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Maserati Levante V8 GTS & Trofeo Shine @ Los Angeles Auto Show 2018

At the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, Maserati showcases the Levante SUV in the GTS and top-of-the range Trofeo trims, both equipped with the powerful “Made in Maranello” V8 engine able to deliver 550 hp for the GT and 590 hp for the Trofeo. The entire MY19 range will also be present on the Maserati stand, with Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante in the GranLusso and GranSport trims, the ideal embodiment of the Brand’s dual personality. Also on display will be the GranCabrio MC, a fine incarnation of the Maserati open-top GT concept.

A range which has never been so rich and complete, and is certain to stun the West Coast motoring enthusiasts visiting the Los Angeles Convention Center from 30 November to 9 December. The Maserati stand in the “City of Angels” will also host two of the Modena Brand’s historic partners, Ermenegildo Zegna and Bulgari, each with its own exclusive area.

The Trident stand also features Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante MY19, which combine new product contents with subtle restyling.
The GranCabrio in the MC trim, a real “Made in Italy” style icon and particularly popular on the Californian market, will be another key exhibit.

For the FULL press release on Maserati at the LA Auto Show, click to download this: Press Release_Maserati 2018_CS Los Angeles

Ford Ranger & Focus Favoured By Malaysians @ Carlist.my “People’s Choice” Awards 2018

Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, recently claimed a double win for its Ford Ranger and Ford Focus at the Carlist.my People’s Choice Awards & Editors’ Choice Award 2018. The multiple-award winning Ford Ranger reaffirmed its popularity amongst Malaysians, winning a Gold for ‘Pick-up Truck of the Year’ while the dynamic Ford Focus was voted a second favourite, taking home Silver in the ‘Mid-Range Hatch’ category.

“We are elated that the Ranger continues to be a top favourite and that the Focus nameplate still holds a special spot in the hearts of Malaysians. We wish to extend our utmost gratitude to all Malaysians for their support as we continue to enhance the ownership experience for our customers in every way possible,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (below, at a different COTY event)

“With its ‘Built Ford Tough’ credentials, the Ranger is designed and engineered to handle the most extreme terrain with ease. At the same time, it delivers a level of refinement that offers customers the option of owning not just an adventure or commercial-ready truck, but also a lifestyle and family vehicle. Meanwhile, the Ford Focus significantly raises the bar in its mid-range hatch category by delivering a class-leading combination of smart technologies, innovative design and safety as well as exceptional fuel efficiency” – SDAC Malaysia.

2018 marks the second year that winners of Carlist.my’s awards were purely chosen by Malaysians. This year, a total of 7,000 people voted for their favourite cars over a four-week period in 18 categories.

For more information, visit SDAC’s multilingual website (www.sdacford.com.my), which also features a chatbot available in three languages – English, Bahasa Malaysia and Simplified Chinese.

PSA: C&C Receives Notice From Daimler AG On Call-Option To Acquire Remaining 49% Stake In Mercedes-Benz Malaysia

Reproduced in its un-edited entirety below, Piston.my has just received this notice:

PROPOSED DISPOSAL OF 49.00% EQUITY INTEREST IN MERCEDES-BENZ MALAYSIA SDN BHD (“MBM”) TO DAIMLER AG (“DAG”)
Cycle & Carriage Bintang Assures Business Continuity and Commitment to Providing Exceptional Services

Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad (“CCB” or “the Company”) wishes to announce that it has, on 30 November 2018 (“Exercise Date”), received a notice from DAG that they are exercising their call option over 66,003,000 shares (“MBM Shares”) of MBM currently held by CCB. Pursuant to the exercise of such call option, the Company will be obliged to sell the MBM Shares to DAG (or such persons as DAG may nominate) for a consideration of RM66,003,000 (the “Disposal”) and will henceforth cease to be entitled to the annual dividend of approximately RM11.2 million even when MBM declares a dividend. Following the Disposal, CCB will cease to hold shares in MBM. Completion of the Disposal will take place 12 months from the Exercise Date.

CCB’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Wilfrid Foo, says “Cycle & Carriage Bintang would like to assure all our customers that the recent decision by Daimler AG to exercise their call option on the company’s holding in Mercedes-Benz Malaysia will not impact our commitment or ability to continue delivering exceptional experiences to our customers across our nationwide dealerships in Malaysia. All dealerships will continue to provide you with quality sales and aftersales services in accordance with the strictest Mercedes-Benz quality standards supported by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.”

CCB has a longstanding relationship with Mercedes-Benz for over 50 years and wishes to reiterate that the Disposal will not directly impact any of its trading operations, trading performance or its support of customers. CCB is a leading Mercedes-Benz dealer group in Malaysia, with 13 sales and aftersales facilities across the country to serve Mercedes-Benz customers. It is committed to being the partner of choice of MBM and Mercedes-Benz customers alike, and will continue to work alongside MBM to grow the Mercedes-Benz brand in Malaysia’s luxury car segment.

Further details in relation to the Disposal can be found in the Company’s announcement to Bursa Malaysia dated 3 December 2018.

TECH: Petron Malaysia & WeChat Pay – Bringing Convenient Payment To The Masses!

WeChat Pay Malaysia and Petron Malaysia recently announced a collaboration that will allow motorists to pay using the WeChat Pay Malaysia e-wallet at 239 Petron service stations and gradually nationwide. The initiative is part of WeChat Pay Malaysia and Petron Malaysia’s commitment to enhance customer experience by providing ease of transactions at stations. This collaboration marks the first of ‘e-wallet payment option at the service stations in Malaysia’ made possible by WeChat Pay Malaysia. You can see the list of 239 “WeChat payment accepted” Petron stations in this downloadable link: Petron Service Stations List (239)

WeChat Pay is one of the most widely used payment methods in China, and is fast gaining popularity in Malaysia. The e-wallet only requires users to flash the phone at the counter, thus allowing customers to go cashless and even cardless. According to WeChat Pay Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Jason Siew, “We believe in forging collaborations, which help us deliver the best experiences to our customers. This collaboration with Petron will further encourage the growth of cashless payments in Malaysia. We will continue to strategically expand our collaboration for WeChat Pay to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience.”

Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Secretary General (Domestic Trade) Yang Berusaha Tuan Badrul Hisham Bin Mohd and Petron Head of Retail Business Mr Choong Kum Choy were present to officiate the launch of the WeChat e-wallet at Petron service stations. Speaking about the collaboration, Mr Choong said, “We are very excited to introduce WeChat Pay Malaysia at Petron service stations. We are confident that customers will enjoy this new safe, easy, and convenient e-wallet shopping experience. Customers’ convenience has always been our priority and the partnership with WeChat Pay Malaysia allows us to offer secure and wider payment choices for our valued customers.”

“We hope that more consumers will have the opportunity to experience Petron’s Fuel Happy hospitality, while gaining more satisfying rewards using Petron fuels and from the services we have introduced. This is in line with our commitment to provide consumers more benefits and rewards,” continued Choong. “This initiative is also in line with our strategy moving towards a cashless society whilst leveraging on the rise of e-commerce and the efficiency of Malaysia’s payment systems with electronic payments to create more rewarding customer experiences,” said WeChat Pay Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Jason Siew.

Bringing together this collaboration between Petron Malaysia and WeChat Pay Malaysia is Revenue Monster Sdn Bhd, a payment solutions provider and the first appointed merchant acquirer of WeChat Pay in Malaysia, to facilitate WeChat Pay transactions. Additionally, the company also offers progressive and comprehensive products and solutions, such as a remote terminal management system for centralised business operations, customisable food-ordering management services, together with an integrated management portal that allows merchants to manage its own Facebook Messenger and WeChat social broadcasts to publish promotions and manage customer loyalty programmes.

For more information on WeChat Pay MY and the campaign, visit WeChat Pay MY’s Official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WeChatPayMY.official) or Petron Malaysia’s Official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PetronMalaysia/) and Instagram page at @petron_malaysia.

PSA: If You Only Use RON97 Petrol, We Have Good News For You!

31 cents. Yup, that’s how much less RON 97 will be come 1st Dec 2018. So drive frugally for the next few hours! From RM2.81 per litre, RON 97 will be only RM2.50 per litre tomorrow. Here are the official prices for fuel from 1st to 31st Dec 2018:

RON 95 = RM2.20 per litre (no change)
RON 97 = RM2.50 per litre (less 31 sen)
Diesel = RM2.18 per litre (no change)

FEATURE: Petron Blaze RON95 TriAction Advantage Put To The Test @ Petron Media Roadtrip 2018!

Another day, another roadtrip! Following closely on the heels of the one recently organised by BHP (<–link), Petron Malaysia recently organized an exclusive media drive to demonstrate its advanced additive formulation performance, TriAction Advantage in its best-selling and popular everyday fuel, Petron Blaze 95. Yup, you read that right, only Petron’s RON95 would be used for this run.

Dubbed the Petron TriAction Advantage Performance Run Media Road Trip, 14 of us motoring media, including yours truly, travelled approximately 280 kilometers on a 7-hour journey starting from the Petron MRR2 Selayang service station in Kuala Lumpur (near Batu Caves), with stopovers at Kuala Gandah and Temerloh before concluding the trip at Gambang, Pahang. And thanks to the use of B-roads, we had the chance to really experience Petron Blaze 95 formulated with TriAction Advantage.

That being said, I did mention to the good people at Petron that in order to really feel any difference, it would have been better to use our own cars, because the Honda CR-V that I drove (Car 4, below) was just epically good on this drive, so I’m not sure if it was because of the Blaze RON95 petrol, or the fact that the new CR-V is just so damn good! Petron said they would consider my suggestion for 2019, so fingers-crossed.

“We are thrilled to have our annual media road trip for the participants to experience our most popular everyday fuel Blaze 95 and our advanced fuel additive technology, TriAction Advantage. This will be our fifth consecutive road trip with the media as part of our fuel happy promotion of our innovative fuels and the first-rate customer service at our stations,” said Choong Kum Choy, Head of Retail Business.

One of the key messages imparted by Petron during this event was the fact that all its grades of fuel, be it Blaze RON 95, 97 or 100 (photo below) all have the TriAction Advantage formula, which includes a Synthetic Detergent that cleans and keeps the engine clean within 2 full tanks, a Friction Modifier that reduces the friction between the piston and cylinder wall, and a Combustion Enhancer that results in a cleaner, more complete and more efficient burn.

Here’s what Petron had to say about the drive….

The 2-day TriAction Advantage Performance Run Media Road Trip was only powered by Petron Blaze 95 while the participants’ rides were furnished exclusively by well-known car companies Euromobil Sdn Bhd, Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd. Driving through the ‘backbone’ of the central Peninsula, the convoy cruised at a comfortable speed of 60-110 km/h (Hahaha! No we didn’t! especially the Myvi… – CW) in their Audi A6 and Q3, Honda CRV and Perodua Myvi. Changing from two-way to single-lane roads and maneuvering between winding mountainside roads, the media had the opportunity to test the power and efficiency of Petron Blaze 95 with TriAction Advantage.

Stopping at Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary for a quick break, the road trippers continued their journey until Temerloh for the authentic traditional Patin Tempoyak meal. The vehicles refueled at Petron KM 3.5 Mile Jalan Gambang. “The media road trip highlights Petron’s superior Blaze 95 RON fuel which is powered with our advanced additive technology, TriAction Advantage that gives better engine protection, better mileage, and better power,” said Choong.

UTM gets involved…

To highlight the efficiency of Blaze 95, Petron collaborated with the Automotive Development Centre from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Engineering Faculty to measure and validate (above) the fuel performance and consumption of each participating car. In a product sharing session, participants were introduced to the Petron Technical Service team headed by Chew Choy, who shared product information of Petron products, namely Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4M, Petron 97 Euro 4M, Petron Blaze 95 and the TriAction Advantage formulation. You can see the official results below, tabulated from Petron Selayang to Petron Gambang 3.5 stations.

(Please note that Car 4: Honda CR-V that I drove is in second most fuel-efficient place! – CW)

“The TriAction Advantage formulation provides better power, better mileage, and better engine protection as it comes from the combined action of the detergent, friction modifier and organic combustion enhancer additives in the fuel,” said Chew Choy, Senior Technical Service Advisor at Petron. The detergent in TriAction Advantage helps clean up and keep the engine inlet system clean, enabling the vehicle’s engine to operate at maximum efficiency. Vehicles can experience better power and fuel consumption with TriAction Advantage’s friction modifier which helps reduce friction between the piston and cylinder wall.

Chew further mentioned that aftermarket bottled ‘additives’ are not required if you use Petron Blaze, because all the additives you’d need are already in the fuel.

TriAction Advantage also contains an organic combustion enhancer, a metal free and ashless organic compound to improve the combustion of gasoline fuel. It creates a catalytic reaction, which breaks down long molecular chains, enabling more oxygen to combine with the carbon molecules, thus resulting in the fuel to burn completely, giving better mileage and less harmful emissions.

Choong added, “Petron’s Blaze 95 reaffirms our goal to provide innovative products to enhance our customers’ driving experience. Our fuels provide better protection, better economy, and reduced harmful emissions to the environment. We want to continue delivering world class fuels and services to all of our customers.” The annual Petron Road Trip event is a fun and enjoyable long-distance journey for exclusive press members to experience the world-class products and personalized services offered only at Petron service stations.

While testing the performance of the fuel, guests will be taken on exhilarating highway and cross-country drives with stop-overs at some of the country’s best places to visit. The first Petron Road Trip was in 2015 held in line with the introduction of the Petron Blaze 97 Euro-4M gasoline nationwide. To-date there are 620 Petron stations nationwide.