Video Test Drive: 2018 Mazda CX-5 SKYACTIV 2.0G 2WD GLS - Mazda's Mid-Priced SUV Offers a Lot

Here is another video review / test drive folks! I squeezed this in just before going on a short vacation. Even I would like to take advantage of this year end you know. So we have the video review of the 2018 Mazda CX-5 SKYACTIV 2.0G 2WD GLS, folks. This is a nice mid-priced SUV which offers a lot.

Goodyear Tyres Launches the Assurance TripleMax 2 Tyre in Malaysia - A New Mid-Passenger Car Tyre Which Officially Replaces the Long Running NCT5

So recently a few of us motoring media fellas met up with the folks from Goodyear Malaysia. Aside from meeting the people now in charge of marketing and having the usual small talk, chit chat and stuff, they also informed us on the arrival of the Goodyear Assurance TripleMax 2 tyre. This is a tyre designed for the mid-range passenger car segment and it actually replaces the long running Goodyear NCT5 tyre here in Malaysia. When I say long running, the NCT5 is super long running as I remember actually using this tyre sometime in the early 2000s or even earlier!

Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad Adopts The Scania Ecolution Program to Help Reduce CO2 Emissions & Fuel Consumption For The Well Being of the Environment

Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad (E-Mutiara), one of the more notable express bus operators in Malaysia has become the first company in the whole of Asia to adopt the Scania Ecolution program. According to the folks at Scania Malaysia, Scania Ecolution is more than just a product or service. They call it a tailor-made partnership between Scania and operators of Scania vehicles that is designed to reduce CO 2 emissions and reduce fuel consumption for the well being of the environment.

HINO Total Support (TS) Contest 2018 - HINO Malaysia's 5th Annual Sales, Service & Parts Personnel Competition Was Held Recently

Hino Motors Sales (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (HMSM) recently held the HINO Total Support (TS) Contest 2018, the 5th time this annual contest has been held. This sales and aftersales personnel contest was held at HMSM'S Head Office located in Petaling Jaya. The competition is aimed towards fostering greater skills and knowledge among the dealers and their personnel so that they get to spend some time meeting others and at the same time ensure that the Hino brand stays at the top of the Malaysian commercial vehicle industry in terms of sales and aftersales.

VIDEO TEST DRIVE: The 2018 Volvo S90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription Plus - Volvo's Best Sedan.

I finally managed to put this video together after quite a while. This is the video about me testing the 2018 Volvo S90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription Plus. This is Volvo's flagship sedan here in Malaysia and it shares the same drivetrain and powertrain as the XC90 T8 SUV. This is the sedan variant of what I think has the best hybrid drivetrain to be fitted to a vehicle (circa 2018). 

Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) is Now Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) - Expanding Their Scope Towards Enhancing The Malaysian Automotive Industry

The Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), has been rebranded as the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii). The announcement was made by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Datuk Darell Leiking at the Car of the Year 2018 (COTY2018) awards on the 4th of December 2018 and sometime last week, MARii Chief Executive Officer Dato' Madani Sahari spoke to members of the automotive fraternity which comprised of industry players, academics, government bodies and members of the media on the scope expansion of MARii. This included the opportunities created for all stakeholders in expediting the adoption of robotics within the automotive sector in a briefing, titled “An Introduction to the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute”, in MARii’s headquarters in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. 

Trucks: Konsortium PD Sdn Bhd Adds 17 New Volvo Trucks to Their Fleet With Another 11 More Coming in 2019

Volvo Trucks Malaysia recently handed over 17 new Volvo trucks of various models to Konsortium PD Sdn Bhd. The handover was held at their Konsortium PD's headquarters in Lukut, Port Dickson. Of the seventeen trucks, two of them were the Volvo FH440, seven were Volvo FM370 and eight were Volvo FM440. Both the senior management of Volvo Trucks Malaysia and Konsortium PD were present at the small ceremony.

Volkswagen Dealer Wearnes Automotive Launches Their Service 2.0 Customer Aftersales Programme

Wearnes Automotive recently introduced and launched the Service 2.0 Program for their Volkswagen Dealership in Sg Besi, Kuala Lumpur. According to them, Service 2.0 will try to ensure a new customer experience exclusively to Wearnes Volkswagen customers and will enable Wearnes to be positioned at the top leading in automotive service industry, second to none. The new customer experience which was launched at Wearnes Automotive's flagship 4S centre in Kuala Lumpur.

DS Automobiles Opens its Flagship DS Store in Petaling Jaya - Premium French Chic For Those That Want Individuality

The PSA Group brand DS now has a new DS Store in Petaling Jaya. Located at the Naza Automall the brand new DS Store is the first of its kind in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Naza Euro Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor for DS cars in Malaysia officially launched the new flagship showroom last Friday where the event was inaugurated in the presence of Yves Bonnefont, CEO of DS Automobiles and Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group CEO, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings.

Upcoming Events - BMW Shorties Film Festival 2018 This 15th December 2018 at Tiffin Food Court, Petaling Jaya - Something To Do This Weekend!

If you have nothing to do this weekend, there will activities, film and music awaits you folks out there at the BMW Shorties Film Festival. It will be held this 15th December  at the Tiffin Food Court, Petaling Jaya. The event, whilst not a motoring event per se is what BMW Group does as part of how they give back to a society where they are based at. So here, BMW gives back by inculcating filmmaking here in Malaysia.

Dato' Zainal Abidin Ahmad to Succeed Datuk Dr Aminar Rashid as President and CEO of Perodua Come 1st January 2019

Malaysian compact car manufacturer Perodua has announced earlier today that their longest-serving President and Chief Executive Officer, Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh, 58 is set to retire after nine years of running what can be said as the most successful car company in Malaysia today. It is under his leadership that Perodua not only expanded its market share from 31.2% in 2010 to above 37% share as of year-to-date 2018. As CEO, he also  also started the company's transformation programme within the Perodua Group which has made the company what it is today.

PROTON Officially Launches the Long, Long, Long Awaited X70 SUV - Prices Start From RM99,800 Onwards

PROTON has finally did it. They've officially launched the Proton X70 SUV. Their first SUV and their first Proton-Geely collaboration car. While most of us already know the details of the new SUV, Proton has made available to most important detail of them all - the prices for all the variants. We now know that the prices start at RM99,800 without insurance for the base 2wd model and it goes up to a reasonable EM123,800 for the full specced premium variant. The good news is that there is one price for the X70 throughout Malaysia. Those in Sabah and Sarawak need not pay any extra like they used to pay with all the cars sold over there! Great initiative by Proton here folks. You folks in Sabah and Sarawak can finally get a price similar to the people of Peninsular Malaysia.

Site Update and the Perodua Nautica - Did You Know Perodua Only Sold 200of These in Malaysia?

I'm back. I was basically hit with a very bad case of influenza right after the KL International Motor Show 2018 and was basically sick as heck. A round of antibiotics and a lot io rest was needed for me to recover. Furthermore, it is the end of the year. I think I deserve a break after running my business affairs, this blog and making videos for the blog without a break throughout 2018.

KLIMS 2018

Do head over to the Facebook page folks. Been updating the Motoring Malaysia facebook page on the motor show.

ASEAN NCAP Gives the Upcoming Proton X70 a 5 Star Rating & Zero Stars for the TATA Super Ace - Some Thoughts on Both of the Results

There was a recent announcement by the people at ASEAN NCAP, the people in charge of testing the safety of new cars sold in the ASEAN or most parts of Southeast Asia. The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) recently crash tested four models during its third and fourth quarter of 2018. The tested models comprised the new Suzuki Swift, the new Proton X70, Wuling Confero and Tata Super Ace. This short piece is on two of the vehicles sold here in Malaysia, the X70 and the Super Ace. The Confero (fortunately not here- zero rated NCAP) and Swift (4 Star NCAP) aren't available officially in Malaysia.

Pre-Motorshow News: Naza Automotive Group to Showcase Peugeot, DS, Citroen & Kia to Name a Few Brands at KLIMS 2018

This is another Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2018 (KLIMS 2018) pre-show update folks. The Naza Automotive Group will be showcasing a range of passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, accessories and alot more at KLIMS 2018 which will be held at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) from 23 rd November until 2 nd December 2018. Some of the highlights include Peugeot, DS and Citroën and Kia.

Pre-Motorshow News: - Ford Malaysia to Officially Launch the Ford Ranger Raptor and will preview the New Ford Mustang at KLIMS 2018

Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the folks who distribute Ford vehicles in Malaysia will be participating in the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2018 which is scheduled to open its doors to the public on the 23 November 2018 until 2 December 2018 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC). 

After 2,500 Units, the Last Scania PGR series truck rolls off the assembly line in Malaysia - New Scania Truck Variants to be Launched Soon

It has been a good run while it lasted but recently, the last Scania PGR series truck has rolled off the assembly line at the Scania Regional Production Centre in Port Klang. It must be a notable record of sorts, as Scania Malaysia has produced and sold more than 2,500 units of the Scania PGR series of trucks (P, G & R series folks...not PGR as a single model) since they were first introduced in the country back in 2008. So one decade and 2,500 units assembled locally later, its time to say goodbye to all three of these current PGR series of trucks.

Promotions: Test Drive a Renault and Win Some Prizes - Year-End Deals on the Captur & Koleos Too!

The ‘Renault Test Drive Challenge’ campaign is currently ongoing and it is offering participants the chance to win an Apple iPhone XS and other attractive prizes. Those that end up purchasing a Renault during the campaign period will also walk away with an additional year-end free gift of Raytech Solar and Security tint for the newly purchased Renault. The tinting is worth up to RM1,800 depending on the model purchased. TC Euro Cars, the authorised distributor for Renault vehicles in Malaysia is also extending their sales promotions on limited units of the Renault Koleos premium SUV and Captur compact crossover.

Castrol Malaysia Launches the all-New Castrol POWER1 Motorcycle Engine Oil

It's been a busy few weeks here in terms of covering the automotive industry in Malaysia. One of the new product launches held last week was the launch of the all-new Castrol POWER1 motorcycle engine oil. Castrol Malaysia launched this new product by unveiling a total of four new variants which according to them have been tailor made to suit a motorcycle's special demands.