BMW Group Malaysia has been among the more supportive car companies with regard to the introduction of childseats by car-owners. As far back as 2019, the company was already running a subsidy programme to help parents in the B40 income group to purchase childseats required when the mandatory requirement came into effect in 2020.
Now it has announced the NEXTStep Subsidy Programme in collaboration with long-term partner Safe ‘n Sound, to provide fully subsidised childseats to parents in the B40 income group. This programme is part of the BMW Safety 360° initiative. It follows on from the successful subsidy programme that saw over 300 childseats delivered to parents across Malaysia since the end of 2019.
The new subsidy programme will provide parents with childseats for children of up to 36 kgs with donations previously made by BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia.
Over the past 2 years, BMW Group Malaysia has provided subsidies for parents in the B40 income to purchase childseats.
“For over eight years, the BMW Safety 360° initiative has focused on raising awareness and encouraging action amongst families for more responsible road and car safety practices in Malaysia. Although we have placed a strong emphasis on child carseats in recent years with our many programmes and partnerships to advocate for the use of these seats, we recognise that the issue of low uptake must be tackled beyond verbal advocacy and partial subsidies, especially within communities that are in need in a time like this. With the NEXTStep Subsidy Programme, we aim to continue making child safety seats even more accessible to parents who can use a helping hand, ” said Hans de Visser, Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia.
How to apply
The NEXTStep Subsidy Programme is applicable for families expecting a newborn or with a child up to 36 kgs, and whose monthly household income is below RM3,500. Parents can register at the Safe ‘n Sound website from now until May 22, 2022. Eligible applicants will be notified by Safe ‘n Sound via a WhatsApp to the contact number they provide.
Selected parents from outside the Klang Valley will be notified on the delivery status, while parents within the Klang Valley will be informed of a date, time and place to pick-up their new childseat. A suitable seat will be selected for the recipient according to their child’s respective weight and height, as well as vehicle requirement.
The range of fully subsidised childseats and prices (including shipping fees to recipients outside the Klang Valley) are shown below:
“For those still traveling back from their hometowns with their children, we would urge parents to think of their children’s safety by ensuring the right child car seats are used while on the road,” Mr. de Visser added.
Rather than develop another new and bigger SUV model, Bentley has instead extended the wheelbase of the Bentayga to create a new luxury flagship. And it’s not been a cost-saving project either as the company reveals that it made a ‘9-figure investment’ for the development of the new model which has over 2,500 new parts and a complete new underfloor.
The new Bentayga Extended Wheelbase (or EWB) promises ‘the best rear cabin experience’ which should be acceptable to those who have been used to the Mulsanne limousine (now discontinued). Since its unveiling in 2015, the Bentayga has been a major success for the brand, ascending to become its bestseller. In 2021, the Bentayga accounted for just over a third of the 14,659 vehicles sold by Bentley and the EWB is eventually expected to make up 45% of all Bentayga sales. No doubt, many will be in China where long wheelbase models are highly favoured.
Bentayga EWB (above) and Bentayga with the standard wheelbase (below).
Increased length all for rear cabin
The current Bentayga is the second generation of the model and for the EWB, the wheelbase has been extended by 180 mm – from 2995 mm to 3175 mm to stretch the overall length to 5322 mm (in comparison, the BMW X7 is 5151 mm).
The increased length is all given to the rear section, creating a cabin space that is said to be larger than any other luxury competitor. The Bentayga EWB also provides an extra 10 mm of headroom compared to a Mulsanne, whilst having a roofline 100 mm lower than competitors providing a sporting and well-proportioned silhouette.
While it is recognisable as a Bentayga, there are 4 exterior differences that identify the EWB: the longer profile, a new front grille, a new polished 22-inch 10-spoke wheel, and a repositioned sunroof. Taking inspiration from the new grille on the Flying Spur, the Bentayga EWB has a ‘Vertical Vane Grille’ design that is visually striking. The unique grille consists of bright chrome vertical vanes sitting in front of a black mesh grille.
The repositioned panoramic sunroof illustrates the focus on the rear cabin ambience. It has been moved rearwards by 125 mm, providing the optimum position to bathe the rear cabin seating area in natural light. The sunroof can be controlled via the rear cabin Touch Screen Remote, as well as by the front cabin console.
Attention to wellness
‘Wellness’ seems to be a new trend in the development of cabin environments and to provide this at the highest level, there is the Bentley Airline Seat specification. This is the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car, with 22-ways of adjustment and postural adjustment technology.
The postural adjustment system automatically makes micro adjustments to the occupant’s seating position and pressure points, by measuring pressure across the seat surface. The system can apply 177 individual pressure changes across 6 fully independent pressure zones over a three-hour period improving comfort and minimising fatigue throughout a journey.
World-first climate control
Equally impressive is the new auto climate sensing system (a world-first) which senses occupant temperature and surface humidity and then determines whether to apply heat, ventilation or both simultaneously to keep the occupant at optimum thermal wellbeing. A comfortable thermal environment can also alleviate fatigue, reduce irritability, and this can help to improve driving safety as well.
Even without the advanced system the ventilation and air conditioning system in the rear cabin has been enhanced to further improve onboard wellness. The rear ventilation activates only when rear occupants are detected, reducing rear cabin fan noise. A separate air ionisation system that improves air quality with lower airborne particulates is dedicated to the rear section.
Superlative craftsmanship throughout
As with every Bentley, superlative craftsmanship is a given and the Bentayga EWB incorporates a more advanced stitching design created using digital craftsmanship. Diamonds can be seen elongating symmetrically from the centre of the seatbacks shoulder panels and along the length of the door, reflecting the extension in the car itself.
The new interior style of the longer rear doors also includes a unique design showcasing the optional ‘Metal Overlay in Veneer’. Using a thin metal strip just 0.07 mm thick, an intricate design is bonded by hand on the surface of the veneer before the part is lacquered and polished.
New features include Bentley Diamond Illumination (where light is emitted through small perforations in the soft feel door trim) which demonstrate how technology combines with contemporary craftsmanship to deliver incredibly modern design in luxurious materials. With 24 billion trim combinations alone (and a total number of possible specifications running into the trillions), the cabin of the Bentayga EWB is capable of offering the most individual Bentayga ever.
For the first time on a Bentley, power closing doors can be specified. Also fitted as standard are new ‘waterfall illumination’ interior lamps providing subtle illumination to the rear cabin. The illumination is focused towards the centre of car, and improves the passenger’s visibility of the key central controls and features.
Electronic All Wheel Steering
The Bentayga has been praised for its dynamic abilities, with impressive its performance on the road and in ride and handling. This is expected to also apply to the Bentayga EWB which has Electronic All Wheel Steering and Bentley Dynamic Ride as standard.
Though it will certainly be heavier than the other Bentayga models, the EWB should have equally muscular performance with the proven 4-litre, 32-valve dual twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine. Mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, this 550 ps/770 Nm V8 can propel the Bentayga EWB to 100 km/h in a claimed 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 290 km/h.
Production of the Bentayga starts during the fourth quarter of this year, with deliveries to the first customers taking place before the end of the year.
Although commercial vehicles (mostly large trucks) from China were sold in Malaysia in the 1990s, it was only in 2005 that Malaysians saw passenger cars from China being marketed locally. That was when Chery was introduced and the local representative went on to assemble some models locally as well. However, even though they had attractive prices, the Chery models didn’t sell well back then and eventually, the brand faded away.
Now, perhaps encouraged by the success of Geely entering the market (albeit by partnering DRB-HICOM as a shareholder in Proton), other Chinese carmakers are looking more seriously at the Malaysian market as they begin to develop export markets.
Chery is among them and besides already selling in neighbouring countries, it has announced plans to also start selling its models in Malaysia. According to the carmaker’s local marketing office, the models planned for introduction are the Tiggo 8 Pro and Tiggo 7 Pro, part of the Pro line which has 4 SUV models and one sedan.
The Pro models are already on sale in various markets in Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Recently, the 500,000th unit of the Tiggo 8 was produced, making it the fastest model to achieve the 500,000-unit milestone among Chinese-brand mid-size SUVs and 7-seater SUVs.
In developing the Pro models, Chery has established 3 pillars as the core of every product – intelligent technology, stylish design and efficient power. By ensuring that each model is technology-rich, the carmaker believes it can exceed consumers’ expectations and offer more than competitors.
For example, the Tiggo 8 Pro, flagship of the range, has 3 separate displays screens in the cabin. These consist of a horizontal 12.3-inch instrument panel, an 8-inch climate control screen and a 10.25-inch ‘floating’ infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto expand the functionality of the infotainment system by making smartphone apps available on the dashboard. There’s also a 360-degree view around the vehicle to assist the driver in manoeuvring, improving ease of parking as well as safety.
The smaller Tiggo 7 Pro is similarly equipped and comes with features such as wireless charging for compatible smartphones, and an electrically-powered tailgate.
Having produced motor vehicles since 1999, Chery has long R&D experience and has developed its own advanced powertrain and chassis technology. Six of its ACTECO series engines have been listed among China’s Top 10 Engines. This engine range, which has displacements from 800 cc litres to 4 litres, has strong power output with high thermal efficiency.
Where safety is concerned, Chery models not only to meet China’s C-NCAP safety standards but also international ones since they are sold in many countries. In Europe especially, safety standards are demanding and the Pro models have been designed and engineered to meet them.
The use of ultra-high-strength steel in body construction ensures strong passive safety while up to 6 airbags provide additional protection in the event of a collision. Intelligent technology is also used for active safety systems that include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). These systems will help the driver avoid accidents or if that is unavoidable, then reduce the effects of accidents. This is achieved by automatic emergency braking which activates when the driver does not respond to warnings of a pending collision.
Chery’s has a global design language known as ‘Life in Motion 3.0’ which is used on all its models, include the Pro models. This has a visual signature created by a galaxy-inspired geometric matrix diamond front grille and LED headlamps.
Besides the Tiggo Pro models. Chery will also introduce the OMODA 5 in Malaysia soon.
Castrol Malaysia and Continental Tyre Malaysia will be collaborating to offer consumers high quality products and services for a convenient and complete experience. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore a joint initiative that will leverage on each other’s extensive dealer network, offerings, and expertise, and strengthen their respective positions in the country.
Under the proposed collaboration, both companies will offer motorists a combined trade loyalty programme where they can enjoy various deals, incentives, redemptions, and rewards. Both brands are also working towards a partnership that could see joint branded outlets nationwide with plans to grow and expand.
The extensive dealer networks of each brand will share special deals, incentives, redemptions, and rewards for the public.
“This partnership is a testament to both brands’ commitment to safety and customer satisfaction as together we join forces to further build our brand presence in Malaysia. Through our combined expertise that supports new opportunities, we will continue to lead and innovate in securing global market leadership when it comes to service and maintenance,” said Gan Wee Kiong, Market Sales Director of Castrol Malaysia & Singapore.
“There is a steady demand for both brands and our products in the market amongst the premium vehicle owners, and we saw a great opportunity for us to come together to consolidate our offerings to serve our customers better. We believe that with both brand’s long-standing service and excellence in the market, we will continue to be the preferred brands in automotive maintenance,” added Andrea Somorova, Managing Director of Continental Tyre Malaysia.
Gan Wee Kiong, Market Sales Director of Castrol Malaysia & Singapore (centreleft) and Andrea Somorova, Managing Director of Continental Tyre Malaysia (centre right) at the signing ceremony of the MoU for the two companies.
About Castrol Malaysia
Castrol has had a presence in Malaysia for over 90 years and is one of the market leaders in the retail automotive lubricants segment. The company offers a range of high-performance lubricants and has leadership positions in a majority of segments it operates in. These include passenger car engine oils, motorcycle engine oils, commercial vehicle engine oils and industrial lubricants.
The company also has a lubricants blending plant in Port Klang, Selangor and a distribution network reaching out to over 14,000 customers including retail outlets and workshops. Its exclusive outlets – Castrol Auto Service and Castrol Bike Points – offer professional maintenance services to Malaysian motorists and motorcyclists.
About Continental Tyre Malaysia
Continental is one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers and ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production. It has a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers.
In 2003, Continental AG established a joint venture company with Sime Darby Berhad as Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd. The business expanded rapidly and Continental AG fully acquired the company in 2012, making it one of its production sites in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, Continental Tyre Malaysia has more than 2,500 employees with two factories supplying tyres to countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Korea.
For more information on Castrol products and services, visit www.castrol.com/my.
When Honda Malaysia first announced the pricing of the top of the line Honda City RS, many thought that the company had lost the plot.
The Honda City is a loved car in Malaysia. Many swear by it for its practicality and simplicity. It’s a fuss-free car that offers a good ownership experience.
The latest generation City though takes it all a notch up and includes spaciousness and impressive build quality into the mix.
But to ask RM108,000 is just borderline absurd.
The RS model is the top of the line model and features an impressive powertrain designed for fuel economy and power offered in a handsome package that also features space and quality that can rival some European marques.
Many were floored when Honda Malaysia first announced the price.
The Honda City has always been the cheap sedan that you bought if you wanted a reliable means of transport for you and your family. And you can still get that with the “lesser variant” such as the S-Spec that only costs a little under RM76,000.
But that’s also what some would call “taxi-spec”, referring to a model that only offers the bare minimum.
The RS is the model you truly want if you are the type that appreciates all the bells and whistles and the cattle they hang from.
But a Honda City at RM106,000? That’s like asking people to pay RM50 for a ‘Ramly Burger’.
Lets get metaphorical and imagine this – instead of the mass produced two millimetre thick patty that we usually get in a ramly burger, imagine that same burger but with a wagyu beef patty cooked in virgin olive oil with blue cheese and premium organic vegetables and condiments placed in between soft bread sprinkled with sesame and chia seeds.
And instead of being served in a sloppy piece of wrapping paper, you get it properly wrapped in a premium paper box placed inside a woven tote bag. And best of all, it is hand delivered to you within 30 minutes of ordering.
That RM85 does not sound so bad now does it. I know that referencing a burger against a Honda City is also absurd, but you get the point.
So that’s basically what Honda has done. Taken a well known and much loved product, plonked in a cleverly engineered powertrain, increased the quality of everything and made the interior a very nice place to be in.
And then there is the Honda City RS hatchback.
It is basically all of the above but in a hatchback body. And at RM108,000, Honda wants RM2,000 more for it. Why? Because it has something called Ultra Seats, which gives the hatchback a level of practicality that you do not get in the sedan variant.
The Ultra Seats is basically a fancy word for seats that can either fold up to let you store tall items, fold down for long items, and amazingly can fold in such a way that you can basically create a bed which makes the City RS hatchback perfectly suited for all you ‘glamping’ lovers.
The City RS Hatchback is also powered by the same 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain that powers the sedan.
It puts out a mere 98hp and 127Nm of torque. But it has an electric motor that pushes up the torque figure to an impressive 236Nm.
This gives the car a fun character around the corners. I imagine that weekend warriors will love the urgent response and nimble front end the hatchback offers while their parents will appreciate the spaciousness and the fuel economy.
The only thing though is that there is a setback in terms of top speed, while the regular combustion powered variants max out at 194km/h, the RS has a top speed of 175km/h. But while the other variants need 10.7 seconds to reach 100km/h, the RS needs just 9.7. And best of all, according to Honda, the other variants will need 5.6 litres of fuel to reach 100 kilometres. The RS though needs just 3.6 litres, which with today’s fuel prices puts it at just under RM10 to travel 100km.
But it’s not just the powertrain that makes the RS model stand out from the rest. It is also the interior that works a charm for me.
The seats are the first thing that charm your senses. And the fact that they come wrapped in something Honda calls Ultra Suede makes it nice to touch and even nicer to sit on.
And because this is the RS variant, the side bolstering holds you in place every so gently.
The dash is easy on the eye and to the touch. The steering wheel feels meaty in your hands and the buttons actually do feel like they belong in a RM100,000 car.
On that point, even the tiny weighted clicks of the air-conditioning dial invoke a premium feeling that you would not expect to get in a City.
The entertainment system is accessed through an eight-inch display that also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also offers smartphone mirroring capability that lets you access your navigational and other favourite applications and mirror those on the screen.
Honda has undoubtedly done a remarkable job with the interior of the new City. During our test drive event, there was a Toyota Yaris available for comparison and the interior of that felt dated and unimaginative.
The final thing that makes the argument for this City costing above RM100,000 is the fact that it comes with Honda’s popular Sensing safety suite.
Honda Sensing is basically a collection of advanced safety technologies that make the City an incredibly safe car, perhaps one of the most laden with safety tech.
Before we dive into what is on offer with Honda Sensing, keep in mind that the City RS hatchback already has LaneWatch, Hill Start Assist, Auto Brake Hold, Vehicle Stability Assist, six airbags, ABS and EBD.
Honda Sensing takes it all a notch higher by further offering Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keep Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Colliding Mitigating, Auto High Beam and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Consider for a second that these are exactly the same safety systems also available in the pricier Honda Civic and the Honda CRV. The only omission being that the adaptive cruise control does not offer stop and go function.
Now, is the Honda City RS hatchback worth the RM107,000 asking price?
There is no doubt that it is a fine car with premium feel and a powertrain that balances the holy grail of power and economy. It is also packed with safety tech and has a drive that will put a smile on the faces of the young and not so young.
The simple answer would be yes for those who appreciate the tech. And the not so simple answer would be to consider the V-Spec which is a full RM15,000 cheaper and features all of the above but minus the hybrid powertrain and the Ultra Suede seats with red stitching. I actually prefer the leather seats available in the V-Spec than the fabric seats of the RS, as plush as those may be.
During the second half of the 1970s, one Fiat model stood out in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and other international rallies. It was the 131 Rally, a specially-built sedan for competition jointly produced by Fiat, Abarth and Bertone. 400 units were built to meet homologation requirements and Abarth mechanicals were installed in them.
The 131 Abarth Rally debuted in 1976 as a Group 4 entry and its track record up till the early 1980s has put it in history books as one of the legends of rallying. It ran for 6 years in the WRC, with victories at 18 international events, and captured 3 World Constructors Championship titles. Legendary drivers Markku Alen and Walter Rohrl also won their championship titles driving the car.
This year, on the 40th anniversary of its last race, special tribute is paid to the 131 Abarth Rally with the Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally special series. This is a limited edition with a production run of 695 units which will be available worldwide.
225 km/h top speed
The Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally has a 1.4-litre T-jet engine which develops 180 bhp/250 Nm to rocket the car from standstill to 100 km/h in a claimed 6.7 seconds, after which it can continue on to a top speed of 225 km/h.
For this special edition, Abarth has installed Koni FSD shock absorbers on both axles and a dedicated braking system which includes aluminium Brembo calipers and 4 pistons on the front and 305 mm and 240 mm ventilated discs on the rear.
Record Monza sound system
The special equipment list includes black 17-inch alloy wheels with a diamond-cut finish and the ‘Record Monza Sovrapposto’ exhaust system – an evolution on the Record Monza system, now with four vertically overlaid terminals. The Record Monza exhaust system is named after the famous Italian circuit where Carlo Abarth achieved one of the many speed records of his racing career. The exhaust system features dual-mode technology and tailpipes that together create the unique and unmistakable Abarth sound.
The variable rear spoiler
The Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally naturally comes with the Spoiler ad Assetto Variabile, an aerodynamic feature which Abarth engineers developed. Just like in a race, where it is not unusual to see technicians manually fine-tune the spoiler angle so the driver can set the car’s behaviour to suit the conditions and driving style, the spoiler fitted to the car is adjustable to 12 positions. These positions range from 0° to 60°, influencing airflow in such a way that cornering stability can be improved. At the maximum a 60° angle and at a speed of 200 km/h, the aerodynamic downforce load increases by up to 42 kgs.
The 131 Abarth Rally in the colours of Italy’s Alitalia airlines which was a major sponsor of Fiat’s competition teams.
While the 131 Abarth Rally cars are often remembered for their green, red and white colours – which were from Alitalia, one of the main partners of Fiat’s motorsport teams – the Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally has a bicolour 3-layer ‘Blue Rally’ glossy livery, which reinterprets another its original colour on some of the rallycars in a contemporary manner.
‘Easter Eggs’ around the car
This is the first Scorpion vehicle which contains ‘Easter Eggs’ – tiny stylistic ‘gems’ which the designers hide to surprise customers. Some examples: the silhouette of the 131 Rally engraved on the lower part of the car door, on the Alcantara dashboard and on the headrests of the new seats.
Specifically for the 695 cars, the livery is embellished with a roof and uprights in black Scorpion Black. The same blue can be found on the mirror caps and some details in the interiors. The sporty image is further emphasised by the Sabelt fabric seats with blue inserts and stitching inspired by those of the historic car but reinterpreted in a modern way.
