English Archives

Piston.my

English

Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain To Take On 30th Borneo Safari Challenge

From the fashion world back to nature – that will be the journey for the Isuzu D-MAX when it once again participates in the Borneo Safari International Off-Road Challenge. This will be the 14^th year that Isuzu Malaysia is supporting the event which was not run in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Isuzu Malaysia is providing 3 units of the D-MAX X-Terrain as Official Media Vehicles during the week-long event organised by the Sabah Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA). The vehicles were recently handed over by Isuzu Malaysia’s Marketing Manager, Alan Lee, to the association’s President, Hj. Faez Nordin.

(more…)

e:HEV – How Honda’s Hybrid Technology Has Evolved In Over 20 Years

Although Toyota began selling the first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that have an electric motor working with a petrol engine, Honda also brought HEVs into the market around the same time. In fact, in Malaysia, Honda was the first to actually market HEVs when it offered the Civic Hybrid in 2004, priced at RM118,888. Back then, hybrids were still a novelty rather than something which drew people due to being new technology.

Over the years, Honda Malaysia continued to promote HEVs, offering the technology in some models and then being the first brand to assemble a HEV locally – the Jazz Hybrid – in 2012. Incentives provided by the government during that period were intended to promote HEVs so that more people would buy the environment-friendly cars. In fact, the incentives created the unusual situation whereby a HEV variant cost less than the variants with just petrol engines – in every other market, HEVs would cost more than their conventional engine equivalents due to the additional cost of the technology.

Although sales of HEVs have not been rocketing upwards, they have been steadily increasing and the technology has also matured and is more efficient, while costs have lowered. Since the days of the first Insight, it has been Honda’s aim to find ways to lower the costs of its hybrid technology – which it markets as e:HEV now – so that more people can afford to buy HEVs.

(more…)

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).

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)