Shopping for a new car? Shopping for a pre-owned Volkswagen? Then visit authorised Volkswagen dealerships around the country this weekend for great deals on a wide selection of models.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is hosting a one-weekend only ‘Volkswagen Pre-loved Weekend Deals‘ event at 14 participating dealerships on July 20/21 from 11 am till 5 pm.
The prices start from as low as RM39,990 and mileages are low while the vehicles are in a condition almost as good as new.
The showrooms to visit for great deals on a wide selection of pre-loved Volkswagen models.
Ongoing Aftersales Promotions
Existing owners can also enjoy a complimentary check at authorized Volkswagen service centres, while those who are due for an absorber change will receive an additional 20% discount off the retail price if they buy the parts at the service centres. This discount is applicable on genuine Volkswagen shock absorbers and coil springs.
There’s also an ongoing tyre promotion which runs till the end of the year. Owners can purchase high-quality durable tyres from as low as RM184. Additional benefits such as free installation, alignment and balancing depending on the different tyre packages.
A battery doesn’t last forever and if it’s time to get a new one, purchase from an authorised dealer and get a 20% discount. Prices start from RM365 (depending on model) and this offer is available till the end of 2019.
All new Volkswagen cars and SUVs come with 3 years of free scheduled maintenance, a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty and 5 years of complimentary roadside assistance.
5-5-5 benefits for Tiguan and Passat buyers
If you buy and register a new Tiguan, Passat 1.8TSI Comfortline and 2.0TSI Highline before December 31, 2019, VPCM will give you an additional 2 years (or maximum of 75,000 kms) of free scheduled maintenance – which means a total of 5 years that you don’t have to pay for servicing. This is on top of the 5-year unlimited mileage warranty and 5-year complimentary roadside assistance.
Additionally, customers can enjoy a low interest rate of 1.88% per annum on their H-P loan (terms and conditions apply). Add it all up and savings can come to RM13,800 on the Tiguan and up to RM15,100 on the Passat.
For more information, visit any authorised Volkswagen dealership in Malaysia. Locations can be found at www.volkswagen.com.my.
Depending on which segment of the car market you look at, manual transmissions are diminishing in popularity and some carmakers have even stopped offering them. The two giant markets of North America and China see more vehicles with automatic transmissions being sold each year but in Europe and other regions, there is still healthy demand for what is also referred to as the ‘stick shift’.
Until the 1980s, when electronics started to be used to manage automatic transmissions, they were seen as being a hindrance to performance. American drivers liked them as they worked fine with the big engines but on smaller engines, they took away the zip and worse, caused higher fuel consumption. So many motorists maintained the idea that if you wanted to have better fuel economy and you wanted to enjoy driving, stay away from an automatic.
Small number of innovations
The manual transmission has not evolved much since it is a simple unit. From the 1970s onwards, additional gears were added although five has been pretty much the norm for some time. There have been some innovations, a notable one being the TREMEC 7-speed transmission in the Chevrolet Corvette with its 1-4 ‘skip-shift’ strategy to improve fuel economy. Rev-matching technology, which first appeared in the Nissan 370Z, is another advancement that helped less skilled drivers enjoy shifting like a pro.
Although automatic transmissions have been the subject of much improvement and technological advancement, it appears that companies like Volkswagen have not stopped trying to make manual transmissions better. The numbers must still make commercial sense for the engineers to get money to work on them.
New gearbox can reduce CO2 emissions, raise efficiency
Recently, the carmaker announced its new MQ281 state-of-the-art manual gearbox which has better operating efficiency and is claimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 5 gms per kilometre. The new Passat is the first model to be equipped with the MQ281, and this will be followed by almost all models of the Volkswagen Group.
Latest Passat will be the first to have the new 6-speed manual transmission option in some markets.
The trend towards vehicles from the SUV segment with large-diameter wheels places high demands on the gearbox. “With the MQ281, we have developed a highly efficient manual gearbox that reliably meets these demands – and is soon to be introduced into a number of vehicle classes in the volume segment,” explained Helmut Gobbels, Head of Manual Gearbox and Four-Wheel Drive Development at Volkswagen.
The MQ281 has a torque spectrum of 200 to 340 Nm, which means it completely or partially supersedes the current Volkswagen gearbox designs with the internal designations MQ250 and MQ350 respectively.
It is based on a 2.5 shaft concept and boasts a high gear spread of maximum 7.89. On the one hand, this guarantees good driving off performance – even for heavy vehicles with large wheels – and facilitates, on the other hand, ‘downspeeding’, which is (fuel-saving) driving in high gears with low engine speed.
New MQ281 manual transmission will be used in many models in the Volkswagen Group in coming years.
New oil conduction system
Development of the new gearbox focussed primarily on improving efficiency. “Here we employed virtual development methods,” said Gobbels. “This enabled us to design a completely new oil conduction system. Using a variety of oil conduction measures, we are able to achieve a uniform and optimum lubrication of gear wheels and bearings, reducing the amount of lifetime oil required to just 1.5 litres.” To further reduce friction, a bearing concept adapted to the gearbox was developed. The design used friction-minimised bearings with low-contact seals.
Material use and its distribution for the gearbox housing was also optimised. With the aid of a further virtual development tool, a strength-optimised housing structure could be designed. The new housing supports the noise requirements of today (avoidance of undesired secondary noises) and therefore ensures improved driving comfort through less audible and noticeable vibrations in the vehicle.
The Volkswagen Group, with its huge production volumes, is one of the few carmakers that can afford to make its own transmissions, rather than source them from specialists like ZF or Aisin Seiki. It will be produced at two locations – Barcelona in Spain and Cordoba in Argentina.
The only time Volkswagen model officially sold in Malaysia with a manual transmission was the Polo GTI in 2008.
Don’t expect it in Malaysia
It’s unlikely that we’ll get officially-imported Volkswagen models with the new manual transmission in Malaysia. In fact, since the carmaker got into marketing activities about 15 years ago, only one model has been offered with a manual transmission and that was a Polo GTI 1.8. As most other companies have concluded, there is just insufficient demand for manual transmissions in this market. One company importing a small hatchback from Thailand had to stop doing so when the factory said that the volume taken was so low that the price would be higher than for the automatic variant.
With production of the Volkswagen Beetle having ended this month, distributors, clubs and fans of the ‘Bug’ have been organising events and other activities to say farewell. In Malaysia, besides offering limited edition models, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) brought together Beetle owners from around the country.
The owners of 405 Beetles of the three generations since 1938 came together at the event entitled ‘The Beetle, An Iconic Gathering’, which was held at Putrajaya.
All three generations of the Beetle were present at the gathering.
Convoy through the city
The celebration kicked-off early yesterday morning with a convoy of 138 Beetles making their way through the streets of Kuala Lumpur before heading to Putrajaya. It was a colourful parade with many of the cars uniquely customised to reflect the personalities of their owners.
Erik Winter, Managing Director of VPCM, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the owners who had come from as far north as Perlis and also from Johor Bahru for joining the special event.
“It was an emotional moment for us to see the rows and rows of colourful air-cooled and water-cooled Beetle cars and I believe all those who were present shared this sentiment,” he said. “This is a car that has united people across all walks of life, and they all gathered in Putrajaya over one common passion – the Beetle. The sense of kinship was apparent everywhere, and we are grateful to all owners, and especially to our Beetle car clubs and classic Volkswagen communities for making the event a success.”
“This is a car that has united people across all walks of life, and they all gathered in Putrajaya over one common passion – the Beetle.”
Erik Winter, Managing Director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia
The outstanding Beetles
Out of the hundreds of Bugs present, three cars stood out from the crowd and were awarded ‘Best in Show’, while one Beetle, which garnered the most popular vote on social media, won ‘Most Liked Car’. The winners of the ‘Best in Show’ cars were Fairul Irwan, Raja Gopal and Thavanesan a/l Selvaratnam, while Siti Aishah Ismail’s Instagram posting of her Bug earned the ‘Most Liked Car’ title.
After its multi-generational run as a brand mainstay and global automotive phenomenon, the Volkswagen Beetle line has come to an end. The final unit, finished in Stonewashed Blue, was produced at Volkswagen’s factory in Puebla, Mexico which has been the global hub for the modern model since 1998.
Actually, the ‘end of Beetle production’ at Puebla this week was the second time such an event occurred. 16 years ago, in 2003, the factory said farewell to the original Beetles when production ceased after 39 years. It was the last of some 21.5 million units of the same generation produced since 1938.
One of the top 5 bestsellers of all time
The final Beetle will live on display at Volkswagen’s local museum in Puebla as a lasting tribute to the automobile’s rich and storied heritage. While the original Type 1 model will go down in automobile history as one of the top 5 bestselling cars of all time, the New Beetle, as it was known when it was reborn in 1998, was an early automotive adopter of retro design language. Like the modern MINI, it re-introduced the familiar silhouette to a new generation of drivers. Over 1.2 million units were produced, only at the Puebla factory which supplied to 91 global markets.
The third and final generation was launched in 2011 and over 500,000 units have been built up till the final one this week. In total, the second and third generations have been offered (from the factory) in 23 different exterior colours, 32 interior trims, 13 varying engine configurations and 19 special editions. Individual markets have also had special editions, such as the Collectors Edition by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) to say farewell to the model.
75 units of the Collectors Edition of the Beetle are available for the Malaysian market, each one priced at RM164,390 (without insurance), with four colour options to choose from.
Compact SUV model to replace Beetle at factory
The end of Beetle production will allow the Puebla factory to take on the Tarek, a compact SUV model that will be manufactured from next year. The second largest Volkswagen factory also produces the Jetta, Tiguan and Golf. It has an annual capacity of 420,000 engines and in 2018 produced a total of 435,373 vehicles.
The Volkswagen factory in Puebla, Mexico, began operations in 1964.Tarek compact SUV will replace the Beetle on the production line from next year.
The all-electric Volkswagen ID. R continues to set new records, adding the outright Hillclimb record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed to the records set at Nurburgring and Pikes Peak.
The new record in England comes 20 years after it was set by ex-F1 star Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren MP4/13 that, of course, used a conventional internal combustion engine. Heidfeld’s time was 41:60. By stopping the clock in a time of 41.18 seconds, the ID. R averaged 101.4 mph (163.2 km/h) along the challenging 1.16-mile (1.86 km) course.
Further development
With a further year of development behind it, the ID. R produces 500 kW (670 bhp) and 650 Nm of torque, and weighs less than 1,100 kgs with the driver on board. The remarkable Volkswagen can accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h 2.25 seconds, topping out at 270 km/h.
The biggest differences in the technical configuration of the ID. R compared to last year are the size of the lithium-ion batteries on board and the energy management. “The latest evolution of the ID. R has been optimised for a sprint,” explained François-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport. “In Goodwood, the only things that count are maximum power and minimum weight.”
EVs getting more powerful
“A change is taking place in the field of production vehicles and in motorsport. Electric cars are becoming increasingly more powerful and it’s great to see them now rivalling combustion engines on track. To get an idea of how far we’ve developed the car, in 2018, we did 00:43.86 – this year we were almost 3 seconds faster,” noted Volkswagen’s Motorsport Director, Sven Smeets.
As part of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia’s continuous efforts to enhance the ownership experience for its customers, the Volkswagen Tiguan will receive an upgrade of a new 2019 Active Info Display (AID) and LED Taillights (below). The upgrades will take effect on all Tiguan units from March 2019 onwards.
The new Active Info Display (below) has a high resolution display colour thin-film transistor (TFT) that is similar to a smartphone. It incorporates functions and features in 2D and 3D graphic display for navigation and media. There is now a three-view customizable screen via the infotainment with over 30 combinations options. The dials can also be pre-set to show a combination of data and a full 3D view map for better navigation.
On the exterior, the LED Taillights have been updated to a new unit with distinctive light graphics. More than a style factor, the new taillight also incorporates brake animation that enhances visibility for safety. The taillights continue to be an all LED system.
For added peace of mind, the upgrades will see no price hike to the Tiguan, and it will remain priced at RM 165,990 for the Highline and RM 175,990 for the JOIN variant. All Volkswagen cars come with 3 years free maintenance, 5 years unlimited mileage warranty and 5 years roadside assistance. The Tiguan combines a 1.4TSI turbocharged direct injection engine with a 6-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) with sport mode to give an impressive output of 150PS and a torque of 250Nm between 1,500 to 3,500rpm. It boasts an impressive acceleration of 8.9 seconds from 0 to 100kph.
The Tiguan boast safety features such as six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Multi-collision brakes, Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) as well as hill-hold control. For comfort, the Tiguan features Park Assist, Manoeuvre Braking and 3-Zone Climatronic. For complete connectivity, the Tiguan comes with App-Connect for easy access to apps via the 8”-inch infotainment touchscreen via MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple Carplay.
The production of the first generation Tiguan began in 2007 in Wolfsburg and has become Volkswagen’s most successful SUV to date with the 5 millionth unit leaving the assembly line in January 2019. Aside from its worldwide success, the Volkswagen Tiguan has enjoyed local success in Malaysia and is locally assembled at Volkswagen’s Pekan Plant, Pahang. For more information, please visit www.volkswagen.com.my
The Volkswagen Training Academy in Glenmarie recently hosted the National Finals of the 2018/2019 Volkswagen Retail Qualification World Championship (RQWC). The Volkswagen RQWC is a global assessment that consists of online tests, theoretical and practical assessments, and exams that is open to all dealer staff – in particular services advisors, master technicians and parts service advisors. The assessment was created and tailored with the mission to strengthen dealer networks, improve quality and customer satisfaction in addition to providing insights on global standards and practices.
Kicking off last year, a total of 311 participants from the Volkswagen network in Malaysia took part in the online test, and a total of 27 top performers were chosen for the National Finals. The final 27 participants consist of 10 service advisors, 10 parts advisors and 7 master technicians.
The champions of the RQWC National Finals are Mr Lu Weng Jen from MHV Autohaus (Volkswagen Gombak) in the Service Advisor Category; Mr John Leow Zhi Kuan MHV Autohaus (Volkswagen Gombak) in the Parts Services Category; and Mr Yeoh Chun Ping from Goh Brother Motors (Volkswagen Juru) in the Master Technician category.
The 2018/2019 National Finals, which took place from the 19 to 21 February at the Volkswagen Training Academy was broken down into several modules for the respective categories over three days. Services advisors were tested on soft skills, dialogue reception and aftersales systems, whereas parts advisors were tested on role-play scenarios, aftersales systems and underwent a written exam. The Master technicians were tested on dialogue reception, diagnostic competency, technical professional competency and systematic methodology.
Erik Winter, Managing Director of VPCM said that participations in global assessments are a way to continuously ensure excellence in local standards. “It goes without saying that our customers are our top priority – and this is but one of the major initiatives we are taking to uphold our Volkswagen Cares philosophy to provide value-added, quality products and more importantly, exceptional service to our customers across our network.“
The syllabus for the RQWC National Finals are provided by Volkswagen AG, while execution and evaluation were conducted locally by a panel of judges from Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM). For more information, please visit www.volkswagen.com.my
Got plans this weekend? Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has announced a nationwide Chinese New Year Open House at all its authorized dealerships. The Chinese New Year nationwide open house will take place on Saturday 16th February, from 11am till 5pm at all authorized Volkswagen dealerships in the country. Visitors will enjoy ongoing CNY savings up to RM20,000 and Volkswagen owners can take advantage of ongoing aftersales offers.
At the open house event, there will be food, “Yee Sang” and mini activities for the whole family. Find out more about your favourite Volkswagen models, get up close and test drive these models. Volkswagen owners will receive a free battery check and if a battery change is recommended, enjoy 20% discount on new batteries starting from RM365 depending on model. Promotion ends 28th February. Additionally, there is also a tyre promotion where Continental tyres are available from as low as RM184 and comes with free installation, balancing and alignment.
All Volkswagen models come with 3 years’ free maintenance, 5 years’ manufacturer’s warranty and 5 years’ roadside assistance. For more information, visit https://www.volkswagen.com.my/volkswagen-events .
Volkswagen Alor Setar, operated by Lee Motors Autohaus Sdn Bhd has upgraded their dealership from a 3S centre to a 4S centre with the addition of a Body & Paint facility. This brings the total of Volkswagen 4S centres in the country to 10.
Volkswagen Alor Setar is a one-stop centre that spreads over three floors. Spanning over 35,352 square feet, the showroom is located on the ground floor, aftersales service on the second floor and the latest addition of Body & Paint on the third floor. The outlet is strategically located at Aman Central which is the main business hub for the state of Kedah.
The new Body & Paint workshop offers services such as accident repair, paint touch-up and respray, panel knocking recovery, chassis alignment and paint mixing. The facilities available are a spray booth, two preparation bays, a polishing and finishing bay, as well as a two-post hoist bay. A Car-0-Liner alignment bay is available and manned by trained professional panel beater and painters. Volkswagen Alor Setar also uses one of the world’s best water-based paints – Cromax Pro Waterbase, at its new Body & Paint workshop.
Additionally, the 4S outlet is equipped with cargo lifts, diagnostics tools as approved by Volkswagen Germany as well as a special CCTV system where customers can watch their cars being serviced from the comfort of the customer lounge.
Eugene Lee, Director and Dealer Principal of Lee Motors Autohaus said that Lee Motors is fully committed to serving customers with the best service offers and convenience. “Our goal is to serve as a one-stop centre for all things Volkswagen in the region, and to continue building trust amongst our customers and enhance the overall ownership experience.”
Erik Winter, Managing Director Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (above) also congratulated Lee Motors on the upgrade. “Lee Motors have been part of our dealer network for 5 years, and we commend them on their commitment to ensure that high quality and standards are met for our customers. Together with our other dealer partners, we will continue to uphold our Volkswagen Cares promise to increase the joy of ownership of our owners.”
Volkswagen Alor Setar 4S Centre operates from Sunday to Friday from 9:00am to 6:00pm and is closed on Saturdays and on public holidays. Working hours are applicable to sales, service and body & paint.
For more information, please visit an authorized Volkswagen dealership or go to www.volkswagen.com.my
VPCM is inviting you to celebrate Chinese New Year by inviting good luck and prosperity. The Chinese character “Fuu” means good luck and the reason why it is hung upside down is to symbolize that good fortune will come pouring in. Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is kicking off its Chinese New Year celebration by offering great savings on all of its current models and it is enough to turn anyone upside down!
Below are the models and savings that are subjected to terms and conditions while stocks last.
Model
Savings up to
Monthly
Polo
RM6,000
RM720
Vento Comfortline
RM12,000
RM760
Vento Highline
RM8,000
RM870
Golf R-Line
RM4,000
RM1,767
Golf GTI
RM2,000
RM2,550
Golf R
RM2,000
RM3,155
Tiguan Highline
RM5,000
RM1,680
Passat Comfortline
RM20,000
RM1,635
Passat Highline
RM6,000
RM1,976
Beetle Sport
RM2,000
RM1,569
Note: Savings applicable for 2018 year make and limited stock available. Monthly calculation based on 9-year loan tenure with 10% down payment and based on 2.8% interest rate.
Volkswagen customers are always a top priority and here is a reminder to keep safe this festive season. For those looking to change their tyres, be sure to check out the ongoing tyre deals from as low as RM184 with free installation, balancing and alignment depending on the number of tyres purchased.
For peace of mind, there is also a battery campaign where all Volkswagen owners can visit authorized dealerships for a free battery check. Those in need of a battery change will enjoy 20% discount off new batteries starting from RM365 depending on model. This battery deal will run from 15th January till 28th February.
All Volkswagen models come with 3 years free maintenance, 5 years manufacturer’s warranty and 5 years roadside assistance. For more information, visit an authorized Volkswagen dealership or go to www.volkswagen.com.my
