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With the closure of retail outlets for almost 3 months due to suspension of activities by the government, there has been a clear impact on new vehicle sales and bookings. To boost sales in the remaining months of the year, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) will be having sales promotions.

For the month of September, customers can enjoy the lowest instalment for the Toyota Yaris from RM493 a month with EZ Beli, while those who buy a Toyota RAV4 can get a cash rebate of up to RM10,000. Customers can save money until the end of 2021 as the sales tax exemption applies to all new models, including imported CBU models. For the popular Toyota Alphard MPV, the savings amount to RM17,391.

Last year, UMWT reported total sales of 59,320 vehicles, consisting of 58,501 units from the Toyota brand and 819 units from the Lexus brand. The total sales volume of new Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the month of August was 2,524 units, 56% lower than for the same month in 2020. However, when comparing the first 8 months of 2021 with the same period in 2020, the total sales volume of Toyota and Lexus vehicles was 38,085 units in 2021 and 31,734 units in 2020. This was due to the continued strong sales momentum that started last year.

“It has certainly been challenging for us, but we understand the necessity of the actions taken by the Government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On our part, we have made sure that our workforce has been vaccinated so that we can safely resume and continue our activities at our facilities around the country,” said President of UMW Toyota Motor, Ravindran. K.

“Our loyal customers are also not forgotten and we will soon announce a new program that will reward them for their loyalty to the brand over more than five decades,” Mr. Ravindran added.

He gave assurance that all sales and service outlets will follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) specified by the Health Ministry. Customers and visitors will be required to have temperature scans and register their visit using the MySejahtera app, as well as use hand sanitizers and facemasks at all times. The employees at all facilities will likewise follow SOPs for protection and safety.

Meanwhile, production activities have resumed at the two assembly plants in Selangor. While there is a small backlog of orders to meet due to the shutdown, UMW Toyota Motor expects to be able to deliver new vehicles to customers within a reasonable time-frame.

Assembly Services Sdn Bhd in Bukit Raja, Selangor, one of the two vehicle assembly plants of UMW Toyota Motor.

“We thank our loyal customers for their patience, support and understanding. It is a challenging time for everyone and we have been doing our best to assist customers by maintaining communication channels for them to use if they have a problem with their Toyota or Lexus vehicle. Now that activities can resume, we hope they will ensure that their vehicles continue to have maintenance service carried out,” added Akio Takeyama, Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor.

UMW Toyota Motor to invest RM270 million for assembly of Toyota hybrid models

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As with other many other car companies, Perodua has also resumed operations of its sales, aftersales centres, and related facilities nationwide. The re-opening of Perodua’s sales and aftersales centres comes after the resumption of its manufacturing activities at its headquarters complex in Sungai Choh, Rawang, Selangor recently. In total, Perodua has 191 sales, 197 service and 69 Body & Paint centres nationwide.

“Deliveries have started in stages this week and we expect that we can see more Perodua vehicles produced and registered in the coming weeks,” said Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad said.

Standard Operating Procedures will be strictly followed at all sales and aftersales centres for the protection of customers and employees..

Dato’ Zainal Abidin thanked Perodua customers for their patience, understanding and loyalty. We expect to be able to deliver nearly all existing orders within the year,” he said.

Impact of long closure
The effects of the shutdown of over 2 months ordered by the government under the Movement Control Order has had an impact on sales figures, as evident by the data compiled by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) up till the end of July.

“We are currently evaluating the impact of the lockdown that was introduced on June 1 2021 to our operations and we will announce our revised targets for the year soon,” Dato Zainal said. The Malaysian carmaker had set a target of 240,000 units for 2021 but after 7 months, its cumulative sales have reached only about 41% of that number.

Strict adherence to SOPs
While Perodua has met the required criteria for vaccinations of its employees – which determine the workforce capacity at the factory – the company has also established safety guidelines for its customers when visiting its sales and aftersales centres throughout the country. In accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures specified by the Health Ministry, these safety requirements include being fully vaccinated, wearing a facemask, making an appointment at the sales and/or service outlet before making a visit and to always observe physical distancing. All visitors must, of course, register on MySejahtera as well as have their temperatures checked.

To know more about Perodua models and the locations of showrooms and service centres, visit www.perodua.com.my.

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In line with the National Recovery Plan and the latest list of permitted activities and businesses, most authorised Volkswagen showrooms in Malaysia have resumed operations. However, those located in Melaka, Johor, Kedah, Pahang, and Kelantan are still awaiting approval to operate.

To ensure the health and safety of both visitors and employees, all the showrooms will adhere to strict Government guidelines and #SafeHands measures. These include MySejahtera registration and temperature scans, mandatory facemask usage, regular sanitisation of showrooms and display cars, and others specified in the Standard Operating Procedures.

Whether visiting the showroom or service, all visitors must follow the Standard Operating procedures which now include the requirement for full vaccination.

Must be fully vaccinated
Only fully vaccinated visitors are allowed, and they should have completed no less than 14 or 28 days (depending on the vaccine taken) after receiving their vaccination. Visitors are encouraged to make an appointment prior to their visits by contacting their preferred Volkswagen dealer whether to the showroom or service centre.

“The closure of showrooms in the past months affected our business performance, but we look forward to seeing the industry reopen and move forward, together with the support of our dealers,” said Managing Director of VPCM, Erik Winter, who welcomes the government’s decision to reopen sales and manufacturing operations.

Use Volkswagen’s online channel to buy Volkswagen’s global bestseller in August and you can save extra money.

Special offers for Merdeka month
In conjunction with the reopening of showrooms and the upcoming Merdeka holiday, authorised Volkswagen dealers will be hosting a virtual showroom event on their social media channels this August 27 – 31. As part of the celebration, Volkswagen is offering exclusive online savings of RM4,500 on the Tiguan Allspace Highline and RM7,500 on the Passat R-Line until August 31, 2021. Remember that there are additional savings as sales tax is exempted until the end of this year.

For information on the Volkswagen product range and locations of dealers in Malaysia, visit www.volkswagen.com.my.

Review: Volkswagen Passat R-Line – Very Nearly Perfect!

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Over at Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), opening of all its authorised Nissan showrooms will take place progressively from tomorrow (Friday, August 20). With the exception of a few outlets, all showrooms (branches and dealers) in Perlis, Penang, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan will open from tomorrow. Those that do not will do so by August 23. However, in Kedah, Melaka and Johor, the showrooms will still remain closed until further notice.

Peace-of-mind experience for customers
“ETCM adhere to strict standard operating procedures (SOP) ensuring the safety of its employees and a peace-of-mind experience for customers at all times. Only vaccinated employees including post-vaccine incubation period are allowed to resume work in Nissan showrooms. All employees will be wearing face mask, undergo frequent body temperature check, and regular disinfecting will be carried out at the showrooms including display and test drive vehicles, the company said in a statement today.

Customers are also advised to comply with SOPs when entering the premises; ensure full vaccination including post-vaccine incubation period, provide proof of digital certificate on MySejahtera, have a body temperature below 37.5°C and wear a face mask. Other SOPs set by the Government remain active.

Customers requiring more information can visit www.nissan.com.my or call the Nissan Customer Care Centre hotline at 1800-88-3838.

Tan Chong Motor Holdings organises in-house vaccination programme for employees

Isuzu Malaysia’s customers can expect a safer and more immersive Isuzu experience in the era of the New Normal as the country continues on its journey to recovery from the pandemic. This is the promise from Kenkichi Sogo, the company’s new Light Commercial Vehicle Division’s Chief Operating Officer, as the continuing threat of infections necessitates the enforcement of various safety measures.

Among the measures Isuzu Malaysia has initiated has been the development of an online experience including a 360-degree augmented reality showcase offering prospects an immersive look into the design and features of the latest D-Max pick-up truck before they even need to step into the showrooms. Most shopping tools ranging from loan calculations to maintenance costs are interactively available at the website (pickuptruck.isuzu.net.my), allowing visitors to make informed choices before requesting online for a test drive vehicle to be brought to them at a safe and convenient location.

Procedures for vehicle servicing and maintenance have also been reviewed with the aim of ensuring minimal backlog and ensuring a smoother and efficient flow of vehicles brought in for servicing. Customers are encouraged to make their service appointments directly with their dealers early to ensure their preferred time slots are available.

With over 500 monthly bookings for the new D-Max since its launch, the task in hand will also be to safely hand over the vehicles to the customers. “Due to the restrictions in operations and the limited amount of logistics activities allowed over the past months, a key initiative will be to safely and efficiently deliver the new vehicles to their owners as quickly as possible. We hope all our customers will remain patient and maintain compliance to the set procedures to ensure a safe and pleasant experience for all,” said Mr. Sogo.

He added that while the new D-Max has created a significant amount of interest and witnessed a surge in vehicle bookings over the past 3 months, resulting in Isuzu consecutively claiming the No.2 spot in its segment.

An Isuzu dealership in Taiping, Perak.

“The launch of our latest Isuzu D-Max model during the pandemic necessitated a paradigm shift in the way we presented our new models to prospective customers. As we move towards greater leniency, we need to vigilantly evolve yet remain relevant to the situation in our Gemba (operating environment),” said Mr. Sogo.

Mr. Sogo, 43, is no stranger to the Malaysian market. He spent the last 4 years in Isuzu Malaysia as General Manager overseeing operations of the light commercial vehicle division and parts operations. A graduate of Keio University in Japan, Mr. Sogo began his career in Mitsubishi Corporation in 2001 and has been involved with the Isuzu business for the past 7 years. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Isuzu Malaysia as successor to Masayuki Suzuki, who has returned to the head office in Japan to take on a new position.

To know more about Isuzu vehicles and the locations of authorised dealers, visit www.isuzu.net.my.

Average Monthly orders for New Isuzu D-MAX are 100% higher than for previous generation

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Malaysians know Edaran Otomobil Nasional Berhad or EON very well. After all, it was the company that was established together with Proton and given the responsibility to distribute and market the National Car. While things have changed over the years, EON (a subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Berhad) is still the largest dealer chain handling Proton products today.

Over the years, EON has continuously evolved as times have changed. Even its logo has undergone refreshing periodically while its retail outlets and service centres have been upgraded.

Although EON has been involved in other brands (such as Volkswagen, Audi and Mitsubishi), Proton is still its most important and in view of this, the company now has a dedicated Proton Division website. Created with the user experience in mind, the newly-designed website includes many features to help users quickly and easily navigate and browse for the many Proton models.

Everything to do with Proton
The integrated platform allows customers to find out about the latest promotions, book a test drive, reserve their next service appointment and even calculate monthly instalments for vehicle loans. They can do all this from a smartphone or tablet in the comfort of their home or office, or even a restaurant (when we can dine-in again).

Akkbar Danial, Head of Automotive Distribution of DRB-HICOM and Chief Executive Officer of EON, believes that the possibilities are endless for brands with a strong online presence as a website not only provides massive opportunity for business growth, but is also at the heart of the car buying process today.

“A new website was overdue. With over 80% of Malaysian car buyers doing their research online before making a purchase, it is only logical to have a website, and a good one that works well on personal computers, smartphones and tablets,” he said, adding that there is also a virtual showroom to visit when showrooms are closed for any reason.

“As the single largest Proton dealer in Malaysia, we aim to be the preferred automobile dealer nationwide by positioning ourselves and bringing customers to the forefront of our ‘stores’. Through the website, the most accurate, up-to-date information and promotions regarding our products are easily accessible for our current and prospective customers to make informed car-buying decisions,” Encik Akkbar added.

Beyond distribution and an extensive after-sales network, EON also provides customised solutions for corporate clients under the Proton Fleet Programme, targeted at fleet operators.

Latest campaign from EON
In conjunction with the launch of the new website, EON is partnering with Shell Malaysia in a campaign that offers Shell Vouchers as a token of appreciation. The campaign is for all customers who place a booking and register their new Proton vehicle with EON outlets from August 1 until October 31, 2021. The vouchers, which can be used nationwide for purchases of fuel as well as items at Shell SELECT Stores (excluding tobacco products, e-Pay reloads and Touch ‘N Go top-ups), will be valid until February 28, 2022.

1989 Proton Saga wins Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional in the UK

Volvo Cars has signed an agreement with its parent company, Geely Holding, to acquire Geely Holding’s stake in the companies’ joint ventures in China. This development means that the Swedish carmaker, acquired by Geely from Ford in 2010, will take full ownership of its car manufacturing plants and sales operations in the biggest car market in the world

The acquisition of an additional 50% of the shares in Daqing Volvo Car Manufacturing and Shanghai Volvo Car Research & Development will further strengthen Volvo Cars’ position in China, its largest market, and maximize exposure to one of the fastest growing regions globally.

Volvo factory in Chengdu.
In 2017, Volvo began sending the S90 sedan to Belgium from its Daqing factory via the China-Europe railway link. The connection to Europe is faster than the traditional sea route from Asian ports.

Full control over operations in China
Although the two joint venture companies are already fully included in Volvo Car Group’s financial statements, Volvo Cars’ share of their net income and equity will increase following the transaction. “With this agreement, Volvo Cars will become the first major non-Chinese automaker with full control over its Chinese operations,” said Hakan Samuelsson, Chief Executive of Volvo Cars.

“Geely Holding Group and Volvo Cars are continuously evaluating the best way to collaborate and structure operations within the wider Group. These two transactions will create a clearer ownership structure within both Volvo Cars and Geely Holding,” said Geely Holding CEO, Daniel Donghui Li.

Acquisition includes R&D facility
Volvo Cars has grown significantly faster than the average market in China in recent years and will continue to invest in the country to maintain the strong growth trend. Following the transactions, Volvo Cars will have full ownership of its manufacturing plants in Chengdu and Daqing, its national sales company in China and its R&D facility in Shanghai.

The transactions will be completed in two steps, starting in 2022 when the joint venture requirement for auto manufacturing in China will be lifted, and expected to be formally completed in 2023. The transactions will, of course, need regulatory approvals.

Volvo dealership in Beijing.

Strong growth in China in spite of pandemic
Volvo Cars has seen strong growth in the Chinese market in recent years. In 2020, it sold 166,617 cars in China, an increase of 7.5% over 2019 performance and its eighth consecutive sales record in the market in spite of the pandemic. In the first half of 2021, sales increased 44.9% compared to the same period in 2020, and by 40.1% compared with the same period in 2019.

Geely Holding and Volvo Cars to form joint-venture company producing powertrains

Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and you may not show symptoms but spread the coronavirus. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.

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UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) reported that it started off the second quarter of 2021 with strong sales of 9,280 vehicle for the Toyota and Lexus brands, a 12.7% increase over the number of vehicles delivered in March. The rising sales volume was largely driven by restored consumer purchasing confidence, with growing demand for the appealing new models such as the Corolla Cross and Harrier.

Furthermore, with the PENJANA sales tax exemption set to expire at the end of June this year, many are also not wasting the chance to save money.

Measures helping restore confidence
“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an extremely challenging year for both manufacturers and consumers, but measures put in place by the Government has successfully restored and strengthened consumer purchasing power,” said Akio Takeyama, Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor.

He also attributed the growth in sales to the timely introduction of numerous new models that have been able to firmly establish new benchmarks in the various vehicle segments by enhanced technological and safety features, styling and driving dynamics.

2021 Toyota Corolla Cross
Latest Corolla Cross and Harrier (below) helped boost sales in April.

2021 Toyota Harrier

Network expansion continues
Although business may seem slow for now due to the pandemic, UMWT is not sitting still and preparing for the future with continued commitment for expansion and the enhancement of its sales and aftersales service network. It has opened a new 2S Sales and Service Centre in Cheras (PDC Automobile) and two new 3S Sales, Service and Spare Parts Centres in Johor Bahru and Terengganu.

New Toyota 3S dealership in Kemaman, Terengganu.

“Additionally, we have also been paying close attention to customers’ inclinations for online connections as indicated by strong digital preferences and gains that we have received through online enquiries and bookings. We will continue our assertive pursuit on digitally-led avenues and serve our customers better on all platforms, moving forward,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri promotions
With the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive period underway, UMWT has a Countless Rewards promotion which offers customers will continue savings that can be enhanced with Toyota Service Savers that lower maintenance cost for their vehicles. New car buyers can also opt to benefit from lower instalments (depending on model) with UMWT’s EZ Beli financing scheme.

Mr. Ravindran added that UMWT’s annual Hari Raya Festive Film titled ‘Umi Pembaris’ will be released this week. “It honours timeless lessons on family values, culture and tradition that we keep ever so closely to our hearts even in this age of change, transformation and modernization,” he said.

For more information on Toyota models available in Malaysia and the locations of showrooms nationwide, visit www.toyota.com.my.

After a difficult 2020, Toyota sales are stronger in 2021 with 62% increase year-on-year

Cycle & Carriage was the company that brought Mercedes-Benz to Malaysia 70 years ago; in fact, it was one of the first official importers of the German cars in Asia. While it is no longer the distributor in Malaysia, it continues to have a strong and dominant presence in the retail and aftersales side and has continued to upgrade the facilities in its Autohaus network.

C&C Bintang JB showroom

C&C Bintang JB showroom

Largest Mercedes-Benz Autohaus in the south
The latest example of its investments is in Johor Bahru where its outlet has been upgraded to become the largest Mercedes-Benz Autohaus in the southern region. The built-up area covers 142,000 square feet on a site that is over 224,000 square feet located along Jalan Skudai in the Tampoi area.

As with every Autohaus, the environment offers the luxurious automotive retail experience that would be expected from the brand. State-of-the-art technology and systems are incorporated to presents a retail experience that addresses the customer’s individual needs. Designed with a large open space and supplemented with custom daylight-emitting spotlights allows the customer to experience the true colours of the cars, all intentionally arranged in an arc to maximise visibility of every model displayed. Customers are invited to explore freely and fully immerse themselves in a journey across various touchpoints supported by digital tools and the latest in multimedia.

C&C Bintang JB showroom

More than just ‘a point of sales’
The new retail experience allows for more face-time interactions between customers and the service team, making it more than just ‘a point of sales’ and instead, a point of experience. Even beginning the journey of owning a Mercedes-Benz is an experience of its own. Designed as a “black box” concept, the vehicle delivery room enables an experience-oriented journey of the hand-over process that is personal and memorable.

Mercedes-Benz Certified Body & Paint Centre
Besides the enhanced showroom, the Autohaus also has the only accredited and authorised Mercedes-Benz Certified Body & Paint Centre in the southern region. It is equipped with the latest automotive innovation and technologies as well as expertise to conduct structural repairs while upholding global safety standards specified by the manufacturer. With 35 work bays, up to 850 vehicles can be serviced each month, with owners enjoying the convenience of ‘Drop & Go’ and ‘Door-to-Door’ services as well.

C&C Bintang JB showroom

“For more than 26 years, Cycle & Carriage has brought the Mercedes-Benz brand and experience to the southern region through our Johor Bahru Autohaus. Today, we unveil the latest manifestation of the Mercedes-Benz’s definition of luxury and all its accoutrements. This milestone could not have happened without the outstanding support from our partner, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, and our remarkable team here. We are honoured to continue being entrusted to complement every vehicle bearing the world-renowned 3-pointed star with our Cycle & Carriage brand of exceptional service to our customers,” said Wilfrid Foo, CEO of Cycle & Carriage Bintang, at the recent opening of the facility.

“The future of automotive retail represented here is a concept that weaves the key elements of our design philosophy – sensual purity and spaciousness; it is more than just architecture. It creates an experience that seamlessly blends simplicity and craftsmanship that are unique to the brand,” said Dr. Claus Weidner, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.

Cycle & Carriage Bintang sends the service centre to your home

The National Vaccination Program in Malaysia is free of charge.

2020 will be remembered for many things and it has certainly been a year of much change for lives and for businesses. Perhaps it was already coming but e-commerce using online facilities accelerated this year, partly driven by the need to provide contactless communications and interaction. Car companies began ‘opening’ stores online, and provided owners with a new channel to book appointments for servicing and request other services.

Additional Shopping Tools function
Honda Malaysia is among those companies which has been steadily enhancing its online services and today announced a New Car Pre-Booking Online Platform for customers. The additional function is embedded in the Shopping Tools on the company’s official website. Other shopping tools include a loan calculator, models comparison and Honda Insurance Plus.

Just 4 steps needed
Using the function, customers just need to go through 4 simple steps and the booking fee can be as low as RM99 (terms and conditions apply). They can make the pre-booking for any of the models shown on the website as well as select variants, colour and available accessories. When they have made the pre-booking payment, a confirmation email with all the necessary information including details of the dealer handling the transaction will be sent. Within 72 hours, the customer will be contacted by a designated Sales Advisor from the dealer.

Customers who make the pre-booking can also track the status of the booking at any time. The function will be available in the HondaTouch application by early next year.

All the models available from Honda Malaysia can be pre-booked using the new function in the Shopping Tools.

“This New Car Pre-Booking Online Platform is part of Honda Malaysia’s effort to provide greater accessibility to customers to own a Honda car in this digital era via an online car purchase process. It allows Honda customers to stay ahead of the crowd and pre-book their preferred Honda model through a most convenient and user-friendly process which is right at their fingertips, anytime and anywhere,” said Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director & CEO, Toichi Ishiyama.

“Through this online process, we aspire to offer greater convenience and a safe experience for our customers, no matter which part of Malaysia they are at,” he said.

Of course, making bookings can still be done at authorised Honda showrooms but with the Pre-Booking function, you won’t have to rush to a Honda showroom to place a booking if you want to be among the first to own a model about to be launched.

You can access the function directly by prebook.honda.com.my. Links are also provided from the various models displayed on the website at www.honda.com.my.

Honda Malaysia introduces HondaTouch application for owners and customers

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