Malaysians who don’t follow auto industry developments are probably not aware that Vietnam has a home-grown automobile brand known as VinFast. The company made its international debut at the Paris Motor Show in 2018 with the aim of developing and selling globally competitive cars with a Vietnamese identity. It is part of Vietnam’s largest business conglomerate, Vingroup, which has businesses in the technology, service and industry sectors.
Vinfast has already begun producing the Lux SA2.0 SUV and the Lux A2.0 Sedan, as well as the Fadil, a compact city car. Since March this year, over 155 units of the Lux models have been sent to 14 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa as well as Australia for real-world testing. Magna Steyr’s Graz testing centre in Austria and Bosch’s Austria plant are also carrying out testing for Vinfast.
Maximum rating for Lux models
With safety being a top priority, Vinfast is also submitting its cars for New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing which includes crash testing. In the ASEAN region, ASEAN NCAP is an internationally recognised NCAP organisation and following its full range of tests and analysis, it gave the maximum 5-star rating to the two Lux models while the Fadil city car received a 4-star rating.
In the crash tests, conducted last month, the Lux SA2 scored 46.45 out of 50 points for Adult Occupant Protection and 22.73 out of 25 points for Child Occupant Protection. The Lux A2.0 scored 46.89 out of 50 for Adult Occupant Protection, and 21.81 out of 25 points for Child Occupant Protection.
“VinFast is committed to bringing world-class automotive products to local and international consumers,” said Tran Le Phuong, Deputy General-Director of Vinfast. “The ASEAN NCAP results validate VinFast’s commitment to always putting quality first as we continue to create automotive products that are innovative, affordable and safe.”
Vinfast Lux SA2Vinfast Lux A2.0Vinfast Fadil
Meeting demand from growing middle class
Vinfast aims to address the growing demand for high-quality and affordable cars among Vietnam’s growing middle class. Vietnam’s Industrial Policy and Strategy Institute (IPSI) projects that domestic car sales will grow 22% annually from 2019 to 2025—a significant development for a market that has a current 4-5% car ownership rate. The company is projecting production of 500,000 units per year by 2025.
To gain additional exposure, Vinfast will be the title sponsor of the first-ever Formula 1 event in Vietnam next year. The F1 race will be held in Hanoi’s My Dinh sports complex. The 5.565-km track has been designed by Hermann Tilke, who has also designed many other F1 tracks including the Sepang International Circuit.
If you’re in the market looking for the best engine oil for your beloved motorcycles, Shell Advance wants you to know that they’ve launched their new AX7 range recently; the AX7 15W-50 which acts as a major complement to its existing Ultra 15W-50. What’s so special about the latest Shell Advance additions? A lot, to be precise! (more…)
In 2019, mirroring the trend globally, SUV buyers in Malaysia continued to increase and comprised 20% of new vehicle buyers as compared with a mere 6% in 2015. Even though the average transaction price of SUVs in 2019 is 2.6 times higher than small cars, buyers are showing a preference to purchase SUVs, citing vehicle styling, performance, technology and safety features.
“As lifestyles evolve and become more digitally connected, it is no surprise customers expect their choice of vehicle to be in sync with their needs and personal image,” said E-Ling Cheah, Country Manager for Malaysia at J.D. Power. “SUVs with their higher hip point provide a commanding seating position, which provides better visibility and perception of safety. Newly launched contemporary-style SUVs are also equipped with advanced connectivity and safety features. Furthermore, manufacturers have introduced more affordable SUVs, bringing them within reach of more buyers.”
Moving up the value ladder
Thus new vehicle buyers in Malaysia are increasingly moving up the value ladder, with more vehicle buyers showing interest in SUVs, according to the J.D. Power 2019 Malaysia Sales Satisfaction Index (Mass Market) Study released today.
Customers who purchased an SUV have higher satisfaction than small car buyers (806 vs. 794 points, on a 1,000-point scale). Overall sales satisfaction in the mass market segment is 800, an increase of 16 points from 2018. A look at the 5-year growth trajectory for SUVs shows that the proportion of small car and MPV/van buyers have both dropped (each by 5 percentage points). For small car buyers, good fuel efficiency and low monthly instalments cumulatively make up 48% of the main reasons for purchase.
The study, in its 17th year for the Malaysian market, also found the proportion of replacement vehicle buyers is increasing (26% vs. 21% in 2018) and that of additional vehicle buyers decreasing (51% vs. 56% in 2018). On a related note, vehicle trade-ins—ever important to dealer profitability—are on the rise (21% vs. 17% in 2018). However, more customers are unhappy with the trade-in price received, stating it to be below expectations (34% vs. 28% in 2018).
The study also included a Net Promoter Score (NPS) which measures new vehicle owners’ likelihood to recommend their vehicle brand on a 0-10 point scale.
Upgraded facilities contribute to a more satisfying ownership experience for customers.
Additional key findings of the 2019 study:
♦ Clear communications on vehicle price: Customers who say they paid more than expected for their new vehicle have lower satisfaction than those who found the price to be in line with expectations (751 vs. 810, respectively).This underlines the need for clear communications to avoid unwelcome surprises during the sales journey.
♦ Upgraded facilities get a thumbs-up: More dealership facilities are equipped with amenities to enhance customer comfort for a better sales experience. Improvements are seen in features ranging from displays of vehicle accessories (48% vs. 43% in 2018) to something as essential as comfortable seating space (84% vs. 77% in 2018).
♦ Test drives boost satisfaction: While only 6% of buyers were told that a test drive vehicle was not available, this is essential for dealerships. Buyers who experience this scenario typically have a lower satisfaction (-94 points) than those who take test drives at the dealership of purchase.
For this year’s study, Toyota ranked highest in overall sales satisfaction with a score of 835. In second position was Mitsubishi (831) while Nissan was third (810). The study involved 2,045 new vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between July 2018 and July 2019, and was conducted from January through September 2019. The owners were selected independently and not recommended by any car company and were also assessed for suitability for the study.
There are a lot of ways car companies here in Malaysia have been rewarding their loyal customers. As a token of appreciation for their loyalty and support, Naza Kia Malaysia gifted 62 winners of the “Fuel Your Freedom, Discover Malaysia with Kia’ Contest with RM620 worth of petrol cards last weekend at Hilton Kuala Lumpur. (more…)
The ‘jaga keretas’ of the old days at carparks are rarely seen these days with automation having taken over and companies offering carpark management services. In most places, especially in shopping malls and office complexes, a motorist usually has to take a ticket (or use an electronic payment card) to gain entry into the carpark. When exiting, payment has to be made prior to departure, either at payment machines or at the departure point. The process requires a bit of time to complete – take ticket and wait for barrier to be raised – and in some places with high traffic volumes, congestion can be an issue.
A smoother, faster way in and out
The Sunway Group aims to make the process smoother with Sunway Smart Parking system which will be introduced at its properties in Sunway City, Subang Jaya, Selangor, during the first quarter of 2020. At present, the system is already offered to season parkers at the various properties which include Sunway Pyramid, Sunway Hotels and Menara Sunway.
With Sunway Smart Parking, drivers do not need to retrieve and pay using a parking ticket when they enter and exit. Instead, a key element of the system will enable them to just drive up to the barrier and then continue when it raises. This element is the License Plate Recognition (LPR) system which uses technology provided by JIESHUN, a company in China with 6 years of experience in automated carpark management.
With the Smart Parking system, there is no need to stop to take a ticket or swipe a card.
Motorists just need to register their vehicle registration number (and provide some personal details) through the Sunway Parking portal. When registered with the system, their vehicle numberplates will be scanned by the LPR system and if it is in the system the barrier will lift to allow entry.
95% recognition rate for numberplates
According to a representative from the company providing the LPR technology (which has 6 years of experience in the field), the recognition rate is 95%, compared to 99.7% in China. The recognition rate can be improved over time as more samples are obtained for the database although in time, the level of enforcement regarding numberplates should also be more stringent.
A camera scans the numberplate to check if it is registered in the system.
The second part of the fully integrated Smart Parking system is the extensive methods of payment available to motorists. From the outset, Sunway has already established partnerships with GrabPay, Boost, WeChat Pay, Alipay, Touch’NGo Digital, and Maybank QR along with credit/debit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, and MyDebit.
All these e-wallets and credit/debit cards can be linked to the vehicle so departure is as hassle-free as entry as the parking fee will be automatically deducted. It would also be possible to do it the ‘old-fashioned’ way by paying with the ‘king’ – cash – at machines.
The Smart Parking system aims to eliminate the hassle of using tickets and looking for payment machines. However, there will still be the option of paying by cash at machines if motorists do not have e-wallets to link to the system. The machine on the left is for season parkers presently using the LPR system.
The cashless and ticketless parking experience is part of Sunway’s digitalisation journey to enable hassle-free experiences for its shoppers. Sunway Smart Parking will also reduce the carbon footprint of shoppers, in line with Sunway’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
“We are pushing forth on our digitalisation journey. With revolutionary technology, we want to continue introducing new seamless, exciting shopping experiences to our shoppers to enable hassle-free experiences with greater convenience. From our comprehensive award-winning Sunway Pyramid Mobile app with real-time navigation to this new parking system, we will continue to give our shoppers more reasons to choose us as their preferred lifestyle destination,” said H.C. Chan, CEO of Sunway Malls & Theme Parks.
Security and parking capacity
On the issue of security – a car thief can just drive a car out if all that is required is for the numberplate to be verified – the Smart Parking system has a LOCK feature to prevent this. The owner of the vehicle can manually activate this when required and the vehicle will not be allowed to exit.
While getting it and out quickly would be welcome, most carparks have the problem of enough capacity and shoppers avoid some places because they don’t want to endure the frustration of spending 45 minutes searching for a space.
It is commendable that Sunway is introducing the Smart Parking convenience for motorists using its carparks. Howver, there is still the frustration of finding a parking space. It’s the capacity issue which has limits, but Mr. Chan said that the company will keep working on reducing the frustrations for motorists through more efficient management of its 10,000 carpark spaces currently available.
While the Smart Parking system will only commence next year, motorists who register their vehicle registration numbers during the pre-registration period will get the chance to enjoy one-time free parking when the system is operational. More information can be found at www.sunwaypyramid.com/smartparking or by calling 03-7494 3185.
If owning the latest Mercedes-Benz G-Class is still not enough to ‘make a statement’, BRABUS ADVENTURE has a PowerXtra performance upgrade that not only enhances the macho looks but also increases its off-road capabilities to make a stronger staement.
For the owners of the new G-Class turbodiesel version G 350 d, BRABUS has a new performance upgrade that pushes output to 326 bhp/660 Nm. The power unit engineers developed the module for the straight-six turbodiesel engine with common-rail direct injection. The plug-and-play auxiliary control unit is adapted to the CAN bus of the G-Class.
The claimed driving performance is certainly impressive for a diesel-powered off-roader weighing about 2.5 metric tons: from rest, it can reach 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and then go on to a top speed of 202 km/h.
An all-stainless BRABUS sport exhaust system is of course also available for the G 350 d. It features the unmistakable distinctive mark of BRABUS – two chrome tailpipes in the unusual side-pipe design on each side of the vehicle.
The off-road capabilities of a vehicle depend not only on the powertrain and tyres but also and especially the ground clearance when the terrain gets rougher. That is why the BRABUS suspension engineers developed special height-adjustable BRABUS ADVENTURE sport springs for the electronically-controlled, height-adjustable G-Class suspension. They allow raising the vehicle by up to another 40 mm.
In order to optimize the off-road capabilities further, the fender flares of the BRABUS WIDESTAR widebody tower over 20-inch Monoblock R wheels with maximum-traction off-road 285/55R20 tyres. The pivoted spare wheel carrier with carbonfibre cover holds a fifth wheel of the same specification for emergencies.
Other options that make the G-Model also fit for expeditions are the winch at the front and the wind deflector above the windshield, which with its 4 LED auxiliary headlamps improves illumination of the terrain in the dark. Further useful features are a large, robust luggage rack that spans the entire roof and a ladder at the rear that facilitates loading and unloading.
BRABUS refinement inside
The interior can be refined with exclusive BRABUS fine leather Mastik leather/Alcantara appointments in any conceivable colour and a wide variety of designs. The pictures show one example for customers with the centre sections of the seats and door panels given an arrowhead pattern quilting applied with pinpoint precision.
To create an attractive contrast to the black leather, white piping and decorative seams were incorporated in various places. Tailor-made aluminium components such as pedals, door-lock pins and ergonomically-shaped paddle shifters on the steering wheel are among the options available.
With its long experience and 40-year track record, BRABUS is confident of all the upgrading work and components installed and offers customers a 3-year/100,000-km Tuning Warranty (with terms and conditions applicable).
