How do you judge a car in just three or four days?
There really isn’t much you can say about it other than the way it drives, how the interior feels, and the overall efficiency.
That is the issue with motoring journalism in Malaysia.
So the best way to properly understand a car is to look into a forum where other owners share their experience.
Or to drive a somewhat high mileage car that has been properly used and abused by other members of the Malaysian motoring fraternity.
Which is what I did when Volkswagen Malaysia handed me a car with a little over 10,000km on the odo.
There is no doubt that the Volkswagen Arteon is one the best looking car of its segment.
It created waves when it was first introduced to the world, and it still turns heads today.
At about RM220,000, it seems a better buy than the established competition; the BMW 3-Series, the Mercedes C-Class and the Audi A4.
It is a lot bigger than the competition and a lot more spacious.
And surprisingly offers more creature comforts, though it does not offer as much safety tech as the other Germans.
And that is what makes it fall short of being utterly perfect.
But then again, the Arteon also has held up surprisingly well after 10,000km in the hands of motoring journos.
Of course the cars are fully refurbished before being passed from one journo to another, but there are things that simply cannot be done so quickly.
Such as seat bolstering, faded plastics, buttons that become undone and surfaces that are easily scratched such as the door sills.
I found none of that in this Arteon.
What I did find though is that in the 5-6 days that I had the car, the entertainment system failed on me, once!
This was when I wanted to switch from the Apple CarPlay, to which I was connected to wirelessly, to a regular radio station.
I had Google Maps running (not a fan of Waze) and perhaps the onboard processor had too much.
The system then wouldn’t respond for a couple of minutes, and then it went blank for another couple of minutes.
Shortly after it restarted and was fine for the rest of my drive time.
Just tech being tech, I guess.
But other than that though, I have nothing but praises.
I loved the spaciousness of the Arteon.
For the first time ever, I did not need to move the front passenger seat forwards to accommodate my kid’s rear facing car seat.
The 563 litre booth accommodated everything you need to manage a child over a weekend, plus groceries, plus the wife’s bags, and then some.
Just for reference, the booth is slightly smaller than that of the Passat, but yet is bigger than the 4-Series and the Audi A5 Sportback.
The entertainment system, despite that one issue I experienced with it, was impressive with a 700W 12-speaker DynAudio sound system.
Metallica’s S&M album never sounded so good in a mid-segment passenger car.
The wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity is truly god sent, and something Mercedes-Benz and BMW should take a card from.
However, I do feel the engine does not do justice to the car’s good looks.
The 2.0-litre engine produces just 187hp and 320Nm of torque.
But for those with a need for speed, there is the Arteon R that produce over 300hp.
But it has never been officially offered in Malaysia save for that one time Volkswagen showcased a demo car to gauge public interest.
That didn’t go too well since it would have costed over RM300,000.
But the one great thing that the standard Arteon does incredibly well is fuel efficiency.
I did about 550km during my drive and still had about a quarter tank left when it came time to return the car.
Volkswagen also claims that the Arteon needs just 6.3 litres of fuel to travel 100km on the combined cycle.
And this technically means that in an ideal scenario, the Arteon can travel 1000km with its 66-litre tank. This does depend on how heavy your right foot is though.
Despite its frugal nature, the Arteon also offers the usual array of Drive Modes that make the car sharper or comfortable, all at the touch of a button.
This either stiffens or softens the suspension, adjusts the steering wheel and the accelerator according to the selected drive mode as well.
This did lead to a more interesting drive in Sport mode as the car generally felt more eager.
Even after 10,000km of being driven by people determined to bring out the worst in the car, yours truly included, the Arteon has been steadfast.
The interior is always the first place that wear and tear sets in, and is not easy nor cheap to restore, and despite that the interior of this Arteon has held well.
The powertrain too has proven to the naysayers that Volkswagen has left its old engine and gearbox issues firmly in the past.
And for if you regularly maintain it with care, then there shouldn’t be any issues.
If you do buy brand new, the entire ownership experience is made better with a five-year warranty and a three-year free maintenance program.
Also, it is also worth noting that the new 2021 Volkswagen Arteon is due to be launched in Malaysia real soon.
This means prices of the current Arteon will drop, making it an incredibly good buy in the used car market.
If you can look past the lack of power and appreciate the overall design and the efficiency of the car, then the Arteon would be well worth considering.
Especially when compared to the old guards from Germany.
The Volkswagen Arteon is priced at RM221,065.28 excluding insurance.
Doing shopping online was already gaining popularity among Malaysians before the COVID-19 pandemic started. It offered convenience and an easier way to check out more choices, plus having the goods delivered right to your doorstep.
When the pandemic started and physical contact was discouraged to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, online shopping was already established and with the push by banks to get people to use electronic transactions, e-commerce boomed.
Even car companies started to use online channels as one of their marketing tools, expanding from just having websites that provided information to actually selling as well. Of course, this may not fully replace the personal experience of visiting a showroom, touching the vehicles and sitting in them and, of course, going for a test-drive.
What the online selling approach can do is to start the buying process without the customer having to travel to a showroom and take the process some way along before any physical contact may be necessary. In fact, some companies even offer test-drives if required by sending over the vehicle to the home or office.
Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn. Bhd. (ETCM) is among the companies that sees online shopping as the way to offer its customers a convenient and secure new Nissan vehicle purchasing experience. They can now do so at the Nissan Flagship Store on the Lazada e-commerce platform.
“We are excited to expand our Nissan models on Lazada, making it readily available to everyone who prefers the convenience of shopping at their fingertips. In this challenging time of COVID-19 pandemic, digitalisation has been fast-tracked and we are confident that this move is another way for the brand to enhance its services and at the same time offer great deals when purchasing a new Nissan on a digital application,” said Christopher Tan, ETCM Sales & Marketing Director.
The full range of Nissan models distributed by ETCM in Malaysia can be found at the Nissan Flagship store, including the latest Navara pick-up truck. ETCM may from time to time have special promotions exclusively for those who book online, saving money or getting extras with their purchase.
In conjunction with the opening of the Nissan Flagship Store, the first 55 customers who book the new Almera 1.0L Turbo, Navara, X-Trail or Serena S-Hybrid will receive a free Nescafe Coffee Machine worth RM 598. The booking fee starts from as low as RM250.
Other promotions available include an Urban accessories package (worth up to RM5,500) with the Almera Turbo and Flexi Financing from RM540 monthly. There’s also a Special Civil Servants Promotion for the model (VL variant) with a starting price from RM71,906.
The X-Trail comes with the IMPUL or Aero Edition accessories package worth up to RM5,600, while the Serena S-Hybrid comes with free maintenance service for the first 3 years of ownership, with parts and labour costs included.
Booking online is as easy as making other online purchases. You just select the model you want to purchase and add it to your cart (which would be a pretty big one!). You can choose a method of making payment for the booking fee and submit your details. A representative of ETCM will then contact you and provide assistance through the rest of the process.
Click here to visit the Nissan Flagship Store or you can also visit www.nissan.com.my for information on Nissan vehicles and services from ETCM in Malaysia.
In conjunction with SpareXHub’s 3rd anniversary, the company will hold a clearance sale with up to 80% off on genuine Ford and Hyundai motor vehicle spare parts. This is a one-time sale which will take place from 10 am on May 6 (Thursday) till 6 pm on May 9 (Sunday).
The location of the sale will be at Lot 24, Jalan Pemberita U1/49 which is in the Temasya Industrial Estate, Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Selangor,
SpareXHub wants to give you a chance to be able to purchase original motor vehicle spare parts at very affordable prices with this special clearance sale. There are over 3,000 parts for various Hyundai models and some 7,000 parts for Ford models. The parts range from service items such as filters and sensors to body parts such as bumpers and windscreens.
SpareXHub brand experts will also be on hand to ensure that you purchase the right parts for your vehicle, and provide the necessary knowledge, information and guidance. You can also browse through the online catalogue at www.sparexhub.com to know what’s available.
SpareXHub has prepared a registration form for all customers to fill up so that their arrival is known and expected, and also to ensure that all COVID-19 regulations and procedures are strictly adhered to. Click on this link (https://forms.gle/zGJReYFB72CMUPvE7) and book your slots today.
SpareXHub is a trusted e-commerce platform for discounted, genuine auto spare parts. With more than 100+ years of combined experience, the team can curate and pick the right spare parts for customers seamlessly. Using the B2B2C approach, SpareXHub is ready to cater to the needs of automotive stockists, independent workshops and even individual vehicle owners.
There is no compromise on quality as all the parts are 100% genuine and original, ideal for those vehicles that have finished their warranty period.
After the first four months of 2021, Perodua’s total sales volume has passed the 78,000 mark, with April contributing 20,399 units to the number. A big contributor has been the Ativa SUV which accounted for over 22% of the figure (4,624 units). Since its launch in March this year, the carmaker has delivered almost 9,000 units of the Ativa, with around 290 new customers placing bookings daily. The strong demand has stretched the waiting period for customers which, as always, Perodua tries to shorten.
2 – 4 months waiting period
“The waiting period for the Ativa is currently between 2 and 4 months, depending on the desired colour and variant. We advise our valued customers to speak to our authorised sales advisors for accurate and up-to-date delivery times of the various variant-colour combinations of the Ativa,” advised Perodua’s President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
“Perodua remains committed towards timely deliveries, aided by our economies of scale. We thank our valued customers very much for their patience. We are doing all we can to deliver as many cars as possible before the expected expiry of the government’s sales tax exemption at the end of June,” he said.
Semiconductor chip shortage
On a month-to-month comparison, sales dipped by 16.5% to 20,399 units from 24,431 units, mainly due to the semiconductor chip shortage, which is affecting multiple industries globally.
“The chip shortage is our top priority at present and we are deploying all our resources to deal with it, including working closely with the government and our business partners for viable solutions,” Dato’ Zainal said. “Despite the global semiconductor chip shortage, Perodua managed to produce 20,278 vehicles in April 2021, pushing our year-to-date production to 80,661 units,”
Perodua is maintaining its 2021 sales target at 240,000 units for now. The target represents a 9% increase from the 220,163 units sold last year. The increased volume will also see Perodua making a record purchase of RM6.5 billion worth of locally-sourced components this year. Production is also set to be increased to 272,000 units, 23% more than the output in 2020.
Visit www.perodua.com.my to know more about the models available and where to view, test-drive or purchase them.
Those who grew up in the 1980s will fondly remember Tamiya, the name of the 75-year old Japanese company that made plastic scale models and became a big name in radio-controlled (R/C) cars after it launched its first R/C assembly kit of a Porsche 934. That first model and those which were to follow sparked the R/C revolution.
Over 5 decades, Tamiya has offered many R/C models such as the Hornet, Lunchbox, Sand Scorcher and Avante, with the Wild One being one of the most iconic. But while they provided many memories of exciting races, they were all ‘driven’ using a remote controller.
Now, The Little Car Company, based in the UK, is bringing back the Wild One and this is considerably larger than the 1/10th size of the original one sold by Tamiya. With a licence from the Japanese company, The Little Car Company will produce an 8/10 scale car that will be big enough for a person to sit in it.
Not just for static show
And it won’t just be a showpiece as it will be able to move around with the same type of propulsion unit as the original – an electric motor. The Wild One MAX, as it will be known, will have rear-wheel drive and a spaceframe chassis with coil-over suspension for all four wheels. It gets the power to the ground through 15-inch off-road tyres on lightweight wheels. The brake system includes hydraulic Brembo disc brakes on each corner, backed up by regenerative braking to maximise range.
There are multiple driving modes which offer different top speeds, throttle mappings and power outputs according to driver skill level. So the younger ones can learn to drive safely and get increased power as they become proficient and more confident.
48 km/h top speed
The base Wild One Max can reach a top speed of 48 km/h with maximum power output of 4 kW (5.5 bhp). It has a single PowerPack onboard with a capacity of 2 kWh and a range of up to 40 kms, depending on terrain and driving style. For increased speed or range, modular PowerPacks can be added.
Upsized from the small scale model, the Wild One MAX will be about 3.5 metres long,1.8 metres wide and weigh around 250 kgs. Like the original, the car can be assembled from parts supplied although being considerably larger, it won’t be able to go into a glass case.
The driver will have an adjustable composite seat with a 3-point seatbelt, digital gauges and a racing steering wheel. The Little Car Company says that between 160 cm and 195 cm tall should be comfortable enough.
Taking things one step further, those who wish to roam on public roads can install Road Legal Packs. These packs add the components required to build the vehicle to be compliant with Quadricycle laws in Europe, or Neighbourhood Electric Vehicle legislation in the USA. The packs include items such as brake lights, turn signals, reflectors and rearview mirrors so the Wild One MAX can be fully road-legal.
Built to order
The Wild One MAX is expected to have a pricetag starting from £6,000 (about RM34,300) and is planned for global release in 2022. The company will be building the cars as orders are received and accompanied by a £100 deposit (refundable)
This is not The Little Car Company’s first small car as it has, in partnership with some prestigious carmakers, produced authentic ‘junior cars’. These include the Bugatti Baby II, a 75% scale tribute to the iconic Bugatti Type 35, and a follow up to the 1926 Bugatti Baby. The second model announced in 2020 was the Aston Martin DB5 Junior (pictured below), a 66% scale version of the car driven by Agent 007.
With continued high demand, Proton reports that its total sales volume increased again for the month of April, the third consecutive month of growth. 15,017 units (including exports) were delivered, and the company’s cumulative volume after the first 4 months of 2021 reached 47,843 units. This is more than double the number for the same period last year although it has to be remembered that the MCO (Movement Control Order) shut down business activities for the whole industry for a while.
By its own estimate, Proton’s latest figure means it has a market share of 26.7% for April, and it continues to strengthen its hold in second position in overall the sales rankings table with a market share to date estimated at 24.4%.
Proton Saga at the top
The company believes its Saga is at the top of the national sales chart with 5,472 units sold in April while its two SUV models continue to set strong sales numbers. The X50, which has a long waiting list, set yet another new high for deliveries with 3,583 customers receiving their vehicles in April. The X70 was dominant in the C-segment SUV category with 2,101 units delivered.
Proton’s other 3 models also performed well and had their best months of 2021. Despite strong competition in the B-segment sedan market, 2,266 units of the Persona were sold, while the Exora continued to rule the C-segment MPV class. Iriz sales received a boost from strong demand for the R3 Limited Edition model that allowed it to have its best sales month since 2019.
Good month for the industry
“April was a good month for the automotive industry and aside from Proton, several other brands also had their best month of the year so far. The Total Industry Volume is estimated to be over 56,000 units as all brands are trying to fulfil sales orders before the expiry of the PENJANA sales tax exemption at the end of June 2021,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar, the company’s sales arm.
“For Proton, we are continuing with efforts to meet the strong demand for our products while maintaining a high level of product quality. At the same time, we are focussing on improving customer service and addressing issues related to spare parts availability, which is vital as our sales volume increases. We expect the situation will see significant improvement as the year progresses but we are working hard to move up that timeline,” he said.
He added that Proton Edar is looking forward to increased production volumes with the new stamping plant, which is now under construction. “The benefits of improved production volumes, lower costs and increased quality will allow us to increase sales exponentially both domestically and abroad, which will drive the company towards achieving its stated long-term goals,” he said.
The latest Hyundai Elantra arrived in Malaysian showrooms just 9 months after its global online launch from Hollywood. Its quick appearance was due to it not being assembled locally, so there was no need for plant preparation. Along with exports to other markets, Hyundai Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) also got its allocation for Malaysia.
The only problem was that with many markets wanting the new model, supply was limited and HSDM could get only one variant first, which was the Elantra Premium priced from RM158,888. Now, about 5 months after its launch in Malaysia, a second variant is available and it’s priced from RM139,888 (excluding insurance). This RM19,000 cheaper variant is the Elantra Executive and like the Premium variant, it also comes with a warranty of 5 years or maximum distance of 300,000 kms.
Though costing less, HSDM has still managed to keep the Elantra Executive fairly well equipped, with SmartSense safety systems and 6 SRS airbags. It sits on the same new platform with a similar Smartstream G1.6 16-valve petrol engine that produces 123 ps/154 Nm. Hyundai’s own Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) is used and there are 4 drive modes to choose from.
The interior appointments are simpler with black fabric upholstery for the seats and manual seat adjustment. The functional dashboard has a 4.2-inch TFT LCD Cluster which provides the driver with all the necessary information.
Though the new car has a sleeker roofline compared to its predecessor, headroom has not been compromised. The longer wheelbase also provides 964 mm of rear legroom, claimed to be best in class, while the wider track width means improved shoulder room in the front and rear. With over 474 litres of boot volume, the Elantra should be able to take a lot of cargo and if there are long items, the rear backrests can also be folded down to extend the boot floor.
“We have received significant interest from customers on the new Elantra and also a preference for lower pricing. As with all fully imported cars, the exchange rate is one of the determining factors for the price of the car. The Elantra is a CBU (complete built-up) unit that is imported from Korea, therefore the exchange rate does affect how we price the car. Having said that, we would still like to make the Elantra accessible to all our customers with the introduction of this new variant,” said Low Yuan Lung, Managing Director of HSDM.
Honda today gave the world its first look at the next generation of the BR-V, presented as the N7X Concept. The original BR-V had its world debut in Indonesia in August 2015, and now, for the first time, Honda is unveiling a concept car in the country. The reason is that the BR-V is a model that was developed primarily with the Indonesia market in mind, although it is also sold in some other countries, including Malaysia.
For the second generation, the 7-seater cabin is maintained, this being an important point for customers in Indonesia. Honda understands that a car is ‘not just a car’, and considering how much time people spend in it, the vehicle is also a ‘second home’. This led the design team at Honda Asia Pacific to combine the best features of a MPV and the advantages of a SUV for the N7X Concept that will be the basis for the forthcoming new BR-V.
Designed with Gen X in mind
The exterior design is sleeker than the current BR-V and the overall size appears larger. There are some styling elements from other models, such as the CR-V, with the high ground clearance being a necessity in Indonesia and also other parts of ASEAN.
Honda product planners conducted extensive studies, primarily in Indonesia, to find out what customers expect and aimed to exceed the expectations. They focussed especially on the Generation X family, which has a lifestyle that is balanced between personal activities and family togetherness.
Details of the interior are not available other than from brief views during the presentation. With words like ‘premium’ being used, it is likely that Honda will offer the new BR-V with a higher quality than before, the same way that the City evolved upwards. Of course, with the emphasis on safety, we may see better safety systems installed, probably including an autonomous braking capability.
Honda’s idea of a 7-seater
“The N7X is our concept of what a 7-seater car should be, which not only offers pleasant driving performance but also the serenity and comfort of a premium car for all occupants. We are very proud to make Indonesia the first in the world to introduce the N7X Concept, a concept that will redefine the categories of cars and driving pleasure,” said Takehiro Watanabe, President Director of PT Honda Prospect Motor, during the world premiere online.
The current BR-V was launched at the Indonesia International Auto Show in 2015 but given the current pandemic, the future of such public events remains uncertain. Nevertheless, Honda Indonesia is displaying the N7X Concept at a shopping mall in Jakarta this week, and will probably do an online launch of the production model sometime during the second half of this year.
The BR-V arrived in Malaysia about 2 years after its debut in Indonesia, though this second generation might not take as long. Anyway, if you prefer the current one and want to get one before it runs out, visit any authorized Honda dealer and their locations can be found at www.honda.com.my.
Henry Ford believed in his company owning and managing every aspect of making cars – including even owning the plantations of rubber trees that provided rubber for his cars. But as the years went by, specialisation began and while carmakers focussed on designing and manufacturing cars, some activities were also farmed out to other companies. Design, for instance, was sometimes done by external consultants more specialised in the work, notable Italian studios like Pininfarina, Ghia and ItalDesign being among them.
In the 21st century, as the whole idea of making cars changes with the transition to electric vehicles, there are many newcomers (especially in China) who want to get into the game. Some of these have experience in other types of manufacturing, eg batteries or mobilephones, but no experience in engineering cars. For them to gain that experience as the global players did will take too long; today’s companies do not have the luxury of time to learn themselves as the market is so competitive.
So the answer has been to commission companies that specialise in certain areas. In fact, Chinese companies have been doing this, not just for design but also for powertrains. There are top-notch engineering consultancies in Europe like Lotus Engineering that can develop a car on par with any experienced manufacturer – and even the established ones sometimes ask Lotus to help.
So there’s a growing business in offering a full range of services to develop cars and Italdesign has formed a partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) to provide such services to those who want to produce and sell high-performance EVs. WAE is the technology and engineering business that was established by Williams F1. It takes technology originally developed for Formula One cars and adapts it for commercial applications.
Combining a state-of-the-art composite electric vehicle rolling chassis from WAE with turn-key vehicle development services from Italdesign, the joint venture will enable both newcomers and customers to benefit from the expertise of two global leaders in EV engineering and vehicle design, supporting them in the creation of a range of upper premium EVs from high performance GTs, crossover and sedans.
The foundation of this new venture is WAE’s innovative EV architecture – a new rolling chassis which distils WAE’s expertise in electrification, light-weighting, innovative chassis structures and vehicle and system integration into one advanced architecture known as ‘EVX’.
Differentiating itself from other EV platforms currently in the market, EVX integrates the battery pack casing with elements more commonly perceived as part of the body structure. Front and rear chassis structures mount to the carbonfibre composite case and crash loads can be transferred via internal reinforcements to the integral side sills.
The resulting higher profiled cross section achieves much of the torsional stiffness needed to deliver the full potential of the platform. These two design philosophies reduce reliance on the upper structure, which then gives greater design freedom for a variety of ‘top hats’.
Starting from WAE rolling chassis, Italdesign’s Engineering Team then complete the vehicle architecture adding safety systems, structures, and UX devices to constitute the modular platform that will be the base to build-up several different high-performances vehicles.
The innovative modular platform is ready for customisation by the Italdesign styling team who will shape the final vehicle to match the brand’s requirements in terms of marketing positioning, design direction etc. As well as being a structural component of EVX, the platform can accommodate wheelbases from 2900 mm to 3100 mm, with customers able to choose rear-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive layouts.
Combining recycled composite materials with aluminium, EVX is lightweight and sets new standards for static and torsional stiffness. With class-leading performance and mass targets, EVX will provide the perfect basis for tomorrow’s electric vehicles, supporting a flexible range of powertrain options with outstanding aerodynamics and safety performance.
Majoring on high performance, reduced time to market, flexibility and affordability at low-to-medium volumes, the new platform is capable of supporting production runs up to 10,000 units, up to 500 of which could be manufactured by Italdesign at its facilities in Italy.
WAE was the original supplier of batteries to all participants of the FIA Formula E World Championship cars in 2014, a relationship that has been revived for the 2022-23 season. WAE also supplies battery systems to ETCR and Extreme-E and has considerable experience in high-performance electrified road car programmes stretching back more than a decade.
“We are delighted to join forces with Italdesign on this exciting and timely joint collaboration” said Paul McNamara, Technical Director at WAE. “Demand for high performance electric vehicles is continuing to show considerable growth but to date, there has not been a complete EV production solution. This unique relationship brings together state-of-the-art EV rolling chassis technology with one of the world’s leaders in vehicle body engineering.”
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