The recent Toyota Outrun fun run event organised by UMW Toyota Motor saw over 3,000 people taking part at Bandar Rimbayu, Kota Kemuning, Selangor yesterday morning. The charity event successfully raised a total of RM151,100 collected from the participants’ registration fees were donated to the Paralympic Council of Malaysia. (more…)
Since 2001, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd. (UMWT) and the Malaysian Ministry of Education have been jointly organizing the Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) Programme to educate Malaysian youth on the importance of conserving the environment and also inspire them to act responsibly towards the environment, ensuring a sustainable future.
The programme, one of UMWT’s annual Corporate Social Responsibility activities, aims to cultivate environmental awareness and instill good environmental habit in young Malaysians as they are the future caretaker of the environment.
“Our corporate social responsibility is to help educate and instill love and care for the environment in the nation’s youth.”
Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor
In its 19th edition this year, TEY carries the theme ‘Be the Superhero to Save the World’. It incorporates elements from the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, a global initiative by Toyota Motor Corporation which aimed at going beyond zero environmental impact.
“Our business is not just confined to make ever better products that are safe and environmentally friendly. We also see it as our corporate social responsibility to help educate and instill love and care for the environment in the nation’s youth. One of the initiatives is the Toyota Eco Youth programme which have been running since 2001,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.
This year, 12 secondary schools from around Malaysia participated in the programme which began in August this year. Students and teachers from the schools attended a 3-day ‘boot to learn Toyota’s 8-Step Problem-Solving Methodology. This is an approach practiced by UMWT employees to solve various types of problems, including those involving the environment.
Each school received a RM2,000 grant to kick off their project. Drawing on what they had learnt, they had to go through a market validation phase where their ideas – in the form of a product or service – were implemented and tested with the community of choice, impacting the beneficiaries.
In the final phase, each team made their final presentation and pitched their ideas to a panel of judges comprising representatives from UMWT, the Ministry of Education and myHarapan. After reviewing each presentation carefully, the best submissions by 4 schools were announced with SMK Tamparuli from Sabah picked as the Champion.
For their impressive efforts, they received prizes ranging from RM10, 000 for the Champion; RM7, 000 for second prize; RM5, 000 for third prize and RM3, 000 for the fourth prize. There was also a consolation prize of RM1, 000 as well as other prizes of RM500 each for the best video presentation and best-supporting teacher.
To date, UMWT has spent almost RM7 million on the TEY programme which has seen participation of 258 schools and 2,000 students. Commenting on the achievement of the TEY, Mr. Ravindran said it is clear that continuation of the programme can help in environment-related issues that affect not just today’s generation but also those in the future.
“We will certainly continue to run the TEY annually and as we gain feedback and experience each year, the programme will evolve accordingly so that it addresses appropriate issues,” he said.
Visit www.toyota.com.my to read more about UMW Toyota Motor’s other CSR activities.
The action continued for the second day of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and Toyota Vios Challenge Season 3/Round 2 at Bandar Malaysia, the former TUDM airbase in Sg. Besi, Kuala Lumpur. Given the nature of the track, the more experienced (or braver) racers had wished for rain to gain some advantage but other than a few drops, the track remained dry and hot so strategy was of great importance.
SPORTING CLASS
The best action of the day came from the 3-way battle in the Sporting Class which saw SMS Motorsports’ Haji Sutan Mustaffa Salihin clinching victory ahead of 17-year old Bradley Benedict Anthony of Dream Chaser and Dannies Ng in third position.
Sutan led the race from pole position but was forced to work hard during every one of the 20 laps as he came under tremendous pressure to defend his lead from Bradley, who was determined to get past. Too focused on Sutan, Bradley lost his track position to Dannies momentarily before regaining it 2 laps later when the latter missed a gear.
“It was a tough 20 laps with Bradley and Dannies behind forcing me to be on my toes throughout the 20 laps. I had to be super careful at every corner, trying to visualize what to do next in order to avoid making any mistakes that could have cost me the race victory. Their fight for second position did give me some much needed breathing space but it wasn’t enough to have a comfortable gap ahead,” said the 47-year-old competing in his first season of street racing in the Toyota Vios Challenge.
“The first round in Kuala Terengganu was extremely tough for me. In fact, my blood pressure was borderline high as I was just too nervous!” he revealed. “Although I have been racing for more than 20 years, street racing is something new to me and it is super challenging. It is not easy to fight against younger drivers who are aggressive and talented.”
Like Sutan, Bradley was equally elated as he clinched his first ever podium finish after transitioning from karting to saloon car racing this year. “I am quite satisfied with today’s result. It was a close fight but all three of us finished a clean race,” said the young driver.
SUPER SPORTING CLASS
In the Super Sporting Class for the professionals, Kegani Racing’s Kenny Lee drove to a textbook race after taking off from pole position. He successfully denied veteran Tengku Djan Ley of a second race victory, with Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin finishing third.
Kenny (above) made a brilliant start to lead into the first corner with M7 Japan Project Team’s Syafiq Ali in close pursuit. But it was Tengku Djan who gained the most, managing to slingshot himself all the way to third position from sixth on the grid (starting positions were reversed for the first 6 finishers the day before). The race, however, was suspended as the Safety Car was called out to convoy the racing cars after a collision between Toyotsu Racing’s William Ho and Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang.
“I made a good start and managed to make another good getaway during the restart after the safety car peeled away and that gave me a little bit of gap. Towards the finishing stages of the race, the tyres and brakes were beginning to heat up and I had to brake early, but at the same time try to maintain a competitive pace without pushing too hard. This was an exceptionally challenging and technical track,” said Kenny.
For Tengku Djan, second place as well as winning yesterday’s Race 1 was the perfect way to conclude the race weekend. Though he did not win, he has enough points to leading in overall standings in the class. “Today’s race was a combination of luck and strategy. I believe luck played a very big part. There was an incident in front of me and I managed to gain two positions,” he said.
Also celebrating a triumphant weekend was Mark who finished third in today’s Race 2 and earned second spot in Race 1 yesterday. “The start of the race was good for me and I too capitalized on the incident between William and Freddie but then suffered a moment on the track, and that dropped me to sixth place with a lot of catching up to do,” said Mark.
PROMOTIONAL CLASS
As expected, the Promotional class for celebrity racers was not without its fair share of drama. The drivers are not regular racers (with Shawn Lee perhaps having more experience than the others) but they did receive training prior to the start of the series.
Vocal TV presenter and comedian Nabil Ahmad (above) catapulted from fourth on the grid to lead the race right to the chequered flag, with singers Khai Bahar and Nabila Razali trailing in second and third positions respectively. En route to earning a second podium finish this weekend, Nabil said: “I’ve won races in the past, but this is the best first placing I’ve ever recorded because it was earned in the presence of Shawn Lee and Shukri Yahaya. It was a sweet moment for me.”
For the record, both beat boxer Shawn and actor Shukri were promoted to compete against amateur racers in the Sporting class for Season 2 before returning to the Promotional class in Season 3.
For third place winner Nabila (above in Car No. 92), the race weekend was also a fulfilling one. “I am extremely satisfied! So far, I’ve managed to not only finish all my races in Season 3 so far but unexpectedly claimed a few podium finishes. No more calling me a wall magnet and this is a very big achievement for me!” she said.
The biggest casualty in the race was Shukri who, despite running as high as third place, was taken out by Shawn in Lap 6 when the latter misjudged his braking point. Actress Diana Danielle meanwhile found herself pointing the car in the wrong direction on the track after being nudged by actor Syafiq Kyle.
“Yes, I am bit disappointed with the way Race 2 turned out, but I consider it a racing incident. As far as the competition goes this season, all the drivers in the Promotional class are extremely competitive and this makes the racing even more unpredictable and exciting,” said Shukri.
Meanwhile, UMW Toyota Motor’s Chief Motorsports Officer Akio Takeyama who finished fifth said the track at Bandar Malaysia was extremely fast but a rewarding experience for all drivers competing in the series. “The decision to hold this second round at Bandar Malaysia proved to be a rewarding experience, not only for the racers who enjoyed competing on a high speed and wider street track for the very first time, but also for Kuala Lumpur spectators due to its strategic location,” he said.
Although the country’s capital city has lots of activities on a weekend, some 10,000 spectators turned up for the Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival. The location was convenient to get to and UMW Toyota Motor also offered to subsidize up to RM15 a trip for those who used the Grab service to get to the venue. As at all the other rounds, there was lots of activity for the whole family and for aircraft enthusiasts, there was even the opportunity to see some of the early aircraft used by the TUDM which were parked around the site.
The former airbase is being redeveloped as Bandar Malaysia which is to be a global financial, technology and entrepreneurial hub. The RM140 billion mega project on the 486-acre site will include housing and an integrated transportation hub like KL Sentral. So it is unlikely that the Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival & Toyota Vios Challenge can be held again in 2020. As it is, special arrangements had to be made with the contractors involved in the construction work to accommodate the racing activities. Of course, it would be nice if a small racetrack could also be included in the Master Plan for Bandar Malaysia…
In the early years after Toyota Motor Corporation was established, there was an incident where a company using a Toyota G1 lorry contacted a dealer to get assistance because it broke down. It so happened that Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of Toyota, heard about the matter at the same time and personally led a team of engineers to where the dealer’s service staff were repairing the vehicle. Besides providing assistance, the engineers wanted to find out what has caused the breakdown. They had their answer and quickly relayed it back to the factory where alterations were made to prevent the same problem from occurring.
In the years and decades to follow, this episode would serve to demonstrate the importance and value of ‘Genchi Genbutsu’, a Japanese phrase which is a way of thinking where information is gained and decisions made based on personal viewing of the problem, not just relying on reports by others. Seeing or experiencing the problem firsthand is deemed the best way to get to the source of what was wrong. “When a problem arises, the shortest route to final resolution is to return to the source and pinpoint what is truly wrong,” was the constant reminder from Toyoda.
‘Genchi Genbutsu’ is partly what the Toyota 5 Continents Drive Project is all about; as the name indicates, the drive goes through 5 continents of the world, enabling Toyota personnel to see and experience the different conditions and cultures where Toyota sells its vehicles. It’s not been a continuous drive since 2014 when it started in Australian but has been a yearly exercise, with Asia being the last continent.
Inspired by Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, the 5 Continents Drive Project aims to make product improvements with a more deeply informed approach, ultimately delivering ever-better cars to customers around the world.
The total distance travelled since 2014 has been approximately 103,000 kms. Data collected has already been flowing back to Toyota City, with improvements made in various areas as a result of the participants understanding issues. Toyota employees travelling in many different countries on 4 continents prior to Asia have had experiences and gained knowledge that cannot be gained simply from driving cars on test courses or simulated in climatic chambers.
There have not just been improvements for products but also in manufacturing and white-collar management areas such as logistics, costing, etc. Although the Toyota 5 Continents Drive Project will conclude next year, this is ongoing process and learnings will continue to be implemented into future models as well, thus promoting sustainable development.
Recently, the convoy of vehicles for the Asian leg travelled through Malaysia after having started in the Middle East in February this year and then passing through India. It is the first part of the Asian leg which will conclude next year when Japan hosts the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Akio Takeyama, Chief Motorsports Officer and also the Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor, flagged off the convoy from S&D Tama, an authorized Toyota dealership in Penang. There were 9 Toyota vehicles in this leg of the 5 Continents Drive Project – Hilux, Fortuner, Innova, Vios, Corolla, Rush, CH-R and Yaris.
“We are delighted that Malaysia is included in the Toyota 5 Continents Drive Project, a project that is of high priority to Toyota Motor Corporation,” said Mr. Takeyama. “The varied conditions of roads and traffic should provide the participants with valuable insights that can help them develop ever-better cars for our customers.”
The route included a drive up the steep slopes of Cameron Highlands, providing an experience of the different humidity levels in the country as well as the road conditions. The convoy then continued south to Singapore with a stop at Shah Alam, Selangor, where UMW Toyota Motor’s head office is located. The participants were briefed on the company’s background, activities, customer profiles, local market conditions and GAZOO Racing (GR) initiatives in Malaysia. After the Malaysian leg ended, the convoy crossed over to Singapore. The remaining countries for the Asian leg are Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
“Toyota has always made reliable cars but today’s customers have more demands, so ‘good’ is no longer enough and we need to offer great cars,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor. “The Toyota 5 Continents Drive Project should help towards developing ever-better cars.”
The 5 Continents Drive Project is carried out under the umbrella of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing initiatives. In Malaysia, the GR Brand is one of the key pillars for brand messaging which includes the Toyota GR Festival, GR Velocity Esports Championship and the recently-introduced GR Garage concept. Malaysia is the first country outside of Japan to adopt this concept for specifically showcasing GR models like the all-new Supra and related products.
To know more about Toyota vehicles available in Malaysia, visit www.toyota.com.my .
Toyota owners and customers in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus, now don’t have to travel far to get sales and services. Unitedstar Corporation Sdn Bhd, which has been UMW Toyota Motor’s business partner since 1995, has opened a 3S (sales, service and spare parts) facility, adding to the Toyota network nationwide.
Unitedstar Corporation Sdn Bhd started off as an authorised Toyota dealership with a sales showroom in Aman Suria, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. It has decided to increase its investment by establishing a full-fledged 3S outlet in Nilai which can provide customers the full range of services at one location.
Dealers encouraged to enhance facilities
“The automobile business has been increasingly competitive and UMW Toyota Motor has encouraged our authorized dealers to enhance their facilities and services, in order to provide the best sales and aftersales services to our customers,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.
“We are very pleased that many of our dealers have taken this initiative and Unitedstar Corporation Sdn Bhd, who has been our dealer for more than 20 years, has expanded its business to provide Toyota customers within Nilai and its surrounding area more comprehensive services. This is a timely move as Toyota customer are expanding and we have new models coming that are appealing and exciting,” he added.
“We are confident that Unitedstar Corporation Sdn Bhd will provide the professional services to Toyota customers and that the ‘Customer First’ philosophy will always be upheld,” he said.
Besides a spacious showroom for customers to view the latest Toyota models, the outlet has a service centre with 10 service bays. While waiting for their Toyota vehicles to be serviced, customers can relax in the lounge which has amenities for their comfort. Owners requiring Genuine Toyota parts can also obtain them at the service centre.
The new dealership joins the network of over 90 authorised Toyota outlets nationwide which provide sales and aftersales services to the increasing number of customers nationwide.
For information on Toyota vehicles and dealership locations in Malaysia, visit toyota.com.my.
It was only last month when UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (Toyota Malaysia) announced that fellow Malaysians can now place their bookings for the all-new 2019 Toyota Corolla. Today, they’ve officially launched their latest mid-range sedan in the grandest of fashion at Genting Highlands. (more…)
You would already have read about an all-new Toyota Corolla Altis being launched in some neighbouring countries, and wondered when the new model will come to Malaysia. Well, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) has already started a teaser campaign and today announces that dealerships will accept pre-launch orders for the new model. So it should be launched in the near future – although the GR Supra’s launch will definitely be earlier.
The Corolla’s history stretches back to 1966 and this new one will be the 12th generation. For many years, it has held the position of the bestselling model of all-time, surpassing the Ford Model T and Volkswagen Beetle, both of which ceased production.
Two variants, no hybrid variant mentioned
In the past few months, there has been speculation that the new Corolla Altis line-up would include a hybrid variant since such a powertrain is now available for the model. Unfortunately, from the press announcement, it appears that Malaysia won’t get this variant as it is not mentioned. Instead, two variants with 1.8-litre engines will be offered and as demand for manual transmissions is low, both are likely to be equipped with automatic transmissions. The estimated on-the-road prices are RM136,888 and RM128,888.
Completely redesigned, re-engineered
The new Corolla Altis has been completely redesigned and re-engineered using TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture). This new architecture (pictured above) enables the engineers to develop cars with better performance, superior driving dynamics and comfort to meet customers’ expectations.
For some years now, Toyota has given greater attention to safety and has quickly added more safety features and systems to its models. The new Corolla Altis gets the latest Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), an integrated set of safety systems that provide a safer driving experience and better protection for everyone in the car.
More details will come when the model is launched but if you already know enough about this new Toyota model to want to be among the first to own one, visit Toyota.com.my to locate an authorized dealership where you can place your booking.
Click here for other news and articles about Toyota in PISTON.MY
UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) has announced a realignment of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in line with the global corporate initiative called ‘Start Your Impossible’ established by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC).
This shift by TMC is carried out to inspire employees, partners and customers to achieve greater heights by attempting missions that they themselves deem impossible – a core company belief that has inspired boundless innovations, transforming the company from that of an automotive to a mobility manufacturer.
Through the new CSR realignment, UMWT has added a mission to realize impossible dreams through sports in its philanthropic pillar. “This year, we will be working with the Paralympic Council of Malaysia to enable more differently abled children to participate actively in sports,” said UMWT’s Deputy Chairman, Akio Takeyama.
Fund-raiser in November
The initiative, Mr. Takeyama said, will begin with a fund-raiser through a Toyota Outrun fun run on November 17, 2019 at Bandar Rimbayu, Kota Kemuning, Selangor. UMWT expects about 3,000 participants to join in the event. A registration fee of RM50 per participant will apply and the proceeds will be channeled to Paralympic Council of Malaysia’s ‘Fitness and Exercise with Person with Disabilities’ programme.
“The funds will be used to equip para athlete trainers around Klang Valley with the skills to train differently abled children. We believe that this would be a sustained effort to discover more hidden talents among children with disability and help them achieve their dream in sports,” Mr. Takeyama added.
Abdul Latif Romly to be campaign ambassador
UMWT has also appointed Paralympic Champion Abdul Latif Romly as its ambassador for this campaign. On the appointment, Mr. Takeyama said: “Latif was up against impossible odds at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. The world saw him broke the T20 long jump world record three times on the same day. It was impossible. Then it wasn’t. At Toyota, mobility is about overcoming challenges and making dreams a reality. That’s why we’re teaming up with Latif to support differently abled children so they too can start their impossible”.
For more information on the Toyota Outrun or to register (from September 10), click here to go to the event microsite.
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After a month-long intense training session, celebrities Syafiq Kyle and Ain Edruce have been given the green light to compete in Season 3 of the Vios Challenge, part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival (TGR Festival). The two young personalities will make their debut in the Promotional class of the one-make race in Round 1 of the TGR Festival on September 6/7 in Kuala Terengganu.
Held for the second time on a 1.65-km street circuit specially constructed for the event at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, the Vios Challenge will feature exhilarating door-to-door action on the track with celebrity, amateur and professional racing drivers competing in three classes of saloon car racing (Promotional, Sporting and Super Sporting classes respectively).
10 celebrities for Season 3
A total of 10 local celebrities will compete in the Promotional category with actress Diana Danielle returning as the defending champion. Already a veteran after racing in the past two seasons, Diana will be challenged by Shukri Yahaya and Janna Nick, beat-boxer Shawn Lee, presenter Nabil Ahmad as well as singers Khai Bahar, Nabila Razali, and Wany Hasrita.
“It has been an incredible experience and I learnt a lot in the training session from understanding the proper racing lines, identifying my braking points, being in the proper gear in corners, how to defend my racing line to how to remain calm and mentally focused driving under pressure,” said 28-year-old Ain.
“I never realized that there is so much science to motor racing. Racing is much more than just the ability to drive fast but it requires in depth understanding of momentum, acceleration, deceleration, balance and handling of a vehicle. Being consistent and precise is the key to setting a quick pace around the track.”
The actress, model and presenter said she has ‘bonded well’ with the new Vios which she will use in the race. She described the racing car as being very perceptive in terms of handling and stable at high speeds. Competitors in all three classes of racing will drive identical Vios race cars as the one-make format prioritizes driving skills and experience instead of any modifications to increased vehicle performance.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old actor Syafiq Kyle hardly feels intimidated with the competition but will approach his first race on a street circuit cautiously. “I am well prepared for the challenge ahead but I believe the most challenging aspect of the race will be competing on a street circuit. This is something I will need to approach cautiously considering all of my training was conducted on a proper racing circuit where it is more forgiving to make mistakes. On a street circuit, there is no room for mistake – one hit against the concrete barrier and you’re out of the race,” he said.
“The strategy for the season will be to drive consistently but competitively, avoid concrete barriers, and try to finish every race,” added the former Hero Remaja 2011/12 finalist and Gol & Gincu actor.
An event for all the family
For motorsports fans and spectators, the excitement of the TGR Festival is not confined to the action and drama on the track. At the Kuala Terengganu venue as well as the other venues, there will also be displays of Toyota’s fleet of latest models (with test drive available) , a drift performance by Japanese drifters courtesy of Toyo Tires, racing simulator challenge, stage games and celebrity performances, promotional activities, lucky draws, the sale of merchandise, and superfans signing session for a chance to meet with the celebrities racing in the Promotional class.
The TGR Festival is an event for all the family to enjoy and starts from 9 am on Friday September 6. It continues through Saturday till late in the evening when prize presentations are made to the winners. Entrance is free and there’s ample parking around the stadium.
For more information and updates on the TGR Festival Season 3, visit toyota.com.my/tgrmalaysia .
The Toyota Eco Youth Program 2019 was launched earlier today by UMW Toyota Motor with the purpose of educating students on the importance of preserving the environment as well as training them to become eco ambassadors for improved quality on life. (more…)
