For those who are planning to buy the new Nissan Almera Turbo, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), has announced the availability and pricing of Optional Accessory Packages that consist of items customised for the new model.
There are 3 packages, priced from RM400 to RM2,750, and all the items come with a 3-year/100,000 km warranty. Even better, the cost of the package can be included in the H-P loan taken, so you pay for it in instalments as well.
The packages are shown below and include Protection Packages as well:
Combination leather upholstery with dark grey accents can be specified when ordering the new Almera Turbo.
Items can also be purchased separately
For those who prefer to buy just some of the items and not take a whole package, ETCM will also sell them separately although there are savings of up to 31% if you take them as a package. The individual items available are shown in the chart below:
The new Almera Turbo, with a small but advanced HR10DET turbocharged engine, is very different from the model it replaces. ETCM believes it can ‘Challenge All Beliefs’ with innovative technologies and features that will be appreciated by today’s buyers.
If you test-drive the new model (at selected Nissan showrooms), you could win one of 15 iPhone SE (128GB) smartphones worth RM2,199 each. To find out which showrooms have an Almera Turbo for viewing and test-drive visit www.almeraturbo.com.my.
With the rising number of COVID-19 cases and now the imposition of CMCO in the Klang Valley for 2 weeks, companies and event organisers are reviewing their activities in the next few months. One of them is Art of Speed Malaysia (AOS) which had an event planned for November 12, 2020 at the 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
With the CMCO in operation, the organisers have decided to postpone the 9th Annual Art of Speed Malaysia event to run from December 30 until January 3, 2021. The venue will remain at the 1Utama Shopping Centre as the AOS people are satisfied that ‘the shopping centre’s proactive actions and readiness to host the event have been exemplary’.
The date for the Hot Wheels Legends Tour Malaysia Virtual Finals will remain unchanged on November 12, 2020 as it is essentially an online event. The jury will consist of judges from Malaysia and the USA and judging will be done LIVE online, with the winner being announced on the same day.
“Throughout this pandemic, we have been working behind the scenes with various parties to ensure our decisions are for the best interest of all involved especially with regards to health and safety. We can only pray that this new wave will soon subside, and we can continue with our plans to support the various communities and industries that contribute so much to the socio economic fabric of Malaysia,” the organisers said.
Proton reports that one of its employees was tested positive for COVID-19 on October 14, 2020. The employee, who is from the Research & Development Department in Shah Alam, was immediately put under the care of a government facility.
The company, which has been strictly adhering to the protocols issued by the authorities, immediately put into place its mitigation plans to ensure prevention of further spread. Contact tracing was initiated begun and all employees from the respective departments have been asked to stay away from the office and self-quarantine. This is being followed by deep cleansing and a disinfection of the premises and any suspected areas.
Proton states that the employee concerned was not in any way regularly interacting with customers and therefore there is a lower concern about direct exposure to the public.
The company reassures all its customers that it will continue to strictly follow all guidelines and procedures laid out by the authorities as it has been doing from the start of the pandemic. It will continue to monitor the situation closely before deciding on any further course of action, if necessary.
The safety of all Proton staff, customers and Malaysians is of the utmost importance to the company and will be its main priority, it said in a statement issued this afternoon.
With a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) now in force in Klang, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor and Sabah, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia informs the public of the following measures with Mercedes-Benz Star Shield from October 14 to October 27, 2020.
The Star Shield Programme
The Mercedes-Benz Star Shield programme is a safety protocol for Mercedes-Benz dealers and customers. It consists of a comprehensive safety plan that includes social distancing, provision of masks and hand sanitizers, cleaning and sanitization of showroom cars and common areas, temperature checks and limit on customers present.
During this CMCO period, all authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships nationwide will remain open for business as usual. They will, however, strictly adhere to the guidelines set by the government for the protection of customers as well as their own employees.
Customers can still request for test-drives, while owners can bring their vehicles in for routine service and maintenance and/or repairs at service centres. The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that have been observed for some months continue to apply.
24-hour support service
Customers can still obtain 24-Hour Roadside Assistance for emergency breakdowns and technical issues. They can call 1-800-88-1133 at any time of the day for support.
In order to minimize social contact, the Mercedes-Benz Star Shield also includes initiatives such as the Drop & Go, Door-to-door and Express Service.
With Henry Ford’s mass production approach of making cars having created thousands of similarly looking cars daily, individual identification became difficult unless you looked at the numberplate. However, there has been one element which has provide some degree of differentiation between cars of the same design – the colour.
Ford initially offered his Model T only in black, for economic as well as efficiency reasons, but generally, manufacturers have offered a choice of exterior body colours to provide variety for customers.
However, despite a great variety, buyers still tend to choose certain colours and according to a study by AkzoNobel, those in Southeast Asia prefer black, grey and white. The decorative paint and coatings company’s study also showed that 22% of respondents chose black as their favourite colour, with 21% and 19% choosing white and grey, respectively.
Black, white and grey are popular choices for car colours in Southeast Asia.
To the older generation, black may not be a ‘good’ colour but today, it is seen as representing ‘power’, ‘ambition’ and ‘wealth’. Luxury brands such as BMW and McLaren, which have AkzoNobel coating on their vehicles, often use black in their branding.
BMW uses them on some of their products and car parts, while McLaren chooses AkzoNobel’s automotive paint for all its production road cars. Often, special editions are also finished in black, one recent example being the anniversary edition of the Proton Saga.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is white. It goes without saying that cars tend to look good in white, a colour that is often associated with purity and cleanliness. On a more practical level, if you can recall from the science lessons during your primary school days, white surfaces are great heat and light reflectors. This means white cars don’t absorb as much heat from sunlight.
By extension, the inside of the car won’t become so hot after spending some time out in the open during a sunny day – certain something Malaysians would welcome.
The colour is also widely preferred as white cars are known to often have a high resale value. If the mileage is not too high and the condition is good, then a better asking price is possible!
Grey can be considered as a ‘diplomatic’ colour, a balance between black and white. Car owners driving grey cars are likely to be modest and humble individuals who are often happy to blend into the crowd. The colour is simple and easy to maintain and scratches are not as noticeable when compared to other coloured cars.
Although most people don’t realise it, automotive paint is quite a complex fluid. Years of R&D go into paint formulations to ensure that the colours remain outstanding long into the future. Companies like Sikkens – a brand under AkzoNobel – specialise in vehicle refinish systems that can offer protection comparable to the original paint finish a car comes with from the factory.
There may be a CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) on now but business goes on and having adapted to the ‘new normal’, some car companies are using the internet to launch their new models. It’s a safe way to do so as there are no crowds in a hall and the reach is also quite wide. Volkswagen Passengers Cars Malaysia (VPCM) was among the early ‘adopters’, having even organised online sessions to talk to the motoring media during the MCO period earlier in the year.
So with a new model – the Volkswagen Passat R-Line – to launch, the company used its social media channels today to do a live telecast with VPCM’s Managing Director, Erik Winter, and Julie Woon doing the presentation.
Priced at RM203,411.18 (without sales tax until the end of the year), the new R-Line variant is the sportier big brother of the Passat Elegance that was launched earlier. It is also assembled at the assembly facility in Pekan, Pahang.
R-Line variants are not new to Malaysia but in earlier years, they were not promoted so much. However, with the high-performance R division in Germany aiming to grow its business, R-Line offerings have increased and VPCM has found the additional sportiness of the variants to appeal to many customers.
While having the same body design as the Passat Elegance, the Passat R-Line has an overall appearance oriented towards sportiness. To achieve this, it has R-Line front and rear bumpers, chrome trim and 19-inch Verona alloy wheels.
The LED lighting is advanced for safer motoring and also generates a ‘signature’ with the day running lights as well as front and rear sequential turn signals.
R-Line identity inside
As for the interior, the R-Line people have chosen Nappa carbon-style black leather upholstery for the seats, steering wheel (with shift paddles) and provide aluminium sports pedals as well as a black roof headliner. The Passat R-Line also sets itself apart with new finishes and materials, including new Dark Diamond Flag decorative trim.
But convenience and comfort are not forgotten and there are also features such as an 11.7-inch Digital Cockpit that can be personalised with different screens, Apple Car Play/Android Auto, and even 14-way adjustment for the front seats. The driver’s seat also comes with a massage function.
VPCM has also added in a complimentary Helix 300W Soundbar (worth RM2,400) which is installed in the 586-litre boot. This Volkswagen Approved Accessory is a 5-channel amplifier with an integrated sound processor and subwoofer, which elevates the vehicle’s already-advanced sound system to a higher level.
New 320-Nm TSI engine
Under the bonnet is a new 2.0TSI turbocharged engine with an output of 190 ps/320 Nm. It is fitted with a new and improved 7-speed wet clutch direct shift gearbox (DSG) that has longer oil change intervals.
In the past, if you wanted to have more dynamic handling, you could only change the shock absorbers to a sports type. Now with more electronic systems, a driver can tune the car’s handing characteristics quite extensively.
With the Dynamic Chassis Control, there are up to 15 selectable increments or the driver can just choose a pre-packaged mode. Additionally, the Driving Mode Selection can vary the powertrain characteristics to suit personal preference from economical motoring to strong acceleration.
This weekend (October 17/18), Volkswagen dealerships nationwide will be hosting a virtual event featuring detailed walk-throughs of the new Passat R-Line where customers are invited to send in their questions and interact with Sales Consultants via Facebook Live from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Colour choices for the Passat R-Line.
Order online and save money
Customers who place a booking during this weekend will enjoy additional RM2,000 rebate on top of RM3,500 savings currently offer for the full Passat range – via the Volkswagen eShowroom. There will also be an additional RM1,000 rebate on other Volkswagen models, with the exception of the Polo.
