Lexus Malaysia to conduct Special Service Campaign to 78 IS250 vehicles owners-Full Press Release

Yesterday Toyota Motor Corporation has issued a recall statement that involved a total of 1.7 Million vehicles worldwide and today Lexus Malaysia, a division of UMW Toyota Motor, the exclusive distributor of Lexus vehicles in Malaysia would like to announce a Special Service Campaign (SSC) for its Lexus IS250 models.

This is to address the insufficient tightening of the fuel pressure sensor that has been found in some IS250 model produced from August 2007 to February 2009 . There is a possibility that the pressure sensor could become loose, over time. If this occurs, fuel may leak via a gasket that is used between the sensor and the delivery pipe connection.

Lexus Malaysia will inspect the vehicle for fuel leakage and if no leakage is found, the fuel pressure sensor will be tighten with the proper torque. If a fuel leak is confirmed, the gasket between the sensor and the delivery pipe will be replaced and the sensor will also be tightened with the proper torque.

There are a total of 78 units of Lexus IS250 involved in this SSC and Lexus Malaysia is taking proactive measures to contact all its owners. No other Lexus or Toyota models sold by UMW Toyota Motor in Malaysia are involved in this campaign.

As soon as the parts are available, Lexus Malaysia will notify its customers and make appointments to carry out the necessary corrective measures.

Customers may also contact Lexus Malaysia’s free phone line 1-800-88-LEXUS (53987) for further information or assistance.

Nasim bags International Awards from Peugeot-Full Press Release

Nasim Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of the Peugeot brand in Malaysia, has won an International Award from Automobiles Peugeot for its efforts in growing the Lion brand last year.

Automobiles Peugeot presented Nasim with the Successful Industrialisation and Commercial Launch of the 207 Award at the Peugeot 2011 Convention for Worldwide Distributors in Valencia, Spain.

Mr Jean-Phillipe Imparato, Vice-President of International Sales and Marketing for Automobiles Peugeot, presented the award to Mr SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group Executive Chairman of the Naza Group of Companies and CEO of Nasim.

“This award from Peugeot is a recognition of our efforts in manufacturing the 207 in Malaysia for right-hand drive markets in the region. At present, we have had over 600 bookings for the new 207 and it is currently the most attainable European offering in the market,” SM Nasarudin said.

He said the 207 is produced at Naza Automotive Manufacturing Sdn Bhd’s plant in Gurun, Kedah for both the domestic and export markets. The 207 was launched in November 2010.

“We have already begun exports to Thailand and exports to Indonesia, Brunei and Sri Lanka will commence in the first quarter of 2011,” SM Nasarudin said.

In early 2010, Automobiles Peugeot appointed Nasim as its partner to make Malaysia the French carmaker’s manufacturing hub for the region.

Besides the 207, other models launched by Nasim last year were the new 3008, 5008 as well as upgrades to the 308 VTi and 308 Turbo. Nasim is targeting to sell some 5,000 units of the 207 in 2011.

For this year, Nasim has already launched the new 308 CC and will introduce three more models to the market during the course of 2011. These models, along with the 207, are expected to increase Nasim’s sales this year to 7,000 units.

source: Nasim Sdn. Bhd.

Pagani Huayra officially revealed!!!

After numerous leaks shot circulating the internet, today Pagani Automobili has officially released its new Pagani Zonda successor, Huayra after the name of Andean god of wind Aymara Huayra Tata.

Pagani also release some bits about this supercar where this Italian beast will be made of carbon-titanium monoque frame with the body parts are casted from carbon fibre. The extensive use of expensive and super light weight material will make this new baby as light as 1,350kg and this “Wind” Pagani will be propelled by a Mercedes-Benz AMG 6.0 litre twin turbocharged V12 engine producing in access of 700hp and a mind boggling 1000Nm to push this car as light as a feather.

To enjoy this feat of engineering requires you to have a very very deep pocket, how deep, let see if you have a spare of cold hard cash of €1,000,000. I’m sure your pocket will be light as a feather after forking out this insanely amount of money. Well there are thousands of Billionaire in this world. Nothing can stop them!!! Head on after the jump to make your nose bleed.

source: Evo, Pagani Automobili

Volkswagen’s “Formula XL1”-The vision of future mobility-Full Press Release

Future mobility is one of the most stimulating topics of our time. The key question here: Just how much could the energy consumption of cars be reduced if all the stops were pulled out for efficiency? There is now an answer to this question, and Volkswagen is delivering it in the form of the new XL1. Combined fuel consumption: 0.9 l/100 km. No other hybrid car powered by an electric motor / internal combustion engine combination is more fuel efficient. The prototype will be unveiled in a world debut at the Qatar Motor Show (26 - 29 January).

To the point

Conceptually, the XL1 represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-litre car strategy. When the new millennium was ushered in, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, who is today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, formulated the visionary goal of bringing to the market a production car that was practical for everyday use with a fuel consumption of 1.0 litre per 100 km. In the new XL1, Volkswagen is demonstrating that this goal is now within reach.

The new Volkswagen XL1 attains a CO2 emissions value of 24 g/km, thanks to a combination of lightweight construction (monocoque and add-on parts made of carbon fibre), very low aerodynamic drag (Cd 0.186) and a plug-in hybrid system - consisting of a two cylinder TDI engine (35 kW / 48 PS), E-motor (20 kW / 27 PS), 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG) and lithium-ion battery. The results: with fuel consumption of 0.9 l/100 km, the new Volkswagen XL1 only emits 24 g/km CO2. Since it is designed as a plug-in hybrid, the XL1 prototype can also be driven for up to 35 kilometres in pure electric mode, i.e. with zero emissions at point of use. The battery can be charged from a conventional household electric outlet. Naturally, battery regeneration is also employed to recover energy while slowing down and store as much of it as possible in the battery for re-use. In this case, the electric motor acts as an electric generator.

Despite the very high levels of efficiency, developers were able to design a body layout that offers greater everyday practicality, incorporating side by side seating rather than the tandem arrangement seen in both the first 1-litre car presented in 2002 and the L1 presented in 2009. In the new XL1, wing doors make it easier to enter and exit the car. Further progress has been made by manufacturing body parts from carbon fibre reinforced polymer parts (CFRP), a technique used in Formula 1 car construction. Once again, Volkswagen has successfully achieved significant reductions in production costs– an important step forward to make viable a limited production run of the XL1. Background: together with suppliers, Volkswagen has developed and patented a new system for CFRP production in what is known as the aRTM process (advanced Resin Transfer Moulding).

source: Volkswagen

"True power should be shared"- The final instalment of Aston Martin Rapide miniseries

Aston Martin has just release the final miniseries of “True Power Should Be Shared” where there is a lot of driving footage of the Aston Martin Rapide being filmed in Lisbon Portugal. Well for all of you that have watch the previous series, I’m sure you will be wondering what the package that they are mission to sent for. Well this series will reveal all. Watch the final series above and you can watch the previous series here and here

Tun Dr Mahathir visits Perodua after 10 years-Perodua Alza Exclusive Edition to be launch soon- Full Press Release

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is the visionary behind the formation of Perodua, was given a rousing welcome on his return visit to Perodua Headquarters and plant here today, after his previous visit some 10 years ago.

Thousands of staff led by Perodua Chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin, Board of Directors, as well as senior management were on hand to welcome Tun Dr Mahathir on his arrival.

“We are forever indebted to Tun Dr Mahathir, whose vision for the automotive industry to be one of the drivers of the country’s industrialisation, has led to the birth of Perodua,” Asmat said in his welcoming speech.

“This visit by Tun Dr Mahathir is very significant to us, as it has been 10 years since Tun’s last visit here for the line-off ceremony of Perodua’s 500,000th unit vehicle (Kancil) on 7 August 2001,” he said.

Perodua Managing Director Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh in his briefing among other things, touched on the formative years of Perodua, the company’s growth and plans that include increasing exports and the plant expansion.

“Perodua is the number one car company in terms of sales for the past 5 consecutive years as of December 2010. Last year, we sold some188,600 units and commanded a market share of 31.2% compared with 8,880 units sold and 4.4% market share in 1994,” he said.

Tun Dr Mahathir was also given a briefing on Perodua’s Research & Development plans and future models. He was later given a tour of Perodua’s car and engine manufacturing plants.

In conjunction with his visit, Perodua presented 1 unit of Alza, the popular Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) bearing the 2020 number plate to Tun Dr Mahathir, to signify the Vision 2020, a long-term national plan coined by Tun Dr Mahathir himself.

To commemorate his visit, Perodua will launch 500 units of the Alza Exclusive Edition, a facelift version of the Alza Advanced Version, tentatively to hit the market in mid-2011. The final price, additional features and booking date will be announced in due date.

Perodua has also pledge to donate RM1,000 from the sale of every unit of the Alza Exclusive Edition to The Perdana Leadership Foundation. The total donation from Perodua will be RM500,000.

Corporate bodies or individuals are also welcomed to do their part in the donation drive. They can purchase the Alza Exclusive Edition over the approved price of the vehicle and Perodua will handover their donation (purchase price minus vehicle price) to the foundation, Aminar said.

source: Perodua

Nissan finally release the full fury of the Godzilla!!!!

Nissan has finally officially release the full fury of the Godzilla by allowing the features of launch control for the 2012 Nissan GT-R. How official is official, now owners does not need to play around the button anymore, it’s all will be displayed in the owner’s manual of how to use the launch control system. As you may know, previously the launch control system has been a widely debated feature whereby the owners warranty will be void once Nissan has detected that you have abused the system for your wild joy rides as this will prematurely make your engine and gearbox to fail.

Now with the newly official launch control system, Nissan has limit the rev of up to 4,000rpm and based on the rumours this new specification Godzilla can push all the 523 horses with launch control on for a century sprint of less than 3 seconds. Did I hear the Godzilla roars at the back of my neck!!!

Latest round of pics of 2012 KIA Picanto/Morning

Looks like the Korean are on the right path to get their feet on ready to start dominating the world of automotive with the combine force of Hyundai and Kia Motors. The latest product to firm their new found superior image is the Kia Picanto or known as Kia Morning in Korea. After numerous shot previously circulating on the internet, KIA has released another set of pictures showing the full Monty of the car.

As for us outside Korea, the car will be unveiled during the Geneva Motor Show in March’11 and this latest baby from KIA will be powered by a choice of four powertrains ranging from 1.0 litre three cylinder Kappa engine running on petrol, flex fuel and bi-fuel and a single choice of 1.2 litre four cylinder Kappa engine that will be mated to a choice of five speed manual or a four speed automatic. To me the choice of a four speeder tranny is quite a bad choice of powertrain, where KIA should now offer a better choice of CVT or a five speed auto tranny as a standard. The power output from the powertrain will be ranging from 69hp to 85hp with torque of between 94Nm to 121Nm.

In terms of fuel economy, KIA has rated the car to achieved 4.2 to 5.9 litres per 100km and only emits 95 to 105g/km of Co2 emission. As for a small global car, KIA has certainly push the terms luxury into this range with the introduction of full LCD entertainment system, fully automatic air-condition system, an AUX, IPOD connectivity, a start-stop button, six to seven airbags and LED daytime running lights. Hopefully Naza KIA will bring this car here in Malaysia, if they do can price the car sensibly; I think this car can be a hit especially to the ladies. Full gallery after the jump

source: Carscoop

Government Will Not Force Proton-Perodua Merger

The government will not force Malaysia's two national car companies, Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton) and Perusahaan Otomobile Kedua Nasional Sdn Bhd (Perodua) to merge, says Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

He said any solution or proposal needs to be agreed to by both stakeholders.

"We cannot force them to make a decision as there is a long spectrum. At one end is loose cooperation and at the other, a merger, which has yet to be decided," the Minister told reporters at a signing ceremony between SME Corporation Malaysia and SME Bank here today.

He said the government would encourage and have talk with both companies. Mustapa has been involved in individual discussions with the two companies.

"It's a major collaboration and cooperation between Proton and Perodua and not a straight forward process," he explained.

He also said, in reality, there have been a lot of mergers and it made sense for the two companies to collaborate and make the automotive industry competitive.

It was reported earlier that the government had signalled the need for a merger in the automotive industry, especially between Proton and Perodua

source: Bernama

Auto Insider Malaysia: Looks like the merger talk between Proton and Perodua still far from over. If you are a keen listener of this merger development in the past few month, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed has hinted previously that the talk has been finalised and they are going to present to PM Dato' Seri Najib but this latest piece of news was a U-Turn from the previous piece of news. Looks like it's going to be a ding dong development in the auto industry as what we have seen during the failed talk of Proton and Volkswagen AG.

Youngman L5 facelift!!! Will Proton bring this car into Malaysian market?

Looks like Proton counterpart in China, Youngman has been very busy the past few years with the launch of various prototypes model and the launch of what might be the facelift version of their own design collabration with Lotus Engineering team which was known as Youngman L5. These three pictures taken from Chinacarforum shows the full face of the car. From the looks of its design, the Youngman L5 does look much different compared to its base model which is the Persona.

The only same specification of the car by dimension is the wheelbase of the car which is unaltered from Persona, but the car has an overall length longer than Persona due to its longer front and rear overhangs. If you have seen the interior of the car which has been circulating around the net, the interior design looks almost the same as what we would found in the Persona and also some hint of design from the Exora, thus we can’t truly say that Youngman has managed to fully redesign the car.

If you look closely at the front bumper of the car, you can see there is a LED daytime running light on top of both front fog lamps and the rear bumper design does resemble the design of Toyota Camry when we look from the side of the bumper and the circular rear reflector that look like it was taken from the Toyota Corolla Altis. So far there is no word whether Proton would bring in this car into Malaysian market as an alternative car for the Persona R when it is launch here in Malaysia thus have your say, would you like to see this car on Malaysian road?

Pagani Huayra cloak has gone with the "Wind"!!!

Look like numerous teasers that has been planned by Pagani Automobili will go down the drain with the released of what is reported the next Pagani supercar the Pagani Huayra or Pagani “Wind”. While the pictures of what said to be originated from CarsUK.net have shown the whole car you can also enjoy the fourth teaser video officially from Pagani.

Well judging from the looks of the car from the magazine, the new Pagani sports a very unique styling especially the front end look with now the car has been equip with a gull wing style doors. The rear though does not differ much from the Pagani Zonda especially the quad center stack tail pipes right in the middle of the rear end of the car. Since this leaked image has been circulating faster than Pagani would imagine, I think Pagani will unveiled the car officially soon. Stay tune for more update.

Perodua Green initiative 2011 kicks off with Perodua Eco Challenge - Full Press Release

Perodua kicks off its 3rd instalment of its one-of-a-kind Eco-Challenge competition this year by handing over one engine and one transmission system each to 13 participants from selected institutions of higher learning.

The participating institutions, consisting of public and private higher education bodies, are selected based on their entry proposals. A total of 23 institutions sent in their proposals for this year’s Perodua Eco-Challenge.

The main objective of the Perodua Eco-Challenge 2011 is to provide a training ground for undergraduates to challenge their engineering prowess and to promote innovativeness among local students.

“The Perodua Eco-Challenge is very unique because it not only promotes innovativeness and creativity from its participants but also underscore the importance of conservation by coming with practical means to meet with the growing energy crisis,” Perodua Managing Director, Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said.

The event is witnessed by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education I, Y.B. Dato’ Dr. Hou Kok Chung.

The participants have 5 months after the handover of the engine and transmission system to produce a car that can go the farthest with 1 litre of petrol. Their design will be put to a race at the Melaka International Motorsports Circuit on 25th of June this year.

Aminar said that the Perodua Eco-Challenge this year is different from the first 2 events whereby the contestants are only given the engine and transmission system.

“Other changes include the seed money given. In the first 2 races, each institution of higher learning gets RM10,000 to modify their respective car. This year each team will be given RM17,500,” he said.

He added that Perodua has allocated about RM1.2 million for this year’s Eco-Challenge programme.

Aminar said the participants are also given a longer contest period as the previous handovers were done in late February, this year the contestants are given an extra month to prepare before the race day on 25 of June.

“A total of RM77,000 has been allocated for prizes at this year’s Eco-Challenge with the longest distance winners taking home RM20,000. As this year’s challenge is more on engineering, the winners of this category will be taking home RM15,000; RM5,000 more prize money than last year!” he said.

The participating institutions of higher learning include returning contenders - Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Industri Selangor and Politeknik Engku Omar.

While new entries include Politeknik Port Dickson, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.

 

Ferrari FF- The first ever Ferrari with All Wheels Drive System!!

Finally Ferrari has break its cover of the much anticipated model the Ferrari Four, for simply known as Ferrari FF. The meaning of FF does have a lot to be related to such as Ferrari first ever four wheel drive system and also a four seats in a Ferrari!!.

The new Ferrari does has a shooting brake like body style with a very long front portion and a very short rear overhangs. From the look of the design, we can strongly assume this car will be a front engine car and the other evidence would be a quite large boot space for a supercar with a boot space of 450 litres when the rear seat are up and expendable to 800 litres when the rear sear are down. As for the four wheels drive system, where the name derives from, Ferrari has implemented a very innovative ways; where with the four wheels drive system was set to synchronize with Ferrari Electronic Dynamic Control System that will keep this Ferrari on its toes even at a very high speed corners and you will exit the apex with such confidence and a complete pose for a normal average joe.

As for the engine, this new Ferrari FF will be powered by an all new 6,252 cc V12 engine with direct injection, pushing in excess of 660hp at 8,000rpm and delivering a massive 683Nm of torque at 6,000rpm and this amazing engine is mated to a dual clutch transmission mounted at the rear axle. As what has been reported earlier, the car can achieve it century sprint in 3.7 second and boy that is fast for a four seat Ferrari.

But unfortunately, the car and more details will be revealed more during the Geneva Motor Show where the FF will makes it first public appearance.

Malaysia auto sales breach the record high of 600,000 units in 2010!!!

Motor vehicle sales breached an all-time high of 605,156 units, up 12.7 per cent or 68,251 units last year vis-a-vis 536,905 units in 2009, said Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Datuk Aishah Ahmad.

The 2010 Total Industry Volume (TIV) surpassed the 2009 record of 552,316 units achieved in 2005, she told reporters after releasing the 2010 production and sales figures and outlook for 2011.

Of the total sales volume, passenger vehicles accounted for 543,594 units and commercial vehicles 61,562 units compared with 486,342 units and 50,563 units, respectively, sold in 2009, she said.

Aishah attributed the all-time high performance to a slew of new and bold plans and programmes launched by the government last year such as the Government Transformation Programme; Economic Transformation Programme; New Economic Model; and 10th Malaysia Plan which resulted in higher consumer and business confidence.

Other contributory factors are innovative and attractive offers and schemes for new car buyers such as low hire purchase interest rates; longer repayment period; extended warranty period; and free gifts, she said.

Aggressive sales campaigns by car companies and introduction of several new models at competitive prices also complemented to higher sales, he said.

The industry produced 567,715 units last year from 489,269 units in 2009, of which 522,568 units were passenger vehicles and 45,147 commercial vehicles.

In December 2010, motor vehicle sales registered a strong recovery to reach 54,765 units, 22 per cent higher than the previous month and 15 per cent higher than the same month in 2009.

Aishah said sales volume is expected to remain strong this month as market conditions remain favourable.

Source: Bernama

Tesla Motors show the first glimpse of Model S in its Alpha stage form!!

Model S Alpha Hits the Road from Tesla Motors on Vimeo.

On the previous post, I have posted a few videos explaining the vehicle engineering of what would be the Tesla Model S. Now the latest video from Tesla unveiled the Model S in its Alpha stage build where they will test this prototype through various test patterns and also through some homologation procedure before Tesla build another test vehicle in Beta stages which will be more mirrored to the production Model S that has been reported to be unveiled officially in 2012.

According to Graham Sutherland, a Tesla vehicle dynamist, the Alpha prototype has shown a very promising result and its agility has been remarkable for the size of this car. Remember this car has been reported to be able to seat 7 people. The car has great handling balance and the steering wheel has provided a very positive feedback to the driver. As I have mention before, the was powered by a lithium ion battery which sits very low on the car chasis, thus it is not possible for the car to achieve great handling dynamics.

The power from the battery can push the car to 96km/h in 5.6 seconds with a top speed of 193km/h and this car has a maximum range of between 160 miles to 300 miles or 483km on a single charge. Enjoy the video

"True power should be shared"- The second instalment of Aston Martin Rapide miniseries

This is the second instalment out of three miniseries promoting the Aston Martin Rapide through a very much like Ronin movie with some of the background music have the hint from the movie Ronin. In this series, the mastermind of the agents explaining why they were selected and based on what merits. This instalment still quite blur what are the objective of their task and also what are the obstacles they might face to deliver the package. Looks like we have to wait for more, meanwhile if you miss the first instalment you can watch it here.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti to be unveiled tomorrow for the lucky few!!

Being the best few i.e. tons of cash in the bank is really a wonderful thing in a world especially you will be the lucky few to watch a special online unveiling of the next generation 612 Scaglietti. Based on the teaser image that was sent via email to Ferrari customers and subscribers, the Prancing Horse company has plan to do a special online presentation tomorrow to unveiled the car digitally before the official unveiling most probably during Geneva Motor Show.

Based on previous information, the car will be an all wheel drive car that features seven speed dual clutch transmission mated to a 6.3 litre V12 engine with enough potent to push 670hp and this amazing feat does accelerate the car for a century sprint to just 3.7 second with all 4 people on board the car before hitting the top speed of 335km/h. I’m just wondering where in Malaysia we have enough long straight with perfect road condition to push the car to its limit.

The artist impression of the car provided by Worldcarfans website does gives is some idea how the car will look like. I will provide the latest details when the car will be unveiled. Stay tune!!

Mitsubishi upcoming Global Small Car (GSC) revealed!!!

Looks like Mitsubishi does not want to be left out from the race of producing small car that have an efficient fuel economy engine and also low Co2 emission and the results is this, Mitsubishi Concept Global Small which will be debut at Geneva Motor Show. Apart from Mitsubishi, Nissan has been the forefront of the race with its debut of Nissan March/Micra and the car has been released worldwide followed by Honda which will launch its Honda Brio soon for worldwide consumption.

The Mitsubishi CGS features a very different grill design when compared to the current crop of Mitsubishi stable does this might be signalling a new design language from Mitsubishi. The car has a very distinctive headlights and a sloping roofline as seen on the sketches of the car and also a hint of LED daytime running on the front bumper ala Citroën DS3.

The car has been reported that might see the end of production line in March 2012 and will be built from the new Mitsubishi Thai factory and the target production will be around 150,000 units per year.

The car features a class leading fuel efficiency as well as good Co2 emission with rough estimation of 90g/km. In terms of engine, the car will be powered by a 1.0 to 1.2 liter engine that will be paired to a CVT transmission and to push further in terms of fuel efficiency, Mitsubishi has plan to include a regenerative brakes as well as engine start/stop system for this entry model.

Pagani releases third teaser video of upcoming C9 supercar

Pagani has just release another set of teaser video showing the upcoming C9 supercar which will be launch soon. In this video, Pagani has showed some glimpse of how the car will look like but unfortunately the environment of the video is too darks thus that’s the point of teaser video right. Enjoy the video and drool over your keyboard watching it

ETCM Offers special hire purchase- pakages starting from 0.88%!!!

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) introduces the Chinese New Year Special’s low interest package today. Throughout this promotion period, Nissan customers who purchase a NISSAN GRAND LIVINA, SYLPHY or NAVARA (for private registration only, valid for Peninsular and East Malaysia) will enjoy a special low interest rate starting from 0.88% per annum.

The promotion aims to enable Nissan customers to enjoy greater prosperity by owning their favourite Nissan model. These special low interest hire purchase packages are valid till 28th February 2011.

Nissan Models

(All Variants)                          Tenure(Years)       Interest rate(per annum)

Grand Livina,Sylphy and Navara              1 -2                                  0.88%

                                                             3-6                                  1.98%

                                                             7-9                                  2.38%

X-Trail,Latio,Sentra,Serena and Urvan      1-2                                  1.98%

                                                             3-5                                  2.58%

For more information, please call Nissan Careline toll free at 1-800-88-8368 or visit http://www.nissan.com.my/

UMW TOYOTA Motor achieved 12% higher sales in 2010

UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd., distributor of Toyota and Lexus brand in Malaysia has achieved vehicle sales of 92,000 units in 2010. It is an increase of 12 percent from the company’s sales of 82,000 in 2009.

“We have maintained our 2010 market share of above 15 percent against the Total Industry Volume (TIV) and sustained the number one position in the non-national segment for 21 consecutive years,” said UMW Toyota Motor’s newly appointed President, En. Ismet Suki, at a function with media today.

He also said, “Vios remains as our most popular model with sales close to 33,700 units sold, followed by Hilux with 18,600 units and Camry with 11,500 units.” The three models are also the leader in their respective vehicle segments.

“We would like to thank the government for the extension and enhancement of Hybrid incentives announced in the last national budget. The Prius is now more affordable as the price is reduced to RM139,900 (On-the-road price with insurance for Peninsular Malaysia). With this new on-the-road price, we have been receiving strong response from customers.”

“The Lexus brand, has achieved a growth of 42 percent with 430 units compared to sales of 300 units in 2009. The Lexus RX 350 remains as the favorite among the Lexus model line-up,” he added.

Coupled with a good sales performance, its after sales has successfully hit a new record of almost 1.1 million total units serviced.

On top of that, the company’s export business has grown to 36 percent; RM913.4 million compared to RM671.3 million in 2009. This includes exportation of vehicles and multi-sourcing parts.

Throughout 2010, its manufacturing facility, Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) has also recorded the highest ever production volume of 69,000 units per year, since it started operations in 1968.

Moving forward, En. Ismet also mentioned on the 2011 sales projection. “TIV is expected to be around 600,000 units. We are optimistic with the current automotive market condition and expect the momentum would continue further in the later months.”

According to En Ismet, the company is planning for exciting model launches throughout the year. Among the new vehicle to be launched within the first quarter of 2011 is the Lexus Hybrid model, CT 200h. This will be the third Lexus Hybrid model, in addition to the LS 600h L and RX 450h launched end of last year.

UMW Toyota Motor is also investing to further expand its sales and after sales network this year. Among new dealerships and facilities set to be launched are the new Lexus Showroom in Johor Bahru, which started operations yesterday, and another Lexus showroom in the Klang Valley by the end of the year. In addition to that, there will be a new Toyota 3S centre in Ipoh, Perak.

UMW Toyota Motor has also encouraged their appointed dealers to enhance their facilities including to build a full fledged 3S facilities to cope with the current market demand.

In delivering better after sales services to its customers, the company also plans to increase the number of service bays by 14 percent in 2011. It will also add another 22 percent of Body and Paint bays, within this year.

“Vehicles delivery process has always been very important in new car sales. Aiming at improving delivery time to our customers, we are also investing RM 200 million to set-up and develop our new Central Stockyard facility in Bukit Raja, Klang,” added En. Ismet. The project which started last year is expected to be completed and start operations within the third quarter of 2011.

UMW Toyota Motor has invested close to RM 290 million from 2005 to 2009 to develop and modernize its manufacturing facilities.

“In order to live up to our customers’ expectations and deliver vehicles of high quality standards, we are investing RM 170 million from 2010 to 2012 to further develop ASSB. The investments are channeled to enhance Toyota’s quality, further improve automation and productivity,” concluded En Ismet.

Aston Martin Rapide miniseries part 1

Wow looks like Aston Martin has also embarked the same journey as what BMW and Audi has been doing by promoting its cars through a series of short miniseries of three instalment that was shot in Lisbon Portugal. The story line started with a group of agents being assigned to deliver a very mysterious package without opening it. Looks like a very promising plot. Enjoy the first instalment of the miniseries and I will update you when the next series has been release.

Hyundai has unveiled the 2012 Hyundai Azera/Grandeur in South Korea

The wait has finally over and today Hyundai has finally unveiled the much anticipated large saloon model in its homeland of South Korea after numerous teases and also a very first 4D advertisement in Korea.

The 2012 Hyundai Azera to us here in Malaysia or Grandeur in some other markets has been significantly well engineered and this amazing piece of vehicles has took Hyundai three and half years and also 450 Billion won or RM 1.265 Billion that has been spend on research, development and also vehicles testing of the car. This new large saloon has been positioned in between the Hyundai Sonata YF that was sold here under Hyundai Sime Darby Malaysia and Hyundai Genesis sedan that has been launched in the United States. In terms of the stats, the Hyundai Azera thrums its competitor namely the Honda Legend in almost every dimension with the most noticeable would be the wheelbase where the Hyundai Azera was 45mm longer than the one in Honda Legend. Besides that the Azera was measured at 4,910mm long with a width of 1,860mm and 1,470mm of height.

The Hyundai Azera comes with a lot of kits with acronyms such as VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitor System), ESS (Emergency Stop Signal) and VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) and also a nine airbags systems that includes a driver’s knee airbags. Besides that, Hyundai has add up a very nice features of Hyundai’s Advance Smart Cruise Control ala Mercedes Distronic where the car monitors a safe distance between the car ahead and automatically applies brake whenever necessary and resume the journey when the traffic has ease based on the software calculation.

Besides that, Hyundai also throws in a Smart Parking Assist System that combines all the round sensors to measure a parallel parking spaces take control of the steering wheel and let the car do the magic. What the driver only needs to do is control the throttle and also applies the brakes. This feature also has been implemented on the Hyundai Avante/Elantra for the top of the range model.

In terms of engines choices, for the Korean market, currently there are only two choices namely the 2.4 litre four cylinder Theta II GDI with 201hp and a new 3.0 litre V6 Lambda II GDI engine that produce a massive 270hp. Both of the engine are mated to a standard six speed auto tranny which probably the same tranny that has been soldiered on the current Hyundai Sonata.

Enjoy the pic gallery after the jump.

Source:

North American International Auto Show video compilation part 3

Enjoy the last instalment of video compilation from the floor of NAIAS special thanks to Autoblog and Carscoop.

North American International Auto Show video compilation part 2

Enjoy the second instalment of video compilation from the floor of NAIAS special thanks to Autoblog and Carscoop.

North American International Auto Show video compilation 1

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is still ongoing till 23^rd of January 2011 and there is a lot new car unveiling that has been going around for the past few days. To tall readers of Auto Insider Malaysia, I have collected all the video of car launches and also walk around videos of the car that has been unveiled during the Auto Show. Enjoy the video clips compilation. Special thanks to Autoblog and Carscoop for the source of the video.  

“Yellow Angel 2011”: Volkswagen honoured once again

Wolfsburg, 13 January 2011 - Volkswagen is yet again among the award winners of the renowned ADAC “Yellow Angel” in 2011: the Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI Ecofuel and Dynamic Light Assist, the masked camera-based main beam headlight system, were presented with awards.

The jury of experts from the ADAC executive board and the presidents of VDA, VDIK and ZDK were all in agreement regarding the remarkable feat of engineering that is Dynamic Light Assist. In combination with an integrated camera fitted behind the windscreen, the main beam modules of the headlights remain continuously active; they are only dimmed in the areas where the system detects a possible blinding of other road users. First presented in the new Touareg, this global novelty placed second in the category “Innovation & Environment”. Thus, Volkswagen was yet again able to score points in this prestigious competition. Back in 2008, ADAC also awarded the Golf TSI with 7-speed DSG a prize in this category.

In addition, the natural gas-powered Touran 1.4 TSI Ecofuel received a prize in the category “Future”, which is intended to honour the highest state of development in the areas of suitability for daily use, efficiency, environmental compatibility and safety. Here, the especially low CO2 emissions for a vehicle of this class, amounting to a mere 126 g/km, were honoured.

This prize is already the second award of this kind for the compact family van from Wolfsburg. In 2010, the Touran TSI EcoFuel was named the most economically friendly seven-seater in the VCD list of environmentally friendly cars.

source: Volkswagen