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Hongqi HS6 PHEV Breaks Guinness World Record with 2,327 km Journey

FAW’s premium sub-brand Hongqi has made global headlines with the HS6 PHEV, which has officially entered the Guinness World Records for the longest distance travelled by a plug-in hybrid SUV on a single full charge and full tank — without refuelling. The remarkable journey began in Shangri-La on October 30, taking the SUV through Kunming, Baise, and Wuzhou, before reaching Guangzhou on November 3. By the end of the trip, the HS6 had covered a total distance of 2,327.343 km, setting a new benchmark for hybrid efficiency and endurance.

With this achievement, Hongqi has demonstrated that plug-in hybrids can deliver long-distance practicality alongside electric efficiency. The HS6 PHEV will soon be available for purchase in China, with pre-sales beginning on November 15, where it will be positioned as a five-seater premium SUV.

Visually, the HS6 carries Hongqi’s signature design language, blending traditional luxury cues with modern flair. The front fascia features a closed waterfall-style grille accented by 12 vertical chrome strips, anchored by the brand’s trademark red line emblem that runs through the centre — a symbol synonymous with Hongqi’s identity. The overall styling strikes a balance between refinement and authority, underscoring its role as a flagship SUV in the brand’s expanding electrified portfolio.

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Jaecoo J5 EV Launched in Indonesia

Jaecoo has officially introduced the all-electric J5 EV in Indonesia, signalling another major step in the brand’s regional expansion within Southeast Asia’s fast-growing EV market. The SUV is offered in two trims — the Standard, priced at 249.9 million rupiah (around RM63,000), and the Premium, at 299.9 million rupiah (around RM75,000). These launch prices are exclusive to the first 1,000 buyers, making the J5 EV one of the most accessible electric SUVs in the segment.

Both variants share a similar powertrain setup, featuring a front-mounted electric motor that produces 211 PS and 288 Nm of torque, powered by a 60.9 kWh battery pack. With this configuration, the J5 EV can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.7 seconds and offers an impressive driving range of up to 461 km based on the NEDC cycle.

Charging performance is equally noteworthy, with support for DC fast charging at up to 130 kW, enabling a 30% to 80% recharge in 28 minutes. For added practicality, Jaecoo has also included vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing the SUV to supply up to 3.3 kW of power to external devices — a handy feature for camping trips or emergencies.

Inside, the J5 EV’s cabin combines functionality and sophistication, offering a premium feel without breaking the bank. Key features include 18-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof with a powered sunshade, a powered tailgate, and ventilated front seats wrapped in synthetic leather.

The dashboard is dominated by a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, complemented by an eight-inch digital instrument cluster, 64-colour ambient lighting, eight speakers, a 50-watt wireless charger, and built-in telematics connectivity.

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GWM Malaysia Introduces the Refreshed ORA Good Cat Ultra and GT

GWM Malaysia has officially pulled the wraps off the updated ORA Good Cat Ultra and ORA Good Cat GT, giving one of the country’s most recognisable electric hatchbacks a sharper look, refreshed colours, and added appeal for the growing number of EV enthusiasts in Malaysia.

Visually, the 2025 update brings in a striking new So Blue with Black Roof colour combination that adds a youthful edge to the Good Cat’s familiar retro-futuristic curves. It joins a palette that already includes Hazel Wood Beige with Brown Roof, Pistachio Green, Aqua Grey, and Sun Black (the latter two reserved for the GT variant). The result is a more expressive, confident-looking hatchback that continues to blur the line between modern chic and timeless design.

The new Good Cat range remains true to its “Extra Good EV” spirit — offering smart technology, smooth performance, and safety that inspires confidence behind the wheel. Both variants are powered by a 57.7 kWh SVOLT LFP battery, with the Good Cat Ultra delivering 143PS and 210 Nm of torque, offering up to 480 km of range (NEDC). The sportier Good Cat GT ups the ante with 171PS and 250 Nm, along with a slightly reduced 460 km range due to its performance-tuned setup.

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Honda Reaffirms Commitment to Hybrids But Will Continue To Develop EV’s

Honda is one of the most dynamic companies in the market. On one end it builds cars like the Honda CR-V, HR-V, Honda City and City Hatchback for regular people to go about their regular lives.

On the other end it builds cars like the Civic Type R and now the Prelude for those who love the joy of driving and want to have fun.

It also builds electric cars such as the e:N1 and the Prologue, the latter available in the North American market only.

In fact, Honda has been building electric cars since 1997, the year it introduced the EV Plus, an exclusively EV only model powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery. Groundbreaking at that time.

Honda is also a firm believer in hybrid technology and has over 25 years of experience in building hybrid powertrains.

On a completely different spectrum, the company builds some of the best motorcycles in the business, marine engines, airplanes, and as of late, has also started delving into reusable rockets to rival that of Elon Musk’s Space X.

All of that without mentioning the decades of success it has enjoyed in the world of motorsport, particularly Formula 1 and MotoGP.

So, believe me when I say that Honda is one of the most dynamic companies in the business.

So, to be able to sit down for a question-and-answer session with the decision makers of the company is nothing short of impossible.

Except that member of the Malaysian automotive press had that exact opportunity recently at the company’s office in Tokyo.

In attendance was the man himself, Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President and Representative Executive Officer of Honda Motor Company, Ltd.

Mibe-san is not your regular executive. He joined Honda in 1987 and began his career in automobile research and development with a focus on engine development.

On Honda’s official press site, Mibe-san is described as a “true engine expert” and has played a key role in the development of some of Honda’s most iconic engines that have powered most of Honda and Acura models for the past two decades.

He was also the President of Honda’s global research and development and has been the driving force in the advancement of Honda’s electrification effort.

So when Mibe-san talks, we listen.

Also in attendance were press members from other countries who asked questions that were specific to their markets, but there were two key takeaways for global markets.

The first being Honda still acknowledges that battery electric vehicle’s play a big role in environmental impact.

Despite heavily backing hybrid technology as the best way forward, Mibe also reaffirmed Honda’s commitment to BEV’s.

During the interview Mibe said, “it is not true that we are scaling back on our development of full EV’s, but compared to our initial forecast, the volume will have to be lower”.

“As I have said before, when it comes to carbon neutrality for passenger cars, battery EV’s are the optimum solution. That remains unchanged. So, it is not that we are scaling back on EV development, but we are just reviewing and revising our models and their volume, and we will continue to work on that”.

Mibe was also quick to reaffirm Honda’s commitment to hybrids, which the company has been building and refining over many years.

“On the other hand, hybrid vehicles is an area where we have many years of experience, and we have been building hybrids for more than 25 years or so”.

“We have plenty of expertise and know how when it comes to hybrid vehicles, so without spending extraordinary amount on development expenses, we can utilise our expertise, keeping down the investment required and we can develop new models out of those (Honda’s experience). Both EV’s and hybrid will continue to support Honda’s automobile business”.

“We will also increase the volume of our hybrid vehicles, by 2030 we are planning for over two million units of hybrid vehicles. Hybrids will be the main portion of our business (by 2030) and for BEV’s, we will continue with our research and development activities.

As part of the trip to Japan, I also had a chance to test drive Honda’s future hybrid technologies. Besides the usual emphasis on efficiency and environmental factors, Honda’s engineers also placed a big importance on making the hybrid powertrains feel as close to a regular internal combustion engine as possible, thus improving the ‘feel good’ factor of Honda hybrid cars.

Honda’s hybrid powertrains do not have transmission boxes and rely on electric motors to drive the wheels. But the engineers have figured out a way to simulate engine noise as well as the “feel” of a transmission shifting gears. That requires a different article altogether, but I will say that Honda has done a fantastic job with that because it comes with the accompanying power cuts that we feel in between shifts.

The second takeaway is Honda’s commitment to safety for its four- and two-wheels business. Back in 2021, Honda announced its zero fatalities by 2050 target, and during the recent interview Mibe reaffirmed the company’s commitment to that target.

Citing Honda’s SENSING technology (which is Honda lingo for advanced driver aid system) and the progress of artificial intelligence, Honda continues with the target of zero fatalities in just 25 years.

So, you may think that Honda cars are lagging behind its competitors especially those from China, but Honda has survived many challenges, has a clear pathway for its future and judging from what I saw and experienced at Honda’s test facilities, this is a company that dismiss at your own peril.

Chery CSH: Benefits of Hybrid Electric Vehicles

And why they are becoming increasingly popular.

With price of just about everything going upwards, car buyers and owners like you and I are increasingly aware of how much money we spend filling up our fuel tanks.

Gone are the days of cheap petrol, and I will bet a silver coin that those days will never return.

So now the big question on everyone’s minds is – how do we extract as much as possible from every Ringgit.

If you are at the grocery store, it will be easy to maximise value by simply picking the cheaper option, i.e., local produce over imported ones.

But with a car, it is not that straight forward.

Some have opted for electric vehicles to save on their fuel bills. But that is not a practical solution for everyone because of the mismatch between charging times and infrastructure against their own lifestyles.

As such, some are turning to hybrids and rightfully so. Hybrids offer the ideal middle ground between fuel efficiency and lifestyle requirements.

There are two types of hybrid systems that are becoming increasingly popular these days and those are your regular hybrid powertrains as well as plug-in hybrids.

However, not all car makers offer these options, it is quite rare to have a car maker to offer hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains at the same time.

Chery however is not your regular car maker.

The Chinese car making giant prefers to give its buyers the true power of choice. While some car makers shy away from offering too many options for fear of sales cannibalisation, Chery offers what its consumers want.

So, what does Chery have to offer?

Chery has been putting out hybrid powertrains since 2008 but beyond the experience the company has, it has also dedicated thousands of engineers as well as dozens of facilities to creating hybrid technology.

Chery’s hybrid technology is divided into two systems; hybrid electric vehicles, such as the Chery Tiggo Cross Hybrid and on the other side of that is the plug-in hybrid systems, such as the one found in the recently launched Tiggo 7 PHEV and Tiggo 8 PHEV.

What is a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)?

Simply put, a HEV is a hybrid car with an electric motor, battery and an engine but without the plug-in capabilities.

This gives you benefits such as improved fuel efficiency thus better range, and the joy of immediate electric power as well.

The benefit of this system is that you don’t ever have to worry about plugging into a charger and you can drive around as you usually would.

While this is true for all hybrid systems out there, Chery’s HEV system stands out with its advanced engineering.

The number one factor that helps it stand out from the rest is its thermal efficiency, rated at an impressive 44.5%, among the best in the industry.

Thermal efficiency is important for hybrid vehicles because it helps the engine extract more energy from a given amount of fuel. This directly reduces fuel consumption and maximises range.

In Malaysia, the Chery Tiggo Cross Hybrid has made quite a name for itself as being one of the most efficient B-segment SUV.

With it’s 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated engine making 102PS and 125Nm of torque, it is mated to dual electric motors that put out a combined 204PS and 310Nm of torque.

This gives the car a sprightly, energetic feel every time you tickle the throttle, a trait you usually find in an electric vehicle.

The other benefit to that is the electric range that you get courtesy of the 1.8kWh battery.

Chery does not provide official figures for the all-electric range, but having driven the car, this writer can say that it is good enough to go about a small parking lot without awakening the engine.

This also means that you get improved fuel consumption benefits, with official figures putting it at 5.4-litres per 100km or 19km per litre. But during a drive back from Terengganu in the Tiggo Cross Hybrid, we saw an astonishing figure of 3.6-litres per 100km.

The other benefit of Chery’s HEV system is an ultra-smooth ride. This is the hallmark of Chery’s innovative Direct Hybrid Transmission, or sometimes known as the electronic CVT.

This transmission system is known as a transmission by name only because there are no rotating gears in the traditional sense.

Instead, power is sent directly to the wheels, and because there are fewer moving parts, you get to enjoy a smooth, vibration free drive quality.

And this also contributes to the immediate power delivery we were talking about earlier as you don’t have to wait for the gears to shift.

Final thoughts?

An HEV suits those who want some of the convenience of an electric vehicle without the associated disadvantages. Fuel consumption is better than regular ICE cars and so is performance.

Data suggests that more people are flocking to HEV’s now than ever before as fuel prices soar.

But what if you didn’t mind plugging in but still want an engine to take you further? That is where plug-in hybrid systems come in and we will explore that in a separate, upcoming article.

Toyota Maintains Strong Momentum with Over 9,000 Units Sold in October

UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) has continued its steady sales performance in Malaysia, recording 9,141 units sold in October 2025. This brings the company’s total year-to-date sales to 79,559 units — a result that reflects both sustained market demand and growing consumer confidence in Toyota’s longstanding reputation for quality, durability, and reliability.

Toyota’s wide range of vehicles continues to resonate with Malaysian buyers, thanks to its balance of practicality, innovation, and value. The brand’s “Mobility for All” philosophy remains central to its approach, offering Malaysians an extensive line-up of passenger cars, SUVs, and electrified options, all backed by dependable after-sales support and strong ownership value.

Toyota’s commitment to innovation was further underlined at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, where the company unveiled its three-year regional roadmap to accelerate next-generation mobility across Asia. The plan is built on three key pillars — carbon neutrality, intelligent safety, and inclusive mobility — and reinforces Toyota’s belief that meaningful progress should leave no one behind.

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