Ford launches the all-new Ford Everest SUV in Malaysia

Another all-new SUV gets launched here in Malaysia folks. Ford Motor Company and its local distributor Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) have finally brought the latest, all-new Ford Everest to our shores. It looks properly chunky and I dig those wheel arches a lot.

New Toyota Hilux and Toyota Fortuner launched in Malaysia - Some thoughts

And meanwhile, Toyota have launched the all-new Toyota Hilux pickup and the Hilux based Fortuner SUV here in Malaysia. The Fortuner is based on the Hilux and both benefit from a more rigid chassis and a more rigid chassis to body mounting setup. More rigidity means a lot of things but what you do get is less NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) inside, better road manners. More refinement overall. More looks too, especially the Fortuner. Very modern and a lot of Lexus styling cues making this no longer looking like a budget looking SUV. 

The Proton Preve with Four Years and 48,000km under its belt - How does it perform?

Photo: Wikipedia...in order to protect the innocent from pain and suffering.

A few weeks ago I managed to get my hands on a first batch Proton Preve 1.6CFE. You know, the turbocharged version of Proton's latest C segment competitor that is sold over in Australia, Chile and a few other places. Of course, this is the Malaysia specced one. It is about four years old and had already covered about 48,000 kilometers. This means that this car had covered about 12,000kilometers per year and you could say that it is a report on how the car lasts after a good four years.

BMW Vision Next 100 Concept Car and a Japanese Anime BMW

1983 was the year when the Crusher Joe anime cartoon movie was released over the Japan. It was based on a series of Japanese light sci-fi novels that told the story of a group of anti-heroes that travelled the universe and did lots of stuff including terraforming planets. I think the stories were set sometime in 2170 or thereabouts. More than a hundred years from 2016. 

A Malaysian Man - My Other blogsite

If you folks aren't aware yet ..... I have another blog called A MALAYSIAN MAN. This is where I record my journey on how to dress well in tropical weather Malaysia. I review what I wear or use and give people a heads up on how to look prim and proper in this crazy heat and humidity. Yes. Aside from blabbering about cars, trucks and buses, I blabber about how I dress and what menswear stuff is appropriate or not.

CALTEX Improves their Caltex™ with Techron® fuel and the “Caltex Fun Truck” Contest

Second from left – Shahid Ahmed, General Manager for Products in Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia, Chevron Malaysia Limited Centre – Dato’ Basaruddin Bin Sadali, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Second from right – Greg Engeler, Product Engineer Manager of Chevron Asia Pacific

Caltex have just launched the new and improved the Caltex™  with Techron® fuel that it markets and sells in Malaysia. Caltex has reformulated its signature additive package with the addition of new Clean & Glide technology.

INDUSTRY NEWS: DATO’ SRI SYED FAISAL ALBAR APPOINTED PROTON NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

Some news on who is taking over Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed's place as the Chairman of PROTON.

PRESS RELEASE

DATO’ SRI SYED FAISAL ALBAR APPOINTED PROTON NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

Caltex Lubricants Roadshows in the Klang Valley in conjunction with the Power of X with CALTEX™ and X-MEN: APOCALYPSE

There are Caltex roadshows around the Klang Valley in conjunction with the Caltex promotion for the Release the Power of X with CALTEX™ and the upcoming X-MEN: APOCALYPSE film.

Pioneer Brings Apple CarPlay(TM) to its aftermarket in-dash car receivers for the Malaysian market

Apple CarPlay on the AVH-X8850BT

Pioneer's AVH-X8850BT, AVH-X8750BT and AVH-X8650BT In-dash Car Multimedia Receivers can now access Apple CarPlay in Malaysia. If you have an IPhone and want an aftermarket double DIN multimedia/infotainment system with proper IPhone connectivity you can try one of the models mentioned herein.

PRESS RELEASE

Pioneer Brings Apple CarPlay(TM) to Malaysia 2016-04-29 10:00

New Ford Ranger’s Class-Leading Water Wading Tested in this Ford Ranger video

A bit busy today to be posting more articles. Here is one of Ford's articles on the Ford Ranger series of videos. Interesting. You can view it at their Facebook page here. Or you can go to their Ford Ranger website here. All of the four Ford Ranger video specials are there for your viewing pleasure.

PRESS RELEASE

Ford Ranger Presents: Built Ford Tough

Deep Water Test: New Ranger’s Class-Leading Water Wading Tested to the Limit

Truck News: Volvo FH16 featuring I-Shift transmission with crawler gears faces an extreme heavy haulage challenge - 750 Tonnes

 Sometime last month Volvo Trucks featured a...well, Volvo Truck that pulled about 750 Tonnes - a road train. I just found the time to look through it and it is actually pretty interesting. The Volvo FH16 features the I-Shift gearbox fitted with crawler gears and 750hp state of tune running the power through the strongest heavy duty axle from the product range. 

TEST DRIVE: THE Facelifted 2016 SUBARU XV 2.0i-Premium - Very nice, but I dream about turbocharged Scoobies a lot...

The Subaru XV is something that has been a relative sales success for Subaru in Malaysia. This was the first Subaru that has been locally assembled in Malaysia in recent years. Well, I cannot remember any Subaru being locally assembled over the past twenty five years or so actually. What has happened is that for the first time ever this quirky Japanese car maker has actually sold more than a handful of units per year in this country. It shows, as here in the Klang Valley you see the XV everywhere. At least one a day at the minimum. This is partly due to the new found affordability (due to CKD status), word of mouth and more mainstream looks (for a Subaru). This is a good thing as Subaru make cars slightly different from the normal Japanese stuff.

Volvo Car Malaysia at the RHB-SHIMANO Highway Ride - Volvo Life Paint, Volvo V40 Adventure Package and some XC90 news

Note the backdrop here and when you view the other photos down below.

Yesterday I went to a cycling event, the RHB-Shimano Highway Ride. This was a night cycling event and it was held on the LEKAS Highway. A stretch of the highway was closed to motorists from around 5.00pm to 3am earlier today. This must have caused some traffic jams in the surrounding area as some would have forgotten to bypass this stretch. Anyway, there were at least a couple of thousand people at around starting time (about 8.00pm) with participation from at least 16 countries. Volvo Car Malaysia, in conjunction with their authorised dealer, Clear Marque Sdn Bhd and the event organisers, Go Sportz Sdn Bhd were there. They showed off the Volvo V40 with their newly advertised 'Adventure Package' and also to launch a unique water based reflective spray paint called Volvo Life Paint.

FORD GO FURTHER ROADSHOW at the 1 UTAMA shopping centre this weekend - 27-2nd May 2016

This is just to inform you that there is a 'Ford Go Further Roadshow' at 1 Utama shopping mall in Petaling Jaya this weekend.

PRESS RELEASE

Ford to Showcase Vehicle Lineup at ‘Ford Go Further

Roadshow’ at 1Utama

RENAULT ZOE FULL-ELECTRIC VEHICLE NOW OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN MALAYSIA

Limited units of the fully electric powered Renault ZOE are available for sale in Malaysia to the public. The ZOE is available at RM145,888, on-the-road inclusive of GST without insurance for private individual registration in Peninsular Malaysia in Glacier White colour. Prior to this the car was made available for agencies to try out alternative modes of transport - like the chaps from GreenTech Malaysia for example (see the photo below - the ZOE at an event in Cyberjaya).

Students from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM / UIAM) participate in Ford's Driving Skills for Life Programme

The Ford Motor Company (Fomoco) continued its efforts to raise road safety awareness in Malaysia through its global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme.  After sessions with the German Malaysian Institute, Taylor’s University and Malaysian Multimedia University, the company recently hosting workshops for students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

MAXX OIL NanoPLUS range of engine oils is launched

MAXX Oil, an brand of engine lubricant oil which is formulated and made in the USA is distributed by Shift Performance Asia (M). Today the company has just launched the brand new Maxx Oil engine oil range called the MaxxOil NanoPLUS. 

The MINI brand celebrates 15 years

On 26 April 2001, the first new MINI came off the production line at the steeped-in-tradition manufacturing site in Oxford. Since the relaunch of the British brand, more than 2.5 million vehicles have been manufactured at this location. 

Short Test Drive: 2016 Jaguar XF Prestige 2.0liter

I tried out the all new Jaguar XF Prestige 2.0 at the Malaysian launch of the XF here in Subang Jaya. This is one of two models available here in Malaysia. The XF Prestige gets 17-inch Lightweight 15-spoke wheels, perforated leather seats, metal tread plates with Jaguar script and multi-function soft-grain leather steering wheel. The other being the XF R-Sport gets a sport suspension, 18” Helix 10-spoke wheels and R-Sport bodykit, R-Sport branded multi-function soft-grain leather steering wheel and R-Sport branded metal tread plates. However, the test units were all Prestige models with different options including larger wheels and tyres. I drove one with fatter 20inch wheels. The one on the left. In that nice Italian Racing Red.

All-New Jaguar XF launched in Malaysia - Two Variants at the moment and priced from RM450,000

White XF R-Sport

The All-new Jaguar XF, which sits between the recently launched XE and the top-of-the-range XJ, was launched earlier today. What it does is that it renews Jaguar's challenge in the mid-sized luxury car segment. 

For the Malaysian market, the fully imported All-new XF is available in two variants -- the XF Prestige and XF R-Sport. They are priced from RM450,000 for the Prestige and from RM460,000 for the R-Sport. Prices include GST but exclude registration, road tax and insurance.