In November, Proton added another 11,411 units (including export sales) to its cumulative volume for 2020, bringing the total to 96,410 units. Compared to the total 11-month volume in 2019, the increase is 7.5% while the comparison of monthly volumes shows this year to be 18% higher.

“Malaysian car sales are continuing to outperform market projections from earlier in the year as we estimate Total Industry-Volume (TIV) to be more than 56,000 units for a third consecutive month. A lot of this can be accounted for by traditional end-of-year deals offered by car brands, but this year we can include PENJANA incentives and the launch of popular new models such as the Proton X50 as volume growth drivers,” said Roslan Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar, adding that the brand’s market share is estimated at 20.1%.

While sales for other Proton models for the month were slightly down compared to October, deliveries of the X50 SUV began to gather momentum. 1,756 units were delivered, which Proton says makes it the best-selling B-segment (5-seat) SUV in Malaysia. Added to the 2,157 units of the X70, Proton lays claim to being the market leader in SUVs.

Strong numbers but cautious optimism for 2021
“For Proton specifically, we are continuing to focus on product quality and customer service to deliver a premium product and brand experience. Admittedly, deliveries of the Proton X50 have not ramped up to maximum capacity, but we are being deliberate in our approach to ensure our customers get the best product that meets their expectations, Still, we target to increase our volume each month to shorten waiting times so we urge everyone to please remain patient,” Encik Roslan said.

Export sales increased in 2020
The Malaysian car market can only take so many vehicles each year and Proton has to look to other markets if it wants to keep growing. It has been working hard to have a larger export footprint  and 2020 was supposed to be another year of steady growth in this area. However, the plans were affected by the global coronavirus pandemic although, by the end of November, the number of Proton vehicles exported to other countries exceeded the total from the year before.

“Export sales will continue to be one of Proton’s main pillars heading into 2021 and beyond. With our domestic market performance having stabilised and undergoing steady growth, renewed  emphasis has to be placed on making Proton a regional and global automotive brand,” he said.

“As a national car company, we represent Malaysia on the global stage and when we grow our export volume, our own local vendor community stands to gain as well. We will have more announcements about overseas market activities in the months and years to come,” added Encik Roslan.

Click here to read more about the Proton X50’s powertrain.

A certain batch of Toyota Hilux or Fortuner vehicles have an issue with their brake system which requires rectification at an authorised Toyota service centre. The vehicles affected were produced and distributed by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) between July 2018 and January 2019 and number 11,571 units for the Hilux and 1,425 units for the Fortuner. Vehicles produced and sold at other periods are not affected.

The Special Service Campaign that UMWT has initiated to recall the vehicles requires the condition of the resin pistons in the brake booster to be inspected. Where necessary, they will be replaced at no charge to owners. UMWT says that the issue can caused compromised braking performance.

Do not ignore
UMWT will send notification letters to owners of the affected vehicles requesting them to bring their vehicles to an authorised Toyota service centre. As this concerns the brake system, it is a critical safety issue so don’t ignore the notification and act promptly.

In the event that you have a Hilux or Fortuner which you bought from someone else (the original owner) and it was produced during the period mentioned, you might not receive a letter if UMWT does not have your contact details. In this case, you can still get assistance at any authorised Toyota service centre or call the Toyota Freephone 1800-8-TOYOTA (869682). To locate a service centre in Malaysia, visit www.toyota.com.my.

Click here for other news and articles about Toyota.

As widely rumoured, the Peugeot franchise is to change hands and this has finally taken place, with Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd (BAASB) being appointed to the new role of distributor. BAASB is a joint venture between Berjaya Corporation and Bermaz Auto, with the former having a majority share of 51%.

The Naza Group, which has been handling the French brand, is believed to be giving up its involvement in some of its automotive brands and Peugeot appears to be the first one to go. Kia is also expected to be taken over by another party although the fate of the DS and Citroen brands is not known yet. Both are also part of Groupe PSA which has Peugeot as its main brand.

Commenting on the development, Datuk Sri Robin Tan Yeong Chin, CEO of Berjaya Corporation, said: “Berjaya is pleased to be given this opportunity to be part of the new collaboration (via BAASB) with Groupe PSA. This new collaboration will complement our group’s existing automotive business, namely HR Owen and Berjaya China Motor. We believe this collaboration between BerjayaCorp, Bermaz and Groupe PSA will bring positive synergistic benefits to all parties.”

Strong track record of Bermaz team
At this time, it’s not clear what role Bermaz (which is not a subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation) will play although it is most likely to manage distribution and retail activities, having a strong track record with the Mazda brand for more than 10 years. The team at Bermaz had earlier also successfully established and grown the Hyundai brand in Malaysia before it was acquired by Sime Darby Motors.

On the Groupe PSA side, the track record of Bermaz is likely to be highly beneficial. The Group had already made a decision some years back to designate Malaysia as its production hub in ASEAN although it took a while to actually start production. To speed things up, it acquired the Naza plant in Kedah in 2018 rather than build its own, and today assembles the Peugeot 3008 and 5008 for the Malaysian market as well as for export.

“Groupe PSA has made Malaysia its export hub for the region. BerjayaCorp is a multi-national conglomerate group of companies whilst Bermaz is a renowned automotive company in Malaysia; both listed on the Malaysian stock exchange. Hence, Groupe PSA is indeed pleased and is confident that the business collaboration with BerjayaCorp and Bermaz (via BAASB) will accelerate growth and create a synergy of key strengths between Groupe PSA and BAASB, which will see us further consolidating and increasing our market presence here,” said Laurence Noel, Senior Vice President – South East Asia, Groupe PSA.

Peugeot in Malaysia
Being one of the older brands in the auto industry, Peugeot has had a long presence in Malaysia, even in the pre-Merdeka days. The first major importer was Asia Motors which was selling the French cars back in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it even set up an assembly plant in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and invited Peugeot and also Mazda (which it also represented) to make small investments as well. The plant, called Asia Automobile Industries, assembled models such as the 504, 305 and 505.

Due to internal issues, Asia Motors ceased much of its automotive operations in Malaysia after the mid-1980s although it continued in SIngapore selling Mazda. For a few years, the brand was handled by a small company and then the MBf Group (through MBf-Peugeot) took it on. MBF’s founder, the late Tan Sri Loy Hean Hong, had taken on the franchise as the country was coming out of the economic recession of the mid-1980s and he saw that people were able to afford more expensive cars.

He himself had high regard for the French cars as he had serviced them in his younger days and knew they were durable. In having cars to sell, he also found that it benefited MBf’s other units that sold insurance and offered financing. The 405 was very popular and kept Peugeot among the top-selling European makes in the first half of the 1990s. However, the financial crisis of the late 1990s severely affected the MBf Group and it had to give up the Peugeot franchise.

C&C Bintang, strongly associated with Mercedes-Benz, was the next company to take on the franchise and handled it for 6 years (2002 – 2008). It also handled Mazda during that time, and passed it to Bermaz at the same time it ceased handling Peugeot.

The Naza Group, which was on the ascent as a strong player in the local auto industry, took on Peugeot (under its subsidiary, Nasim Sdn Bhd) and very quickly established a retail network as well as assembled models locally. It seemed to have a good future working with the French carmaker, with plans to even do business beyond Malaysian borders. However, that will not be happening as it gives up Peugeot after 12 years.

When Bermaz took over Mazda, it had also to take over stocks, the workforce involved with the Mazda business, and many of the outlets. The same scenario is likely with Peugeot and BAASB to ensure a smooth transition. In such situations, existing owners are usually assured of continued support, particularly with regards to warranty issues which Peugeot would take responsibility for.

Naza Kia Red Cube showroom in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, has shut down

The date ’12.12’ only occurs once a year and to celebrate this last pairing of numbers for 2020,  Honda Malaysia will be having a special sales campaign – the ‘12.12 Special Sales’  – with a rebate worth RM2,000 for the latest 5^th Generation Honda City (S and E variants).

12-day promotion
The ‘All-New City 12.12 Special Sales’ will be on from today until December 12, 2020. Registration of the cars can take place anytime during this month of December. Customers will be entitled to the rebate once they fulfil the booking and registration requirements at any Honda authorised dealership nationwide.

“On behalf of Honda Malaysia, I would like to convey my appreciation to all Malaysians for the unwavering support to the Honda brand. The All-New City have recorded significant sales performance since its launch with more than 9,000 bookings. We are pleased to offer customers the opportunity of owning their dream car and experiencing the ‘Joy of Buying’ with the ‘All-New City 12.12 Special Sales’ in conjunction with the year-end festive season by giving special rebate,” said Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director & CEO, Toichi Ishiyama.

Extra savings with sales tax exemption
He also reminded customers that they can benefit from extra savings with the sales tax exemption which will be available until December 31, 2020.

All variants of the new City (except the RS which will be available in January 2021) come with a new 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine, coupled with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The powertrain produces up to 121 ps, which is the highest in its class, with maximum torque of up to 145 Nm.

Features on the City E variant included Paddle Shifters as well as a first-in-segment Remote Engine Start feature that allows running of the air-conditioner before entering the car to cool down the cabin. This variant also comes with an 8-inch display panel for the infotainment system which has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Comfort levels are higher as rear passenger legroom has been expanded and the rear occupants now have a cooler journey with Rear Air Conditioning Ventilation.

Extensive safety features
Though an entry-level model, the City has many safety systems to help the driver avoid an accident. These include ABS, Vehicle Stability Assist, Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist. Additionally, there is also an Emergency Stop Signal system and Hill Start Assist. ISOFIX childseat points are provided and a Rear Seatbelt Reminder helps to ensure that rear occupants have their seatbelt on so as to comply with traffic laws.

To locate any of the 102 authorised Honda dealerships nationwide to view, test-drive and purchase the new City, visit www.honda.com.my.