The ‘Red Dot’ Award, which originated in Germany, has become established internationally as one of the most sought-after seals of quality for good design. Initiated in 1955, it is one of the world’s largest design competitions.
This year, two Mazda models received Red Dot: Product Design 2020 awards – the CX-30 and MX-30. Reflecting Mazda’s excellence in vehicle design, these are the eighth and ninth Red Dot awards won by Mazda’s models incorporating KODO design to date. Prior to this were the Mazda3 (2019), MX-5 RF (2017), MX-5 soft top, CX-3 and Mazda2 (all 2015), Mazda3 (2014) and Mazda6 (2013).
Mazda CX-30
The CX-30 is the second production model created with the latest evolution of the KODO design philosophy – artful design, rooted in traditional Japanese aesthetics. The honing of every element according to the ‘less is more’ principle has resulted in clean, beautiful surfaces on the CX-30 and brought an entirely original look to the compact crossover SUV segment.
“The Japanese master craftsmen have always prized simplicity of form, of being beautifully pure,” said Jo Stenuit, Mazda’s European Design Director. “This inspired our designers to trim back elements and create something dynamic yet elegant, restrained yet vital. This is how we perceive Japanese aesthetics – a sensibility that has created emotionally moving cars.”
Mazda MX-30
Though retaining the beautiful, handcrafted forms of KODO design, the styling of the Mazda MX-30 represents an exploration of a more modern aesthetic which focuses on the futuristic values and lifestyles that are beginning to emerge.
“This new approach has resulted in an original design that embodies the expansion of KODO’s expressive range,” explained MX-30 Chief Designer, Youichi Matsuda. “The exterior is uncompromisingly simple to emphasise its beauty as a solid mass, and the cabin design – with its framed top and freestyle doors – embodies an image of lightness while proactively incorporating sustainability as an element for the interior materials. As we begin an era of great change, we want the Mazda MX-30 to show people that our cars can still deliver pure joy of driving.”
The MX-30 is currently only available for the European market. It is equipped with e-SKACTIV, Mazda’s new electric drive technology, which uses a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that gives a claimed range of approximately 200 kms. The driving range far exceeds the 48-km average daily drive of European customers, Mazda believes.
The Mazda CX-30 is available in Malaysia and to find out more about it, visit www.mazda.com.my.
The Ford Ranger Raptor, imported by Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), has been updated for 2020 with an added safety pack and additional features. Additional upgrades to the include an additional USB charging port on the rearview mirror and LED projector headlamps for greater visibility while driving at night.
In the area of safety, which Ford trucks are highly noted for, the latest Ranger Raptor is now equipped with additional intelligent advanced driver-assist features. They are Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with Vehicle and Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, and Lane Departure Warning and Assist.
These advanced technologies are first-in-class and complement other smart technologies that can be found in the rest of the Ranger line-up.
“With the new enhancements to the Ford Ranger Raptor, this ultimate off-road truck is now perfected to conquer the streets, making it ideal for everyday use in addition to commanding the harshest terrains at thrilling speeds. We are confident that the Ranger Raptor will continue revolutionising the market for pick-up truck enthusiasts in Malaysia,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, MD of Sime Darby Auto ConneXion.
With Ford’s Performance DNA infused into the ‘Built Ford Tough’ Ranger line, the Raptor has set a new benchmark as the only factory-built performance truck for high-speed off-roading.
Its powerful 2-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine produces 213 ps/500 Nm which goes to the rear or all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Extra ground clearance gives it class-leading water wading up to 850 mm while the long-travel FOX Racing Shox dampers can take on the roughest terrain. A Terrain Management System offers six modes, including a Baja Mode, which customise the engine and performance characteristics to the terrain for optimum grip and stability.
The Ranger Raptor is priced from RM208,888 (on-the-road, without insurance) and though it is more expensive that other pick-up trucks, demand for it has been surprisingly high. This could be because it’s not a ‘limited edition’ with just ‘look rugged and sporty’ bodykits but has genuine high-performance parts as well – and a factory warranty to go with it.
“During the Movement Control Order period, customers who have purchase enquiries on the New Ford Ranger Raptor may converse with us digitally via our newly launched Digital Salesperson, a WhatsApp Live Chat,” said Tuan Syed Muzri.
For enquiries on the latest Ranger Raptor and other Ford models, contact the ‘Digital Salesperson’ from 9 am – 4 pm, Monday – Friday. Customers simply need to enter WhatsApp +6019-204 1200 to start chatting and queries will be attended to within 24 hours. Information can also be found at the SDAC Ford website.
There was a tiny bit of good news today during the daily briefing by the Health Ministry. According to the Director-General, there are signs of reduced cases which suggests that the curve is flattening. It’s too early to celebrate but if this sign can become a sustained trend, then we will be winning the war against the COVID-19 coronavirus.
If we can flatten the curve, the number of cases will become lower and the hospitals will be able to help more infected people and save more lives.
The reduced cases can be attributed to the Movement Control Order being initiated 2 weeks ago. Though it has restricted movements of the general population nationwide and requires people to stay in their homes, it has been necessary to reduce, if not prevent, the spread of the virus. However, there is some flexibility which allows people to travel out of their homes to get essential items and they must immediately return after that.
Because there are people (about 3% of road-users) who don’t appreciate such flexibility and take advantage of it, the police have had to be more strict in enforcing the MCO. Roadblocks have been set up in many areas, some roads are closed off, and only one person can be in the vehicle – and must have valid reasons for being away from the home. Those who do not obey orders to return home if their reason is unacceptable can be arrested.
Now, with the second phase of the MCO starting which will last until April 14, there is an additional restriction. You can only travel up to 10 kms from your residence to purchase the essential items. This new condition has been introduced since it was found that there were people who were using the journey as a chance to drive around, perhaps to enjoy the empty roads.
In Penang, for example, there were people who insisted on crossing to the mainland to buy their things. The police did not allow that and ordered them to turn around and buy from stores on the island. This is what happens when a few people are stubborn and disobedient and the rest of us also suffer.
Of course, the authorities are not considerate and if there is a valid reason to travel further, eg to a hospital or to visit sick parents at a different home, then permission can be given for travel to be undertaken.
During the MCO period, petrol stations must remain closed between 8 pm and 8 am and that includes their convenience stores.
Meanwhile, supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores as well as petrol stations will be limited to operating hours between 8 am and 8 pm. The same hours apply to places selling food which have not been permitted to allow customers to eat on their premises; they can only offer takeaways or cater to orders sent by food delivery services. So if you are ordering food, be sure to do so by 7 pm.
Therefore, other than an emergency, you should not be on the road after 8 pm. If you miss going out to the mamak stall with your friends at night, it’s too bad that we can’t do it now. But what you can do is help to keep the number of infected people from going up and that means…
If you follow news (and who does not?) about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that has swept the planet, you will read about the urgent need by hospitals in every country for medical equipment. The number of cases has been growing very, very fast – in some countries, it doubles every 3 days. Thousands of patients now require intensive care as their condition has become worse. No country was prepared for a crisis of such a scale and so the equipment and facilities were not more than what was thought to be sufficient for the population.
Ventilators are one of the items that are crucial as the patients suffering from COVID-19 have breathing difficulties. The virus attacks their lungs and they need assisted air intake otherwise they will not have enough air for their body. Ventilators can provide such assistance and companies around the world with the capability have been racing to develop and then make ventilators.
SEAT uses its engineering expertise
SEAT, the Spanish carmaker, is one of the companies that has developed automated ventilators with its expertise. Its engineers developed a total of 13 different prototypes were tested before the final design was agreed upon. The team is now testing the ventilators in collaboration with the local healthcare authority to get approval for mass production.
Parts from SEAT cars have been adapted for use in the ventilators.
The ventilators – made up of 80 electronic and mechanical components – utilize adapted windscreen wiper motors, gearbox shafts and printed gears. Each ventilator will undergo a thorough quality control check with ultraviolet light sterilization before being shipped out.
The facility where the ventilators will be made produces the new Leon model. 150 employees from different areas will work on modified workstations. “Taking an assembly line that manufactures subframes, a car part, and adapting it to make ventilators has been a lengthy, difficult job involving many areas of the company, and we managed to do it in the record time of one week,” said Sergio Arreciado, a member of SEAT’s Process Engineering team.
Lamborghini makes masks and face shields
Meanwhile, Lamborghini has converted its super sportscar production plant to produce surgical masks and protective plexiglass shields. The masks will be donated to a hospital in Bologna, Italy for the use of healthcare personnel.
Work is carried out by personnel of the saddlery that produce the interiors and specialty customization for Lamborghini cars, producing 1,000 masks a day. The medical shields will be produced as a rate of 200 units a day, using 3D printers within the carbonfibre production plant and the R&D department.
“During this emergency, we feel the need to make a concrete contribution. The S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital is an institution with which we have had a collaborative relationship for years, through both professional consultancy in promoting programs to protect our workers’ health, and in research projects. We will win this battle together by working in union, supporting those who are at the forefront of fighting this pandemic every day,” said Stefano Domenicali, Chairman & CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.
The 772-km North-South Expressway (NSE) which runs along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia was opened in 1982 and completed in stages by 1994. From the start, the standards of highway maintenance and safety were high, in line with international standards. Vehicles could travel speedily (up to the maximum limit of 110 km/h) along the multi-lane highway from Johor Bahru up to the Thai border, bypassing the old roads that were winding and narrow.
30 years ago today, April 1 1990, PLUSRonda began operations as a value-added highway patrol service provided by PLUS Malaysia Berhad, the concessionaires. The objective, which is the same today, is to ensure that the highway-users who encounter difficulties during their travels are given assistance. Be it a tyre puncture, stalled vehicle due to a flat battery or even an accident, the PLUSRonda team will arrive at the scene without fail.
“The PLUSRonda is one of the most iconic frontliners on PLUS highways. It is somehow even more meaningful that in the midst of the Covid-19 adversity, the 30th Anniversary of PLUSRonda is celebrated in remembrance of their purpose and sacrifices. While PLUS employees adhere to the Movement Control Order, many of our PLUSRonda are on-call; a patrolling schedule has been implemented to maintain the necessary response period in view of the lower traffic count,” said Datuk Azman Ismail, Managing Director of PLUS.
“We are very cognizant of the hazards that our frontliners are exposed to, which is why we have pulled out all the stops to ensure that every aspect of health, safety and security for them are provided for, so they may continue to execute their duties without fear or worries,” added Datuk Azman.
The pioneer team
The first batch of the PLUSRonda team consisted of 10 men who were joined by another ten during the first year in 1990. One of the pioneers, Zainal Abidin bin Lazim is still on active duty today and is based in Tangkak, Johor. Although aged 54, Encik Zainal Abidin Lazim continues to serve PLUS in the Traffic Safety Department, along with a few others of the original team.
“We are proud of our PLUSRonda, they are brave men who have only a single intention and that is to do their best for the safety and comfort of everyone who journeys along our highways, day and night. Their tireless conviction makes them a welcome sight when one is in distress along the NSE or LPT2,” said Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi, PLUS Chief Operating Officer.
“Many do not know that apart from saving lives at crash sites or attending to breakdowns, our PLUSRonda have also delivered babies in a number of emergency cases on the highway. Their training ranges from technical to medical aspects, equipping them with life-saving skills to be called upon when the situation arises,” he added.
Covering two highway networks
There are 574 PLUSRonda officers to cover the entire NSE and LPT2 (East Coast Expressway) highways. The PLUS highway network has 4 regions (including the East Coast) and each region has between 6 to 7 sections. Each section has a fleet of PLUSRonda patrol vehicles crewed by a pair of patrolmen. Prior to the MCO, the PLUSRonda routine was to patrol in a looping format so that they could be at the scene of any traffic incident (depending on the situation) within 30 minutes or less.
“My reason for becoming a PLUSRonda patrolman is to help others in any small way that I can. I am happy knowing our highway customers can travel safer when my partner and I are patrolling. The idea that I can help those in distress keeps me going. Being in PLUSRonda also offers me job security too,” said Encik Zainal Abidin Lazim. “I am proud that PLUS is fully committed to safety. While we are the last line of defence, safety on the roads is primarily in the hands of each of our highway-user.”
The purpose of the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been to limit movement of people so as to cut back the transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Close contact allows the virus to spread and from just one infected person, hundreds more can be infected.
Today would have been the last day of the Movement Control Order (MCO) which was introduced on March 18. It has been tough on many people, especially those with small businesses that are very dependent on daily earnings. Everyone thought that it would be for 2 weeks and then the MCO would end and life would go back to ‘normal’.
Why flattening the curve of new cases is crucial to winning the battle against COVID-19.
But the numbers have continued to rise and even though we don’t have the frightening exponential increases in cases and deaths like in Italy or Spain, the fact remains that the ‘curve’ has not been flattened. This is the graphic representation of the number of cases and measures like the MCO and social distancing are meant to flatten the curve so that the number of cases can be lowered and the hospitals can then cope. In some other countries, the hospitals have been overwhelmed that doctors are facing the dilemma of who gets life-saving equipment and who does not and is likely to die.
We are actually luckier than people in other countries which have lockdowns and strict enforcement by police and soldiers. The MCO requires people to remain at home but it is still ‘reasonable’ in that those who are in need of food, additional essential supplies or medicine can still travel. They can go to get what they need and must then return, not wander around town and enjoy the empty roads.
The roads may be great for driving because they are so empty but you cannot wander around during the MCO period.
Yet there have been stubborn people who just do not understand how important following the MCO is. According to the authorities, they are about 3% of road-users but these 3% have made things worse for the rest of us. The extension of the MCO by another 2 weeks is not necessarily their fault as the situation has been difficult to overcome, though it has been said to be ‘stable’ with 150 to 200 new cases daily. But because of the indifference and stubbornness of those 3%, we will all face stricter controls from tomorrow.
The National Security Council has given assurance that there will not be a curfew although operating hours for supermarkets, grocery shops, convenience stores and petrol stations will be limited to between 8 am and 8 pm. The same applies to places selling food which have not been permitted to allow customers to eat on their premises; they can only offer takeaways or cater to orders sent by food delivery services.
So it is almost like a curfew and between 8 pm and 8 am, there should be no reason to leave your home unless you have a real emergency – like your wife is about to give birth or your grandfather is in urgent need of medical attention.
From tomorrow, with stores ordered to be closed between 8 pm and 8 am, there should be no reason to be on the road at night.
There are already restrictions on interstate travel but within towns and cities, things have been relaxed but it has been found that some people abuse the freedom permitted. For instance, some people from Penang island said they wanted to go to the mainland to buy groceries or their ‘favourite food’! As a result, the police will now limit the distance that can be travelled and if the destination is far away, you will be asked to turn around and find a store nearby.
Besides the restriction to one person in the vehicle doing the errands, the police will also check on temperatures of the drivers. Anyone found to have a fever will be immediately held back and send for screening. In this way, some of those who are carriers of the virus can be stopped from spreading it to others.
Red zones – areas with a large or sudden increase in cases – have been identified and the new strategy is to close off these areas. They may be whole districts like the one down in Johor or they may be a condominium complex like Menara City One in Kuala Lumpur. Residents are placed under an ‘Enhanced Movement Control Order’ which will make things unpleasant for them as they cannot leave at all.
To manage things better, the police are also closing off some roads and filtering vehicles into specific channels for easier checking. More roadblocks will be set up so if you think you can get by one with your ‘story’, the police at the next roadblock might not accept it.
Terengganu is also considering a new approach using car numbers as eligibility for travelling. The idea to reduce traffic numbers was to have vehicles with numberplates ending with odd numbers allowed on one day and even numbers only on the next day. However, the plan which was to have started tomorrow has been postponed pending further study.
Details of new procedures that will be stricter will be announced tomorrow, according to Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Meanwhile, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, the Health Ministry’s Director-General whom you see giving a briefing every day, has urged Malaysians to be more disciplined and abide by the MCO.
“It is really up to us. If all of us can come together as one, and stay at home, we at the Health Ministry can continue with public health activities and carrying out active case detection. We can increase testing and finding targeted groups, we test them and isolate them early. Then we can break the chain of Covid-19,” he said, adding that another extension of the MCO after April 14 would only be made after assessing the situation during the first week of April.
So please abide by the regulations and stay at home unless you have a valid reason to venture out. This is not a situation affecting just people in one city or state, it is nationwide and all Malaysians are having to go through it.
