Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (Mitsubishi Motors) has achieved a significant milestone as the all-new Triton one-ton pickup truck secured the coveted Design Car of the Year award at the 2024-2025 Japan Car of the Year awards. This recognition, which celebrates outstanding exterior and interior vehicle design, marks Mitsubishi Motors’ second consecutive win following last year’s honour for the Delica Mini kei-car.
The Triton was praised by the organising committee for its rugged yet sophisticated design, which embodies Mitsubishi Motors’ signature 4WD spirit while inspiring customers to embrace new lifestyles. Its bold Dynamic Shield front-end design and robust form harmonize perfectly with well-balanced proportions, even in its double-cab configuration.
Built on the “Beast Mode” design concept, the Triton exudes a commanding presence with its powerful and agile appearance. The Dynamic Shield design integrates a robust, three-dimensional front grille with prominent fenders and protective elements, highlighting both strength and sophistication.
Inside, the Triton showcases a driver-focused Horizontal Axis design for enhanced visibility and spatial awareness. Key features include:
Soft padding in strategic areas for passenger protection.
Geometric shapes and metallic accents for a high-contrast, modern cabin.
Glove-friendly switches and dials, catering to professional and rugged use.
Comfortable, sturdy elements like the steering wheel and door handles, designed under the Mitsubishi Touch approach.
Tracing its roots back to the Forte, first launched in 1978, the Triton has become Mitsubishi Motors’ global strategic model. Over five generations, approximately 5.7 million units have been sold across 150 countries, solidifying its reputation as a dependable and versatile pickup truck.
The all-new Triton represents a complete overhaul, featuring upgrades to its interior, exterior, chassis, ladder frame, and engine. Developed under the concept of “Power for Adventure,” the model caters to both commercial users and adventure enthusiasts, supporting activities like water sports, winter sports, and outdoor excursions.
First unveiled in Thailand in July 2023, where it is produced, the new Triton debuted in Japan in February 2024. Mitsubishi Motors is now rolling out the model across 100 countries worldwide, further cementing its position as a top contender in the global one-ton pickup truck segment. Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia officially launched the sixth-generation Mitsubishi Triton in October 2024 with prices starting at RM101,980.
The Design Car of the Year award underscores Mitsubishi Motors’ commitment to blending functionality, ruggedness, and aesthetic appeal, positioning the Triton as a standout in its class.
It is said that there are over 150 car brands currently active in China. So, it should not come as a surprise that we are hearing of a new Chinese brand launched here on a near monthly basis. Some brands we are familiar with, and some we are not.
Take Jaecoo for example, just about a year ago, the Chinese brand was largely unheard of in Malaysia. But today, it is leading the charge to solidify the position of Chinese brands in Malaysia, particularly those under the Chery umbrella.
As far as brands go, Jaecoo is still in its infancy in the grand scale of global automotive brands. While some brands have been at it for over a century, Jaecoo was only established in 2023, together with Omoda
Both Jaecoo and Omoda, collectively known as the O&J, were established by the Chery Group in the early part of 2023 to cater for export markets, and as such are only available in markets outside of China.
According to online literature, the Jaecoo name is based on the German word Jager which stands for hunter, and the English word – cool.
The brand was introduced to Malaysia earlier this year to much fanfare with the J7 being the first model to fly the Jaecoo flag. The J7 was an immediate hit and is loved for its good looks and features with some saying that it is the best value for money SUV currently in the Malaysian market.
In fact, according to the official registration figures from JPJ, the Jaecoo J7 was the best-selling non-national SUV for the month of October. And after spending a few days with the J7 All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) variant, we understand what makes it so popular.
Dashing good looks
Simply put, the J7 does not have an ugly side to it. No matter which way you look at it, the J7 is a good-looking SUV. The vertical louvred front grille is quite imposing on the road and when paired with that pixelated daytime running light, it makes the front end of the car look quite unique and unlike any other car in the market.
Compare the design of the J7 to the usual suspects from Honda and Toyota, the J7 seems a lot more outlandish, and in this instance, that’s a good thing.
Even those 19-inch wheels that it rolls on look great out of the box.
Also, some say that the design of the J7 looks like it was inspired by Range Rover, but this writer struggled to find the similarity. I squinted, I bent down, I looked at it through my fingers and tried every angle to find an element from Range Rover but found none. I’ll say that it is good-looking and unique, but a Range Rover it is not.
But then I stepped inside and found what I was looking for.
Simplistic yet modern interior
When you first step inside, the interior seems minimalistic yet futuristic. The dash is utterly dominated by that massive 14.8-inch infotainment screen that looks like it may rotate, but it does not.
It is through that screen that you access all of the car’s controls, including air-conditioning, entertainment, select one of the seven drive modes and even access safety systems such as lane departure warning and window locks. You also must dive deep into the layers of menu to open or close the shade for the panoramic roof.
At first this may seem like an inconvenience because you constantly must take your eyes off the road, much to the detriment of the eye movement radar placed behind the steering wheel, that in turn scolds you for taking your eyes off the road by emitting constant pings.
But the good thing here is that because the screen is gigantic and you soon memorise where all the controls are, it becomes easier to navigate the controls hidden behind the layers of software.
And then, there is the Range Rover inspiration, and that lays with the steering wheel as well as the seats. Now these do look like they came off the iconic British marque, but they don’t only look great but feel good too.
The steering wheel feels chunky though those haptic buttons require some getting used to and are not very friendly for sweaty palms. But they work better than those on a Mercedes-Benz or a Volkswagen.
Then there are the seats – big, comfortable and ventilated as well. And that makes them perfect for daily life on Malaysian roads.
There is also some inspiration from Volvo as well, namely the vertical air-conditioning vents up front.
The instrument cluster on the other hand is also digital and measures in at 10.25-inches. And in typical Chinese fashion, it tries to feed you too much information than is necessary, and that makes it difficult to read sometimes. But just like the infotainment screen, you get used to it after you figure out where everything is.
Fantastic, but how does it drive?
Better than you would imagine, and when compared to its Japanese competitors, it has to be said that its refinement levels is quite impressive.
At highway speeds, the interior is hushed while the suspension does a stellar job at isolating the cabin from the road, absorbing dips, ruts and everything the road can throw at it.
Wind noise too is down to a level that is barely audible except at some seriously illegal speeds. And this is achieved through the use of double panel windows, which is not something you usually get at this price range.
Handling is impressive as well with the suspension working to minimise body roll when the roads get interesting. And the Jaecoo team deserves some credit for this because finding the sweet spot between comfort and control is something not all car makers are capable of. In fact, Chinese car makers are notorious for putting out overly soft suspension that sometimes nauseates passengers. So, we tip our hat to the team at Jaecoo for how the J7 handles and feels.
What about the powertrain?
Powering the J7 All-Wheel-Drive model is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine putting out 194hp and 290Nm of torque. It is not exactly the final word in power for its segment and there are times when you wish there was more power on tap. This is further accentuated by the obvious turbo lag particularly in Normal drive mode.
To counter this, you are better off driving in Sport mode, but that makes the accelerator feel a little too choppy and difficult to modulate. Steering mounted pedal shifters would have been brilliant but you can also shift gears manually using the chunky gear lever. You must adjust your driving style to the J7 as there are things about it that takes some getting used to.
Speaking of drive modes, there are a total of seven different driving modes for this variant (the two-wheel-drive model gets three driving modes), and those are just way too many driving modes. Just to sate your curiosity, the seven modes are – Eco, Normal, Sport, Sand, Mud, Snowfield and Off Road.
Jaecoo markets the J7 as an urban off-roader and even when it was first launched, the Malaysian Jaecoo team was keen to show off its off-roading prowess by getting members of the Malaysian automotive media to drive the J7 on an off-road course in Semenyih.
The J7 handled the course like a champ, and it is comforting to know the SUV has a water wadding capability of 600mm with a ground clearance of 200mm. That is great to have particularly during the monsoon season, but we doubt many owners will be taking the J7 off-roading.
However, should you decide to visit a durian plantation, selecting one of those drive modes is just a turn of a knob away, making it incredibly easy to switch modes.
The one thing about the AWD variant is that it can be quite thirsty, with the official fuel consumption figure putting it at 7.7-litres per 100km, while we saw a real-world figure of 8.5-litres per 100km. But that is to be expected of an AWD car since all four wheels are constantly turning. Even this writer’s own Mazda CX-5 2.5T has an AWD powertrain, and the fuel needle drops like an anchor on highways.
So, what gives?
There is no such thing as perfection and there is bound to be something or other that has to be sacrificed. For the Jaecoo J7, the handling of the car is something to look out for. We felt a disconnection between the steering wheel and the wheels up ahead with dull spot in the middle where the steering simply did not respond.
Next is the spaciousness, taller drivers and passengers may find the seats up ahead to be a little cramped, but the rear seats are fine if you are about six foot tall. Any taller and you may find your knees rubbing against the front seats.
Then there is the single air-conditioning vent at the back, which is quite odd for a people-moving SUV. If you have kids, they are surely going to be arguing over who gets the A/C vent, but there are two USB ports at the back so they might be distracted with their noses in their devices.
Should you buy one then?
At RM148,000, the simple answer is yes, the Jaecoo J7 AWD variant is a nice SUV that seemingly checks all the boxes in our list. It is not a perfect package, but most cars fall short of that accolade as well.
It also comes with the best warranty package in its segment, with a seven-year or 150,000km warranty on the car, and a 10-year or one-million-kilometre warranty on the powertrain. And as we explained in our video review of the Jaecoo J7, that is the icing on a very nice cake and should put to rest any negative perceptions about Chinese brands.
China’s electric vehicle (EV) powerhouse BYD continues its meteoric rise, capturing a larger share of the world’s largest car market during its fastest-growing month of 2024. With record-breaking sales in November and aggressive expansion strategies, BYD is on track to exceed its global annual sales target of 4 million vehicles, positioning itself ahead of major players like Honda and Ford.
Record-Breaking Performance
BYD sold 506,804 vehicles in November, bringing its total for the first 11 months of 2024 to an impressive 3.76 million units. Bolstered by a robust lineup featuring advanced plug-in hybrid technology, the automaker is well-positioned to hit—or even surpass—its ambitious annual sales target.
BMW’s M division is gearing up for a seismic shift with the development of full-electric M models, but enthusiasts will need to wait until later this decade for the real deal. Models like the i5 M60 and i7 M70—currently part of BMW’s M Performance lineup—serve as a precursor, much like the M240i or M340i in the combustion world. However, these electrified offerings are just a stepping stone, paving the way for a bona fide electric M car.
Development on this groundbreaking project started years ago, with prototypes based on the i4 M50, BMW M’s best-selling car in both 2022 and 2023. A behind-the-scenes video recently offered a glimpse into the rigorous testing and development of these electric M prototypes, revealing exciting details about their future.
Quad-Motor Setup: The Next Frontier
Carsten Wolf, Head of Overall Vehicle Development at BMW M, dropped a major hint in the video: future M electric cars will feature a quad-motor setup, promising unparalleled performance and cutting-edge technology. Wolf described the four-motor configuration as a game-changer, capable of delivering features and driving dynamics beyond what is currently imaginable.
The European Union has announced a $1 billion grant initiative aimed at strengthening its electric vehicle (EV) battery industry, as part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on Chinese components and foster domestic production. The funding, which is tied to strict sourcing requirements, seeks to boost the region’s capacity to produce clean energy technologies while ensuring the EU can meet its climate goals independently.
The initiative is central to the EU’s efforts to build a resilient supply chain for clean energy, with a particular focus on EV battery manufacturing. One key aspect of the program is its emphasis on limiting reliance on Chinese-sourced materials, such as cathodes and anodes, and ensuring that any new patents resulting from funded projects are registered within EU member states to protect critical intellectual property.
Recaro Automotive, the renowned German seat manufacturer, has secured its financial future following a bankruptcy filing in July. The company has been rescued by Proma Group, an Italian parts supplier specialising in automotive components. This deal guarantees Recaro’s revival, with plans to relaunch in January 2025.
As part of the agreement, Recaro’s seat manufacturing will shift from Germany to Italy, ensuring production resumes next year. Aftermarket seat availability is also expected to restart, a major relief for customers and automakers relying on Recaro’s high-quality reputation.
Proma Group has committed to retaining key Recaro employees, particularly from the sales and technology departments, to maintain continuity. This will help preserve the company’s expertise and customer relationships during the transition.
