For all the difficulties in getting parts, especially microprocessors, that the auto industry faced in 2022, it was certainly a great year with the Total Industry Volume (TIV) expected to be over 700,000 units when the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) announces the full year sales results soon.
While the two Malaysian carmakers continued to dominate the market, the bestselling non-Malaysian brand was Toyota, with 100,042 vehicles delivered during the year. While some may be confused as we reported on Honda being the No.1 brand, the difference is that Honda was No.1 in passenger vehicle sales alone – excluding pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles which it does not sell.
After completing 10 months of sales, Toyota continues to lead among non-national brands in Malaysia, with a cumulative volume from January to October 2022 reaching 79,308 units. The brand has consistently been a market leader throughout the year, especially in the pick-up truck segment.
Continuing the positive upward trend which started at the beginning of the year, the October sales volume of new vehicles delivered by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) was 9,281 units, (9,175 of Toyota brand and 106 of Lexus brand). It was the third month of sales volume being above 9,000 units this year. Compared to the sales volumes in September 2022, the October sales volume of 9,281 units was 0.5% higher.
UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) is inviting Malaysian children to share their ideas on the future of mobility by dreaming up and drawing their ideal car. The best submissions will be entered for the 16th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest which will be held in 2023 in Japan.
Since 2013, Malaysia has been among the many countries participating in the global drawing competition held by Toyota. While inspiring creativity among the next generation through their art, the competition aims to motivate children from all corners of the globe to visualise the future of mobility.
For the 16th edition of the contest, the theme is ‘Your Dream Car’ and is open to children in three age categories – 7 years old and under; 8 – 11 years old; and 12 – 15 years old. Each country will first run a national contest and for Malaysia, this will be from October 31, 2022 to February 14, 2023. The top three entries in each category will then be entered for the World Contest evaluation to be held in Japan in 2023.
At long last, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) has launched the Toyota Veloz, a crossover MPV that takes over from the Avanza in the B-segment. The Veloz is a notch higher with a more premium image than the Avanza, reflecting Toyota’s ongoing aim of delivering ever better cars.
It’s no secret that the new Veloz is a similar model to the new Perodua Alza and it is even assembled in the same factory near Rawang, Selangor. It isn’t the first time UMWT is using Perodua’s factory also assembled the first Avanza as well as the Rush. It’s a practical approach when the model is similar as there is no point duplicating assembly for a smaller volume at another plant.
Shared models are nothing new in the industry and have been a practice for many decades. In earlier years, the sharing was usually between different brands of the same manufacturer. However, as model development grew much more expensive, it made sense to collaborate and share the costs. The advantages in this include cost-savings in many parts as the suppliers can have orders with bigger volumes for the same part or system.
However, the Veloz does cost more to Malaysian consumers at RM95,000, compared to the Perodua model which has a price range of RM62,500 to RM75,500. That the Veloz costs more than the Alza will raise the question of why anyone would want to pay more for what is essentially the same product. This is where brand preference and loyalty come in and while Perodua is the market leader in Malaysia, Toyota is also a strong brand with a longer history in the market. Interbrand’s assessment of brand value for 2021 placed Toyota at the top of the list among carmakers and seventh among all companies worldwide.
Now that we’ve got that point out of the way, let’s look at what the Veloz offers. Only one variant is available so they’ve loaded it with everything and customers won’t need to make a choice of which variant to buy. But they will have to choose one of 5 body colours, two of which have a black roof.
Authorised Toyota dealerships are now accepting bookings for an updated Toyota Harrier which will soon be launched in Malaysia by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT). The current generation has been in the market since February 2021 and now gets an improved look and feel.
The new Harrier, with a Dynamic Force 2-litre engine, will be available in Luxury and Special Edition versions and a choice of 5 exterior colours – Slate Grey Metallic, Precious Black, Steel Blonde Metallic, Dark Blue Metallic and Platinum White Pearl – with the Special Edition having an exclusive Metallic Red finish. The on-the-road price without insurance will be from RM274,000.
The Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) programme in Malaysia has been one of the most enduring programs, having been run without fail each year from 2001. Organized annually by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) in collaboration with the Malaysian Ministry of Education, the TEY programme has created among Malaysian youth awareness of the importance of preserving the environment and cultivating good habits to achieve that goal.
Theme for 2022 This year, it will have the theme of ‘Championing Mobility’ which ties in with Toyota’s ongoing commitment towards paving the way forward as a mobility company that supports the creation of more independent, safe, and eco-friendly mobility solutions.
As supply improves, the car companies are able to deliver more vehicles to waiting customers and many have seen significant increases each month. These include UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT), which reported a total of 9,091 units comprising 8,961 units of Toyota vehicles and 130 units of Lexus vehicles. The total volume was 37% higher than what was achieved in July (6,637 units).
Cumulative deliveries for the first 8 months of the year reached 61,639 units (Toyota and Lexus combined), 62% higher than for the same period in 2021 when the cumulative volume was 38,085 units.
The company is looking forward to even better numbers in coming months as it will soon launch the new Toyota Veloz MPV. Since bookings opened in June, some 5,200 orders have been collected for the 7-seater MPV which will take over from the Avanza.
For the past 4 years, Muhammad Iqbal Suji has been in pursuit of a title – champion of the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship. And this year, he finally got it as he powered to an emotional race victory in the finale of Season 5 of the championship held at the 1Utama Shopping Mall in Selangor.
Racing in front of a live audience at the venue as well as online ,the 24-year-old from Selangor clinched the Grand Prize of RM20,000 cash to beat 9 other finalists in a series of 3 races in the closely-fought final races.
“Toyota’s on-track and online racing activities are about empowering the dreams of individuals – propelling them to excel. The organizing of the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship gives those who excel online an ideal platform to further develop and unleash their fullest potential with some even transitioning into real racing,” said UMW Toyota Motor President, Ravindran K, adding that Toyota’s combination of physical and online racing since 2018 has given the company the opportunity to contribute immensely to greater promoting Malaysian motorsports.
Top 3 to represent Malaysia Muhammad Iqbal will now have to put aside friendly rivalry to lead a 3-man Malaysian team consisting of Muhammad Uzair and Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira who finished second and third, respectively. This team will compete to the regional finals of the Toyota GAZOO Racing GT Cup organized by Toyota Motor Asia Pacific to be held on October 2.
This also gives Team Malaysia the chance of going on to represent Asia in the Global ESports finals to be held in Monaco on November 25.
Members of the public also had a chance to experience sim racing and try to beat a target lap time.
“Winning the event made me recall all the emotions and frustrations of not getting the position that I felt I deserved over the last few years and now that I finally have, it feels great and steaming hot!” said Muhammad Iqbal.
The final showdown The 20 racers who took part in the Grand Finale had come up from an initial group of more than 500 contestants who had participated in a gruelling qualifying round held between July 9 and 17. The 3-race final showdown began with a 15-minute sprint Race 1 at Brazil’s 4.309-km Autodromo Interlagos which saw 2-time defending champion Taj Izrin Aiman winning and taking an early lead in the overall point standings. In second place was Muhammad Iqbal while finishing third was Muhammad Uzair.
In Race 2, which was also held at Interlagos and also with the 591 bhp Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept, the 30-minute session was decided in the last very last lap with 29-year-old Muhammad Uzair keeping his cool until the penultimate moments of the race to get ahead of race leader Dhanesh Wigneswaran. That race however, proved disastrous for Taj Izrin Aiman who ran as high as fourth position before finishing seventh.
The races were also broadcast live with two commentators reporting on the action.
“I really expected Muhammad Iqbal and Taj Izrin Aiman to be ahead. I just tried all out without thinking too much,” said Uzair who made the most of traffic on the track to inch his way ahead of the field. That victory had momentarily placed him in the lead of the overall point standings with one final race to complete.
Race 3 proved to be the hardest fought 40-minutes with racers getting behind the wheel of a 1,000 bhp Toyota TS050 Hybrid around the 7.004-km Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. In the end, it was Muhammad Iqbal who drove to a classy and composed race victory, finishing 8 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor on the track, Taj Izrin Aiman, and Muhammad Uzair in third.
Muhammad Iqbal Suji on his way to victory in the final race.
“In Race 3, I made a critical mistake and I overshot the first corner. That disrupted the momentum for my race. I’ve driven my best, and I would like to thank UMW Toyota Motor for continuing to organize the ESports championship and congratulate Muhammad Iqbal who drove to a remarkable championship victory,” said Taj Izrin Aiman.
Drivers and celebrities competing in the Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge race series, members of the media, invited gamers, and young drivers in the Vios Challenge rookie class, also took part in 4 exhibition races.
The celebrity race was won by actor Zizan Razak, followed by presenter Nabil Ahmad and another actor Shukri Yahaya, who coincidentally also happen to be the top three contenders in the Promotional Class of the Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge racing series.
Besides the successful and popular Toyota Vios Challenge one-make series, UMW Toyota Motor has also been running another motorsport series – in the virtual world. This is the Toyota GR Velocity E-sports Championship which is in its fifth year in 2022. The most lucrative local online racing series in the country offering cash prizes, it is also the first and only E-sports motorsports-racing event promoted by a Malaysia car company.
First held in 2018, the number of participants in the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship has grown exponentially, with the event drawing more than 1 million online spectators per season. “2022 marks the fifth season of not only the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship, but also the Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge race series. It used to be that virtual racing and real racing are two very different entities, but we are honoured to have witnessed first-hand how both disciplines are contributing immensely towards producing Malaysia’s next generation of competitive racing drivers,” said UMW Toyota Motor President, Ravindran K.
He noted that the company has successfully pioneered the transition of 4 young simulator drivers into saloon car racing over the last 2 years. One of those drivers is Nabil Azlan, who finished third in last year’s GR Velocity Esports Championship and is today not only competing in saloon car racing but is also one of the championship frontrunners in the Rookie Class of the Vios Challenge race series.
Fighting for RM70,000 price purse
This weekend will see the final showdown of the season at the 1Utama Shopping Mall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. With 11 races in 4 distinctive racing cars. this year’s winner will emerge from the 20 best online racers competing against each other for a total prize pool of RM70,000 and a ticket to represent Malaysia on the international arena.
The 20 racers have come up from an initial group of more than 500 contestants who had participated in a gruelling qualifying round held between July 9 and 17. This weekend’s Grand Finale will see 2 rounds of semi-final races being held to decide the top 10 drivers for the final.
The semi-finals will see racers battling it out on two circuits: the 4.265-km Brands Hatch and 3.8-km Goodwood circuits in the United Kingdom. The racers will drive the Toyota SFR Racing concept and a Toyota 86 Group B rally car, respectively.
For the final races, the battle will take place on Brazil’s 4.309-km Autodromo Interlagos behind the wheel of a 591 bhp Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept, and also a 1,000 bhp Toyota TS050 Hybrid at the 7.004-km Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Past winners return
Among the favourites returning this weekend are 2-time defending champion Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, and the 2020 runner-up and third place winners Muhammad Iqbal Ahmad Suji and Mior Hafiz, as well as 2018 winner Muhammad Uzair. All 4 racers have had the opportunity to go on to the Regional Finals and will be hoping that 2022 will be the year which sees the first Malaysian driver going on to represent Asia in the Global Finals.
Exhibition races
There will also be 4 exhibition races during the weekend event, involving drivers and celebrities competing in the Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge. Members of the media, invited gamers and young drivers in the Vios Challenge rookie class will also be invited to join in.
The celebrity line-up includes actors Zizan Razak and Shukri Yahaya; television hosts Nabil Ahmad, Ain Edruce and Ahirine Ahirudin; and singers Khai Bahar, Wany Hasrita and Nabila Razali. The Vios Challenge rookies will be 4 young drivers – Adele Liew, Nabil Azlan, Sharique Zulqarnain and Muizz Musyaffa.
Besides watching the event live at 1Utama, the races will also be broadcast live on Astro’s eGG Channel, as well as the Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia Facebook and YouTube pages.
UMW Toyota Motor has been having a good year so far, with sales headed upwards each month. And after 6 months, the cumulative volume for Toyota and Lexus vehicles delivered nationwide has reached 45,911 units. That’s an impressive 35% increase over the 34,111 units delivered during the same period in 2021.
Strong sales were evident almost every month, in spite of the supply issues that affect many car companies. June alone contributed 8,939 units (of which 69 units were of the Lexus brand), which was almost 1,500 units more than the May volume.
With the end of the sales tax exemption, UMWT is expecting some negative impact although it is not likely to last long. This is mitigated with some early signs of recovery on the global shortage of semiconductors and microchips in the second half of this year. This will enable production to ramp up and will allow the company to introduce further new models.
“Shifting gears into the second half of 2022, UMW Toyota Motor is focused on going the ‘ExtraMile’ to provide Toyota owners with the best ownership and after-sales experience by reimagining what ownership is about. Looking ahead, shifting consumer behaviour will likely place value on advanced automotive technologies and comprehensive security features supported by a host of value-added aftersales services,” said Ravindran K, President of UMW Toyota Motor.
“At UMW Toyota Motor, we offer owners not only the best technological advancement at their fingertips for a smoother and safer drive, we go the ExtraMile to enhance their ownership journey. Through financial and insurance packages, top-notch servicing and Toyota 24/7 roadside assist, we are confident in delivering an unforgettable journey from the starting line by taking great care of our customers from the moment they enter our doors,” he explained.
Toyota Veloz coming soon (Thai version shown).
New Veloz coming soon
The company is looking forward to launching the all-new Toyota Veloz which is a premium crossover model. The 7-seater was launched in Indonesia last November and has been well received. Depending on the market, the Veloz is considered as a new model line or as a successor to the Avanza. In Malaysia, UMWT says it will replace the Avanza and comes with the highest specification and advanced features.
The model will have a 1.5-litre DVVT engine and have an estimated price of RM95,000 (without insurance). Bookings are now accepted prior to the launch and from what we hear, there’s a lot of interest, especially with its promise of good fuel efficiency, safety and extensive list of features.
