NZ Wheels Sdn Bhd, one of the authorised dealers for Mercedes-Benz here in Malaysia, will be offering a wide range of cerfified pre-owned Mercedes-Benz vehicles to those who are interested. The offer will be held this weekend at the Naza Automall, Petaling Jaya. (more…)
Airbags have been in cars since the early 1980s, initially being installed at the front to give additional protection to the passenger and driver. Then airbags were installed at the sides (usually in the seats), giving protection against side collisions. Today, there can be up to 7 airbags on the front and sides of a cabin – curtain airbags over the window openings and a small airbag under the steering column to protect the driver’s knees (the seventh airbag).
Airbags for the rear occupants have been under study for a long time but there have been some issues which are still hard to resolve, preventing them from being offered. For example, the positioning of the passenger is critical and if this cannot be sufficiently controlled, then an airbag could cause injury instead. The mounting point of the airbag would also have to be optimised, especially with the greater area between the passenger and the seat. There are, however, airbags integrated in rear seatbelts available as options in some Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Ford models.
New dangers from side collisions
While research continues to find new and better solutions in passenger restraint systems, much attention is now also focussed on side-on collisions on the opposite side of the passenger. If the impact is severe enough, it can throw the passenger’s body toward the middle of the vehicle. The latest results from crash tests have shown this, referred to as the far side in professional circles, and it’s dangerous.
In certain crash events, the test dummies show that the passenger’s torso could bend over the centre console while the seat belt hold the pelvis back in the seat. As a result, the thoracic spine twists and the cervical spine can be overstretched. The dummy data readings indicate that serious injuries could result.
Far-side safety countermeasures present an untapped area for injury reduction and as far back as 2015, ZF showcased a far-side airbag concept for the first time. Installed in the inward-facing side of the driver’s seat, the airbag can help to provide better protection to both the driver and front-seat passenger.
A new Euro NCAP test requirement
Euro NCAP has now become the first safety organization in the world to react to the far-side problem. The new test requirements that will be introduced in 2020 will expand the scope of the investigations into side-on collisions on the side of the vehicle opposite to the passengers. A total of 16 points within the Euro NCAP are awarded to side-on collisions; in future, 4 of these points will focus solely on the topic of far-side collisions. A car can achieve a maximum of 38 points in all four categories for the protection of adult passengers.
Recent evaluations of the national accident data, collected by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2004 to 2013, present a detailed picture of the serious injuries that an be caused by far-side collisions: 43% of the injuries suffered were to the chest and abdomen and 23% were head injuries. Around 53% of the chest injuries were caused by contact with the centre console or the backrest, while 21% were caused by the passenger colliding with external structural elements, such as the metal parts of the door.
Different from other airbags
The design of the ZF far-side airbag therefore focuses on two chambers that are arranged in a specific way to complement each other. “This special design was developed based on the fact that we want to support the head in the upper area as early as possible. The shoulders of the passenger are usually held in place between the two chambers. The entire upper body is therefore better supported on both sides,” explained Dominique Acker, an engineer involved in the preliminary development of side airbags in the Passive Safety Systems Division.
The considerably larger far-side airbag is integrated in the driver’s seat in a similar fashion to a side airbag. In the event of a side-on collision, the airbag control unit can trigger the far-side airbag shortly after the standard side airbag. In order to stabilize the far-side airbag, it is either fixed in place on the seat frame with a strap or supported by the centre console.
It can also be triggered when a collision takes place on the driver’s side. This is due to the fact that if there are people sitting in both of the car’s front seats, lateral acceleration can cause the two car occupants to collide with one another. In this instance, the far-side airbag can help prevent this exact scenario from taking place.
The airbag therefore differs from the front and side airbags: the function of these airbags is to help reduce the body’s momentum by ‘enveloping’ the passenger, while the far-side airbag provides the passenger’s body with more support. “The pressure in the chambers is therefore higher than in most other airbags,” explained Acker, revealing that the airbag will be offered in a compact-class vehicle in 2020.
Tune Insurance Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Tune Protect Malaysia) has launched their latest PAYD benefit which stands for ‘Pay-As-You-Drive’, an opt-in feature to their motor insurance where drivers who drive less get more rewards. It’s a complementary plan for those who choose to be insured under Tune Protect and it won’t affect the car’s No Claim Discount (NCD) whatsoever. (more…)
Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) is growing its dealer network as quickly as possible and with the appointment of Pekin Auto Sdn Bhd to cover the Johor Bahru area, the number of dealerships now stands at 13 nationwide.
Pekin Auto, located near Skudai, offers the full range of sales and aftersales services as it is a 3S Centre (Sales, Service, and Spare Parts). It will adhere to Volvo Cars’ latest Volvo Retail Experience (VRE) requirement, a standard that delivers a holistic brand experience for customers.
“VRE goes beyond its Scandinavian-inspired aesthetics; it is the manifestation of our brand values and our desire to take care of our customers throughout their whole journey with Volvo Cars,” said Nalin Jain, Managing Director of VCM. The first dealership to incorporate the VRE was the Federal Auto showroom at Menara MBMR in August 2016.
Transformation plan
Volvo Car Malaysia is now aggressively implementing the next phase of its transformation plan with a premier focus set on ‘customer experience’ and dealer network. Internal polls are already showing positive results, thanks to improvements made in these two key areas.
“I am happy that our brand has been well-received in the market. We are committed in allowing our customers greater choice by appointing qualified and professional companies like Pekin Auto to represent the brand in key areas,” said Mr. Jain, adding that the company’s growth in representation, in turn, has helped record increased sales for the brand of more than 60% in the first half of 2019.
Click here for other news and articles by PISTON.MY about Volvo.
The Proton ‘Intelligence that Inspires Challenge’ concluded its final round last Monday (29 July 2019) where 12 teams competed at the Proton’s Centre of Excellence (COE). Politeknik Port Dickson emerged as the champion of the latest Proton marketing competition where they wowed the judges with their final presentation. (more…)
It’s been a while since Malaysians have been able to see the new vehicle sales data by models. This is due to the Competition Act which came into effect in 2012 made the sharing and publication of sales data (specifically model sales data) an offence. The Act, among other things, is intended to prevent price-fixing. The Competition Commission also believes that sharing of data by car companies is ‘an act of collusion’ and could result in prices of parts going up.
The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), which had been compiling industry data since the 1960s and sharing it with its members as well as the public, appealed for exemption as the model sales data which is historical in nature was needed for businesses to understand trends in the market. However, the Competition Commission rejected the appeal and allowed only the sharing and publication of sales data by brand and segment (SUV, commercial vehicle, MPV, etc). Sales data by model can only be shared and distributed in the public domain after 12 months so in June 2019, we can see the data for June 2018.
While the data is one year out of date, it may still be of interest to some and certainly confirm claims of being ‘bestselling model in the segment’ which some companies make. Chips Yap, who has been doing such charts for the past 40+ years of his career, has compiled the Top 30 bestsellers in the country based on new vehicle sales data from January to June 2018. Remember, this is 2018 data so don’t ask why there is no Proton X70!
At this time, we’re not sure if we want to do this chart every month, quarterly or in another 6 months when we can see the bestsellers for the whole of 2018. Your comments will guide us in making the decision.
The very exciting Art of Speed Malaysia 2019 aka “Malaysia’s premier Old-Skool & Kustom Kulture event” has just concluded its eighth installation last weekend. Held at MAEPS Sedang, over 55,000 attendees came for the weekend extravaganza and if you missed it, we’re truly sorry because what you’re about to see next is a huge dose of awesomeness. (more…)
The story of MINI has reach six decades and MINI Malaysia celebrates this momentous occasion with many ways like the launch of the 2019 MINI Cooper S Convertible, MINI 60 formation, and now, three particular MINIacs and their stories of love.
There are stories collected from three different individuals who share one common thing; their absolute love for MINIs. Check out their stories on how a car played a major role in their lives, growing up here in the country. (more…)
Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd (HMSB) has announced a recall of 7,050 units of its CR-V model to replace the gear push knob button. The recall affects only the 2018 model year and is being carried out as a precautionary measure. All other current selling models are not affected.
The precautionary measure is to address the possibility of customers facing difficulty with the CR-V’s automatic transmission lever when shifting from PARK position to other gear positions.
Apologising for the inconvenience caused to customers, HMSB says the replacement of the part is free of charge and all related costs will be borne by the company.
All affected customers will be informed via notification letters, which will include details of the product update. Customers who receive the letter are advised to send their vehicles to the nearest authorised Honda dealers for inspection. The replacement stock will be available in stages.
In the event that you do not receive a notification letter, you can obtain clarification by calling the Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020 or visit www.honda.com.my.
The folks from Petronas has announced their intention to hire someone as the Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineer in the world of Formula 1 and this job could be yours! Their global search is for an outstanding individual to ‘provide onsite technical support for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport in the 2020 FIA F1™ World Championship.’ (more…)
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