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Yes, you read that headline right. In January 2018 alone, Perodua recorded 17,900 sales, its second highest-ever monthly market share of above 40%, against a total industry volume (TIV) of 43,930 units (Perodua recorded its highest ever monthly sales in August 2016 at 40.5%. Source: Carlist)

In January, all Perodua models retained their lead in their respective vehicle segments in Malaysia, with 9,029 Myvis, 4,085 Axias, 2,776 Bezzas and 1,803 Alzas sold.

“While we defer to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA)’s numbers, we are cautiously optimistic that for January 2018, our monthly market share is the highest ever in our history. This was spurred by deliveries of the new Myvi, as well as continued strong demand for our other models,” said Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh at the company’s Chinese New Year Luncheon with the media and business partners here today.

“The new Myvi has racked up over 48,000 bookings to date, the 18,000th unit of which today we proudly deliver to Mr Wong Wai Cheng of Negeri Sembilan. We would also like to add that close to 20,000 units of the new Myvi have been delivered to date. Overall, over a million Myvis have been registered in Malaysia since 2005. This performance has been a great boost to the Malaysian automotive ecosystem as the better-than-expected demand for our latest offering as well as our current model line-up have resulted in better demand for local parts,” he added.

Aminar also said that Perodua is looking to purchase more than RM5 billion in components and parts this year from mainly local vendors. This will further contribute towards the growth of the Malaysian economy. All Perodua models have over 90% local content.

“To all Malaysians, we simply cannot thank you enough for your love and support for our humble hatchback through all these years. Your recognition spurs us on to work harder on bettering our products and services, because as always, You Matter Most,” he said.

“To those who have placed orders for the new Myvi and have yet to receive their cars, we sincerely apologise for the wait. Rest assured that we are ramping up production to get the cars to you as quickly as we can. The Perodua Manufacturing Sdn Bhd plant will continue to work overtime until demand stabilises,” he continued.

Mr Wong, 25, was all smiles as Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd Managing Director Dato’ Dr Zahari Husin handed him the keys to his brand-new Lava Red Myvi 1.5 Advance.

“I am over the moon to be taking delivery of my new car. The minute I laid eyes on the new Myvi and saw how many sophisticated features I was getting for the price, I knew it was the vehicle for me,” said Mr Wong. “I’m always on the go. The Myvi’s compact dimensions make it very easy to park and manoeuvre, but it’s also very spacious inside. With six airbags and Advanced Safety Assist, I am well protected, and the built-in toll card reader is my favourite feature!” he added.

“We wish all our Chinese friends Xin Nian Kuai Le and Gong Xi Fa Cai. May the Year of the Dog bring more luck, prosperity and happiness to us all!” Datuk (Dr) Aminar concluded.

Main top image: Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh and Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd Managing Director Dato’ Dr Zahari Husin present a mock key to the 18,000th new Perodua Myvi owner, Mr Wong Wai Cheng, 25, of Negeri Sembilan.

Ducati fans, and all bike enthusiasts for that matter, do take note! There’s now a one-stop Ducati Centre & Motor Specialist on the island of Penang for you to visit! During the Petron Blaze RON100 Media Ride recently, we dropped by Sheng Fatt Motor Specialist Centre, located at 24, Jalan Dato Keramat,
10150 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

With ample parking up-front, the ground floor is reserved for a bike showroom housing the latest Ducati motorbikes, but it’s the level above that blew us away.

The entire floor has been renovated to a bike apparel showcase, replete with quality used bikes for sale too; like this Honda Africa Twin and Suzuki GSX-1000 for example…

It’s a very laid-back area with refreshments and even a coffee bar, as well as places to sit and relax, do work, while watching your bikes being worked on in the workshop above, via flat-screen TVs. Yes, unlike other bike shops, this one has its workshop and 6 crew above!

Renovated at a cost of more than RM1 million, it’s owned and operated by Kheoh Hock Seng @ Ah Seng, (above) and his crew of 4 trained mechanics and 2 service-advisors, as well as 3 showroom front-liners.

The new centre has a tonne of riding apparel from helmets to gloves, as well as jackets and boots, from known bike-apparel makers such as Alpinestars, as well as official merchandise from Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia & Vespa.

Ah Seng’s reasoning behind this extensive renovation to include a huge selection of riding apparel, is because he believes (from being a biker himself) that the importance of safety when it comes to riding gear is still a bit lacking in Penang. Here’s a video of how the shop looks upstairs…

https://www.facebook.com/Shengfattmotor/videos/1703040073090889/

With the hopes of educating the biking community on the importance of being safely kitted-out when riding, the new premises is already open for business, so if you’re in the area, do drop by, or call 04-227 8932 for more details.

Alternatively, you can check out their official Facebook page for more photos, loaction and directions.

Photo Gallery…

The age-old question or rather conundrum; do you need 4WD in an SUV? I recently got my hands on the new Subaru XV 2.0i, and during my time with it, the question popped into my mind again, so I decided to get it all down in a video…

[Erratum: The XV as tested has Hill-Hold, and not Hill-Descent Control as mentioned in the above video, sorry! – CW]

If you haven’t fallen asleep and you’re still with me, let’s delve a little deeper into the new XV. Premiered to the media sometime in the middle of 2017 in Taiwan, the new XV was officially launched here toward the end of last year, to a very enthusiastic target audience. Here’s the official launch video from Taiwan…

It’s in speaking about said target audience that got me thinking about that question posed earlier about the need for 4WD or AWD in a ‘family’ SUV. I’ve decided that there’s really no right or wrong in it, it’s all a matter of personal preference. And if you’re worried about the urban-myth about 4WD or AWD vehicles being ‘thirsty’, well, over the course of 4 days, and quite a bit of driving, I only managed to burn 2 ‘bars’ of fuel…

Speaking of the engine, the new XV is powered by a direct-injection, 4-cylinder, horizontally-opposed (boxer), DOHC, 16-valve naturally-aspirated engine, capable of 156Ps and 196Nm of torque. Earth-shattering figures these are not, however, do remember that nowhere on this SUV does it say STI

It is perhaps that fireballs-out-the-flanks ‘performance’ association with the brand that will dampen the enthusiasm of anyone seeking ‘WRX-thrills’ in this Subaru, because that ain’t gonna happen with the XV, nor should it. And besides, gearbox wise, this new XV comes with a 7-speed continuously-variable transmission (CVT) or what Subaru calls a ‘Lineartronic CVT’, which is about as far from a performance oriented gearbox as one can possibly get…

Built on Subaru’s new SGP or Subaru Global Platform, the new XV feels taut and very well put-together. It has incredible levels of NVH suppression, resulting in one of the quietest cabins I’ve ever come across for a SUV in this mid-size segment.

Its party-trick of course, the thing that sets it apart from other SUVs in this segment, is its X-Mode function, that’s specifically tailored to take the guess work out of any light-off-road driving. Hitting that button on the centre console, this mode controls the engine output, transmission, all-wheel drive torque split, and even the braking system, to ensure the most optimum performance for off-road driving.

But you know what, if that was its only ace up its sleeve, the new XV would be a let-down; but thankfully it isn’t. Perhaps the most important aspect of a mid-size ‘family’ SUV is what it’s like on the inside, the one place that matters most when you’re hauling your most precious cargo, and in that respect, this new XV really shines.

As I mentioned earlier, the NVH of this XV based on the new SGP, is quite remarkable. This is the one thing that’s going to set it apart from the rest of the competition out there, really. Unfortunately, only an extended test-drive will bring forth this benefit, so please, don’t take my word for it, head over to TC Subaru and give it a go for yourself. With prices starting at RM118, 819 incl. GST, it’s definitely a worthy consideration. – Chris Wee.

Subaru XV 2.0i Photo Gallery…

In conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year festive season, Go Auto Sales Sdn Bhd, the exclusive distributor for Haval SUV in Malaysia, is running the Ang Pow Prosperity Deal promotion on all Haval models.

The promotion is on-going from now until end of March 2018 at all Haval showrooms nationwide offering new customers 5-year free service or savings up to RM3000 with ang pow offerings.

“We wish to rewards new customers to usher in the festive Chinese New Year with our Prosperity Deal promotion for both Haval H1 and H2 models. Hopefully, with the savings from the ang pow promotions the money can be spent on their family celebration during this festivity. In addition, we also hope with this offer it will allow customers to enjoy better value for their money by owning an SUV at an affordable and competitive price,” said Dato’ SM Azli SM Nasimuddin Kamal, Executive Director of Go Auto Group.

Aside from the current promotion, HAVAL Malaysia is also carrying out roadshows and exhibitions nationwide in shopping malls and other locations to get closer to the public. Do visit these locations, to enjoy the deals.

1. Venue : NSK Seremban 2, Seremban

Date: 1 – 31 January 2018

2. Venue : Tesco Taiping, Taiping

Date: 1 – 28 January 2018

3. Venue : Giant Kota Padawan, Kuching

Date: 23 – 30 January 2018

4. Venue : Tesco Saujana Impian, Kajang

Date: 24 – 30 January 2018

5. Venue : Pahang Karnival, Parking Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan

Date: 25 January – 3 February 2018

Venue : MAI Auto Galleria, Dataran Aman Jaya Mall, Sg Petani

Date: 26 – 28 January 2018

Venue : Alamanda Shopping Mall, Putrajaya

Date: 1 – 11 February 2018

For more information, customers can contact Haval Customer Care at 03-5569 7332 or email customercare@goauto.com.my.

You can also visit www.haval.my or its official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/havalmy or Instagram page at www.instagram.com/havalmy.

You read that right; the Hyundai Ioniq has been named the UK’s ‘Best Hybrid’, while the high-performance i30 N was commended as the ‘Best Hot Hatch for £20,000-£30,000’.

The awards, judged by members of the What Car? road-test and editorial team, praised the Ioniq Hybrid for its cost, equipment and drivability and the all-round performance capability of the i30N.

Steve Huntingford, Editor of What Car? said, “In the last year, we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people reading about hybrid cars on whatcar.com, which is why we felt it was important to recognise the best models in the class. Toyota may have had the market for affordable hybrids pretty much sewn up with the Prius but now there’s a top-notch alternative in the shape of Hyundai’s Ioniq…”

More than any other car, the Ioniq shows that you can now drive a hybrid without having to accept any compromises. Not only is it clean, temptingly priced and cheap to run, but it’s more practical, better equipped and better to drive than its rivalshe added.

Stay tuned for our upcoming feature and video on why the S.Koreans are beating the Japanese at their own game, coming soon!

 

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Commercial Vehicles (MBM CV) delivered a strong performance last year, recording a total of 2,469 vehicles sold in 2017, comprising FUSO light-duty and heavy-duty trucks as well as Mercedes-Benz trucks and vans. Despite the dip of 7.9% in Total Industry Volume (TIV) for 2017, MBM CV continues to be a strong supporter of the transport and haulage industry, attributing its robust performance in 2017 to its strategy of placing customers at the centre of its initiatives.

“Part of Daimler Trucks, MBM CV represents first-class product quality and service excellence in the Malaysian market. In everything that we do, our focus is on our customers. Safety, reliability and economic efficiency are our topmost priority. With the commitment of our dealer partners and the trust of the market, 2017 proved to be a positive year in many aspects. As a new year begins, we remain as committed as ever to deliver vehicles and solutions of the highest quality – Trucks you can trust,” said Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Commercial Vehicles, Vice President, Mr Albert Yee (above, main image).

In 2017, the famed Mercedes-Benz Actros proved to be a top choice among hauliers recording an impressive total of 268 units sold, maintaining a double digit growth of 24.1%. Contributing 32.1% sales, the Mercedes-Benz Actros 2644LS 6×2 (L-cab) remains the most popular model. Meanwhile, FUSO trucks recorded 2,170 units sold.  As a result of securing fleet contracts from new small and medium operators during the year, MBM CV was able to achieve a market penetration 13.06% for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles in 2017, a new record for the company.

Throughout 2017, MBM CV and its network dealers continued to raise the bar with best-in-class commercial vehicles and service quality for the haulage industry.  Product enhancements included the new TD Canter facelift and ensuring that MBM CV’s entire product portfolio complies with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) safety regulations set by Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ). These measures improve vehicle safety and ensure customers’ peace-of-mind.

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