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First Driving Impressions Of The Honda Civic RS e:HEV Sedan (w/VIDEO)

When the latest 11^th generation Honda Civic was launched in January, we asked Honda Malaysia about the possibility of a hybrid version also being available. At that time, it was already known that the latest generation did have a hybrid variant (which Honda refers to as e:HEV) that was to be sold in Europe with a hatchback bodystyle. Honda Malaysia said they ‘would consider it’ as a future addition then…

10 months later, the Civic e:HEV is about to be launched and it’s clear that the company must have already been working on it and not just ‘considering it’ because it takes time to plan for local assembly at the Melaka plant. And now that the launch will take place soon, Honda Malaysia has offered us a chance to get first impressions of the new model.

Our drive took place at the Sepang International Circuit with the same condition that we can tell you about the exterior and the driving impressions and the e:HEV technology, but not what the interior is like (for now).

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Fuel Price Updates For October 13 – October 19, 2022

No changes in fuel prices for the following week, so unsubsidized RON97 petrol remains just below the RM4/litre level, based on the Automatic Pricing Mechanism. Other grades continue to be subsidised by the government to maintain pump prices at a fixed level.

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2023 Lexus UX 300e Goes Further With 34% More Capacity In New Battery Pack

The electrification journey for Lexus began in 2005 with the RX400h, the world’s first hybrid SUV, and since then the brand has continued to add more electrified models to its range. The latest model, introduced today in Japan, is the updated UX 300e which was the first Lexus production BEV (battery electric vehicle) model.

For this latest version of the company crossover SUV, the main improvement is in the electric powertrain (203 ps/300 Nm) which has a newly developed battery pack with capacity increased from 54.4 kWh to 72.8 kWh. This has extended the claimed range up to 450 kms, an improvement of 40%, with energy consumption reduced to 166.7 Wh/km.

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How the interchange at Kg Sg Penchala turned into ‘spaghetti’

In the early 2000s, the end of the SPRINT Highway at Kg. Sg Penchala connected to the Damansara-Puchong Expressway – more commonly referred to as ‘LDP’. As Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara began to develop, additional connections were created across the highway to enable motorists to easily travel to the new housing and commercial areas.

By 2010, as Mutiara Damansara and Damansara Perdana, as well Kota Damansara, began to grow, more highway links were created to give more direct access to the different sections and the interchange began to look like ‘octopus tentacles’.

The addition of ramps kept increasing, resulting in the complex ‘spaghetti’ interchange we have today that will be entry point at the eastern side of the 20.1 km Damansara-Shah Alam (DASH) Elevated Highway which will be opening very soon.

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Jaguar F-TYPE Special Editions Mark 75 Years Of Sportscars And End Of ICE Era

Jaguar has had a long history of making sportscars – many of which have been famous. And where the F-TYPE is concerned, it has a rich bloodline spanning 75 years that includes some of the most iconic models ever built.

To mark its final model year and also 75 years of Jaguar sportscars, the carmaker is offering special editions in the form of the F-TYPE 75 and F-TYPE R 75. These will be distinguished by unique interior and exterior design elements, carefully curated specifications, and, of course, the supercharged 5-litre Jaguar V8 engine that is synonymous with F-TYPE.

These exclusive models will be a fitting celebration of internal combustion engine performance before Jaguar becomes a pure electric modern luxury brand from 2025.

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Lamborghini Continues To Provide ‘Follow-Me’ Car To Bologna Airport

If you have the opportunity to land at Guglielmo Marconi Airport in Bologna, Italy, you may see a Lamborghini moving around on the tarmac. It’s not there for a ‘Fast & Furious’ shoot but does an important duty daily as a ‘follow-me’ vehicle that guides aircraft, typically after they land or when they are taxiing to take off.

Since 2013 (its 50^th anniversary year), Lamborghini has provided its sportscar to the airport which serves Bologna, the home city of Lamborghini. “The presence of Lamborghini in this hub has a two-fold value: it endorses our relationship with the region that is home to us and with which we have strong bonds, but it is also an important ‘business card’ for both Bolognese and international passengers who have the chance to appreciate our brand up close. This is a local link but with a global vision, therefore right in step with Lamborghini philosophy,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman & CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.

Recently, the partnership was extended until 2025, and to start of the renewed association, there is complete restyling of Lamborghini’s exhibition space located in the main entrance of the terminal’s ground floor. Passengers passing through will be able to view a Lamborghini model permanently on display, buy brand accessories and, if they are staying in the city for a while, book factory and museum tours.

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Updated Toyota Harrier Open For Booking, Priced From RM274,000

Authorised Toyota dealerships are now accepting bookings for an updated Toyota Harrier which will soon be launched in Malaysia by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT). The current generation has been in the market since February 2021 and now gets an improved look and feel.

The new Harrier, with a Dynamic Force 2-litre engine, will be available in Luxury and Special Edition versions and a choice of 5 exterior colours – Slate Grey Metallic, Precious Black, Steel Blonde Metallic, Dark Blue Metallic and Platinum White Pearl – with the Special Edition having an exclusive Metallic Red finish. The on-the-road price without insurance will be from RM274,000.

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Allianz General Revamps Panel Of Authorised Repairers

Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad (Allianz General) is seeking PIAM Approved Repairers Scheme (PARS) workshops nationwide via open tender to join its panel of Allianz Authorised Repairers for 2023 and 2024.

The last time the company revamped its panel workshops was in 2020, during which time 195 PARS workshops were engaged through an open tender process.

The Allianz Authorised Repairers are an integral part of the company’s Allianz Road Rangers 24-hour accident service, which has served over 330,000 customers since its launch in 2017.

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Proton’s Cumulative Volume For 2022 Passes 100,000 Mark After 9 Months

Since the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely) acquired a 49.9% share in Proton in 2017, the Malaysian carmaker has been steadily regaining its strength in the domestic market. With new models like the X70 and X50, sales have kept rising although the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the trend last year.

Once the dominant brand in the market, Proton has been at No.2 for over 15 years and has been determined to regain its top position. With a strong sales month and more vehicles being available for delivery in September, the volume of 14,872 units (domestic + export) took the cumulative total volume for three quarters of 2022 to 102,353 units.

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Mercedes me connect Store Now Open For Malaysian Mercedes-Benz Owners

Although many new models are now having remote connection capabilities, Mercedes-Benz began to offer the feature – known as Mercedes me connect – in 2016, with introduction in the Malaysian market in late 2019. Initially, it was available for only a few models but older ones (up to 2002) could be connected with a Mercedes me adapter that cost RM250.

Since then, Mercedes me connect has become a standard feature on the latest models, providing owners with a constant connection to their vehicle via their smartphone and the Mercedes me app (available for Android and iOS devices). From a distance away – like inside a hotel room or home – the owner can check the current status of the vehicle as well as make service appointments.

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