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Since early this year, there have been reports of the PDRM getting the Honda Civic Type R for their fleet, with pictures of some units in PDRM colours. Perhaps they are evaluating the powerful model to replace or complement their Mitsubishi Lancer EVOs.

Anyway, while the PDRM does its testing, Honda Malaysia has presented one unit of the Civic Type R to His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah. The car is a gift to His Majesty for his official birthday.

Sarly Adle Sarkum, President & COO of Honda Malaysia (left), explaining the functions and features of the Civic Type-R to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

To be used as escort car
It is understood that the car will be used as an escort car for King. Additionally, a Civic 1.5 VTEC Turbocharged Premium was also presented to Her Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, also for use as an escort car.

“At Honda, we are committed to offer products that are of high value and also advanced in technology to provide joy to our customers. The Civic Type R was the model which claimed the title of ‘World’s Fastest Front-Wheel-Drive’ production car at Germany’s legendary Nurburgring racetrack when it was first introduced in 2017. This model is not only ideal to drive on track but also on the road as a daily commute car. On behalf of Honda Malaysia, I am truly honoured to present the Civic Type R to His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his daily use as an escort car, said the Managing Director & CEO Honda Malaysia, Toichi Ishiyama, at the handover ceremony.

BHPetrol

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Visit www.honda.com.my to locate a showroom in Malaysia to test the latest models.

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The kidney grille appeared on a BMW, the 303, for the first time in 1933.

Back in earlier years, rookie motoring journalists writing about BMW would have constantly been reminded of the two design elements of the company’s cars – the kidney grille and the blue and white roundel. It was standard text to mention them when describing a new BMW. Those who know BMW’s history know that the roundel was inspired by a propeller as the company had been making aero engines before it ventured into making cars.

The kidney grille wasn’t on BMW’s first cars, appearing only or the first time on the 303 in the 1930s. Thereafter, it would become a permanent part of the BMW ‘face’, re-interpreted by the designers again and again in the decades that followed. For production models, the proportions of the kidney grille were appropriate to the car’s size and inserted between the bonnet edge and top of the bumper.

For concept cars where the designers had more latitude to experiment, various more sophisticated interpretations were presented. Some were quite appealing, high-tech and elegant while those in recent years seem to border on the ‘bizarre’ with their outsize proportions which take the grille beyond the confines of the front end. On such occasions, as with the Concept 4 on display in Frankfurt this week, the massive kidney grille comes to the forefront of commentaries.

2019 BMW CONCEPT 4

New face of the 4-Series range
Grabbing the attention at the heart of the front end is the vertical kidney grille. The distinctive grille, remarkable air intakes and prominently sculpted surfaces provide an immediate advert for the car’s performance and its engaging character as a driver’s car.

“The kidney grille has always been a signature feature of BMW cars,” stressed Domagoj Dukec, Head of BMW Design. “The BMW Concept 4 presents a confident and classy take on this iconic feature. At the same time, the BMW Concept 4 offers a look ahead to the expressive face of the 4-Series range.” The vertically oriented grille fits seamlessly into both the proportions of the front end and BMW’s illustrious past. Indeed, its form and design reference legendary classics such as the BMW 328 or the BMW 3.0 CSi and therefore shine the spotlight on the BMW brand’s long and successful history as a maker of fine coupes.

BHPetrol

2019 BMW CONCEPT 4

The kidney grille is also home to some elaborate details. The grating itself contains horizontal trim elements with a faceted cut which create a neat contrast against the sporty design of the front end and lend depth and exclusivity to the grille. Look closer and another highlight is revealed: the intricate grating within the kidneys and air intakes, which is made up of an array of small ‘number 4s’ joined together.

The slim and focused twin headlights are slightly angled and team up with the kidney grille to lend the front end a modern look with a strong identity. The striking LED light elements have no glass cover; instead they are worked into the body like three-dimensional sculptures. This allows them to bring an even greater sense of modernity and technical sophistication to the front end. The sharply contoured bonnet extends the lines of the front end through powerful volumes and edging of precision. The bold surfacing frames the kidney grille like a gemstone.

2019 BMW CONCEPT 4

Aesthetic essence of a modern BMW coupe
The Concept 4 displays BMW’s signature proportions at their most modern form yet. The stretched bonnet, long wheelbase, flowing roofline and short overhangs create a modern, elegant and dynamic coupe outline and send energy coursing through the low-slung body even while it’s standing still.

Within the silhouette, the ultra-pure surfaces of the concept car form a powerful main body. The interplay of tautly chiselled volumes and a small number of extremely precise contours create a rare sense of emotion and dynamism. The expressive exterior paint tone Forbidden Red accentuates the car’s surfaces particularly vividly; those in the light at any one time project a rich, glossy red, while shade creates an almost black effect and a striking contrast. The interaction of contours and volumes therefore exude a dramatic sense of radiance and depth.

2019 BMW CONCEPT 4

The athletic body incorporates a slender glasshouse with a narrow window aperture, which further emphasises the dynamism of the side. The long, sweeping roofline flows smoothly into the bootlid, giving the rear end a high-class and sporty aesthetic. The bulging rear wheel arches lend visual expression to the power coursing through the rear wheels and accentuate the muscular shoulders higher up.

Sophisticated details
Look more closely and further classy details are revealed. The minimalist, two-section exterior mirrors emerge harmoniously out of the weather strips. The lower section in polished aluminium extends the weather strip in a flowing movement and becomes a mirror surface, while the aerodynamically optimised rear section is in body colour and rounds off the design of the mirrors in dynamic fashion. On the inside of the mirrors is an apparently floating BMW logo, which only comes to light on more detailed inspection.2019 BMW CONCEPT 4

The light-alloy wheels of the Concept 4 are equally rich in detail. The 21-inch items represent a heavily ‘dished’ take on the sporty 5-spoke design, drawing the eye into their centre-points. The fronts of the intricate spokes have a high-polished finish, while the set-back surfaces are finely ground to create a slightly darker effect and give the rim design a sophisticated contrast.

Eye-catching, dynamic rear end
The rear sits low over the road, as befits a sporty car. The character line transitions from the flanks into the rear end in a broad, horizontal sweep and visually reduces the coupe’s height off the ground even further. Picking up where the front end left off, generously sized and clear surfaces with only a small number of lines are the dominant theme.

2019 BMW CONCEPT 4

Purism runs through every element of the rear end and creates a prominent tail graphic. The sporty glasshouse is indented into the powerful body, allowing it to chisel broad and athletic shoulders into the Concept 4’s design. The vertical air outlets frame the lower section of the rear and emphasise the car’s broad stance. The LED rear lights consist of a single fibreoptic element, which lends the familiar BMW L shape a cutting-edge ‘heartbeat’ graphic and dispenses with a glass cover. Their contours underscore the sportingly horizontal focus of the rear end and accentuate its brawny stance on the road.

The striking diffuser integrated into the muscular rear apron sets the seal on the car’s rear-end design. Its vertical fins break up the clean surfaces of the car’s tail to send a statement of fine sporting pedigree, while the High-gloss Black paint finish with metallic particles lend it additional visual impact. The pair of exhaust tailpipes highlight a new and dynamic free-form, a detail of the Concept 4’s design that expresses what this car is all about: the modern essence of a coupe with a huge dose of aesthetic appeal.

2019 BMW CONCEPT 4

The Concept 4 looks ready to be added to the assembly line as the next 4-Series Coupe, though how much those huge kidneys are downsized remains to be seen.

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When you have been selling a vehicle that is engineered to be as durable and reliable as possible to be driven anywhere on the planet, it’s probably unnecessary to change it frequently. Especially for many of the customers who buy it, the fundamental design and construction remains good enough for their needs. But there still comes a point in time when the original design is just ‘too old’ and the world has changed too much, so it’s time to retire. That’s probably what happened with Land Rover’s Defender, which was produced for 67 years up till 2016 (although the Defender name only came into prominence in 1990).

Over 67 years, the vehicle evolved and met changing demands while remaining true to its ‘Best4x4ByFar’ promise. Armed forces loved it and so did adventurers, wealthy farmers and celebrities. Like the Mini, it was the sort of vehicle that was acceptable at every strata of society, though in different forms.

Now,  3 years after the last Defender was given its farewell at the Solihull factory, where the vehicles have always been built, Land Rover has revealed an all-new successor at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new 4×4 made its first appearance by descending an extreme 42-degree incline at the show – a feat broadcasted live to a global audience of eager fans.

The unstoppable New Defender is the most capable and durable Land Rover vehicle ever made, it is claimed, and its debut in Frankfurt marked the end of its first adventure, to the Valley of the Castles in the Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan – one of the most land-locked places on earth.

2020 Land Rover Defender

An icon reimagined
A distinctive silhouette makes the new Defender instantly recognizable, with minimal front and rear overhangs providing excellent approach and departure angles. Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer at Land Rover and ‘Guardian of Land Rover DNA’ said: “The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it. This is a new Defender for a new age. Its unique personality is accentuated by its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, which make it both highly desirable and seriously capable – a visually compelling 4×4 that wears its design and engineering integrity with uncompromised commitment.”

“The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it. This is a new Defender for a new age.”

Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover

The range will have 5 variants – Defender, S, SE, HSE, First Edition and top-of-the-range Defender X. Depending on market, customers will be able to personalize their vehicle in more ways than any previous Land Rover vehicle, with 4 Accessory Packs. The Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban packs each give the Defender a distinct character to help owners to make the most of their world. Exclusive First Edition models featuring unique specification will be available throughout the first year of production.

The New Defender completes the Land Rover dynasty and will be available in 90 and 110 bodystyles, with up to 6 seats in the 90 and the option of 5, 6 or 5+2 seating in the 110.

2020 Land Rover Defender

BHPetrol

Switch to monocoque construction
Departing from past construction, Land Rover’s new purpose-engineered D7x (for extreme) architecture is based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction to create the stiffest body structure the brand has ever produced. Three times stiffer than traditional body-on-frame designs, it has been engineered to withstand Land Rover’s Extreme Event Test procedures and provides the perfect foundations for the fully independent air or coil-sprung suspension while supporting the latest electrified powertrains.

Although hybrids will grow in importance, Land Rover will continue to offer a choice of advanced petrol and cleaner diesel engines in markets where conventional internal combustion engines continue to be needed. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain will join the range next year providing the prospect of EV-only progress.

2020 Land Rover Defender

2020 Land Rover Defender (15)

Permanent 4×4 will still be standard, of course, with a twin-speed automatic gearbox. The Defender is also the first Land Rover to feature Configurable Terrain Response, which allows drivers to fine-tune a range of settings to suit the conditions more precisely than ever before. A new Wade program optimizes the vehicle for fording – giving customers even more confidence when tackling flooded roads and tracks with a world-class maximum wading depth of up to 900 mm.

21st century technologies
Inside, the highly functional cabin design is marked out by exposed structural elements and 21st century technologies, including the state-of-the-art new Pivi Pro infotainment system. The next-generation touchscreen is more intuitive and user-friendly, requiring fewer inputs to perform frequently used tasks, while its always-on design guarantees almost instant responses. In addition, Software-Over-The-Air technology, with 14 individual modules capable of receiving remote updates, ensures Defender customers always benefit from the latest software, wherever they are in the world.

2020 Land Rover Defender

2020 Land Rover Defender

2020 Land Rover Defender

“We’ve embraced the Defender’s stunning capability and minimalistic, functional interior to reinvent the icon for the 21st century. The New Defender gives us the licence to do things differently, to push the boundaries and do the unthinkable, without ever losing the character and authenticity of the original. From the start, we had an absolute obsession with functionality beneath the skin, from choosing the right materials through to state of the art connectivity. The result is not only the most capable Land Rover ever made, but also a truly comfortable, modern vehicle that people will love to drive,” said Nick Rogers, Executive Director, Product Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover.

2020 Land Rover Defender

Depending on specifications, the New Defender will have prices starting from around £40,000 (about RM206,000) when sales start in the fourth quarter of this year. While Land Rovers were once assembled in Malaysia, sufficient numbers are needed to justify the investment for local assembly and it is unlikely that the numbers will be right. So, as with the rest of the Land Rover range, the vehicles will have to be imported from the UK in CBU form, which means higher duties imposed.

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Honda Malaysia has announced that the latest 2019 Honda Civic facelift is now open for booking ahead of its launch somewhere in the coming months. Interested parties can do so at any of the 98 Honda dealerships across Malaysia. (more…)

BHPetrol

The long awaited 2019 Lexus ES & RX have been officially launched here in Malaysia. After previewing some of their very fine models late last year at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2018 (KLIMS 2018), the new Lexus models are finally available for purchase. (more…)

Pick-up truck owners who want the best lubrication and protection for the turbodiesel engines in their vehicles now have an advanced product from Shell to do it. The all-new Shell Rimula Ultra 5W 30 is Shell’s most advanced fully synthetic heavy-duty diesel engine oil yet and complies with the tough European ACEA E6 and ACEA E9 specifications. It also has manufacturers’ approvals for use in the modern diesel engines that meet Euro 4 to Euro 6 emission standards.

Shell Rimula Ultra 5W 30 is claimed to offer longer oil life and extended oil-drain intervals of up to 150,000 kms, better engine wear protection in all kinds of operating conditions, as well as better fuel economy.

Ford Ranger Raptor
New premium engine oil can provide superior protection and lubrication for the latest powerful turbodiesel engines in pick-up trucks like the Ford Ranger Raptor.

Strengthening premium lubricants offering
Shell Lubricants General Manager – Malaysia & Singapore, Baljit Singh, said that the introduction of the all-new Shell Rimula Ultra further strengthens the Shell Rimula portfolio of premium low viscosity synthetic lubricants available in Malaysia that includes the Shell Rimula R6 LM and R5 LE.

“As the largest lubricants supplier in the world for the past 12 consecutive years, we at Shell understand the needs of our customers. We are a partner you can trust to deliver the most advanced and proven lubricant solutions that are backed by unmatched technical support,” he said.

First market in ASEAN to sell flagship product
Shell RimulaSpeaking at the new product launch in Kuching, Sarawak, Shell Lubricants Marketing Manager – Malaysia & Singapore, May Tan said: “There is a global shift towards low viscosity synthetic lubricants due to proven benefits such as improved oil and engine performance; longer oil-drain intervals and fuel economy that add up to lower total cost of ownership. This is critical for fleet operators, especially in today’s challenging economic environment. We see Malaysia as the right market for it and we are the first market in ASEAN to launch the new flagship product today.”

“The all-new Shell Rimula Ultra is a result of Shell’s technology leadership in lubricants, which is driven by world class research and development and extensive technical collaboration with leading vehicle manufacturers, universities and industry bodies,” she added.

For more information on Shell Rimula Ultra 5W 30, visit www.shell.com.my/rimula.

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