The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is a well-equipped, value-for-money version of the popular pick-up truck sold by Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), Now, there’s an even better Wildtrak and only a limited number of units have been imported from the factory in Thailand.
Known as the Ranger WildTrak Sport, this special edition is priced from RM158,388 (excluding insurance, Peninsular Malaysia private registration). Each new unit is backed by Ford’s manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or 160,000 kms (whichever comes first). Customers will also get an 18-month free service package if they purchase the vehicle before December 31, 2021.
Exclusive features inside and outside
As a special edition, the Ranger Wildtrak Sport has exclusive features on the exterior as well as inside the double cab. On the outside, the two available colours of Saber and Absolute Black identify the Wildtrak Sport. The dominant grille area has a new design while the door mirrors are finished in Ebony Black. The door handles and rear lift handle also follow the black theme, and likewise for the alloy wheels which are 18 inches in diameter.
The passenger car-like cabin gets illuminated front scuff plates with a logo and the seats have embossed leather upholstery, along with the steering wheel which has stitching.
Same technical specifications
The technical aspects are the same as the regular Ranger Wildtrak so under the bonnet is the proven 2-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The output of 213 ps/500 Nm means the vehicle can go anywhere easily, especially with its robust and capable 4×4 system.
Besides its performance, the Ranger WildTrak Sport also has smart safety technologies that make it safer when driving. Active safety systems include Autonomous Emergency Braking with Vehicle and Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning and Assist. Airbags are installed on the front and sides of the cabin to provide additional protection during collisions.
Test-drives are also available at the event in 1Utama as well as at showrooms of authorised Ford dealerships nationwide.
“As the country transitions to normalcy, we see the introduction of our New Ford Ranger WildTrak Sport Special Edition timely, being a perfect addition to our already renowned Ranger portfolio where customers use it for work, family or play,” said Turse Zuhair, Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto ConneXion.
Take part in the challenge
The Ranger Wildtrak Sport Special Edition is being introduced to the public at Ford’s first ‘new normal’ roadshow from today until December 12 at the Ground Floor of the Luxe Wing in the 1Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Activities will be broadcast from the event daily so those who cannot be there can still ‘participate’ and stand a chance to win Ford exclusive merchandise. The broadcast is on Facebook Live on Ford Malaysia’s Facebook page.
The public can also participate in the #FORDeverysecondcount social challenge to win Ford exclusive merchandise. This challenge aims to inspire people by asking them to make a montage of 1-second footages expressing the type of life they want to live from now on as we progress towards normalcy, and to include the #FORDeverysecondcount and #fordmalaysia hashtags.
Special offers
Normally, special offers are only available to those who visit events, but authorised Ford dealerships nationwide will also be giving the same offers as the roadshow during the 5-day period. Customers who buy the Ranger WildTrak Sport during this period stand a chance to win with a local Getaway package.
To know more about the Ranger WildTrak Sport and other versions available, WhatsApp Chat a Ford Ranger Specialist or visit www.sdacford.com.my.
Nissan’s 4×4 SUVs like the Patrol and Navara pick-up trucks can travel over all sorts of terrain on the planet. Soon, there will also be a Nissan vehicle moving around on even more hostile terrain which won’t even be on Earth. It will be on the moon and the vehicle will technology which Nissan has developed for use on Earth.
The Lunar Rover Prototype jointly developed by Nissan and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is a project which has been ongoing since January 2020. Nissan’s research work applies the motor control technology it has developed through its production of mass-market electric vehicles such as the LEAF as well as the e-4ORCE all-wheel control technology featured in the all-new Ariya electric crossover.
A lunar rover must be able to traverse the moon’s powdery, rocky and undulating terrain and be energy efficient. Furthermore, energy sources for operating vehicles in space are limited. With e-4ORCE, the vehicle’s performance can be boosted over tricky terrain.
Ultimate driving performance
Nissan has focused on the development of stable driving performance that enables customers to drive their cars with greater confidence. Its e-4ORCE technology precisely controls all 4 wheels independently, providing the driver with confidence in various conditions.
In its joint research with JAXA, Nissan is evolving e-4ORCE technology to improve its performance in sandy terrain and other harsh conditions. When vehicles are driven in sand, their wheels frequently spin and dig in, limiting forward progress. A high level of driving skill is required to avoid getting stuck. To meet this need, Nissan has developed driving-force controls that minimize the amount of wheelspin in accordance with surface conditions.
Sharing knowhow
Through the joint research, Nissan aims to contribute to the technological evolution of automotive technology and space exploration technology by sharing knowhow gained from test-vehicle development and combining it with JAXA’s knowledge of rover research.
“The uses of automobiles and driving situations are wide-ranging. We aim for the ultimate driving performance through our research and development, and believe the knowhow gained from this joint research with JAXA will lead to innovations in our vehicles that will bring benefits to customers,” said Toshiyuki Nakajima, General Manager of the Advanced Vehicle Engineering Department in charge of e-4ORCE control development at Nissan.
Not everyone may know that the City name did not begin with the model that is known today which was born in the mid-1990s. There was another Honda City – a small car mainly sold in Japan which was called the City as well. That model was interesting in the interior packaging that made it even possible to include a tiny scooter called the MotoCompo in the boot. And it was a hatchback. So it is interesting that while the original City was not mentioned before as a predecessor of today’s City – which is a sedan – it was mentioned with the launch of the new City Hatchback.
The original City was a small hatchback produced between 1981 and 1986. It was only around 3.8 metres long with a wheelbase of 2.2 metres – while the modern City Hatchback is 4.3 metres long and sits on a wheelbase of 2.6 metres.
The City Hatchback takes the place of the Jazz which will no longer be offered in Malaysia but will still be sold elsewhere outside the region. Some may ask why it is necessary to drop the Jazz. It has been a successful product since being launched in 2001 and was the first model to beat the Toyota Corolla in the domestic Japanese market in overall sales. Like the Civic, which began as a low-priced hatchback, the Jazz evolved and perhaps became more sophisticated and more expensive to build.
It could be for this reason that Honda decided to develop a hatchback on the City platform which was originally conceived as a ‘Asian Car’. It was created at a time when the Civic began to cost more and could no longer be an entry-level model so a new lower-cost approach was needed to offer a new model at the entry level.
Prices shown above do not include insurance and sales tax. For private registration in Peninsular Malaysia.
The City Hatchback was planned and developed at the same time as the current 5th generation City Sedan but its introduction was delayed due to the pandemic. While the Jazz will be sold in other regions, this model is intended mainly for the Asia-Oceania market. The factory in Thailand is the hub for producing the City in both variants and markets like Malaysia also have it assembled locally.
Four variants, two powertrains
For the Malaysian market, there are four variants being assembled at the Melaka plant, essentially like what is offered for the sedan. And like the sedan too, one of them (the RS variant) has a more advanced i-MMD e-HEV powertrain. This is a hybrid powertrain which is greatly improved from the first Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system Honda used over 20 years ago. It uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine working with dual electric motors and can generate up to 253 Nm of torque – which is a figure normally seen from bigger engines. The City Hatchback RS will not, however, be immediately available (which was the same case with the City RS), so we won’t get into too much detail at this time.
As for the other three variants (S, E and V), these all share the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine with a DOHC cylinder head. This engine (also used in the sedan) produces 121 ps/145 Nm which is the highest in its class and the power gets to the front wheels through a CVT. These three variants are expected to account for 95% of the sales, the same proportion as for the City Sedan.
Shorter but heavier
While the sedan and hatchback have similar mechanical items and parts, the bodywork is obviously different at the rear with the absence of the ‘third box’ for the boot. The rear side doors appear similar, probably retaining the same hard points but further back, the rear end is shorter. The difference in overall length is about 206 mm but the wheelbase is identical at 2600 mm as is the 1748 mm width. The hatchback is a bit heavier even though it is shorter and that’s likely to be because it has a larger piece of glass at the back.
The versatility of a hatchback
When hatchbacks started to appear in the 1970s, the selling point was their versatility. SUVs as we know them today were not in existence yet so to have a car that could provide comfortable transport and yet carry more stuff than a sedan, the hatchback with its large rear opening was a practical approach.
While one can say that when folding rear seats were also available in sedans, the extended load capacity also became possible, along with a longer floor. But what a hatchback offers is more vertical space so more items can be stacked or taller items can be accommodated (keeping in mind the rear view, of course).
The ULTRA Seat
Honda’s designers went one step further in making the cabin of a hatchback versatile by adding the ULTRA seat. This innovation was developed after hours of watching people at supermarkets and shopping centres. They took note of the sort of items loaded and saw that there were items that were tall (like plants) and could not readily fit. This led them to design the rear seat to fold upwards against the backrest and create a generous vertical space from the floor to the ceiling.
The ULTRA seat was introduced in the first generation of the Jazz in the early 2000s. It was then offered in the second generation of the City, giving it a unique selling point. However, it was not consistently offered and then disappeared.
Now the ULTRA seat is back in the City Hatchback which extends its versatility. Instead of being bolted to the floor and fixed in place, the seats have a hinge under the backrest and are supported on U-shaped tubular bars. They can be flipped up against the backrests, or the backrests flipped down flat to get more floor length.
While they are similar in concept to the original ULTRA seats, they no longer have a hard plastic panel underneath. In the early version, the panel was moulded and included circular teh tarik hooks which were useful if you had some plastic bags to hang.
As before, the ULTRA seats have four ‘modes’ – UTILITY, LONG, TALL or REFRESH. For the LONG and REFRESH modes, the front passenger’s seat can also be folded flat so there is an open space from the back door all the way to the dashboard to carry a really long item or just to stretch out. For those who frequent IKEA, this would definitely be the sort of car to own.
Similar design and features as sedan
The cabin layout is the same as the sedan’s and the equipment levels are also similar. The best-equipped version is the top RS e:HEV which has Honda SENSING and Honda CONNECT. However, this version would cost more than the RM87,860 that the top version (1.5V) of the petrol-engined variants is priced at. For the sedan, Honda Malaysia introduced an additional version which brings Honda SENSING to the 1.5V version and they might do the same for the City Hatchback later on.
In any case, the City Hatchback 1.5V is still pretty well equipped and good value for money. It has standard features like Auto LED headlights (high beam automatically switches to low beam when necessary), LED front foglights, 16-inch alloy wheels, Honda LaneWatch and 6 airbags.
Honda Lanewatch is another innovative feature which provides the driver with a view of the blind spot on the left side of the car by using a small camera mounted on the door mirror. The real-time image is displayed on the 8-inch panel in the middle of the dashboard so the driver doesn’t have to turn the head all the way to the left to see the mirror. The camera is only on when the left signal is activated.
Other notable features are Remote Engine Start, paddle shifters, cruise control, automatic air-conditioning a reverse camera (these items are also standard for the 1.5E). For those with compatible smartphones, there’s added connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Comprehensive safety systems
While the Honda SENSING package is available only for the very top RS variant, the safety systems that come standard with the City Hatchback are also pretty comprehensive and can help to reduce accidents. These include ABS with Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, and Hillstart Assist.
There’s also an Emergency Stop Signal system which will keep the brake lights illuminated and activate the hazard lights automatically if the braking action is sudden and heard (indicating emergency braking). This can alert drivers behind so that they will respond earlier and possibly avoid a rearend collision.
As childseats are now required by law, there is an ISOFIX point for compatible childseats to be installed easily and securely. The Seatbelt Reminder is also wired to include the rear seatbelts so that the driver will be aware when someone is not belted up (an offence).
For those who don’t like SUVs
The Jazz may be missed by some but if it is versatility that you are looking for, then the City Hatchback would be just as practical. This extra capability is available without compromising on space and comfort and can be considered something like a stationwagon too. And for those who want the versatility of a SUV but don’t like the tallness, the City Hatchback could also be a great alternative as it sits as low as the sedan.
Formula E, the single-seater motorsport championship for fully electric cars, began in 2014 and the first three carmakers to participate were Renault, Audi and Mahindra. Seven seasons have passed and for the eighth one, the team from Mercedes-Benz will again compete, having started in the 2018 – 2019 season.
The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team opts for continuity and will once again field the strong, well-proven driver pairing of reigning World Champion Nyck de Vries and Stoffel Vandoorne in their third season.
Continuity is important
“Continuity and stability definitely play a big role,” said Team Principal Ian James. “How does the saying go? ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ But at the same time, there’s another old adage that being successful does not automatically mean that there’s no room for improvement. Nyck and Stoffel both play an absolutely key role in that respect. They’ve been phenomenal as drivers so far while also making a huge contribution to the development of this team that we’ve built up from scratch, so having that continuity going into Season 8 is a tremendous advantage.”
There will be plenty of fresh challenges awaiting the team in the 16 races at 12 different venues that include new street circuits in Jakarta, Vancouver and Seoul. There is also a new qualifying format when drivers go head-to-head after the group stages. Both drivers think that the new qualifying format seems very promising and should prove really interesting.
More power for the racing cars
All Formula E cars are homologated for Season 8 but drivers will still have more power available, thanks to a number of changes to the rules. Power on tap in races will increase from 200 kW to 220 kW and drivers will in future have 250 kW at their disposal when using Attack Mode instead of only 235 kW.
Same platform to be used
Because of the team’s forward-thinking approach to development, they will be able to use the same hardware for the new season, and yet get more power out of the power unit. “That was part of our work when we opted for a platform homologated for 2 seasons,” said Pierre Godof, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains. “Part of our durability testing included the duty cycle for Season 8, which we see as the second half of a long season to all intents and purposes. It’s why right from the start, we designed the power train so that it could also be used for Season 8.”
In another innovation, the race duration of 45 minutes plus one lap could be extended by as much as 10 minutes should there be any Safety Car or ‘Full Course Yellow’ periods. 45 seconds will be added to race time for every minute of an SC or FCY period. If, however, one of these periods proves necessary after 40 minutes has elapsed or starts subsequently, then no more time will be added to the race.
In Season 7 of the Formula E series, the Mercedes EQ team won both the Drivers and Teams championship titles.
As one of the leading car racing simulators, the ‘Gran Turismo’ game series by Polyphony Digital has an exciting range of sportscars, some actual models from the real world and some concept cars that only exist in the digital world. Obviously, as a leading sportscar maker, Porsche would be represented and it has been since 2017, with the Taycan Turbo S being the most recent model.
For the launch of the game’s seventh edition, Porsche has, for the first time, developed a car purely for the virtual world. The Vision Gran Turismo is the brand’s first concept study created specifically for use in a computer game. It will be available exclusively in Gran Turismo 7, which will be released in March 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Freed from constraints of mass production
Freed from the constraints of developing models for normal volume production, Porsche’s designers were able to put their own ideas for a Gran Turismo concept car into practice. “A vehicle designed purely for the virtual world opens up exciting possibilities for us that are otherwise heavily regimented in a regular design process for a production car,” said Michael Mauer, Vice-President Style Porsche.
“Projects such as the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo are particularly valuable for us in the creative process. Further developing our clearly defined Porsche Design DNA and exchanging with designers from other industries is an important part of our work,” he explained.
Future-oriented versions
The Vision Gran Turismo features future-oriented versions of familiar Porsche design elements. The concept sportscar shows the brand’s typical proportions with an especially sporty height-to-width ratio, an extremely low-set bonnet and very pronounced wings. The lights in the purist front and the integrated air intakes create a visual link to the design language of the Taycan. The rear is adorned with a markedly narrow light strip – a further development of the light signature that is familiar from the 911 and Taycan models.
The clear emphasis of the brand identity continues in the interior, with the curved hologram display, tailored to the driver, which appears to float above the steering wheel. The realistic surface appearances in the interior also plays a major role.
“We spent a long time considering the right material design consisting of carbon and titanium. The aim was to reduce weight while increasing performance,” said Markus Auerbach, Head of Interior Design at Porsche. “In addition, sustainable aspects also play a role in forward-looking projects. For example, we only used entirely vegan materials in the concept car.”
Expanding gaming activities
“The appeal of a Porsche comes from its purist design,” says Kazunori Yamauchi, President, Polyphony Digital. “And in terms of engineering expertise, both we and Porsche follow the same perfectionist philosophy. We share the same passion for racing and are looking to the future of the car.” In addition to purely design-related themes, there are also new functions that contribute to a strong sportscar feeling, with players experiencing haptic feedback via the controller, which mimics the feel of the steering wheel. This fast and direct feedback is reminiscent of a real racing car.
Expanding its gaming activities also has strategic significance for Porsche. “We can engage young and digital target groups in the place where their automotive dreams are born: the world of gaming,” says Robert Ader, Vice-President Marketing at Porsche AG. “The partnership with Polyphony Digital and ‘Gran Turismo’ is a perfect fit for Porsche, because motorsport – whether real or virtual – is part of our DNA.”
With this being the second last round, tensions were very high on the starting grid. Lewis Hamilton had to put in everything he could to secure a win while Max Verstappen, with just a narrow lead, could take the title tonight too. The Constructors title was even closer – just 5 points apart – and with the new circuit, there were still unknowns that could affect the way the race would end.
As the lights went out, Hamilton got a good start and team mate Bottas, who had started next to him, did his duty by preventing the Red Bull driver from going after Hamilton. No major incidents as the cars got to the first corner other than an incident between Williams Racing’s George Russell and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
Further down, Yuki Tsunoda, Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Japanese driver, challenged Alpine’s Esteban Ocon going into the first corner but the high wall forced him to back off and in the process, he lost 5 places, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz slipping past him as well.
The gaps were close in mid-field with the most aggressive driver being Sainz, fighting pushing other drivers as he moved further up from his 15th starting spot. However, the frantic pace cooled off when the Safety Car appeared after Haas F1’s Mick Schumacher’s spun and crashed crashed at the spot where Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had also had the same misfortune in FP2.
As the Safety Car led the convoy, Hamilton and Bottas came in for a tyre-change that could be their only one in the 50-lap race. Verstappen, however, remained on the track to try to open up a gap and hold on to his inherited lead. When the two Mercedes-AMG drivers rejoined, they were about 3 seconds behind. Besides Hamilton and Bottas, 8 other drivers also came in to change tyres.
For this race, it was the Safety Car provided by Aston Martin and messages heard on the radios seemed to suggest that the speed of the green car in front was not fast enough. And then a Red Flag signal came out on lap 14, and all cars had to return to the pits. The barriers that Schumacher had it at Turn 23 were too badly damaged and time was needed to get them fixed properly. Hamilton was furious, suggesting that the appearance of the Red Flag was not necessary…
When the race was allowed to restart (standing start) about 18 minutes later, Verstappen had the ‘pole position’ he did not get on the starting grid, his decision to stay out having paid off – just by luck. He could also get fresh tyres and push as hard as his rivals for the remaining 36 laps.
An angry Hamilton was well prepared for the restart, this time behind Verstappen and both cars raced side by side to the first corner. However, Bottas locked up and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez went into a spin. In the chaos, three cars crashed – Haas’ Nikita Mazepin, Russell and Perez – all had their race end there. Out came the red flags again and racing stopped again. What a way for Saudi Arabia’s first ever F1 race to go!
Only 15 laps had been completed when the race was allowed to restart after the mess was cleared. Earlier, when the two frontrunners were charging into the first turn, Hamilton had reached it just a slight bit earlier and was trying to hold the lead. However, the Red Bull forced him off and wide, which many felt was not right, and Ocon slipped by.
The Race Director saw what happened and told the Red Bull team that Verstappen would start in second place. It was assumed that Hamilton would be the first car but Red Bull stated that it was Ocon. The race was suspended for 15 minutes again and the restart saw Ocon as the first car, Hamilton second and Verstappen third, an arangement Mercedes and Red Bull accepted.
The restart saw Ocon, briefly enjoying his pole position as both Hamilton and Verstappen charged with him int Turn 1 . Hamilton didn’t take chances and eased off while Ocon decided to avoid both of them… and it was Verstappen who emerged on the other side in the lead again. However, he felt that he was not getting sufficient power when he saw how Hamilton was closing in.
As the race neared the halfway mark, Tsunoda couldn’t make the first turn as he battled with Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, and went straight off, destroying his front wing as he went into the barriers. And out came the yellow flags with the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) being activated. Four cars were already out of the race – would the AlphaTauri be the fifth? Tsunoda would be deemed to have been in the wrong and got a 5-second penalty.
As the VSC ended, the cars had finally reached the halfway mark of 25 laps. Verstappen was in the lead, just barely ahead of Hamilton, with Ocon some 11 seconds behind.
But the VSC came back on again a few laps later as there was too much debris on the track from the various collisions, including one between Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. The risk of a puncture was great, Alonso was warning, especially with the cars hitting up to 300 km/h. So the officials decided to activate the VSC to clear the debris, which slowed down all the cars again.
The VSC was switched off on lap 33 and racing resumed, with Hamilton still holding the fastest lap and the 1 precious point. He pushed harder to set an even faster time 2 laps later. And then it happened as both cars arrived at Turn 1 again and Hamilton went into the back of Verstappen, damaging his front wing badly! But the Mercedes-AMG driver stayed in the chase although his car’s performance was compromised with the damage.
On lap 42, Verstappen was told to slow down and let Hamilton pass to take the lead, as it seemed to be recognised that the collision was the Dutchman’s fault so the team was probably trying to ‘resolve’ things before the Stewards made their decision. The Stewards decided to let the race proceed and would review the incident after the race. With 4 laps remaining, Hamilton regained the lead and was on course to take the chequered flag.
It was by no means easy for both the drivers in the remaining few laps. Hamilton’s front wing was self-destructing and Verstappen had to keep his tyres intact till the end. Hamilton crossed the line comfortably in the lead and had 25 points plus 1 point for fastest lap, so it was going to be a close fight in the final round.
Bottas had put in a superb effort and just on the last lap, he managed to get past Ocon and slot into third, adding much-needed points to the team to secure its title again.
