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Volvo Car Malaysia Launches Volvo Car Leasing With MyMotor

Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) has signed a Leasing Service Agreement with MyMotor (MYEG Fintech) to introduce Volvo Car Leasing – a service that will let customers enjoy stress-free Volvo ownership, minus the usual financial strain of a hire-purchase agreement.The closed-door signing ceremony was held at the Volvo Car Malaysia headquarters and was attended by Lennart Stegland, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, and Justin Cheah, Chief Executive Officer of MyMotor.

Volvo Car Leasing, a first for Volvo Cars in the Southeast Asia region, offers customers an opportunity to drive a Volvo, worry-free, with the insurance, road tax, maintenance cost, and warranty covered. Additionally, at the end of the leasing agreement, customers could either choose to select a new model to drive home, purchase the car at market rate or Future Guaranteed Value (FGV), or simply return the car to the dealership.

“Our company philosophy is centred around people, their needs and what they care about. Now with Volvo Car Leasing, our customers are able to choose an appropriate model based on their current need or station in life and change it when the need arises,” said Stegland.

The programme will be available for all Volvo models sold in Malaysia, at all participating dealerships. Customers can drive home a new Volvo from as low as RM2,762 per month which is inclusive of a comprehensive insurance package, road tax, and maintenance cost.

“Every Volvo leased under this programme comes complete with our Volvo Service Agreement Plus (VSA+) which covers a list of service actions including a wide range of wear and tear items, giving the customer peace of mind in when it comes to his or her Volvo ownership experience,” added Stegland.

Volvo Car Leasing also allows customers greater financial flexibility when compared to a typical hire-purchase agreement, freeing up valuable credit to purchase other assets on top of not having to worry about incidentals related to car ownership.

“Based on our calculation, a customer could potentially save more with this leasing programme when compared to a hire-purchase agreement. At the end of the lease, the customer could renew the agreement and drive home a brand-new unit of the same model or opt to upgrade his lease agreement with a different model,” said Cheah.

“In comparison to a traditional hire-purchase agreement, Volvo Car Leasing encompasses most of the cost involved with car ownership. This convenience should also prove to be very appealing to company or fleet purchasers,” Cheah added.

Cheah explained that with Volvo Car Leasing, customer would not have to be concerned about disposing or selling the cars at the end of the agreement – something which is a given when it comes to a hire-purchase agreement.

In conjunction with the launch of Volvo Car Leasing all models will be offered with a promotional rate that is applicable from today till 31 August 2018. Volvo Car Leasing will also be offering free petrol vouchers worth RM300 for all bookings received within this promotional period.

For more information on the available models, applicable rates, VSA+, and Volvo Car Leasing and any current promotions, please visit Volvo Car Malaysia’s webpage at: volvocars.com/my. Alternatively, contact your preferred Volvo dealership for further assistance.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Celebrates The Largest Gathering Of Rolls-Royces In The World

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrated the largest gathering of Rolls-Royces in the world this past weekend at the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club Annual Rally & Concours d’Elegance. The spectacular setting of Burghley House, one of England’s finest Elizabethan Houses, in Stamford, Lincolnshire, provided the perfect backdrop for over 1000 heritage and contemporary Rolls-Royces.

Dawn ‘Inspired by Music’ was taken for a spin in Rolls-Royce’s anechoic chamber, at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex (full details at the bottom)

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars honoured the occasion with a significant display of Goodwood-built Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn motor cars. The collection included Wraith Black Badge and several highly Bespoke models. The motor cars were also hosted by a team from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, including craftsmen and women, graduates and apprentices.

Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Heritage and Philanthropy, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “We are delighted to support our colleagues at the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club and to present our contemporary Rolls-Royce motor cars at this spectacular event. The Club is a vital custodian of our marque’s remarkable history, and the Annual Rally and Concours d’Elegance provides unique access to some of the most important and rare motor cars in automotive history.”

An increasing number of enthusiasts are choosing to acquire a Rolls-Royce to complement their heritage collections, either commissioning a new motor car or purchasing through the company’s Provenance Programme. This is reflected by the ‘Goodwood Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Register’, which is now one of the fastest-growing sections of the Club.

The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club Annual Rally and Concours d’Elegance took place from Friday 22 June – Sunday 24 June. The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club caters for anyone with an interest in the motor car products of Rolls-Royce. From just 11 people at the inaugural meeting in 1957, membership is now approaching 10,000, making it the largest club of its kind in the world.

Membership is open to owners and non-owners alike and members are drawn from all walks of life and from most countries of the world. Details can be found at www.rrec.org.uk.

For full details of the Rolls-Royce Dawn Inspired by Music, click this: PRESS RELEASE ROLLS-ROYCE DAWN ‘INSPIRED BY MUSIC’ TAKES TO THE STAGE

BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia Set To “Elevate Driving Pleasure & Ignite Passion” With The Full Circle Programme

BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia has introduced the BMW Full Circle Recharged & MINI Full Circle Urban Explorer – new enhancements made to the Full Circle Programme, the dynamic financing programmes supporting BMW and MINI vehicles in the country.

Introducing the innovative financial programme, Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia (above) said, “Customer-orientation is at the heart of innovations at the BMW Group. From our premium vehicles to our premium services, we are the specialists when it comes to premium individual mobility. The new financial programmes demonstrate this philosophy perfectly. We aim to continue leading the Malaysian premium automotive industry towards the mobility of the future with revolutionary financing and mobility programmes for the complete BMW Group Malaysia Premium Ownership Experience.”

Tobias Eismann, Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Financial Services in Malaysia, meanwhile, said, “To support the high market demand of our hybrid vehicles, BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia is pleased to announce the BMW Full Circle Recharged campaign – an exclusive ownership programme developed specifically for the BMW iPerformance model range; the BMW 330e M Sport, the first-ever BMW 530e Sport, the BMW 740Le xDrive and the BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport.”

For the best of both worlds, the new BMW Full Circle Recharged campaign complements the Sheer Driving Pleasure and ownership of the BMW 330e M Sport from RM 2,918.00 monthly; the first-ever BMW 530e Sport (below) from RM 3,908.00 monthly; the BMW 740Le xDrive from RM 6,668.00 monthly and the BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport from RM 4,718.00 monthly. With every successful application under the BMW Full Circle Recharged campaign, new vehicle owners will also receive a complimentary set of BMW Life Recharged package consisting of a Fitbit Charge 2 and a limited edition HoriznStudios for BMW Board Case, 33L (terms and conditions apply).

Combining creativity with vibrant urban lifestyle, MINI sets the trend with unconventional approaches with high levels of individuality and customisation for their customers. This passion is also demonstrated with the new MINI Cooper S Countryman Sports (below) introduced recently. The model is meant for those with a knack for adventure, who live in the moment and live their lives to the fullest.

The MINI Full Circle Urban Explorer programme offers the MINI Cooper S Countryman Sports from RM 2,698.00 monthly together with MINI Urban Essential set, consisting of a Nanopresso to craft daily coffee on the go and a Fitbit Charge 2 for every successful application submitted (terms and conditions apply).

Introduced to give customers greater flexibility and assurance when it comes to financing their BMW or MINI, the Full Circle Programme offers a wide range of settlement options for an all-round ownership, delivering a hassle-free mobility experience whilst at the same time securing the value of the vehicles during the agreed tenure.

Eismann said, “The Full Circle Programme is created from the ground up to be a customer focused mobility solution to give our customers the ultimate peace of mind in their premium ownership experiences. Our Malaysian customers are very advanced in terms of their needs for financial solutions and we are already seeing a shift with trends moving gradually from the conventional, straight-line financing driven solutions where customers finance their car for 5 years or more, towards a more modern lifestyle-oriented driving experience where customers can change their car every 2 to 4 years.”

He added that with the Full Circle Programme, owners can easily experience the benefits of new and cutting-edge solutions without having the hassle to negotiate the trade-in or used car sales prices of their vehicles.

“As the financial division of one the most innovative premium companies in the world, we are here to facilitate and support the mobility movement focused on individual and corporate mobility with tailor made solutions. With the rapidly increasing demands of BMW and MINI vehicles in Malaysia, the guaranteed future value of the premium automakers’ vehicles has improved tremendously over the last quarters, making monthly instalments now even more significantly attractive.” said Eismann.

The Full Circle Recharged campaign commences today and concludes on 31 August 2018 (terms and conditions apply). The recent market developments as well as customers’ trust invested in the brands has enabled the BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia to offer the BMW 318i Luxury (above) with a competitive monthly installment from RM 2,098.00. The BMW 3 Series is the embodiment of a sporty sedan and remains one of the most identifiable models to the BMW range, and the refined monthly installment is only going to bring Sheer Driving Pleasure to aspired owners of BMW faster than ever before.

The excitement from the launch of the All-New BMW X3 (below) is also further sustained for the BMW X Family enthusiasts, where the Full Circle Programme guarantees the future value of the vehicle to be impressively more than 50% in 3 years down the road with a monthly installment from RM 3,808.00.

The BMW Full Circle Recharged and the MINI Full Circle Urban Explorer campaigns are part of the complete BMW Group Malaysia Premium Ownership experience which include:

BMW 5-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service Programme.
MINI 4-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service.
BMW 2-Year / 24 Month Tyre Warranty Programme for its Run Flat Tyre offering and services.
BMW Roadside Assistance and Accident Hotline.
The BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App – BMW White Card, MINI Black Card and BMW Excellence Club membership programme.
BMW and MINI Service Online.

More details on the Full Circle Programme, the BMW Full Circle Recharged and MINI Full Circle Urban Explorer campaigns can be obtained at any preferred BMW and / or MINI Authorised Dealership, via email at BMWGroup.FinancialServices@bmw.com.my or by phone at 1800-88-3000.

But there’s More…

RAYA@BMW

This Hari Raya, BMW Group Malaysia will also be celebrating with attractive rebates and competitive financing solutions starting from 1.22% across a wide range of BMW models, along with the BMW i Wallbox and BMW ChargeNow promotions for selected BMW iPerformance models. RAYA@BMW will take place at all authorised dealerships and on the designated dates below, with exciting activities for the family.

Dealers	Dates
Ingress Damansara	30 June – 1 July
Ingress Puchong	30 June – 1 July
Wearnes	30 June – 1 July
AB Glenmarie	30 June – 1 July
AB Kuala Lumpur	30 June – 1 July
AB Sungai Besi	30 June – 1 July
AB Johor	30 June – 1 July
AB Penang	30 June – 1 July
AB Balakong	30 June – 1 July

For more details of RAYA@BMW, visit (link) www.bmw.com.my.

FEATURE: Don’t Be A Backseat Driver! Be A Positive Influence In The Passenger Seat

Stuck in traffic, your spouse decides to take the “quicker” route home but makes a wrong turn instead. “Now we will never get home!” you shout from the passenger seat. The children, safely buckled in the back seat, start to cry. With so many distractions, you’ve just increased your driver’s chances of making a careless – and dangerous – move on the road.

As distracted driving continues to spread around the world, most of the attention has been directed at drivers and mobile phones. But one of the top distractions is sitting just a few inches away – passengers! Most passengers are probably unaware of the effect they have on drivers, but researchers have found that their behavior is just as crucial as the driver’s when it comes to safety.

Ways passengers affect drivers…

An early study showed that drivers with passengers were 60 percent more likely to have a crash resulting in serious injury compared to when driving alone. Passengers influence driver behaviors – both positively and negatively – due to a variety of factors such as the passenger’s age, the relationship of the driver and passenger and even the gender of the driver relative to the passenger.

For example, while women showed lower levels of risky driving in general, the presence of a man in the passenger’s seat was more likely to cause women to practice risky driving than if traveling with another woman. With passengers in a vehicle, drivers also tend to be less observant and less able to anticipate hazards.

“Consider the impact that your presence as a passenger can have on the driver,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Bin Syed Faiz, (below) Managing Director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion. “Support everyone’s safe arrival by avoiding distracting behaviors and helping the driver stay focused on the road.”

How to be a good car passenger

Passengers help set the tone for the drive – they can choose to be a helpful, calm sidekick or a bad influence. Here are five ways to be a better passenger:

Be a helpful co-pilot…
Take an active role during the drive by navigating, answering the phone, warning of approaching hazards and keeping the driver company.
Don’t distract the driver…
If you expect the driver to focus on the road, do your part to minimize distractions. Don’t talk loudly on the phone, constantly change the music or comment on their driving.
Stay awake…
Sleeping passengers can increase the chances of the driver falling asleep, too. If needed, swap drivers during long journeys so everyone can take a short nap when tiredness sets in.
Keep kids safe…
Avoid meltdowns by being prepared with a snack, book or other activities for children. Your “precious cargo” – everyone in your car – should be safely secured with seat belts and age-appropriate car seats to minimize distractions and maximize safety.
Speak up…
You have the right to tell drivers to stop putting your lives in danger if they are driving recklessly or engaging in risky behavior.

Instead of creating or contributing to a problem on the road, you can take more responsibility as an engaged co-pilot. And remember, the next time a driver takes a wrong turn, be the perfect passenger and offer kind words and patient navigation.

Hyundai Named A Top Brand in J.D. Power’s 2018 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM

Hyundai’s new-vehicle quality was among the best in the industry, as the company ranked as the second-highest non-premium brand in J.D. Power’s 2018 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM. Hyundai was one of the most improved brands, moving from sixth to third overall and reducing problems per 100 vehicles by 14.

In the model segments, the Hyundai Tucson was the highest-ranked small SUV and the fourth-best model overall, while the Santa Fe ranked second in the midsize SUV segment. Hyundai’s cutting-edge Ulsan Plant, which produces Tucson, was awarded the Bronze Plant Assembly Line Quality Award for the Asia Pacific region.

“Customers of the Hyundai brand can feel confident that they are selecting a new vehicle that has one of the best initial and long-term quality rankings in the entire automotive industry,” said Omar Rivera, director, Quality and Service Engineering, Hyundai Motor America. “J.D. Power’s IQS is the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality, and our 2018 ranking is a result of an enterprise-wide commitment to producing vehicles of the highest quality and educating customers on how to use their car’s technologies and features.”

Hyundai’s strong showing in J.D. Power IQS follows its third place non-premium ranking in J.D. Power’s 2018 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). Hyundai’s results in both of these studies demonstrate its quality leadership over time. Tucson also ranked highest in its class in that study.

J.D. Power measures initial quality by the number of problems owners experience per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. Hyundai had 74 PP100, outpacing the industry average of 93 PP100.

The 2018 U.S. IQS is based on responses from 75,712 purchasers and lessees of new 2018 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study is based on a 233-question battery organized into eight vehicle categories designed to provide manufacturers with information to facilitate the identification of problems and drive product improvement. The study was fielded from February through May 2018. For more information about the 2018 U.S. IQS, visit http://www.jdpower.com/resource/us-initial-quality-study-iqs

Gist…

Ranked Second-Highest Non-Premium Brand
Improved to Third Overall with Hyundai Owners Reporting 14 Fewer Problems per 100 Vehicles Than in 2017
Hyundai Tucson Is the Highest-Ranked Small SUV in Initial Quality
Hyundai Santa Fe Finishes Second in the Midsize SUV Segment
Hyundai’s Ulsan Plant 52 Wins Bronze Plant Quality Award

REVIEWED: VW Golf 1.4 TSI R-Line [+Videos]

The cursor blinks. It awaits manual input because for now at least, thoughts can’t be translated automatically into words. I have a feeling however, it will be thus soon. Anyway, even if it could right now, I doubt anything I’m thinking about the VW Golf 1.4 TSi R-Line would be considered coherent at the moment, and the funny thing is, this was one of the easiest cars from VW that I’ve encountered in recent memory. Allow me to explain…

If you were to trace the lineage of the Golf, back to when it all started in the mid-70’s, it was never intended as a performance car, at all. Iterations of the Golf like the GTi and R were of course the ‘hot’ models in the stable, but in my opinion the regular Golf – like this 1.4 TSi for example – were very much the second ‘people’s car’ from VW, after the Beetle, and thus anyone expecting GTi or R type performance from this car, just because it’s a Golf, are in for surprise. And to me, it was a pleasant one…

Fast-forward more than four decades later and the vanilla-Golf is indeed still staying true to its manifesto, and while the 150Ps may not sound like much, it’s the 250Nm of torque that deserves some mention. It comes in at a low 1,500rpm to 3,500rpm, making it quite excellent for smooth and rapid acceleration as well as roll-on acceleration between 80 – 120kmh, commonly known as the ‘danger zone’ seeing as how that’s the area of speed for overtaking. Here’s how it works…

Again though, this is nowhere near the kind of acceleration and power you’d get from its aforementioned performance siblings, instead it’s smoother and a lot more linear as opposed to fireballs-out-the-flanks frantic. It imparts a more civilized way of driving, and it’s something that’s a lot easier to get used to. Believe me on this, after owning a Golf 1.4 TSi for 30 minutes, you’ll feel it’s been part of your life for years. It’s just that accommodating. Or is it?

Perhaps VW knew this full well, that maybe 90% of those buying this car would use it as a family car, daily-driver and occasional out-of-towner, because they seem to have dialed-in a lot of NVH suppression in this car – in addition to 7-airbags and a host of active and passive safety systems – so apart from superb build-quality, the ride is also amazingly quiet on the inside, and it’s only when you mash the accelerator pedal to the carpet that you can just about hear the intake roar emanating from the engine bay. It’s quite an addictive sound I tell you, and it should please that remaining 10%.

Almost didn’t see that “Mode” button till it was too late! It’s perfectly hidden from the driver’s view when the shifter is in ‘D’

I guess VW also realized that, well, for the aforementioned 10%, a Golf should also be fun, so they equipped this 1.4 TSi with a couple of naughty bits, in the form of ‘drive modes’. Yes, at the touch of a button (suspiciously located hidden from view behind the gear-lever next to the auto engine start/stop override button) ‘Sport’ mode ups the revs, delays the 7-speed DSG shifts and milks that 1.4 TSi engine to an inch of its life. It’s a profound transformation, and while (again) nowhere near its siblings, it still allows this car to be quite a bit of fun, for that occasional solo Sunday drive with the lads.

Born in 1974, and 44 years on, the effervescent Golf is still as fun has it’s always been and always should be. The perfect daily-commuter that won’t burn a hole in your bank account (annual road tax is just RM70!), shod with a wonderful TSi engine that’s both frugal and efficient, yet tractable and energetic, there’s a lot to like about this car, and if you’d like to see the full spec list, click this: VW Golf 1.4 TSi R-Line

Oh yeah, before I forget, here’s that cool digital-analogue instrument cluster I was talking about in the video. It’s quite brilliant actually. And do note, I’d done almost 200km and still had a range of another 390km to go before filling-up. What a car, what a car. I just thought that and it appeared on my screen all by itself. Honest. – Chris Wee.