UPDATED: The discount offers on selected parts has increased to 50%
Perodua has often been quick to come to the aid of its customers whenever there have been floods affecting thousands, especially motorists. Perodua owners whose vehicles have been affected by the floods are being offered special support by the carmaker. The assistance includes towing service rebates, discounts on selected spare parts and free inspections to ensure the vehicles are in good and safe running order.
“Our customers are very important to us, and these value-added services are provided to help relieve some of the burden our customers have to deal with during this disaster,” said Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
“While a few of our service centres are also affected by the floods, our customers can still contact any of our service outlets throughout Malaysia for assistance. We are doing our best to resume our operations [at the affected areas] as quick as possible,” he added.
On the assistance given, Dato’ Zainal said Perodua owners can claim for towing service charges up to a maximum of RM300 at the nearest Perodua service outlets (terms and conditions apply). Those who are covered by Perodua Total Protect Plus (PTPP) can obtain the towing services free of charge.
In addition, should parts need to be replaced for repairs due to flood damage, there’s a 50% discount available. The parts include all electronic items, engine overhaul gaskets, vehicle seats, door trim and carpet – typically the items that are damaged when a vehicle is flooded. There will be no charge for labour for repair work (excluding car cleaning and detailing).
“Our genuine spare parts come with a manufacturer’s warranty and we ask our customers to not use any imitation parts as this may affect the performance of their vehicles,” Dato’ Zainal advised.
Perodua owners whose vehicles have been damaged by flood can contact the company’s support line 1-800-88-5555 to get assistance, especially for towing services (terms and conditions apply).
To locate a Perodua service centre in Malaysia, visit www.perodua.com.my.
When it opened for business in 1895, Cycle & Carriage was a general store offering all kinds of products, from soap to writing paper to screwdrivers and simple machine parts. Four years later, it added bicycles, motorcycles and motorcars. Quite likely, the company would also have sold wheels and tyres during the period at the dawn of motorisation.
122 years later, Cycle & Carriage (C&C) still sells cars – Mercedes-Benz, in particular – and it still also sells Original Tyres and Rims. While all of its outlets can supply the items, it has an Original Tyres and Rims Boutique at its Autohaus in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. C&C is the first and only dealer in Malaysia to have such a boutique to broaden its aftersales service experience.
Optimized for safety and performance
The boutique has the Mercedes Original range of certified original tyres and Mercedes-Benz rims and accessories that are not only styled with good looks but also optimised for safety and performance. Customers can choose from an assortment of tyre and rim combinations with sizes that are suited for each Mercedes-Benz model.
Though made by global tyre companies, every Mercedes Original (MO) tyre is developed and manufactured to the highest quality that meets the stringent requirements of Mercedes-Benz. While the same tyre may also be available in the open market, the MO tyres are the result of a thousand hours of engineering and testing to ensure more specific matching to the cars they are recommended for. This means that the driver can enjoy the full performance levels which the engineers originally designed the car with.
Four types of tyres
The boutique offers four types of high-performance Mercedes Original tyres. Besides Mercedes Original tyres, there are Mercedes Original Extended tyres which enable temporary extended mobility in the case of a flat tyre. There are also Mercedes Original 1 tyres, a selection developed for Mercedes-AMG vehicles and high-performance needs. For customers who want more quietness, there are the Mercedes Original Silent tyres.
The boutique offers an interactive experience where customers can view, touch, and feel the differences of each of the wheels and tyres. Such interactivity allows every customer to learn about the benefits of the products’ effect on performance and driving experience.
“We are excited that our new Mercedes-Benz Original Tyre and Rims Boutique experience can help customers learn more about these high-performance products that add comfort, safety and performance to their vehicles,” said Wilfrid Foo, CEO of Cycle & Carriage. “Being able to offer the Mercedes Original range of tyres and rims at the boutique is an important part of our effort to give our customers the most exceptional journey with their Mercedes-Benz.”
C&C also has Mercedes-Benz Original Tyres and Rims showcases at its Cheras and Glenmarie (Selangor) outlets.
Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and although you may not show symptoms, you could spread the coronavirus to others. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
The 21st century is regarded as the ‘Pacific Century’ with the ascent of China into a global economic power. This decade might also be the ‘Middle East Decade’ in motorsport with the recent election of Mohammed Ben Sulayem from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the 117-year old governing body for world motorsport and the federation of the world’s leading mobility organisations.
Ben Sulayem, 60, received 61.62% of the votes from FIA Member Clubs, which are from 245 Member Organisations in 146 countries on 5 continents. The closest other candidate for the position was Britain’s Graham Stoker, who received 36.62% of the votes (with abstenstions of 1.76%). Ben Sulayem takes over from Frenchman Jean Todt, who was President since 2009 and served 3 terms, the maximum permitted.
Ben Sulayem has a strong motorsports background as a rally driver, having been14-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion and would be among the most successful motorsport drivers from the Arab world. He won 61 international events from 1983 to 2002, some of them when he was with the Toyota works team participating in the World Rally Championship. Towards the end of his rallying years, he also drove Fords.
Apart from being President of the Emirates Motorsports Organisation since 2005, he has had a presence at the council level in the FIA since 2008 when he became the first Arab named as Vice-President of the FIA, and the first to be elected to the FIA World Motor Sport Council (as Vice-President for Middle East). He campaigned under the banner ‘FIA for Members’, committing to double motorsport participation worldwide, strengthen diversity and inclusion and be a leading opinion-former on sustainable mobility.
“I am very honoured to have been elected FIA President at the conclusion of the Annual General Assembly in Paris today. I thank all the Member Clubs for their esteem and trust. I congratulate Graham for his campaign and his engagement to the Federation. I wish to express my infinite gratitude in the name of the FIA and that of its Members to Jean Todt for all that has been achieved over the past 12 years. I am committed to pursuing the important work and make motorsport and mobility take further steps forward,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Elected for a 4-year term, the new President’s team will include Carmelo Sanz de Barros as President of the Senate, Robert Reid as Deputy President for Sport, and Tim Shearman as Deputy President for Mobility and Tourism.
There will also be Vice-Presidents to represent various regions, just as Ben Sulayem represented the Middle East before. Taking on his role is Abdulla Al Khalifa from Bahrain), while Rodrigo FERREIRA ROCHA from Mozambique will cover Africa. North American activities will come under Daniel Coen from Costa Rica, with Brazilian Fabiana Ecclestone (wife of Bernie Ecclestone) looking after South America. Lee Lung Nien from Singapore will be responsible for Asia-Pacific motorsport, and Sweden’s Anna Nordkvist with Spaniard Manuel Avino looking after Europe.
India lost its seat on the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) for the first time in more than three decades. The incumbent Gautam Singhania was unable to retain his position on one of the 14 WMSC seats.
Jean Todt was President of the FIA for the past 12 years.
Speaking on departure from the role as FIA President, Todt (husband of Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh) said: “A chapter has come to an end. We can be collectively satisfied of our achievements in motor sport and safe and sustainable mobility over the past 12 years. I would like to warmly thank my team, our administration and all our Member Clubs for their unwavering commitment, enthusiasm and resilience. I congratulate Mohammed on his election as FIA President and wish him, his team, and the Federation the best of success for the years to come.” Todt has been conferred the status of Honorary President of the FIA in recognition of his contributions.
During the 1980s, Nissan was among the early Japanese carmakers to begin setting up overseas plants – not plants merely assembling cars but full-fledged factories that carried out the almost all the manufacturing processes. As the brand was very popular in Europe, the company decided to establish a factory there and after considering a few countries, it settled on Britain.
At a former airbase in Sunderland, in the north-eastern corner of England, was chosen for the factory site and operations began from 1986. It has assembled both Nissan and Infiniti models (Q30 and QX30) as well as the LEAF EV since 2012.
Combining past, present and future
Celebrating 35 years of production at the Sunderland plant, Nissan commissioned a very special project which would combine a major past product with the technology of today and tomorrow. Called the ‘Newbird, it is a conversion of the Bluebird model – the first car off the factory’s production line in 1986 – which has its combustion engine replaced by the fully electric drivetrain of a LEAF.
The project was managed by Kinghorn Electric Vehicles, a family-run company based in Durham, just 24 kms from the Nissan factory. Kinghorn EV specialises in the conversion of classic cars to full electric using second-life Nissan LEAF motors, inverters & batteries so they are very familiar with the powertrain.
“Electric vehicles are not just the future, they’re the now! Converting older vehicles to electric gives you everyday use of these iconic vintage models, but they’re just as enjoyable to drive. They’re more reliable and, importantly, don’t produce harmful emissions when driving. With this project, we think we’ve created a car that captures the soul of the Nissan Bluebird, with the heart of a Nissan LEAF, said George Kinghorn, owner of the company.
Change of heart
The Bluebird was extensively modified to integrate the LEAF’s electric drivetrain. The original petrol combustion engine and gearbox were removed and a LEAF motor, inverter and 40 kWh battery pack installed, with the battery modules split between the engine bay and boot for optimised weight distribution.
Updates and modifications were made to the power steering, braking and heating systems to enable them to be electrically powered. A custom suspension was also installed to support the additional weight from the battery packs. To match the car’s electric updates, the original Nissan bonnet badge received a LED backlight (for when the vehicle is static).
For the exterior of the 5-door hatchback car, Nissan Design Europe created a new graphic motif inspired by design cues of 1980s consumer technology, combined with a 21st century aesthetic.
The car is recharged through the original fuel flap on the left side which provides access to the charging port. The battery can be recharged at up to 6.6 kW and the original driver instrument panel has been connected to the EV system to enable the fuel gauge to show the charge level in the battery pack.
As the Bluebird was not originally designed to carry a battery pack, it has to be installed in the boot.
The car’s range from a single charge is estimated to be up to 210 kms and should be able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in under 15 seconds. Given the high torque from start that is characteristic of an electric motor, the performance should be zippier than the original. However, the Newbird is not homologated so it cannot be used on public roads.
Production time halved
In 1986, it took over 22 hours for the first Bluebird to be completed. Today, modern manufacturing processes and technologies have halved that time to 10 hours. To date, after 35 years, the number of vehicles produced by the factory has exceeded 10.5 million. Although some scenarios which suggested manpower would drop with more automation, the number of staff employed at the Nissan factory has grown from 430 in 1986 to 6,000 today.
Nissan Manufacturing UK began operations 35 years ago.
Incidentally, for those who recall the Bluebird being sold in Malaysia, the one in the UK was different. In fact, in the 1980s, Nissan had two Bluebirds produced in different parts of the world and one had front-wheel drive, while the other had rear-wheel drive. So when discussing the model with Nissan executives, one had to first clarify which market was being referred to. The one sold in Malaysia in 1986 was the older one with rear-wheel drive whereas the one built in the UK had switched to the newer front-wheel drive model and was produced in sedan, hatchback and stationwagon bodystyles.
The last Bluebird sold in Malaysia by Edaran Tan Chong Motor was the Bluebird Altima in the 1990s. Nissan officially ended the Bluebird line in 2001 although it did continue with a smaller model called the Sylphy that also carried the Bluebird name.
To know more about current Nissan models available in Malaysia, visit www.nissan.com.my.
All data from monthly reports of Malaysian Automotive Association.
The Total Industry Volume (TIV) for November was 58,742 units, a drop of 7.5% from October and 4% less than what was recorded in November 2020.
This decrease was attributed to reduced supplies of certain models due to the global shortage of microchips (as well as some parts), and some members of the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) also believe that customers may have deferred plans to purchase their new vehicles after learning that the sales tax exemption would be extended till June 30, 2022.
Although there are production delays at some plants due to shortage of parts, the total output in November of 58,0-79 units was 6% higher than for the same month in 2020.
The cumulative TIV over 11 months reached 441,136 units – 4% below the volume achieved for the same period in 2020. This means that the industry would have to deliver 58,864 vehicles in December to hit the forecast of 500,000 units. While the MAA is optimistic that there will be a higher TIV in December, it is hard to predict just how much higher due to the supply issue. Typically, there is a significant jump at the end of the year with promotions and a final push by companies to get the best numbers before they close the year’s books. In 2020, the TIV went from 56,489 units in November to 64,836 units.
At the recent press conference where Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda, gave a broad overview of the company’s electrification strategies during this decade, 16 fully electric – also known as BEVs or battery electric vehicles – were shown on stage. Most are probably just 3-dimensional models of future products but they certainly attracted a lot of speculation and attention, especially the electric Hilux and a SUV that has styling reminiscent of the FJ Cruiser.
To date, Toyota has launched one BEV model which will go on sale in 2022. This is the bZ4X, which is said to have been developed with involvement of Subaru, which will sell a similar model it calls the Solterra. Mr. Toyoda also showed a video of himself and Koji Sato, President & Chief Branding Officer of Lexus International, testing a Lexus BEV prototype around a test course. It’s typical of the Toyota President who, being a racing driver himself, also gets involved in product development.
An uncamouflaged model of that BEV appeared to be in the group of Lexus prototypes also displayed. The BEV will go into production in 2022 and while details have not been released, Lexus has shown more uncamouflaged pictures of the car. The BEV prototype will be the new RZ, a SUV crossover that will be the first of range of Lexus vehicles that have been designed from the start to be BEVs. Apart from having sold hybrids for many years, this will not be the first fully-electric Lexus model as the all-electric UX 300e has been available for about 2 years now. However, that model was not developed only as a BEV.
UX 300e is the fully electric version of the UX compact crossover.
e-TNGA
With the RZ, which will start with a 450e variant, the vehicle is built on a completely new dedicated platform called e-TNGA, a version of the TNGA (Toyota New Generation Architecture) that has been used for all recent new models. While the bz4X is RAV4-sized, the RZ 450e looks like a RX-sized model with similar styling themes but a closed front end typical of EVs.
All-wheel drive with DIRECT4
Not many details are available at this time though it can be expected that the powertrain will be something similar to what is in the bZ4X, with higher output and a bigger battery pack. The all-wheel drive system will be an exclusive control system called DIRECT4 which dynamically controls the drive force to the wheels constantly optimizing the power delivery. It can be fully front wheel drive or rear wheel drive or varying combinations of front and rear drive as conditions require.
The new RZ will also be available with a steer-by-wire system. This is said to eliminate the traditional hand-over-hand action for lower speed driving or parking. It would be possible to do a full U-turn with a simple rotation of the steering wheel.
Steering wheel in the Toyota bZ4X which will initially be offered in SUVs for the China market.
Lexus says there will be a ‘comfortable and unique shape’ which provides a clear view to all relevant information from the instrument panel to the heads-up windshield display. This suggests that the RZ may also have that steering column with a wing-shape. In the bz4X, it will initially be offered in China and then progressively appear in other markets.
Battery warranty up to 10 years
As a measure of the brand’s confidence in its BEV technology, Lexus is offering (in some markets) a 10-year (or up to 1,000,000 kms) extended care on all functional defects of the vehicle’s main battery pack and capacity degradation below 70%, provided that the regular health checks foreseen in the maintenance program are followed. This is a separate warranty from the vehicle warranty which covers the powertrain.
The new RZ range will begin the Lexus offensive to have BEVs in every segment, and account for 100% of the brand’s total sales in Europe, North America, and China by 2030.
LF-Z Electrified concept shows design direction for future BEVs from the brand.
The Maserati’s MC20 Fuoriserie Edition for David Beckham is like a letter written to the city of Miami, home of Beckham’s football club in America. It began as part of the carmaker’s Fuoriserie customization program which allows customers to create a very personalised Maserati. In this case, the customer was the brand’s ambassador himself, who became a designer with the help of the Maserati Centro Stile.
At Maserati Fuoriserie, a car starts as a blank canvas and customers are offered an array of instruments to create with. The rest is left to the clients taste and inspiration, giving them the opportunity to set their own trends and express their personality.
After a personalized and collaborative design process, Beckham and the designers created the MC20 Fuoriserie Edition for David Beckham. This car translates true passion into a carbonfibre monocoque, entirely Made in Italy, and powered by a patented V6 petrol engine derived from Formula 1 technologies.
The end result of this very personal sportscar is black and pink, a chromatic dichotomy, as well as the interplay between glossy and matt surfaces. The team colours are black and pink, and the team uniforms are characterized by contrasting glossy-matt treatments.
Starting from this as an inspiration, the bodywork features a glossy black tone which contrasts with the Trident logos on the grille and on the C-pillar, in black, but with an opaque finish. The Maserati lettering on the rear is also opaque, while the MC20 badge on the door is pastel pink, as are the Brembo brake calipers.
The interior, in leather and Alcantara, is black with contrast-stitching in pink. The backrests, in Alcantara, are worked with a tone-on-tone laser engraving method and the headrest features a 3-dimensional pastel pink embroidery. In the centre tunnel between the two seats is a personalized nameplate with a glossy-matte effect. At the top, next to the Trident, the Maserati Fuoriserie lettering is pastel pink, at the bottom are the italics ‘For David’ which appears with an aluminium effect.
“As car designers, our mission is to offer a holistic experience. This value guides our Brand’s stylistic research, making each Maserati uniquely recognizable. Our customization program is another example of our brand’s goal to create singular experiences for our customers: Maserati Fuoriserie is a blank canvas, on which Maserati clients can write their own stories and unleash their creativity, making their dreams come true,” said Klaus Busse, Head of Maserati Design.
“Designing this special edition MC20 with David, as with all our Fuoriserie projects, is also an ode to the Brand’s past, taking us back to a time when every car was hand-built to the client’s requests, giving life to a one-off, a true ‘fuoriserie’,” he explained.
“I have always been a car enthusiast, so to be part of designing and creating my MC20 through the Fuoriserie customisation programme has been an amazing experience. Cars are about individual taste whether it’s the model, colour or small personal details on the inside. It has been incredible to collaborate with the Maserati team and designers to create this one-off car that is inspired by my second home, Miami and my football club there. It is a joy to be behind the wheel,” said Beckham.
It was a good start for the final showdown of the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) 2021 in the first race of Round 3 as R Engineering HMRT swept 3 podiums in each category – Touring Production (T), Stock Production 1 (SP1), and Stock Production 2 (SP2).
Their drivers, Alif Hamdan and his partner, Lai Wee Sing spearheaded the T Production category while Chiow Teck Song finished the race in second place for the SP1 category and the combination of Putera Adam and Calvin Wong in third place.
“Syukur alhamdulillah, thank you to R Engineering and HMRT. The car was almost faultless halfway through the race suddenly, two sensors ‘went on holiday’ so we had to tow the car back and change it. We are lucky enough to finish the race,” said a delighted Alif Hamdan.
“I had a good start in P9. I got up in second place then I got touched and dropped down to last. I manage to crawl back to P2 but then after 30 seconds penalty, I finished in third place. I am really satisfied with Race 1,” rival Putera Adam added.
In SP1, Japanese driver from Rworks, Ken Urata driving Honda Civic FD2R won the category leaving Chiow Teck Song, R Engineering HMRT in second place and Empire M Racing in third place with their drivers, Shazull Hisham and Mohd Syahrizal Jamaluddin.
“I keep my pace and took the opportunity to overtake others. I had a heartbreaking moment going into the last corner of Turn 15 but I manage to end the race well!” Urata said.
In Malaysian Touring Car category, Mark Darwin and Foo Yung Chieh from Tedco Racing completed the 21 laps in the first place, Brendan Paul and Diivvyesh Perajun from the privateer team in second place while Danny Chin and Admi Shahrul in third place.
Moving to SP2, Lew Kar Wai and Ho William from Speed X Racing team touched down the finishing line in the first place, Imran Wafi Adnan and Najiy Ayyad from DNT Tune in second place while third place goes to Putera Adam and Calvin Wong from R Engineering HMRT.
“Actually, we have been struggling throughout the whole season. This is a comeback from us. Thanks to the team and crew members. We are looking forward to the next round,” was the common remarks from the drivers of the Speed X Racing team.
“First of all, thank you very much to the team for giving us a good car. We started and ended the race very well. The car was well balanced and had no damages,” said Najiy Ayyad and partner, Imran Wafi, from DNT Tune.
The races over the two days also be viewed live on the SIC Facebook page.
PETRONAS Lubricants Marketing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd (PLMMSB), a subsidiary of PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) which distributes and markets PETRONAS engine oil, is now further expanding its marketing network through an e-commerce platform.
The engine oils, for 4-wheelers (Syntium) and 2-wheelers (Sprinta) have been on sale on the Shopee platform since the middle of last year at the PETRONAS Official Store. Customers can easily choose from a range of premium products (fully synthetic, semi -synthetic or mineral) by vehicle type and viscosity and place their orders online as well as make payments.
PLMMSB Chief Executive Officer Hardeep Singh said: “This is part of our effort to ensure that customers always get genuine, high quality PETRONAS engine oil. Through the e-commerce platform, customers can now get various PETRONAS engine oils more easily, quickly, and reliably.”
In addition, PETRONAS AutoExpert car service vouchers have also been introduced on the Lazada e-commerce platform. All transactions and appointments are done online and through the official PETRONAS Official Store platform.
Besides affordable prices, customers will also receive exclusive gifts with every purchase of PETRONAS Syntium and PETRONAS Sprinta products, as well as services at PETRONAS AutoExpert.
For those who want to get official PETRONAS items, including PSRT MotoGP and AMG Mercedes F1 team t-Shirts, jackets, hats, and duffel bags, they can also find them at the PETRONAS Official Stores.
The Technology Transfer Apprenticeship Programme (TTAP) developed by Malaysia Automotive Robotics & IoT Institute (MARii) and Persona Energy Sdn Bhd reached its completion through the TTAP appreciation awards and handover ceremony, held at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), recently.
The TTAP is a unique technology transfer programme to develop local automotive talent, expertise and technology value chain through apprenticeships of selected local engineers to procure important engineering insight within endurance racing technology at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
In June this year, 4 TTAP apprentice engineers were sent to be part of the JOTA team at the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship, to enhance automotive skills and knowledge of local talents through apprenticeships with experienced race engineers, in international racing events with professional motorsport teams.
Throughout the programme, the apprentices are considered as team members, and were given real-time engineering responsibilities on certain segments of vehicle development for each race. These responsibilities include collection and analysis of the performance of race car components, design and layout of workshop equipment and tools during races, repair and maintenance of race cars, and other engineering activities that are required during the development and race day.
An important aspect of TTAP is the collection of vehicle data during the six legs of races throughout the WEC, which provides important information from high performance vehicles that can be utilised in the development of future vehicles and components. This data includes durability, performance, and many other forms of information that can be used in engineering analysis of future vehicle technology including autonomous and electric vehicles.
As technology in motorsports are far more advanced than that in the manufacturing line, such information procured through the TTAP program will bring a new dimension to the development of the automotive dan mobility sector, either at the vehicle assembly level, or component manufacturer.
At the WEC, the JOTA team clinched a 1-2 finish in the 8 Hours at Portimao leg in Portugal, and achieved a podium finish in every race in the WEC.
