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Using information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance motoring

The two carmakers in the Hyundai Motor Group – Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation – have jointly developed the world’s first predictive Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Connected Shift System to enhance motoring. The system is also in line with autonomous technology, which is developing day by day.

The system enables the vehicle to automatically shift to the optimal gear after identifying the road and traffic conditions ahead. While the technologies used to automatically shift depend on drivers’ preferences, such as Smart Drive Mode – available on most current Hyundai and Kia models – ICT Connected Shift System is the first ICT to automatically shift the gear according to road and traffic conditions.

The ICT Connected Shift System uses intelligent software in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) that collects and interprets real-time input from underlying technologies, including 3D navigation equipped with a precise map of the road as well as cameras and radar for smart cruise control. The 3D navigation input includes elevation, gradient, curvature and a variety of road events as well as current traffic conditions. Radar detects the speed and distance between the vehicle and others, and a forward-looking camera provides lane information.

Using all of these inputs, the TCU predicts the optimal shift scenario for real-time driving situations through an artificial intelligence algorithm and shifts the gears accordingly. For example, when a relatively long slow-down is expected and the radar detects no speed irregularities with the car ahead, the transmission clutch temporarily switches to neutral mode to improve fuel efficiency.

During testing on a road with many curves, the frequency of shifts in cornering was reduced by approximately 43% compared to vehicles without the system. Accordingly, the system also reduced the frequency of brake operation by approximately 11%, minimizing driving fatigue and brake wear.

When rapid acceleration was required to enter a highway, the driving mode automatically switched to Sport Mode at the merge, making it easier to join the traffic flow. After merging with traffic, the vehicle automatically returned to its original driving mode, enabling safe and efficient driving.

In addition, engine braking automatically occurred upon release of the accelerator pedal by determining speed bumps, downhill slopes and location of the speed limit change on the road. The changes in distance from the front car were detected by the front radar to adjust appropriate transmission gear automatically improved driving quality.

The ICT Connected Shift System will deliver both improved fuel efficiency and a stable driving experience in the era of autonomous vehicles by providing improved performance in response to real-time road and traffic conditions.

Some 40 major patents in South Korea and abroad for the system which both companies plan to offer on their future models.

Details of the all-new Kia Sorento’s platform and powertrain revealed!

MINI Countryman Blackheath Edition makes Malaysian/ASEAN debut, priced from RM253,888

The first special edition of the new MINI Countryman generation – the Blackheath Edition – is now available in Malaysia. This limited edition model features a dramatic all-black design, reminiscent of the stunningly dark shrub land of Blackheath in southeast London in the UK.

The Countryman Blackheath Edition, which is also making its debut in ASEAN, has blacked-out design features – the highly-coveted stylistic choice for timeless elegance. It is available only in Midnight Black, the first time this exterior shade is offered on this generation of the Countryman.

What it comes with
The limited edition comes with matte tone Bonnet Stripes in Brushed Aluminium as well as original MINI accessories. Piano Black Trims stylishly enhance the headlights and taillights, front grille, door handles, front and rear emblems and the COUNTRYMAN badge on the tailgate.

The Blackheath Edition also has newly designed LED foglights and aerodynamic mirror caps which were first seen on the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman 306HP that debuted last year. 19-inch John Cooper Works Circuit spoked wheels are fitted with run-flat tyres, along with the John Cooper Works Aerodynamic kit.

The Blackheath Edition is the first MINI Countryman to be powered by the newly updated MINI TwinPower Turbo engine (192 bhp/280 Nm), paired with the 7-Speed Sport Dual Clutch Transmission. Claimed 0 to 100 km/h time is 7.5 seconds with a top speed of 225 km/h, while consumption is said to be up to 15.1 kms/litre.

Sophistication within
Giving the cabin a touch of sophistication is the sleek Anthracite headliner complemented with sports seats in Leather Cross Punch in Carbon Black. The interior is further accentuated with the MINI Yours Illuminated Interior Trim in Piano Black, allowing the driver full personalisation from 12 ambient colours via a single toggle. Music is delivered by 12-speaker Harman Kardon Sound System with DSP Amplifier and Class-D technology with a 360-watt output.

The 8.8-inch MINI Navigation System can be operated via the touchscreen, centre console or voice control. Also included is the advanced MINI Connected with built-in 4G SIM technology that is permanently present in the car and meets the 4G mobilephone standard, along with the Intelligent Emergency Call and MINI TeleServices.

The current update of the MINI Connected App links the driver to an exceptionally wide range of digital services such as Concierge Service, Apple Carplay and MINI Online that allow mobility planning to be integrated seamlessly in day-to-day digital routines.

Priced from RM253,888 (without insurance), the Blackheath Edition is covered by a 4-year unlimited mileage warranty. Owners also enjoy free scheduled service during that period as well as access to a Roadside Assistance programme for the first 5 years of ownership.

MINI Malaysia Welcomes The New MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid! [+Video]

Volkswagen and Tarik Jeans collaborate to save the Malayan Tapir

Four months ago, the last Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia died and with its death, the species became extinct in this country. Scientists estimate that the rapid loss of species today is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. This depressing fact is blamed on humans – population growth, consumption, habitat destruction and wildlife trade.

So it is humans who must do something about ensuring that what is referred to as ‘the 6^th extinction crisis’ is diminished if not stopped. Individuals and companies are putting in efforts in various way and Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) recently teamed up with local denim streetwear brand, Tarik Jeans, to raise funds and awareness for the endangered Malayan Tapir.

An exclusively designed capsule collection, ‘Modern Nostalgia’, has been created which features key elements from both brands, where modern and iconic Volkswagen models are married with local classic and vintage design elements. The limited edition collection comprises of a variety of items such as T-shirts, caps, bandanas, tote bags, key chains and clothing patches.

Erik Winter, Managing Director of VPCM, expressed delight in being able to partner with Tarik Jeans on this cause. “A key pillar for Volkswagen is sustainability, and the group is investing heavily in this cause with over 500 sustainability projects worldwide. We are pleased to play our part in this meaningful project, and we will certainly not stop here as we will continue to explore ways to contribute to making a difference,” he said.

According to Afiq Iskandar, Founder & CEO of Tarik Jeans, the Malayan Tapir has always been part of the Tarik design aesthetics so much so that it was added as the brand’s logo (in addition to the main logo of the mamak ‘teh tarik’). “In commemorating Tarik’s 10th year anniversary, we are honoured to partner with an innovative global automotive brand such as Volkswagen. ‘Modern Nostalgia’ as a capsule collection speaks a lot about the archetypal Volkswagen models and Tarik’s penchant for the retro-futurism Malaysian design scheme,” he said.

About the Malayan Tapir
The Malayan Tapir is an endangered species here, together with the Malayan tigers, Borneo elephants or orangutans. As ‘gardeners of the rainforest’, the tapir plays a crucial role in maintaining the biological diversity of their habitat as they help disperse and fertilize seeds much needed for the reproduction of trees. It would be terrible to also lose them as we have lost the Sumatran rhinoceros.

The Malayan tapir is the only Asian species native to the island of Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand with a distinctive coat pattern. The tapir has a lifespan of up to 30 years, but agricultural developments and deforestation, being hunted for food and even sport as well as illegal animal trafficking have resulted in an alarming decrease in their numbers. It is estimated that there are less than 3,000 of them left.

Merchandise from the ‘Modern Nostalgia’ collection can be purchased via the Volkswagen and Tarik Jeans websites, Shopee, Zalora and at all Volkswagen authorized dealerships nationwide. 50% of all proceeds generated from the sales of this campaign will be donated to the Kenaboi Forest Reserve in Negeri Sembilan on World Tapir Day on April 27, 2020.

To locate an authorised Volkswagen dealership in Malaysia, visit www.volkswagen.com.my.

Click here for other news and articles about Volkswagen.

Comments on NAP 2020 from the Malaysian Automotive Association and car companies

Datuk Aishah Ahmad, President of the Malaysian Automotive Association:
“Our members are generally satisfied with the NAP 2020 and glad that it is finally released. Now they are awaiting details of the incentives so that planning can be done for the years ahead. We wish for more transparency in this area in the interests of fairness for all investors.

NAP 2020 is looking ahead to the future generation of cars to be developed regionally and globally. It is aligned with the direction of neighbouring countries in ASEAN. For example, improving the fuel economy level in Malaysia by 2025 follows the ASEAN Fuel Economy Roadmap of for the transport sector.

However, some strategies might be a bit too advanced although NAP 2020 says that there will be phases of implementation. Though the technologies are available, it would be expensive and challenging to make big jumps within a short time.

The validity of NAP 2020 is up till 2030 which is quite a long time away. Perhaps as time goes on, there will be minor revisions in details as conditions change but the industry will feel comfortable if overall policies don’t change.”

*Datuk Aishah Ahmad and Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad*

Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad, President & CEO of Perodua:
“NAP 2020 shows consistency in the government’s policies to advance the Malaysian automotive ecosystem to the next level. This is apparent in the continued support for component localisation, which is the backbone of the country’s automotive industry.

Also consistent is the government’s commitment to further the Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV) programme, in which many players have invested.

Where Industry 4.0 is concerned, Perodua is a firm believer of technology convergence, particularly the integration of communication technology into automotive applications.

On autonomous technology, Perodua, guided by our technical and technology partner Daihatsu Motor Company of Japan, has laid the foundation with its Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) suite of driver assistance systems and crucially, we have made it accessible to the masses. This technology will be further improved in line with our aim to provide Malaysians with mobility that offers even greater safety and value.”

Dr. Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton:
“The unveiling of NAP 2020 shows Malaysia is moving towards the adoption of new technology vehicles featuring electric and hybrid powertrains as well as autonomous and connectivity technologies.

PROTON’s two shareholders grant us access to Malaysia’s automotive industry ecosystem as well as the technologies needed for NxGV models, one of the main thrusts of the policy.

There are still many steps to take and PROTON is confident with the correct policies in place, we will be able to contribute towards Malaysia achieving the goals set out in NAP 2020.”

Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor:
“We are pleased that the government has provided an updated ‘roadmap’ for the development of the industry and this will provide direction and guidance which will be of great value to forward planning, especially where investments in Malaysia are concerned.

With the Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) specifications being updated, UMWT hopes that ample time will be provided before implementation for proper review. It is also hoped that the government will continue to give incentives for a sufficient length of time. This will help to justify investment and provide reasonable returns on investment.

The planned reduction of carbon emissions from motor vehicles by improving the fuel economy level by 2025 is commendable. In support of this, UMW Toyota Motor is planning to introduce more locally-assembled hybrid vehicles in the future here in Malaysia. We urge the government to provide increased incentives to spur the hybrid market in Malaysia.”

Dr. Claus Weidner, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia:
“The new policy is a positive enhancement to the NAP 2014 as it aims to make Malaysia a regional automotive leader. We see the policy benefiting all players in the automotive industry.

The development and production of EEVs and NxGV with increased levels of automation is an explicit encouragement by the government on future mobility in Malaysia.

For Mercedes-Benz globally, the company’s Ambition 2039 is its strategic path towards sustainable mobility. We aim to increase the adoption in Malaysia by delivering sustainable and fascinating mobility to our customers.”

The new National Automotive Policy in detail

2020 Liqui Moly US Legend Championship starts first oval racing series in Malaysia

Malaysia’s very first oval racing series has been announced with the official launch of the 2020 Liqui Moly US Legend Championship. This will have 6 rounds which will be run at Perak’s T-City Gopeng Motor Speedway, currently the only purpose-built oval circuit in Malaysia.

First introduced in Malaysia in 2018, this is the first time the Legend Car and Bandolero Car classes will be introduced as a full-fledged championship. The Championship will also feature an Arrive-and-Drive Legend Car class for amateur and professional drivers, and the Bandolero class for children between the ages of 8 and 15.

“The acceptance of oval racing in Malaysia over the last 2 years has been surprisingly encouraging by the local fraternity, and I am pleased that we have been able to attract both young as well as experienced drivers over the last two years who not only find it challenging but equally exciting,” said US Legend Cars Malaysia Principal, Ben Tan. He added that the series is the first step towards competing in the highest discipline of oval racing in America which is the NASCAR series.

“Oval circuit racing is still in its infancy in Malaysia as well as the Asian region. The first 2 years has been about enabling local drivers to become more familiar with the concept of competing on oval short tracks. The Gopeng Motor Speedway is a purpose-built motorsport racing track venue with a dedicated oval circuit and various supporting facilities,” Mr. Tan said.

The track is not only able to hold sanctioned races, but we are in the process of establishing a racing academy, putting in the necessary infrastructure in order to facilitate the development of race teams, as well as the sale of racing cars.

Low cost of participation
Both the Legend Car and Bandolero Car classes provide a level and competitive playing field, and the cost of participation is inexpensive making it an ideal ground for those who aspire to start racing as well as those who want to hone the skills of a new motor-racing discipline.

The Legend Car class will be divided into 3 categories – Novice, National and International – while the Bandolero Car class will strictly be for novice drivers. To date, the championship has attracted entries from Malaysia, Australia, China and Hong Kong.

The arrive-and-drive Legend Car class will see drivers competing in identical race cars with a minimum car and driver weight of 590 kgs, and powered a factory-stock Yamaha FJ1200 engine rated at 132 bhp.

The Bandolero class for children has cars powered by 30 bhp 570cc Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engines with a minimum combined car and driver weight of 340 kgs. The power-to-weight ratio of the race cars make it extremely quick and agile compared to racing a traditional saloon car and competing on a 240-metre asphalt oval circuit almost guarantees close and fierce competition from start to finish.

All Legends and Bandolero cars are manufactured by US Legend Cars International, Inc. and the Malaysian championship is sanctioned by INEX Malaysia (INEX MAL), an affiliate of INEX which is the international governing body.

28-year old series
First introduced and raced in 1992, the Legend and Bandolero Car series was conceptualized to provide an affordable class of racing. The race cars are 5/8 scale replicas of popular vintage American cars, with fibreglass bodies encasing specially-constructed space frame chassis. This makes for ideal competition on small tracks and presents drivers with lower maintenance costs.

Today, the series is held in more than 30 countries and has established itself as a sound stepping stone for those who aspire to move up the ranks of oval circuit racing to as high up as NASCAR.

The entry fee for the arrive-and-drive Legend Car class is RM3,000 per round, and includes preparation and rental of the race car, fuel, tyres, brake pads as well as other consumables and technical support. Entry fee for the Bandolero Car class is RM2,000 per round also inclusive of all the above.

Round 1 of the championship starts on March 13, followed by Round 2 on April 17/18. Round 3 is on June 19/20 with Round 4 on July 17/18. The last 2 rounds will be held on August 21/22 and September 25/26.

To participate or for more information, send email to US Legend Cars Malaysia at uslcmy@gmail.com.

Prices of three Honda models up by between 5% and 9%

Honda Malaysia has announced an immediate increase in the prices of three of its models by around 5% to 9% (depending on model and variant). The revisions apply to vehicles sold in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak but apparently not the duty-free areas of Langkawi and Labuan.

There will be many who question why there is this increase when there was earlier news about ‘no increases in locally-assembled completely knocked-down (CKD) models’ during 2020. In fact, we mentioned this possibility because the ‘no increase’ only applied to the revised Open Market Value (OMV) calculation. If there is any vehicle affected by this specific issue, there will be 100% exemption on the increase incurred until December 31, 2020, the Finance Ministry assured.

Honda Malaysia has clarified that the prices have been raised due to the review to the customized incentives for CKD models. This is a different matter and it is likely that the company would have looked for ways to absorb the increases but found them to be too much and has to revise the prices.

The customized incentives are provided for carmakers that make investments to assemble some of their models locally. These incentives are very important in order to offset the production cost and high taxes so that the cars can have lower retail prices. Honda Malaysia has not given details of how the customized incentives have changed to affect their retail prices. It could be that some incentives have been withdrawn or altered, we won’t know because the government is not sufficiently transparent about the incentives it gives to each company. It is never clear if a similar basis (not criteria) is used for determining incentives. Potential investors are usually asked to come for private meetings to discuss incentives, rather than submit proposals for their investments based on an openly known set of incentives available. MITI has, however, included the criteria for qualifying for incentives in the latest NAP (shown below).