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Hyundai Motor Unveils i30 Fastback N “WorldSBK Safety Car” Ahead Of 2019 WSBK Season

Hyundai Motor has announced its customized i30 Fastback N will be the Official Safety Car of the 32nd season of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK). The i30 Fastback N safety car unveiled recently stands out with a livery derived from Hyundai’s i20 World Rally Championship (WRC) car. This activity is part of Hyundai’s new partnership with WorldSBK, announced in September of last year.

The i30 Fastback N Safety Car will make its public debut in Australia at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from February 22 to 24. The full fleet of official cars will be released at Spain’s Motorland Aragón, which will take place on April 5 to 7. Hyundai’s fleet, ranging from the i30 N to the Kona and Tucson SUV models, will be used in various capacities such as providing race direction or transporting medical personnel.

Since the announcement of N brand at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 2015, Hyundai has taken part in numerous motorsport events, including the World Rally Championships, Nürburgring 24 Hours and WTCR. Not only has the N brand performed well in the highest intensity competitions, but it has also proved a success among adrenaline-seeking customers, with its production of the i30 N, Veloster N, and most recently, the i30 Fastback N. The Hyundai N brand delivers high-performance vehicles that are fun to drive, with everyday usability and track capability.

The i30 Fastback N, Hyundai’s third high-performance N vehicle, debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 2018. It is the first five-door coupe in the C segment and unique in its class. With a combination of sophisticated, elegant design, exhilarating performance and fun-to-drive features, the i30 Fastback N is an everyday sports car that’s as thrilling on the road as it is on the racetrack. Equipped with signature N Corner Carving Differential for maximum feeling, the i30 Fastback N is the perfect vehicle to be driven both on and off the racetrack.

“Building the WorldSBK Safety Car has been a very interesting project for us. It is not a race car but will spend most of its life on the race track. Since the i30 Fastback N is born capable, we didn’t need to make many modifications for it to do its job. The i30 Fastback N Safety Car is the most elegant safety car yet it will safeguard the world’s fastest production-based motorbikes. It is a true display of its duality character,” said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of the Product Planning & Strategy Division at Hyundai Motor.

The design of i30 Fastback N Safety Car is inspired by Hyundai Motorsport. The livery designs of Hyundai Motorsport feature a color scheme that includes Performance Blue, Active Red, darker Hyundai Blue, and new this season, black. The graphic depicts the landscape of a mountainous WRC race territory, represented in digital imagery, distorted by the high speed of the vehicle as it passes. Decreased resolution and pixelation create a feeling of rapid movement, which tears the landscape apart. The WRC version features a slightly more aggressive graphic with stones flying, emphasizing the range of race surfaces in the series, including gravel and tarmac, snow and ice. The WTCR version emphasizes its fast road based nature, with two separate color schemes for each team. For WorldSBK, the Hyundai Blue has been replaced with white to clearly distinguish the i30 Fastback N from race cars.

The modification of the i30 Fastback N Safety Car was mainly led by Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing and limited to only the essential parts of its duty. For example, the rear light bar is sleek and positioned far back to help improve the Safety Car’s aerodynamics and provide better visibility to the riders who follow it. Sabelt bucket seats deliver better hold for the driver and the doctor. In the WorldSBK, the doctor is always seated next to the Safety Driver for first aid purposes and safety reasons. Active Red and Hyundai Blue colored 19-inch forged Braid wheels boast Hyundai WRC car’s heritage. The tailor-made Pirelli P Zero tires and Pagid brake pads ensure it delivers track performance and stopping power.

At the A-pillar of the i30 Fastback N Safety Car, the URL address of the newly launched Hyundai N independent website is placed. The history, models, motorsport information and more can be found at the new Hyundai N website, Hyundai-N.com. Placing the URL address at the A-pillar is another long heritage of Hyundai Motorsport vehicles.

Ferrari Monza SP2 Named “Most Beautiful Supercar of the Year 2018” @ Paris Festival Automobile International

The Ferrari Monza SP2 has been named the Most Beautiful Supercar of 2018 by a panel of expert judges at the 34^th Paris Festival Automobile International. The prestigious award was presented at a ceremony at the city’s Hotel National des Invalides attended by over 600 guests, including many leading exponents of the automotive and journalism worlds.

The Ferrari Monza SP2, together with the Ferrari Monza SP1, is the forerunner of the new Icona concept inspired by the most evocative Ferrari competition cars of the 1950s. The Monza SP2 is the Prancing Horse’s modern reinterpretation of a gloriously timeless style paired with technologically advanced components and the highest performance possible thanks to the marque’s continuous research and innovation.

The Ferrari Style Centre’s designers crafted a design so pure and forms so elegantly minimalist, they could be described as a single pencil stroke. The extreme styling of the more recent Ferrari track cars has been bypassed in favour of exceptionally clean, spare lines. Never before has a car possessed such clear narrative power: this is a model born to deliver pure driving pleasure and fun behind the wheel. An experience that creates a totally symbiotic connection between man and car.

PSA: Weekly Fuel Prices – 9th to 15th Feb 2019: Hike!

So with CNY 2019 done and dusted (traffic in KL was awesome by the way, sorry) the weekly fuel float prices have been announced, which sees a hike in Petrol, while Diesel remains the same as last week. Here are the prices for the coming week:

RON 95 – RM1.97 per litre (up 4sen)
RON 97 – RM2.27 per litre (up 4sen)
Diesel – RM 2.18 per litre (no change)

These prices will be in effect from midnight today till midnight next Friday 15th Feb 2019.

Volvo Car Malaysia Appoints New MD, Announces 2018 Sales Figures

VCM or Volvo Car Malaysia, custodians of the Volvo brand in Malaysia, have announced the appointment of Mr Nalin Jain as the new Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia. Mr Jain will continue the responsibilities of the current Managing Director, Mr Lennart Stegland, starting March 1, 2018.

Prior to this undertaking, Mr Jain was the Chief Financial Officer of Volvo Auto India and has over 20 years of experience in the automotive, consulting, and technology fields. Mr Jain holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering from State University of New York and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management in MIT. After 40 years of service with Volvo Cars, leading positions in Research and Development, Marketing and Sales, and Managing various National Sales Companies, Mr Stegland (below) will be retiring from the organisation.

On a personal note, Piston.my would like to thank Mr Stegland for his amazing contribution and dedication to the Volvo brand here in Malaysia, his wealth of knowledge, experience and amiable character will be missed here at Piston.my. Nalin has very big shoes to fill indeed. All the best to you Lennart! – Chris Wee.

VOLVO CAR MALAYSIA IN 2018…

Volvo Car Malaysia records strong growth in 2018

Volvo Car Malaysia, the premium car brand, has recorded strong growth in volume, finishing 2018 with a total of 1,384 units delivered, a 35 per cent increase from 2017 (1,021 units) and a 48 per cent increase from 2016 (934 units) – a testament to the transformation plan that was put into motion since the introduction of the XC90 T8 Twin Engine in late 2015.

On exports, the company recorded a total of 1,889 units of V40, XC40, S60, V60, XC60, and XC90 to Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam, thanks to investments made to the plant to accommodate more assembly volume and new platforms such as the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) that underpins its new 60s and 90s Range, and the Modular Compact Architecture (MCA) used by the new XC40.

The transformation plan led by the Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, Mr Lennart Stegland, is a multi-pronged strategy that involves an overhaul of retail operations, customer touch points, and product offerings in Malaysia. “From a consumer standpoint, the first visible change to our existing retail operations is the implementation of Volvo Retail Experience (VRE), a dealer standard that perfectly complements our new and exciting product line,” said Stegland.

VRE is a comprehensive standard that covers critical aspects of a dealership and aims to bring a more customer-focused experience based on Volvo’s Scandinavian-inspire values: from the look and feel of the showroom to the quality of service rendered to customers.

“Enforcing the VRE standards for our existing dealerships in 2017, sets the correct level of expectations for our prospective dealer-partners in the next phase of the transformation which involves the expansion of our dealership network,” explained Stegland.

The transformation also took customer service experience into consideration and yielded positive results after extensive training and programmes were rolled-out to Service Advisors across the nation. Volvo’s Customer Experience Management (CEM) scores, gathered from a survey of service customers, had doubled from 2017.

Volvo Service Agreement (VSA) was also unveiled in 2018 – this service agreement which includes a comprehensive service package that covers replacement of most wear-and-tear parts (excluding tyres), gives owners the freedom of choosing between a 3 (VSA 3) or 5 (VSA 5) year plans.

“It is common practice within the industry to include the cost of services packages into the sticker price of the car. We are challenging this by being transparent about these costs and letting the customers select a plan that is more suited to their individual preferences,” added Stegland.

Moving forward, Volvo Car Malaysia plans to take its customer experience to the next level by rolling-out a new service concept they call Volvo Personalised Service or VPS in 2019. A new management system to ensure optimum availability of parts called Volvo Managed Inventory (VMI) will also be introduced sometime this year.

In terms of dealership network, Volvo Car Malaysia has grown its nationwide presence to a total of 11 dealerships which includes the recent re-introduction of the brand in Kuching after close to 10 years. The company is aiming to add more dealerships in 2019, especially in locations that is currently not represented by the brand.

2018 also saw the launch of several models from Volvo Car Malaysia, including the XC90 T5, S90 T5, XC60 T8 Twin Engine, XC60 T5, and the new XC40 T5 R-Design. The market response has been positive for most of these models with the XC60 recording the most gains from the total units delivered and the XC40 taking in a strong order book.

On the Financial Services front, Volvo Car Malaysia had also introduced Volvo Car Leasing – a first for Volvo Cars in Southeast Asia – that lets customers enjoy stress-free Volvo ownership, minus the usual financial strain of a hire-purchase agreement. The company is also planning to introduce Volvo Insurance in partnership with AXA Insurance later this year.

Volvo Car Malaysia is projecting a double-digit growth in 2019 with the new XC40 and the opening of more retail locations as the two main drivers.

SDAP Ushers In 2019 With Upgraded Cayenne & Panamera + Invests In More Porsche Centres

Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the authorised importer of Porsche vehicles in Malaysia, starts the year on a high with strategic investments in expanding its sales network. With the upcoming Porsche Centre Johor Bahru, SDAP marks another milestone for Porsche in Malaysia whilst assuring an outstanding experience for customers in the Southern region. Later this year, SDAP will also open a brand-new Porsche Centre Ara Damansara in Kuala Lumpur.

This expands the sales network to four Porsche Centres across the country by 2020, the year that Porsche anticipates to launch its first fully-electric vehicle in Malaysia, the Taycan. The recent opening of the Porsche pop-up store in Penang, which will be open to the public until May 2019, also marks the importance of the development of the business in Malaysia.

Ushering in the year on a strong note, the Cayenne (below) and Panamera (above) models now come with a newly enhanced Premium Package, with additional comfort and luxury features such as 14- way power seats including memory function for both driver and front passenger, four-zone automatic climate control, automatic dimming mirrors, electrical sun blinds, ambient lighting, and BOSE Surround Sound System. – In addition to the Premium Package, Power Steering Plus and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) are included as standard for an even sportier driving experience.

SDAP also announced the new competitive base prices for the Cayenne and Panamera including Premium Package. The third generation Cayenne starts from RM780,000, while the second generation Panamera starts from RM890,000.

Furthermore, the dream of owning a Porsche is much closer than one could imagine. Porsche 360 Financing offers a flexible financing programme that is personalised to the owners’ unique lifestyle with up to 30% lower monthly repayments, offering the opportunity to own a new Porsche from every three to five years. For example, based on 90% loan margin for five years, the new Cayenne with the base price of RM780,000 may be driven away for as low as RM9,700 per month. All Porsche vehicles sold via SDAP come with a four-year warranty and free maintenance package, which includes complimentary service, labour and parts.

“Together with Porsche Asia Pacific, the Premium Package for the Cayenne and Panamera is an initiative to enrich the product substance to elevate the customer’s ownership experience even further. We are giving a wider spread of comfort and sportiness in our vehicles, yet with even more competitive pricing. With this enhanced product line-up, we certainly look forward to a great year ahead,” said Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of SDAP.

Arthur Willmann, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific, said: “Malaysia is home of the Porsche Experience Centre Sepang, and also one of our most important markets with a strong following for the brand. We are very excited about the future potential here together with SDAP as our long-term partner, especially with regards to an even more competitive model line-up, the expansion of our sales network as well as our electrification strategy. Together we are already looking forward to the introduction of the Taycan, our first fully-electric vehicle, which will come to the market at the beginning of 2020.”

About the Cayenne…
The new Cayenne combines even more of the typical Porsche performance with excellent everyday practicality. Its powerful turbo engines, new eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, new chassis systems and innovative display and control concept with total connectivity is taking both sport and comfort to the next level. The Cayenne, with a 3.0-litre turbo engine delivers 250 kW (340 hp), 29 kW (40 hp) more than the previous model. Equipped with the optional Sport Chrono Package, the new Cayenne accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in less than 6 seconds. This is followed by the Cayenne S, which is powered by a 2.9-litre twin-turbo petrol engine, delivering 324 kW (440 hp). It accelerates from zero to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds with Sport Chrono Package.

The Cayenne is based heavily on the iconic 911 sports car: The third generation of this SUV, which has also been enhanced visually, now has mixed tyres and rear-axle steering for the first time. In addition to these typical sports car features, the on-road capabilities are further improved by active all-wheel drive as standard, Porsche 4D Chassis Control, three-chamber air suspension and the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) electronic roll stabilisation system.

Despite its significantly extended standard equipment, the Cayenne weighs up to 65 kilograms less than its predecessor and remains perfectly suited to off-road use. For the first time, the Cayenne is available with electric rear-axle steering offering agility on bends and stability when changing lanes at high speeds. The reduced turning circle also makes everyday handling of the SUV easier.

About the Panamera…
The Panamera is advancing to become a performance icon of the luxury class. In this transformation, Porsche has systematically improved the Panamera concept – with a four-door car that has been redeveloped and redesigned down to the last detail. Its engines and transmissions have been redesigned, its chassis perfected, and its display and control concept reinterpreted for the future. The new Panamera also extends the borders between the world of ambitious sports cars and the world of comfortable cruising cars with highlights such as rear axle steering, active roll compensation and three-chamber air suspension.

The second generation Panamera’s engines have been redesigned. They have all been made more powerful, while significantly improving fuel economy and reducing emissions. The new bi-turbo direct injection engines in the Panamera 4S – may be equipped with a permanent all-wheel drive system and a new eight-speed Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK). A V6 twin-turbo petrol engine with 324 kW (440 hp) drives the Panamera 4S and a V6 turbo petrol engine with 243 kW (330 hp) drives the Panamera entry-level model.

More versatile than any other model in its class, the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo delivers 243 kW (330 hp) and 340 kW (462 hp) drives the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. With a large tailgate, low loading edge, increased luggage compartment volume and a 4+1 seating concept, the new Panamera Sport Turismo model offers the perfect combination of everyday usability and maximum flexibility.

2019 Porsche Panamera & Cayenne Photo Gallery…

To make an appointment to test drive your favourite Porsche model, contact the following Porsche Centres near you.
Porsche Centre Glenmarie +60(3) 5030 9911
Porsche Centre Sungai Besi +60(19) 675 9911
Porsche Centre Penang +60(19) 400 9911

Fuel consumption and emissions:
Cayenne: combined fuel consumption 9.2–9.0 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 209–205 g/km
Cayenne S: combined fuel consumption 9.4–9.2 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 213–209 g/km
Panamera: combined fuel consumption 7.6 – 7.5 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 173 – 171 g/km
Panamera 4S: combined fuel consumption 8.2 – 8.1 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 186 – 184 g/km
Panamera 4 Sport Turismo: combined fuel consumption 7.9 – 7.8 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 180 – 178 g/km
Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo: combined fuel consumption 2.5 l/100 km; electric power consumption 15.9 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions 56 g/km

Naza Kia Unveils Picanto GT-Line [+Video]

Naza Kia Malaysia, the official distributor of KIA vehicles in Malaysia, today unveiled the new top-of-the-range GT-Line variant of their best-selling compact car, the youthful, stylish and fun-to-drive Picanto, for the Malaysian market. We’ve reviewed it in the past here, and below is the video we made about it during the official media drive…

“Following the successful launch of the Kia Picanto 1.2 EX model last year, Naza Kia Malaysia is thrilled to introduce a new sporty variant of the innovative A-segment car which has stolen the hearts of Malaysian road users. We are confident the Kia Picanto GT-Line will receive no less attention on the road with its extra stylish appeal and nimble performance,” said Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group CEO, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings Sdn Bhd.

The New Picanto GT-Line boasts new features designed to add a level of excitement to the Picanto line-up. Unique to the GT-Line variant are the new colour accents on the full body kit and Kia’s signature ‘tiger nose’ grille at the front to add to the aggressive stance. Perfecting the muscular expression are sporty-looking dual exhaust pipes at the rear of the GT-Line.

The New Picanto GT-Line is further fitted with 16-inch alloy wheels and pedals, LED daytime running lights and fog lamps, shark-fin antenna, and keyless entry. The large 7.0-inch floating touchscreen houses Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ ready functionality for full smartphone integration, suitable for the young and the young at heart.

The GT-Line is also equipped as standard with a sporty D-cut steering wheel, a rear-view parking camera, wireless smartphone charger and USB port. For maximum convenience, the GT-Line variant also comes equipped with Full Auto Temperature Control (FATC) a.k.a. Climate Control, which automatically maintains the set cabin temperature for a comfortable drive.

As a visual reference, here’s what the basic Picanto looks like…

The New Picanto is carefully crafted with top-notch safety features, featuring an Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) body construction and six standard airbags (dual front, side and curtain airbags). Active safety features are also included, such as standard-fit Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), to ensure stability under braking and cornering. On top of that, the innovative New Picanto GT-Line comes with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) – a key technology adopted to enhance safety in urban environments and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) which prevents rolling back while on a slope when releasing the brakes.

“The New Picanto boasts class-leading cabin space, with more leg- and head-room than many others in the A-segment. Boot capacity is 255 litres (VDA) – the most of any car in its class – with 60:40 split-folding rear seats, which can fold flat to increase capacity to a whopping 1,010 litres in a compact urban car.” – Naza Kia.

The Picanto GT-Line is offered in Titanium Silver, Clear White and an exclusive Aurora Black Pearl colour. Available now from RM57,888 (on-the-road without insurance), the New Picanto GT-Line comes with five years warranty with unlimited mileage*. Visit your nearest authorised Kia showroom for more information.

*Terms and conditions apply.

Piston.my

Latest News

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Volvo Car Malaysia Appoints New MD, Announces 2018 Sales Figures

VOLVO CAR MALAYSIA IN 2018…

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