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Ford Explorer SUV Goes Fully Electric, With Volkswagen’s MEB Platform

Following on from the alliance between Ford and Volkswagen which has seen the new Amarok for the German carmaker based on the latest Ranger, Ford has now revealed the first of two new models which will use Volkswagen’s MEB platform for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The new model, to go on sale later this year for under 45,000 euros (about RM216,000), uses the Explorer nameplate. This name has a long history in Ford’s range and at one time, was the bestselling SUV in the world. Now it is going electric as part of Ford’s reinvention of the Ford brand in Europe. By 2030, Ford aims to have an all-electric portfolio of passenger vehicles.

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Ford Ranger Stormtrak Makes Debut In Thailand

Sitting right above the Wildtrak but below the Raptor, the 2023 Ford Ranger Stormtrak was unveiled at the Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) and it looks magnificent.

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Sarawak Deputy Premiers Receive Hydrogen Powered Toyota Mirai

As reported in January, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg received a hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai.

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From Swatch To smart

The smart brand is among the younger automotive brands in the world, with its original concept of a compact city car having been conceived in the early 1990s. And it wasn’t just a basic car with compact dimensions; the brainchild of Nicolas Hayek, the man who created the Swatch watch, it was to be cheap, trendy and practical for almost anyone – like the watches.

Hayek believed there was a market for such a car, especially with the congestion in cities. But he also realised that he knew a lot about making watches… but little about making cars. So he knocked on the doors of Renault and VW, but they were not interested. Little did he know then that Mercedes-Benz had noticed his idea in 1993 and it matched their idea of a city car which they had been exploring for many years.

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Petrol Station Owner Fined RM40,000 For Allowing Singaporean Car To Fuel Up On RON95

A petrol station operator was fined RM40,000 after he admitted that he allowed a vehicle with a foreign registration number plate to fuel up on RON95 petrol four years ago.

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BMW X7 xDrive40i Pure Excellence MHEV Updated For 2023

Although volume matters in local assembly to justify the investment in jigs at the plant, the premium manufacturers like BMW have still chosen to assemble their flagship models locally even though the volume may not be large. Local assembly, with the incentives provided by the government, allows them to price their models more competitively than if they were brought in as completely built-up (CBU) models so it is essential to do so in order to grow volumes.

The X7, which is the flagship SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) of the BMW range, has been assembled since early 2021 (on sale since May of the same year) at the BMW facility in the Inokom plant in Kedah. For 2023, the model – named ‘The President’ by BMW – has received updates which include cosmetic changes as well as more enhanced digitalisation capabilities.

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