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Mitsubishi UK lets you buy a car online

The advent of the smartphone and fast cellular data speeds have contributed to the popularity of online shopping. Unlike the old days, where one would need to travel to a brick and mortar store to browse through items, now its just a tap away. Online shopping stores have made it really easy too, with free shipping and delivery to your doorstep.

Most of what we need can be purchased online, with the exception of the automobile, or so we thought. A customer in the UK named Antony Deane has managed to purchase his Mitsubishi ASX through the automaker’s online purchasing portal. Called Mitsubishi Buy Online, it is designed to offer users better convenience and transparency.

The portal is linked with Mitsubishi Motors UK website, allowing customers to access the Mitsubishi showroom in the comfort of their own home. All current Mitsubishi models are included in the programme and online customers can enjoy the same rebates and offers that are offered in the brand’s dealerships.

This revolutionary service was developed in conjunction with leading online vehicle retailing specialist, Rockar. Adding to that, Mitsubishi also partnered with automotive auction specialist BCA, which will facilitate the trade-in services of customers’ current vehicles. Besides competitive part-exchange services, it can also predict future trade-in values.

Deane’s ASX was purchased in the same way. After browsing through Mitsubishi’s online showroom, he made his choice and opted to trade-in his current vehicle via the trade-in valuation facility. The entire process can be done on Mitsubishi Buy Online, which can be completed in a mere 20 minutes by following the step-by-step guide.

“Buying a new Mitsubishi is a very big thing for me, it’s the first new car I’ve bought in 25 years of driving and the whole experience was brilliant throughout. Other than uploading some documentation, I completed everything on my phone and if I had a question, the Mitsubishi Buy Online team were a fantastic help.”

“The experience has been so enjoyable that there’s a good chance we’ll use Mitsubishi Buy Online when we replace my partner’s car in the near future,” he added.

Expect to hear more of such services in the near future as automakers start to deal directly with customers rather than go through a ‘middle man’. Tesla has attempted a similar strategy in the US but with mixed results. Legislation in certain countries or states forbid manufacturers from directly engaging with customers, hopefully that will change soon.

Continental tyres beat competition

Continental, a leading tyre manufacturer, has been recognised by the Auto Express Tyre awards 2017. It bagged two accolades for both its summer and winter tyres, namely The Continental ContiPremiumContact 5, and the WinterContact TS 860.

Auto Express’ tyre tests, have for years, been considered the benchmark for actua; tyre performance in the UK. The company’s findings are published to highlight the ones that offer the best performance, quality, safety, desirability and value. Many regard the data, as a stamp of approval of the respective tyre, providing consumers with the proper insight.

Speaking about the winning performance, Auto Express said, “The PremiumContact 5 continues to lead the field in summer tyres, delivering high quality performance across multiple testing disciplines. With sharp handling in wet and dry, the PremiumContact 5 continues to be a hard act to follow.”

The ContiPremiumContact 5 builds upon the test success of its predecessor by winning the Auto Express ultimate tyre test 2017. The TS860 won the winter tyre test and is said to be able to handle twists and turns as well as a great deal of braking, very well, even in harsh conditions.

Continental says the latest victories are an excellent endorsement for Continental’s continued ambition to improve driver safety as part of its VisionZero initiative. And judging from what we have heard so far, Continental will continue to produce competitive tyres for the foreseeable future.

McLaren Senna is a true drivers’ car

McLaren has unveiled a new supercar that’s part of its Ultimate Series collection. Called the Senna, this particular machine pays homage to former McLaren F1 Driver and legend Aryton Senna, in more than one way. Unlike the usual crop of cars we are used to seeing from the Woking based automaker, this one has minimal tech and luxuries.

It is built with the company’s carbon fibre Monocage III chassis, the very same one that underpins the McLaren 720S, and is said to be the strongest one that it has ever built. The car sports similar looks to the base 720S but comes with heavily modified bodywork, rear wing and diffusers for aerodynamic efficiency.

This rear-wheel-drive McLaren forgoes the practicality and luxuries of other cars in the stable for a race-focused setup and overall weight of just 1,198kg. In fact, it happens to be the lightest production car that the company has produced since the iconic F1. Downforce is magnified through the use of active aerodynamics for the front and rear.

“The McLaren Senna delivers true performance, all the way to the limit of a driver’s ability. With a truly astonishing power-to-weight ratio, this car is about performance that is accessible and attainable, yet at the same time exciting and challenging for the very best drivers in the world – and with an intense, sensory experience to match, “ Andy Palmer, Vehicle Line Director, McLaren Ultimate Series.

Powering the car is a mid-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 789bhp and 800Nm of torque. Codenamed M840TR, the company’s engineers from the beginning, set out to build a powerplant that provides the intended visceral feel and experience. And it is mated to a dual clutch 7-speed gearbox that has manual and auto mode.

Output from the drivetrain can be altered via the Active Dynamics Panel, that sets the throttle response based on the selected setting of Comfort Sport or Track. The ambiance is is improved by several added features that include a roof mounted snorkel air intake, as well as engine acoustics transferred to the cabin via the mounts and body panels.

McLaren has fitted the car with the RaceActive Chassis Control II (RCC II), a hydraulic suspension setup works with the active aerodynamics and race tuned chassis to create a truly track-focused experience. The automaker says that the car, though road-legal, isn’t meant for regular runs to the supermarket. It’s a razor-sharp track car that can be used on the road, occasionally.

The Sena’s adaptive dampers are connected to each other hydraulically. Each has two valves independently adjustable for compression and rebound. The car’s stiffness is separately controlled via a kinetic roll system, or K-damper. As for braking power, the Senna has the most advanced system fitted to a McLaren road car. It features carbon ceramic discs that offer exceptional performance.

Production of the car is limited to 500 units, which will be hand-assembled at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, Surrey, England from Q3 2018. Like its siblings, all 500 will probably be snapped up in no time at all.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class tames King of the Jungle

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has for decades, been regarded as the most technologically advanced production vehicle on the planet. Features and systems that are common place in regular econoboxes today, were first introduced on the S-Class years earlier. The car represents Merc’s never-ending pursuit of automotive perfection.

This notion can be proven by looking at the spec sheet of the latest car. Not only does it come with the a slew of advanced active and passive safety systems, but can also alter interior lighting, ambiance and fragrance, depending on one’s mood. This allows for an even more relaxing driving experience then that offered by its predecessors.

In a promotional video advert released by the company recently, these very features have been highlighted. It depicts the day in the life of a top level exec, as he goes through the motions of running a company. The lighthearted nature of the video portrays the stresses that ‘alpha male’ top level management execs are put under on a day-to-day basis.

The video reaches its climax toward the end of the clip where the boss, heading out in his S-Class, gets stuck in a traffic jam. As he is about to implode into manic rage of biblical proportions, the car’s interior system activates its various ‘mood changer’ features that help him calm down, and enjoy the moment.

This amusing yet relatable video is one of many that have been published by the automaker on its official Youtube channel. Check it out and let us know what you think of the car and its advanced tech features.

Renault introduce new efficient engine

Renault has annoounced a new efficient engine that was co-developed by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Daimler. This new engine will power the Scénic and Grand Scénic line-up but will eventually make its way into other models in the Renault range from 2018.

According to the automaker, what sets this new powerplant apart from the rest is that it offers a significant improvement in terms of driving pleasure and availability of torque throughout the rev band. It is able to accomplish this without detriment to fuel consumption or CO2 emissions.

The engine will be made available with three different power outputs, which are the Energy TCe 115, TCe 140 and TCe 150. The numbers of their nomenclature denote engine horsepower. The TCe 140 replaces the older TCe 130 and offers 35Nm more torque that is available across a broader range of the rev band.

Philippe Brunet, Alliance Global VP – Powertrain & Electric Vehicles, said, “Our new petrol engine embodies all the expertise of Groupe Renault’s engineers, the Alliance and our partner Daimler. It meets the quality standards of both the Alliance and Daimler, with more than 40,000 hours of testing.”

The engine block, coupled with manual and EDC dual-clutch automatic transmissions, is available in a variety of power ratings from 115hp to 160hp. It utilizes a number of different technologies including Bore Spray Coating, a cylinder coating technology from the Nissan GT-R engine, which reduces friction and optimises heat transfer.

Other features of the engine are higher pressure of the direct fuel injection, which is 250 bar and a unique combustion chamber design that optimizes the fuel/air mix. Adding to that, Dual Variable Timing Camshaft technology manipulates the intake and exhaust valves depending on engine load at any given time. The is what allows for better torque levels across the rev range.

Bugatti Chiron recalled due to faulty welds

No car, no matter how special, is free of imperfections. Case in point is the Bugatti Chiron. Regarded as one of the most expensive and powerful cars on earth, the Chiron is considered the epitome of automotive greatness. Today however, that image has been tainted in the form of a recall.

According to an article by Bloomberg, Bugatti Automobiles SAS has informed U.S. auto regulators that it is recalling models of the car due to faulty welds on the front seat recliner bracket. And unlike regular manufacturers, the French automaker isn’t content with notifying customers of the problem via email or calls, instead, they have taken it one step further.

A team of Bugatti personnel will travel to each Chiron owner’s location to pick it up personally. The team will then haul the vehicle in an enclosed truck to one of 12 Bugatti dealers in the U.S. for inspections. There are about 12 of such vehicles in the US, but 47 in total, globally, are affected by this issue.

There’s no word yet on how Bugatti aims to deal with customers outside the US, but we assume that its method, will probably be similar in nature to that executed in the US. At $2.99 million (RM12.20 Million) a pop, owners of the Chiron shouldn’t have to expect anything other than 6 Star level of treatment.

The Chiron is the follow-up model to the mind-bending Veyron, which claimed and held the record for the fastest production car in the world for several years. It is powered by an 8.0-litre W16 quad-turbo engine that produces 1,479bhp and 1,600Nm of torque. The car was the talk of the town until it was recently upstaged by Koniegsegg’s Agera RS with its 0-400-0 km/h feat.

Source: Bloomberg

Mazda introduce limited edition MX-5

Mazda has introduced a limited edition variant of its sports coupe that it calls, MX-5 Z-Sport. This nomenclature was last used with the 3rd generation MX-5 back in 2007. The car gets a deep cherry red fabric hood, 17-inch black BBS wheels, and Machine Grey Metallic paintwork.

As for the interior, it gets Sand Leather seats, Z-Sport floor mats and scuff plates. On top of that, each car comes with an individually numbered Z-Sport plaque on the dash. Made exclusively for the UK market, Mazda has limited production of the Z-Sport to just 300 cars.

Like the base car, it is powered by a 2.0-litre 160bhp engine, has a limited slip differential, Bilstein dampers and a strut brace. Its predecessor, was graced with similar specs. It had the same capacity engine, 17-inch BBS wheels, Radiant Ebony Mica paint, brushed aluminium dash inserts, alloy pedals and stitching on the steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake.

Commenting on the launch of the new MX-5 Z-Sport, Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director Mazda Motors UK said, “The MX-5’s new cherry coloured roof was shown for the first time in public at the recent Tokyo Motor Show where it received a very positive reception.”

Though the Z-Sport isn’t that dissimilar from the MX-5 sold in Malaysia, we do hope that more variants of the car are offered to markets outside the UK and Japan. Fans of the brand and car outside these markets, would definitely be delighted to know that Mazda is looking out for them as well.

VW exec gets 7 years in prison for involvement in ‘dieselgate’

If you thought that the diesel-gate saga that has surrounded VW these past few years has finally been put to rest, then you are sadly mistaken. According to an article by The Guardian, Oliver Schmidt, a senior executive at Volkswagen, has been sentenced to 7 years in prison by a US Court.

The sentence given to Schmidt was proportional to his involvement in the scandal. His alleged involvement, allowed VW to evade pollution limits on several of its diesel models sold in the US. On top of his prison term, a $400,000 (RM1,635,200) fine has been levied on the VW exec as well. Both punishments are considered to be at top end of sentencing guidelines.

During his tenure at the company, Schmidt served the role of general manager in charge of VW’s environmental and engineering office in Michigan. The US government believes despite being in direct contact with regulatory bodies, he failed to disclose the method/software that was used by the automaker to circumvent US emissions regulations.

Schmidt is another casualty of the US government’s ongoing investigation into Volkswagen officials’ involvement in misleading regulatory authorities. In August, a VW engineer was sentenced to 40 months in prison for his part in the diesel-gate saga.

The article in The Guardian also states that it is highly unlikely that other high level execs will be brought to trial because they are already back in Germany. VW has openly admitted to its misdeeds and vowed to make things right through payment of fines to regulators as well as assisting customers who have been directly affected by the saga.

Source: The Guardian

Cadillac posts sales growth in 2017

According to GM’s latest sales report, demand for Cadillac vehicles is on the rise, which has been made evident by the automaker sales of 32,016 units this month alone. It’s part of an 18 consecutive month of growth for the brand. Adding to that, year-to-date sales are up by 18.5%, totaling 321,721 units.

“We have positioned ourselves to have a successful 2017 and are on track to have one of the best sales years in the history of Cadillac,” said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen. “Our SUV sales remain strong and we are seeing growth in the sedan segment, with both the ATS and CT6 performing well globally.”

In its home market, the gradual decline in demand for luxury cars, has affected Cadillac somewhat. But it has managed to partially offset the deficit with stronger sales of the XT5 and the ever-popular Escalade. This has resulted in an 8.1% growth in SUV portfolio sales for the year.

Despite this, China continues to be a strong market for the brand. There has been an increase of 53.7% in Cadillac sales compared to the same period in 2016. Following suit are Canada, South Korea, the Middle East and Japan, all of which, recorded an increase in sales this month.

Cadillac’s XT5 luxury crossover is still the best selling vehicle in its product portfolio. It has recorded 129,971 units delivered worldwide this year, and the ATS did equally well too, achieving a 20.2% increase in demand.

Worldwide, the company has achieved a 3.7% growth in sales figures, which isn’t groundbreaking, but proves that Cadillac vehicles are still in demand. Though the luxury car market might be shrinking, the figures show that the American automaker is still going strong.

Tesla’s Gigafactory woes cause ripple effect

Tesla has caused a bit of a stir in the battery market. Many electronics companies that require supply of cylindrical batteries for their products, are facing a significant supply shortage. This is due in part to Tesla sweeping Panasonic’s entire inventory of such batteries to meet its own demand.

The company’s Gigafactory, which functions as its battery manufacturing facility, has run into production problems and other delays. And as such, it has looked to Panasonic to shore up demand. According to a news article by etnews, it says that it’s almost impossible to source these batteries from within Japan.

Companies all over the globe have rushed to alternative suppliers that include Samsung, SDI, LG Chemicals and Murata for the required material. Demand has been so high that, even these manufacturers aren’t able to cope. The problem may have some serious repercussions for the businesses of various smaller entities, if left unresolved.

This Gigafactory is Tesla’s crown jewel that plays a major role in its parts supply chain as well as having the ability to run on renewable energy. The EV maker is looking to this sate-of-the-art facility to play a pivotal role in the company’s operations.

Source: etnews

Piston.my

English

Mitsubishi UK lets you buy a car online

Continental tyres beat competition

McLaren Senna is a true drivers’ car

Renault introduce new efficient engine

Bugatti Chiron recalled due to faulty welds

Mazda introduce limited edition MX-5

VW exec gets 7 years in prison for involvement in ‘dieselgate’

Cadillac posts sales growth in 2017

Tesla’s Gigafactory woes cause ripple effect

Mercedes-Benz Korea Faces Backlash Over EQE Fire Incident

BMW CEO Criticises EU’s 2035 Combustion Engine Ban, Advocates for E-Fuels

Malaysia Faces RM4 Billion in Unpaid Traffic Fines

Ukrainian Fighters Turn Toyota Mirai Into a Hydrogen Explosive Device

Proton Opens New Regional Parts Centre In Sabah To Meet Market Demand

First 500 J7’s Delivered To Jaecoo Dealerships

GWM Malaysia Delivers 100 Units of GWM TANK 300 in a Single Month

Review: Peugeot 408 Premium – Is This The Best Bang For Your Buck?

Volvo EX30 Electric SUV Now Open For Registration

WTCA Introduces Locally-Assembled GAC GS3 Emzoom in the ASEAN Region

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