Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, has announced that the new Ford Ranger is scheduled for launch in Malaysia at the end of this month. The line-up will consist of the Ranger XL, XLT, Wildtrak, and the much anticipated Ranger Raptor (below). For the first time, SDAC will also be introducing the Ranger XLT+ variant to the Malaysia market.
With its ‘Built Ford Tough’ credentials and a range of variants in the upcoming line-up, there is now a Ford Ranger to suit every customer’s needs and lifestyle. The New Ranger is packed with Ford’ latest innovations and is born ready to take on the world with many first and only in-class features, the likes of which has never been introduced in pickup trucks before.
Long gone are the days when pickups were designed and built only to tackle muddy tracks and tough terrains. As technology evolves and consumer preferences change, the Ranger DNA was altered, building it to be more versatile, luxurious and less utilitarian. Features have been added for the Ranger to take on the concrete jungle. Customers now have the option of owning not just an adventure or commercial-ready truck, but also a lifestyle and family vehicle.
In Malaysia, there is a growing number of Ranger vehicles on the road purchased for lifestyle reasons, thanks to its suite of smart technologies, which is further complemented by a stylish and well-sculpted car-like interior. Ford’s best-selling nameplate in Malaysia was refined inside out without compromising on safety and off-road capabilities, making the Ranger smarter, tougher and more powerful.
For more information on the New Ford Ranger or to register your interest for updated details, visit SDAC’s multilingual website (www.sdacford.com.my), which also features a chatbot available in three languages – English, Bahasa Malaysia and Simplified Chinese.
Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia concluded its 10th Anniversary Extravaganza on a high note as one lucky customer drove away a brand new Ford Fiesta 1.5L Sport. Logeshwaran Balasubramaniam (above, right) from Pahang, a loyal Ford owner expressing his joy at winning the Ford Fiesta said, “I’d like to thank Sime Darby Auto Connexion and Ford for this reward. My family and I never expected to win a prize, let alone a brand new Ford Fiesta 1.5L Sport. This has truly made our year extra special!”
“We are delighted to celebrate a decade of continued success. Our momentum would not have been possible without the support from our customers. Campaigns like the 10th Anniversary Extravaganza is one of the many ways we show our appreciation towards their on-going trust and loyalty,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, (above) Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion.
He continued by saying, “Our customers are our best brand ambassadors. We believe in making our customers’ experience more enjoyable, be it in the form of products, services, promotions and ensuring that every visit to our showroom is a delightful one.” The SDAC 10th Anniversary Extravaganza ran from 1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018, offering incredible deals on selected Ford models. During the campaign, customers who purchased any Ford Ranger model stood a chance to walk away with a Fiesta as the grand prize.
For more information on Ford, visit SDAC’s multilingual website (www.sdacford.com.my), which also features a chatbot now available in three languages – English, Bahasa Malaysia and Simplified Chinese – to provide a better customer engagement experience.
Ford and its local distribution partner, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), recently offered safe driver training and road safety awareness to corporate partners and members of the public through Ford’s global Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme.
More than 50 licensed drivers from corporate partners comprising telecommunications, highway maintenance and utilities companies participated in a free two half-day workshops at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).
According to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), more than 43 percent of Malaysian drivers use their mobile phones while driving. This means that close to half of all Malaysian drivers are putting themselves and others in danger while behind the wheel.
As such, Ford and SDAC believe the Ford Driving Skills for Life programme will help drivers be more vigilant while on the road which would in turn, reduce the number of road accidents.
The DSFL workshops aim to 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 tiredness.
“Ford Driving Skills for Life provides Malaysian drivers with the tools and resources needed for safe driving. Road safety is a very serious issue and we take pride in our ability to help reinforce this message among Malaysian motorists,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (below).
The programme is conducted through a mix of classroom and practical training sessions where drivers are offered hands-on driving experience.
An emphasis on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or medication was also incorporated as part of the programme. This included having participants wear specially designed goggles that help simulate the experience of driving while movement, coordination and alertness are impaired.
DSFL is Ford’s flagship global corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme funded by the Ford Motor Company Fund – the philanthropic arm of the Ford Motor Company. Globally, Ford DSFL is now in its 15th successful year of training licensed drivers of all ages. To date, the program has trained more than 1 million individuals in safe driving practices.
Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, has announced its ‘Seize the Deal’ campaign offering great rebates of up to 17% on top of the new six percent GST reduction on selected Ford models. Through this attractive promotion, customers can enjoy significant savings of up to RM113,000.
Valid nationwide for all variants of the Ford Mustang, Fiesta and Ranger models, the promotion applies to vehicles registered from now until 31 August 2018. All prices stated are on-the-road, without insurance, for Peninsular and East Malaysia and private individual registration only.
Through the campaign, Ford’s iconic pony car, the multiple award-winning Mustang, is now priced from RM396,271 with a total savings of up to RM113,000 (up to 13 percent rebate with zero-rated GST). Available in two variants – the GT 5.0L and 2.3L EcoBoost – the new Mustang features a sleeker, more athletic styling, enhanced engines, sharper driving dynamics and advanced driver assistance technologies. To ensure complete peace of mind, customers who purchase the Mustang from authorised SDAC-Ford dealers will also enjoy a three-year full manufacturer’s warranty.
Delivering the perfect blend of a connected world and fun-to-drive experience, promotional prices for the sporty Ford Fiesta is available from RM68,401. Customers can enjoy rebates of up to 17 percent in addition to the zero-rated GST for a combined savings of up to RM20,300. Built for the digital generation, the tech-savvy and young-at-heart can constantly be plugged into their favourite music and connected to their world while on the go with the Ford Fiesta.
Customers who desire a tough, capable and smart pickup truck that also offers a comfortable car-like environment can enjoy rebates to up to 10 percent on top of the six percent GST savings for the ‘Built Ford Tough’ Ranger. This works out to a combined savings of up to RM19,830 with prices starting from RM70,910. Available in 10 variants, including the Wildtrak, FX4, XLT, XL and Standard, the award-winning Ranger continues to be one of the best-selling pickups in the market, thanks to its durability and practicality, advanced technology and features, as well as its improved efficiency and refinement. Recent key accolades that Ranger has won include ‘Pickup Truck of the Year’ at the DSF.my Allianz Vehicle of the Year Awards (VOTY 2018) and ‘Best 3 Pickup Trucks of Malaysia’ at the Aurizn Awards 2018.
“This is a great time to own a Ford. We encourage all Malaysians to ‘Seize the Deal’ now and enjoy tremendous savings from these fantastic rebates on our popular Ford vehicles in addition to the zero-rated GST already implemented on our full line-up,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (below).
Meanwhile in other news, strong demand for the segment-defining Ford Ranger pickup truck in Malaysia fueled second quarter retail sales that rose 7.5 percent from the prior year to 1,556 vehicles sold. The strong sales helped the Ranger increase its share of the pickup segment to 15.4 percent, a gain of 1.1 percentage points from the same quarter last year.
The “Built Ford Tough” Ranger continues to earn the favour of customers across the country and build on its growing success in the market,” said Truong Kim Phong, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company. The Ranger continues to be Ford’s best-selling nameplate in Malaysia and one of the best-selling pickups in the market, attracting a wide range of customers who are looking for a versatile vehicle that is suitable for both on-and off-road.
“Ranger’s bold design, unmatched versatility, robust capability and advance safety features all combine to help drive its popularity in Malaysia,” said Syed Muzri. The Ranger is currently available in Malaysia in ten variants – including the high-series Ranger Wildtrak, Ranger FX4, XLT, XL and Standard variants – providing great customer choice and meeting a wide-range of work and recreational needs.
“We are delighted with the growing demand of expanded Ranger line-up and we’re confident that Ford Ranger will continue to drive our momentum in Malaysia. We also remain committed to continuously enhance our customer and ownership experience through the ongoing expansion and upgrades of our dealer network,” added Muzri.
Ford and Sime Darby Auto Connexion have continued to expand the nationwide dealer network this year with the opening of two new facilities in East Malaysia, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (Kuching) and Sime Darby Auto Connexion (Kota Kinabalu). Designed with Ford’s global Brand@Retail standards, these facilities offer Ford’s fast-growing customer base in East Malaysia the even better sales and aftersales services.
For more information on Ford, visit SDAC’s multilingual website (www.sdacford.com.my), which also features a chatbot now available in three languages – English, Bahasa Malaysia and Simplified Chinese – to provide a better customer engagement experience.
[1] All prices stated are for 2016 or 2017 year-make models, on-the-road, without insurance, for Peninsular and East Malaysia and private individual registration only.
Stuck in traffic, your spouse decides to take the “quicker” route home but makes a wrong turn instead. “Now we will never get home!” you shout from the passenger seat. The children, safely buckled in the back seat, start to cry. With so many distractions, you’ve just increased your driver’s chances of making a careless – and dangerous – move on the road.
As distracted driving continues to spread around the world, most of the attention has been directed at drivers and mobile phones. But one of the top distractions is sitting just a few inches away – passengers! Most passengers are probably unaware of the effect they have on drivers, but researchers have found that their behavior is just as crucial as the driver’s when it comes to safety.
Ways passengers affect drivers…
An early study showed that drivers with passengers were 60 percent more likely to have a crash resulting in serious injury compared to when driving alone. Passengers influence driver behaviors – both positively and negatively – due to a variety of factors such as the passenger’s age, the relationship of the driver and passenger and even the gender of the driver relative to the passenger.
For example, while women showed lower levels of risky driving in general, the presence of a man in the passenger’s seat was more likely to cause women to practice risky driving than if traveling with another woman. With passengers in a vehicle, drivers also tend to be less observant and less able to anticipate hazards.
“Consider the impact that your presence as a passenger can have on the driver,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Bin Syed Faiz, (below) Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion. “Support everyone’s safe arrival by avoiding distracting behaviors and helping the driver stay focused on the road.”
How to be a good car passenger
Passengers help set the tone for the drive – they can choose to be a helpful, calm sidekick or a bad influence. Here are five ways to be a better passenger:
Be a helpful co-pilot…
Take an active role during the drive by navigating, answering the phone, warning of approaching hazards and keeping the driver company.
Don’t distract the driver…
If you expect the driver to focus on the road, do your part to minimize distractions. Don’t talk loudly on the phone, constantly change the music or comment on their driving.
Stay awake…
Sleeping passengers can increase the chances of the driver falling asleep, too. If needed, swap drivers during long journeys so everyone can take a short nap when tiredness sets in.
Keep kids safe…
Avoid meltdowns by being prepared with a snack, book or other activities for children. Your “precious cargo” – everyone in your car – should be safely secured with seat belts and age-appropriate car seats to minimize distractions and maximize safety.
Speak up…
You have the right to tell drivers to stop putting your lives in danger if they are driving recklessly or engaging in risky behavior.
Instead of creating or contributing to a problem on the road, you can take more responsibility as an engaged co-pilot. And remember, the next time a driver takes a wrong turn, be the perfect passenger and offer kind words and patient navigation.
Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), Ford Motor Company’s exclusive distribution partner in Malaysia, today announced the opening of its newly upgraded Ford dealer showroom and service centre, Sime Darby Auto Connexion Kota Kinabalu.
Strategically located at Jalan Limau Manis, the 3,216 square-metre facility is designed with Ford’s global Brand@Retail standards, including six additional service bays with vehicle hoists, totaling 13 service bays. The facility also features a dedicated customer service lounge with complimentary Wi-Fi, where customers can enjoy hot beverages and snacks while waiting for their service appointments.
“Sime Darby Auto Connexion (Kota Kinabalu) is designed to offer an unmatched customer experience, with convenience, efficiency and comfort,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Bin Syed Faiz, (below) managing director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion. “This upgraded facility is part of Ford and SDAC’s network expansion and customer service enhancement plan aimed to offer the very best sales and aftersales services to better serve growing number of Ford customers in East Malaysia.”
Staffed by certified technicians, the Kota Kinabalu showroom is equipped with the most up-to-date diagnostic equipment and special tools to provide Ford Authorised Service, and maintains a full supply of genuine spare parts. “The quality of the ownership experience we provide is just as important as the quality of our world-class Ford vehicles,” said Truong Kim Phong, managing director, Asia Pacific Emerging Markets, Ford Motor Company. “The newly upgraded Sime Darby Auto Connexion (Kota Kinabalu) demonstrates our joint commitment to offer Ford customers an even better experience.”
The Sime Darby Auto Connexion (Kota Kinabalu) is located at Jalan Limau Manis, Off Jalan Lintas, 88450 Inanam, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The Showroom is open from 8:30am-5.30pm from Monday to Friday, and from 8:30am-12:30pm on Saturday, while Service Centre opening hours are 8:00am-5:00pm from Monday to Friday, 8:00am-12:30pm on Saturday.
For more information, call the Kota Kinabalu hotlines – showroom 088 425 255, service centre 088 427 666, or visit www.sdacford.com.my.
Traffic congestion. Pollution. Noise and overcrowding. City life can be tough, with one study finding that people in cities have a 20 percent higher risk of anxiety orders and 40 percent higher risk of mood disorders compared to people living in rural areas. To deal with the stress, people often seek solace in their smartphones and social media (or websites like this…erk! – Ed.), but it’s only making the problem worse by encouraging us to be less connected to each other and the world around us.
More city dwellers are discovering the mental health benefits of spending more time in nature. When you feel the stress of urban life weighing down on you, gather the family, disconnect from your phone and head into the mountains to get away and enjoy the scientifically proven health benefits being in nature provides, including lower blood-pressure, improved vitality and mood, and restored attention capacity and mental fatigue.
Whether you are heading to the expansive subtropical rainforests of Australia, remote mountains in Northern Thailand or the picturesque waterfalls of Laos, you’ll need the right vehicle to get there. Consider the Ford Everest, a genuine SUV that gives you the freedom and capability to leave the stress of the city behind and go anywhere.
As you begin your journey, you can relax and shut out the world around you with Everest’s active noise cancellation technology and sound-absorbing materials. Say goodbye to the pressures of the city in the rearview mirror as you connect with your loved ones in the calm, quiet of the cabin instead of disappearing into your phone screen. With the city hours behind you and the roads getting rougher, you can use the Everest’s Terrain Management System to adjust its off-road settings. The system’s four settings – Normal, Snow/Gravel/Grass, Sand and Rock – give the vehicle the capability to conquer even the most inhospitable of terrain.
Besides the fresh air and stress-relieving benefits the mountains offer, being in nature also offers you the chance to challenge and set new limits for yourself, whether you’re hiking, climbing, canoeing or river rafting. With trunk space that can hold up to 2,010 liters of cargo, the Everest has more than enough space for all of your weekend equipment needs. Doing these activities with your family or friends is even better, as overcoming challenges together will help you bond and strengthen your relationships.
If you’re looking for something at a little slower pace, then take advantage of the Everest’s 800mm water wading capability and 225mm of ground clearance for a waterside fishing session while you sit on the tailgate with your bare feet dangling in the water.
After a weekend away from the city and your digital life, you’ll be refreshed and ready to tackle any challenge the next week may have in store for you. And while you may not be ready to get back to the rush of the city, you can relax and take solace that with your Everest, your next adventure is only a weekend away.
Wagons. Estates. Stationwagons. Touringwagen. Sportwagen. Shooting Brake.Sports Wagons. Call them what you will, but they have never been popular here in Malaysia, and that folks is a crying shame, because wagons are uber cool.
To make matters worse for the dwindling wagon market, Volvo Car Malaysia recently announced that they will cease offering the incredible V90 T5 & T6 R-Design wagons locally solely due to poor demand. As can be seen from this recent 0% GST news releasefrom VCM, all iterations of the V90 wagon are indeed already missing from their line-up…
This of course didn’t sit too well with many of us, seeing as how we (i.e. the Malaysian motoring media) absolutely adored the V90, to the point where when its wheels got stolen right-off the car at VCM’s own parking lot, many of us took it personally and proceeded to post notifications of the theft on our own personal social media pages (we were pissed!). For the record the wheels were never recovered and it cost VCM RM17k to replace them and subsequently de-fleet the said unit, so whoever you are (wheel thief and also buyer) I personally hope you rot in hell…
It’s the weirdest thing really; Malaysians won’t buy wagons new, but actively seek-out used ones voraciously. As such, a used Mercedes-Benz W124 wagon will typically cost at least three to four times more than its sedan counterpart in the second-hand car market, as would a Volvo 245, 850 T5 & 945 wagon, BMW E30, E34 & E39 wagon, etc. Even a Toyota KE70 wagon will cost at least three times more than a KE70 sedan. In fact any wagon from the same lineage will always cost more than its sedan counterpart, even a freaking Nissan Sunny. The Mercedes-Benz W123 wagon (below) now costs about seven times more than its sedan variant locally. No, really.
And that’s the greatest irony; if no one wants them in the first place when they’re new, how is it that they are able to command a much, much higher price in the used car market? They should be borderline un-sellable in the second-hand car market, since no one wants them even when they’re brand-spanking-new right? Speaking of brand new, here’s one that’s still available locally, the Mazda6 wagon…
Now tell me honestly that isn’t simply amazing looking. Look at the lines, simply gorgeous. Defy convention folks, thumb your nose at the norm, and buy a wagon, you won’t regret it. At the very least, you’ll know it’s going to be worth more in the second-hand market than its sedan sibling.
Now have a look at this video from Volvo and judge for yourself why wagons are so cool.
In addition to the Volvo V90 above, thanks to AutoExpressUK, here’s a look at some of the nicest, sportiest and most desirable wagons out there… but first, a bit more eye-candy on the Volvo V90, this time in the latest Cross-Country guise. And no, we won’t be getting it here… no demand, remember? – Chris Wee.
And now, the coolest wagons according to AutoExpressUK, starting with the…
Audi RS 4
Fans will moan about Audi replacing the 4.2-litre V8 engine used in the previous RS 4, with a less enjoyable 2.9-litre unit, but with 444bhp, 600Nm of torque and a top speed of 174mph (280kmh) in the new car, there are worse problems to have. The interior compliments a car that has a split personality between sensible and ludicrous, but lacks the sense of theatre that some of its rivals bring. At over £60,000 it is by no means cheap – not that that is untoward in present company.
Audi RS 6
The Audi RS 6 is one of the leading lights in the fast estate world. Partly thanks to its looks, but also helped a its 552bhp twin-turbocharged V8 which will rocket you and four other passengers from 0-100kmh in just 3.9 seconds, and on to a limited top speed of 155mph (250kmh). Prices start from just over £81,000, but for that you do get a comfortable, quiet cabin (most of the time) and 565-litres of boot capacity.
Ferrari GTC4Lusso
Some will argue the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso isn’t a ‘proper’ estate, but if you consider that it is just leaning a little harder on the left of the performance-practicality balance, it becomes easy to see why it made this list. The Ferrari has a 6.3-litre V12 under the bonnet which pumps out 681bhp and 697Nm of torque, which allows it to obliterate most of this list with a 0-100kmh time of 3.4 seconds and a claimed top speed of 208mph (335kmh).
Ford Focus ST
While the petrol version of the Focus ST wagon is a great fast estate, the 2.0 TDCi is our pick of the bunch. This is largely down to the delivery of the power, with the diesel’s get up and go being less unruly and easier to put down on UK roads, but that does not mean the diesel is a slouch – the performance stats of 182bhp, 400Nm of torque and a 0-100kmh time of 8.3secs proves as much. Add to this a claimed economy of 67.3mpg – high 40s low 50s are more realistic – and the diesel Focus ST estate becomes incredible alluring.
Mercedes-AMG C63
The Mercedes-AMG C63 is a full-blown muscle car. Under the bonnet is a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 which produces a thunderous 469bhp and 650Nm of torque (increasing to 503bhp and 700Nm if you opt for the S model). S or not, both models feel astonishingly quick and of course offer impressive levels of practicality, with the only real issue for everyday use being the firm ride. The interior is a comfortable place to be, even if it is not quite on the same level as the E-Class.
Mercedes-AMG E63
You are going to need deep pockets to drive away in an E63 estate as they start north of £84,000 – which is slightly more expensive than the starting price of the Audi RS 6. That said, the E63 is one of the fastest cars on the road, never mind estates. The latest generation is all-wheel drive and in S guise packs 604bhp and 850Nm of torque. Plus, owners get a drift mode. From a standing start it will hit 100kmh in just 3.6 seconds and go on to a limited top speed of 155mph (250kmh) – these figures change to 3.5 seconds and 186mph (300kmh) in the S version.
Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
The Porsche Panamera is no longer the ugly duckling it once was, and the Sport Turismo is no exception. If you go for the range-topping Turbo S E-Hybrid, flat out you will be doing 193mph (310kmh)and 0-100kmh is over in a meger 3.4 seconds – wiping the floor with all but the Ferrari on this list. Even if you drop down to the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo, the 6-cylinder turbocharged engine allows the big German to reach 160mph (257kmh)flat-out and sprint from rest to 100kmh in 5.5 seconds. While the performance is strong here, practicality is not. The rear is just about big enough to get two adults and a smaller human buckled in, and 520-litres of boot space is a tad underwhelming.
Volkswagen Golf R
The Golf R estate is related to both the Skoda and SEAT mentioned in the link below (but comes with four-wheel drive), and offers one of the finest all-round driving packages you can get for the money – the R starts at around £36k. Under the hood there is the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder producing 296bhp as found in the Leon, but here it is only available with VW’s seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The exhaust note sounds good with a nice deep burble, which helps keep up the fun even when you aren’t exploiting the strong chassis.
For the FULL article from AutoExpress, which features a few more estates from brands unavailable here, click this link.
It’s the holiday season! You just got your license! You’re behind the steering wheel, cruising into an exciting new world of driving, but in today’s crowded cities, it can be a dangerous world, too. Traffic is hectic, distractions are all around and other drivers and pedestrians can behave unpredictably (read: dangerously!). While being in a car can feel safer than driving on a scooter, you’re only as safe as your actions.
A recent Ford survey found an alarming number of young drivers who admitted using risky behaviors while driving – such as speeding and even watching TV. While some things are out of your control, knowing road safety rules and following a few practical tips can help protect you on the road – no matter how far or near you go.
Buckle your belts! This may seem like old news. Wearing a seat belt is Rule #1. But many people are still reluctant to wear a seat belt, especially in the backseat.
The reasons why may surprise you. One common excuse for avoiding seatbelts is not wanting to wrinkle clothes! Hmmm, let’s consider the trade-offs. Don’t wear a seatbelt and you are prone to injury in case of an accident (and your clothes won’t fare well either). Or, wear a seatbelt and reduce your chance of injury by half in an accident – and reduce the risk of death by 45 percent. Trust us, seatbelts are beautiful. Your wrinkled clothes are beautiful after wearing a seatbelt. The takeaway? Buckle your seatbelt.
Know your car. This may seem obvious, but every car is different, so know the car you’re in to avoid distractions on the road. Understand how to use your head lights, windshield wipers and temperature controls before darkness falls, before the monsoon rains hit, before you’re scrambling to turn on the aircon. This handy guide can help decipher the symbols on your dashboard instrument cluster.
Many cars today are equipped with driver-assist technologies to help keep you safe on busy roads. Get familiar with this technology before you set out. For example, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak that is equipped with Forward Collission Alert & Mitigation by Brakes, warns you on an obstacle ahead while the Lane Departure Warning System vibrates the steering to alert the driver that he or she is drifting out of the lane.
Don’t be distracted. Phone alerts. Social media. Noisy children. Eating food. Applying makeup. Lack of sleep. Loud music. The list of distractions is endless. But distracted driving is linked to a growing number of accidents and fatalities and puts you in danger.
According to Ford’s 2017 survey about distracted driving, 54 percent of drivers in Asia Pacific say they try not to use their phones while driving – but they do anyway. Finish what you’re doing before you drive – your life and the lives of those around you are more important than answering that text.
Drive defensively. Crawling along in bumper to scooter traffic can be frustrating for any driver, experienced or not, but here are some strategies for defensive driving.
Be aware of your surroundings, especially when backing out of parking spaces or making lane changes and turns. Take advantage of your car’s parking technology and other driver-assist technologies like Ford’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert, which helps you be aware of cars in your own blind spot. Part of the Ford Co-Pilot360TM suite of driver-assist technologies, BLIS is designed to help detect and notify the driver of vehicles that may have entered the blind spot zone, on either side of your vehicle. When backing out of a parking space, the same sensors can detect vehicles approaching from the rear side.
Other practical defensive driving tips include:
Use your turn signals.
Keep two hands on the steering wheel.
Watch out for animals! Small animals can suddenly dart into the road, and larger animals may unexpectedly block traffic altogether.
Don’t engage with aggressive drivers, and remember, it’s not a race! The only finish line is getting home safely, so follow all speed limits.
Watch the weather. Seasons change, and your situation on the road will, too. Practice driving in bad weather in a safe, secluded location to see how your traction, braking and steering are impacted at various speeds – if possible, have an experienced driver join you. Practicing will help you remain “calm in the storm” during a roadtrip or when it’s time to go to work or school.
Cyclical monsoons and typhoons can cause flooded roads with fallen or floating debris. Strong winds can make it difficult to stay in your lane, and sudden gusts can cause tall trucks to veer out of their lanes. Driving on flooded roads should be avoided, but here are a few strategies for cruising through the rainy season:
Replace windshield wipers before the rains start…and check your tires to be sure they have adequate tread and are properly inflated.
Turn on your headlights.
Take it slow. Driving at high speeds can cause your car to hydroplane (lose traction and skid) on slippery pavement and may cause you to lose control.
Following these tips and taking a safe driving training course will help you avoid becoming a statistic and contribute positively towards responsible driving. Now in its eleventh year, Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) offers free training for people across the Asia Pacific, including young drivers, expectant mothers, Uber drivers and farmers. The program covers hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed and space management, distracted driving and much more. In Malaysia, DSFL has trained closed to 1,000 people in the past 3 years since 2012.
Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, has launched the ‘Ford for Food’ online contestto enhance consumer engagement while offering more interactive digital experiences for customers. “The ‘Ford for Food’ online contest builds on Malaysians love for food, especially Ford Ranger owners who are known to be foodies and avid gamers. The game provides an interactive and immersive way to showcase the various features and capabilities of the smarter, tougher and more efficient new Ranger,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, managing director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion.
The ‘Ford for Food’ online game and contest is open to the public for anyone aged 18 years and above and will go on until the end of the year. Each week, SDAC will give away three prizes in the form of exclusive SDAC-Ford merchandise. Weekly winners will be announced on the Ford Malaysia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FordMalaysia. Featuring Ford’s most popular model in its most capable, powerful and versatile iteration – the Ford Ranger Wildtrak – the ‘Ford for Food’ game takes participants on a pre-defined route to different states throughout Malaysia, starting with Melaka, and highlights each state’s local delights.
Participants will go through three levels during the course of the game. Each level features a different driving condition – highway, off-road and busy city streets – to demonstrate the range of cutting-edge features and advanced driver assistance systems that has earned the Ranger its reputation as one of the toughest and most capable pickup truck in the world. As they “drive” through each level, players are tasked with picking up as many food items as they can to score points. Throughout the game, players can also activate key features in the Ranger as they collect food items to score additional bonus points.
The top three participants with the highest scores and fastest times cumulatively each calendar week will be the winners. Participants are encouraged to play the ‘Ford for Food’ game as many times as they desire within one calendar week to achieve their best results. Game results will be displayed on a leader board, which will be cleared each week.
To play the game, participants need only to visit the contest page on SDAC’s website www.sdacford.com.my and log in through their personal Facebook accounts. The ‘Ford for Food’ game and contest is mobile-friendly and can be played on smartphones and other gadgets in addition to PCs and laptops.
For more information on Ford, visit SDAC’s multilingual website (www.sdacford.com.my), which also features a chatbot now available in three languages – English, Bahasa Malaysia and Simplified Chinese – to provide a better customer engagement experience.
