The Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2013 (KLIMS13) is less than a month away, and show organiser Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) has confirmed that five concept cars will be present at PWTC from November 15-24. Concepts aside, many brands are set to launch new models at the show, and we’re sure there will be a couple of previews as well.
Brands that are taking part include Citroen, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Lexus, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Toyota, Subaru and Volkswagen. National carmaker Proton is not participating though, and you can find out why here.
110-year-old brand Ford will be showcasing its heritage with vehicles from the year 1928 to future models. Expect to see a Ford Model A and the Ford Mustang at the KL show.
“We are encouraging exhibitors to unveil their most exciting cars and product displays for KLIMS13 visitors. We hope KLIMS13 will give visitors a thrilling visual fest and up-close encounters with the latest car models and eye opening concept cars, as well as great photo opportunities with the displays,” said MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad.
Ticket prices will remain as with previous shows, at RM15 for weekdays and RM20 for weekends. Kids under 12 will enjoy a concessionary ticket rate of RM5 for all days. There’s also a family package for parents with children under the age of five, at RM30 for the whole family on weekdays and RM40 on weekends. Tickets can be bought online at www.klims.com.my and www.airasiaredtix.com, as well as at PWTC on show dates.
Lucky visitors stand to drive away with a Toyota Prius 1.8L Luxury or the Honda CR-Z. In addition, Maybank customers have a chance to win a Volkswagen Beetle 2.0L TSI at KLIMS13.
The post KLIMS13: Five concept cars confirmed, many launches appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
Volkswagen Georgetown opened its doors to the public over the weekend. Operated by Penang-based Goh Brothers Motor, the launch of VW Georgetown brings the total number of Volkswagen dealerships in Malaysia to 28. Appointed as a VW dealer in 2007, Goh Brothers now has five outlets in the northern region.
The two-storey, 20,000 sq ft facility on Jalan Sungai Pinang is a 3S centre providing sales, service and spare parts. It has comfortable lounges, parking bays, a merchandise corner, free WiFi and drinks plus reading materials, including Think Blue booklets, of course.
“An investment such as this is crucial for Volkswagen’s brand growth and we are confident that Goh Brothers Motor’s 50 years of experience in the automotive industry will strong contribution to Volkswagen. We are pleased to continue our long term partnership with them and we wish them the best of success in Georgetown,” said Dr Zeno Kerschbaumer, MD of Volkswagen Group Malaysia.
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Mitsubishi Electric is developing a solar-powered charger for electric cars, one which will be able to reroute electricity from the EV’s batteries into the home in the event of a blackout. The company is looking at EVs very much as batteries-on-wheels and as an alternative power source to fixed storage systems.
The charger, which is being developed together with Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, is expected to go on sale in Japan next year, priced above 500,000 yen, the Nikkei reports. It will be the first system with such a capability to be sold domestically, and will work with both MMC’s i-MiEV and the Nissan Leaf.
According to the company, since EV batteries are able to store more electricity than current home-based ones, an EV hooked up to the charger – when utilised with separately installed solar panels – will be able to power a typical home for up to a week.
For example, the Leaf – which will begin selling in Malaysia soon – has a capacity of 24 kwh, far higher than residential battery systems in place now. The new charging system will also offer a cost effective solution (provided one has an EV in the first place, of course) – a residential unit with the capacity needed to supply an average home’s daily power needs (around 10 kwh) goes for two to three million yen.
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Here’s a little known fact: BMW vehicles are more attainable than you’d first think. Quill Automobiles, the largest BMW dealership in Malaysia, has a bevy of attractive sales and promotions for the latest BMW 3 Series model range.
Currently, there’s an on-going offer on the base 316i sedan, which can be yours for as little as RM1,988 per month (terms and conditions apply) through BMW Credit Malaysia’s flexible step-up financing plan. Other attractive deals are also available for the BMW 328i model.
Whichever model you choose, there will be no waiting lists or delayed deliveries, as per Quill Automobiles’ ongoing mission to meet customer demands and expectations. As with all new BMW vehicles in Malaysia, both the 316i and 328i come standard with a three-year/60,000 km BMW Service + Repair Inclusive (BS+RI), so you can forget about the cost of servicing, maintenance or wear-and-tear for the entire duration.
Quill Automobiles’ sales promotion is driven by its new Dealer Principal Siow Ser Gun, who brings with him over 30 years’ worth of experience in the industry. From starting out in the UK to local tenures with Nissan, Citroen, Land Rover and Porsche, he’s done it all, rising through the ranks as a field engineer and on to stints in Technical Training, Aftersales, Sales and Marketing before ascending into full Operations of the motor industry.
Aside from the flagship BMW and Rolls-Royce 4S centre on Jalan Semangat (you’re unlikely to miss the prominent Quill 9 building), Siow also envisions a new, fully developed aftersales facility to cater for all possible necessities in relations to the premium brand. Plans are already underway for a fully-fledged aftersales centre in Section 13, Petaling Jaya.
Also in the pipeline is a comprehensive expansion of the BMW Premium Selection programme, which would further bolster Quill Automobiles’ widespread repertoire among its customers, including entry-level BMW enthusiasts. That would then compliment the company’s existing sales structure of brand new BMW vehicles too.
For more information about the latest offerings and promotions from Quill, please feel free to give them a ring at 03-7955 6333.
The post AD: Quill Automobiles announces attractive financing plans for the BMW 316i and 328i, from RM1,988/month appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
The Toyota Hilux pick-up truck received a minor local update last week, and now is the turn of its SUV sister, the Toyota Fortuner. The Fortuner, which has been around in latest facelift guise since October 2011, gets some extra kit with no price increase.
New things include 17-inch twin-spoke wheels in a new dark grey colour. The rim design has not changed, merely the colour. Inside, the previous ‘sandbeige’ colour theme is out, replaced by black. The black combination leather upholstery in the petrol 2.7V variant gets silver contrasting stitching, and the driver’s seat is six-way power adjustable. Diesel 2.5G variants get fabric seats.
Trim wise, the 2.7V’s dashboard features black woodgrain panels, while the 2.5G’s gets silver bits. All variants now have ISOFIX anchorage points for child seats.
Individual on-the-road prices with insurance for Peninsular Malaysia are as follows:
The post Toyota Fortuner updated; now with black cabin, ISOFIX appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
Volvo’s new engine family went into production at the company’s engine plant in Sweden earlier this year. The new engine family will help Volvo gain technical independence from companies like Ford, with which it currently shares its engines.
Details of the first cars to get the new engines have now been revealed. The Volvo S60 T6 FWD will now use a 2.0 litre engine from the new engine family, officially called the ‘Drive-E’ family. The 2.0 litre direct injection engine is equipped with both a Roots supercharger and a turbocharger, with the supercharger filling in the bottom end of the torque curve, and the turbocharger kicking in later when the airflow builds up.
This 2.0 litre engine is mated to a new 8-speed automatic gearbox, which means the Ford Getrag Powershift dual clutch transmissions have been replaced as well. 0 to 100km/h takes 5.9 seconds thanks to 302 horsepower and 400Nm of torque.
The T5 tuning of the 2.0 litre turbo makes away with the supercharger and relies solely on a turbocharger to do 241 horsepower and 350Nm of torque. 0 to 100km/h takes 6.2 seconds. This isn’t a significantly hike in horsepower over the Ford-based T5 engine available in Malaysia but 30Nm more torque.
There’s also the D4, a diesel motor that does 181 horsepower and 400Nm and hits 100km/h in 7.5 seconds. It has i-ART technology which uses pressure feedback from each fuel injector instead of using a traditional single pressure sensor in the common rail. Each injector has an intelligent chip on top of it that monitors injection pressure. Using this information, the self-adapting i-ART system makes sure that the ideal amount of fuel is injected during each combustion cycle. Injection pressure is 2,500 bar.
The Drive-E engine family are all dimensionally similiar, so they can be built on the same assembly lines. However, the engine blocks use different materials depending on whether it’s a petrol or diesel engine, and while the cylinder heads share some DNA, they are different as well.
The post New Volvo Drive-E engine family debuts in Volvo S60 appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
This week, Land Rover will attempt to set the fastest recorded time for a land vehicle crossing of the ‘Empty Quarter’ – one of the harshest and most challenging desert environments on the planet, using a standard production Range Rover Sport. The new RRS already has a production Pikes Peak record under its belt.
In the days running up to the challenge last minute checks are being made, with the challenge vehicle being prepped at the start line in Wadi Adda Wasir, Saudi Arabia. The route will run from there towards the finish line on the border of the UAE, a distance of over 1,000 km – further than the length of France.
The driver will be Moi Torrallardona, a 47 year-old Spanish off-road racer with extensive experience of the Dakar Rally, in which he competed for ten successive years with a best finish of sixth overall. The Range Rover Sport will be production-spec, challenging a terrain where usually only specialist sand vehicles are found. Moi will be exercising its breadth of capability to the limit in the process.
A dangerously arid climate with no reliable water sources and an ever-shifting terrain, the Empty Quarter in the Arabian Peninsula is one of the most treacherous terrains man and machine could face. The driving conditions will be incredibly harsh, with temperatures of over 50 degrees C in the day and towering sand dunes stretching 850 feet into the air.
The post New Range Rover Sport to attempt record desert run appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
At the 2011 SEMA Show, Ricky Carmichael unveiled his first Sonic All Activity Vehicle . Now two years later, Carmichael returns to SEMA with a new Sonic All Activiy Vehicle. This time around, it’s equipped with an all-new performance package with parts from Chevrolet Performance.
For the exterior, the concept features a satin-black paint combined with blue accents and custom graphics. The aerodynamic kit includes a new rear wing spoiler, smoked lamp housings, ground-effects package, a unique grille and a THULE roof rack For some, this may be a little over the top, but the stark contrast of dark and bright looks pretty sick to us. .
For the interior, Carmichael added a dark green and black leather instrument panel trim, door trim with lime green piping, a green- and black-trimmed, flat-bottom steering wheel and an upgraded sound system.
Chevrolet Performance installed its Turbo Stage Kit, a high-flow exhaust system and a cold-air intake for the 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-banger engine. The concept sits on an 18-inch wheel-and-tire package that are colored gloss-black with a green lip. Chevrolet didn’t release the performance details, but we’re willing to bet the power jumps from the base 138 horsepower to about 160 horsepower.
Helping in the twist is a a new suspension kit that drops the ride height. Rounding out the mods is a new brake package with Wilwood front calipers.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard Chevrolet Sonic.
Chevrolet Sonic Ricky Carmichael All-Activity Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 27 October 2013 18:00 EST.
Ford has finally settled a class-action lawsuit over claims it sold defective diesel Power Stroke engines in 2003-2007 Super Duty trucks and E-Series vans. The 6.0-liter, V-8 turbo-diesel in question was manufactured by Navistar International, Ford’s diesel supplier since 1994.
The lawsuit originates in customer complaints over the 6.0-liter having defective exhaust gas recirculation valves and coolers, oil coolers, fuel injectors and turbochargers. Some failures were so severe that Ford replaced entire engines and even bought back trucks that couldn’t be easily repaired.
For those vehicles that were repairable, Ford will have to reimburse owners a percentage of their costs for each component they replaced, along with half of the $100 deductible owners paid for having their vehicle serviced under Ford’s five-year/100,000-mile engine warranty. The lawsuit also reimburses owners anywhere from $50 to $825 for post-warranty repairs done on their trucks and vans with under 135,000 miles on the clock.
The troubled 6.0-liter Power Stroke was the nail in the coffin for Ford’s relationship with Navistar. In 2010, Ford dumped the company and moved it diesel development and production in house. The result is the current 6.7-liter Power Stroke that produces 400 horsepower and an astounding 800 pound-feet or stump-pulling torque for 2014.
Oddly enough, Navistar was released from the litigation proceedings, leaving owners and Ford to fight it out.
Click past the jump for more on the 2014 Ford Super Duty
Ford Settles Class-Action Lawsuit Over Power Stroke Diesels originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 27 October 2013 12:00 EST.
Meet the 2014 Suzuki Boulevard S40 a practical motorcycle built for those who like classic models. Needless to say that the motorcycle continues Boulevard’s tradition and delivers a relaxed riding position, modern technologies and a capable engine.
Talking about the engine, the Boulevard is propelled by a 652 cc, 4 stroke, air cooled, single cylinder, OHC unit which is kept in leash by a 5 speed constant mesh transmission. The engine is brought to life by an electric starter and is fed by a 2.8 gallons fuel tank.
The 2014 Suzuki Boulevard S40 rides on polished spoke wheels wrapped in a wide 15" rear tire and a slim 19" front tire which are kept in check by a front disc and a rear drum brake.
The 2014 Suzuki Boulevard S40 weighs only 173 kg and has a 1480 mm wheels base which helps you more around with agility.
Hit the jump for more information on the 2014 Suzuki Boulevard S40.
Suzuki Boulevard S40 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 27 October 2013 14:15 EST.
The 2014 Suzuki Boulevard M109R limited Edition is a special cruiser that comes with a series of features which give it a fairly unique character.
Among the special features offered by the 2014 Suzuki Boulevard M109R Limited Edition you’ll find a red body work, black-colored wheels and final gear case, and white lens taillight and turn signals.
As far as power is concerned, the 2014 Suzuki Boulevard M109R Limited Edition is equipped with a 1783 cc (108.8 cu. in), 4 stroke, 2 cylinder, liquid cooled, DOHC, 54 degree V Twin engine. The unit is paired with a five speed, constant mesh transmission and is brought to life by en electric starter.
The motorcycle rides on a pair of big 4.4-inch (112 mm) forged aluminum-alloy rims shod in 130/70R18M/C 63V front and 130/70R18M/C 63V rear tubeless tires.
Hit the jump for more information on the 2014 Suzuki Boulevard M109R Limited Edition.
Suzuki Boulevard M109R Limited Edition originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 27 October 2013 14:55 EST.
If you drive your car hard, then chances are you are worried about your engine more than most drivers. Forums are filled with horror stories that will transform the biggest fanboy into a doubter at the drop of a hat. Most of us change our oil on a regular basis, some people waste their time with 3,000-mile oil changes, but I prefer to inspect my oil filter very often, and especially after each track day.
If your engine is constantly nearing its redline, then it will like shed bits of various metal components, which is actually fairly normal. Though this is a normal thing to happen, these contaminants can get caught up in the filter and restrict the oil flow just enough to cause damage at higher rpm.
Few racers know that you can actually change the filter without doing a complete oil change. So you can keep all but about a half-quart of the good oil in the engine and get a fresh filter — I prefer Purolator — in there to keep it all flowing as it’s supposed to.
Click past the jump to see how it’s done.
DIY - Changing Only Your Oil Filter originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 27 October 2013 06:00 EST.
The 2014 Piaggio MP3 500 is a modern three wheeler that has all it needs to deliver an enjoyable ride.
Its three wheels configuration makes it safer that any two wheel scooter and also helps it stay better glued to the ground without sacrificing the agility.
The Piaggio MP3 500 is equipped with an innovative parallelogram front suspension which helps it lean 40 degrees in tight corners.
The Piaggio MP3 500 is propelled by a 492.7 cc, single-cylinder, MASTER, 4-stroke, 4-valve engine which is fed by a 3.2 gallons fuel tank. The engine develops a maximum power of 40 Hp and 42.23 Nm of torque at 5,550 rpm. All this power sends you to a maximum speed of 89 Mph.
As far as efficiency is concerned, the 2014 Piaggio MP3 500 offers a fuel consumption of 55-57 Mpg.
Hit the jump for more information on the 2014 Piaggio MP3 500.
Piaggio MP3 500 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 27 October 2013 05:11 EST.
Lately we have been treated to a smorgasbord of SEMA-bound Fiesta STs, Ford is following that up with Fiesta ST’s big brother: the Focus ST.
Bigger, faster, and more powerful than the Fiesta ST, the Focus ST is the kind of car that gets treated to a wide range of aftermarket modifications. Translation: expect a lot of these bad boys at SEMA.
One such program that will be in attendance is the PM Lifestyle-tuned Focus ST.
In working on this Focus ST, PM Lifestyle wanted to give the sports hatch that "southern California car culture," which is to say that it’s going to come with a host of modifications designed to perform in road rallies. Together with Infinite Auto Design, PM Lifestyle went to work, giving the Focus ST a custom paint job from Axalta, to go with carbon fiber exterior pieces, a custom harness, Sparco seats with Schroth Racing, five-point harnesses and a set of 19-inch, Rotiform wheels wrapped in GT Radial Champiro tires.
Under the hood, PM Lifestyle sought the assistance of Banks Power, COBB Tuning and Ford Racing in giving the Focus ST a hellacious powertrain upgrade, highlighted by a Banks Power straight-shot water-methanol injection system.
No word yet on how much output this Focus ST is going to have but we expect nothing less than a spectacular program from the guys over at PM Lifestyle.
Click past the jump to read about the 2014 Ford Focus ST
Ford Focus ST by PM Lifestyle originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 26 October 2013 23:00 EST.
MINI has always been an out-of-the-box kind of company, and anytime it can try out something new, it won’t hesitate to do so.
The upcoming debut of the third-generation MINI Cooper was the perfect opportunity for MINI to do something really unique and true to form, it’s going to do just that.
Specifically, MINI will give three lucky people the chance to attend the new Cooper’s unveiling on November 18th at any one of three locations around the globe where it will make its debut: Los Angeles, London or Shanghai.
Getting a chance to put your name in the lot is pretty easy. All you need to do is head over to the new Cooper’s dedicated website, follow the instructions, and you’re one step closer to being chosen as one of the lucky few to get an up-close look at the next-generation Cooper.
And in case you don’t get chosen, don’t feel too bad because the new Cooper will make its public debuts soon at both the Tokyo Motor Show next month and the Los Angeles Auto Show before the end of the year.
Video: Here's Your Chance To Win A Trip To MINI's Launch Of The Next-Gen Cooper originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 26 October 2013 18:00 EST.
