While its sales have continued to recover, Proton’s first quarter of 2022 saw lower than usual volumes as a result of the floods in December which affected some vendors, as well as disrupted logistics. Also contributing to the lower numbers was the global microchip shortage; just one small item being unavailable means a vehicle cannot be completed.
In the final month of the quarter, Proton sold 13,028 vehicles (inclusive of export sales), an increase of 41.2% from the volume achieved in February. The volume is estimated to account for a 19% market share. Added to the January and February sales volumes, the total volume for the first quarter of 2022 was 26,706 units, which Proton estimates will be a 17.5% share of the market.
This would be good enough to place the brand second overall table, despite a reduction in sales of 18.6% and also a 5.7% contraction in market share compared to the same period in 2021.
New milestones
While total sales for March were down by 13% compared to the same month in 2021, Proton still had some highlights worth noting. Sales of the Saga, a model that was severely affected in January, reached 6,422 units in March, which was its highest volume since November 2013. According to Proton, this made it the sales leader among A-segment sedans as well as the best-selling A-segment model overall.
The Saga’s sales numbers were helped by a growth in export sales. With a total of 794 units (various models) exported in March, the company saw its highest export sales figure in 108 months. Pakistan was the biggest export market, accounting for 690 units, while overall export volume in the quarter totalled 1,117 units. This was an increase of 175% over the same quarter last year.
A batch of Protons ready for loading to ship to overseas markets.
As for the other models, the X70, Proton X50 and Proton Exora retained leadership in their respective segments with sales of 2,320 units, 1,573 units and 536 units. The Persona and Iriz finished third and fourth in their segments as stiff competition and parts shortages continued to affect sales.
Not entirely smooth running yet
“The first three months of 2022 were tough for Proton and our customers. Production issues continue to suppress our true potential and as a result, created a long waiting list for our cars. Our parts supply and hence, production volumes, began to stabilize in March but we’re expecting a few more disruptions in the coming months as other industries have still to ramp up their production,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.
“For the rest of the year however, Proton is still aiming to hit our targets as we work closely with our vendors and dealers to smooth out supply lines to deliver cars to our customers. We are also making progress with sorting out our aftersales issues and therefore, the company is confident it can rebound strongly over the next quarter,” he said.
Proton has been working hard to address the issue of customers not being able to get parts needed for repairs or replacement. The company has now made it a mandatory requirement for all authorized dealers to have a minimum of 3 months holding stock of 22 fast-moving parts. To support this, Proton’s own central parts centre will also be subject to the same requirement.
With the opening of the southern border in Johor after two years, thousands of motorists from Singapore have been streaming across the Causeway and Second Link. They are coming over for various reasons; apart from ‘escaping’ from their island after being locked in for so long, many may be eager to enjoy Malaysian food, buy goods at lower prices (due to the exchange rate), go back to the homes they own in Johor Bahru or just enjoy a long drive.
One thing some seem to have forgotten is that when it comes to buy fuel, there are restrictions which have been in force since 2010. Fuel is cheaper in Malaysia compared to many countries because our government provides subsidies to maintain the levels for RON95 petrol and biodiesel. Thus, for Singaporeans, buying fuel in Malaysia saves a lot of money, not only because their prices are much higher but also due to the exchange rate which is favourable for them,
However, if they buy petrol at subsidized rates, they are taking advantage of a benefit which should rightfully be enjoyed only by citizens of Malaysia. According to former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak, each litre of RON95 petrol has a subsidy of RM1.70 at the moment. So each time a Singapore-registered vehicle fills up, they are ‘stealing’ our subsidy, hence the restriction.
Actually, Singaporeans are also required by their government to have not less than 3/4 tank of fuel when they depart from Singapore. This regulation goes back to the early 1980s and is still in force. Although all fuel gauges have a mark at the 3/4 point, some fuel gauges in Volvos (at that time) did not have a mark at that level. So, as an immediate solution, they had to open up the instrument panel and paint a small mark for their new cars.
While there is a restriction on purchase of RON95 petrol and biodiesel, there is no restriction on RON97 petrol, Shell’s V-Power and Petron’s RON100 petrol, which are not subsidised though the prices are still cheap for Singaporeans. The retail prices of these are based on global oil prices and the government’s Automatic Pricing Mechanism. Global oil prices fell significantly in the first half of 2020 but began rising again and with the Ukraine conflict, the prices have been going further up. This means that the government has had to provide more and more subsidies, and it is reaching a point where there is talk that the cap will have to be changed or a more targeted approach of subsidies is needed (which was attempted before).
In view of a number of cases where Singapore-registered vehicles have been spotted being refuelled with RON95 petrol, the government has issued a stern warning to station operators that there can be fines of up to RM2 million (for station operators) if an offence is committed. This applies to Thai-registered vehicles as well but in the case of the northern border, the demand is more for our biodiesel.
Pump prices at Caltex stations in Singapore yesterday. The price of RON95 petrol in Singapore is equivalent to RM8.86, while Malaysians are paying RM2.05 with the government subsidising part of the cost.
The Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia has, however, said that it is difficult to monitor the sales. Where in the past, customers may have had to make payment manually, they can now do so at the pump using their credit cards. Therefore, unless there is someone standing there all the time to watch, it is hard to enforce the regulation. Station operators say that they do not have spare manpower to do this, and they don’t want to worsen their financial difficulties by employing additional workers.
Perhaps a simple solution would be to add a provision in the law for a vehicle to be confiscated if found to be committing the offence. There is already a RM1 million fine for individuals but losing a car can be equally painful. This may be harsh but if a few motorists get caught and lose their cars, word will quickly spread around Singapore not to ‘play-play’ when in Malaysia and don’t buy RON95 petrol.
Giotto Bizzarrini lived during the era when automobile engineers were not just engineers but were also involved in design, building and testing cars. He got a job at Ferrari in 1957 and among the various projects, played the key role in the development of the iconic Ferrari 250 GTO. But his employment at Ferrari came to an unexpected end, during one of the most damaging moments in the carmaker’s history (informally known as the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ or ‘The Palace Revolt’).
As the story goes, 4 of Ferrari’s top engineers, including Giotto, revolted against Enzo Ferrari’s running of the business, and the sacking of commercial director Girolami Gardini. Together with chief engineer Carlo Chiti (who was also sacked), he co-founded ATS, first to build a Formula 1 car. He then started Societa Autostar as a freelance design house and had Ferrucio Lamborghini as one of his first clients.
Giotto Bizzarrini (left) with his first client, Ferrucio Lamborghini (centre) who commissioned him to build a V-12 that went into the Lamborghini’s first sportscar. On the right is Gian Paolo Dallara, whom Lamborghini hired as chief designer.
V-12 for Lamborghini’s first car
Lamborghini needed a V-12 and, like Bizzarrini, he too had a score to settle with Enzo Ferrari. Bizzarrini came up with a V-12 that was exceptionally powerful – so much so that it had to be detuned from its original 375 bhp to be civilised enough for road use. It was used in Lamborghini’s debut model, the 350 GT.
The desire to settle the score with Ferrari led him to build the 5300 GT Corsa and take his creation to Le Mans in 1965. First developed as a high-performance variant of the Bizzarrini-engineered Iso Grifo A3C, the 5300 GT Corsa incorporated a tried and tested V8 engine. Light, fast and reliable, the 5300 GT Corsa became famous at the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hour Race when it won the over 5-litre class, also finishing ninth overall.
Brand reborn in 2020
The Bizzarrini brand was reborn in 2020 by businessmen who recognise the engineer’s brilliance and want to build an authentic recreation of Giotto Bizzarrini’s first car under his own name. The 5300 GT Revival Corsa will be the first model to bear the Bizzarrini name for more than 15 years. After the completion of the development prototype, a total of 24 cars will be built for sale.
“The car is, of course, engineered for racing,” said Richard Quinlan, COO of Bizzarrini. “But we will also be able to satisfy the desire of any customer who wishes to drive this spectacular car on the road.”
Original blueprints, modern materials
The 5300 GT Corsa Revival will be built at Bizzarrini’s dedicated facility in the UK, using original blueprints, utilising materials from original suppliers, with the input of experts originally involved in the 5300 GT project. Some key improvements have been added with modern safety regulations in mind.
The original car’s fuel tanks were located deep in the sills, as well as behind the driver, for example, but now – using advanced 3D scanning – Bizzarrini engineers have created a tank intricately shaped, filling the available void in the chassis to tolerances and accuracy not available to the original designers. The overall fuel capacity is only marginally reduced, at 95 litres, keeping the range within the requirements of a multiple round race series.
The painstaking dedication to authenticity even extends as far as this car’s paintwork. There is a long and complex history surrounding the colour known as ‘Rosso Corsa’, with many shades purporting to be the original. To ensure the car looks exactly as it would have in period, the Bizzarrini team tracked down a paint colour sample from an original panel, which had been hidden from light since it was first painted, perfectly preserving Bizzarrini Rosso Corsa. This shade was then colour-matched for the Revival to create Rosso Corsa Bizzarrini 222.
In radically adapting the Corsa for track driving, Bizzarrini fitted bespoke independent rear suspension and shifted the front-mounted engine as far back in the chassis as possible. This revolutionary approach to weight distribution proved a key advantage against many contemporary front-heavy cars. In testing the Revival, modern measurements show that each corner of the car carries 25% of its overall weight, illustrating the visionary genius of the engineer to design a car in 1965 that still delivers perfect balance in 2022.
Independent rear suspension to original specification and all-round disc brakes are paired with a period-specific 5300 cc V8 with Weber 45 DCOE carburettors developing over 400 bhp. At just 1,250 kgs, the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Revival Corsa will have an excellent power to weight ratio.
24 hand-built cars
Each car in the Revival series of 24 cars will be hand-built, with a lightweight single piece composite body, over a steel frame. Inside, the two seats are protected by a more comprehensive 6-point roll bar and safety fuel cell, meeting FIA Appendix K historic racing regulations.
One of Giotto Bizzarrini’s most valuable talents was his ability to push the limits of contemporary engineering. The original 5300 GT made extensive use of the strongest lightweight material of its day, glass fibre. “Had it been available, we believe Giotto Bizzarrini would almost certainly have employed carbonfibre in his racing cars,” said Quinlan. “As a result, the 5300 GT Revival Corsa will be offered with a full carbonfibre bodyshell as standard for those customers who do not need to conform to Historic Racing regulations.”
‘Eyes on the road ahead, hands on the steering wheel’ is an important practice for safe driving. Unexpected actions by other road-users can happen suddenly, requiring an immediate response like swerving to one side or braking. For example, a motorcyclist may suddenly cut in front and if the driver happens to be making an adjustment to the air-conditioner temperature, he may not spot the motorcyclist in time and an accident could occur.
Therefore, drivers are advised to keep their attention on the road ahead as much as possible. But in modern cars, there are more and more features and gadgets provided which may cause distraction as the driver operates them. Touchscreens, for example, may be nice and neat for display of information but it requires some conscious effort and attention to touch a specific icon on the screen – during which time the driver will look away from the road ahead.
For this reason, a lot of thinking goes into the controls and switches and their placement. Many switches are now incorporated on the steering wheel so that the driver can not only operate them without taking the hands off the steering wheel but also keep their view forward.
HUD in a fighter aircraft
Instrument panels are also designed to allow easy viewing without having to lower the head too much. Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, for example, is designed with such an approach, allowing the driver to be kept informed without losing much of the forward view.
One idea which is appearing in more cars today is the Head-Up Display (HUD), an idea taken from military aircraft. The HUD had its origins in fighter aircraft of World War II when air combat grew more complex and speeds increased rapidly. To allow the pilot to focus on shooting an enemy down, vital information was shown directly ahead on a glass plate which he could see through. In later years, as technology advanced, it was found that other information could also be shown, reducing the need to look down.
The idea appealed to car designers because it could improve driving safety if a driver’s eyes were looking ahead more than down at instruments. However, the technology cost a lot (and is still expensive today) so HUDs in cars remained a dream, usually show in concept cars at motorshows.
The HUD is projected onto the windscreen ahead of the steering wheel and the driver can see information on it as well as the road ahead through it. While the HUDs in fighter aircraft (and also commercial aircraft nowadays) contains a lot of information, the ones in cars have considerably less although the information elements have increased over the years.
To fit a HUD in a car requires expensive hardware like a projector and while the windscreen glass can be conventional, a small area has to be specially treated or altered to allow the display to be projected clearly.
Nissan Silvia Coupe was one of the first production cars to have a HUD.
During the second half of the 1980s, the first HUDs in production cars appeared on both sides of the Pacific Ocean at almost the same time. In Japan, the Nissan Silvia (S12) coupe came with a simple HUD in 1988, while GM’s Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Grand Prix also had it. However, the early HUDs were also constrained by the technology available then and visibility was poor if there was bright sunshine. The high cost also discouraged their adoption and they would not start to become common till the 21st century began.
In 2012, Pioneer was the first company to offer an aftermarket HUD that could be fitted to the sunvisor. Called the Carrozzeria Cyber Navi system and priced from 300,000 yen (about RM12,000 then), it had a HUD panel with a 780 x 260 pixel screen that displayed full-colour images (with augmented reality) projected from a RGB laser. However, as the system was not linked to the car, the information shown was not speed but general route guidance information.
Pioneer introduced the first aftermarket HUD in 2012 and it also had augmented reality, but it was mainly for route guidance and the display was mounted in the sunvisor.The first generation of the Peugeot 3008 (2010) had a low-cost HUD which used a small pop-up transparent panel (above and below) on which information was projected.
Peugeot’s first 3008 in 2010 had what could be considered a ‘low-cost’ HUD which avoided the need for special glass. Instead, a small clear plastic panel would pop up (from above the instrument panel pod) whenever the car was on the move and basic information would be projected on it. The third generation of the Mazda3 launched in 2013 also used a similar idea but for the more expensive CX-9, the HUD was projected onto the windscreen.
The third generation of the Mazda3 (2013) also used a similar idea as the Peugeot 3008 with a separate transparent panel ahead of the steering wheel.The Peugeot i-Cockpit concept (above and below) positions the meters higher so that there is a HUD-like view where the driver can also see the road ahead.
As display technologies became more advanced and costs also reduced, the information on the HUD could be expanded. From showing just the speed and other basic information, today’s HUDs also show route guidance, cruise control status, gear position, safety-related information, etc. It’s still nowhere near the amount of information a fighter pilot sees on his HUD and the designers also limit the information to avoid ‘information overload’. It’s one thing to keep the driver aware but too much information can become distracting.
Information shown on the HUD of the Lexus UX. Some displays also show route guidance and other running information.
The more expensive models in the market today have HUDs as standard but if you want to have a HUD in your car, it is also possible to install one for less than RM100 although it won’t be as sophisticated as the original type. There are now products which can show basic information on the windscreen from a small projector mounted on the dashboard. The unit gets running information by being connected to the OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) port which most modern cars have to enable diagnostic machines to access the ECU.
For those who would like to have a HUD in their car, there are now aftermarket devices (above) costing less than RM100 which display information on the windscreen. There are also apps (below) for smartphones which can show information on the smartphone screen that is then reflected onto the glass.
There are also apps for smartphones which can also show a reversed image that can then be reflected on the windscreen. It’s not a satisfactory approach since the outside lighting may make the display poor. Furthermore, as the phone is not connected to the OBD, it will also have limited information to show. The road speed will be based on calculations from GPS data, and it may be possible to also see route guidance information. If you do use this option, do make sure the phone is securely mounted in the dashboard and will not fly off when you brake suddenly, causing distraction.
Back in the 1980s when Audi came out with its quattro all-wheel drive system (AWD) that helped it dominate the World Rally Championship, Nissan also had an equally advanced AWD system which it first used in the R32 Skyline. It was called ATTESA – for Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-terrain – and had a torque-split system controlled by sophisticated electronics. The ATTESA system improved over the years and various technologies that went into the system were used for AWD systems in other models, including the X-Trail as well as Infiniti models.
The ATTESA AWD system used in the GT-R.
While AWD in those days was used for high-performance models, its benefits for other models was also evident as it provides better grip and stability, especially on slippery surfaces. Off-road vehicles and SUVs have had 4WD – which is also AWD – for a longer time for the same reason – to get better grip on rough or loose ground.
Today, with the high torque of electric motors, maintaining tyre grip is even more important. Typically, maximum torque can be generated almost from standstill, allowing an electric vehicle to accelerate off strongly. It’s therefore necessary for the engineers to provide better control of all four wheels and Nissan has developed advanced all-wheel control technology called e-4ORCE.
By specifically managing power output and braking performance for smoothness and stability, e-4ORCE enhances driver confidence by tracing the intended driving line over almost any road surface but without the need to change driving style or input. When cornering on slippery snow-covered roads, for example, the vehicle can faithfully trace the driver’s intended line, thanks to the coordinated control of the front and rear motors and the brake system. This helps to make driving safer in difficult conditions.
Earlier in the year, Nissan demonstrated the smoothness of the e-4ORCE technology by building and running a miniature ramen delivery cart. Now it demonstrates the handling and drivability of the system with a radio-controlled (RC) car running over a variety of surfaces.
The e-4ORCE RC car uses 4 electric motors, one for each wheel, to replicate the all-wheel control technology. Based on control technology developed for the RC car by e-4ORCE engineers, and driving conditions monitored by sensors mounted in the vehicle, the driving force of each motor can be individually controlled. This allows the RC car to navigate the demonstration course smoothly over a variety of course surface conditions.
Operation of the RC car is done with an arcade-like setup, complete with accelerator pedal, steering wheel and tilting racing seat. A monitor linked to the car’s on-board camera gives the driver a first-hand impression, like driving a real car. With the exterior shell of an Ariya (the first Nissan vehicle to have e-4ORCE), the RC car races around a specially developed figure-8 course with different surfaces to show how the technology maintains the driving line and steerability.
The Ariya.
While the e-4ORCE technology is still young and only in one model, like ATTESA, it will progressively be used for other models since it helps to make motoring safer by enhancing grip and controllability, adding to the driver’s confidence.
Since the 1990s, China has been the market every carmaker wants to be in. When the country’s economy opened up in the 1980s, the auto industry saw huge investments in preparation for demand for new cars that would explode and make the country the world’s largest market. Because of its gigantic volume, carmakers are even prepared to develop models exclusively for the market because the potential volume justifies the R&D cost.
For BMW, China has become a very important market and in 2021, 846,237 BMW and MINI vehicles were sold there and that was 40% of its global sales for the year. Over the years, the German carmakers has developed long-wheelbase versions of various model series because buyers there want longer cars.
Now, it’s also developed a 3-Series that is fully electric, the first of its type in the world and for now, it is meant only for China. To go on sale in May this year, it has the same shape as a long wheelbase 3-Series sedan (110 mm longer than a standard body) and is badged as a ‘BMW i3 eDrive35L’.
The original i3
That will, of course, makes people a bit puzzled because the i3 that we have known all along was an independent model line and the first volume-produced battery electric vehicle by BMW, and it also introduced the BMW i sub-brand. Entering the market in 2013, it was a B-segment hatchback and had an advanced structure along with new technologies.
The original i3, BMW’s first zero-emissions vehicle, which entered the market in 2013.
At the end of 2019, BMW said the i3 would end production within 5 years and there was no plan for a follow-up generation. This was probably because the new iX range of BEVs was moving into a more prominent position and could be used for a broad spread of segments.
BMW doesn’t explain why it has chosen to offer such a model other than that ’it is perfect fit for the particular requirements of Chinese customers’. It could well be that market studies indicated that there is a segment of customers who still want something looking conventional and also with the generous legroom afforded by a long wheelbase.
Specially adapted for China
From what is known, the model was ready for production at the end of last year and was submitted for homologation. Fine tuning of the suspension systems to Chinese road conditions was carried out by the joint-venture BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. R&D division, which also adapted some of the car’s componentry to the requirements of the supply chain in China. It will be made at the joint-venture factory in Shenyang.
Gen5 eDrive
The ‘eDrive35L’ in the badge indicated that it will have the latest BMW Gen5 eDrive powertrain already used in the iX3, i4 and iX. The battery pack has a gross capacity of 70.3 kWh and with DC fast-charging, going from 10% to 80% is claimed to take 35 minutes. A full battery pack is expected to provide a range of up to 526 kms. If there is an urgency, a 10-miunte fast-charge can give up to 97 kms of range.
The eDrive powertrain has a rear-mounted electric motor with a maximum output of 210 kW (285 ps) and 400 Nm of torque. Claimed 0-100 km/h time is 6.2 seconds and, of course, the driving dynamics that all BMWs are known and appreciated for will also be available.
The core of BMW’s 5th generation eDrive technology.
Also included on-board will be BMW OS8 operating system and a wide range of digital features and services, like high-end connectivity and the Digital Key.
With the i3 eDrive35L, the BMW Group portfolio of fully electric cars now comprises 6 models. The BMW Group is aiming for fully electric vehicles to account for 50% of its global sales by 2030 as it aims for carbon neutrality.
The BMW EV range in 2022 (together with a couple of models not yet launched).
China now, the world later?
While the new i3 is intended for sale only in China, this may be an initial plan. It is likely that eventually, distributors in other markets will ask for it because customers will also want it as it still has that ‘classic’ look instead of the future-oriented designs of the new iX models.
