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SUV Stuck In Rising Sea Waters On Tg. Sedili Beach Rescued In Time

Beaches are nice places to watch the sunset (or sunrise) and enjoy the nice breeze. But enjoying the sights should not be done from a car parked close to the water. A couple who did not realize that the water level can rise when the tide comes in found that their SUV was stuck in the sand as the seawater rose.

The incident was a rare one and the police at Kuala Sedili in Kota Tinggi, Johor shared it on their Facebook page today. The pictures accompanying their post showed the SUV, a Mazda CX-5, stuck in the sand as the water started to rise around it. Fortunately, the couple in the car were able to get help and pull the vehicle away before it was submerged.

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Second Cycle & Carriage Body & Paint Centre Gets Centre of Competence Status From Mercedes-Benz

Today’s cars have advanced construction techniques and engineering to not only make them more lasting but also provide better resistance against impact forces during accidents. The materials used are also a mixture of steel, aluminium as well as others like carbonfibre and even titanium. Therefore when it comes to repairs, no longer can the ‘milo tin’ method be used where sheets of scrap steel are just welded onto damaged body.

For this reason, carmakers like Mercedes-Benz have very specific repair techniques using sophisticated equipment to repair damaged vehicles. This ensures that they will be safe to use after repairs and continue to be reliable.

Of course, even the best equipment still requires human operation. Robots could be used but repairing a damaged car also requires human judgement because of the many variables, so fully automated repairs are something in the distant future.

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Perodua In ‘Overdrive’ With Higher Output And Deliveries This Year

As expected, the first quarter of this year will see a continued boom time for the car companies, at least in terms of deliveries. Many have thousands of orders waiting to be fulfilled and there’s an urgent need to deliver to customers who booked before June 30, 2022 because they are entitled to sales tax exemption.

If they do not have their new vehicle registered by March 31, 2023, then their sales tax exemption will be forfeited and they will have to pay more. However, some companies absorb the sales tax and Perodua is one of those that has confirmed it will do so for those customers whom it cannot supply vehicles to in time.

The Malaysian carmaker has also been in ‘overdrive’, along with its suppliers and dealers, during the first two months of this year. The total volume of vehicle delivered to customers nationwide was 46,385 units, up 33% from 34,865 units in the same period last year. Likewise for production, there was a 32.95% increase in out from the two plants to 51,134 units from 38,460 units last year.

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Naza Italia To End 15-Year Business Relationship With Ferrari

Ferrari and Naza have been associated for the past 15 years but the association will come to an end after this month. The Italian sportscar maker will end its business relationship with Naza Italia Sdn Bhd – aka Ferrari Malaysia – on April 8, 2023 and a new company will take over as official distributor for Malaysia.

Confirming the termination, a statement from the Naza Automotive Group today explained that the company has been reviewing the brand mix of its automotive business to find the right fit for its business strategy. “We have agreed to conclude our relationship with Ferrari S.p.A due to the non-alignment of their expectations to our strategy,” the statement said, giving assurance of support to Ferrari for a smooth transition of business.

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Locally-assembled Mazda CX-30 Now Available

Bermaz Motor has launched the Mazda CX-30, its third locally assembled model after the CX-5 and CX-8. The CX-30 is the final model that was in the plan announced four years ago relating to new investments and local assembly by the company as it moved forward. It was the next step for Mazda Malaysia, the joint venture between Mazda and Bermaz formed in 2012 to oversee local production, distribution and exports to other ASEAN countries.

In 2019, Mazda upgraded the ‘plant within a plant’ at Inokom in Kedah with an investment of RM200 million, which raised production capacity from 30,000 to 50,000 units. Mazda production at Inokom shares some of the facilities but also has a dedicated area (including its own paintshop) for assembly of its own products, hence the ‘plant within a plant’ description.

The roll-out of the CX-30 was actually scheduled a bit earlier but the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted all industries and time-frames had to be revised due to extended periods of lockdown. However, the CBU (completely built-up) version was already being sold since 2020.

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Lamborghini Reveals Powertrain Details of LB744 High Performance Electrified Vehicle (w/VIDEO)

Lamborghini has always added something extra to its model descriptions – like Super Sportscar and Super SUV – to emphasis their superlative qualities. And now, even with its new electrified model, it is using not just hybrid electric vehicle but High Performance Electrified Vehicle (HPEV) to describe the hybrid super sportscar codenamed LB744.

The new model will have its global debut soon and it is an appropriate year to do so as the carmaker celebrates its 60^th anniversary. With the LB744, Lamborghini says it will establish a new benchmark in terms of performance and driving pleasure. Besides all-new architecture, the LB744 also has a new powertrain which will produce over 1,000 ps in total.

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2nd Generation Hyundai Kona Starts With EV Version, Still Available With 3 Powertrain Types

After a 6-year production run in its first generation, the Hyundai Kona starts its second generation today with a global world premiere. The Korean carmaker presents it as an ‘upscaled multiplayer in the B-SUV segment’, with the claim of offering one of the most comprehensive product packages in the segment, including the widest range of powertrains.

As before and like the original IONIQ, the Kona is available with three different types of powertrains – combustion engine one, hybrid and battery electric (BEV). This will allow it to be marketed in more regions around the world, including those where the pace of electrification is slower.

Nevertheless, for this new generation, Hyundai Motor started development as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) first. It signifies the company’s accelerated electrification strategy that aims to bring 11 new Hyundai EVs to market by 2030.

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SDAC-Ford Adds Another 3S Outlet In East Malaysia

East Malaysia is truck country and with the Ford Ranger as its core model, Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC) has made sure it has a good presence there to offer one of the best trucks in the market.

Over the years, the company, which has been the sole distributor for Ford vehicles in Malaysia since 2008, has steadily built up its network in the region and recently added another dealership in Sabah. With this new dealership SDAC-Ford now has 37 outlets nationwide.

Operated by Rightpower Corporation Sdn Bhd, Ford Kota Kinabalu (Penampang) is the second Ford 3S Centre in the state capital and the eighth outlet in East Malaysia.

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BMW iX5 Hydrogen Ready For Real-World Testing

Since the 1970s, when it was clear that the combustion engine powering motor vehicles was a major culprit in air pollution and also diminishing fossil fuel supplies, there has been a search for an alternative propulsion system that does not pollute and is also sustainable. Instead of fossil fuel – the product of dead dinosaurs and plants millions of years ago – electricity is the ‘fuel’ of the future.

Electricity is used to power motors and like liquid fuel, it is stored in a battery pack in a limited quantity which needs to be replenished. The electricity comes from power generating plants that run mainly on coal, which generates undesirable emissions. So while electric power is ‘clean’, the electricity itself comes from a source that is still not clean.

There are alternative electricity generation methods – hydro-electricity, solar and wind – but these are limited in use at this time. What has been seen as promising has been the fuel cell concept that was originally developed for spacecraft. This concept uses hydrogen as a fuel in an electrochemical process that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electrical energy and water.

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Driver Who Crashed Into 6 Vehicles In Bukit Jalil Arrested And Found To Be Under Influence Of Drugs

Imagine yourself having a peaceful drive on a Saturday morning (traffic jams notwithstanding), minding your own business and obeying all the traffic laws. You’re waiting at a traffic light and suddenly, a car comes from behind and rams into your car. The crash would certainly be a great shock, and the start of a tiring process of having to make a police report and then dealing with the insurance company to get compensation for repairs. Normally, it can be a nightmare…

That’s what happened to six motorists last Saturday when a Lexus crashed into their cars as they were waiting at a junction near the Lumba Kuda Roundabout along the Bukit Jalil Highway in Kuala Lumpur. A motorist in one of the fortunate cars not to be hit got the footage on his dashcam of the crash which also resulted in the vehicle overturning.

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