“The French Experience” Campaign By TCEC Renault Could See You in Paris!

TC Euro Cars (TCEC), the sole franchise holder for Renault vehicles in Malaysia, today announced ‘The French Experience’, a new sales campaign offering customers who purchase selected Renault models a trip for two to Paris. The campaign, which runs on 1 March – 30 April 2019, applies to either Renault’s flagship model, the premium D-segment Koleos SUV or the French automaker’s global runaway success, the chic and versatile Captur urban crossover.

Any customer who completes a purchase of either model within the campaign period will fly off on a trip for two to the capital of France, reputed for being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities and affectionately dubbed the City of Romance and Capital of Fashion. TCEC’s official travel partner for this campaign is Mayflower Holidays. “Renault’s spectrum of contemporary models now projects a distinctive Renault personality that exudes French style and finesse inside-out and under the hood,” said Kuan Kim Luen, CEO, TC Euro Cars Sdn Bhd. “This new sales campaign celebrates Renault’s French roots with an all-around French experience from the daily commute after purchasing a Renault to enjoying a unique vacation in Paris. We believe that our customers are looking for unique life experiences. And Renault vehicles bring just that,” he added.

A quintessentially French experience

Renault Captur and Koleos are two definitive embodiments of the refreshed stylistic language that has emerged from the brand’s renewed design strategy. The rejuvenated approach focuses on two key trends that will continue in upcoming Renault vehicles: French Design and Easy Life.

Consistent styling cues that promote Renault’s French design image, namely warm, simple, sensual lines with a clearly defined family face and C-shaped signature lighting, ensure both the Captur and Koleos reflect a strong and instantly recognisable Renault personality.

Both models, as with all other modern mainstream Renault cars, have also benefited from the company’s more than 120 years of passion in the automotive industry, which continues to inspire the brand’s enthusiasm for enabling people with the freedom to enjoy an easy life behind the wheel.

Through Renault’s rich heritage, which includes an equally long and deep involvement in motorsports like Formula 1, Captur and Koleos owners along with millions of Renault customers are now enjoying the benefits of engineering breakthroughs like turbocharging, improved powertrain architectures, better aerodynamics, new material development, greater fuel economy, more efficient energy recovery systems and enhanced driver response.

Building on its legacy and in embracing its vision for future mobility, Renault has embarked on the next phase of its design strategy with a new cycle of concept cars that simultaneously incorporates design thinking, latest technologies and production best practices. These concept cars will pave the way for the next generation of Renault vehicles with ever more refined, connected and pure features that represent the very best in the French motoring spirit underscored by the company’s brand signature of “Passion for Life”.

Renault Captur and Koleos: Pricing and availability

The trendy turbocharged Renault Captur crossover is available at RM107,980, excluding insurance for Peninsular Malaysia. It is now Euro 6 compliant, which means lower emissions and features engine auto stop-start as well as a new 7-inch infotainment system with offline/online navigation and internet connectivity. The infotainment system is able to support music and navigation mobile applications such as Joox and Waze to name a few.

Blending all the cues of an urban crossover that modern drivers have to come to expect, the trendy turbocharged Renault Captur also features expressive exterior styling with chic two-tone body colours, premium black combination leather seats, sliding rear seats for more boot space, 7-inch infotainment system with reverse camera and navigation, four high efficiency airbags and excellent fuel efficiency.

The Renault Captur has been the best-selling crossover model in its class in Europe, with global sales of over 1 million units. A premium D-segment SUV, the Renault Koleos is priced at RM173,840. It features best class-leading interior space with refinements that match a luxury car in addition to a 2.5-litre petrol engine, a large 8.7-inch touchscreen R-LINK 2 multimedia system, customisable LED cabin lighting, premium combination leather seats, six airbags, power tailgate (in selected models) and blind spot warning system.

All prices of vehicles stated are on-the-road inclusive of SST, without insurance, for Peninsular Malaysia and private individual registration only. For more information about Renault in Malaysia, please visit www.renault.com.my or www.facebook.com/RenaultMalaysia.

PROMO: Fancy A French Theme This CNY? Check Out These ‘Ong’ SUV Deals From TC Euro Cars!

TC Euro Cars (TCEC), the sole franchise holder for Renault vehicles in Malaysia, has announced its ‘Capture More with Renault’ campaign offering customers the chance to win up to RM8,888 in cash, MORE deals and MORE peace-of-mind in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities.

“Chinese New Year is a season to reconnect with loved ones. To spend more time with family, build stronger bonds and revel in more happiness. It is also a time when people usher in a more abundant new year for health and longevity, prosperity and fortune, as well as larger families to pass on the family name,” said Kuan Kim Luen, CEO, TC Euro Cars Sdn. Bhd. “In line with these sentiments, the ‘Capture More with Renault’ campaign reflects our desire to give more to our customers as we offer them more rebates on Renault vehicles, more cash prizes to enjoy and more reassurance for their travels on the road,” he added.

Through the campaign, customers can test their powers of estimation in the Renault ‘Guess and Win’ challenge for a chance to gain some fantastic cash prizes. The first prize winner will drive home with RM8,888, the second prize winner RM3,888 while the third prize is worth RM1,888. To participate, customers who purchased any Renault vehicle within the campaign period can take a gander at guessing the total number of “mandarin oranges” that will be packed into the ample, versatile boot space of a Renault Captur. The featured Captur will be on display at all eight Renault showroom branches located in Petaling Jaya, Glenmarie, Puchong, Setia Alam – Selangor, Setapak – Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth, Ipoh and Johor Jaya.

Attractive deals on selected models are also on offer during the ‘Captur More with Renault’ campaign, which runs from now. The trendy turbocharged Renault Captur crossover is available at RM99,999 (normal price, RM105,980). This promotional price includes a free service package inclusive of parts and labour for five years or 100,000km (whichever comes first) as well as a five-year full manufacturer’s warranty with unlimited mileage.

Blending all the cues of an urban crossover that modern drivers have to come to expect, the Renault Captur features expressive exterior styling with chic two-tone body colours, premium black leather seats, sliding rear seats for more boot space, seven-inch Infotainment multimedia system with reserve camera and built-in navigation, four high efficiency airbags and Hill Start Assist and excellent fuel efficiency of up to 5.4 l/100km (based on NEDC test method) with a single full tank.

“The Renault Captur has been the best-selling crossover model in its class in Europe, with global sales of 1,116,357 units.”

Koleos, Renault’s flagship model, is also on offer. Under the ‘Capture More with Renault’ campaign, limited units of the Koleos 2WD are attractively priced from RM169,840 (normal price, RM173,840). For enhanced customer peace-of-mind, the Koleos also comes with a five-year full manufacturer’s warranty with unlimited mileage and free five-year or 100,000km (whichever comes first) service package, inclusive of parts and labour. Additionally, customers will also enjoy an extra free gift in the form of a Raytech Solar and Security tint worth up to RM1,800.

A premium D-segment SUV, the Koleos best class-leading interior space with refinements that match a luxury car and features a powerful 2.5-litre petrol engine, a large 8.7-inch touchscreen R-LINK 2 multimedia system, customisable LED cabin lighting, premium leather seats, six airbags and blind spot warning system.

All promotions and promotional prices listed are for Peninsular Malaysia and subject to terms and conditions. All prices of vehicles stated are on-the-road inclusive of SST, without insurance, for Peninsular Malaysia and private individual registration only

For more information about Renault in Malaysia, please visit www.renault.com.my or www.facebook.com/RenaultMalaysia.

TCEC Announces “Renault Test Drive Challenge” 2018 + Year End Deals!

TC Euro Cars (TCEC) has announced the ‘Renault Test Drive Challenge’ offering participants the chance to win an Apple iPhone XS and other attractive prizes. On top of that, customers who purchase a Renault during the campaign period will walk away with an additional year-end free gift of Raytech Solar and Security tint worth up to RM1,800. The sole franchise holder for Renault vehicles in Malaysia is also extending fantastic promotions on limited units of the Renault Koleos premium SUV and Captur urban crossover.

Through the ‘Renault Test Drive Challenge’, participants who test drive any Renault model at a Renault showroom is automatically in the running to win one of the 85 prizes available. A total of five Apple iPhones XS, 50 petrol gift cards worth RM100 each and 30 exclusive Renault gift packs are up for grabs. The ‘Renault Test Drive Challenge’ runs from 7 November to 31 December 2018 and is open to all residents in Malaysia aged 18 and above with a valid driving license. All participants will receive a special gift upon completion of the test drive while stocks last, however, each participant is only entitled to one contest entry for the challenge.

Winners of the ‘Renault Test Drive Challenge’ will be determined in a draw after the contest ends and results will be announced by 31 January 2019. “As 2018 draws to a close, it’s time to start gearing up for the new year. In the spirit of this outlook, we dare all of you to step out of your comfort zones and away from the familiar to take the ‘Renault Test Drive Challenge’ and be in the running to win yourselves some cool prizes,” said Tiffany Tan, General Manager, TC Euro Cars Sdn Bhd.

More…

Great year-end deals on limited units!

TCEC is also offering incredible deals on limited units of the Renault Koleos and Captur models. Limited units of the Renault Captur pre-facelift for model year 2018 are on offer at RM89,999[1] while the facelifted version for model year 2018 is available at RM98,999¹. For additional value and customer peace-of-mind, both models also come with a free five-year or 100,000km (whichever comes first) service package, inclusive of parts and labour.

Limited units of the Renault Koleos 2WD for model year 2018 are available at the promotional price of RM169,840¹ while the Signature 2WD for model year 2018 is selling at RM184,888¹. Under this promotion, the Koleos also comes with a free five-year or 100,000km (whichever comes first) service package, inclusive of parts and labour. Customers who book within the campaign period will enjoy an additional year-end free gift of Raytech Solar and Security tint worth up to RM1,800.

The year-end campaign is valid for vehicles registered from 7 November through 31 December 2018, while stocks last. All prices stated are on-the-road, without insurance, for Peninsular Malaysia and private registration only. All Renault core models also come with a five-year full manufacturer’s warranty with unlimited mileage.

Experience a Renault Captur with GoCar

Building on TCEC’s partnership with car-sharing platform GoCar Malaysia, the ‘Renault Test Drive Challenge’ is also extended to any customer who books and drives a Renault Captur from the GoCar fleet during the campaign period. To further sweeten the deal, the Renault Captur under GoCar is available at a promotional rate of RM109 per day (normal price is RM189 per day) for the duration of the contest. For more information about Renault in Malaysia, please visit www.renault.com.my or www.facebook.com/RenaultMalaysia.

[1] Limited units are available at tax holiday rates, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Renault EZ-ULTIMO: Premium Robo-Vehicle Hints At The Future Of Ride-Hailing & Urban Mobility [+Video]

At the Paris Motor Show, Groupe Renault unveiled EZ-ULTIMO, its robo-vehicle concept, an autonomous, electric, connected, and shared mobility service solution offering a premium travel experience. Available on-demand, for a single trip, for an hour or for a day, EZ-ULTIMO caters to people looking to enhance a special moment through a private trip in a city, a premium tourist experience or businesses looking to offer premium journey services to its clients. Here’s a short video of what it looks like while in service…

“As consumer trends change and people are enjoying ride-hailing services more and more, a new paradigm for mobility will emerge. Embodying this revolution, Renault EZ-ULTIMO offers a unique luxurious experience aboard a robo-vehicle that can be adapted depending on the service provider,” said Laurens van den Acker, SVP Corporate Design. “Inspired by contemporary architecture, and completely integrated in future smart cities, EZ-ULTIMO will provide an exclusive experience for all. With autonomous, electric and connected cars, we are entering a new exciting era in automotive design.”

Attractive and refined robo-vehicle, inspired by French style…

The EZ-ULTIMO concept opens-up new arenas for Renault design. Because it’s a robo-vehicle, the traveller can truly enjoy the journey in a space designed like a personal lounge, equipped with all the comfort and services needed to either relax or concentrate.

Through its design, EZ-ULTIMO embodies the EASY LIFE genes of the Renault brand. Welcoming and comfortable, it offers a wide automatic opening and a seat on a swivelling slide for easy passenger access. For an intimate journey, passengers are protected from outside view by slightly transparent facets on the upper part of the bodywork. The refined interior of EZ-ULTIMO reflects French elegance and is inspired by the world of living. Tailor-made, it is dressed in noble materials such as wood, marble and leather, allowing passengers to enjoy a top-of-the-range and relaxing living space.

Equipped with level 4 autonomous driving technology, EZ-ULTIMO covers a wide range of use cases. This robo-vehicle is connected to infrastructures, can adapt to an urban environment, to the motorway or to a shuttle service on dedicated roads.

Re-inventing Life on Board…

As mobility continues to evolve with connected and autonomous cars, Renault believes customers will seek more enriched on-board experiences, reinventing travel time, personally and professionally. To embrace this revolution, the Group has invested in Groupe Challenges and collaborated on a first concept: the Augmented Editorial Experience. AEX is a realist immersive experience which combines personalized premium content, multi-media experiences and mobility – so as to turn travel time into a learning experience for future EZ-ULTIMO passengers for instance.

The EZ concepts trilogy…

Following EZ-GO, with its vision of shared mobility, and EZ-PRO, a vehicle robot dedicated to last mile delivery, EZ-ULTIMO is the third concept from the same modular platform. Inspired by the ambition to offer sustainable mobility for all, this trilogy of electric, autonomous and connected concepts illustrates the Groupe Renault’s vision of tomorrow’s shared urban mobility.

TCEC Announces Winner Of The Renault Twizy @ “Buy & Win” Contest!

TCEC, the sole franchise holder for Renault vehicles in Malaysia, recently handed over the Renault Twizy 100% electric vehicle to the lucky Grand Prize winner of the Renault ‘Buy & Win’ contest. At the prize-giving ceremony held at the Renault Petaling Jaya showroom, Lam Ming Wei, 26, from Johor shared that he will be passing on the Twizy to his mother for her daily commute. “This is an unexpected win and I feel very fortunate as I thought my chances were slim. The Twizy will be ideal for my mother as her workplace is a short distance from home,” said Lam, who won from his purchase of the Renault Captur. I was looking for a quality compact vehicle that is unique and offers good value-for-money. After test-driving several brands and models, the Captur impressed me the most. It packs a punch in performance, is well-equipped with innovative technologies and comprehensive safety features and offers remarkable handling and grip, all at an attractive package,” he added.

Meanwhile, three other winners from the final draw of the Renault ‘Buy & Win’ contest drove away with RM1,500 worth of travel vouchers each. The three winners are Nur Izzati binti Rozali, 24, from Bangi, Chang Jun Wei, 26, from Ampang and S. Suraindiran a/l Sathiamurthy, 50, from Puchong. “Customer satisfaction is a top priority for us and campaigns like the Renault ‘Buy & Win’ contest is one of many ways through which we show our appreciation for their support,” said Kuan Kim Luen, CEO, TC Euro Cars Sdn Bhd.

The Renault ‘Buy & Win’ contest ran from 1 January to 30 June 2018. During the campaign period, customers who purchased any Renault model were automatically in the running for the grand prize and holiday prizes. Winners of the holiday prizes were drawn every two months (three winners respectively from January to February, March to April and May to June ), with the final draw also including the grand prize winner.

“Even though the contest has ended, we strongly urge those looking for a stylish vehicle with continental quality and safety standards to take advantage of the zero-rated GST to enjoy additional savings before the tax holiday ends,” added Kuan. For more information about Renault and the zero-rated GST prices for models available in Malaysia, please visit www.renault.com.my or www.facebook.com/RenaultMalaysia.

REVIEWED: Renault Koleos 2.5 4WD SUV – There Should Be More Of These On The Road! [+Video]

No, I’m not kidding, nor am I on drugs; I really liked this SUV from Renault, despite the marques less-than-perfect heritage in the country. It’s an affliction that’s not unique to Renault of course, just about every carmaker represented here has a skeleton or two in their respective closets, but some like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, etc. have fared worse than others, and that was no fault of the cars actually. They weren’t properly homologated and ‘tropicalised’ for our climate, as I mentioned in my in-car video below…

This is not one of those cars. Through the Renault-Nissan alliance, at least they got this one right unlike the old Alfa Romeo Arna, because the Koleos represents the best of both worlds; Japanese reliability coupled with French panache. The aforementioned Arna got that one bass-ackwards, so let’s try and forget that monstrosity shall we?

In the time I had the Renault Koleos, I clocked up more mileage than any test-car I’ve driven this year, as the photos attest, I legged it out of town. On the open highway, the Koleos – despite its CVT – proved to be quite a remarkable cruiser, effortlessly tackling even the more twisty bits once I said adios to the highway.

Power from its 2.5-litre in-line 4-cylinder is rated at 171Ps and 226Nm, and while these may not be huge numbers, the Koleos does put this grunt to good use, especially when it comes to long-haul highway drives, averaging about 8.3L for every 100km, while attaining speeds well in excess of the national highway limit. The feather in its cap though is the All-Mode 4×4 iTechnology drive system.

In normal driving conditions, all the power from the engine goes to the front wheels, however, during times of hard acceleration, or when the on-board computer detects any wheel-slip, it instantly sends power to the back wheels. You can actually monitor this in real-time thanks to a graphic in the instrument cluster that constantly conveys the front and rear torque-split in percentages. But for actual off-road driving, the Koleos comes with a 4×4 Lock function that instantly enables a 50:50 front/rear torque split. Pretty cool. For the full specifications list, click to download this brochure: KOLEOS BROCHURE 2018

Now here’s the best part… thanks to the 0% GST implemented on June 1st, and before the SST kicks in later this year, the Renault Koleos is yours for only RM189,000! Psst! The Koleos 2WD variants are even cheaper. We recently highlighted the new pricing for Renault vehicles in Malaysia, and you can check them right here.

The full press release on the Koleos can be downloaded here: New Koleos, Renault’s Flagship SUV, Now Available In 4WD

If you’re looking for a full-size SUV, you simply have to check this one out. Take it for a test drive, because to me it’s like a hidden gem among a sea of other more popular SUVs, and it really, really deserves its time in the limelight. I loved it. – Chris Wee.

Renault Koleos 2.5 Photo Gallery…

FEATURE: The Two Best Deals Out There Are From Honda & Renault – Japanese vs. Continental [+Videos]

So 1st June has come and gone, and true to form, the prices of cars did indeed drop, significantly, even before the actual date of implementation in may cases. Well, this got me thinking, what’s the best deal out there right now, if we disregard the two national brands? I guess I’ve given the game away with the featured image above, so let’s dive right into why I picked these two; one Japanese and one Continental, and believe it or not, they are somewhat related…

The Honda City…

As far as the B-segment of the car market is concerned, and especially for first-time car buyers, in the non-national car market you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the Honda City i-VTEC right now. Post 0% GST, prices for the Honda City start just RM70,000-ish (S variant, less with on-going Raya bonus incentives) and end at around RM84,000 (Hybrid). Touted at launch last year as offering C-segment features in a B-segment car, this is not an empty boast.

Across the range, be in the S, E, V or Hybrid, the Honda City comes packed with a host of active and passive safety features such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, brake assist, vehicle stability assist, hill start assist, and emergency signal stop. This is most heartening because oft times, car makers only offer all these important safety systems in their range-topping model only. That kind of commitment and responsibility to the consumer alone makes the Honda City more than worthy of its now even lower asking price. Here’s my in-car video…

As you can see, despite my disdain for CVT gearboxes, the one in the City is quite easy to live with, and since it has paddle-shifters on the multi-function steering-wheel, it also allows a little bit of fun if you’re so inclined. However, just leaving it in D and letting the ‘box do the work is perfectly fine. It’s one of the better CVTs out there for sure. Of course, there’s always the City Sport Hybrid with its 7-speed DCT to opt for, if you wish. The new prices for Honda vehicles can be found here.

Then again, if you want something completely different, have a look at this….

The Renault Fluence…

No, I’m not on any medication or recreational drugs. I got to thinking about the Renault Fluence after returning the Renault Koleos recently (full review coming soon), and it just so happened that TCEC (Tan Chong EuroCars) had sent out their post 0% GST prices on that day. You can check that report here.

I really did think my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw that the Fluence was now RM40,000 cheaper. It’s not just from the GST exemption of course, TCEC is having a special Raya 2018 promotion, which in addition to the 0% GST, offers some amazing rebates as well. As such, limited units of the Renault Fluence 2.0 are going for under RM80,000 now. No, that’s not a typo…

So where the Honda City offers “C-segment features in a B-segment car”, the Fluence is a “C-segment car at a B-segment price”. See? Told you they were somewhat related… Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch even for me, but you see my point right? Here’s a C-segmenter that’s actually cheaper than the mid-range Honda City E variant, and just RM10k more than an entry-level Toyota Vios! Here’s my in-car video of the Fluence…

In addition, TCEC offers one of the best after-sales incentives which include:

Free service and maintenance (parts and labour) for five years or up to 100,000km, whichever comes first
A five-year manufacturer’s warranty with unlimited mileage
Complimentary 24 hours roadside assistance*
Pick-up and delivery during scheduled maintenance at Renault service centres
Mobility service of replacement car in the event any part is not available for over 48 hours at authorised service centres, subject to availability

*only available for customers who purchase their insurance under Tan Chong Insurance Business Stream (TCIBS)

Conclusion: So as you can see folks, there are plenty of great deals out there at the moment, and these two just happen to be my choice, from the Japanese and Continental segments, and no, neither Honda Malaysia nor TCEC Renault ‘sponsored’ this post, just in case you were wondering. – Chris Wee.

Honda Civic & Renault Fluence Photo Gallery…