TOP 5 JUNIOR HOT HATCHES YOU CAN BUY BRAND NEW IN MALAYSIA (2015)

Welcome back! This is the first posting after the 2015 Id Fitr celebrations in Malaysia. I'm technically still on vacation but I think it has been a while since we had a 100%  Motoring-Malaysia posting instead of just the news. Well, I suppose there was that 'Spotted For Sale' Alfa 4C, but of course, the more the better. So now's the time for us to state THE BEST JUNIOR HOT HATCH IN MALAYSIA that you can buy right now (July 2015 that is). According to Yours Truly here of course. This is because I have driven them all nd I do believe that it is my duty to tell you guys about it.

Number #5 - Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen 'Balik Kampung' tips for this Raya holidays

It’s almost Raya. It's that time of the year again. Soon it will be time to get into our cars and balik kampung (even if the 'Kampung' is actually a short trip from Gombak to Kajang or from Butterworth to Balik Pulau). But before you get started on your journey, Volkswagen Malaysia would like to share some important tips to help you be a smart traveler. 

The top six tips Volkswagen have identified are:

1. Take your car for a checkup

Ensure your ride is in tip top condition for a safe drive home.  

The Hyundai Sonata wins another award over in America - They seem to love it there

Recently, the Hyundai Sonata garnered another award over in America. AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry and this year, the Sonata wins the AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award for mid-sized sedans (yup, a D segment car is a 'mid' sized car over in the United States of America).

Now I sometimes do hope that such an award would translate to more Sonatas on Malaysian roads. They're certainly better than some Japanese D segment cars out there today. Of course, I also note that the interior of the USDM Sonata pictured below looks a little bit more luxurious than what we get here. I suppose it's that little bit of wood here and there which we don't get. It does lift the interior ambiance a tad bit in my opinion. Of course, there are those who do not like wood as it makes the car look uncle-like. Does it really?  

Pump Shell fuel this Hari Raya Puasa and help underprivileged children in Malaysia

This Hari Raya, every liter of fuel pumped at any Shell station in Malaysia on the 14th, 16th and 18th of July 2015, Shell will donate 1 Sen (RM0.01) to help change the lives of underprivileged children in Malaysia.

Contributions raised will benefit children under the care of five (5) selected charitable organisations. So do lend a helping hand. Nothing too strenuous or anything like that. Just head towards a Shell station, and fill in some petrol or diesel. 

Spotted for Sale: Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition

This is the first Alfa Romeo 4C on sale in Malaysia. It is obviously brought in by a local A.P. holder and is steeply priced at RM550,000. The original price for such a car is about 45,000 Pounds Sterling. How 45,000GBP gets translated to RM550,000 is probably due to the fact that exchange rates are at 1GBP = RM5.80 and at least 200+% of excise duty. 

So would I buy such a car? Well, there is no official dealer or service center these days for Alfa Romeo. This means you would be at the mercy of a few specialty shops catering to the marque. This would be slowly declining too as eventually there would be less money to be made when there are less of the marque to go around. So after sales is going to be a pain.

Chevrolet opens their new Malaysia Parts Centre to better serve its customers

Chevrolet Malaysia has opened up a brand new Parts Centre here in Shah Alam. This should cater to the 24,000 people that have bought Chevrolet cars as at end 2014. Quite a number actually, considering that it is a fairly new brand. I suppose being in Transformers and Hawaii Five-O helps a little. Especially the Cruze, driven by a nice looking lady (watch the show and you'd know). 

Anyway, this isn't as interesting as the actual cars themselves. But now you know that there would be less downtime when you send in a Chevrolet as parts would be easier to access within Malaysia.

Truck and Bus News: MIROS PARTNERS SCANIA AGAIN TO PROMOTE SAFE DRIVING

It is said that good road safety is the result of good road etiquette. Like we recently heard in that latest Spy flick, Kingsmen, where 'Manners Maketh Man'. Which is why well-trained and well behaved drivers are aware of the importance of being safe drivers will practice whenever they are behind the wheel.

One of the agencies in Malaysia that studies and promotes this is the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), they are returning for the second time as a partner to the upcoming 2014/2015 Scania Driver Competitions (SDC) which will be held in October this year.

Tech: BMW Motorrad introduces Dynamic Brake Light systems for the EU/ECE - They should go global with this A.S.A.P

I do not usually write about motorcycles per se. Not a big fan of them but I do acknowledge their existence on the road and their purpose for being there. Maybe the larger bikes, but not the mosquito-like (read: irritating) kapchais on the road today. 

Anyway, this piece of news from BMW Motorrad is interesting. They have introduced dynamic brake light systems for some of their bikes -  R 1200 GS, R 1200 GS Adventure and S 1000 XR. The K 1600 GT, GTL and GTL Exclusive luxury tourers. Limited to the European Union and ECE areas for the moment, the dynamic brake light can warn drivers of vehicles following the bikes in a very clear and precise manner. 

Service your Hyundai and will an all-expense paid vacation to watch the WRC in Spain!

In conjunction with its current service promotion, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) is organising a contest that will allow three lucky customers to win an all-expense-paid trip to Spain to witness firsthand how the Hyundai i20 performs at the upcoming World Rally Championship (WRC) in Tarragona, Spain.