Don’t you just feel annoyed every time you are forced to ‘chat’ with a bot for customer service? Most businesses use this bot feature to save on having to pay a salaried human, but this forces you to navigate through hundreds of steps before actually ‘chatting’ with a human being.
AirAsia has finally brought back its live call feature to ease the lives of its customers. People who have urgent matters can now get accurate answers faster. They have also launched a new feature for the super app called refund tracking.
2018was a great year for Piston.my! It was our first ‘full’ year as a bona-fide automotive portal in Malaysia covering both local and international motoring news, as well as attending and covering local events and launches, while producing videos, reviews and features for the site. It’s been a fantastic ‘first-year’ for yours truly, and I’m deeply humbled and grateful for all the support we’ve received from our readers and clients alike, thank you for making 2018 a truly memorable one for all of us here at Piston.my!
And now, in no particular order, I present my favourite photos & honourable mentions from the past year! Thanks again for being here on this journey with us, and do hang around for a lot more to come in 2019! – Chris Wee.
ALFA ROMEO DISCO VOLANTE SPYDER
What would possess anyone to drive to another country to just see, touch and hear a car? Well, if it’s an extremely rare and limited-edition Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spyder, and that country is just next door, why not! So yeah, Bobby Ang of EVOLTN and I took a roadtrip down to Singapore for one day last year, just to view this stunning creation. We didn’t go see a car, we went to see a work of art. Read about it here.
PORSCHE 911 GT3
There are many alphanumerics in the world, but when the letters ‘GT’ and the number ‘3’ are put together, it’s a whole new ballgame. Quite possibly the most lusted-after Porsche 911 ever made, the GT3 & GT3 RS personify the very definition of a sports-car. Largely unchanged design-wise for half a century, I guess there’s really no need to fix something perfect from the start. See more and read more about it here.
FORD RANGER RAPTOR
It was the truck everyone was talking about in 2018. All waited in breathless anticipation at its imminent arrival, and many figured it would cost upwards of RM220,000, making it the most expensive ‘lifestyle’ pick-up truck ever sold in the country. So when the covers finally came off, and the price of less than 200k was announced, we were shocked. Really. I for one didn’t think Ford Malaysia could sell this unbelievably awesome monster truck for anything less than the aforementioned estimate. Watch a video and see more of the Ranger Raptor here.
FERRARI GTC4 LUSSO T
It was one of those days, it was one of those cars. Just an amazing drive with an amazing car on an amazing day. The weather was perfect, the roads were clear, and we had a freakin’ Ferrari. ‘Nuff said. More photos and video on this incredible car can be found here.
PORSCHE 911 CARRERA T
Back in Singapore for a car again, but this time to drive! And not just any car, but the delectable Carrera T of the Porsche 911 lineage. Despite ALL 911’s carrying the decades-old credo of ‘Race on Sunday, Drive to work on Monday’, this Carrera T personified that the most I think. Subdued, subtle and sophisticated most of the time, it transforms into a raging beast so fast you’ll swear you’re driving two different cars. Find out more and view more of the Porsche 911 Carrera T here.
KIA PICANTO
Not a mistake. You didn’t really think this post was all about supercars did you? Hell no. And as a day-to-day runner, there’s nothing else out there that gives you as much bang-for-your-buck as the diminutive and frugal little Kia Picanto. Value-for-money wise, and for what you get stock-standard, I called it the best deal in town. It still is. You can find out more on why that’s so here.
HONDA CIVIC TYPE R
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed driving this car. The CTR is just an unbelievably brilliant machine, it’s so well-sorted there’s nothing needed to make it better. The fact that it’s a manual with 3-pedals is of course an added bonus. How Honda are going to improve on this for the next generation Civic Type R is beyond me. Watch a video and learn more about this Nurburgring record-beater here. Well, fret not because if you can’t afford the Type R, there’s still this wild-looking HR-V RS to consider…
MOST BADASS SHOT – BMW SIXER GT BOYS
My favourite post-launch ‘posed’ shot of 2018… are these two BMW Malaysia guys the biggest badasses in town or what? I trembled while shooting it, my hands shivered, I was in awe. This was the 6-Series GT launch event that this photo was from.
MERCEDES-BENZ DREAMCARS
When it comes to dream cars, nobody does it better than Mercedes-Benz. At every one of their multitude of events in 2018, I came away wanting one, but this one…well, this AMG GT C just made me stare. And stare. And stare. But then I drove home in my classic W126, and that was nice too. There’s more in here from the Mercedes Dreamcars 2019 launch event coverage.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI
The alphabets “GTI” in the automotive realm really should stand for something, THEY MUST, and this was (and still is) one of the best GTI-class cars out there, the Golf GTI. So well balanced, so well put together, so rewarding to hoon. Love it. There’s more info, photos and video of the Golf GTI in this feature here.
PEUGEOT 508
A trip to Monaco to drive it notwithstanding, I’m hoping the new Peugeot 508 arrives on our shores soon, because it is a fantastic car. Not only does it look staggeringly gorgeous from every angle, it drives well and has an interior that you won’t believe. It is going to redefine the D-segment when it arrives sometime in the very near future. In the meantime, there’s more photos and videos of the Peugeot 508 at this link.
THE VOLVO GEAR KNOB
What. Why is there a gear knob in here you ask? Well, just looooooook at it! It’s made of crystal, there’s a soft-light below it; it glistens in the sunlight and at night it sparkles like the Hope Diamond. Totally unnecessary, doesn’t do anything to improve the technicalities and drivability of the car, and yet just so, so right. You can read about the latest XC40 launch at this link here.
THE WHITE KNIGHTS – VOLVO & ASTON MARTIN
It was one of those weird coincidences; two launches, two months apart, two very different vehicles, both black and white, both extremely appealing in their own way, and both would look really good in my driveway next to each other…. Here’s the launch coverage on the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and the launch of Volvo XC40 below.
THE ALIEN BMW 8
Really don’t know how and why this photo turned out this way, but it’s definitely one of my faves. I swear the 8-Series was saying “take me to your leader…” I didn’t, but you can read the coverage here.
THE LAST PORSCHE OF 2018
It was a good year for Sime Darby Auto Performance, and at one of their numerous events, as I was leaving I arbitrarily snapped this shot, turned out pretty decent. You can read more about the year Porsche had in 2018 here.
HONOURABLE MENTION OF 2018 – RENAULT KOLEOS
Taken somewhere along Felda Nenering up north before Grik, the Renault Koleos was actually quite a delight to drive. It’s very understated, been under the radar for too long and deserves more time in the limelight. I liked it. You can read more about it here.
Yes, 2019 is indeed shaping up to be a stellar year for Truck and SUV fans across the nation, and here’s just a taste of what’s to come!
LAND ROVER
Thanks to AutoExpress, we’re getting a first glimpse of the all-new 2019 Land Rover Defender. So who said the LR Defender was dead eh? You just can’t kill a Defender….
“The all-new Land Rover Defender will be revealed within the next 12 months, likely to be towards the end of 2019, and new official images have given us our best look yet at the iconic SUV in development. The latest image shows a prototype of the all-new Defender under going off-road testing in North America as part of its grueling test cycle. The vehicle will be subjected to temperatures as low as -40 Celsius and as high as 48 Celsius and at attitudes as high as 13,000ft.” – Auto Express.
FORD
As we all know, late last year, Ford Malaysia finally launched the much-awaited Ranger Raptor, (<–link) but in addition to that, they also introduced new variants of the Ranger 4×4 in the form of the XL, XLT, XLT+ (below)and Wildtrak. In total there are 9 variants of the new Ranger, including the aforementioned Raptor.
Here’s a short walkabout video of the Ford Ranger XLT+
PROTON
Right. So this SUV is likely the MOST anticipated of the lot. Having subjected us to one of the longest ever “long-lead” ups to its launch, which happened only last month, Proton’s X70 SUV (<–link) has finally hit the road. We’ve already seen a few out there, all CBU of course, with local-assembly only set to begin in October 2019. With more than 12,000 bookings taken before launch and once the order-books were opened, we await word on the official media drive later this month, in the meantime, here’s a walkaround video:
TOYOTA
What a Rush. Sorry, just had to with a name like that. Yes, the new Toyota Rush (<–link) was introduced recently too, and we even managed to get a short test drive in! Set to be officially launched very soon, the price estimate is apparently below RM100k… we’re guessing circa RM92,000 or so. Here’s a quick walkaround video:
MITSUBISHI
All hail the new Triton! Shown at KLIMS 2018, (<—link) this truck is likely the only contender to the Ranger Raptor in terms of ‘wow’ factor. There’s still no word on when it’s going to arrive here, but it’s a stunner! Completely unexpected, it was getting a lot of attention at the show, here’s a video featuring the truck:
PERODUA
So technically it’s still very hush-hush for now, but there’s definitely a new Perodua SUV on the way. Perodua isn’t new to SUVs, having introduced the Kembara many years back, and the short-lived Nautica later on. Largely based on the Daihatsu Terios (above) and Toyota Rush, it’s almost a given that Perodua will have some design input in the finished product, scheduled to be launched in Q1 this year. Here’s a video on the Terios…
ISUZU
And now a surprise. In October 2019, Isuzu Malaysia will bring in the new MU-X 7-seater SUV! We have no solid details about it at the moment, except to say that in typical MU-X fashion, it is huge. Here’s a walkaround video:
Photo Gallery (Land Rover Defender images courtesy of AutoExpress.co.uk)
Terrorists! Bombs! Communists! Dangerous! You will be kidnapped and raped! There’s no petrol stations! There’s no food! You will DIE! These are just some of the unbelievable horror statements and stories I’ve heard about the infamous Route 410 (below) that goes from Danuk to Betong, close to Pattani and Yala in Southern Thailand. And that’s exactly why I needed to find out for myself…
You see, this is exactly what terrorists and terror-groups want you to believe, to instill ‘terror’ (hence the terminology) in the hearts of everyone, to the point that if you believed everything you hear from a friend – of a friend, of a friend, of a friend, ad infinium – or read about from various sources on the internet, you’ll be too afraid to even leave your house, much less undertake a 5-hour road trip like I did, in previously unexplored and unknown terrain, laden with supposed terrorists just waiting to kill you…
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a death-wish, but I fervently believe that when your time is up, it’s up. It doesn’t matter what you could be doing at the time, a car could come crashing through the Starbucks you’re sitting at peacefully sipping your mocha-latte, and take you out spectacularly. You’ll probably make the evening news. Heck, you could die right now from a stroke or heart-attack, just ask my dear departed friend Ramesh Kanagasundram…
Hence the line from that movie “The 13th Warrior” always rings true for me: “The skane of your life was written the day you were born, go hide under a rock if it makes you feel better, you won’t live an instant longer, fear benefits man nothing…”
And that fear is what prompted me to write this article. As was the fact that after successfully and safely completing this journey with my trusted ride-buddy Buck Saleh (above, that’s his best side, snigger, snigger, arf arf) on his brand new Yamaha N-Max, there were still some who felt compelled to mention the dangers of riding here, in his later social media posts about the trip, despite the fact that I’m quite certain that some of those commenting have never even set foot in this area, much less travelled its entire distance.
Sure they can always say that ‘news reports’ said so, and if it’s online then it must be true right? Well, yes and no. Don’t forget that “sensation sells” and no news sells better than bad news. Ever been drawn inexplicably to look at a crash on the highway? You know it’s bad, you know you might see a dead body possibly in pieces, which will haunt your thoughts for days and maybe even weeks to come, and yet we are compelled to look.
It’s the same with news, a lot of it is sensationalism in order to capture an audience. I just did the exact same thing on purpose with the headline for this story. Hammer it home hard and long enough, and soon fantasy becomes reality, fabrications, embellishments and even outright lies become truths. Thus the more I heard about the (hearsay) dangers of Route 410, the more curious I became. How bad could it really be? The ‘want’ to find out manifested itself over the years and soon it became a ‘need’. I needed to know…
Yes, there are petrol stations along the way on Route 410. Still not one terrorist in sight at this halfway point…
Let me cut to the chase. It was one of the most brilliant+/- 288km of back-roads I’d ever travelled on a bike in my life. And when it was over I wanted to turn back and ride it again. I even recall Buck and I being quite pissed-off that we’d taken to heart all the horror stories about Route 410 over the years, and seriously regretted not doing this ride sooner.
At no point did I ever feel in danger or threatened in any way, (point of fact, I’ve felt in more in danger riding in downtown KL than the whole of Route 410) since there were numerous check-points to go through, and save for the last one before the destination town of Betong (the red pointer in the map above), we were not stopped or hassled even once. Along the way there were various places to stop and take a break, like the Khao Nam Khang Historical Tunnel Complex in the National Park, where we also had some of the best coffee ever at this small hut leading to the entrance…
Route 410 proved to be one of the nicest, most well made roads I’d ever had the pleasure of riding on, and seems to be a favourite not just with the locals, but I distinctly recall seeing quite a few Malaysian registered vehicles go by as well. Average speed throughout the entire stretch was about 80kmh, and that was fine, seeing as how my steadfast rule when it comes to biking is that if you go too fast you lose the essence of what biking is all about, and you’ll completely miss everything the location has to offer, since all your concentration is taken up just staying on the road.
Ban what??
The other point I wanted to prove was more to myself than anyone else. I wanted to really know if #Scootouring, or touring on a scooter, was a plausibility or just a hashtag I made up because it sounded funky. It’s a real thing by the way, I even have a Facebook page on it, so it must be real, right? Well, the fact that I’m hacking away on this laptop back home after 1,233kms over 4 days through supposed terrorist-infested roads proves that it is. Just make sure your vehicle, be it bike, scoot, car or truck is properly maintained, and in tip-top condition before any long-distance trip, to anywhere, not just here.
Before I end, let me set the record straight. I’m not telling you to go out now and drive to Beirut okay? No. All I’m trying to impart is to NOT let what you hear stop you from doing something that you’ve always wanted to do, or doing something that you love. That’s what terrorists want, to change how you think and feel; to change your way of life, to make you afraid. Remember, it’s all about how much fear they can instill in you, nothing else. And like I said earlier, if your time is up, hey, it’s up; only the man upstairs knows how and when. Your skane is written…
In the meantime, #yolo… we only get one shot at this, one chance, one life… so I don’t know about you, but I intend to make full use of it. I’m already planning the next ride, wanna come? Peace. – Chris Wee.
I participated in the very first #EvoEnduro in 2017, an epic “Mille Miglia” type drive which would see participants travel from KL to Phuket, Thailand in the span of one day, stopping only for fuel and food. I participated with my 35-year old Mercedes-Benz (W126) 280SE (above), which made it to and fro flawlessly, and folks, it really was one of the best drives of my life…
Here’s the official video from #EvoEnduro 2018, which asked (and answered) the question “Why do we love cars?”Why do we indeed! I’m already looking forward to #EvoEnduro 2019, so stay tuned for the announcement on that! Check out the #EvoEnduro 2017 photo gallery after the video…
Cars that are neglected early in life, are usually the most troublesome to maintain in the long run. The best way to save yourself from having to incur hefty repair bills, is to tend to the minor issues immediately. We have listed five different ways to know if your recent car troubles are a direct result of poor maintenance practices.
Like human beings, most older cars will not be in tip-top shape regardless of how well they have been looked after. There will be slight niggles, which could include squeaky noises and occasional but bizarre electrical problems. These issues pale in comparison to those that are due to years of neglect.
Rust bubbles
Unlike the fine rust patches that develop overtime, rust spots that become visible through paintwork, are a clear indication that your problems are about to intensify. In this case, like cancer, the rust has spread on the inner side of your car’s body, eating away at the solid structure piece by piece. If left unchecked, this could result in bodywork decay especially on the roof and floor board.
Blue Smoke
If you’ve ever noticed smoke with a bluish hue spewing out of your exhaust pipe, then there is reason for concern. This is a sign of engine oil being burnt along with your fuel, which isn’t good news. The purpose of the oil, is to lubricate and protect parts like the pistons by lowering surface friction. If the oil is being burnt, than there will be less of it left to protect vital components.
Overheating
If you are the type who doesn’t mind the engine running hotter than recommended, your car’s future is going to be rather bleak. Overheating is a sign that your car’s cooling system isn’t effective enough to cool the engine. A variety of issues could cause it, which may include a faulty water pump, a leak in the engine or radiator as well as a number of others. Continuous neglect can lead to catastrophic component failure.
Whining noises
If there’s a noticable whining noise coming from your gearbox, it’s presence isn’t to add character. Instead it could point to issues such as low transmission fluid levels or worse still, worn out gears. The latter would be far more expensive to fix.
Harsh ride quality
Shock absorbers are a major component of any vehicle’s suspension. It’s main priority is to cushion impact transferred from the wheels to the body. It absorbs the blows caused by road undulations and makes for a supple ride quality. Worn out shock absorbers, are rarely effective, instead provide drivers with an unsettling ride quality and less than stellar cushioning.
If your car has any of the problems mentioned earlier, its best that you take it in for an inspection at your trusted service centre. It pays to fix a minor issue than to wait for it to develop into a real problem. Look after your car, and your car will return the favour ten-fold.
Fuel Consumption is a topic that’s very important to most of us. Due to the ever increasing price of fuel, many are looking for ways to trim expenses, and the first place they start with, is their cars.
It’s a common misconception that only smaller engine cars are able to offer good fuel consumption figures. This isn’t true, because the main factor that determines your FC is your driving habits and car maintenance.
As such, the following are some steps that might alleviate your fuel consumption woes:
#1 – Check your tyre pressure
You’d be amazed as to how much tyre pressure contributes to your car’s fuel consumption. Some experts estimate there is a 0.4% increase in fuel consumption for every 7kPa of pressure below the recommended level. That adds up to a significant amount when you have tyres that are 70 to 110 kPa below what tyre manufacturers recommend.
# 2 – Service your car regularly
An engine is comprised of many moving parts, and all of them need to work together to give you the performance you require. If it isn’t getting the proper lubrication, then that diminishes performance and increases fuel consumption. As such, ensure that you change your engine oil at regular intervals.
#3 – Avoid excessive braking
Generally, braking is the act of reducing you car’s current speed. The engine had to burn a significant amount of fuel to get you to that speed, and by braking excessively, you are wasting your fuel. Curb the habit of applying your brakes unnecessarily and instead, rely on coasting or allow enough space between the car in front to help reduce the need to reach for the brake pedal.
#4 – Avoid idling
Unintentionally, many of us keep our engine running while parked. Usually its because we are on the phone or waiting for someone. Though the burn rate isn’t as significant to driving at high speeds, its significant enough to put a dent in your petrol budget.
#5 – Don’t speed
Speeding or accelerating at a high rate of speed is a major contributing factor to poor fuel consumption. When doing so, fuel is being burnt at a higher rate than normal to offer the intended performance. So, if you aren’t in a hurry, take it easy on the accelerator pedal.
At the end of the day, to improve fuel consumption, change your driving style and not your car. Keep that in mind and you should see a noticeable improvement in fuel consumption.
Many of us have made the mistake of buying a vehicle that we didn’t want. That’s because we fell prey to the salesman’s false claims. He knew what to do and say to get you to buy a certain vehicle. See, showrooms have a certain number of vehicles that are allocated to them. And those vehicles need to be sold within a certain duration to meet budget and accounting expectations.
Inevitably, some models will sell better than others and the only way to get rid of the latter, is to unload them on some poor unsuspecting car buyer who doesn’t really know what he wants.
Well, we are going to help you avoid that by providing you with the following tips:
#1 Determine what you want
You need to have a clear picture of what you want to buy. It should fit into your lifestyle well and help you cope with your daily activities.
#2 Have a budget
Set a certain amount that you are willing to pay and ensure that you don’t go over it regardless of the circumstances. Ignore words like ‘best deal in town’ or ‘yearly discount’ which are used to describe a vehicle that you aren’t interested in. These are just marketing gimmicks to entice you to get something you don’t really want.
#3 Visualize what you want to buy
Visualize what it is that you expect to come home with. It should be a vehicle that you have chosen and not one that was purchased based on the opinion of others. Remember, this vehicle will be with you for the next few years and as such, it should be something you will be happy to have parked in your driveway.
#4 Identify the maintenance costs
These days, automakers make several variants of each model. And usually, the ones with much bigger engines don’t sell as well as the smaller ones. And as such, some sales people will try to convince buyers to opt for the larger displacement cars just to get them off the sales inventory. Don’t fall for this, instead, figure out how much you are willing to spend on the day-to-day expenses of your vehicle and do not deviate from that.
#5 Check the warranty and mileage claims
Make sure that you read the fine print, because not all warranties are created equal. Some don’t fully cover what they claim to on the brochures. So, do yourself a favour and spend sometime reading the warranty terms & conditions before committing to anything. Trust us, we’ve been in this same situation, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
As always, it’s better to learn from the mistakes of others than to waste your time repeating them. Do your homework before you take the plunge and buy a new vehicle. Remember, you aren’t buying vegetables, a vehicle is a very expensive liability that can lead you into financial strife should you buy one that isn’t suitable for you.
Contrary to popular belief, most times, vehicles provide their owners with telltale signs before they start to malfunction. Neglect is the main reasons why owner have to fork out huge sums of money to mend a problem that started out as a minor inconvenience.
Avoid such mistakes and spare yourself the heartache by following these steps to spot an issue before it turns into a wallet busting catastrophe.
#1 – Pay attention to the duration and cranking noise when starting your engine
If you pay close attention to the duration and cranking noises that your starter motor makes, and become familiar with them, you should be able to identify signs of a failing battery. If the engine takes longer than usual to start up or struggles to do so, there’s a good chance that the battery may have something to do with that.
#2 – Allow the engine to idle for a while
When starting your car in the morning, allow the engine to idle for a good minute or so, before attempting to drive off. Granted, new vehicles have sophisticated software that help protect the engine from harm, but that same system isn’t idiot proof. By allowing your vehicle to run for while on a cold start, allows time for the oil to circulate throughout the engine and lubricate the various moving parts.
#3 – Inspect the smoke from the exhaust
Once your engine has warmed up and you are about to set off, check the colour of the smoke given out by the exhaust. If its blue, then that’s an indication that your engine oil is entering the combustion chamber and is being burnt allowing with your fuel. If you see white smoke when first immediately after starting the engine, that’s probably steam dueo to the water vapour collecting in the exhaust caused by the vehicle sitting overnight. But if it persists, its a much more serious problem. Seek the advice of your mechanic sooner rather than later regading both blue and persistent white smoke.
If you do these daily checks, over time, you will become more in-tuned with your car’s normal behaviour and should be able to tell instantly, if something is wrong. As always check your car’s user manual to know more about its inner workings and seek the advice of your trusted mechanic should you have any questions.
