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Ford’s Driving Skills For Life Programme Equips Drivers In Malaysia With Training To Stay Safe

Ford and its local distribution partner, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), recently hosted its third safe driver training this year to corporate partners and members of the public through Ford’s global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme. The training sessions were hosted at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) where more than 60 licensed drivers – including corporate partners and Ford customers participated in two half-day workshops.

The Ford Driving Skills for Life programme aims to educate licensed drivers of all ages on how to drive safely through practical, hands on experiences which is provided free-or-charge, helping them become safer, more aware drivers. The DSFL workshops address various driver risks, such as dealing with unexpected scenarios, speed and space management, as well as raise awareness on distracted driving caused by mobile phone use or drowsiness.

“Ford is committed to helping raise awareness of road safety and educating drivers on safe driving practices and techniques. We are proud to continue this very practical programme in Malaysia to help raise public awareness on safe driving and driver safety,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (below). An emphasis on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or medication was also incorporated in every training session. This included having participants wear specially designed goggles that help simulate the experience of driving while movement, coordination and alertness are impaired.

In Asia, Ford DSFL is in its eleventh successful year of training licensed drivers of all ages. In addition to Malaysia, DSFL training is provided in China, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Caltex Kicks-Off 2019 With Strategic Partnership With Dato’ Hans Isaac

Chevron Malaysia Limited, which markets the brand Caltex®, is ushering in 2019 with a strategic partnership with Malaysian celebrity, Dato’ Hans Isaac. The announcement was made in the presence of Chevron stakeholders and was met with enthusiastic response.

The strategic partnership is a natural one, given that Dato’ Hans Isaac represented Malaysia – and won – in Celebrity Car Wars Season 3, an award-winning automotive reality series which recently concluded its airing on History channel in November. The show brought together six (6) celebrities across the region to test their skills, endurance, and smarts against each other.

Caltex® believes that just like the celebrities in Celebrity Car Wars who have pushed beyond their limits to complete the given obstacles in the show, the need to always provide high quality products for consumers is a top priority for the brand. “Here at Caltex®, we are built on the foundation of three pillars: people, partnership and performance” said Shahid Ahmed, Chevron Malaysia Country Chairman. “People means the people that we serve, our beloved consumers. Partnership, indicating the people we choose to partner with to deliver the ultimate performance, our third pillar. And we believe Dato’ Hans Isaac embodies these three pillars perfectly.”

Excited at the prospect of partnering up with Caltex®, Dato’ Hans Isaac said, “I’m a big fan of the automotive world, and have always been impressed with Caltex for taking one step further and its efforts to be the best in supporting its consumers to have a smooth, safe journey. I’m excited for this and can’t wait to be part of the concrete, high-performing ecosystem that strives for excellence.”

“This is a new chapter for Caltex®, and with Dato’ Hans Isaac on board, we are certain fans can look forward to an exciting 2019,” added Shahid. As Caltex’s celebrity partner, Dato’ Hans Isaac will collaborate closely with the Caltex brand on its 2019 fuels marketing initiatives.

For more information on Caltex® and its products, please visit www.caltex.com/my or follow their official Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/Caltex.Malaysia/ for the latest updates.

BIKES: Vespa Primavera Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary With Special Edition!

Naza Premira Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of the Vespa brand in Malaysia has launched the Primavera 50^th Anniversary Edition, a special series released by Piaggio, in conjunction with the Primavera’s glorious celebration of 50 years since its first introduction in 1968. The Primavera is a legendary model for Vespa, being one of the most spectacular commercial successes in Vespa’s history. With a personality that is youthful, agile, innovative, safe and environmentally-friendly, today’s Vespa Primavera embodies all the values that made it successful, inheriting the freshness and ‘joie de vivre’ of its predecessor.

Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group CEO, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings said, “Originally introduced in 1968, the revolutionary Vespa Primavera is the first version of the iconic Vespa scooters. The legendary Primavera’s small size and nimble performance represents the dream and freedom of the youths and remains one of the most successful scooters in Vespa’s history. Best known for its agility and practicality with an Italian flair, the Primavera for many symbolises a smart and sophisticated way to go about town. Naza Premira is proud to introduce the Primavera 50^th Anniversary Edition here to the young and young-at-heart who appreciate a timeless icon for a stylish, free-spirited ride,”

The Vespa Primavera 50th Anniversary Edition is equipped with a 150 cc engine, latest generation four-stroke engines, with high performance and fuel efficiency. New aspects include the distinctive ‘tie’ featured on the front and the chrome crest on the front mudguard. In addition, the most important new feature comes from the size of the wheel rims: 12 inch, which are made of aluminium alloy with a new five-spoke design, and they are the largest in Vespa’s history. This provides greater stability, improves safety, and strengthens the holding on all surfaces and road conditions. The LED lighting technology, now adopted for both the front headlight and the rear light, helps to boost safety as well.

The latest Primavera stands out with its new Light Blue and Brown (matte finish) colours with coordinated saddles, the sleek grey finish of the five-spoke wheels and of course the elegant logo on the back. As always in the history of Vespa, the new Primavera offers a wide range of accessories to customise your vehicle and improve riding comfort. The top box designed for Primavera is painted entirely in the same colour as the vehicle, is enhanced by the famous chromed Vespa logo in relief, and can hold a full-face helmet. The top box can be finished with a backrest, covered in the same material as the seat. The chromium-plated base where the top box is mounted can also be used as a luggage rack.

Maximum protection is ensured by the anti-chip, high quality, methacrylate windscreen, customised with the Vespa logo, the support rods have a clear finish in line with the other aesthetic details. The Vespa Primavera can also be fitted with a flyscreen – available in both transparent and tinted material – that elegantly completes the vehicle’s design. The chrome-plated front and rear luggage racks are also one of the most classic accessories of every Vespa and testify the great traveller spirit that every Vespa has always possessed. The new Vespa Primavera is no exception. The front side and rear chrome protections elegantly finish the vehicle and protect the bodywork.

The electronic anti-theft device and the mechanical saddle – handlebar anti-theft device are also available for the Vespa Primavera, in addition to a line of other anti-theft devices. The Vespa Primavera cover is characterised by the metal Vespa logo and ensures maximum stability even at high speed. The top box bag, in natural or black leather and fully hand crafted, adds an additional precious touch to the Vespa Primavera. In addition, genuine leather saddles and ‘Elegance’ graphics make the Vespa even more unique.

The Vespa Primavera 50^th Anniversary Edition starts at RM16,300 on-the-road without insurance. Naza Premira Sdn Bhd is also offering a fantastic financing package in collaboration with AEON Credit, where the Primavera 50^th Anniversary Edition together with all Primavera, Sprint and GTS models can be purchased at a low 6.0% interest rate per annum. On top of that, enjoy a 1-year extended warranty and high margin of financing at 90% for extra peace of mind with every Vespa purchased via AEON Credit. This campaign is valid from 22^nd December 2018 until 31^st March 2019 and available at selected Vespa authorised dealers nationwide.

French Award For Naza Automotive Group CEO Dato’ Samson Anand George

Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group Chief Executive Officer of Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings Sdn Bhd was recently conferred the Ordre National du Mérite by the French government, underlining his contributions towards the French nation through the automotive industry. The Ambassador of France to Malaysia, Frédéric Laplanche, conferred the distinguished award to Dato’ Samson at a conferment ceremony held at the Residence of France, Kuala Lumpur.

A French order established by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1802 and restored by decree in 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle, l’Ordre National du Mérite (the National Order of Merit) is awarded by the President of the French Republic and seeks to reward distinguished men and women for their civil or military achievements.

Dato’ Samson (above, right) said of the award, “I am truly humbled and honoured to be conferred the Ordre National du Mérite, a recognition by the government of the French Republic. Our association with France began with the Peugeot 206 CKD project in 2006 and this partnership has since culminated in a Joint Venture that both NAZA Group and Groupe PSA have forged to make Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) in Gurun, Kedah its ASEAN manufacturing hub.”

“We look forward to enhancing business opportunities and greater collaboration with French companies in the automotive industry,” he added.

Safety First On The Road With Digi’s “Connected Cars” Solution

Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) has introduced ‘Digi Connected Cars with AXA FlexiDrive’, an initiative to encourage Malaysians to stay safe on the roads and reward them for good driving behaviour. The first in Malaysia, the product helps drivers of insured vehicles learn and better understand their driving behaviours through the installation of a telematics security device and the AXA FlexiDrive mobile app.

Digi’s Chief Digital Officer Praveen Rajan said that this initiative is part of Digi strengthening its foray in IoT with a comprehensive Connected Vehicles strategy. “Connected Cars with AXA FlexiDrive is part of our strategy to offer a spectrum of solutions for private vehicles and insurance providers. This is in line with our effort to connect Malaysians to what matters most – which in this case, is to keep themselves and loved ones safe on the road,” he said.

AXA FlexiDrive is Malaysia’s first telematics motor insurance that offers safe driving discount (SDD), encouraging drivers to stay alert and safe on the road while giving them the peace of mind in knowing that their driving behaviour is monitored.

Praveen attested that Digi seeks to forge partnerships and new product innovations of various kinds that will benefit their customers and all Malaysians. “Our partnership with AXA Affin General Insurance, coupled with Digi’s solid network, will allow us to reach a broader audience by offering digital solutions that will provide better value for our customers,” he added.

AXA Affin General Insurance Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Nivet said, “Road safety is a serious matter and we want to keep everybody safe. AXA FlexiDrive was conceptualised with Malaysians in mind, and we hope we are able to reach more Malaysians and incentivise them to make smarter decisions on the road with it.”

AXA FlexiDrive motor insurance was launched in 2017 together with AXA’s official telematics partner CSE (Communications & Security Electronics) Group, a local research, development and manufacturing centre which cemented its name in the telematics back in 2002. The product was awarded the New Insurance Product of the Year Malaysia award at ABF Insurance Asia Awards in 2018.

Via Digi Connected Cars with AXA FlexiDrive, motor owners can get up to 20% safe driving discount, which is dependent on the driver’s behaviour such as speed, mileage and driving style in addition to other benefits such as automatic accident alert and assistance as well as 24/7 vehicle security and theft recovery at no additional premium. Private vehicle owners can find out more and register their interest for the Digi Connected Cars with AXA FlexiDrive product at any Digi Store nationwide from December 18th 2018.

Upon completion of registration, customers will be contacted and arrangements will be made to install the product in the car. Installation is free of charge, and customer will only be charged a refundable deposit of RM70. Customers also have the option to activate CSE Smart Track Security for only RM240 per year. This optional feature offers smartphone car alarm, real-time tracking, trip review and accident compensation up to RM2,000.

For more information on Connected Cars with AXA FlexiDrive, please head to the nearest Digi Store https://new.digi.com.my/support/digi-store.

Volvo & KidZania Celebrate 2-Years Of Keeping Children Safe On The Road

Volvo in collaboration with KidZania Kuala Lumpur, continues to bring road safety education to schools in Malaysia. The partnership between Volvo Trucks, Volvo Cars and KidZania began in 2017 and has helped educate over 90,000 children in two years. Through the partnership, KidZania features a Volvo Car Dealership in its child-friendly cityscape. As KidZania provides an opportunity for children to roleplay as adults in various professions, the collaboration allows children to not only have fun role-playing but learn the basics of road safety as well.

In line with Volvo’s vision that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo Car by 2020, children in KidZania learn how to be seated correctly in a car, how to properly use a safety belt as well as the importance of child seats. Over the course of two years, a total of 32,294 children were taught the basics of road safety via the Volvo Car Dealership in KidZania.

“At Volvo, we strive to create a safer future for our children. The best solution we found was education, as the change it could bring in these children’s lives is truly incredible,” said Lennart Stegland, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia (below). Extending beyond the Volvo Car Dealership in KidZania, the partnership also incorporated Volvo Trucks’ hallmark road safety campaign, the ‘Stop, Look and Wave’ campaign. It was inducted into KidZania Go! and became an integral part of the mobile school outreach programme.

With Stop, Look and Wave, children around the nation experienced what it is like being behind the wheels of a Volvo Truck. They attended a classroom session in a specially converted Volvo Trucks trailer where they learn the importance of identifying blind spots and practice proper road etiquette. A total of 57,774 school children benefited from the campaign across 260 schools and 37 community events nationwide.

“Deaths caused by traffic accidents around the world are well over 1.2 million each year,” said Peden. “If nothing is done, this number is expected to increase by 45% in the next 15 years. Volvo is committed to our vision of ‘Zero Accidents’. Aside from pioneering technology that helps save lives, we also believe that road safety education, especially among children, can truly make a difference,” said Mitch Peden, Managing Director of Volvo Trucks Malaysia.

In addition to school visits, Volvo also helped underprivileged children by providing them an opportunity to learn outside the classroom. Together, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Cars sponsored a total of 1,600 people that were made up of kids and their teachers to Kidzania between January and November 2018. The most recent school visit concluded on October 23^rd2018, where Mitch Peden and Lennart Stegland as well as a representative from the Ministry of Education met with over 380 school children and their teachers when they made their maiden trip to Kidzania.

“We are proud to have found strong partners in Kidzania and the department of education for Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan, both of whom share the same vision for road safety as we do at Volvo Trucks. We continue to make education on safety a priority for the Volvo brand with our See and Be Seen and Stop, Look and Wave campaign as we head into 2019,” Peden added on. The emphasis on road safety initiatives conducted by Volvo Malaysia increased awareness from all walks of life. As a result of the school outreach, Volvo Malaysia has extended its efforts on road safety at the requests of communities, associations and collaborations with governmental agencies.

To request for Volvo road safety activities, please contact Volvo Trucks Malaysia or download the Stop Look and Wave teaching materials on www.volvotrucks.my.

HMSB Presents 7 Honda City To “Joy Of Buying” Contest Winners

Honda Malaysia has concluded the Joy of Buying contest with the prize-giving ceremony to present the seven grand prize winners with a brand new City each. Held from 1 September to 31 October 2018, the Joy of Buying contest was to celebrate Honda’s 70th Anniversary and Malaysia’s Unity. The contest also emphasizes the 3 Joys of Honda, which are Joy of Buying, Joy of Selling and Joy of Creating.

Honda Malaysia President and Chief Operating Officer, En. Roslan Abdullah (below) said, “This contest is an effort to show our sincere gratitude and appreciation to our beloved customers. It is the strong support of our customers that has enabled Honda Malaysia to be the No.1 brand in Non-National segment for three consecutive years. We would like to thank all our customers for believing in the Honda brand. We will continue to provide the Joy of Buying to our customers to meet their demand for greater customer satisfaction.”

The two-month Joy of Buying contest received more than 4,800 submissions nationwide, of which, a total of 301 winners have been chosen. In addition to the seven grand prize winners of a City each for 7 weeks, there are 17 winners in the second place who will receive a Sony Blu-ray Home Cinema System each and 277 other winners will be rewarded with Honda official merchandise.

En. Roslan also added, “This contest takes lead from our tagline, and seeks to find the most creative answer on “how the slogan ‘The Power of Dreams’ has changed the customer’s way of life.” The Power of Dreams has inspired Honda to what it is today, turning a dream into reality as we aspire to provide mobility solutions to make lives better.”

The City has maintained its leadership No. 1 position in the B-segment and it is Honda Malaysia’s best-selling model. This year, the model has contributed more than 30,200 units sold or 32% to the total Honda Malaysia sales from January to November, making it the highest sales unit contributor during this period.

For further information on the Joy of Buying winners, Honda models and its after-sales service, call the Honda Toll-Free number of 1-800-88-2020 or log on to www.honda.com.my.

Malaysia to host first ever Asia GT Festival, 15-17 March 2019!

Most car enthusiasts are familiar with the Japan Super GT Championship where it is set to return to Malaysia in 2020 for its first-ever night race. Well, the folks from Country Heights and Goldenport Enterprises (from China) just announced that they too want to contribute to the growth of Malaysian motorsport by hosting the first-ever Asia GT Festival at SIC in March 2019! (more…)

Toyota To Offer Total-Care Service To Grab In Singapore

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (TMAP), the sales & marketing regional headquarters of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in Asia, is offering Total-care Service for 1,500 Toyota vehicles owned by Grab Holdings, Inc. (Grab) in Singapore through its subsidiary GrabRentals. In June 2018, Toyota invested US$1 billion into Grab to advance mobility services in the region. The Total-care Service is a result of a deepening partnership between Toyota, a leading automaker transforming itself into a mobility company, and Grab, the region’s leading O2O mobile platform.

Total-care Service is a pioneering set of mobility services designed for ride-hailing companies
Aims to achieve ultra-efficient vehicle maintenance using telematics data and Toyota’s philosophy of eliminating inefficiencies

The Total-care Service is an innovative, world’s first service developed specially for ride-hailing companies. Working with ride-hailing companies, like Grab, Toyota can leverage onboard-telematics data through a shared information platform to provide services such as fleet management, automotive insurance and vehicle maintenance packages to extend the life of ride-hailing vehicles, and enhance the driving experience for the end user. Through this Total-care Service, Grab is able to provide its driver-partners with more cost-efficient and timely maintenance services.

TMAP and Grab will offer this service to Grab-owned Toyota vehicles across Southeast Asia in phases. In addition, both companies will work to increase the share of Toyota vehicles in Grab’s fleet in the region by 25% by 2020. In the future, Grab will also seek to implement Toyota’s world-renowned Toyota Production System (TPS), a system based on a philosophy of eliminating waste, to improve Grab’s business operational efficiency.

In general, ride-hailing vehicles accrue five times more mileage than privately-owned vehicles. To keep vehicles in a good and safe condition, it is essential to provide proper vehicle maintenance based on the vehicle’s condition. At Grab, driver-partner and passenger safety is a top priority. By ensuring that Grab’s driver-partners are driving vehicles that are receiving timely maintenance, Grab is able to provide the highest level of safety on its platform.

In October 2018, Grab unveiled its ‘Safer Everyday Tech Roadmap’, comprising product enhancements that aim to raise transport safety standards for the industry in Southeast Asia. As a result of continuous efforts to improve safety on the Grab platform, Grab’s incident rates have decreased by 40% over the last year since Q3 2017.

The partnership with Toyota will complement Grab’s analytical tools that allow drivers to understand how they drive and where they can improve. Grab driver-partners regularly receive telematics reports on their driving patterns like speeding, acceleration and braking, and more parameters will be added over time. Since the rollout of telematics on the Grab driver app last year, there has been a 50% reduction in speeding incidents and 20% reduction in hard braking and sudden acceleration, which are potential causes of road accidents.

Ming Maa, President of Grab, commented: “We are excited to work with Toyota to roll out the Total-care Service to our Grab Rental fleet. The ability to meld data analytics with vehicle maintenance will make our rental fleet even safer for our driver-partners, and go toward achieving our goal to raise transport safety standards in the region.”

Susumu Matsuda, TMAP President, said: “We are starting this world-first Total-care Service here in Southeast Asia, making full use of Toyota’s strength such as our philosophy of Toyota Production System and vehicle connectivity technologies. I believe the service will support the sustainable growth of Grab’s business and help offer even safer and more attractive ride-hailing services.”

Through the Total-care Service, driving data is collected by Toyota’s in-vehicle data-transmission device, TransLog, and sent to the Mobility Services Platform (MSPF), an information infrastructure developed by TMC for vehicle connectivity. Grab, Toyota and its local dealers will use such vehicle data collaboratively to achieve a safer and more secure ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia. For example, using vehicle data, Grab will be able to provide its driver-partners with support and advice for safety as needed. In addition, the Toyota dealer will apply TPS to vehicle maintenance for Grab-owned vehicles.

In addition, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, a Toyota’s affiliated insurance company, will offer telematics-based automotive insurance to GrabRentals, allowing for safer driving and insurance premium reduction. In the area of vehicle maintenance, based on driving and vehicle condition data, maintenance schedule for each vehicle will be optimized. Furthermore, Intensive Care Stall (ICS) has been implemented at Borneo Motors (Singapore) (BMS), the authorized dealer of Toyota in Singapore. Making use of TPS knowhow, ICS achieves ultra- efficient maintenance service which will reduce vehicle downtime and maintenance cost.

About Grab…

Grab is one of the most frequently used O2O mobile platforms in Southeast Asia, providing the everyday services that matter most to consumers. Commute, eat, deliver shopping – and pay with one e-wallet. Grab believes that every Southeast Asian should benefit from the digital economy, and the company provides access to safe and affordable transport, food and package delivery, mobile payments and financial services. Grab currently offers services in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. For more information, please visit www.grab.com.

About Toyota Motor Asia Pacific…

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific is incorporated in Singapore and is the regional headquarters of its sole shareholder, Toyota Motor Corporation, in respect of distribution in the Asia Pacific region and regional treasury activities. The principal activities of TMAP are marketing and sales of motor vehicles, components parts, service parts and accessories as well as mobility services and after sales customer service.

Piston.my

English

Ford’s Driving Skills For Life Programme Equips Drivers In Malaysia With Training To Stay Safe

Caltex Kicks-Off 2019 With Strategic Partnership With Dato’ Hans Isaac

BIKES: Vespa Primavera Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary With Special Edition!

French Award For Naza Automotive Group CEO Dato’ Samson Anand George

Safety First On The Road With Digi’s “Connected Cars” Solution

Volvo & KidZania Celebrate 2-Years Of Keeping Children Safe On The Road

HMSB Presents 7 Honda City To “Joy Of Buying” Contest Winners

Malaysia to host first ever Asia GT Festival, 15-17 March 2019!

“Michael 50 Schumacher Exhibition” To Open @ Ferrari Museum – A Homage To The Champion On His 50th Birthday

UMW Toyota Kicks Off 2025 with Strong Sales and GR Model Launches

Volvo Car Malaysia Achieves Record-Breaking Electrification Milestone in 2024

Honda CR-V Secures Top Spot as Malaysia’s No.1 Mid-Size SUV in 2024

Proton Begins Construction of Malaysia’s First Dedicated EV Production Plant

Jaecoo Begins Nationwide Deliveries of C9 Premium Off-road SUV Coupe

Ferrari to Unveil Its First Electric Car Along Five Other Models

Toyota to Build Lexus EV Plant in Shanghai, Raises Profit Forecast to Nearly $30 Billion

Aston Martin Unveils Valkyrie Hypercar for Le Mans and Endurance Racing

Toyota Gazoo Racing Opens Orders for Updated GR Corolla in Japan

BYD’s Stella Li Awarded 2025 World Car Person of the Year

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