Quill Automobiles, a BMW dealership situated in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, offers customers a new experience and expression that further elevates delivery of the BMW premium ownership experience.
The new showroom occupies a total built-up space of over 33,000 square feet in the heart of Petaling Jaya’s prime business district. Up to 14 BMW vehicles can be displayed at one time, which makes this dealership one of the largest of its kind in Malaysia.
Speaking at the opening event, Alex Tang, Dealer Principal of Quill Automobiles said: “For over a decade, Quill Automobiles have been delivering our commitment to the BMW premium ownership experience to our loyal customers in Petaling Jaya. This commitment is now further strengthened with the opening of our new showroom which reflects the newest experience and expression from the BMW brand.”
The right environment and ambience
Harald Hoelzl, MD of BMW Group Malaysia, meanwhile, added: “The needs of our customers have always been at the forefront of everything we do. While it is our priority to deliver award-winning vehicles and industry-leading services to our customers, it is also equally important that we create the right environment and ambience for this experience. Quill Automobiles are the experts when it comes to creating this experience and they have executed this excellently once again.”
In its new expression, Quill Automobiles now features a new Grand Klasse luxury boutique in addition to the BMW Customer Lounge, Isetta Bar and BMW Lifestyle area. The dealership also operates a full-fledged, stand-alone BMW Service Centre located in Section 13 of Petaling Jaya. This 58,500 square feet facility houses a complete service workshop and a body and paint facility.
Meeting all the needs of BMW customers
With a team of 90 dedicated staff members, the dealership offers the full suite of Sales, Services, Spare Parts and Systems (4S) for the BMW brand. It also functions as a BMW Premium Selection dealership, serving those who are looking for pre-owned vehicles.
Quill Automobiles is currently running its ‘X Marks the Future’ campaign for customers who purchase a brand-new BMW vehicle by December 31, 2019. They will be entitled to 10 entry forms to participate in a contest to win the latest Z4 sDrive 30i M Sport.
♦ The Total Industry Volume (TIV) of new vehicles in the Malaysian market registered was 296,334 units, 2.3% or 6,735 units more than January – June 2018.
All charts provided by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA)
♦ The 2019 TIV was made up of 270,875 passenger vehicles (excluding pick-ups) and 25,459 commercial vehicles (including pick-ups). The volume of commercial vehicles in 2019 was 11.2% (3,217 units) lower than for the same period in 2018. All segments of the commercial vehicle category showed declines which has been attributed to economic uncertainties. As a result, businesses have deferred or scaled down their vehicle purchases or replacements.
♦ New vehicle registrations in May 2019 totalled 60,780 units, the highest monthly TIV of the year. Compared to the same month in 2018, it was 41.4% higher.
♦ The lowest TIV this year was reported in February with 39,838 units registered. This was not unusual for the short month and 1.8% lower than what was reported in the same month in 2018.
SALES BY SEGMENTS
♦ By segments, passenger cars accounted for 67% of the TIV with 4WDs/SUVs taking the second largest volume at 24.4% and MPVs falling to 8%. While the volume of passenger cars was lower by 4.8% compared to the same period in 2018, the volume of MPVs was significantly reduced in 2019 by 32.6% as more people chose 4WDs/SUVs.
A flood of new SUV models, especially smaller ones, has seen this segment overtaking MPVs.
♦ Pick-ups continued to make up the largest proportion of sales in the commercial vehicle segment with 16,565 units registered in the first 6 months of 2019. However, this volume was lower than that in 2018 by 14.7%, likely to be reflective of the draw of SUVs for people wanting dual-purpose vehicles.
PRODUCTION
♦ From the 29 vehicle-producing factories around the country, the total output in the first 6 months of 2019 was 285,028 vehicles. This number comprised 266,765 passenger vehicles (excluding pick-ups) and 18,263 commercial vehicles (including pick-ups). The total volume was 1.5% higher than for the same period in 2018 but only passenger vehicles registered an increase (2.1%).
♦ The MAA does not track exports of vehicles from Malaysian plants though the number is not exceptionally large. However, it is known that the Mazda CX-5 is exported in the biggest volume. It is assembled at a dedicated facility within the Inokom manufacturing complex in Kulim, Kedah, which Mazda and its local business partner, Bermaz Motor, spent around RM187 million to set up.
Mazda has been exporting the CX-5 model assembled in Malaysia since 2013.
FORECAST
♦ Although Malaysia’s economy expected to grow between 4.3% to 4.8% during 2019, the MAA believes that consumers and businesses will remain cautious in spending as economic uncertainties are likely to continue through the second half of the year. Therefore, the TIV that was forecast as 600,000 units at the beginning of 2019 will be maintained. As it is, the cumulative TIV for the first half of the year has reached almost half that number.
To become a member of the Malaysian Automotive Association, visit www.maa.org.my .
Providing ‘Mobility for All‘ is something Toyota Motor Corporation takes seriously. It is demonstrating this in its role as worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, specifically the one which will take place in Tokyo in 2020.
Besides various forms of transport that it has developed for different groups at the event, it is developing a special new product known as the Accessible People Mover (APM). This is a mobility vehicle designed expressly for use at the Games.
‘Last mile solution’
The APM will offer a ‘last one mile’ solution that helps transport as many people as possible to events and venues. These include athletes and staff related to the Games as well as all types of visitors with accessibility needs such as the elderly, people with impairments, pregnant women, and families with small children, among others. Part of the fleet of APMs, to number around 200 in total, will be used to support relief activities at events/venues during summer.
There will be two versions – a Basic Model and one with Relief specifications. The Basic Model will be for general transportation and feature 3-row seating. Up to 5 passengers can be carried and when used for passengers in wheelchairs, the configuration can be modified by folding the seats to allow the wheelchair rider in the second row.
Safety, comfort and convenience
With safety in mind, the position of the driver’s seat has been elevated and centrally located in order to allow the driver to see passengers and support their individual needs as they enter/exit the vehicle which is about 2 metres high.
The passenger seats are accessible from both sides of the vehicle, and the overall design considers varying customers’ needs, with safety bars on both sides to help passengers while entering and exiting the vehicle, and fitted with wheelchair anchor plates and ramps to enable the optimal access and transportation of wheelchair passengers.
The Relief specification is similar but has more open space to install a stretcher. In addition, to help convey people in a stable, safe way, a stretcher that can be attached/secured in the vehicle will also be equipped. There will also be space to allow 2 relief staff workers to sit immediately adjacent to the stretcher.
Needless to say, the APM – which has dimensions that are similar to a Toyota Avanza – will operate with zero emissions using a battery electric powertrain that should also be quiet. It can travel at a speed up to 19 km/h and a full charge should provide 100 kms of range.
Ever wanted an SUV that not only drives well but looks badass at the same time? Don’t want just any ordinary ‘soccer mum’ vehicle? Well, Honda Malaysia has got you covered with their latest Honda CR-V Mugen Limited Edition and just like the youths keep saying today, it is fire.
The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) was conceptualised in the early 1990s and all the member nations signed an agreement to establish it in 1992. It was intended to create a regional trade bloc where goods and services could be exchanged between ASEAN countries with preferential tariffs .
The AFTA agreement’s main feature was the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) which required all ASEAN members agree to adopt the same tariff structure and impose import duties of between 0 and 5% on goods and services which originate from any ASEAN country. A condition is that at least 40% of the content of the goods should be of ASEAN origin, besides being made in one of the ASEAN countries. This applies to finished goods, like complete vehicles, as well as components.
The benefit of AFTA to carmakers
Why have AFTA? The simple answer would be strength in unity and size. Having AFTA also means that instead of separate small markets, there will be a single larger one which can be treated as a single common market and estimates in the 1990s already placed the number of consumers at over 550 million – larger than the European Union then. Many ASEAN consumers were already in the middle class or moving into it (although the financial crisis of the late 1990s slowed things down a bit) and this increasing prosperity has certainly very attractive to companies doing business globally.
When AFTA was conceptualised in the 1990s, it was estimated that the single market would have over 550 million consumers. Today, the potential customer base is estimated at 680 million, an attractive number for carmakers.
For carmakers, AFTA was an attractive idea and during the 1990s, a number of global players began to establish big factories in Thailand and Indonesia. These would become regional hubs for certain popular models and as there would be no import duty imposed exporting vehicles between ASEAN countries, it was as good as making them in each country. The major advantage was that concentrating production in a single factory meant bigger volumes which would provide the vital economies of scale to push production costs down and have more attractive pricing.
Groupe PSA, the French automobile conglomerate with brands like Peugeot and Citroen in its group, also looked at AFTA but didn’t see the right numbers in the 1990s, and it was also focused on China which was then a fast-growing market. However, they kept an eye on the market growth in ASEAN and in Malaysia, where their partner is Naza Corporation, Peugeot sales were growing rapidly and accounted for 86% of the volume sold in ASEAN.
Assembly operations at NAM, now majority owned and managed by Groupe PSA. (File image)
Malaysia’S Naza Automotive Manufacturing plant becomes a regional hub
The Malaysian company also had its own assembly plant in Kedah and with Naza having proven its commitment, Groupe PSA made the decision to use Malaysia as its regional hub. The decision was announced at the Peugeot World Conference in January 2010. However, planning took some time but, in the meantime, Groupe PSA began small volume production of a Peugeot model at Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) as a shared operation.
Early last year, the French company acquired a majority stake in the business operations of NAM which began operations in 2004. Groupe PSA and Naza will jointly produce Groupe PSA-branded cars for Malaysia and other ASEAN markets which now has a potential customer base of 680 million. Further opportunities will also be explored beyond ASEAN, with a potential to contribute significantly to Malaysia’s economy.
Peugeot 3008 and 5008 models assembled in Malaysia will be exported to the Philippines.
First exports to the Philippines
This month, NAM will begin exporting its first shipment, a batch Peugeot 3008s, to the Philippines. “The Peugeot 3008 with the Peugeot 5008 1.6 THP are targeted to be available in the Philippines with more than 4,000 units by 2023. The Philippines is the first ASEAN country where our cars manufactured at NAM is being exported to under the AFTA,” said Laurence Noel, Head of ASEAN & CEO of Naza Automotive Manufacturing, Groupe PSA. “More cars will be exported to other ASEAN countries very soon,” she added.
It’s evident that Proton sales this year have been growing steadily and the brand has been edging upwards on the chart towards Perodua, which has been No. 1 since 2005. Yet, Perodua remains confident that in the remaining 6 months of 2019, it will continue to maintain its strong sales and has even revised upwards its sales target for the year to 235,000 units. This is 4,000 units higher than the 231,000-unit target announced when the year began.
To put things into perspective, Perodua sold 227,243 vehicles in 2018, which was the highest annual sales achievement in its history. In the first half of 2019, Perodua sold some 121,800 vehicles – 4% more than the 117,100 units it sold in the same period last year – backed by sustained healthy demand for all its models.
Speaking to the media today, Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad, said that from January through June this year, total bookings stood at 190,765 units, more than 3% up on the 184,949 orders collected in the same 5-month period last year.
“The increase in demand for our vehicles in the first 6 months of 2019 has had a positive impact on the automotive ecosystem as a whole, with parts purchases amounting to RM2.7 billion during this period,” Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad said. “Based on our forecast for the second half of the year, we expect to purchase a total of RM5.4 billion worth of parts for the whole of 2019.
He said that Perodua is also working with the Daihatsu Motor Company of Japan to further develop its component suppliers to explore markets beyond Malaysia, and that this forms part of the company’s commitment to build Malaysia’s automotive support industries.
Second half outlook
On the outlook for the second half of 2019, Dato’ Zainal said, “There is good news in the market as the central bank has reduced the overnight policy rate, which will help in promoting consumer spending. That said, we should remember that last year there was a big incentive for consumers to buy cars with the tax holiday, which was announced after the outcome of the country’s 14th General Election.
“Based on our internal calculations, the industry has outperformed expectations in the first half of this year – Malaysia’s Total Industry Volume (TIV) has grown 2.4% to 296,800 units,” Dato’ Zainal added.
He explained that the tax break incentive had a one-off effect on the market and that consumers and automotive players alike took advantage of the situation. “With this in mind, we believe that the second half of the year will not be as healthy as what was recorded last year. The momentum of the first half is likely to reduce in the second half,” said the President and CEO.
Demand for the Aruz continues to be high and June sales were moderated to manage stocks, not that there was a drop in demand.It was also revealed that Perodua management has given the green light to further develop the Myvi GT concept that was displayed at the KL International Motorshow last year, with a view of selling it to the public.
Working harder on exports
“We have reached a stage in our history where we are earnestly seeking to build our brand abroad in a sustainable manner. However, this is on a long-term scale as brands do need time to build. Our hope is to make Malaysia proud,” he added.
Although Perodua had, in earlier years, been exporting its cars to some markets in Europe (including the UK), the increasingly stringent exhaust emission regulations had eventually impacted the exports and the cost of meeting the regulations was too high. Daihatsu too stopped exporting its products to Europe. However, in the ASEAN region, Perodua still had a small export volume and even supplied the Myvi to Daihatsu for sale as a Sirion in Indonesia under its own brand.
Singapore is one of the markets that Perodua exports to.
At the moment, Perodua exports to 7 countries and is putting in greater efforts to enter new markets in coming years. This takes time as thorough market studies are needed and the products correctly tailored to customer needs. In this respect, the experience of Daihatsu would be useful.
Recall for the Aruz
At today’s media briefing, Perodua also announced a recall for the Aruz which affects 3,000+ vehicles manufactured before February 15, 2019. The recall is precautionary and is related to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) managing the side airbag. This is in response to an incident of unintended inflation of the airbag in a Toyota Rush in the Philippines but it is confirmed that there is nothing defective about the airbag itself.
Perodua officials explained that the road conditions in the Philippines and also in Indonesia are rougher than in Malaysia, and could be the cause. Owners have been sent letters asking them to bring their vehicles in for the precautionary check and if needed, rectification.
