Piston.my

English

Following the launch of the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz EQS in Malaysia last year, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia today rolled out an EQS 500 4MATIC as its first locally assembled battery electric model at the assembly facility in Pekan, Pahang.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has been assembling its vehicles there since 2004 and the EQS marks a significant milestone. It is not just for Mercedes-Benz but also the Malaysian auto industry since it is among the first fully electric models to be assembled locally.

The program to assemble has been quite fast and would have been encouraged by the Malaysian government’s decision to provide duty-free incentives for BEVs from 2022, with those assembled locally enjoying the incentives for an extra 2 years (till the end of 2025). Without the imposition of import taxes and sales tax, the price of the EQS 500 4MATIC is RM648,888 (excluding insurance), RM50,000 less than the CBU EQS 450+ AMG Line.

(more…)

Around lunchtime (7 pm in Malaysia) today at Ferrari’s Fiorano track in Italy, its Formula 1 team unveiled the 69th F1 racing car built by Ferrari. Being the first physical launch of a model after two years of virtual car presentations (due to the pandemic), 500 fans were invited to attend the event.

Before the launch, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz went to greet the crowd which included many members of the various Scuderia Ferrari Clubs and students from Muner, the Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna, and some from the Alfredo Ferrari Higher Education Institute, along with their teachers.

The new car is designated ‘SF-23’ and this marks a return to the format of the Scuderia Ferrari initials combined with the year of competition, as has been the case for most of the hybrid era, was first seen on video.

(more…)

With the launch of the new second generation of the Perodua Axia today, the Malaysian carmaker raises the benchmark for entry-level cars. In most countries, cars in the lowest price bracket are usually quite basic, with minimum safety features. That’s not the case for the new Axia which, in the top variants, has advanced features and technologies.

There are four variants as before, with prices ranging from RM38,600 to RM49,500, to suit different budgets. Though the prices have increased a bit, Perodua’s President & CEO , Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, said that the increases are not as much as the extra value of RM5,800 in better or extra features. Customers are thus getting better value for their money with the new model.

(more…)

High-speed car chases with police chasing the bad guys are usually what you see in movies or, in more recent times, videos of the cops in America in real-life action. So it must have been quite amazing for motorists in the Klang area to see a real-life chase recently.

The chase was over a distance of 30 kms as police pursued a robbery suspect from Banting to Port Klang in Selangor. According to South Klang district police chief Cha Hoong Fong, the 31-year old suspect was driving a Proton Inspira recklessly along the road near the Kampung Pendamar Mosque. He was unable to avoid oncoming traffic as he tried to squeeze between two cars that slowed down to cross over a speed bump.

(more…)

The pick-up truck was once just for work and regulations (in Malaysia) before the late 1990s did not permit registration for private use. When the regulations changed, Ford was the first to show people the fun side of owning a pick-up truck with its Ranger. Built tough for workhorse duties, the Ranger was also a very capable truck able to travel over difficult terrain.

Today’s Ranger is even more capable but many people don’t realise just how capable, or they do not have an opportunity to take it to its limits. Sime Darby Auto ConneXion, the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, can help Ranger owners discover the capabilities of their Ranger at a course specially designed for beginners.

To be held on March 19, the Ford Ranger Getaways M4TREC Beginner 4WD Course offers any Ranger owner the chance to master his or her vehicle. Participants will also gain in-depth familiarity with their vehicle and might even discover some features which they did not realise their Ranger had.

(more…)

Parking spaces are inadequate in most cities and people park indiscriminately in any space they can find. The authorities will take action and even tow some vehicles away if not place a summons notice on the windscreen. But they cannot be around all the time so there will be cases (many of them) when cars are parked illegally and inconvenience others.

Usually, people will grumble about the inconsiderate parking which may obstruct pedestrians from walking by safely. In some cases, cars are parked at the entrance of ramps for those won wheelchairs, preventing them from going up to a kerb easily.

Most of the times, people will just grumble and with social media these days, take pictures and post them on pages like ‘Stupid Parking Idiots’. But one person recently decided to take his own action against a car parked illegally near a bus stop in George Town, Penang. The car also blocked a passage for disabled people in wheelchairs.

(more…)

For most modern cars, a 50-year span might mean 10 generations of models but for the Range Rover, there have been only five, with the latest one arriving in Malaysia today. Launched in England in October 2021, the new luxury SUV’s arrival was delayed due to the pandemic and also production. It is now available in Malaysia with a price starting from RM1,268,000 (duty-free) and RM2,488,000, inclusive of duties but without insurance.

The first model to use the brand’s new Flexible Modular Longitudinal Architecture, the new Range Rover retains the many design elements that have characterized what was the first luxury SUV for decades. The clean long form, clamshell bonnet and split rear door are just a few of them.

It’s not surprising though that there is such strong continuity in the Range Rover’s design. ‘Guardian of Land Rover DNA’ Professor Gerry McGovern has led design teams for the model since the third generation and has ensured that this DNA is present in every model of the brand.

(more…)

From time to time, we read about motorists driving into buildings, either due to misjudgement or accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal and panicking when the car shoots forward into a building. Recently, a man crashed into a building even before he could obtain a driving licence.

According to a China Press report, the accident took place in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan at the Nilai driving academy. The man had already finished his driving theory test and was to take the second part which was the practical driving test.

(more…)

DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne held on to his lead to win the first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India. His victory was cheered by a sell-out crowd of over 25,000 people which included a host of dignitaries, Bollywood celebrities and sports stars. The last time Verge was on top of the Formula E podium was in April 2021 at the Rome E-Prix.

The 32-year old French driver, who has been in the all-electric single-seater championship Formula E since 2014, Vergne fought hard in the final third of the race to stay ahead of Envision Racing pair Nick Cassidy and Sebastien Buemi. Although Buemi finished third, a post-race penalty dropped him further so it was Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) who inherited his position.

(more…)

The Cayenne, Porsche’s first SUV, is still in its third generation since being launched in 2017. During the past 5 years, there have been improvements in areas related to the powertrain, chassis, design, equipment and connectivity. This is usual for any carmaker as feedback from real-world usage by owners is received at the factory and measures are taken to address issues, while also improving the product in overall terms.

Occasionally, there are numerous improvements made with many new technologies and it is necessary not just to calibrate or tune many systems but also test them for durability and reliability. Prototypes are now undergoing rigorous testing – called ‘complete vehicle testing’ at Porsche – to ensure the operational stability and functionality of all components and systems as they interact – in situations that the customer experiences and far beyond.

(more…)

Archive

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on YouTube