The authorised Nissan showroom and service centre network in Malaysia is now fully operational, following closure due to the earlier Movement Control Order. With the revision to the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), many businesses, including those in the auto industry have been allowed to resume their operations.
Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) says that while all their outlets have reopened, there are revised operating hours. The hours of operation for each outlet can be found at www.nissan.com.my or www.tceas.com (for service outlets).
SOPs at outlets
In line with the CMCO standard operating procedures (SOPs), the outlets will conduct temperature checks for all staff and customers and require social distancing as well. All staff will wear face masks, and customers can also obtain face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers at no charge while they are on the premises.
Frequent disinfecting will be carried out at the showrooms and service centres throughout the day covering every touchpoint including display and test drive vehicles. Customers are also assured that their vehicles will be disinfected before and after service. During this period, ETCM encourages contactless payments to be used.
Additionally, all vehicle registrations and deliveries will resume progressively as JPJ has started providing the necessary services since yesterday.
New Nissan Online Showroom
Those who are unable to visit Nissan showrooms can also get comprehensive information at the Nissan Online Showroom, also at www.nissan.com.my. The website enables interested customers to submit an online form for sales enquiries and to request appointments for testdrives at their home or office.
For those who are planning to buy a new Nissan vehicle for Hari Raya, the company has various money-saving promotions. Monthly instalments start from RM800 for models like the Almera while selected models come free scheduled maintenance for the first two years (terms and conditions apply).
If you buy a Nissan Almera 1.5L E Auto Black Series before June 30, 2020, you can get a free accessories package as a Raya bonus.
Additionally, customers who purchase the X-Trail or Serena S-Hybrid before June 30, 2020, will receive a complimentary 1-year FWD Protect Direct Family Takaful protection plan (up to a family of 4 parents and 2 children) with a sum insured of RM100,000.
Currently, ETCM is running the ‘Nissan Buy & Win’ contest and 20 lucky winners will stand a chance to win CUCKOO Healthy Home Appliances worth up to RM128,888. The contest is on until June 30, 2020.
China’s BYD, which started off in 1995 as a company making batteries, is getting ready to enter the competitive premium luxury market in Europe. And it will do so with its new flagship model, the Han EV. The Han EV is the first full-electric passenger car equipped with BYD’s advanced ‘Blade Battery’ technology said to deliver greatly enhanced safety, improved range capability and a simplified, smaller pack design.
Drawing on its 25 years of developing battery technology, BYD is using its most advanced EV technologies for this model. The Blade Battery pack has been developed by BYD over the past several years. The singular cells are arranged together in an array and then inserted into a battery pack. Due to its optimized battery pack structure, the space utilization of the battery pack is increased by over 50% compared to conventional lithium iron phosphate block batteries.
BYD mentions safety a lot with regard to the battery pack because it has seen that, in the past few years, many EV manufacturers have fallen into a competition for ever-greater cruising range. When the range becomes the prime factor to consider, this focus then leads to ‘unreasonable pursuits of ‘energy density’ in the battery industry’. In the company’s view, this is not a practical focus as safety considerations are diminished in power battery development. BYD’s Blade Battery is said to bring battery safety back to the forefront, a redirection from the industry’s tenuous focus on this crucial aspect.
To this end, it has subjected it to extreme tests. For example, in nail penetration tests, the battery pack emitted neither smoke nor fire after being penetrated, and its surface temperature only reached 30°C to 60°C. Under the same conditions, a ternary lithium battery exceeded 500°C and violently burned, and while a conventional lithium iron phosphate block battery did not openly emit flames or smoke, its surface temperature reached dangerous temperatures of 200°C to 400°C.
Other extreme test conditions included being crushed, bent, being heated in a furnace to 300°C and overcharged by 260%. None of these resulted in a fire or explosion.
The Blade Battery pack can produce a stable current of up to 800 amps. With power from a high-performance silicon carbide motor-control that has improved peak-current capacity of 58%, the Han EV is claimed to be able to go from standstill to 100 km/h time in a claimed 3.9 seconds, with the fully-charged battery pack able to last for up to 605 kms.
The Han EV is also China’s first mass-produced EV equipped with the ‘IPB Intelligent Integrated Brake System’ by Bosch. This system not only brings braking safety with higher precision but also delivers a longer range and improved braking comfort.
BYD Blade Battery Pack
While BYD has pursued the tradition of naming its passenger cars after Chinese dynasties, the Han EV has been conceived, designed and manufactured to the standards more in tune with luxury European cars.
The 4980 mm long sedan has BYD’s new ‘EV Dragon Face’ design language, blending elements of a traditional Chinese Dragon with modern European design cues. The curved front-end and Daytime Running Lights evoke the shape of a traditional Chinese dragon’s face. The high waistline evident along the length of the vehicle integrates seamlessly with the sweeping back line of the D-pillar to deliver a strong sense of movement. A tapered rear lighting cluster envelopes the entire width of the car emphasizing a dynamic attitude.
“The use of the ultra-safe Blade Battery, as well as BYD’s in-house pure electric platform, body structure design, eco-friendly materials and safety systems make the Han EV the safest electric car currently on the market. We believe that the Han EV combines the best of Eastern wisdom and Western aesthetics,” said Yubo Lian, Senior Vice-President of BYD and President of the BYD Auto Engineering Research Institute.
Due for introduction in China at the end of June 2020, the Han EV will go on sale in Europe in due course. The company is confident it can be a contender in the premium-spec, executive car segment and expects to price it in the €45,000 to €55,000 range (about RM212,000 – RM259,000). It is not known if BYD will produce righthand-drive versions, though.
At the Frankfurt Motorshow last year, Volkswagen unveiled a new design of the brand logo which has a history back to 1939. Built on the ‘Vibrant Power’ ethos, the ‘New Volkswagen’ is a representation of the brand’s fresh new vision and new attitude.
One of the world’s largest rebranding campaigns, the international roll-out of the new brand design has been taking place progressively since last year and in total, about 70,000 logos at some 10,000 dealerships in 171 markets in 154 countries will be replaced. Locally, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) today announced that authorised dealerships and other facilities are now undergoing the change.
With a strong focus on digital application and human elements, the new visual language is remarkably different from that presented by Volkswagen previously. All visuals are bolder and more colourful, incorporating a vibrancy that is translated to the way the brand is communicated. This also applies to the new brand symbols such as pictograms, typography, colours or layout guidelines.
The symbol and trademark for this change is the new Volkswagen logo which is more modern and simpler. The logo has been reduced to its essential elements and presented as a design that is flat and two-dimensional, and more digitally adaptable. In place of its iconic brand claim, Volkswagen for the first time ever has a sound logo represented by a female voice.
The new visual language of the brand will be bolder and more colourful, with focus on people. Volkswagen will no longer concentrate on perfectionism in vehicle photography. In future, the main objective will be to present realistic situations that customers can identify with.
“We have always been digital first here in Malaysia, having pioneered numerous ground-breaking initiatives, from selling our cars on ecommerce sites to launching our digital showroom. In such challenging times, we recognise the need to be even more customer-centric, and to be able to move to the new brand design completes this transformation for us. The principles of ‘people first, ‘new attitude’ and ‘digital first’ will shape our future direction in better reaching out and creating a new Volkswagen experience for our customers,” Erik Winter, Managing Director of VPCM, said.
In Malaysia, a total of 21 dealerships will be revamped externally and internally in stages, over the coming months. The Volkswagen Malaysia website and all its social media channels have also been revamped in line with the new brand design.
All 21 authorised Volkswagen dealerships in Malaysia will switch to the new brand logo during 2020.
The website now features a simpler user navigation and accessibility for both desktop and mobile, with comprehensive information on the model range, sales and aftersales offerings, test drive bookings, dealer network information, and a stories and newsroom section.
During the online press briefing today, Mr. Winter also mentioned that the company will be adding the Passat R-Line and Arteon R-Line to its range during 2020. He also said that for the safety of customers, all dealerships have initiated contactless processes for sales and aftersales services. These include invoice preparation, cashless payments and pick-up of vehicles at service centres.
Like all companies which have been permitted to resume operations after a lengthy shutdown due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), the Bermaz Auto Group has to comply with Standard Operating Procedures for the protection of customers as well as the company’s employees.
The safety standards set by the Ministry of Health will be fully adhered to, particularly in the ‘last-mile’ service to customers. To achieve this, Bermaz will provide Mazda Contactless Service where human contact is minimized.
Two ways to get vehicle serviced
Mazda Contactless Service comes with the choice of Collect & Deliver Service or Mobile Service. The Collect & Deliver Service is available at selected service centres via appointment. The location of the vehicle should be within a radius of 10 kms of the service centre. The Mobile Service, available since 2017 in certain areas, brings the service centre to your doorstep but an appointment is required. Before and after service work, Bermaz personnel will disinfect the interior of the vehicle.
File picture of a Bermaz Auto service centre.
Extension of warranty/free service
Understanding that these are challenging times, Bermaz wants to give its customers flexibility so the company has extended its warranty and free scheduled maintenance for those affected by the restrictions of the MCO. The extension accorded will be equivalent to the same period of time as the MCO being in effect.
A message from the Executive Chairman
“We are now in an unusual situation, caught in a global pandemic, a time that none of us have ever experienced before. We are now under the Movement Control Order to ensure Social Distancing. I am sure this will put a lot of stress on us and our families because we, as humans, our activities are always centre around family, friends, and colleagues. But we know this is necessary to ensure we curtail this epidemic in our community and reduce the contagion effect,” said Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh, Executive Chairman of Bermaz Auto.
“We stay at home and practice social distancing but always remember to spread love and care, through constant contact with the people we love. Connectivity can still be practiced even when we are distancing. Modern technology has allowed us to practice the varied uses of mobile devices and their platforms, internet and computer devices. We will pull out of this crisis stronger and more resilient in the future,” he added.
Since the first motorcar appeared in 1886, its overall shape and many individual elements have evolved over the decades, changing as new technology or new design philosophy was adopted. The steering wheel is one example and though it may seem as if this ‘device’ for controlling the car’s movements has never changed, the degree of change is actually quite significant.
The first step towards the modern steering wheel was taken by the then Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft 120 years ago. The first car in the world, invented by Carl Benz, had managed without a steering wheel. The driver used a simple steering lever or steering crank because at the time, carriage drivers were used to pulling on the right or left to direct the horses in the desired direction.
The first steering wheel as we know it today appeared in 1894 at the world’s first automobile race. A French engineer, Alfred Vacheron, is considered the inventor of the steering wheel. For the race – from Paris to Rouen in July 1894 – he installed a steering wheel instead of the usual steering lever in his Panhard & Levassor, which was powered by a Daimler engine.
The first motorcar by Carl Benz had no steering wheel at all. But within 8 years, the control device would appear in a car for racing purposes (below).
This wheel gave him better control because the steering movement of the front wheels could be distributed over several turns of the steering column from a neutral central position until it stopped. This enabled more precise steering and thus higher driving speeds. Although the Frenchman placed only 11th, the steering wheel prevailed.
From then on, the growing number of carmakers would adopt the steering wheel. And while, for many decades, the steering wheel had only a pad or button to activate the horn, it eventually gained buttons to give the driver more functionality. It has become something of a ‘high-tech command centre’ which enables the driver to steer precisely and, at the same time, comfortably and safely operate numerous comfort and assistance systems.
An innovation in steering wheels
In mid-2020, Mercedes-Benz will introduce in its E-Class (W213) a new, comprehensively digitalized generation of steering wheels. Known as the capacitive steering wheel, its rim contains a two-zone sensor mat that detects whether the driver’s hands are gripping the steering wheel. The touch control buttons placed in the spokes also work with digital signals.
Developers and designers have worked closely on this innovative steering wheel. For example, every millimetre of a circuit board determines how elegantly the surface can be designed. It’s all about looks and, above all, haptics (the science of applying touch sensation and control to interact).
“Steering-wheel design is a world of its own and a very special challenge that is often underestimated,” explains Hans-Peter Wunderlich, Creative Director Interior Design at Mercedes-Benz, who has been designing steering wheels for around 20 years.
How steering wheels have evolved over the decades.
Physical contact
“Besides the seat, the steering wheel is the only component in the vehicle with which we have intensive physical contact. The fingertips feel little things that we normally don’t notice. If an unevenness is disturbing or the steering wheel does not fit snugly in our hands, we don’t like it. This haptic sensation is sent to the brain as feedback and determines whether or not we like the car. The emotional connection to a car is thus created through the sense of touch,” he says.
With the new generation of steering wheels with capacitive hands-off detection, the sensors on the front and back of the rim register whether the steering wheel is being held. No more steering movement is required to signal the assistance systems that the vehicle is under control.
The new steering wheel which will first appear in the E-Class (W213) from mid-2020.
Touch Control buttons integrated into the steering wheel spokes will also function capacitively. This reduces the mechanical operating surfaces to a maximum. The seamless control panels, which are divided into several functional areas, are precisely integrated flush with the spokes. As with a smartphone, touches are recorded and evaluated via capacitive sensor technology, which enables intuitive operation via swiping gestures and pressing of familiar symbols.
The high-quality materials have been selected in such a way that operation is possible even in an interior heated up by sunlight. The system automatically recognises where the finger is at any given moment.
Perfect proportions
The steering wheel is available in three versions: Sport, Luxury and Supersport. “It is the most beautiful steering wheel we have ever built,” says Hans-Peter Wunderlich. “The proportions of the airbag, spokes and rim are absolutely harmonious. The airbag is not concealed but staged as a flattering sphere.”
In the Luxury version, the spokes form a chalice inspired by elegant Callas flowers in a black panel look, in which the sphere floats. For the “Supersport version, it is held by two double-decker spokes in black panel design, reminiscent of the wheel wing nuts of sportscars. The size of the steering wheel has remained the same compared to the previous generation.
Twenty years ago, with the Y2K computer glitch reduced to the punchline of the year, technology in another corner took a big leap as a small sedan appeared in the automotive landscape in America. It was the Toyota Prius, the world’s first production car with a hybrid powerplant consisting of a small internal combustion engine which worked with an electric motor.
The original Prius
The Prius would profoundly change the trajectory of automotive propulsion evolution and prepare motorists for the transition to electric vehicles. Over the next two decades, Toyota would go on to sell more than 6 million Prius hybrids worldwide, with more than 3.6 million total hybrid models (including Lexus) sold in the USA alone.
And so, on its 20th anniversary in America, Toyota has come out with 2,020 units of a special anniversary version. The cars will be offered in Supersonic Red or Wind Chill Pearl and feature striking black exterior trim and unique features, including a colour-keyed rear spoiler.
There are also black inserts for the 17-inch alloy wheels, black-out headlight components and trim, B-pillars and mirror housings. Also unique to the Prius 2020 Edition, as it is known, are a ‘2020’ insignia key glove/fob and floormats, as well as black shift knob and interior A-pillar trim and smoked air vents.
For the latest Prius, Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS) is now available, providing the driver with more assistance that can help avoid accidents. The Pre-Collision System is now enhanced with Low-Light Pedestrian Detection while the forward sensors can detect bicyclists.
The foundation of Prius efficiency is the Toyota Hybrid System II (shown above). It operates much in the same fashion as the original hybrid system but is more compact, more powerful, and more fuel-efficient. Today’s system uses a high-efficiency 1.8-litre 4-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine working with two motor-generators through an electronically controlled planetary-type continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The advanced Power Control Unit is the key to extracting the greatest efficiency from the powertrain. In most situations, the Prius launches on battery power alone and then seamlessly starts the petrol engine and blends its output once underway, turning it off when its power is not needed.
After 20 years, the Prius has reached its fourth generation which sits on the Toyota New Global Architecture-K platform (TNGA-K). It is the most efficient and quietest Prius ever offered and is available as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) as well as an AWD-e variant with all-wheel drive.
Following the earlier announcement that an N95-grade Cabin Filter will be installed in the latest Proton X70 SUV, the carmaker has announced that it is also introducing the Proton Intelligent Air Purification System (P-IAPS) that combines the benefits of the filter and an Air Purifier System.
The P-IAPS will be offered as standard equipment on the 2020 X70 as a comprehensive method to improve cabin air quality. The system also provides enhanced filtration for the air flowing to the vents for the rear occupants.
The new N95 Cabin Filter is capable of removing 95% of particles larger than 0.3 microns and also removes 98% of PM2.5 dust particulates. It is therefore an effective barrier against smoke particulates, dust, bacteria and other pollutants. It filters air in both fresh and recirculation modes for the air-conditioning system.
The existing Air Purifier System fitted to all Proton X70s will remain. It uses a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter that removes 99.97% of particles larger than 0.3 microns. It also has an activated carbon filter which removes odours, formaldehyde and adsorbs and purifies smoke particulates.
Additionally, a built-in ioniser discharges negative ions to cleanse the air. The ions are electrically charged and attract tiny airborne particles, causing them to drop from the air. By combining the Air Purifier System with the N95 Cabin Filter, the P-IAPS acts as a barrier against contaminated air making its way into the cabin, offering a high level of protection against airborne pollutants for a cleaner and healthier environment.
Proton does not, however, mention filtering viruses which have diameters of approximately 0.125 microns. The smallest particles are 0.06 microns, and the largest are 0.14 microns. Nevertheless, improving the air quality is still good since you spend a lot of time inside the car daily.
“Proton is constantly looking at ways to improve our offerings. The introduction of the N95 Cabin Filter is particularly relevant in today’s global environment and by improving the quality of air in the cabin, we hope to deliver a comfortable contaminant-free experience to our customers. For now, P-IAPS will only be offered on the Proton X70 but our designers and engineers are working to fit the N95 cabin filter in our other models too,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, COE of Proton.
Whilst the N95 Cabin Filter will be fitted on new units of the 2020 Proton X70 produced at Tanjung Malim, Perak, those who already have the SUV can upgrade their dust and pollen filter to the N95 Cabin Filter for RM79 (excluding labour charges). Contact any authorised Proton service outlet for more information. A service campaign scheduled to run from May 19 – August 18, 2020 will offer 15% discount on the price of the filter.
With the gradual removal of restrictions under the Movement Control Order – now known as the Conditional Movement Control Order or CMCO – PUSPAKOM resumed its operations on April 29, 41 days after it had remained closed. However, its inspection services were limited to commercial vehicles of certain categories.
West coast states and Pahang from tomorrow
From today, the company is providing vehicle inspection services to all categories of vehicles including those that are registered for private use. The resumption of full services started today at branches in Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak. Branches in the Klang Valley, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Pahang (with the exception of the one in Pekan) will provide full services from tomorrow (May 12).
All vehicle inspection centres will operate from 8 am to 5:30 pm 5 days a week. Those in the Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Perlis, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak will be closed on Saturdays and Sunday, while those in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan dan Terengganu will be closed on Fridays and Saturdays. Mobile inspection services are also available from certain locations.
PUSPAKOM also offers vehicle inspection services away from its centres with mobile trucks and vans. [File picture]Vehicle owners are requested to make an appointment for a slot and those who do not have an appointment will not be accepted. Appointments can be made at www.puspakom.com.myor use the MyPUSPAKOM app available from Google Play.
Strict procedures to be followed
While at the inspection centre, owners are required to follow strict procedures to comply with government requirements for the protection of the public and PUSPAKOM employees. These include the use of face masks at all times and cleaning with hand sanitizers. Gathering in groups is also not allowed and there should be a 1-metre gap between people. It goes without saying that visitors should have no symptoms of COVID-19. They should not visit PUSPAKOM if they are unwell and should seek medical attention to check their condition.
The history of the Mazda BT-50 goes back over 50 years and along the way, in the mid-1970s, the carmaker developed and sold the first and only production pick-up truck with a rotary engine. As is well known, Mazda was the only company that successfully commercialised the rotary engine (also known as the Wankel engine) and installed it in a number of models.
With its commitment to the rotary engine, it was only natural that it would look for as many models as possible to use the powerplant and seven years after launching the world’s first production car with a rotary engine, in 1974, the company developed a variant of the second-generation B-Series truck with a powerful rotary engine.
The truck had a simple name: Rotary Pick-Up and used the 1.3-litre (13B) 4-cylinder version with two rotors. According to the American Road & Track magazine, the power output was 110 bhp/158 Nm and fuel consumption was 14.3 kms/litre. It went from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 11 seconds, certainly a lot quicker than other trucks.
Priced at US$3,500 then, the Rotary Pick-Up was sold mostly in North America. Production at the Hiroshima factory began in 1974 and continued till 1977 and some 15,000 units were believed to have been made.
The rotary engine had no pistons and instead used rotors inside the combustion chanbers.An advertisement published in America in 1975 for the Rotary Pick-Up.
The 1970s were a time when the energy crisis was on and the rotary engine’s inherent drawback of high consumption quickly diminished it popularity. During that decade too, emission control regulations became tougher and the Mazda engineers found it difficult to make the rotary engine cleaner. So the Rotary Pick-Up never continued into the next generation although the B-Series went on and even became a jointly-developed product with Ford which called their model the Ranger.
To know more about today’s Mazda pick-up truck, the BT-50, visit www.mazda.com.my.
Virtually all industries and businesses in Malaysia suspended operations on May 18 as the Movement Control Order (MCO) started, a measure to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.With the situation improving, the government is allowing resumption of operations of most industries.
Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB), UMW Toyota Motor’s subsidiary involved in manufacturing Toyota vehicles, is among those that has resumed its assembly operations. It has two assembly plants in Selangor and the newer one at the Bukit Raja Industrial Park commences today. This plant assembles the popular Vios and Yaris models and has been in operation since January 2019. The second plant in Shah Alam, among the oldest in Malaysia, will commence operations on June 9, 2020.
The ASSB plant in Bukit Raja, Selangor which assembles the Yaris and Vios models.
“We are grateful to the Selangor State Government for its decision to implement the CMCO with customised details and understand that it is in the best interest of the state and people,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor. “With the resumption of operations, we hope to help in boosting the economy and add momentum to the automotive industry and business moving forward.”
As with all companies allowed to resume their operations at full capacity, there are strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which must be followed. ASSB will fully adhere to these SOPs for the protection and health of the approximately 2,000 employees working at its facilities.
The SOPs include establishing distances of 1 metre or more between workers; regular temperature checks; provision and use of hand sanitizers and face masks; and sanitization of various areas around the plant three times daily. Where necessary, working hours and work flows are adjusted to create a safe environment.
“Toyota Motor Corporation is also very serious about providing safe and healthy conditions for all employees. As a member of the global Toyota family, ASSB can therefore draw on healthcare advice and best practices from TMC regarding additional measures that can be taken here in Selangor,” added Akio Takeyama, Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor.
