One of the most renown motorbike accessory makers globally, GIVI recently organised an ‘Explorer Tour’ (www.giviexplorer.com) using some of its latest equipment in the GIVI Explorer – The Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Traversing three countries, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, the tour saw 25 riders from China, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, S.Korea, Taiwan, USA, Columbia, Bolivia, Spain, Italy, Vietnam and Malaysia, battle extreme weather and riding conditions to complete this last November.
The participants used a varied combination of dual-purpose bikes all decked-out with the latest GIVI travel accessories which could be seen on the likes of the BMW GS, Honda Africa Twin, Kawasaki Versys, Suzuki V-Strom, Yamaha Tenere, Honda X-ADV and Triumph Tiger. To check out more GIVI Explorer videos, click this link.
In conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) is giving away close to 9,000 prizes in the form of PETRONAS Gift Card and Mesra loyalty points between 12 February and 15 March 2018. The Fueling Prosperity promotion, open to Mesra card members, is part of PDB’s continuous effort in rewarding their loyal customers.
The promotion offers a grand prize of PETRONAS Gift Card worth RM8,888, eight PETRONAS Gift Card worth RM888 each as well as giveaways of 8,800 Mesra points for 88 winners each and 800 Mesra points for 8,888 winners. Customers only need to fuel up a minimum of RM38 worth of PETRONAS Primax to be in the running for these prizes.
Speaking about the promotion, Aadrin Azly, PDB’s Head of Retail Business Division said, “We are always conscientious towards our customers’ needs and this Fueling Prosperity promotion is something that we believe our customers will appreciate as we have made the participating entry simple and the prizes practical.”
“With the Gift Card and Mesra points, customers can purchase or redeem fuel and non-fuel items from our Kedai Mesra, in line with our commitment of rewarding our customers with things that truly matter,“ he added.
PETRONAS Mesra card is PDB’s loyalty programme that offers its customers instant point redemption for any purchase made on fuel or items sold at Kedai Mesra. It currently offers the highest value in the fuel retail market, offering three Mesra points for every litre purchased. Points accumulated can be used to redeem fuel and items from Kedai Mesra, providing great savings to customers as they spend.
In addition to this, Mesra card members can now enjoy special benefits exclusively for them. Recent initiative being the Mesra Personal Accident Plan that is currently being offered for only RM1 (100 Mesra points) monthly, when they spend a minimum of RM100 per month at any PETRONAS station nationwide. The worldwide 24/7 protection via the Axxess programme provides the member Accidental Hospital and Death benefits of up to RM50,000.
In conjunction with the festive season, Mesra card members who sign up for the Mesra Personal Accident Plan before 28 February 2018 will receive complimentary Mesra PA benefit for the first month.
Application of the PETRONAS Mesra card is easy and free. Customers can apply for the card at any 1,000 over PETRONAS stations nationwide or through online application via www.mymesra.com.my. To sign up for the Mesra Personal Accident benefit and for more information, log on to www.axxess.com.my/petronas-mesra-register.
PROTON registered sales of 4,783 units in January 2018 with forecasted market share of 10.9%, an increase from the 8.8% market share in the previous month, despite registering lower sales from 4,802 units in December 2017. The Saga, Persona and Exora were the most popular models, making up 80% of total Proton car sales for January 2018.
“As the most affordable and value-for-money car in its segment, the Saga remains to be the most popular choice among Proton customers, making up 41% of overall Proton car sales. Naturally, the Saga has been enriching the lives of more than 1.7 million Malaysian families since its first production. It received numerous recognitions with the recent ones being, Value for Money Car Award in 2016 and Compact Sedan of the Year in 2017.” said Abdul Rashid Musa, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, PROTON.
“The Saga we have now is the third generation Saga which has gone through a lot of improvement, enhancements and refinements. It has a quieter cabin due to the reduction of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) level, with a more stylish design, much more practical, durable and gives customers better value for the good safety features, convenient features and comfort level in the car. From as low as RM35,590.29, or RM390 per month (without insurance), it is affordable to most Malaysians,” Rashid added.
USHERING THE YEAR OF THE DOG
In conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration, PROTON is rewarding its customers prosperity discounts* for all Proton models, up to RM500* for an Exora, up to RM1,000* for a Saga, up to RM1,000* for a Persona, up to RM5,000* for an Iriz, and up to RM13,888* for a Perdana.
Customers can also drop by any PROTON authorised service outlets for a free 20-point safety inspection** before starting their long journey. For more information, customers can contact PROTON Customer Care at 1800 888 398 or email customercare@proton.com.
Customers can also visit www.proton.com or its official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ProtonCarsOfficial.
For added convenience, customers can download the official MyProton mobile app, available via Google Play and Apple App Store.
*Terms and conditions apply. Discounts vary by models. Promotion valid until 28 February 2018. **Terms and conditions apply. Promotion valid until 24 February 2018.
Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM), the official distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Malaysia, together with authorized dealer Esperance Motors celebrated its first 3S Centre (Sales, Service & Spare parts) opening in Sungai Buloh, Selangor recently, located at Lot 26, Jalan LGSB 1/2, Pusat Komersial LGSB, Off Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor.
“Esperance Motors has just started its business partnership with Mitsubishi Motors and we welcome them into the Mitsubishi family. With a strong leadership, vigorous energy and passion of the Dealer Principal and Management team in the automotive industry, we are confident that Esperance will become a key driving force to expand the market share for the Mitsubishi brand in Klang Valley,” said Tomoyuki Shinnishi, Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.
During the showroom launch, Dealer Principal of Esperance Motors, Alex Sim also announced that the company will be opening their second Mitsubishi showroom in quarter two this year. “It is my pleasure to inform that we will be having our second and main branch in Rawang. The 3S Centre is expected to be fully operational by middle of this year, and it will be a bigger facility with up to six service bays. We will also be providing other services such as accident repairs and hassle-free insurance claims as well”.
In conjunction of the 3S Centre launch, Esperance Motors also took the opportunity to introduce and display the newly launched Outlander and Triton Athlete.
Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia is currently represented by 55 showrooms (out of which 48 are 3S Centres) and 54 service outlets throughout Malaysia. In East Malaysia, MMM is represented by 14 showrooms (6 in Sarawak and 8 in Sabah).
The Triton 4×4 pick-up truck are imported as CBU (Completely Built-Up) units from Thailand while the ASX Compact SUV and Outlander are locally assembled (CKD) in Malaysia.
Isuzu Malaysia ushers in 2018 on a high note, as it tops Malaysia’s 2017 commercial vehicle market by maintaining its position as the No. 1 preferred commercial vehicle (CV) operator for four consecutive years running.
Although faced with market uncertainties and price increase due to the depreciating Ringgit, Isuzu Malaysia still managed to not only retain their spot as CV No. 1, but also managed to capture a 13% share in the pick-up segment, in addition to 20% sales increase in after-sales parts.
(L-R) Mikio Tsukui, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Vehicle Division of Isuzu Malaysia, and Koji Nakamura, Chief Executive Officer of Isuzu Malaysia
Based on the overall sales figures recently released by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), Isuzu’s ELF Light Duty truck remains a firm favourite with 5,237 units sold in 2017. Despite a slight decline in Total Industry Volume (TIV), Isuzu managed to considerably improve its market share in the CV segment to 37.1%, as compared to 2016’s share of 36.3%.
In his New Year’s address, Chief Executive Officer of Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Koji Nakamura, expressed his delight over Isuzu’s ability to stand firm as a company and perform well despite the various economic hurdles faced in 2017. Furthermore, Nakamura cited the public’s trust in the Isuzu brand and the long-term value that their commercial vehicles had to offer played a major role in ensuring Isuzu retains its CV No. 1 position for the fourth consecutive year.
Nakamura also attributed the company’s remarkable achievement in 2017 to the unyielding support and services provided by Isuzu Malaysia’s skilled staffs and dealers, in maintaining good relationship with customers, aside from the outstanding quality and reliability that Isuzu trucks had to offer.
According to Nakamura, “A successful company must have good business vision. Heading into 2018, our strategy is to ensure that customer satisfaction always comes first. We will continue to ensure our customers’ needs are handled with great care and consideration, while providing excellent after-sales services at all times. Despite the current economic outlook, it is important to always offer added value to our customers.”
“Being No. 1 for the fourth consecutive year verifies the excellent quality of our products, in addition to first-rate services offered at our Sales and Service centres located nationwide. The ability to maintain this ranking also proves Isuzu’s reliability in providing time-saving and cost-efficient logistics to suit any business needs,” he continued.
Aside from the impressive sales volume of the Isuzu ELF Light Duty trucks recorded by MAA in 2017, Isuzu commercial vehicles in the Medium Duty, High Duty and Prime Mover categories also cemented the brand in achieving the No. 1 rank for preferred Commercial Vehicle in Malaysia.
For more details on Isuzu’s range of vehicles, call 1-300-88-1133 or visit www.isuzu.net.my.
It’s the age-old question isn’t it? If you could have only ONE car in your porch/garage, what would it be? Something that only you would use to both commute in, as well as partake in the occasional Sunday / weekend drive with the boys. Well guys (and gals), in the sub-RM1 mil bracket, I think I might have just found such a car recently…
Unveiled at the opening of Porsche Centre Penang in the first quarter of 2017 (Sime Darby Auto Performance Officially Opens Porsche Centre Penang)the 718 Cayman S and its sibling the 718 Cayman are the latest pair to bear the Porsche ‘numeric’ that adorns all its cars.
Image courtesy of The Revs Institute
Drawing design inspiration from the likes of the 1963 Porsche 550 Coupe (above), the new 718 Cayman is a stylishly-sporty little thing. One of the best features are its wide hind flanks…
…clearly visible from the wing-mirrors. Its swooping rear affords the 718 a more ‘fastback’ design, something that both old- and new-school car enthusiasts will appreciate for sure.
Right-off the bat, the first thing anyone will feel when getting behind the wheel of the 718 Cayman S is just how comfortable and compliant it is. No kidding, it’s far from what you’d expect a strict 2-seater to feel like. Ensconced in the snug cabin and cradled comfortably by those exquisite seats, the 718 ensures that all drives, be it a short-hop or long-haul, are seen to in fine, comfortable style.
But before this starts sounding like a brochure, let’s get it straight; there’s still 350bhp and 420Nm of torque from that ‘hidden’ gem of a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder VTG turbocharged (Variable Turbine Geometry) engine at the back, which allows the Cayman S to accelerate from 0 to 100kmh in a brisk 4.2sec, and on to a top-speed of 285kmh.
That’s what the ‘boot’ looks like (above), and the only way to show the engine to you is via that stock image, because out the back is this (below). That’s also my only gripe about the 718 Cayman… there’s no way to see its engine, not without removing panels.
Small inconsequential matter really, because these days, only a certified and authorized Porsche technician would know how to fix anything wonky anyway, so personal access to the engine is a moot point. I wonder how soon before this becomes a standard across all car makes. Sorry, I digress. Back to the car…
Of course for the little kid in all of us, there’s also a ‘muffler sound’ button on the centre-console, which when activated allows the 718 to clear its throat so to speak. A flap opens somewhere within the annals of the exhaust system, and the 718 just bellows. So despite being a flat-four and not a six, the 718 still imparts that raucous exhaust note that Porsche purists will expect and appreciate.
Killing off that fun-button settles the 718 to a quiet, comfortable, unassuming sports-coupe, and with the PDK auto-slotted in seventh gear, puttering along at legal highway speeds returns a drive that completely belies this cars’ external appearance; it gets quiet. Eerily quiet. Very un-Porsche.
However, in a very split-personality kind of way, the 718 Cayman S is able to transform itself from a docile, comfortable coupe, to a raging, bellowing beast, the moment you peel-off the highway and hit that favourite stretch of back-road. This is where you’ll discover where all the decades of R&D in chassis tuning, balance and power-delivery have paid off.
The 718 Cayman S, despite being uncannily comfortable during normal driving, is somehow able to turn itself into something that feels more track-biased than a road car. The way it is able to put the power down, and remain composed in the tightest corners, the way it’s able to let the tail hang-out just enough to set up the next corner is unbelievable. PSM, despite being active, still allows a modicum of ‘spirited-sideways’ play, and will only intervene at the point where it reckons the driver has really ‘lost it’.
It even has a lateral G-force meter in the instrument cluster, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why. If you’re creating enough gees in a corner to be of any significance whatsoever, believe me, taking your eyes off the road to look at a small G-force meter is the last thing you wanna do. And besides, you’ll pass-out from the centrifugal force long before achieving anything remotely bragworthy anyway…
These are just toys of course, like that muffler fun-button; add-ons to make the drive a bit more fun, and perhaps justify this cars’ RM700,000 asking price. I love the fact that Porsche has dialled so much of this ‘fun’ into the 718 Cayman S, really. When it comes down to it, for cars like this in this segment of the market, and putting aside all brands, all categories, all on-the-road prices, et al, isn’t that what it all boils down to? Fun. And just for fun, check out this video on the coolest cup-holders, ever…
So yeah, back to that question which started this article; one garage, one car. Your car, less than a mil. What would it be? It doesn’t have to be this of course, but as an option to consider, the 718 Cayman S certainly ticks all the right boxes for that. Hope you like the videos! – Chris Wee.
VIDEO: Porsche 718 Cayman S driving impression, skip to the 7min mark, before that I talk about the recentBikes on the Federal Highway issue…
VIDEO: Front view Porsche 718 Cayman S drive, skip to the 10min mark for the exterior walk-around…
VIDEO: Porsche 718 Cayman S engine sound at start-up from the cockpit…
