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SDAC-Ford Builds Community Ties with A-FORCE 4×4 Club’s Charity Event

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, recently sponsored the A-FORCE 4×4 Mega Charity Event, held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations at Rumah Caring Kajang in Selangor. As part of its sponsorship, the company donated a LED TV to enrich the lives of the residents at the home.

Besides the contribution, the club offered food, essential items as well as angpao donations to the residents. During the event, residents were also treated to a lion dance performance.

Exemplifying the Ford spirit
“Club members and their activities truly represent the Ford Ranger way of life and persona, which goes beyond just outings and car meets,but also giving back to the community. These passionate owners truly exemplify the Ford spirit of going further to make the world a better place, and we are always delighted to contribute to their on-going efforts,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri bin Syed Faiz, MD of Sime Darby Auto ConneXion.

The Ford Go Further philosophy is the defining force behind the company’s brand promise of “We go further so you can”. It not only drives the brand’s innovations in products and services to make customers’ lives better and going beyond to make those innovations available to everyone. It also reflects the company’s commitment to go further in serving the society while encouraging the same from the brand’s wider community – customers, dealers and employees.

Ford currently has a series of videos called “Ford Everyday Heroes” to express the brand promise of ‘Go Further’ which showcases how these heroes really do go further to make the world a better place.

Rumah Caring Kajang is a non-profit organisation that looks after the welfare of the needy, and currently houses 32 old folks ranging from age 50 to 95 years old, inclusive of care givers. Persons who wish to donate or volunteer at Rumah Caring Kajang can contact Wendy Yap at 012-2380043 or 03-8737 7680. For more information on the home, click here.

Visit www.sdacford.com.my for more information on Ford products, services and activities in Malaysia.

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion participates in 14th Ford Global Caring Month

Nikola Badger electric pick-up truck to use hydrogen fuel cell tech to achieve a range of 965 kms

Ever since Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Cybertruck, the prospects for electrically-powered pick-up trucks have been increasing as other manufacturers (not the mainstream carmakers though) have announced plans for their own models.

The latest is Nikola Corporation which will show the first prototype later this year in Nevada. Design-wise, the Badger, as it is to be called, looks like the typical truck of today with a 5-seat cab and an overall length of 5900 mm. What is going to be game-changing is the performance which the company says will ‘target and exceed every electric or petrol pickup in its class’. To reduce development and production cost, the Badger will be built in conjunction with another manufacturer utilizing their certified parts and manufacturing facilities.

With a 150 kWh lithium-ion battery pack ‘refilled’ by a 120 kW hydrogen fuel cell that generates the electricity, the Badger is expected to have an output of up to 900 bhp with at least 50% available continuously, and almost 1,330 Nm of torque. Very impressive is the claim of an estimated 965 kms of range on a full battery pack and using the fuel cell but without the fuel cell support, the range will be about 480 kms.

The Badger is being designed to handle take-offs with minimal loss of performance and to operate on grades up to 40% through advanced software blending of batteries and fuel-cell. With a fully loaded trailer and combined vehicle weight of 8,180 kgs, the Badger will be able to launch from a standstill on a 30% grade without motor stall.

The electric pick-up will also be engineered to outperform all electric pick-up trucks on the market in continuous towing. It will have a 15-kW power outlet for tools, lights and compressors, which is enough power to assist a construction site for approximately 12 hours without a generator.

“Nikola has billions worth of technology in our semi-truck program, so why not build it into a pick-up truck?” said Trevor Milton, CEO, Nikola Corporation. “I have been working on this pick-up program for years and believe the market is now ready for something that can handle a full day’s worth of work without running out of energy. This electric truck can be used for work, weekend getaways, towing, off-roading or to hit the ski slopes without performance loss. No other electric pick-up can operate in these temperatures and conditions.”

“The Nikola Badger is a game-changer. The program will help drive down the cost of the fuel-cell components on our semi-truck while accelerating the hydrogen station roll-out. Giving customers the option to order a fuel-cell or battery electric version will ensure we drive the cost down for everyone across our line-up,” added Mark Russell, President of Nikola Corporation.

Chery Automobile to enter US market using newly-created VANTAS brand name

Until China became the world’s largest automobile market, the US market was the one that carmakers wanted to get into. However, both markets are not easy to enter for different reasons. In the case of China, there are tough government policies and conditions while to do business in America, a carmaker has to deal with stringent safety and emission issues as well as costly product liability coverage. In recent times, the Trump administration has also not made things easy to protect American industry and jobs.

While the Japanese and Korean companies are well established, carmakers from China have been trying to penetrate the market for some time. GAC Automobile appeared at the Detroit Motorshow as far back as 2013 and last year, it said it aims to start business operations in the second half of this year. Zotye Automobile is another carmaker which has indicated it will enter the market in 2020.

Different brand name to be used
Chery Automobile, one of the top ten automakers in China and the leading auto exporter to over 80 countries, also has eyes on the American market. Its strategy is somewhat ‘covert’ as it will sell its vehicles under a brand name of VANTAS rather than use Chery. Perhaps it’s better not to use Chery as a brand name, just Nissan wisely chose not to use ‘Fairlady’ for its Datsun 240Z when it was introduced in America. The VANTAS vehicles will be distributed, sold and supported by a new automotive operation in North America formed by HAAH Automotive Holdings.

HAAH has a technical cooperation agreement with Chery which manufactures and sells a range of SUVs, passenger cars and electric vehicles under several separate brands globally. To get ‘behind the barrier’, the vehicles sold in the USA and Canada will be assembled in American plants which should make entry easier for Chery.

The first VANTAS model with be adapted from a premium SUV model (TX shown above) from Chery’s Exeed premium brand which it uses in some markets instead of Chery. The specific model and other details have not been announced yet, but it is known that engineering development for homologation in the US market has already begun. It is unlikely that Chery will invest in a new factory and probably contract the assembly to an existing plant or refurbish one.

Online sales process
An online sales process will be implemented using HAAH’s digital platform with an industry-leading 100% cloud-based system to support VANTAS and Dealer Operations. This system design comes from an integrated and open API platform which will provide real-time transactions and visibility for all users increasing speed and precision. The system is described as the next generation in the automotive industry, giving VANTAS technological superiority not available from any other manufacturer today.

“This is a historic agreement creating VANTAS. The brand will incorporate a number of new technologies from its Chinese partner, including ‘Intelligent Connected’ for a wide variety of safety and driver assistance technology, various aspects of autonomous driving and, in the future, new energy vehicles. VANTAS is fully committed to building every one of its vehicles in the USA, creating jobs in America,” said Duke Hale, Chairman & CEO of HAAH Automotive Holdings.

AIA Family Drive offers lower vehicle insurance premiums plus added benefits

It’s a fact that many homes in Malaysia have more than one car as different members of the family require their own wheels. They all need, by law, insurance coverage for their vehicles in order to drive on public roads.

Having a few vehicles in the household can now be advantageous as AIA General Berhad is offering a family discount on premiums when buying insurance coverage from the company. Family Drive, its first flagship product, is a car insurance that provides all-round on-the-road protection.

Said to be the first of its kind in Malaysia, Family Drive is a comprehensive car insurance that provides the usual protection for both third party and own loss and damages. It also comes with additional features which you don’t get from other insurance companies in this country.

AIA Family Drive — Eric Chang, CEO of AIA General Berhad, explaining the benefits of Family Drive.

Additional features
These include Personal Accident Protection which ensures that anyone travelling in the insured car is automatically covered with up to RM250,000 personal accident coverage. There’s also protection against legal liability to third party’s injury, death and property loss of damage for everyone travelling in the car, with automatic coverage for all authorised drivers without additional cost.

Should the car not be available after an accident as the workshop is repairing it, Family Drive will provide an Inconvenience Allowance of RM600 per accident. There is also AIA Roadside Assist with an array of value-added services such as battery and tyre replacement, vehicle towing, 24/7. Customers can request for assistance with their police report and will be provided with e-hailing vouchers to help them and their family get home safely after the accident.

Accident repair — *If covered under Family Drive, the owner can get an Inconvenience Allowance of RM600 to cover the period while the vehicle is being repaired after an accident and is not available for use.*

5% discount plus Excess Waiver
Family Drive has a discount of 5% if two or more cars in the same household are insured but only up to a maximum of 4 vehicles. The Excess waiver is granted if customers repair their car at an AIA panel workshop, with the total repair cost borne by AIA.

To enhance coverage, there are optional add-on benefits such as the Agreed Value feature whereby policyholders can protect themselves against the depreciation value of their car by setting an agreed coverage amount when purchasing the policy. The Waiver of Betterment Cost feature ensures that customers are covered for the full cost of new original parts for their car with no extra procedure or paperwork upon claims.

Additionally, customers can choose the Natural Disaster (Special Perils) options that protects their cars against loss or damage caused by flood, storm, landslide or other acts of nature. These days, you never know when your car might be caught in a flood…

“We are very excited to be able to bring Family Drive and its various innovative and customer-centric features to the motor insurance market. Our market research identified various customer concerns where we saw the growing trend of expanding families who were worried about their family’s safety and the inconveniences caused by car accidents,” said Eric Chang, CEO of AIA General Berhad.

“With these insights, we developed Family Drive as a way to meet the protection needs of our customers on the road – ultimately providing them with a worry-free driving experience for the entire family,” he explained.

Free family protection plan for new Nissan X-Trail and Serena S-Hybrid buyers

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM), as one of the original Malaysian car companies, has always cared about its customers in Malaysia. While much of its customer care has been centered around ownership of Nissan vehicles, it has also looked for other ways it can offer value-added services and benefits to being a Nissan owner.

The latest initiative is FWD Protect Direct, a new collaboration with FWD Takaful Berhad (formerly known as HSBC Amanah Takaful (Malaysia) Berhad) which provides Direct family takaful protection plan with a total coverage of RM100,000 – at no extra charge.

Since plan for entire family
Available with new Nissan X-Trail and Serena S-Hybrid models, the 1-year complimentary scheme is an online takaful plan that offers pure protection for the entire family in a single plan. There are options for individual, couple, family (up to two children) and single parent (up to two children) plans to suit different family needs. With only one certificate, it saves the customer from having to manage multiple takaful certificates for the whole family.

Customers who purchase and register a new X-Trail or Serena S-Hybrid from by April 30, 2020 will receive a FWD Takaful promo card with a unique code and details on how to redeem their complimentary 1-year takaful coverage online. Redemption has to be done before May 30, 2020.

Instalments from RM749
Additionally, ETCM offers attractive monthly instalment plans for Nissan models from as low as RM749 for the Almera, RM958 for a Navara, RM1,275 for the X-Trail and RM1,295 for a Serena S-Hybrid.

10 lucky customers may also stand a chance to win CUCKOO Healthy Home Appliances worth up to RM60,000 when they purchase and register any Nissan model during the month of February 2020.

Experience the various Nissan models at the Nissan Test Drive Carnival over the 2 weekends (February 15/16 and 22/23) at selected ETCM showrooms across the nation. At each showroom, there will be special deals, fun-filled activities and a chance to win attractive prizes too. The chart below shows where the event will be during the two weekends.

For more information, visit www.nissan.com.my or call the Nissan Customer Care Centre hotline at 1-800 88 3838.

Additional choices in Nissan X-Trail range from Edaran Tan Chong Motor

Now available in Malaysia, Michelin X MULTI Z 2 offers key benefits for commercial vehicle operators

Michelin, though mainly associated with passenger car tyres, makes many other types of tyres for different applications and vehicles. The same high level of R&D that goes into their high-performance passenger car tyres is also applied to their truck tyres, for instance, to provide longevity and improved performance.

The X MULTI Z 2 is the latest addition to Michelin’s best-selling range in the East Asia and Australia region. Incorporating revolutionary technologies, this all-position tyre is suitable for regional and highway operations and is now available in Malaysia in the 11R22.5 size.

Three breakthrough technologies
The X MULTI Z 2 has breakthrough technologies in three areas of its design and construction:

REGENION – Differently shaped grooves ensure minimal tread deformation, lowering rolling resistance and reducing fuel consumption. With the 3D metal printing techniques, the longitudinal grooves regenerate as the tyre wears, delivering a high level of grip and traction throughout the tyre’s service life in all weather conditions. The wear rate is claimed to be lower too – by more than 20% compared to its predecessor, the X MULTI Z.

INFINICOIL – This technology increases the robustness of the tyres. Reinforced tread plies with a continuously wound steel wire of up to 400 metres long (depending on tyre size) are used inside the casing. The high tensile steel wire increases tyre strength and thus optimizes the ground contact patch and delivers high mileage potential. This technology also helps reduce risk of sudden pressure loss for better vehicle control, extends mobility even when punctured, and improves uneven wear as it flattens the contact patch, with less unexpected breakdown incidences.

HT NYLON – The strengthened bead endurance not only helps reduce tyre damage linked to long-distance/high-speed usage and continuous usage cycle by 10%, but also increase retreadability.

“Thanks to the three core revolutionary technologies, the MICHELIN X MULTI Z 2 brings to our targeted customers uncompromised safety performance and helps meet their delivery timing and efficiency – thus, leading to increased productivity and improved cost-effectiveness for their businesses,” said Michelin Malaysia’s Commercial Director for B2B, Muhammad Arya Subrata.