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From the time it was first introduced in the mid-1970s, the Toyota Kijang has been a top-seller in Indonesia to the extent that it’s been regarded as country’s ‘national car’. Toyota had come up with a product that was ideal for the market, providing versatility to carry people and goods as well as robustness to handle the wide variations in road conditions.

After 45 years, the third generation has now been launched and takes a big step forward with a new electrified powertrain. The model’s name in Indonesia is Kijang Innova Zenix, somewhat lengthy but the ‘Kijang’ name is so strong that Toyota Indonesia has to retain it. ‘Innova’ is, of course, what Malaysians (and customers in other markets) know it as although we had a Kijang earlier that was called the Unser. Zenix is probably to highlight the transition to an electrified model.

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Following the Genesis X Concept and then the Genesis X Speedium Coupe Concept, the third and final member of the series has been revealed as the Genesis X Convertible Concept, which will be displayed at the coming Los Angeles Auto Show.

As with the two earlier concepts, the X Convertible showcases the Athletic Elegance design language of the Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand. This includes the Genesis Crest Grille and with the X Convertible, the design is taken further up the emotional scale.

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It’s been a busy year for Honda Malaysia, having started with the launch of the new Honda Civic and then the HR-V, two popular models that presently have long waiting lists. And to end the year, the company has launched an additional variant for the Civic in the form of the Civic e:HEV Hybrid today.

This is no surprise, of course, as it was already announced a month ago and Honda Malaysia even allowed us to get the first drive impressions at the Sepang circuit. We were able to show you what the car looks like and the only things that were not known then were the interior (under embargo) and of greater interest to the public, the price.

So first off, here’s the price: RM166,500 (without insurance) for the single RS version and this is around RM15,800 more than the Civic RS with just a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. So, by virtue of its price, the Civic e:HEV would be the flagship of the range which includes the 1.5V and 1.5E versions. Malaysia is one of only three countries in the world to have the e:HEV version of the Civic Sedan, the others being Thailand and China.

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The Honda Accord is of special significance in the American market, being not only the brand’s first model manufactured there in 1982 but also the first foreign model to become the bestselling car in America in 1989. Since then, it has been among the top sellers in the country which used to be the largest car market in the world before China displaced it.

With its success and popularity over 5 decades, it’s not surprising that the 11th generation also makes its debut in America, as has been the tradition for some time. With this new generation. Honda is furthering its electrification strategy and expects the hybrid versions of the new Accord to account for at least 50% of sales of the model.

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Mercedes-AMG is the first car manufacturer to run a production hypercar on Nurburgring Nordschleife – and it has also set official records there to become the absolute fastest road-legal car on the circuit.

The record-breaking drives were set on October 28 in conditions that did not look suited to set sizzling times. But it was on the last attempt of the day, as conditions improved, that racing driver and AMG brand ambassador Maro Engel clocked his best lap time to set the new official record of 6:35.183 minutes. Engel’s run was just in time as about a minute after completion, it was the official closure time for the track.

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Although Toyota began selling the first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that have an electric motor working with a petrol engine, Honda also brought HEVs into the market around the same time. In fact, in Malaysia, Honda was the first to actually market HEVs when it offered the Civic Hybrid in 2004, priced at RM118,888. Back then, hybrids were still a novelty rather than something which drew people due to being new technology.

Over the years, Honda Malaysia continued to promote HEVs, offering the technology in some models and then being the first brand to assemble a HEV locally – the Jazz Hybrid – in 2012. Incentives provided by the government during that period were intended to promote HEVs so that more people would buy the environment-friendly cars. In fact, the incentives created the unusual situation whereby a HEV variant cost less than the variants with just petrol engines – in every other market, HEVs would cost more than their conventional engine equivalents due to the additional cost of the technology.

Although sales of HEVs have not been rocketing upwards, they have been steadily increasing and the technology has also matured and is more efficient, while costs have lowered. Since the days of the first Insight, it has been Honda’s aim to find ways to lower the costs of its hybrid technology – which it markets as e:HEV now – so that more people can afford to buy HEVs.

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When the latest 11th generation Honda Civic was launched in January, we asked Honda Malaysia about the possibility of a hybrid version also being available. At that time, it was already known that the latest generation did have a hybrid variant (which Honda refers to as e:HEV) that was to be sold in Europe with a hatchback bodystyle. Honda Malaysia said they ‘would consider it’ as a future addition then…

10 months later, the Civic e:HEV is about to be launched and it’s clear that the company must have already been working on it and not just ‘considering it’ because it takes time to plan for local assembly at the Melaka plant. And now that the launch will take place soon, Honda Malaysia has offered us a chance to get first impressions of the new model.

Our drive took place at the Sepang International Circuit with the same condition that we can tell you about the exterior and the driving impressions and the e:HEV technology, but not what the interior is like (for now).

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Although its vehicles are very fuel-efficient, Perodua will also be starting on an electrification journey with hybrid powertrains. This will begin with a fleet of 300 Daihatsu Rocky Hybrids that have been imported for the purpose of testing in local conditions. The Rocky is the Daihatsu equivalent of the Perodua Ativa, while Toyota’s version is called the Raize.

Rather than conducting the testing itself (which it will also do), the carmaker will be offering the model to interested customers under a subscription program. The customers who will be offered the chance to participate will be existing customers who have booked an Ativa but have not received it.

5-year program
Under the program, they will pay an upfront fee of RM2,150 and a monthly fee of RM500. The costs relating to insurance coverage, roadtax and scheduled maintenance will be covered by Perodua. The period of subscription will last for 5 years and customers will be required to allows tracking of their vehicle movements (using a GPS device) so that data on their driving and usage can be collected.

They will also have to provide feedback regularly and report on any technical issues they face. Within a year, the data from 300 SUVs should provide Perodua with a lot of information on the running conditions of the hybrid powertrain which they can use in developing their future powertrain for a later model. Whether it will be for the Ativa or another model remains to be seen.

The e-SMART HYBRID system
Daihatsu has worked on hybrid powertrains for a long time, with the first prototype shown as far back as 1981. The latest hybrid powertrain in the Rocky Hybrid is an e-SMART HYBRID which has the capability of running purely on electric power. It uses a 1.2-litre engine and a transaxle specially developed for hybrid electric vehicles.

The transaxle, which efficiently transmits the motor output to the wheels, consists of a motor generator that drives and generates power, a speed reduction mechanism, and a differential mechanism. The two motors are optimally arranged to achieve compactness so that they can be installed in compact vehicles.

The Rocky HYBRID also has a Smart Pedal (S-PDL) which can adjust the vehicle’s speed just by stepping on or releasing the accelerator pedal. When using the S-PDL, the amount of regeneration increases due to the reduced deceleration caused by the brake pedal, contributing to improved fuel efficiency.

Second time having CBU vehicles
This would be the second time that Perodua is importing completely built-up (CBU) Daihatsu vehicles. Back in 2008, the company brought in a batch of Daihatsu Terios SUVs from Indonesia. These were to be badged as the Perodua Nautica, the successor to the Kembara. However, the plan was scrapped after a year and Perodua did not have a SUV until the Aruz was introduced in 2019.

2008 Perodua Nautica

The Crown is one of Toyota’s oldest models, having made its initial debut in 1955 as the company’s first mass produced passenger vehicle. It has remained in the line-up to this day, elevating to flagship status during the 67 years. However, times have changed and Toyota feels the Crown has become unable to fully meet the diversifying needs of its customers, and its role as a flagship model has also become less significant.

This has led to a complete rethink for the new generation which sees 4 different models that will carry the nameplate. In addition to a new Crossover, there will be a Sport as a new addition. There will still be a Sedan, of course, and this will continue with a formal design (although the pictures show something very advanced), and a Stationwagon/Estate which is now more of a functional SUV.

Due to the diverse range, Toyota won’t be launching all the versions together and, as a reflection of the current market preference, it will start with the Crossover. This model will go on sale from the fourth quarter of this year and will be offered in around 40 countries, Malaysia being a possibility. The eventual annual production is expected to reach 200,000 units.

Incidentally, the Crown was assembled in Malaysia at one time back in the early 1980s but large limousine-type Japanese cars were not favoured then so the model was discontinued. Times have changed, of course, and while the German brands still command the premium segment, Lexus has shown that the Japanese can also offer comparably premium products. So it’s likely that the new Crown will eventually appear in Malaysia as a complement to the Alphard.

The Crown Crossover
At this time, Toyota is only providing details of the Crossover so that’s what we’ll look at. As the term suggests, the bodystyle is a ‘crossover’ from a sedan to a SUV (‘the fusing a sedan and an SUV’ as Toyota puts it) and is a popular approach these days. The design has a coupe-like silhouette for a sporty image, while the elevated body satisfies the SUV side.

The lighting units at the front and rear connected from left to right in a single straight line, emphasising width visually. The side view shows surface variation without relying on character lines, creating a clean but sophisticated appearance. The overall length is 4930 mm, with a width of 1840 mm, on a wheelbase of 2850 mm. That’s larger than a Lexus RX and around the same length as a BMW X6.

The new Crown also uses TNGA, the versatile platform with Toyota’s New Generation Architecture. This has been adapted for use (TNGA-K) in the new model and provides a lightweight and well-balanced body with high rigidity. As with all SUVs and crossovers, the hip point is high for ease of entry and exit which is prioritised. This has been helped by having large-diameter wheels that raise the floor level. Additional space is provided above the head and to the front and rear for a more comfortable cabin.

The 2-row interior is typically Toyota with a lot of attention to visual and physical comfort. Horizontally integrating the display and operating equipment creates a functional layout that can be operated intuitively from any seat. The wrap-around form from the instrument panel to the doors also gives a sense of security.

As befits a flagship model, much attention has been given to every interior element, with the use of an understated and welcoming material known as WARM STEEL. The finishing of the seats, designed to be ‘first class’, helps a space with a sense of quality and richness.

While other carmakers may use the opportunity to go fully electric, Toyota remains cautious in how it moves into the electric era and still strongly believes hybrid electric vehicle technology is a practical solution for now. Thus the new Crown will come with two hybrid powertrains – 2.5-litre Series Parallel Hybrid System and 2.4-litre Turbo Hybrid System.

The 2.4-litre Turbo Hybrid System combines an inline 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with strong torque (550 Nm/350 ps) even at low RPM with the latest eAxle electric powertrain. The rear wheel eAxle uses a high output water-cooled electric motor combined with the engine to directly transmit force to all four wheels.

Electrical power will be supplied by a newly-developed bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery pack, a first for Toyota.

The Toyota Safety Sense suite is an upgraded one with advanced and improved functions. The range of situations it can respond to has been expanded even further, giving the driver more peace of mind to enjoy motoring.

Also available will be Toyota Teammate, a suite of driver-assistance technologies. Advanced Drive support during traffic congestion), and Advanced Park. The latter can automatically park and exit  from a parking space in a variety of situations and can be operated remotely as well.

“The Crown has long served as the flagship of the Toyota brand. This flagship has represented Japanese success and pride, bringing together Japan’s world-class technology and skilled workforce. The new Crown is full of these underlying strengths,” said Toyota President, Akio Toyoda, at the presentation of the new model today.

Following its recently launched Continental GT S and GT S Convertible, Bentley has now added the new Flying Spur S to complete its new driver-focused S range. This is the first time that Bentley’s historic ‘S’ badge has been applied to a product with a hybrid powertrain, and is another step towards Beyond100, Bentley’s vision of the future and sustainable pathway forwards.

Suited to those who are city-based or environmentally-focused, the smaller 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine works with an advanced electric motor. Total system output is 544 ps/750 Nm which can send the Flying Spur S from standstill to 100 km/h in a claimed 4.1 seconds. With a fully charged battery pack, it can travel up to 41 kms on just electricity.

The Bentley S range.

The Flying Spur Hybrid S (whilst in Sport mode) features ingenious sound enhancements in the engine bay that match the more sporting character of the car for the driver while maintaining low sound levels in the rear cabin.

Besides the hybrid powertrain, there is also a second choice for customers who are not particularly concerned about fuel prices. This is Bentley’s 4-litre V8 engine developing 550 ps/770 Nm. This can send the car from standstill to 100 km/h in a claimed 4 seconds, and on to a top speed of almost 320 km/h.

2022 Bentley Flying Spur S

Purposeful, understated exterior
The black brightware of the Flying Spur S models creates an athletic and understated look, whatever the chosen exterior finish. With the absence of bright polished metal highlights, the eye is  ‘encouraged’ to take in the vehicle’s form and perceive it as lower and wider – the essence of a sporting Bentley.

The effect is complemented by gloss black lower bumper grilles, dark tinted headlamps and rear lights, black quad tailpipe finishers and distinctive S badging on the front fenders. The grille is black gloss with vertical vanes and black gloss surround. Only the winged Bentley badge and lettering on the bootlid stand out with their bright chrome finish.

2022 Bentley Flying Spur S

Performance focussed interior
Customers can choose from a variety of performance-focused two-tone colour splits, handcrafted in Bentley’s leather shop using a combination of smooth hide and soft-napped Dinamica. This suede-like material is used for the heated steering wheel, gearlever, seat cushions and seat backrests while leather hide is employed on the seat bolsters, door pads, along the instrument panel and around the console.

2022 Bentley Flying Spur S

2022 Bentley Flying Spur S

2022 Bentley Flying Spur S

The S design seats are fluted, with quilting available as an option, and the ‘S’ emblem is embroidered on the headrest of each seat. Driver instrumentation takes its inspiration from motorsport chronometers, with the same graphics as the Continental GT Speed. There are also finishing touches that include a metal S signature badge on the fascia and illuminated Bentley treadplates with the ‘S’ device replacing the Bentley Motors Ltd plaque.

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