Ram is unlikely to be known to Malaysians as it is a brand presently mainly in North America. It used to be the name of a truck range in Dodge but got spun off in 2010 to become a brand on its own within the Fiat Chrysler Group. With the merger of Fiat Chrysler and the PSA Group in 2021, Ram became part of the enlarged Stellantis group.
Ram has always been a truck specialist and when it was a division in Chrysler, it focussed on delivering ‘real trucks’ and not the ‘lifestyle’ machines that have become common in recent times. It therefore has a solid niche in the market where capable trucks are sought for serious work.
At CES 2023 recently, Ram gave a preview of what it’s looking at further down the road in the age of electrification. It presented its vision in 3-dimensional form as the Ram 1500 Revolution Battery-electric Vehicle (BEV) Concept which also gives an idea of its design direction.
Updating of the apps on your mobilephone can now be easily done ‘over the air’ and for your computer, an online connection can bring you the latest updates for your operating system. Thanks to wireless connectivity being widespread now, over the air (OTA) updates can also be done for the various computerised systems in your car.
For some years now, many manufacturers have started OTA updating which is convenient for customers as it means they do not have to visit a service centre to get the updating done. In many of the latest models, the updates will come periodically and keep the systems running at their best – or even better than when the car was first purchased. It’s great for owners who enjoy the benefit of improvements without having to buy a new car.
Long before there were premium and luxury SUVs, there was the Range Rover. Flagship of the Land Rover range when it was launched in 1970, the Range Rover would be the choice of the rich and famous and be the benchmark for 4×4 vehicles as it was always a technological leader. And even when the luxury carmakers began to offer their SUVs, the Range Rover still held its position high in the segment.
Now, five decades later, the fifth generation has come out and as before, it comes with refinement and innovations that are in tune with the world of today. Progressively introduced in various markets over the past year, the new Range Rover (L460) will be introduced in Malaysia in mid-February.
Two years ago, at The Quail in California, Bugatti presented a surprise to guests at the famous motorsports gathering. It was the Bolide, just a concept then but the carmaker announced that it would make the car in limited numbers. Response was instantaneous – within a week, all 40 units of the radically light track-oriented Bugatti machine were booked.
Each costing no less than 4 million euros (about RM18.55 million), the Bolide is the most extreme Bugatti ever created. One motoring writer went as far as the describe it as ‘a Thermonuclear Do-It-All Performance Machine’.
The Bolides are still on the production line in France and the first of the cars with the legendary W16 quad-turbocharged engine will be delivered to customers only next year. But you can have a Bolide at your home or office before them – and it will cost you only 50 euros (RM232) which is a lot less too.
Hyundai’s largest model – the Palisade – arrived in Malaysia in December 2021, three years after it made its global debut. Just three months later, in New York, the updated version was unveiled but Malaysia continued with the pre-facelift model throughout 2022. Today sees the updated Palisade being launched by Hyundai Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) In Malaysia with four variants to choose from.
For the 2023 model, the features and equipment have been commonised so, apart from the powertrains and a few items, all four variants are similar. Incidentally, HSDM is importing the European model which probably best matches Malaysian Type Approval requirements.
The Motorama was General Motors’ own motorshow, an annual event held between 1949 and 1961 which showcased its technologies in special models and futuristic concept cars. One of the concept cars at the 1953 show was the Corvette, a sportscar that excited enthusiasts and persuaded GM to make it for sale.
Exactly 70 years after that Corvette concept debuted at the Motorama in New York City, Chevrolet introduces the first-ever electrified Corvette with all-wheel-drive and a powerful 6.2-litre LT2 Small Block V-8 – the Corvette E-Ray. Unlike that concept car in 1953, this one was developed with the intention of being sold.
Following the launch of the updated 3-Series recently, BMW Malaysia now has another new model to kickstart 2023 and it’s the new M2 which had its global debut last October during BMW M’s 50th anniversary.
Two versions of the M2 are available – the standard version priced at RM598,800 (without insurance) and a sportier upscale version with a Pro Package priced at RM642,800. The pricing for both versions includes a 5-year extended warranty and service. Online pre-booking can be done at shop.bmw.com.my.
After the very difficult time in 2021 and 2020, especially the latter which was severely impacted by the lockdown measures to fight COVID-19, the Malaysia auto industry’s sales rocketed to a record high in 2022. With a Total Industry Volume (TIV) of 720,658 units of new vehicles sold and a total production volume of 702,275 units, the industry hit the highest ever numbers in its history which goes back to 1967 (when local assembly began). It’s also the first time that the 700,000-unit has been crossed in both sales and production, noted the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) which compiles the data annually.
The Kia EV6 is one of those rare cars that seem to have it all, and by have it all we mean great looks, a spacious interior and technology that would make a Tesla seem outdated. So why don’t we see more of them on the road?
These days, you cannot take a short trip to the store without being bombarded with something or other about electric vehicles. Either your neighbour would have bought a new EV or someone on the radio will be talking about it.
But whether you believe in them or not, EV’s are all the rage these days, and it is going to be that way for some time.
So which EV is the best? Since EV’s are not exactly cheap, which should you be spending your money on in case you are interested in getting one.
With global crude oil prices having been fairly stable over the past month (and economists are forecasting that this will continue in 2023), fuel prices have likewise been stable. The Automatic Pricing Mechanism used by the Finance Ministry determines retail prices based on various factors and for the coming 7 days, no change is needed for RON97 petrol. It also probably means that the subsidies for RON95 petrol and biodiesel can be less to maintain them at capped levels.
Even though our petrol prices (except for RON97) are controlled and lower than neighbouring countries, it’s good to try to use less as fossil fuels will eventually be finished on the planet. Here are some ways to reduce the fuel consumption in your vehicle:
Don’t carry unnecessary weight: The less weight your car has to move, the less hard the engine has to work. So whatever you do not need to keep in the boot should be taken out. This includes those golfbags and camping gear.
Plan trips: If you have different places to go on a single journey, spend a few minutes to think about the route so that you avoid congested areas. You may have to travel a few extra kilometres using a less congested route but you will actually use less fuel because the car won’t be stuck in a jam burning fuel going nowhere. Plus you will probably be less stressed out when you reach your destination.
Right tyre pressures: Under-inflated tyres will cause more rolling resistance (not to mention faster wear) which will worsen fuel consumption. Be sure they are inflated to the minimum recommended by the manufacturer and a bit more might also be better.
Service the engine regularly: Engine parts wear out or get dirty over time and reduce the operating efficiency of the engine. Regular servicing ensures that adjustments are set correctly and periodically, parts like filters or sparkplugs need to be replaced.
Switch off the engine more: Many motorists do not fully realize that the engine is burning fuel every second it is running. They will keep the engine running for long periods while waiting for someone to buy things or waiting for their children to come out from school. This is very wasteful and running the air-conditioner at the same time wastes more fuel. Switch off the engine when you are going to be stationary for more than 5 minutes and you’ll find your fuel consumption improving.
Slow and steady: You don’t have to drive at a crawl to save fuel but if you just drive more frequently at 80/90 km/h instead of 100/110 km/h, you could save 10 to 15% in fuel. Keeping a steady speed rather than ‘pumping‘ the pedal will also save on fuel. On the highway, you can use cruise control, if available.
