Volvo Car Malaysia expands into Sarawak

Volvo owners will now be able to service their cars at the two authorised service centres in Sarawak, located in Sibu and Kuching with more locations planned in the future

Greatwall Group of Companies has been appointed as the new 2S representative.

Wanted - a small car for city driving in Malaysia

Wanted a small, affordable second car for city driving in Malaysia.
The maximum budget is RM 40K (approx £7298).

If I had that budget here in the UK, I would probably go for a second hand car and would have several options.

However, in Malaysia there are only 2 options available, namely the Perodua ViVA (Yes! That is how the name is written) with prices starting from RM 24,936.45 (for the ViVA 660 BX - Manual, solid white colour) and the Proton Saga with prices from RM 33,426 (for the Saga SV Manual, solid white colour). The SV stands for Super Value.

Dimension wise, the Perodua ViVA (3575 x 1475 x 1530) is slightly smaller but taller than the Proton Saga (4278 x 1680 x 1520).

Looking at the websites of the two Malaysian car companies, I am quite impressed with the information provided from engine specs in detail to the various accessories available.

Though there is nearly RM 8000 difference in prices between the two cars, the Viva seems quite underpowered even for a city car with an engine displacement of only 659 cc. If I choose the ViVA 850 - Manual (847cc), prices goes up to RM 32,756.45.

I am not too concerned about the maximum speed but I am definitely interested in the fuel efficiency.

The Perodua website does not tell us anything about the fuel efficiency, other than mentioning that the cars have been equipped with "Dynamic Variable Valve Timing (DVVT), Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) and Electronic Fuel Injection  (EFI)".

The Proton Saga has a CamPro IAFM, 4-cylinder, DOHC 16V 1332cc engine and according to their website, the fuel consumption at @ 90km/h (approx. 56m/h) is 5.7 litres.

So if you had RM 40000 to spend on a car, I would definitely recommend the Proton Saga.

Volvo V40 makes Malaysian debut

The new Volvo V40 models made their Malaysian debut at Mid Valley, Megamall concourse today. The models were the new Volvo V40 T4, the Volvo V40 T5 and the Volvo V40 Cross Country. The Volvo V40 boasts a 5 star NCAP rating and a host of new innovations such as Knee Airbags for the driver and radar based Cross Traffic Alert.

At the launch was Keith Schäfer, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, who has taken over the reins from Goran Larson (retiring Volvo Car Asia President), a couple of weeks ago.

According to the press relese, the V40 T4 model will be available from RM173,888 for the V40 T4 model, RM188,888 for the T5 model and RM198,888 for the V40 Cross Country. In addition, they come with 5 years free servicing, inclusive of parts, 5 years free warranty and 5 years Volvo On-Call cover.

Keith Schäfer, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia together with Mr. Lee Ming Tiong, Sales Director of Volvo Car Malaysia

Volvo V40 Cross Country

(From left to right): Sales Director of Volvo Car Malaysia Lee Ming Tiong, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, Mr. Keith Schäfer, and President of Volvo Car Asia,Goran Larsson

Thanks to David Lau for the info and pics

Alfa Romeo Giulia 50th Anniversary Celebration in Malaysia

The Alfa Romeo Giulia 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Citta Mall, Ara Damansara on the 15th July 2012 from 08:30am till 02:00pm .

The event is open to all and organisers reported that they have close to 200 parking lots reserved for Alfa Romeos(both Classic & modern) and Classic Italian cars .

A lot of activities are planned for the event and you can also enjoy wide variety of food at Citta Mall as well.

Thanks for the info Ganesh. Unfortunately I will not be around in Malaysia to enjoy the event.

2 Lotus F1 teams

Latest press release from Lotus.

Group Lotus plc and Genii Capital are joining hands and we will soon see the Renault F1 Team renamed as ‘Lotus Renault GP’ from the start of the 2011 racing season onwards.

Group Lotus plc will acquire a major equity stake in the team from Genii Capital. Genii, an investment holding company with a portfolio of automotive technologies, bring non-F1™ technologies such as lightweight braking systems, variable compression engine technology and on board software systems to the partnership. In addition to this, Genii is also offering Proton the ability to leverage on its existing business relationships in Russia and other parts of the world, as a means to expand Proton's global reach. Through Genii, Proton can also potentially access advanced automotive technologies by virtue of Genii’s association with Mangrove, a venture capital group.

However, I wonder where that leaves Team Lotus (also powered by Renault) led by AirAsia CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.

Some quotes:

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar:

"I can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1™. We’re well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1™ and I’m delighted to be able to formally clarify our position: We are Lotus, and we are back.”

Dato' Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, Chairman of Proton, Lotus majority shareholder:

"We know that Group Lotus has much to offer Formula 1™ and vice versa. After careful consideration, we believe this arrangement will be fruitful, both from a commercial and marketing point of view."

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Proton advisor and former Prime Minister of Malaysia:

"This is an exciting development which delivers strategic benefits to both Group Lotus and Proton. I fully support the partnership."

Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault:

“This multi-partner alliance will bring a new dynamic to the team and enable it to compete with the sport’s best from next season.”

Gerard Lopez, founding partner of Genii Capital:

“For Group Lotus, access to Formula 1™ opens up new marketing opportunities and a major platform for business exchanges and development. In this regard, Genii Capital possesses shareholdings in, and direct access to, cutting edge companies in the automotive industry. Our tie-up with Group Lotus and Proton, which will enable its future road car ranges to take advantage of significant new technologies, is a natural step.”

Malaysia to become regional hub for Peugeot

French carmaker Peugeot has chosen the Malaysian Naza group to spearhead its expansion in the region following the success of the marque in the country. The Naza Group was appointed official distributor for the Peugeot brand in January 2008. 3,766 units of Peugeot vehicles were sold in 2009 which accounted for 86% of Peugeot sales in the Asean region.

Former Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir launched the Peugeot 207 yesterday. Codenamed as the T33 Project, the car is different from the 207 sold here in the UK and is actually a modified version of the 206. The only difference from the 206 is that it has a slightly elongated boot at the back making it a sedan. The car will be assembled at the Naza plant in Gurun, Kedah.

The car is powered by a 1.6L engine and price on the road with insurance starts from RM72,888 (approx. £14647).

Click link for information on Car rental France.

Review of MillionCars website

I recently found out about a new Malaysian online car marketplace called MillionCars. It is is not the typical car site and targets all income ranges of consumers in Malaysia. The website has not been even officially launched even though it's already online. Right now it only offers limited features to the users and the first phase development of this website is just to give a chance for the dealers and buyers to get used to the website.

At this moment, individuals or dealers can register. The individual account is open to anyone in Malaysia who wants to sell a car. Individuals would receive 25 credits at registration and they can use the credits to post, renew, add and pro long their ads. If they want to post more than 4 ads, they need to upgrade their account to a dealer.

The second type of account is strictly for car dealers. They will receive 250 credits at the time of registration and they will also get their own online showroom that can be seen from the "Dealer" Page. The free registration promotion for dealers will end mid November (Nov 15, 2010). The google map feature has been integrated to make it easier for the customers to get to their selected dealer's showroom.

As for payment options, the website is integrated with the iPay88, a Malaysian company that offers safe bank online payments. It works just like Paypal. The iPay88 payment system allows different payment systems.

According to Muhammad Nasri, they plan to offer extra features in the next few months for both the buyers and sellers. They are in the process of tweaking the site to make it more user-friendly.

The user could browse used or new cars easily from the front page. Also, keep in mind that this website is not targeted for middle range type of consumers but rather, targeting for all types of consumers in Malaysia.

Technology that powers the Lotus Racing team

Mia Sharizman Bin Ismail, Head of Operations (Asia) of Lotus Racing talks about the growth and opportunities for Malaysians in the ICT sector and in developing a k-economy. I have taken part of the interview that relate to the F1 races.

(From L-R) Mia Sharizman Ismail,Head of Operations (Asia), Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Racing, and Alex Yoong (former F1 driver).

How important is the role of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) solutions in Formula 1?

Mia: ICT is definitely crucial in F1. Firstly, as a communication tool. The entire team must be in constant communication, whether it be in the factory, on the circuit, in the pit walk, on the track and even between the driver and the team during the actual race.

Secondly, ICT is fundamental in the engineering of the F1 car. This covers a range of processes, from the design to the manufacturing of the F1 car. At Lotus Racing, we have to meet all the state of the art requirements needed in F1, and this includes having a team of trained specialist in F1 technology. We also need huge storage capacity, high speed communications, and complex ICT network solutions and infrastructure.

Another crucial area for ICT is in F1 simulation. The Data Acquisition system collects data from the F1 car which is equipped with multi-functional sensory. The data then is transferred back to track side, while the car is moving around the circuit. This data can be used to simulate any F1 track in the world!

What are the programmes available in the Lotus Racing team for Malaysians; aimed at building Malaysia’s expertise and knowledge of building an F1 team and its facilities?

Mia: We are at early stages in hiring Malaysians onto the team, be it in the ICT field or in other fields. Our goal is to ensure that Malaysians acquire the expertise needed to be a contributing member of the F1 team by providing them with first hand experience.

We’ve also started to implement our internship programs with students. Given that we are a young F1 team, we can only accommodate a group of 5-6 students at any given time. The internship programme is held every quarter of the year and Malaysian students who are in their final year of education in universities here in the UK are shortlisted from a pool of write-in applications.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for young Malaysians to gain valuable experience and soak in the excitement of being a part of one the automotive world’s most prestigious racing platform.

How much has Malaysians progressed in the Automotive/Racing sector from our partnerships to bring the 1Malaysia F1 Racing Team to where it is today in the F1 arena?

Mia: In terms of partnership, we are working with Italy for the wind tunnel system which is critical in developing the aerodynamics of our cars. In Germany, we are working with our Competent Fuel Design (CFD) house. Additionally, we are also in the midst of moving these infrastructures into our Higham, Norfolk centre here in the UK - a major step on our part. We have now grown from outsourcing to developing in-house capabilities or to be partners instead of bystanders. This provides us an avenue to gain as much knowledge and expertise as possible.

As, Dato’ Tony Fernandes mentioned, it is our 3 year plan to make this facility available in Sepang. In view of this, we are also in partnership with two Malaysian universities - University Technology Malaysia (UTM) and University Petronas Malaysia. Collectively, we are working on developing Lotus Racing facilities in Malaysia and my duty is to ensure that the transfer of knowledge happens.

What are the goals in ICT solutions (software and/or hardware) that 1Malaysia Lotus F1 team is aiming for in order to improve its standing in F1 racing?

Mia: In a nutshell, our goals are similar to that of a car developer. And that is to produce a vehicle with maximum performance and a system with great reliability. To achieve this, from an operations point of view is to be as efficient as we possibly can.

Ultimately, what we are all about is getting the extra seconds for both our cars. For us, it’s vital to leverage on existing technology whilst developing new ones, for that extra boost in performance. Our yardstick is to finish in a race, and everything we do moves towards achieving just that.

Give us an example, of one automotive/racing technology used in Lotus Racing which you feel best demonstrates ‘cutting edge’ technology?

Mia: At the moment, I would say that that is the CFD. This relates to the wind tunnel simulation, where we take the car models from the design office and we create a simulation in the virtual world. This is how we gain aerodynamic advantage with our cars and is cutting edge technology made possible with super computers. We are striving all the time to get even better accuracy which translates to a higher performance car design.

Tell us about some of the milestones in your career leading up to where you are today in the Lotus Racing team?

Mia: Well, I was in the Sepang circuit management for about 5 years. Then I moved on to promote and organize international races around the Asia Pacific region like in China, Japan and Korea. And though I’ve had great moments in my career, I must say that our cars finishing in Bahrain recently is truly a pivotal moment in my career. We were all in complete exhilaration and that feeling of gratification was immense for everyone. I remember Dato’ Tony saying that we’ve made history!

What are the benefits or perks that comes with your position in the 1Malaysia Lotus F1 team?

Mia: Malaysia is a developing country with a strong vision to progress towards the status of a developed country. When we made our way into F1 ten year ago, Malaysia joined the ranks of the small group of developed countries around the world. That makes me proud and I believe that every step we take to becoming a developed nation is vital. Being able to play a part in that process with the F1, is a great perk in my career.

What does a Malaysian have to do to make their way to the 1Malaysia F1 Racing team?

Mia: What we try to inspire here, is that Malaysians has the ability to make it big. So if you do have that special talent, work at it and don’t give up. When we put out our recruitment advertisement for just one day last year, we received 6,500 applications! Of that group, 16 Malaysians made it to be part of the team. So, never say never.

Dr. Mahathir talks about Proton

Dr.Mahathir bin Mohamad is the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is an advisor to Proton, the Malaysian car company which was also his brainchild.

Anyway, he recently wrote about Proton's progress in his blog and how he was surprised that the Lotus racing team was able to get their car ready in such a short time. They just debuted this season.

In case you were not aware, Lotus is owned by Proton and Lotus Racing is run by 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn. Bhd., a partnership between Government of Malaysia (through Proton) and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs. The Team’s principal is Tony Fernandes , CEO of Malaysian budget airline Air Asia.

LDV files for administration

Birmingham based van maker LDV applied for administration. 800 jobs at its Birmingham factory and another 1,200 in various dealerships are at stake.

However, the interesting news is that Malaysian investor Westar is said to be in advanced talks to take control of the company. If that happens, it will become the second British automobile company to be taken over by the Malaysians. The first was Lotus which was taken over by Proton in 1996.

The Nissan Sylphy

One of Nissan's best selling cars - the Sylphy has finally reached Malaysia. It was launched last week by Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd, Nissan's official distributor in Malaysia.



It features an alluminium MR20DE 4 cylinder engine with continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The 2-litre executive sedan is locally assembled and is priced approx. RM112,800 between and RM116,800 on-the-road. It will be available in 6 colours.

Toyota Rush launched in Malaysia

The Toyota Rush was recently launched in Malaysia. There are three variants, namely 1.5GT A/T, i.5GT M/T and 1.5S A/T.



The SUV is imported as completely built-up units (CBU)from Indonesia. The car comes with a warranty of three years/100,000km (whichever comes first).

According to a report in The Star, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd, aims to sell 600 units of the new Toyota Rush per month this year.

New Proton Saga launched

Remember my post on the BLM concept? Well the real thing is here.

Malaysian carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd, yesterday launched the second generation Saga (or is it the 3rd or 4th) at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. It is 23 years since the first Saga was launched by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohammad.

The car does look great and the prices are not that bad either:

N-LINE (Entry line)
1.3MT (S) RM 31,500.00

B-LINE (Base-LINE)
1.3AT (M) RM 37,998.00
1.3AT (S) RM 37,548.00
1.3MT (M) RM 34,998.00
1.3MT (S) RM 34,548.00

M-LINE (Medium-LINE)
1.3AT (M) RM 39,998.00
1.3AT (S) RM 39,548.00
1.3MT (M) RM 37,498.00
1.3MT (S) RM 37,048.00

*S stands for solid paint while M stands for metallic paint.
** AT stands for automatic transmission while MT stands for manual transmission.

You can book the car online with a booking fee of RM 500.00



According to Chairman Azlan Hashim, the company expects to sell 50,000 to 60,000 units of the new Saga model each year.

Proton BLM concept

One of my friends forwarded these photographs of the Proton Base Line Model (BLM) concept. Apparently LG CNS Design Studio helped to design the model. Not sure it got leaked and not sure whether you can call it a spy shot. Really looks muscular but the thing I really like in the photographs are the sports rims.





Read more about it in Wikipedia and Paul Tan''s blog.

Proton's Islamic car idea

I couldn't believe it when I read about Proton's plan to come out with an Islamic car on Ainee's blog. Read the Reuter's report here.

So what's Islamic about the car?

Well, it will come equipped with a compass that points to Mecca, and a compartment meant specifically to put the Koran, the Islamic holy book. Proton plans to develop the car jointly with Iran and Turkey.

Apparently the idea came from the Iranians.


Pic from the Proton site.

Zagross Khodro Car Industries Co., the sole assembler and distributor of Proton in Iran has recently ordered 5,000 units of the Waja (called Impian in foreign markets) to be used as taxis in Iran. This is part of a US$200 million urban public transportation renewal initiative in Tehran. The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia, Dato' Sri Mohd Effendi Norwawi unveiled the green coloured taxi at a ceremony there. Read the press release: 'Proton clinches orders for 5,000 WAJA for Iran'.

At first I thought it is a ridiculous idea but then it might be a great marketing idea. If that is what customers in Muslim countries want, why not?

New Proton Persona

Malaysian car company Proton, launched a new model yesterday - the Proton Persona.

The new 1.6-litre Persona sedan will replace the Proton Wira (sold as the Proton Persona in the UK). the Wira has been the cash cow for Proton since it's launch 14 years ago.

Their site was down yesterday as well as today morning and was only able to get in just now. I still can't get into the Proton Edar site still.

When I first saw the spy shot pictures sometime back, to me it looked almost identical to their Gen 2- an elongated Gen 2 but I slowly noticed the differences.

Featuring the 1.6L 82kw (110bhp) Campro engine, the Persona is available in 5 variations, that will be available in five-speed manual (MT) or four-speed automatic transmission (AT) versions:
- 1.6 Base Line Model - 2 variants (AT and MT).
This variant is a Base model with 4 power windows, CD player and basic features.
- 1.6 Medium Line Model - 2 variants (AT and MT).
This variant is the Medium range model and has additional features from the Base Line variant, such as driver's airbag, alloy rims, foldable rear seats, MP3 player and electric door mirror.
- 1.6 High Line Model – (Only available in AT).
This variant is an extension of the Medium range variant, with features such as dual airbags, ABS, EBD and standard Captor alarm.

Customers will have a choice of seven colours, namely, Solid Red, Light Gold, Metal Grey, Tranquility Black, Iridescent White and Blueberry Tea. Solid white will be available from September this year.

Dimensions:
Overall Length: 4477mm
Overall Width: 1725mm
Overall Height: 1438mm
Fuel Capacity: 50 L
Luggage Volume: 430 L
Weight: 1180 - 1210 KG

I also learnt that one of the major complaints - the low headroom at the rear have been addressed.

Company Chairman Mohammed Azlan Hashim, forecasts sales of the Persona to reach between 30,000 and 40,000 units in the next 12 months.

I don't have more details or pictures at the moment. Will post them up when I do. I would really appreciate it if any one back in Malaysia could send me some pictures.

In the meantime, you can read what Paul Tan has to say about the car.

New Proton sedan coming soon

Malaysian car company Proton has provided a sneak peak of it's to "be launched soon" sedan on it's site. They call this the "soft launch". The real official launch will be tentatively on the 15th of August. They don't have a name for it as yet.

From the silhouette, it looks like the gen 2 with an elongated rear.

Customers can now book the car for a fee of RM500 (transferable but strictly non-refundable). There will be 5 variants of the car

Here are some of the specs:

Dimensions:
Overall Length - 4477mm
Overall Width - 1725mm
Overall Height - 1438mm
Fuel Capacity - 50 Liitres
Luggage Volume - 430 Litres
Weight - 1180 - 1210 KG

Initially it will be available in 6 colours, namely, Iridescent White, Solid Red, Light Gold, Tranquility Black, Metal Greyand Blueberry Tea. Solid White will be available from September 2007 onwards.

1.6 L Base-Line (MT & AT)

• Steel Wheels with 195/60 R15 tyres with wheel cover
• Central Locking
• FR & RR Power Windows
• Alarm with Immobilizer
• Brakes: Fr Discs, Rear Drum
• Remote Door Mirrors
• Reverse Sensors
• Fixed Rear Seat
• adio & CD Player with 2 speakers

1.6 L Medium-Line (MT & AT)

• Alloy Sports Rims with 195/60 R15 tyres
• Central Locking
• FR & RR Power Windows
• Alarm with Immobilizer
• Brakes: Fr Discs, Rear Drum
• Electrically operated door mirrors
• Driver Seat Airbag
• Reverse Sensors
• Foldable, split rear seats
• Multi function audio control buttons on the steering wheel
• CD and MP3 Players with 4 speakers

1.6 L High-Line (AT)

• Alloy Sports Rims with 195/60 R15 tyres
• ABS anti-lock braking with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
• Central Locking
• FR & RR Power Windows
• Alarm with Immobilizer
• Brakes: Fr & Rear Discs
• Electrically operated door mirrors
• Driver & Front Passenger Airbags
• Reverse Sensors Foldable, split rear seats
• Multi function audio control buttons on the steering wheel
• CD and MP3Players with 4 speakers
• Front Fog Lamps Remote Trunk Opening

NOTE:
MT- Manual Transmission
AT - Automatic Transmission

Tags: proton sedan

Suzuki assembles Swift in Malaysia

Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd launched its locally-assembled Suzuki Swift 1.5L on the 4th of July (Wednesday). The
DRB-Hicom Bhd's subsidiary will produce the car (the first) at the company's RM20 million plant in Pekan, Pahang.

picture from the Edge Daily showing DRB-Hicom Group MD Datuk Hj Mohd Khamil Jamil giving the thumbs-up at the launch. Photo by Mohd Izwan Mohd Nazam

According to Suzuki Malaysia Automobile's chief executive officer Bastamam Hamzah, the company aims to produce an initial 300 units the Swift monthly.
The model will be available in four colours, namely, bayside blue, silver grey, supreme red and tranquillity black. It is priced at RM69,888 on the road without insurance and will be available in the market from August.

Related Link: Bername report.