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Volkswagen Unveils Golf GTI Sepang Edition – A Tribute to Malaysian Motorsport

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has launched the Golf GTI Sepang Edition, a special variant that becomes the first car in Malaysia to officially bear the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) insignia. Limited in number and proudly local in inspiration, the model celebrates Malaysia’s motorsport heritage and Volkswagen’s engineering precision in a single package.

For over twenty years, the Sepang International Circuit has been the heart of motorsport in Malaysia, playing host to global events such as Formula 1 and MotoGP while symbolising the nation’s growing automotive culture. The Golf GTI Sepang Edition pays homage to this spirit of speed and innovation with a design and performance philosophy that captures the adrenaline of the track.

In conjunction with the launch, Volkswagen Malaysia has announced a special 10.10 promotion. The first ten units registered between 9 and 16 October will be eligible for zero per cent loan interest for ten months—a first-of-its-kind initiative by the brand for a limited-edition release.

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Parliament Approves Hire Purchase Reform to End Outdated Loan Interest Calculations

The Dewan Rakyat has passed the Hire Purchase (Amendment) Bill 2025, officially abolishing the long-standing flat rate and the Rule of 78 in hire-purchase loan calculations — a move that promises fairer and more transparent financing for Malaysians.

The Rule of 78, a decades-old method, calculates interest based on the original loan amount, which means borrowers continue paying the same amount of interest even if they settle their loans early. Under the new amendment, this outdated approach will be replaced with the Effective Interest Rate (EIR) and a reducing balance system — methods already widely used in modern financial markets to ensure borrowers only pay interest on their remaining balance.

According to The Edge Malaysia, the EIR will now serve as the standard measure of the true cost of financing under a hire-purchase agreement. For fixed-rate loans, it will show the total financing cost over the term of the agreement, while for variable loans, it will be tied to benchmark rates set by financial institutions. The amendment also introduces new caps on interest rates: fixed-term loans up to five years will be limited to 17% per annum, while those exceeding five years will be capped at 16%. Variable-rate loans will remain at 17% per annum.

Financial institutions are now required to disclose the EIR upfront — both during marketing and before any agreement is signed — to ensure borrowers fully understand the actual cost of their loans. The Hire Purchase Act 1967, which governs consumer goods like motor vehicles with a permitted load not exceeding 2,540 kg, will continue to apply, but with updated definitions and mechanisms that reflect today’s financial realities.

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Bookings Open for Locally Assembled Hyundai Staria in Malaysia

Hyundai Motor Malaysia has officially opened bookings for the locally assembled Hyundai Staria, now produced at the company’s plant in Kulim, Kedah. This marks another key milestone for Hyundai’s presence in Malaysia, offering a premium MPV that blends futuristic design, practicality, and comfort — now made closer to home.

The CKD Staria arrives with refreshed exterior colour options, including Jet Black, Snow Flake White Pearl, Meteor Grey, and Stormy Sea, giving customers a variety of shades to match different personalities and preferences.

Priced between RM179,888 and RM267,888, the locally assembled Staria is available in several variants with configurations for either seven or ten passengers, making it a versatile choice for families, businesses, and executive transport alike.

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Proton e.MAS 5 Draws Over 1,600 Bookings in Just 24 Hours

Proton New Energy Technology Sdn Bhd (PRO-NET), a wholly owned subsidiary of Proton, has recorded a staggering 1,607 bookings for the all-new Proton e.MAS 5 within the first 24 hours of opening orders on 4 October 2025.

The launch was announced through a special live broadcast from Proton e.MAS Nilai — the company’s first “Open for Booking” livestream of its kind.

The broadcast attracted around 572,000 live viewers and has since exceeded one million total views, with engagement continuing to climb nationwide.

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Proton Ends an Era at Shah Alam as Production Fully Moves to Tanjong Malim

After nearly forty years of operations, Proton has officially closed its Shah Alam manufacturing plant, completing the full relocation of its production to Tanjong Malim. The milestone marks the end of a defining chapter in Malaysian automotive history and the beginning of a new era for the national carmaker.

The final unit of the Proton Saga rolled off the Shah Alam assembly line on 30 September 2025, bringing an emotional close to the factory that helped shape Malaysia’s automotive identity since 1985. With that, all production — including the Saga, Persona, S70, and the X-series SUVs — has now transitioned to Proton’s state-of-the-art Tanjong Malim facility, which also houses the brand’s first New Energy Vehicle (NEV) assembly plant under the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV) project in Perak.

The Shah Alam plant, built at a cost of RM370 million, was once the heart of Malaysia’s automotive industry. Spanning over 83 hectares, it was home to the country’s first automotive Research and Development Centre and even included a semi high-speed test track — a pioneering setup in its day. Over four decades, the factory produced more than four million vehicles, among them national icons like the Wira, Perdana, and Exora. For many Malaysians, Shah Alam represented more than a factory — it was a symbol of national pride and a cornerstone of local automotive engineering.

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SUV Confusion Shakes Malaysia’s E-Hailing Industry, But Government Confirms No Ban in Place

Thousands of e-hailing drivers across Malaysia were left in limbo this week after SUVs appeared to be excluded from the government’s approved vehicle list for e-hailing services, sparking confusion and concern about their livelihood. Drivers who rely on SUVs to make a living began reporting issues with permit renewals and vehicle registrations, raising fears that their cars would no longer be eligible for e-hailing use.

The uncertainty spread quickly through the driver community, with both Gabungan E-Hailing Malaysia (GEM) and the Malaysian E-Hailing Drivers Association (Mehda) confirming that they had yet to receive any official clarification from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) or the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). GEM’s representative, Masrizal Mahidin, said SUV owners were struggling to renew their e-hailing permits, a situation that could affect thousands of active drivers nationwide. Malaysia currently has more than three million people licensed to drive for e-hailing platforms.

Mehda president Daryl Chong revealed that roughly 2,000 of his association’s 9,000 members use SUVs for e-hailing. Without an official statement from the authorities, he warned that this administrative mix-up could disrupt Malaysia’s urban transport network and harm its reputation among tourists. Grab Malaysia later confirmed that some of its SUV drivers had encountered issues during registration and that the company was engaging with the authorities to resolve the problem.

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