From today (July 12) until July 17 (Friday), the slow lane and emergency lane at KM23.14 to KM24.21 (Southbound) along the at the Putrajaya-Gamuda Cove Interchange on the North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE) will be closed.
PLUS says the closure is to facilitate and enable safer pavement maintenance works at the area. This will improve safety, which PLUS continuously works on.
In the event of congestion at the area, motorists can utilize the access road to the Dengkil R&R as an alternative route to continue traveling to the south. PLUS personnel at the locations can also suggest alternative routes to use when passing through the stretch.
Race starts at 3:10 pm in Austria | 9:10 pm in Malaysia
Just last weekend, the opening round of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship was run at the Red Bull Ring in Austria and this Sunday, the second round takes place at the same circuit. It’s unusual to have two consecutive rounds at the same location but this is due to the postponement/cancellation of earlier rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, the organizers have to compress the schedule for this season as they try to get up to 18 races run by the end of the year. Ten have already been confirmed to date.
The FIA says that this is the first time that a region’s name has been used for a F1 round but then again, there is the European GP and Europe is also a region, isn’t it? The event also has the name of 2020 Formula 1 Pirelli Styrian Grand Prix, only the 43rd time that a round has had an individual tile. Styria is the region in Austria which the Red Bull Ring is located.
To recap on the previous round, the race was certainly a chaotic one and by the time the chequered flag came out, just 13 cars (of the 20 that started the race) were classified as finishers. It was the lowest number since the 2017 Australian GP when the same number completed the race.
Although the Red Bull Ring is familiar to the teams and drivers, the gap of just a week has meant that there has been limited time to analyze performance and address issue and concerns. It seemed that there were some reliability issues as certain systems in some cars had problems.
The positions of Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi were changed after they received grid penalties for various offences.The view from Lando Norris’ McLaren.Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) crashed during practices but still made it for the qualifying session.
For the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the free practice sessions were used to check whether those reliability concerns were fixed. “The team is still looking into that, but I think we have made some progress. We made some good set-up tweaks and I tried to use the learnings from last weekend, in terms of one-lap pace and driving style over a race distance,” said the winner of the first round, Valtteri Bottas.
The Official F1 Medical Car assessing track conditions during the heavy rain that delayed qualifying.
Heavy rain forced the final practice session to be cancelled and today’s qualifying sessions could not start on time due to the same climatic issue. Eventually, the cars went out on wet tyres after a 45-minute wait.
In the Constructors’ battle, Bottas’ win and Lewis Hamilton’s fourth place last weekend put Mercedes-AMG in the familiar position at the top. They have an 11-point lead over McLaren which was the combination of points for the third place of Lando Norris and fifth place of Carlos Sainz, Jr. Ferrari struggled but still collected 19 points with the second placing of Charles Leclerc, plus 1 point from Vettel.
In the 22 years that Geely Auto has been making cars, it has steadily established a presence in many segments of the automobile market. And like other global players, the company has also been increasing its presence in the booming SUV market.
Now it is entering the D-segment SUV market, a highly competitive area of the market that is currently dominated by foreign joint-venture brands (in the Chinese market). Its first entrant is the Haoyue, a 7-seater model with strong design, functionality, and value.
Speaking at the online launch event, the President & CEO of Geely Auto Group, An Conghui, said: “Geely is committed to meeting the different demands of people from all corners of life. Geely was founded on the premise of making good cars that are affordable for all, which today has transformed into ‘Making refined cars for everyone’. The Hao Yue’s unique offering in its segment will go on to lead the market and become another excellent product representative of the Geely Auto brand.”
Maximum space with ‘Expansive Aesthetic’
Geely’s ‘Expansive Aesthetic’ concept guided the design of the Haoyue’s broad muscular body. Its form integrates with technology to create a modern, refined design that strikes unique a balance of space and functionality. Sizewise, the Haoyue has an overall length of 4835, a width of 1900 mm and its roof line is 1780 mm from the road.
With a 2815 mm wheelbase, the Haoyue is available in both 5-seat and 7-seat configurations with rear seats capable of folding completely flat to maximise space utilization. Fully folded, the rear interior space can reach 2.2 square metres – equivalent to a king-sized bed – whilst the cargo space can be expanded to 2,360 litres, capable of accommodating all kinds of medium to large objects.
Both seating configurations offer extensive legroom, allowing users as tall as 1.9 metres to sit comfortably without any adjustments. Seats in all rows are adjustable including those in the third row which are even equipped with 8-way adjustable backrests. Customers can also opt for a 7 ‘VIP’ seat configuration that has 7 independently-adjustable seats.
The ‘Healthiest’ SUV
The Haoyue was developed following Geely’s ‘healthy car’ concept, with all materials undergoing stringent environmental testing. The company’s in-house requirements are over 20 times higher than Chinese national standards.
There is said to be no ‘harmful new car smell’, usually emanating from certain types of materials that are traditionally used in cars. The Haoyue also comes equipped with Geely’s officially certified CN95 grade high-efficiency air purification system capable of filtering out 99% of PM2.5 particles and 98% of droplets bigger than 0.74µm which may contain viruses and other harmful elements. In combination with a 3-zone air conditioner and AQS system, cabin air can be quickly purified and refreshed in under 3 minutes.
Powering the Haoyue is Geely’s latest 1.8TD engine paired with a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission. It is likely that this won’t be the only engine choice and a new 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine is expected to be offered in future.
Semi-autonomous motoring
L2-assisted driving technologies receive data from 24 sensors to provide 17 intelligent drive features. The various systems enable the large SUV to automatically follow, stop, as well as turn at speeds up to 150 km/h. The vehicle can also park itself automatically with 360° panoramic imaging.
Inside the Hao Yue, there’s the latest GKUI Geely Smart Ecosystem utilizing Geely’s independently developed high-performance quad-core dedicated vehicle microprocessor. GKUI allows users to interact with the vehicle through an AI-powered voice assistant. The ecosystem is also able to be integrated with a host of IoT (Internet of Things) applications such as JD.com’s Smart Home which allows for monitoring and controlling home appliances from the vehicle.
The driver can also interact and monitor information in the vehicle through the multiple high-definition displays including a 12.3-inch central infotainment panel, 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel, and advanced WHUD heads-up navigation display.
An export model too?
In China, the Haoyue is priced from 103,600 to 139,600 yuan (about RM63,120 to RM85,000) with a choice of 3 variants. Export plans have not been announced but it is almost certain that Geely would sell it in places like Russia and Europe. ASEAN may a possibility if they can price it attractively enough as the D-segment market already has a number of models.
Following the announcement in June confirming the delayed commencement of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship with 8 rounds, starting from July 5, the FIA has now announced another 2 rounds. The two rounds will be at Sochi Autodrom in Russia (September 27), which has been a regular F1 venue for some years, and for the first time, at the Mugello Circuit in Italy on September 13.
This brings the current number of confirmed races to 10, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. The organisers still expect that the revised 2020 calendar, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, will have between 15 and 18 races by the end of the year.
Mugello – owned by Scuderia Ferrari
The Mugello Circuit is located in Tuscany, central Italy. One lap is 5.345 kms and it has 14 turns. The original circuit between the 1920s and 1970 was a public road circuit and the current circuit was opened in 1974.
The Mugello Circuit will be new to many of the F1 drivers as there has never been a round of the championship run there.
While Formula 1 has never been held at Mugello, other events have been run over the years, including Formula 3000. The track belongs to Scuderia Ferrari which uses it for Formula One testing.
The official name of the event – Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Tuscany Ferrari 1000 – is a tribute to the land that will host this event and also to a historic anniversary for Scuderia Ferrari. The race will be the 1,000th F1 race by the Italian team which is the only team that has participated in all the 70 editions of the Formula 1 championship.
Scuderia Ferrari is the only team that had raced in every Formula 1 championship.
Sochi Autodrom
The Sochi Autodrom is located next to the Sochi Olympic Park in western Russia. 5.85 kms in length, the circuit hosted the first F1 race in Russia in 2014. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team has won every race since the first one, with Lewis Hamilton winning four (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019) and Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas winning in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
The Sochi Autodrom is adjacent to the Sochi Olympic Park (Google Earth View shown below) which was built for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
SEAT, like other carmakers (especially in Europe), is steadily making the transition towards electrification, an important move to meet increasingly tough legislative requirements in the years to come. The emission levels are so low that it is necessary to use hybrid powertrains if not all-electric ones to meet them.
Interestingly, however, the Spanish carmaker will launch its first all-electric model next year using its high-performance CUPRA brand rather than the SEAT brand. The reason for this is said ‘to be to change the dynamic perception of electrically-powered vehicles’.
The new electric model will be based on the el-Born Concept which was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019. Since then, the design team and the SEAT Technical Centre have been working on the production model, continuing to evolve the vehicle. Some of the changes they have made have given it a sportier character and an even more impressive visual appeal.
“CUPRA el-Born displays all the genes of the CUPRA brand and we have taken the original concept to the next level creating a new sporty and dynamic design and reengineering the technological content. CUPRA el-Born is the living proof that performance and electrification are a great match,” said CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths.
The SEAT el-BORN concept which was displayed in Geneva last year.
The performance and dynamics of the CUPRA el-Born have been a clear focus during the development of the car, and acceleration from 0 – 50 km/h will be within 2.9 seconds. The Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (DCC Sport), which has been exclusively developed within the VW Group MEB platform for the CUPRA el-Born, combines the low driving height of the car with a system that is adapting automatically to any conditions, offering a superior level of driving dynamics.
For now, the company will reveal that the el-Born will have features such as Head-up Display with Augmented Reality and a range of up to 500 kms on a fully charged battery pack. The 77 kWh battery pack can be fast-charged within 30 minutes which will provide at least 260 kms of range, it is claimed.
The interior is designed to encapsulate the CUPRA philosophy of quality and performance mixed with sophistication. This is highlighted in the sports bucket seats, the steering wheel with Drive Profile Selection and CUPRA mode buttons, and high-quality material choices. CUPRA puts a particular focus on the sustainability of the el-Born using recycled materials in the interior of the car.
The Volkswagen Group factory in Zwickau, Germany, will produce electric vehicles for the various brands, including SEAT and CUPRA.
The model will be manufactured at the Volkswagen Group factory (SEAT is part of the Group) in Zwickau, Germany. This factory has been renovated and configured to produce electric vehicles for the Group’s different brands from 2021. It will have a production capacity of up to 330,000 electric vehicles a year.
For some time now, Mitsubishi Motors authorized dealerships around Malaysia have been undergoing a transformation in their appearance and presentation to conform to the new brand Visual Identity (VI). The change has been progressively introduced to some 5,000 dealerships worldwide since 2019.
The move is based on the new brand message ‘Drive your Ambition‘ and is intended to provide a better customer experience in a high quality retail environment and to strengthen Mitsubishi Motors’ brand image.
The new VI features black, white and grey colour schemes with red dynamic lines as an accent. The uniform design will also ensure a coherent experience for customers across all points they touch the brand, from motor shows, websites and brochures to the dealership.
The architecture reflects the new Corporate and Visual Identity, with a ‘Dynamic Slope’ as a signature element to present the robust and dynamic image of the brand. Inside, the showroom is designed to provide a better customer experience, while the cars are presented to make sure they’re seen as the stars.
First in Melaka
To date, 20 of the dealerships in Malaysia feature the new VI, with the latest being Sing Kwung Jidosha in Melaka. Sing Kwung Jidosha, located in Taman Industri Malim Jaya, is the first Mitsubishi Motors showroom in Melaka with the new VI. As a 3S facility, the dealership offers sales, service and spare parts under one roof.
With a built-up area of 10,000 square feet, the upgraded 3S Centre houses a comfortable customer lounge with wifi and sufficient space to display up to 4 vehicles. Its service centre is fully-equipped workshop and can handle up to 5 vehicles daily.
There is also a Body and Paint facility which provides repair and refinishing services. Needless to say, any parts replaced are genuine Mitsubishi Motors parts or approved by the manufacturer. The technicians also use advanced diagnostic tools and Special Service Tools to ensure that the work done is up to the brand’s high standards.
The Triton Quest, one of the variants in the popular pick-up range.
“I would like to thank Sing Kwung Jidosha, for successfully completing this showroom with a new Mitsubishi Motors VI! With an enhanced brand image, this represents our commitment to put customers as the foremost priority, providing them with a seamless experience when they visit our showrooms, and in a more comfortable ambience,” said Tomoyuki Shinnishi, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.
Ten months after Lamborghini launched the Sian as its first production hybrid super sportscar, an open-top variant has been unveiled. Only 19 units will be produced – and all are already sold.
The Sian Roadster, as a true roadster, adds a new purity with the open-air cabin. The aerial view of the car is reminiscent of the iconic periscopio line inspired by the first Countach, running diagonally from the cockpit to the rear and culminating in the aerodynamic airstreamers behind driver and passenger.
The long sculptured contours and characteristic aero wings give the Sian Roadster an unmistakably powerful profile. The car’s very low front, with integrated carbonfibre splitter, houses the iconic Lamborghini Y-shape headlights.
The extreme and strong rear of the car incorporates Lamborghini’s evocative hexagon design, including 6 hexagonal taillights inspired by the Countach. The rear wing is integrated within the profile and extends out only during the driving to enhance the performance.
To optimize aerodynamic efficiency, airflow is directed through the front splitters and through the front bonnet, through the side air intakes and outlets and over the rear spoiler, with no loss of aerodynamic efficiency from the roadster’s roofless design.
Active cooling vanes on the rear use unique materials-science technology patented by Lamborghini. The operation of the vanes is triggered by the reaction of smart-material elements to the temperature generated by the exhaust system, causing them to rotate and providing an elegant and lightweight cooling solution.
The Sian Roadster makes its debut in Blu Uranus, especially selected by Lamborghini’s Centro Stile, which works together with the Ad Personam department to entirely personalize the colour and finish of each client’s Roadster.
The Oro Electrum wheels have a colour chosen by Lamborghini to signify electrification. The complementary interior is an elegant combination of white with Blu Glauco detailing and aluminium elements in Oro Electrum, New-design air vents produced via 3D printing allows customization with a client’s initials.
The Sian Roadster is powered by the same hybrid system as the coupe which provides the highest power possible via the lightest solution. It combines the V12 engine with a 48-volt e-motor, delivering 34 hp, which is incorporated into the gearbox to provide immediate response and improved performance. The e-motor also supports low-speed maneuvers such as reversing and parking with electric power.
With the advanced technology, the engine, which incorporates titanium intake valves, has been uprated to 785 bhp. With an additional 34 bhp from the hybrid system, the maximum output is 819 bhp, giving the Sian Roadster a claimed capability of going over 350 km/h. From standstill, it is claimed to be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2.9 seconds.
The powertrain has Lamborghini’s innovative supercapacitor application – a world-first technology storing 10 times the power of a lithium-ion battery. Located in the bulkhead between cockpit and engine, it ensures perfect weight distribution.
Three times more powerful than a battery of the same weight and three times lighter than a battery producing the same power, the electric system with the supercapacitor and e-motor weighs only 34 kgs. It thus delivers a remarkable weight-to-power ratio of 1.0 kg/hp. Symmetric power flow ensures the same efficiency in both charging and discharging cycles, the most lightweight and efficient hybrid solution.
There’s also a highly sophisticated regenerative braking system, especially developed by the carmaker. The symmetric behaviour of the supercapacitor, contrary to normal Li-Ion batteries, can be charged and discharged with the same power. It fully charges the energy storage system every time the vehicle is being braked.
The energy stored is an instantly-available power boost, allowing the driver to draw immediately on increased torque when accelerating away (up to 130 km/h) when the e-motor automatically disconnects. This improves the elasticity maneuvers and makes it more than 10% faster than a car without this system.
“The Sian Roadster encapsulates the spirit of Lamborghini,” said Stefano Domenicali, Automobili Lamborghini Chairman & CEO. “It is the expression of breathtaking design and extraordinary performance, but most importantly embodies important future technologies. The Sian’s innovative hybrid powertrain heralds the direction for Lamborghini super sportscars, and the open-top Sian Roadster affirms a desire for the ultimate lifestyle Lamborghini as we move towards a tomorrow demanding new solutions.”
About a week ago, on July 3, Perodua’s dealer in Brunei launched the latest Myvi for that market. It was the usual sort of launch of a new model but among the variants displayed was one called the Myvi S-Edition. The existence of such a variant caught the Perodua people by surprise since they do not have any Myvi S-Edition sold in Malaysia or anywhere else in the world.
Some Perodua fans who keep up with news of their favourite brand also noticed the ‘special edition’ and wondered why it was available in Brunei but not Malaysia. Well, it is not unusual that some markets may have a variant or specification which are not available in the home market of the manufacturer. These may be export versions or specially developed versions to suit certain markets.
In the case of the Myvi S-Edition, the variant had a bodykit to enhance its looks but this bodykit was not developed by Perodua and it appears that they were not aware of it either, from what we gather from the statement issued by Perodua’s President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
“Perodua Brunei introduced its own version of the Myvi 1.3L G variant, dubbed the S-Edition, which include enhanced bodykits which were sourced independently by our appointed distributor GHK Motors,” he said.
“Based on the feedback from GHK Motors, the introduction of the Myvi S-Edition was its attempt to introduce a variant that was better suited to their market needs. We are engaging with GHK Motors for more details about this variant to ensure that the additions to this variant meet the required standards,” he added.
The statement was issued today for clarification as Perodua is aware of some confusion caused to its loyal customers.
Like other manufacturers, Perodua is serious about protecting its image and reputation, especially where it concerns quality. When it develops its cars, every part and system is thoroughly tested for durability and reliability before it is approved for use. This is understandable since a defective or unreliable part can cause a breakdown and in an extreme case, even an accident, and that is something a responsible manufacturer like Perodua will not want to cause.
Every item in Perodua’s GearUp line of accessories has to be thoroughly tested to ensure quality, reliability, durability and safety before it is offered for sale.
Even bodykits and other accessories are subject to the same rigorous testing by the R&D division to ensure they meet the required standards. Therefore, if a distributor or dealer wants to install items which did not come with the car, they must first let Perodua test the items and give its approval.
Proton also had a similar issue long ago with its distributor in the Philippines which also assembled the Wira. The company there added a turbocharger to the engine in the Wira for sale to the public. This was a modification which had not received Proton’s approval and certainly, it was against warranty conditions. If the engine failed due to the turbocharger boosting performance and causing too much stress, for example, the customer would likely blame Proton and that would spoil its reputation.
In the 54-year history of the Toyota Corolla, there have been different bodystyle variants which, in a way, reflected consumer tastes and requirements of the difference periods. The model started off with a 2-door and 4-door sedan and a stationwagon, the 4-door variant being the most popular by far.
Then there was the Liftback, which offered hatchback versatility in a sleeker shape and for the younger enthusiasts, a coupe and a hardtop were also offered, available with the powerful 2T-G twincam engines. In fact, one generation of the coupe – the fifth generation of the Corolla with the code AE86 and the domestic name of ‘Levin’ – would become legendary and much sought after even up till today. A MPV-like variant called the Corolla Spacio was also developed towards the end of the 1990s and it was manufactured by Toyota Auto Body.
Responding to the SUV boom
Today, most of the variants are no longer available as Toyota streamlined the model range to focus only on the high-volume sedan. However, with the continuing growth of the SUV market, it has decided that the Corolla should also have a bodystyle to cater to this booming segment.
This is the new Corolla Cross which had its global debut today in Thailand where it is made. With ‘Corolla Meets SUV’ being the key phrase for the development of the Corolla Cross, the model was designed with a sturdy image combined with the utility typical of such vehicles.
TNGA platform with hybird powertrain available
It sits on the TNGA platform (GA-C) that is used for recent and future models and has a rear torsion beam suspension. The spacious cabin includes luggage space of up to 587 litres which is claimed to be class-leading. Safety-wise, it is engineered and equipped at a similar level as the Corolla Sedan and should therefore be able to rate the maximum of 5 stars when ASEAN NCAP assesses it.
Depending on the market, customers will have a choice of either a hybrid powertrain or just a petrol engine, both using a 1.8-litre engine. The engine, when used in the hybrid powertrain, produces 98 ps/142 Nm, with the electric motor adding 72 ps/163 Nm, but the total system power output available is 122 ps. The petrol engine alone is rated at 140 ps/177 Nm.
Introducing the Corolla Cross, Daizo Kameyama, Chief Engineer in charge of development, said: “Now that the Corolla Cross has newly joined the Corolla family, we sincerely hope that our customers will warmly welcome the vehicle to become part of their families: just like their partners, siblings or even friends. We wish that the Corolla Cross could assist customers in creating a new story by loading on their vehicle the people who are important to them, the luggage, and their dreams for the future.”
Will we get it in Malaysia?
As the Corolla is imported in CBU (completely built-up) form from Thailand, there’s no reason why the Corolla Cross cannot also be imported. It would certainly give UMW Toyota Motor an extra model offering, which car-buyers like. It would most likely not be the hybrid since that would cost more and as the government is not providing any incentives to help lower the retail price, it would be better to just sell the petrol engine variant.
