Cars.com.my

Used car sellers not happy with RM90 Inspection Fee

justinlim — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 03:50:27 +0000

According to the new Amendment 2010 of the Hire Purchase Act, used car sellers would need to pay an RM90 Inspection Fee.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism said that this would involve all vehicles except used motorcycles. The previous practice is where Puspakom conducts the inspection on the vehicles where they will check that the vehicles are not stolen goods. Now it will be to include safety as well.

Govt will review RON 95 petrol price in June

justinlim — Fri, 20 May 2011 03:10:53 +0000

The government has announced that the RON95 petrol price will be reviewed pretty soon. According to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism, come June, the government will be reviewing the price of RON95 petrol which is currently being sold for RM1.90 per liter.
This he said will be done with all other petroleum products.

He also said that his ministry will be working closely with the Ministry of Finance and Pemandu (Performance Management & Delivery Unit) and other related agencies on whether it is viable to keep the current price of RON95. This came in the light of the recent report by Pemandu subsidy rationalization plan of a 6 months review on petrol prices. The last one was made in December and hence it is only natural that June is the next review.

The government recently raised the price of RON97 to RM2.90 per liter. He clarified that in 2010 the government had to bear RM8 billion in petrol subsidies and if this continues, it would be RM18 billion this year.

Saab saved by Pang Da after failed deal with Hawtai

justinlim — Wed, 18 May 2011 02:58:30 +0000

As reported earlier, Swedish automotive brand Saab was facing problems financially and it was Chinese automotive company Hawtai who came in with the promise and it was all rosy for Spyker the owners of Saab when they took the brand from GM.
And then due to the regulations from the Chinese government and the fact that Hawtai failed to obtain the approval, the deal fell through. So it was back to the books for Spyker who then named that another Chinese company Great Wall could be involved.
But then there was another twist to the story as Pang Da Automobile Trade Co Ltd, the largest traded automobile distributor in China joined the fray and signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Spyker. Pang Da has a nationwide dealer network of more than 1,100. The signing meant that a strategic alliance will be formed with a joint venture involving distribution and manufacturing of the Saab brand. This is where another MJV-owned brand will also be involved.

The agreement is such that the distribution service will be split 50-50 with Spyker also owning 50% in the MJV while Pang Da will have their stakes in Saab. Pang Da will pay Euro 30 million in cash with another Euro 15 million to follow suit. As mentioned, Saab is in need of cash as they are unable to pay their suppliers and production is halted because of that. Hence with the money coming in, production could be restarted and delivery could continue.

Big Bikers convene at Borneo International Big Bike Festival in KK

justinlim — Fri, 13 May 2011 05:58:28 +0000

Calling all you bikers! Come June 10 to 12 you can head out to the 12th Borneo Island International Big Bike Festival in Kota Kinabalu. This will be one of the biggest big bike events that you will ever come across in the region as there will be participants from all over Malaysia (both Peninsular and Sabah and Sarawak) as well as from the surrounding countries like Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei as well as from Australia.

This is an annual event which is held in Borneo where the host rotates among Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan, Brunei and Kalimantan.

There will be a wide range of superbike brands which are expected to come to the show including the likes of Harleys, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki as well as the Ducatis and Aprilias where apart from Kota Kinabalu will see them travel towards other towns in Sabah including Tuaran, Ranau and Kota Belud. Angus Wong, the chairman of the organizing committee said that they are currently gearing towards the event where they are also preparing 50 prospective marshals in a 2 day course.

Apart from the main event, there will also be other activities which also include an exhibition of the latest models, sale of biking accessories and apparels as well as a display of customize superbikes. There will also be a ‘Most Beautiful Big Bike’ competition while if you are interested could also join the big bike association membership’s recruitment drive.

Nasim ready to launch Peugeot RCZ

justinlim — Thu, 12 May 2011 06:59:54 +0000

Malaysian distributor and assembler of Peugeot cars, Nasim has announced that the widely anticipated Peugeot CRZ will be launched next week. Rumours of the launch of the 2+2 coupe has been circling around for a while now and now the company has finally confirmed that it will be so.

The RCZ has had its following since it was unveiled last year and it will now be made available in our market which is good news for many of the fans. Since taking over the exclusive rights for the Peugeot brand, Nasim has been relentlessly giving so many more options to Malaysian drivers and with this new coupe coming in, it will surely boost the choice options for the buyers here.

There will be 2 engine variants which will be sold here where you will get either the 1.6 liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine that boost out 156 horses mated with a 6 speed automatic transmission gearbox or you could opt for the more performance centric model, which gets you up to 200 horses mated with a 6 speed manual transmission gearbox. This is the same platform which is being used in the currently popular Peugeot 308 and it will be the second of the 3 models which Nasim is planning to launch this year and the date of the launch has been confirmed for May 20 – May 22 at the Bangsar Shopping Center.

Car repossessions must have valid permits starting June

justinlim — Tue, 10 May 2011 06:39:01 +0000

As stipulated under the Hire Purchase Act 1967 (Amendment 201), starting June 1, all cars and vehicles repossessed by the banks and financial institutions will need to obtain a valid permit which will be issued through the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK).
According to Wan Ahamd Uzir Wan Sulaiman the director of the Sarawak KPDNKK, the permit will cost RM20 which will be valid for 2 years and renewal for a further 2 years will cost another RM20.
He also warned the repossessors to adhere to the regulations and not use force against the buyers and that those who are applying for the permits would need to be Malaysians above 21 years old where their records will be validated by the police so that they have no prior criminal records. This came in the wake of the recent amendment to the act where repossession can only be done after a court order is issued if the car owner has paid more than 75% of the vehicle price’s instalments. First time offenders could be jailed for up to 3 years or a RM25,000 fine while second time offenders could face up to a 5 years jail sentence or a RM50,000 fine.

Bye bye to the rugged SWB Mercedes G-Wagen

justinlim — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:44:49 +0000

Mercedes-Benz is coming out with the last edition of its G-Wagen. Now if you haven’t already know the G-Wagen is typically a Mercedes-Benz produced 4WD/SUV model which is made to be strong, rugged and durable. It is one of the few vehicles in the world to have 3 fully locking differentials but as the market demand for such cars are going into more stylish looks and features, Mercedes is set to roll out its ‘BA3 Final Edition’ which will come in the G350 BlueTEC and the G500 variants respectively.
To do this, Mercedes will be raking in the stylists at AMG where they will provide the wheel arches, the twin-spoke alloy rims which will wrapped with 265/60 R18 tyres, radiator grille, and other fittings. The 3D stainless steel Mercedes-Benz star emblem is also provided. There will also be rear mud-flaps, ultrasonic reversing aid, an electric slide or tilting sunroof as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Under the hood, one will like the BlueTEC 6 cylinder diesel engine in the G350 which comes with the BlueTEC emission control which gets you up to 211 horses. For those who are in for the power, the G500 gets you a 388 horsepower 5.5 liter V8 petrol engine both of which are paired with the 7G-Tronic 7 speed automatic transmission gearbox. Coming in standard in the last edition is the ESP or Electronic Stability Program.

Taxi of Tomorrow for New York City goes to the Nissan NV200

justinlim — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City recently announced that the Nissan NV200 has won the Taxi of Tomorrow competition which means that the Japanese automotive giant will be given the exclusivity to replace the iconic yellow taxis for NYC. The NV200 is not sold in the United States but Nissan submitted it for the competition anyhow beating the likes of the Ford Transit Connect and another model from Turkish automaker Karsan.
Currently most of the yellow cabs in New York City is using the Ford Crown Victoria which although has become very much synonymous with taxis there is time for it to be phased out and where the NV200 will start taking over. This is of course very much contributed by the fact that the demand for more space and comfort is on the rise which means that the sedan taxi cabs could well be a passé very soon.
It will start rolling out the service by the end of 2013 and will over the span of 5 years take over the current Crown Victoria fleet which makes up about 90% of the whole New York City taxi population. The 2.0 liter car is very well known for its fuel efficiency and with the recent Nissan Leaf doing so well in the American market, it is not surprising why they preferred the Nissan cars over their own brand. It will roll out through Nissan’s manufacturing facility in Mexico and will provide lots of space to sit 4 passengers comfortably with their luggage.
Apart from that, it also comes with a transparent roof panel which makes it a fine vehicle for tourists who will enjoy the sight-seeing experience. The sliding doors makes the car easy to access while it also comes with a mobile charging station with a 12V electrical outlet and 2 USB connection. Where this is concerned, the safety of its passengers are top priority where it comes with seat mounted airbags on the front while the rear passengers get curtain airbags. When the taxi door opens, there are also lights to alert other road users. With all that in view, it is no wonder why this new and revolutionary model will take over the 13,000 Crown Victorias circling around New York City.

Peugeot EX1 Concept breaks EV Nurburgring record previously set by Mini E

justinlim — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:39:59 +0000

Peugeot broke the record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife track in Germany recently for EVs (electric vehicles) when their EX1 Concept Car became the fastest EV to round the international race track. Behind the wheels is Stephane Caillet who is also the tuner-technician of Peugeot’s Research and Development Center. He clocked the lap time of 9 minutes 01.338 seconds on the 20.832 km track with an average speed of 138.324 km/h on the EX1.
And he did so in spectacular fashion as there was some rough weather during the stint. The Mini E set the record last year at this track when it did the lap in 9:51.45. now Peugeot holds the record through its 2 seater roadster which is powered up by 2 electric motors fitted on each axle that boosts out a total of 340 horses. 30kWh lithium ion batteries are used to power up the motors and using carbon fiber for the construction of this concept, it is very light weighing only 750kg.

Honda unveils the new Honda City Hybrid

justinlim — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 04:34:27 +0000

Honda recently showed off their latest lithium-ion battery packed 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid at the New York Auto Show. It is supposedly the most fuel-efficient sedan available in the United States where they have now incorporated their latest Honda IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid drivetrain into the everyone’s favourite sedan, the Honda Civic.

Being a hybrid, the issue would be the cost-efficiency of the car and features and technology aside, the new Civic hybrid now comes with the best EPA-estimated fuel economy of any sedan in America where it rates at 44mpg in the city, 44mpg in the highway and 44mpg combined. For comparison’s sake, the 2011 Civic hybrid only gets you up to 40, 43 and 41 mpg for the city, highway and combined respectively.

Design wise, they have caught up with the times so out goes the old front grills, headlights and taillights and in come new ones. They have also given you a choice of either textile cloth seating wraps or leather ones. The Lithium-ion batteries is also included to replace to former nickel-metal hydride batteries which were used in the last 2 versions. Where the main power of the car comes from the petrol engine, the electric motor is used for additional power as well as to generate electricity.

It now comes with the 1.5 liter i-VTEC, 4 cylinder engine (the previous version came with a 1.3 engine) and works together with the electric motor which adds in the 23 horses in the total combined horsepower of 110 horses.
The new hybrid will be part of the rest of the Civic 2012 product line which is built with the new ‘one-motion’ mono-form design language. Most of the fittings look similar among all other models while the Hybrid get some special treatments in its special five-spoke alloy wheels, LED brake lghts, and the decklid spoiler. Inside, you get the i-MID (intelligent Multi-Information Display) which is used to display and control the audio and entertainment information where you can also personalize it with your own wallpaper. Safety features in this one include Honda’s own ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body structure, a new Motion Adaptive EPS system, airbags, Occupant Position Detection System enabled front side airbags, side curtain ones, ABS and EBD and will be rolled out from its Suzuka Honda Motor Ltd plant.