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For years, motorists have complained about the poor quality of the roadtax stickers on the windscreen peeling off or curling, and at one stage, the print even faded. Past Transport Ministers were aware of the matter but never seemed to be able to get it resolved.

Now the new Transport Minister has done it and his solution is very straightforward – don’t use a sticker any longer! Perhaps, in the past, the authorities were stuck with the thinking that the roadtax sticker must be displayed for checking but this is the age of digitisation and there are electronic solutions that do not require a sticker.

The announcement was made today by the Transport Minister who also said that it will be with immediate effect (from February 10, 2023). While there is a law under Section 20 of the Road Transport Act which requires a roadtax sticker to be shown, this will no longer be enforced. Perhaps an amendment will be made in due course to the regulation.

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The winding road up to the Genting Highlands resort complex on the border between Selangor and Pahang is well known by Malaysians (and even Singaporeans). For drivers, it is a challenging drive and being able to drive up is ‘test’ of a car.

But for the families and friends of a group of tourists who travelled along that road recently, it will bring memories of a tragedy. They were involved in an accident when the van they were in crashed into the concrete divider, with 6 of the passengers being killed right away. A seventh person who was the co-driver, died later in hospital.

According to the police, the group was returning to Penang from Genting Highlands when the driver lost control of the van at a bend near Km 4.8 and it crashed into the divider. The impact was severe at the front and killed the driver, and caused serious injuries to the co-driver. It is not known how four of the passengers died and whether everyone had seatbelts on.

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Motorists insured by Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad will know about their Road Warrior 24/7 roadside assistance benefits which  will be most appreciated when there’s a breakdown. Now, the same support is also available to operators of goods-carrying vehicles as a supplemental benefit.

Launched today, the Allianz Truck Warrior provides roadside assistance to Allianz Goods Carrying Vehicle (comprehensive) policyholders involved in accidents or breakdowns. It is the first coverage of its kind in Malaysia and has only been available since 2023 started.

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Audi is the latest brand in Malaysia to electrify, with 2 fully electric models (in multiple variants) to go on sale from mid-2023. The range will consist of the Q8 e-tron in SUV and Sportback versions, and e-tron GT quattro/RS e-tron GT. Malaysia will be among the first markets in the region to introduce the Q8 e-tron.

As the shipments have not arrived yet, PHSAM (PHS Automotive Malaysia), the Audi distributor, can only offer estimated prices for the models. Pricing for the Q8 e-tron is estimated to range from RM369,000 – RM476,000, while the e-tron GT quattro will have a price range estimated to be RM550,000 – RM643,000 for the two versions to be offered. The RS e-tron GT is estimated to have a price range from RM749,000 – RM769,000.

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ASEAN NCAP, the organization which assesses new models in the market (especially those made and sold in ASEAN), has released its report after testing the new Perodua Axia. The hatchback is the second generation of the Axia and will be officially launched on February 14. ASEAN NCAP was provided a unit for their assessment which included a crash test and after analyzing the results, the Axia received 4 stars (out of the maximum of 5 stars).

The first generation of the Axia tested by ASEAN NCAP in 2014 also received 4 stars then. According to Perodua engineers, the new Axia, with its new structure and increased safety features, should be able to score 5 stars if the same protocols are used as for model tested in 2014.

However, in 2023, the bar has been raised with new protocols that are more demanding. ASEAN NCAP periodically upgrades its assessment protocols, which the industry is informed of, and this serves to advance the safety standards that the industry should provide.

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Malaysian motorists are fortunate to have pump prices for petrol (excluding RON97) subsidized by the government. It is a costly exercise for the government, especially if global oil prices go up. For this reason, there are plans to stop the blanket subsidies for RON 95 petrol and biodiesel and only provide fuel subsidies for those really needing assistance.

This will mean that pump prices will rise and motorists will have to start thinking about driving more economically if they want to moderate running costs. But besides driving more economically and not wasting fuel unnecessarily, there’s also the choice of petrol that they can make to go further on each litre.

With the New + Improved Shell FuelSave 95, there is the claim that the range on a full fuel tank can be extended a further 15 kms. It’s interesting that Shell Malaysia uses this approach and it is based on test runs in Malaysian conditions with more than 6 vehicles which were driven a cumulative distance of over 10,000 kms each.

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Buying a used car always carries with it a risk. Having been owned and used by one or more people before, its condition can vary. If you’re lucky, the previous owner or owners looked after it well and had it regularly services so it is in good condition. But there are also unlucky used-car buyers who end up with a problematic car and wish that it had been inspected professionally earlier.

myTukar, the digital pre-owned car ecosystem across the Asia-Pacific region, understands this concern of buyers and has introduced myTukar Certified for reassurance. This technology-backed stamp of assurance certification for used cars is fully transparent and backed by detailed information and standardised inspections.

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As with previous new model introductions, Perodua offered the media a chance to get first impressions of driving the new Axia as well as provided more details of the specifications. The company has asked us not to write about the specs and features as it wants to them made public only when the car is officially launched on February 14.

However, we have been encouraged to share our brief experience with the new car (albeit a brief one) and also pictures of its exterior (which was camouflaged) as well as interior. Four variants will be available  – G, X, SE and AV – and all will have the same powertrain.

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With the government offering full tax exemption on electric vehicles (EVs), there has been an influx of EV models in the past 12 months. The new models have been from established brands as well as a few brands from China, where EVs – or ‘New Energy’ vehicles, as they are also called – are sold in huge numbers these days.

One of these China brands is Great Wall Motors (GWM) which is actually not new to Malaysia. It is the manufacturer of Haval SUVs which Malaysians may know better. Now that there is a lot of potential for EV sales in Malaysia, it has switched to selling these vehicles and GWM has also come in to manage the marketing itself.

Though it is a specialist in SUVs, GWM has also quickly entered the EV sector and has had a dedicated brand called ORA for EV models since 2018. There are currently 5 models in the ORA range, all with ‘Cat’ as part of their name.

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With just a few weeks to go before Lamborghini’s first hybrid super sportscar makes its debut, the carmaker is saying farewell to its renowned naturally-aspirated V12 engine. With a history going back to the very first Lamborghini car, the V12 engine is very much a part of the brand’s DNA and success.

“The V12 engine is one of the pillars of our history and our marque’s success,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Automobili Lamborghini Chairman & CEO. “As we head towards embracing a new era of hybridization at the heart of our Cor Tauri strategy, this is the Lamborghini way of celebrating the naturally aspirated V12 with two one-off vehicles that perfectly represent our concept of excellence in personalization.”

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