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What colour is that? Exclaimed one of the guests in front of me during the official unveiling of the new Continental GT at Bentley Kuala Lumpur recently, and indeed, it’s quite an amazing shade of silver. So, once again redefining the benchmark of luxury grand touring in the industry, the new Conti GT has arrived.

“Designed, engineered and handcrafted in Britain, the new, third-generation Bentley Continental GT combines spirited, focused performance with handcrafted luxury and cutting-edge technology, to create the finest Grand Tourer ever produced.” – Bentley.

“Tonight, we celebrate not only the debut of the new Continental GT, but also a showcase of Bentley’s revolutionary design and engineering achievements. The all-new Continental GT marks another milestone for Bentley, setting the benchmark for luxury grand touring yet again with its unique combination of luxury and performance”, explained Jerry Lee, Managing Director of Wearnes Quest (above, right)

The launch featured the evolution of the Bentley Continental GT, drawing inspiration from the R-Type Continental 66 years ago that created a template and inspiration for the future of Bentley. Since then, the first generation of the Continental GT in 2003 has created a benchmark of revolutionary, luxury design, technology and performance, reflecting the best in class of each respective generation. You can read more about the new GT after the photo gallery below…

“It encapsulates Bentley’s desire to innovate while staying true to its design DNA, continuously evolving to shape the future of luxury and the future of performance. It is specially crafted for discerning Bentley owners and the new generation, who understand and thrive with real power, luxury and innovation – the future of Bentley Kuala Lumpur.” said Jerry.

NB: Due to overwhelming response prior to the launch, the new Continental GT will only be available for viewing by appointment, call +60 3 2162 2033Customer deliveries and handovers of the new GT in Malaysia will commence towards the end of Q2 2018. Estimated price from RM1.9million before GST.

New Bentley Continental GT Full Specifications: 02 Bentley Vehicle Technical Specifications – New Continental GT

New Bentley Continental GT Launch Photo Gallery…

 More on The New Bentley Continental GT

At the heart of the new Continental GT sits an all-new, enhanced version of Bentley’s renowned 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 TSI engine, mated, for the first time, to a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission, for faster, more efficient gear change.

A new, technically advanced, adaptive chassis uses Bentley’s intelligent 48-volt Dynamic Ride System to ensure a responsive ride and exceptional handling and refinement in all road conditions. The new system controls ride comfort and lateral roll, cushioning passengers from excessive movement, as well as making the car feel effortlessly precise.

The muscular exterior design, created using revolutionary technology, results in a lightweight, yet stiff body. The engine is positioned further back to improve weight distribution, resulting in driver focused, dynamic performance.

Offering four seats and improved luggage capacity for genuine real-world usability, the new Bentley Continental GT’s luxurious cabin is packed with exquisite details including a new ‘diamond in diamond’ leather design. In addition, significant work has gone into harmonising the extensive portfolio of 15 colours across hides and carpets.

The new Continental GT also showcases major evolutions in Bentley’s unique application of technology. An advanced, fully digital, driver-focused instrument panel and Bentley Rotating Display for the driver are among the suite of innovations. The latter features an impressive 12.3” touchscreen housed in a three-sided unit, which revolves the veneer to reveal the touchscreen, as well as three elegant analogue dials.

The interior design of the Continental GT is tailored specifically to the modern luxury customer, with unrivalled attention to detail that creates an effortless ownership experience. The cabin seamlessly integrates cutting-edge onboard technology with the finest handcrafted natural materials. The result is an exquisite, harmonised, connected and luxurious space.

 

Yes, you read that headline right. In January 2018 alone, Perodua recorded 17,900 sales, its second highest-ever monthly market share of above 40%, against a total industry volume (TIV) of 43,930 units (Perodua recorded its highest ever monthly sales in August 2016 at 40.5%. Source: Carlist)

In January, all Perodua models retained their lead in their respective vehicle segments in Malaysia, with 9,029 Myvis, 4,085 Axias, 2,776 Bezzas and 1,803 Alzas sold.

“While we defer to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA)’s numbers, we are cautiously optimistic that for January 2018, our monthly market share is the highest ever in our history. This was spurred by deliveries of the new Myvi, as well as continued strong demand for our other models,” said Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh at the company’s Chinese New Year Luncheon with the media and business partners here today.

“The new Myvi has racked up over 48,000 bookings to date, the 18,000th unit of which today we proudly deliver to Mr Wong Wai Cheng of Negeri Sembilan. We would also like to add that close to 20,000 units of the new Myvi have been delivered to date. Overall, over a million Myvis have been registered in Malaysia since 2005. This performance has been a great boost to the Malaysian automotive ecosystem as the better-than-expected demand for our latest offering as well as our current model line-up have resulted in better demand for local parts,” he added.

Aminar also said that Perodua is looking to purchase more than RM5 billion in components and parts this year from mainly local vendors. This will further contribute towards the growth of the Malaysian economy. All Perodua models have over 90% local content.

“To all Malaysians, we simply cannot thank you enough for your love and support for our humble hatchback through all these years. Your recognition spurs us on to work harder on bettering our products and services, because as always, You Matter Most,” he said.

“To those who have placed orders for the new Myvi and have yet to receive their cars, we sincerely apologise for the wait. Rest assured that we are ramping up production to get the cars to you as quickly as we can. The Perodua Manufacturing Sdn Bhd plant will continue to work overtime until demand stabilises,” he continued.

Mr Wong, 25, was all smiles as Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd Managing Director Dato’ Dr Zahari Husin handed him the keys to his brand-new Lava Red Myvi 1.5 Advance.

“I am over the moon to be taking delivery of my new car. The minute I laid eyes on the new Myvi and saw how many sophisticated features I was getting for the price, I knew it was the vehicle for me,” said Mr Wong. “I’m always on the go. The Myvi’s compact dimensions make it very easy to park and manoeuvre, but it’s also very spacious inside. With six airbags and Advanced Safety Assist, I am well protected, and the built-in toll card reader is my favourite feature!” he added.

“We wish all our Chinese friends Xin Nian Kuai Le and Gong Xi Fa Cai. May the Year of the Dog bring more luck, prosperity and happiness to us all!” Datuk (Dr) Aminar concluded.

Main top image: Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh and Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd Managing Director Dato’ Dr Zahari Husin present a mock key to the 18,000th new Perodua Myvi owner, Mr Wong Wai Cheng, 25, of Negeri Sembilan.

Ducati fans, and all bike enthusiasts for that matter, do take note! There’s now a one-stop Ducati Centre & Motor Specialist on the island of Penang for you to visit! During the Petron Blaze RON100 Media Ride recently, we dropped by Sheng Fatt Motor Specialist Centre, located at 24, Jalan Dato Keramat,
10150 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

With ample parking up-front, the ground floor is reserved for a bike showroom housing the latest Ducati motorbikes, but it’s the level above that blew us away.

The entire floor has been renovated to a bike apparel showcase, replete with quality used bikes for sale too; like this Honda Africa Twin and Suzuki GSX-1000 for example…

It’s a very laid-back area with refreshments and even a coffee bar, as well as places to sit and relax, do work, while watching your bikes being worked on in the workshop above, via flat-screen TVs. Yes, unlike other bike shops, this one has its workshop and 6 crew above!

Renovated at a cost of more than RM1 million, it’s owned and operated by Kheoh Hock Seng @ Ah Seng, (above) and his crew of 4 trained mechanics and 2 service-advisors, as well as 3 showroom front-liners.

The new centre has a tonne of riding apparel from helmets to gloves, as well as jackets and boots, from known bike-apparel makers such as Alpinestars, as well as official merchandise from Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia & Vespa.

Ah Seng’s reasoning behind this extensive renovation to include a huge selection of riding apparel, is because he believes (from being a biker himself) that the importance of safety when it comes to riding gear is still a bit lacking in Penang. Here’s a video of how the shop looks upstairs…

https://www.facebook.com/Shengfattmotor/videos/1703040073090889/

With the hopes of educating the biking community on the importance of being safely kitted-out when riding, the new premises is already open for business, so if you’re in the area, do drop by, or call 04-227 8932 for more details.

Alternatively, you can check out their official Facebook page for more photos, loaction and directions.

Photo Gallery…

The age-old question or rather conundrum; do you need 4WD in an SUV? I recently got my hands on the new Subaru XV 2.0i, and during my time with it, the question popped into my mind again, so I decided to get it all down in a video…

[Erratum: The XV as tested has Hill-Hold, and not Hill-Descent Control as mentioned in the above video, sorry! – CW]

If you haven’t fallen asleep and you’re still with me, let’s delve a little deeper into the new XV. Premiered to the media sometime in the middle of 2017 in Taiwan, the new XV was officially launched here toward the end of last year, to a very enthusiastic target audience. Here’s the official launch video from Taiwan…

It’s in speaking about said target audience that got me thinking about that question posed earlier about the need for 4WD or AWD in a ‘family’ SUV. I’ve decided that there’s really no right or wrong in it, it’s all a matter of personal preference. And if you’re worried about the urban-myth about 4WD or AWD vehicles being ‘thirsty’, well, over the course of 4 days, and quite a bit of driving, I only managed to burn 2 ‘bars’ of fuel…

Speaking of the engine, the new XV is powered by a direct-injection, 4-cylinder, horizontally-opposed (boxer), DOHC, 16-valve naturally-aspirated engine, capable of 156Ps and 196Nm of torque. Earth-shattering figures these are not, however, do remember that nowhere on this SUV does it say STI

It is perhaps that fireballs-out-the-flanks ‘performance’ association with the brand that will dampen the enthusiasm of anyone seeking ‘WRX-thrills’ in this Subaru, because that ain’t gonna happen with the XV, nor should it. And besides, gearbox wise, this new XV comes with a 7-speed continuously-variable transmission (CVT) or what Subaru calls a ‘Lineartronic CVT’, which is about as far from a performance oriented gearbox as one can possibly get…

Built on Subaru’s new SGP or Subaru Global Platform, the new XV feels taut and very well put-together. It has incredible levels of NVH suppression, resulting in one of the quietest cabins I’ve ever come across for a SUV in this mid-size segment.

Its party-trick of course, the thing that sets it apart from other SUVs in this segment, is its X-Mode function, that’s specifically tailored to take the guess work out of any light-off-road driving. Hitting that button on the centre console, this mode controls the engine output, transmission, all-wheel drive torque split, and even the braking system, to ensure the most optimum performance for off-road driving.

But you know what, if that was its only ace up its sleeve, the new XV would be a let-down; but thankfully it isn’t. Perhaps the most important aspect of a mid-size ‘family’ SUV is what it’s like on the inside, the one place that matters most when you’re hauling your most precious cargo, and in that respect, this new XV really shines.

As I mentioned earlier, the NVH of this XV based on the new SGP, is quite remarkable. This is the one thing that’s going to set it apart from the rest of the competition out there, really. Unfortunately, only an extended test-drive will bring forth this benefit, so please, don’t take my word for it, head over to TC Subaru and give it a go for yourself. With prices starting at RM118, 819 incl. GST, it’s definitely a worthy consideration. – Chris Wee.

Subaru XV 2.0i Photo Gallery…

In conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year festive season, Go Auto Sales Sdn Bhd, the exclusive distributor for Haval SUV in Malaysia, is running the Ang Pow Prosperity Deal promotion on all Haval models.

The promotion is on-going from now until end of March 2018 at all Haval showrooms nationwide offering new customers 5-year free service or savings up to RM3000 with ang pow offerings.

“We wish to rewards new customers to usher in the festive Chinese New Year with our Prosperity Deal promotion for both Haval H1 and H2 models. Hopefully, with the savings from the ang pow promotions the money can be spent on their family celebration during this festivity. In addition, we also hope with this offer it will allow customers to enjoy better value for their money by owning an SUV at an affordable and competitive price,” said Dato’ SM Azli SM Nasimuddin Kamal, Executive Director of Go Auto Group.

Aside from the current promotion, HAVAL Malaysia is also carrying out roadshows and exhibitions nationwide in shopping malls and other locations to get closer to the public. Do visit these locations, to enjoy the deals.

1. Venue : NSK Seremban 2, Seremban

Date: 1 – 31 January 2018

2. Venue : Tesco Taiping, Taiping

Date: 1 – 28 January 2018

3. Venue : Giant Kota Padawan, Kuching

Date: 23 – 30 January 2018

4. Venue : Tesco Saujana Impian, Kajang

Date: 24 – 30 January 2018

5. Venue : Pahang Karnival, Parking Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan

Date: 25 January – 3 February 2018

Venue : MAI Auto Galleria, Dataran Aman Jaya Mall, Sg Petani

Date: 26 – 28 January 2018

Venue : Alamanda Shopping Mall, Putrajaya

Date: 1 – 11 February 2018

For more information, customers can contact Haval Customer Care at 03-5569 7332 or email customercare@goauto.com.my.

You can also visit www.haval.my or its official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/havalmy or Instagram page at www.instagram.com/havalmy.

You read that right; the Hyundai Ioniq has been named the UK’s ‘Best Hybrid’, while the high-performance i30 N was commended as the ‘Best Hot Hatch for £20,000-£30,000’.

The awards, judged by members of the What Car? road-test and editorial team, praised the Ioniq Hybrid for its cost, equipment and drivability and the all-round performance capability of the i30N.

Steve Huntingford, Editor of What Car? said, “In the last year, we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people reading about hybrid cars on whatcar.com, which is why we felt it was important to recognise the best models in the class. Toyota may have had the market for affordable hybrids pretty much sewn up with the Prius but now there’s a top-notch alternative in the shape of Hyundai’s Ioniq…”

More than any other car, the Ioniq shows that you can now drive a hybrid without having to accept any compromises. Not only is it clean, temptingly priced and cheap to run, but it’s more practical, better equipped and better to drive than its rivalshe added.

Stay tuned for our upcoming feature and video on why the S.Koreans are beating the Japanese at their own game, coming soon!

 

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