event for the commercial vehicle industry in South East Asia. Hopefully this actually happens and will not be affected by the pandemic lockdowns as vaccine shots have started rolling out in Malaysia.

Feature - Wan Muhammad Shafiq, A Finance Executive with PROTON - A Freshman in the Automotive Industry

This feature article today is about an Executive from Proton's Finance Department, Mr. Wan Muhammad Shafiq Bin Wan Abdul Rahim. This is a look into how a chap who had just started his working career and basically life as a working adult with a job at Proton. The chap is young, ambitious, and seems to be seeking to improve his educational qualifications too. 

Wan Muhammad has a degree in Accounting and Finance and has also completed his ACCA course where he is a member since 2020. So basically this chap really knows how to count stuff. But he works in a car manufacturing company. Of course, he does, not everyone in a car manufacturing company tightens bolts or designs the cars. There are people who need to count the money coming in and going out too. 

Toyota Avanza Fuel Pump Special Service Campaign (SSC) Expanded For Malaysia - Cars Made Between 2017 to 2019 Kindly Get Your Avanza Looked At by An Authorised Service Centre

UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT), distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Malaysia, have announced a Special Service Campaign (SSC) to replace the fuel pump for the Toyota Avanza manufactured from October 2017 and June 2019. According to Toyota, this round of SSC is an expansion of an earlier campaign.

New Ford Ranger Raptor X Special Edition Launched - A Special Red Coloured Edition for Malaysia

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, had on 3rd March 2021 revealed the New 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor X Special Edition, which is special to Malaysia and comes in True Red colour. This is also the first time that the colour Red will be offered on a Raptor for customers here. It will come with more equipment and additional safety features as standard, notably it has a in-built 360-degree camera, Dual Digital Video Recorder, and distinctive accessories comprising a bold Raptor X decal and Special Edition carpet mats. The new variant is priced at RM216,888 (on-the-road, without insurance) with a 5-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

Operating a Scania Truck Could Be More Affordable Than You Think - Financing Deals for Scania Trucks for 2021

In conjunction with Scania celebrating 50 years (F50Y) in Malaysia, the truck and bus manufacturer has launched a special promotion which is valid for trucks ordered and delivered between January to December 2021. During this period, the proposition of owning a Scania truck can be as low as MYR6,888 to just over MYR11,118 per month on-the-road. The offer is valid for a Scania New Truck Generation truck meant for five different applications and you can eve get it with Scania Malaysia's in-house Financial services, subject to credit approval with the usual terms and conditions where applicable.

Perodua Ativa - Perodua's New Crossover Has Launched and I Think It Will Be Extremely Popular with Malaysians From The Look of It. {Photos of All Variants Inside}

The Perodua Ativa has been unveiled.... officially. Well, the official reveal via the internet (due to the pandemic lockdowns) was done but there have been many photo leaks, many of which were of the actual car, so this could be the first time Perodua's internal security measures to protect its launch product was severely compromised. On a large scale that is. Of course, the compact crossover/SUV is indeed a good looking car for the price, and the price is a large part of what will make this the most popular small SUV in the market. Their local competitor(s) would need to watch out as the final prices range from RM61,500 to RM72,000 on the road before insurance in Peninsular Malaysia.

The 2021 BMW S 1000 RR Superbike Has Been Launched

Last week, BMW Motorrad Malaysia introduced the New BMW S 1000 RR (pictured above, right beside the BMW GS). Unveiled alongside the New BMW R 18 Classic (which will be featured in another article), the latest variant of the iconic BMW Superbike – the New BMW S 1000 RR  now comes equipped with the Riding Mode Pro and Dynamic Damping Control functions as standard, providing a much more thrilling experience on the racetrack. Basically this latest variant comes with optional equipment made standard, most notably the BMW M Package and the above mentioned adjustable suspension extras.

Digital Premiere of the Perodua New Compact SUV - Tomorrow, the 3rd of March 2021, 8.00pm & Some Leaked Photos That Seems Genuine.

Some say the new compact Perodua SUV will be called the Ativa. Whatever it is the new compact SUV, which is powered by a turbocharged 1.0liter engine will be premiered tomorrow on the internet! The link to head over to is www.peroduadigitalpremiere.com  at 8.00pm, the 3rd of March 2021. 

Of course, there are leaked photos of the new car already circulating on the internet. I think the Movement Control Order has caused even more people to get restless and leaks happen. Have a look at the photos here if you haven't. 

Offers & Promos: Volkswagen March 2021 Deals on Sales and Aftersales

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has announced their March 2021 deals on both sales and aftersales. The most notable ones are the savings which can be had on the Malaysian Volkswagen Passat range and new parts offerings in its Repair Packages for all of its customer cars.

MINI Malaysia Introduces the New MINI Cooper S Countryman and the New MINI Cooper SE Countryman - A Slight Refresh for 2021

MINI, the premium compact car brand under BMW Group, had introduced the New MINI Cooper S Countryman and the New MINI Cooper SE Countryman yesterday. This two new for 2021 variants are locally assembled and feature a slight refresh to the trim outside and a little on the inside too. The performance remains the same but as usual, the Countryman range of MINI is more for the small family and more lifestyle oriented.