Many of us have just experienced the Hari Raya Aidilfitri exodus to their beloved ‘kampung’ and returned to their normal lives. Some of us were unfortunate enough to get stuck long hours and traffic and sitting through all that time made the trip very, very uncomfortable.
Many car companies have gone through great lengths in figuring out what are the best designs to cure this ‘pain in the ass’ issue and Ford might have just ‘cracked’ the code. Ford’s global seating and comfort team have joined forces with Supervisor Mike Kolich who is also known as Ford’s “Dr. Derriere” to fix that very problem. (more…)
The legendary Ford Mustang celebrates its 55th year anniversary this week and what a way to turn the party up by claiming the title of the world’s best-selling sports coupe for the year 2018. This is their fourth year in a row of claiming this remarkable feat with a total of 113,066 cars sold worldwide last year. (more…)
Ford Malaysia or otherwise known as Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) has announced their Raya sales promotion with Hari Raya Aidilfitri just around the corner. This promotion is happening from 1 May 2019 – 30 June 2019 and it’s definitely something you don’t want to miss. (more…)
From 3-7 April 2019, the folks from Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) will be taking part in the Carsifu Auto Show 2019 that will take place at Mid Valley Megamall where they will feature their award-winning Ford Ranger Raptor and Ranger Wildtrak. (more…)
Trucks. 4x4s. Pick-up Trucks. Call them what you will, but a couple of decades ago they didn’t exist… well not on the highways anyway. Since Mercedes-Benz likes to call itself “the inventor of the automobile” I guess it’s only apt to call Ford Malaysia “the inventor of the lifestyle pick-up truck”… no, really.
You see, not so very long ago in the early 90s, Ford Malaysia‘s (then known as AMIM Ford) passenger car sales were suffering, with only the outdated Laser and Telstar being sold, and I use that word ‘sold’ very loosely. So what did they do? In a masterstroke of genius, because their cars weren’t selling very well in their given segments, AMIM Ford decided to create a whole new market segment. And ‘lo and behold, the ‘lifestyle’ pick-up truck was born.
I owned the very first of those trucks, it was called the Ford Courier. It was a naturally-aspirated 2.5L diesel, and if memory serves, the model survived one update (Courier Splash – yellow) and was replaced by the turbocharged Ranger, which henceforth became one of the market leaders in the lifestyle pick-up truck segment, despite just about every other carmaker jumping on the truck-bandwagon, or rather cargo-bed, and introducing their own trucks.
The Ford Ranger 4×4 has evolved over the years, and while still staying true to its “Built Ford Tough” credo, it’s also become – for better or worse (see video below) – a lot more ‘liveable’ and domesticated. It’s like capturing a wild animal and eventually taming it enough to become a house pet. Never forget though, that behind that docile exterior, an untamed beast still lurks…
One of those beasts of course is the new Ford Ranger Raptor, which you can read more about and see videos of here, as well as one of the 4 new Rangers that were recently launched, this Ranger XLT Limited+. Boasting a first-in-class 10-speed automatic transmission, yes, TEN speeds, the new Ranger XLT+ is powered by a new 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine that churns out 213Ps and whopping 500Nm of torque.
It also has an array of other FIC attributes including AEB or Autonomous Emergency Braking & Front Collision Alert, Lane-Departure Warning, Semi-Automatic Parallel Parking, Adaptive Cruise Control and an Easy-Lift Tailgate. Anyone who’s ever owned a truck will know just how heavy that rear tailgate (above) is.
The new Rangers, finally with hydraulic bonnet struts (above), have definitely moved the goalposts insofar as the lifestyle pick-up truck market is concerned, not only are they still very much “Built Ford Tough” but they now also offer an incredible level of refinement unheard of in Rangers of yore.
Want to know more about the new Ford Rangers? Click this link.
Ford Ranger Limited XLT+ 4×4 Photo Gallery…
BONUS! Why I love the older Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak…
“No replacement for displacement”… we’ve often heard this adage, but does it apply to trucks? Here’s an older model with 3,200cc of brute force, and here’s what I think of it!
Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, has announced the ‘Ford Ranger Explore & Experience Roadshow’ which will run in February until March.
Held at participating Ford showrooms, visitors will be able to explore and experience the Ranger’s smart and safe technologies which has helped the Ranger continue to set industry benchmarks and win multiple accolades, such as being awarded Pickup Truck of the Year in 2018. Opportunity on exciting promotions on selected Ford models will also be made available.
The roadshow also comprises various family-friendly activities such as plinko, rubber duck and a kids colouring corner to keep children entertained. Those who perform a test drive during the roadshow will stand a chance to enter the Ford wind tunnel to win attractive and exclusive Ford merchandise.
Available in Malaysia in nine variants – including the high-speed, off-road performance Ranger Raptor, the high-series Ranger Wildtrak, XLT+, XLT and XL, the line-up features Ford’s latest generation 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine which is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission on selected variants to deliver incredible performance, unchallenged responsiveness and improved fuel efficiency.
Dates and locations of the ‘Ford Ranger Explore & Experience Roadshow’ are as follows:
Dates
Location
22-23 February 2019
Tesco Kota Bharu
9-10 March 2019
Auto Lumina Showroom
Lot 51699, Jalan Persisiran Perling 2, Bukit Indah
81200 Johor Bahru
22-23 March 2019
SDAC Juru Showroom
1679-G2, Highway Auto City,
North – South Highway Juru Interchange, 13600 Prai, Penang
Pasaran kenderaan di Amerika Syarikat adalah antara pasaran yang paling menarik lebih-lebih bagi dalam segmen trak pikap. Antara kriteria yang diberikan keutamaan bagi golongan ‘mat salleh’ disana adalah saiz dan juga kuasa. Dengan itu, Ford America telah melancarkan generasi terkini Ford F-Series Super Duty 2020 yang merangkumi tiga model trak pikap gergasi iaitu F-250, F-350 dan F-450. (more…)
Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, has announced a number of promotions for Ford owners in the upcoming Thaipusam and Chinese New Year festivities.
“We know that there will be a lot of long-distance travel during this festive season as many Malaysians return to their hometowns to spend time with their families. We are pleased to offer these promotions and service discounts, as part of our commitment to ensuring Ford owners get home safely,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (below).
Valid from now until 5 February 2019, the Ford Festive campaign includes a free 27-point vehicle inspection by Ford-certified technicians who are on hand to ensure that vehicles are in roadworthy condition before customers head back to their hometowns for the celebrations or embark on road trips during the holiday.
Customers can also enjoy discounts of up to 20 percent on selected parts and selected packages. Only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts are used, providing greater assurance of quality and peace of mind. Additionally, further savings of up to 10 percent on labour fees for lubricant, brake and timing belt packages are offered. During this period, any customer who spends a minimum of RM350 in a single receipt at any authorised Ford dealer will receive an exclusive Ford gift. All walk-in customers will also receive free CNY packets, while stocks last.
“I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Hindu customers a blessed Thaipusam and our Chinese customers ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’,” added Muzri. Customers can book their service appointments online via the official SDAC-Ford website: www.sdacford.com.my or through the Ford Malaysia MY App. Alternatively, customers can call their nearest Ford authorised service centre to make an appointment. Simply access the ‘locate a dealer’ tab on the website for more information about preferred locations with the relevant contact information.
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)
Ford and its local distribution partner, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), recently hosted its third safe driver training this year to corporate partners and members of the public through Ford’s global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme. The training sessions were hosted at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) where more than 60 licensed drivers – including corporate partners and Ford customers participated in two half-day workshops.
The Ford Driving Skills for Life programme aims to educate licensed drivers of all ages on how to drive safely through practical, hands on experiences which is provided free-or-charge, helping them become safer, more aware drivers. The DSFL workshops address various driver risks, such as dealing with unexpected scenarios, speed and space management, as well as raise awareness on distracted driving caused by mobile phone use or drowsiness.
“Ford is committed to helping raise awareness of road safety and educating drivers on safe driving practices and techniques. We are proud to continue this very practical programme in Malaysia to help raise public awareness on safe driving and driver safety,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (below).An emphasis on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or medication was also incorporated in every training session. This included having participants wear specially designed goggles that help simulate the experience of driving while movement, coordination and alertness are impaired.
In Asia, Ford DSFL is in its eleventh successful year of training licensed drivers of all ages. In addition to Malaysia, DSFL training is provided in China, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
