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Toyota’s having a special roadshow in May

Instead of waiting for customers to wander into a Toyota dealership, the automaker has decided to take the showroom to them. Called the Toyota Go 2017 Roadshow, UMW Toyota Motor will be having the roadshow event at seven mall locations around the country this month.

The entire line-up which includes, passenger cars, SUVs, pick-up trucks and MPVs will be on display for for the general public to view and experience. Test drives will be available for customers to experience the vehicles’ full potential and find out more about the specifications and pricing.

The roadshow isn’t just a showroom on ‘wheels’ though, because it is actually meant to serve as a one-stop solution for owners and customers a like. The former will have the chance to find out more about the 10-star benefits offered by the company. It includes the Careplus packages for their servicing needs as well as professional repainting and repairing services at Toyota Body and Paint facilities around Malaysia.

It also serves as an opportunity to find out if their vehicles are part of the Special Service Campaigns. In recent times, the automaker had introduced one to replace the infiltrator module of the Takata airbag system of its vehicles.

Customers can meet with advisers to find out more about the various financing packages for hire-purchase loans. Those who prefer to purchase a pre-owned Toyota can meet with advisors from TopMark, which is a subsidiary of UMW Toyota Motor who will inform them on several pre-woned Toyota models and also evaluate the vehicles of those wishing to trade-in their old cars in order to purchase a new one.

There will also be a race prepared Vios that will be on display for the general public. The vehicle is what will be used for a series of one-make races called the Toyota Vios Challenge. It’s part part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Racing Festival.

In certain locations of the road show, popular celebrities participating in The Toyota Vios Challenge will also be present. As of now, the automaker has not divulged much regarding this issue, but we will let you know more as soon as we find out.

Besides these events, Toyota roadshow will also have activities to entertain the entire family which include an Outdoor Night Theater and a Petting Zoo. If you are interested, take a look at Toyota’s schedule below and plan your weekend accordingly.

6-7 May 10am – 10pm Central AEON Mall, Shah Alam

6-7 May 10am – 10pm South Angsana Mall, Johor Bahru

6-7 May 9am – 9pm (Sarawak) Boulevard Mall Outdoor Carpark, Miri

12-13 May 10am – 10pm East Coast AEON Mall, Kota Bharu

13-14 May 9am – 9pm (Sarawak) Sibu Gateway, Sibu

20-21 May 10am – 10pm East Coast Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan

20-21 May 9am – 9pm (Sarawak) Travillion, Kuching

Honda announces great sales figures and campaigns

Honda Malaysia has announced that sales figures from January to April of this year have been good and has put the automaker on track to achieve its sales target of 100,000 vehicles. This will it to keep the top spot among non-nationl manufacturers based on total industry volume (TIV) this year.

As of now, Honda has achieved 35% of its sales target with 34,500 vehicles sold at the end of April. Compared to last year, sales has risen by 40% or 9,800 more vehicles were sold. Attributing to that number is the new BR-V that racked up 7,800 orders and the new City which has received 7,200 bookings since its launch in March.

Demand for the Civic has risen too with 840 vehicles sold per month. Prior to the introduction of the 10th gen car, the Civic nameplate was only receiving 50 to 200 orders, which says a lot of the new car’s appeal.

And to ensure that the Japanese automaker keeps up with demand especially with the upcoming festive season, Honda’s two production lines will be adjusted so that waiting periods do not exceed 2 months and that with the increased production, quality control isn’t effected either.

Besides these sales figures, Honda Malaysia also announced new prices for the HR-V and CR-V 2.0 2WD due to re-classification under the new customs tariff code. Pricing for the HR-V 1.8L S is now RM101,100, E is RM110,700 and the V variant is RM121,000. The price of the two-wheel-drive CR-V has been adjusted to RM141,500.

As a means to allure more potential buyers to the brand, Honda will be organizing two campaigns this month. The ‘Nikmati Musim Bonus’ will take place from 1st May 2017 to 31st May 2017. During this period, Honda is offering customers 2 years of free vehicle servicing (parts & labour) or cash options. The second campaign, is a nationwide showroom event which will be conducted in conjunction with Mother’s Day on 13th May 2017.

The event will take place from 10am to 4pm and will feature a whole host of activities for the appreciation of mothers, which include roses and Mother’s Day cards made by their own children in the Honda showroom. Other activities include test drive gifts and lucky draws, which should prove to be fun and enjoyable for the whole family.

Kia introduce diesel variants of Sorento and Sportage GT

Kia has added oil burners to its current line-up with the introduction of the Sorento HS Turbo Diesel and the Sportage GT Turbo Diesel. These vehicles are powered by the 2.2 CRDi (Common Rail Direct Injection) (198bhp and 440 Nm of torque) and 2.0 AWD GT CRDi (185bhp and 400Nm of torque) engines respectively that are mated to a six-peed automatic transmission. Kia boasts close to 1,000km range on a single tank of diesel for both vehicles, which should be to the liking of those who travel long distances often.

“We are convinced with the advanced automotive technologies and upgraded top range features of these two new variants of the Kia Sorento and Sportage will provide customers even greater ownership value and satisfaction. The new award winning models are highly-developed with a premium level interior, an award-winning exterior design, riding comfort, excellent fuel economy with a more efficient choice of engines,” said Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group Chief Operating Officer, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings.

The Sorento features projector HID with adaptive light system headlamps and a prominant radiator grille with three-dimensional cubic mesh pattern and rolls on 19-inch rims. Inside, like most Kias, it has a premium feel thanks to the leather upholstery, clean centre stack layout and spacious interior. The vehicle also comes with an interactive infotainment system that features a 7-inch LCD screen, smart power tailgate, 10-way power assisted driver seat, seat variations for the 7-seats, Smart Parking Assist System, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), electronic parking brake and drive mode select system.

Expect a whole lot of safety kit because the Sorento HS Diesel comes with six airbags, vehicle stability management (VSM), electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock brake system (ABS) and hill-start assist control (HAC).

The diesel Sportage GT on the other hand, is similar to the petrol version in terms of looks as it features the distinctive grille, DRLs, LED fog lamps and rolls on 19-inch allow chrome wheels. Inside, you get a infotainment system that features a 4.2-inch LCD screen that is hooked up to a 6 speaker sound system as well as driver and passenger power seats.

Safety features for Kia’s smaller mild off-roader include six airbags, anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability control (VSC) and hill-start assist control (HAC). Apart from that, its Dynamax AWD system increases the level of safety especially on wet roads by distributing power to front or rear axles depending on which needs it most.

As for body colours, the Sorento is offered in Imperial Bronze, Snow White Pearl, Aurora Black Pearl and Silky Silver. The Sportage GT comes in Cherry Black, Mercury Blue, Fiery Red, Snow White Pearl and Mineral Silver.

Kia has made both the Sorento and Sportage GT diesel vehicles available to order nationwide with a price tag of RM191,888 and RM159,888 respectively. Both vehicles come with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty. If you are interested, visit the automaker’s website or your nearest showroom.

Young boy wins new Peugeot 408 THP

It’s not everyday that you get to drive home a brand new Peugoet 408 worth nearly RM110,000. But that is exactly what happened to 9 year old Muhammad Farhan Hakimi bin Mohammad Nor who participated in the recent third Perlis Marathon.

Young Muhammad Farhan was the lucky winner of a grand lucky draw of the 2017 Perlis Marathon, which was sponsored by Naza Corporation Holdings. He is the youngest of six children and was participating in the 5km category of said marathon. His has had a love for sports from a very early age, which should help him grow into very capable athlete.

Speaking of the prize, his mother Sakinah Bt Md Isa said, We are grateful to Naza Corporation Holdings for sponsoring the Peugeot 408 as it is like a dream come true for the family. “This wonderful surprise will be kept for our own use especially for the upcoming Hari Raya celebration.”

Muhammad Farhan was presented with a mock key of his Peugeot at the award ceremony from HRH Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail Raja Perlis together with the management of Naza Corporation Holdings.

It will be a while before the young boy will be eligible to take his Peugeot for a spin, but that won’t stop him and his family from enjoying many new memories with their brand new 408 THP.

Gymkhana on a budget with a Subaru Impreza

We are sure you’ve heard of Ken Block, the rallying/rallycross racer and adrenaline junkie who’s known all around the world for his amazing gymkhana stunts videos. In them, Block executes some pretty amazing stunt maneuvers/driving while getting from point A to point in the most flamboyant way possible. It’s a more extreme take on gymkhana racing.

Unlike Block, most of us do not have the resources nor the expertise to have a specifically built gymkhana track and a supped up rally car to drive on it. Well, that’s where our story begins today. Tyler Witte, a Youtuber, has taken it upon himself to show the rest of us that you don’t need sponsorship backing to have fun on a gymkhana course.

The stunts in this video, which was reported by motor1 and car throttle, depicts some seriously entertaining action as Witte thrashes his modified first generation Subaru Impreza Coupe on a DIY gymkhana course setup at a construction site. Granted, the stunts aren’t as daring as those attempted by Block, but they are entertaining enough to show us car nuts that you can have motorsports-like fun on a budget. All you need is some ingenuity, technical know-how and enough open space to indulge in your own gymkhana shenanigans.

Little is known about what’s under Witte’s Impreza’s hood, but the first generation Impreza was produced in 1992-2000 and came with a number of engines ranging from the docile 1.5-litre EJ15 boxer to the high displacement 2.5-litre EJ25 – all of which, were flat four engines. The 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre engines came as turbocharged variants which offered impressive performance figures at the time. These engines were mated to either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission.

The most coveted of the first generation Impreza cars was the coupe version called the Impreza 22B STI. Produced between March and August 1998, the 22B was built to commemorate the automaker’s 40th anniversary and to celebrate Subaru’s third consecutive manufacturer’s title in the FIA World Rally Championship. Compared with the standard car, the 22B received significant changes in design and mechanical upgrades, making it a vehicle with exceptional power and handling characteristics, but we digress.

Take a look at the video, then let us know what you think. And if it appeals to you, we will publish more content like this in the near future.

Source: motor1, car throttle

Porsche teams up with WTA

Porsche has teamed up with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) by committing to a multi-year partnership. This agreement will see the German automaker become the official and exclusive automotive partner of the WTA and the new title partner of the Porsche Race to Singapore”.

The Porsche Race to Singapore which is a leaderboard, used to be known as the Race to Singapore, and will, for the whole season, display the names of eight of the most successful singles and doubles players competing in the 57 tournaments that make up the WTA. The best results of each player from each tournament will play a part in determining if they qualify for the WTA finals in Singapore. Each tournament represents one lap on the leaderboard and the respective tournament is given its own ‘pit lane board’ displaying the lap number or in this case the number of the tournament with respect to the total for the season.

The player that heads this leaderboard with the most points at the end of the ’57th lap’ race will win a place in Singapore for the finals and will also be awarded a new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet.

“The title sponsorship of the Porsche Race to Singapore contributes to the internationalization of our engagement in women’s tennis. It intensifies our successful partnership with the WTA and enriches it with a new attractive element,” said Detlev von Platen, member of the Executive Board responsible for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “Alongside our national activities and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix’s worldwide presence, this new element provides value and visibility throughout the entire year in women´s tennis.”

Currently, the Porsche Race to Singapore is being led by Czech Karolina Pliskova, with victories in Brisbane and Doha. Caroline Wozniacki occupies second place after finishing runner-up in Doha, Dubai and Miami. Johanna Konta, the Miami winner, is third.

We will need to watch the entire season to see who finally drives home the shiny new Porsche 911, but expect some tough battles as players vie to be crowned champion at the end of the season.

Perodua Bezza launched in Mauritius

Perodua has introduced the ever popular Bezza to the car market in Mauritius, making the country the second export market for Perodua’s eco sedan. It will be sold by Perodua’s authorized distributor, Raouf Dushmohamud & Co Ltd along side the Axia and Alza.

The launch ceremony was held at the authorized distributor’s sales showroom at Port-Louis, which is Mauritius’ capital and was hosted by the distributor’s Managing Director, Raouf Dusmohamud.

Perodua and Raouf Dushmohamud & Co Ltd’s partnership date back to 1996 and since then, it has helped the Malaysian automaker sell more than 2,000 vehicles in Mauritius. The Viva has been the best selling model in the island nation with 711 vehicles sold between 2008 and 2014. Since the partnership began in the mid 1990s, Perodua has sold the Kancil, Rusa, Kelisa, Kembara, Myvi, Viva, Axia, Alza and Bezza in the island of Mauritius.

“Mauritius is a strategic destination for us as this country is one of the most popular tourist destination spots in the world and having the Perodua Bezza here would give it the global exposure that it needs,” Perodua President & Chief Executive Officer, Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh said.

Versions of the Bezza that are available to order over there include the Bezza 1.0L (Automatic and manual transmission) and the Bezza 1.3L Premium X (automatic and manual transmission). The Bezza 1.0L Manual is priced at 562,884 Mauritian Rupees (RM70,405.35) while the Bezza 1.0L automatic is priced at 589,268 Mauritian Rupees (RM 73,705.45).

The Bezza 1.3L Premium X Manual is priced at 657,699 Mauritian Rupees (RM 82,264.78) while the Bezza 1.3L Automatic is priced at 684,990 Mauritian Rupees (RM 85,678.33). If you would like to know more about Perodua’s latest offerings, visit the automaker’s local website.

Subaru appoints new Operations Director for UK

Subaru is in the news again, but this time, it isn’t for a car launch or to tout quarterly sales figures. The Japanese automaker has announced the appointment of William Brown to the position of Operations Director.

Brown, will vacate his position as Operations Director of Isuzu UK, to join Subaru, which will include responsibilities for Subaru’s sales strategy as well as the day-to-day operations of the company. Subaru considers Brown a much needed addition due to his experience at his previous job. He helped rebuild the Isuzu brand in the UK and allow for better cohesion between the manufacturer and its dealers.

Speaking of his appointment at Subaru, William Brown, said, “I’m delighted to be appointed Operations Director at Subaru and look forward to bringing my experience with Isuzu to the role and grow the franchise.”

Later, Paul Tunnicliffe, Managing Director, Subaru UK commented “William brings an exemplary track record to this role from his time in re-building the Isuzu brand. Subaru still has much more to give to us and its dealers, and William is absolutely the man to deliver it.”

Expect more from Subaru as it begin to ramp up operations to secure its position as an established automaker in the United Kingdom.

Sir Patrick Stewart to race at Silverstone Classic

Sir Patrick Stewart, a legendary hollywood actor, will be taking part in the upcoming Silverstone Classic. The 76-year old who has starred as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films has just passed his official ARDS racing drivers’ test.

This means that he is now eligible to compete in a special Celebrity Challenge Trophy Race at Silverstone in July of this year. Drivers will be piloting competition-prepared Austin A30 and A35 sedans harking back to the late 1950s. The race will be split into two parts, the owners of the Austins will qualify on Friday and race on Sunday. The celebrities on the other hand, will go wheel-to-wheel in their classic rides on Saturday.

The reason why these classic cars were adopted for this racing series a few years ago by the Historic Racing Drivers Club (HRDC) as a cost-effective route to historic racing. More than 50 cars have been built so far, which should make for an exciting race come July.

Speaking of passing his driver test, Sir Patrick Stewart, said, “It was a lot of fun. For someone who has followed motor racing since being a teenager, to drive around Silverstone and negotiate such legendary corners as Becketts and Stowe is just such a thrill.”

Other celebrities who will be taking part in the Silverstone race include Olympic gold medalists Mark Hunter MBE, Jason Kenny CBE, Greg Searle MBE, Jonny Searle MBE and Amy Williams MBE, bike racing world champions Wayne Gardner and Freddie Spencer, former England test cricket captain Mike Gatting OBE, Dragon’s Den TV star Theo Paphitis, former Top Gear presenter Tiff Needell, Wheeler Dealer’s Ant Anstead and adventurer Charley Boorman.

Silverstone in July will be amazing for those living in the UK, and hopefully, for Sir Patrick Stewart as well. Stay tuned and we will let you know more as soon as we find out.

Škoda produces 1.5 millionth Octavia

Today is a very important day for Škoda because it marks the production of the 1.5 millionth third generation Octavia. Based on the Volkswagen MQB platform, the car shares its underpinnings with the Audi A3 Mk3, SEAT Leon Mk3 and Volkswagen Golf Mk7.

“With the Octavia, the rapid development of our company really gathered pace from 1996,” said Michael Oeljeklaus, Board Member for Production and Logistics. “It has been an important pillar of the Škoda portfolio for over two decades. With the third generation of our bestseller, we have seamlessly built on the success story of the first two editions. Much of the credit for the success of the OCTAVIA and the Škoda brand goes to our motivated and highly skilled workforce, which now has 1.5 million reasons to be proud of its achievements.”

The first generation car was a stalwart of the Škoda line-up from 1996 to 2010 bringing in a total sales of 1.4 million cars. The Czech automaker launched the second generation car in 2004 but sold the original alongside it till 2010. And, by the time the mk2 car had been phased out in 2013, Škoda had accumulated a total sales figure of 2.5 million vehicles sold. Its successor joined the line-up in 2012 and by the end of 2016, almost 1.4 million vehicles were produced.

The facelifted version started rolling off the production line in February of this year and is manufactured in the Czech Republic, China, India, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It is being offered as a hatchback and an estate version. The front and rear sections of the facelifted car differ from that of the pre-facelift version, which gives rise to a wider track and a more streamlined body.

The new car brings with it a number of improvements in terms of interior space, functionality, technology for safety and comfort as well as value for money. Power outputs of the petrol and diesel engines range from 85bhp to nearly 245bhp and some of these can be ordered with a DSG gearbox and all-wheel drive.

In total, Škoda has sold more than 5 million Octavia vehicles since the launch of the original car in 1996 and it hopes that those numbers will continue to grow larger as the years pass.