Mira Filzah (or Nur Amirah Filzah binti Badioezaman), the 26-year old Ipoh-born artiste, is now the owner of a brand new Nissan X-Trail 2.0L Hybrid worth RM 159,888. The vehicle was presented to her as the Grand Prize for Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2019 (ABPBH), which Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) was the official vehicle sponsor of.
The talented Mira Filzah, who garnered 6,320,463 votes in ABPBH from September 19 – 22, has acted in few popular dramas and films such as Eksperimen Cinta, Cinta Si Wedding Planner, Meh Sandar Pada Aku, Pujaan Hati Kanda, Sweet Dreams, Rise: Ini Kalilah and Sangkar.
Established in 1987, ABPBH is an annual event organized by Berita Harian to bestow awards to the most popular Malaysian singers, actors and celebrities in the Malaysian entertainment industry based on popular votes by readers of Berita Harian and Berita Minggu. It is one of the most prestigious people’s choice awards in Malaysia’s entertainment industry.
“We are honoured to work along with Anugerah Bintang Popular 2019 Berita Harian as this contest recognizes Malaysian artistes’ hard work and dedication in growing the local entertainment industry. We are delighted to award the most popular artiste with Malaysia’s first locally-assembled Hybrid technology SUV, the new Nissan X-Trail 2.0L Hybrid,” said Christopher Tan, ETCM’s Sales and Marketing Director.
The hybrid technology enables the X-Trail to achieve best in class fuel economy of 16.1 kms/litre, It also comes with Nissan Intelligent Mobility advanced safety technologies to protect the occupants and has been rated the maximum of 5 stars by ASEAN NCAP.
Check out the X-Trail Hybrid and other Nissan models at any Nissan showroom nationwide. To locate an ETCM Branch or Nissan dealership near yet, visit www.nissan.com.my.
Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) has unveiled their latest Nissan Retail Concept (NRC) to further improve the overall Nissan customer experience in line with their ever-evolving global presence. The first Nissan showroom to adopt this new retail concept is Nikaijaya Resource (KL) Sdn Bhd. (more…)
Prince Motor Company, arguably the first Japanese luxury automotive manufacturer, was born out of the Tachikawa Aircraft Company, itself founded in Japan in the early 1920s. After producing military and civilian transport planes for several decades, Tachikawa eventually used its engineering expertise to establish an electric car division which, over time, began to build internal combustion-powered luxury and performance automobiles. It became the Prince Motor Company in 1952.
The first Prince-badged vehicle, simply called Sedan, was a modest executive car. Introduced in 1957 as the Skyline, it was available as a 4-door premium sedan and 5-door stationwagon. Prince engineers used their background in aeronautics to make the Skyline light, enhancing its performance. Even with its 60-bhp, 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine, it had impressive performance for that time and the handling was also enhanced with a sophisticated de Dion rear suspension. A luxury sedan version of the Skyline, called Prince Gloria, joined the line in 1959.
One of the most significant vehicles in Nissan’s history is a model that most people may not have heard of – the 1963 Prince Skyline Sport Coupe.
Hiring an Italian designer
The Sedan’s successor, however, was the one that set the company on a new path and it’s one which not many may be familiar with. In early 1960, Prince product planners and engineers hired famed Italian sportscar designer Giovianni Michelotti to design and build a luxury coupe unlike any other at the time.
After working for several Italian coachbuilders, including Stabilimenti Farina, Vignale and Ghia-Aigle, Michelotti started his own studio in the late 1950s. His work included several Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo sportscars, as well as those from Triumph.
Using the chassis and engine from the Skyline and Gloria, Michelotti penned the coupe with a large, confident front grille and canted dual headlamps, popular design characteristics for American and Italian cars at the time, but rare for period vehicles of Japanese origin.
The Prince Gloria
The car’s bonnet was long and elegant, with a tall windsplit down the middle. Its sides were highly sculpted, flowing into vestigial rear fins that housed the coupe’s taillights. Yet perhaps the most intriguing feature of the design was the slight kick up, or ‘crescent cut’ in the coupe’s rear quarter windows, providing a greenhouse unlike any other car on the road.
The Skyline’s interior was crafted of fine leather; the instrument panel – which housed a series of aluminium-ringed instruments – bore a two-tone effect with the addition of black accents, and the large steering wheel would have been appropriate in any Italian sportscar of the day.
Interior of Prince Skyline Sport Coupe
Birth of the Skyline Sport
The name given to the model was ‘Skyline Sport’ and it was a hit at the 1960 Torino International Motor Show. With positive response, Prince management was willing to put the car into limited production, with the bodies handmade at Michelotti’s studio. A convertible version soon followed and over a 2-year model run, some 60 cars were built. Due to their exclusivity, their pricetags were quite high and estimated to be 20 million yen (about RM784,000) by today’s currency value.
Soon after the introduction of the Skyline Sport, Prince introduced the first Japanese single overhead cam (SOHC) 6-cylinder engine, which was available in the Gloria luxury sedan. In 1964, the company’s management decided a racing pedigree would help further establish its performance image. The engineers took a Skyline, extended the car a few centimetres from the front cowl and installed the new, 127-bhp, 6-cylinder engine from the Gloria.
Challenging Porsche
The result was called Skyline GT, which was entered into the first Japanese Grand Prix and narrowly lost the overall race, coming in second to the Porsche 904. Several hundred Skyline GT performance sedans were then built to homologate the cars for Prince’s racing aspirations. Propelled by their success in the 1964 race, Prince engineers developed the R380, considered one of the first purpose-built Japanese race cars. The R380 campaigned in the second Japanese Grand Prix in 1966, taking the first two positions against the Porsche 906.
The Skyline GT was a special car that Prince Motors produced to win the 2nd Japan Grand Prix in 1964. Although the winner was Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, Skyline GTs ranked 2nd to 6th and impressed their high performance. After the race, a 2000GT model with 125 ps was officially offered for sale in response to requests from customers.
That year also marked the merger between Prince Motor Company and Nissan Motor Company and the former Prince-branded models were integrated into Nissan’s line. The Skyline and Gloria then had a second chapter of successes and have created legacies of their own.
September 12 was ‘National Videogames Day’ in the USA and it’s been an annual event for a while. A guy named David Earle is said to have started the day in the early 1990s. There is confusion about the actual date as there is another date which is July 8.
Anyway, this year, Nissan celebrated ‘National Videogames Day‘ on September 12 with concept esports gaming chair sketches inspired by the Armada SUV, GT-R NISMO sportscar and all-electric Nissan LEAF.
With videogaming and esports now some of the fastest-growing activities on the planet, Nissan has invested in the trend. Earlier this year, the automaker inked partnerships with two of the most popular gaming teams in the world, Faze Clan and OpTic Gaming.
Esports players spend hours perfecting their skills, and gaming rigs are an essential part of each player’s identity. However, esports players often have to choose between aesthetics and comfort – but Nissan’s chairs could offer both. With decades of experience in seating comfort and design (with notable innovations like the Zero Gravity Seat found on many Nissan vehicles), these three conceptual designs are sure to draw the interest of gamers across the globe.
Nissan GT-R NISMO: Inspired by Nissan’s most iconic vehicle, this seat is constructed from lightweight carbonfibre and aluminium. Shaped like a racing seat for ultimate performance, it features red leather and synthetic suede seating surfaces.Nissan Armada: Inspired by Nissan’s full-size rugged but refined SUV, this seat is finished with Platinum Reserve black and brown leather upholstery and configured as a Captain’s Chair. It has climate-control (heating and cooling) so the player will stay comfortable for long hours. Lumbar support will also help keep fatigue away and maintain alertness.Nissan LEAF: This seat is inspired by the world’s best-selling electric vehicle and it has Gun Metal painted surfaces. The leather upholstery is light gray with electric blue inserts. USB charging ports are integrated in the frame for supplementary power and integrated leg rests help to reduce the strain on the lower body.
Currently, Nissan has no plans to build any of the chairs – it’s not in that business. But maybe some specialist in such products might be interested to team up and manufacture them. Wouldn’t you want one in your room?
Ten lucky customers who purchased and registered a new Nissan vehicle during the ‘Festive Bonanza Hari Raya’ campaign by Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) recently received a GINTELL DéSpace Star Massage Chair worth RM13,988 each.
The models purchased by the winners from various parts of the country during the campaign period in May and June 2019 were the Nissan X-Trail, Serena S-HYBRID, Navara and Almera.
Buy a new Nissan vehicle before the end of this year and you could win an apartment at The ERA, Duta North Kuala Lumpur.
‘Buy Car Win Home’ Grand Contest still ongoing
Additionally, each winner qualified for the ‘Buy Car Win Home’ Grand Contest where Nissan customers stand a chance to win a brand new 2+1 rooms serviced apartment (worth up to RM665,000) in The ERA, Duta North Kuala Lumpur.
This contest is a unique collaboration between ETCM and JKG Land Berhad. The ‘Buy Car Win Home’ Grand Contest started in December 2018 and ends on December 31, 2019. Customers who purchase and register a new Nissan vehicle during this period qualify with a contest entry.
Experience the all-electric Nissan LEAF
Incidentally, during this weekend and the next, ETCM is having the Nissan Electrifying Drive Carnival at selected Nissan showrooms across the nation. Members of the public can experience the latest Nissan LEAF, the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle. Many attractive prizes can be won and there are also fun tech activities like the Tech Drive Virtual Reality Experience.
Folks around the planet have received some rather good and not so good news regarding the 2020 Nissan GT-R. The good news is that it’s coming with a host of upgrades that’ll give anyone a smile, but the not so good news is that it’s an upgrade, not a brand-new model like most of us had anticipated. (more…)
Mangrove habitats are important in nature’s ecosystem as they are capable of storing 4 times more carbon mass than tropical forests, thus reducing the amount of carbon dioxide, a gas that causes global warming, They are also known to help prevent erosion of coastal areas by stabilizing sediments with their dense roots and branch network, filtering pollutants and trapping rubbish that originated from land. Their presence along coastal areas has also been known to help reduce the impact of tsunamis.
Preserving the mangrove habitat is therefore important and recently, 61 participants involving Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) employees, Nissan family members and friends, worked together to plant 310 new mangrove trees to battle climate change in the near future.
Nissan Nurtures Nature campaign
The planting session was part of an effort to reconnect with nature and environmental awareness through ETCM’s 3rd series of Nissan Nurtures Nature campaign. It was held at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park and after the planting session, the participants also took the opportunity to clean the surrounding area and collected a total of 97 kgs worth of waste.
The mangrove areas are also home to a wide array of fishes and shellfish, including migrating birds. During a cruise along the Sungai Buloh River, participants were able to see many different types of birds including the globally endangered ‘Milk Stork’ (Myceteria Cinerea) and ‘Lesser Adjutant Stork’ (Leptoptilos Javanicus).
3R environmental philosophy: Reduce, Recycle and Reconnect
ETCM introduced Nissan Nurtures Nature in June 2018 to encourage customers and their families, business partners, non-profit organizations, as well as employees to join hands in creating positive and meaningful changes to the environment and communities centred on a 3R environmental philosophy: Reduce, Recycle and Reconnect.
Members of the public who wish to know more and receive updates about the Nissan Nurtures Nature campaign may contact ETCM’s Customer Relations Department at 03-4047 8788 or send an email request to crd@tanchonggroup.com.
The Nissan Serena is Nissan’s best-selling minivan that’s sold all over the world but the folks in Japan has been graced with a new model. The new Nissan Serena comes with a refreshed new look inside and out along with a host of new intelligent safety features as standard. How cool is that? (more…)
The Nissan Juke appeared on the scene 9 years ago, an early offering in the crossover segment that was beginning to grow. It was an important model for the European market and Nissan decided to produce it in the UK, besides another factory in Japan. The model is also assembled in Indonesia and has been sold in China as the Infiniti ESQ since 2014.
Distracted by other issues, Nissan left the Juke to soldier on for 9 years, a long time for a model that relies on trendiness as a key selling point. There was a ‘revised’ version in 2015 though it was mostly cosmetic.
Current Juke (Indonesian version)
Bold looks with coupe lines
This September will see an all-new generation finally being launched and final testing is being carried out at the Millbrook testing track in the UK. Nissan has released some pictures of a camouflaged prototype which shows the new design to be equally bold with coupe lines.
Designed in Europe, the new Juke is expected to draw a new generation of customers in the B-SUV segment. The footprint of new generation has increased in size to provide greater roominess and comfort for the driver and passengers, without losing its agile driving style
ProPILOT technology included
Loaded with ‘empowering tech’, the Juke will be the third Nissan model to feature ProPILOT technology, which forms part of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision.
It will sit on a platform from Renault and besides the run-of-the-mill petrol and diesel engines, there should still be a high-performance variant with all-wheel drive. The current generation has a NISMO variant offered in some markets.
In Britain, there are now more public places to recharge electric vehicle (EVs) than station selling petrol or diesel. In fact, the difference is almost 1,000 – 9,300 EV charging locations compared to 8,400 fuel stations.
This is the finding of Nissan’s UK subsidiary, based on available data and the company says that the crossover actually happened more than a year before Nissan’s 2016 prediction of August 2020. It is believed to be the result of the accelerating adoption of EVs amongst British motorists.
Fuel stations are everywhere
The global fuel station network today is a product of some 100 years of expansion. Places where vehicles can refuel can be found even deep inside the jungles of Africa or the mountain passes of the Himalayas. In Britain, the first fuel station was opened in November 1919 and as the vehicle population grew, so too did the number of stations to meet demand.
However, since 1970, almost 80% of the stations have closed, whilst the number of EV charging locations has increased from a few hundred in 2011 (when the Nissan LEAF went on sale) to more than 9,000 in August 2019.
‘Range anxiety’ can be dismissed
Of these locations, more than 1,600 provide ‘rapid charging’ which can recharge a typical EV battery pack to around 80% capacity in under an hour. According to Zap-Map, two new rapid charge devices came online every day in the last month. Almost all UK motorway service stations now have charging stations installed, the majority of which provide a rapid charge option. So it would be possible for owners of EVs such as the LEAF to travel around the country without ‘range anxiety’.
Transport for London has installed more than 1,000 EV charge points in the last year alone, as supply of fossil fuel within the capital city is becoming scarcer. One of the country’s oldest stations, the Bloomsbury Service Station which had been in operation since 1926, was closed in 2008.
“We’ve moved beyond the early concerns of range anxiety with EVs now exceeding the vast majority of customer’s daily driving needs. The next challenge is for charging infrastructure to keep pace with the number of EVs on the road, and that the experience of recharging is as enjoyable and effortless as that of all-electric driving,“ said Kalyana Sivagnanam, MD of Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd.
Since Nissan launched the first mass-market electric vehicle – the LEAF – in 2010, EV technology has continually improved, with the latest models both affordable and practical for the majority of new car buyers. As a result, Britain is experiencing unprecedented growth in the demand for battery-powered personal transport.
The latest LEAF is now also available in Malaysia. Find out more at www.nissan.com.my.
