Myvi Sets the Standard

Last year I won an sms contest organised by Cars, bikes and trucks’ section of the NST. Actually I didn't win anything, I just got my sms message printed. My name was not even put there. I had made some suggestions about how Proton cars could be improved. My suggestion was to make air bags and disc brakes standard in all cars. My friends working in Proton kept on making excuses like "it would increase costs", blah blah blah.

The Perodua Myvi comes as a breath of fresh air and has set a new stadard for all cars sold in Malaysia, both local as well as foreign brands.

Only the top range DOHC 1.3 litre automatic (priced RM51,300 on-the-road with insurance) comes with ABS and twin air bags but it is a start for a car of this range and price.

I found it interesting that local compnent vendors also contributed to the design and development of parts right from the inception stage working with Perodua. This is a strategic move in view of the fact that the car has 80% local content

Perodua's latest offering comes in direct competition with Proton's soon to be launched first compact car (Also known as the Tiara replacement model with a 1.2 liter engine). I am eagerly wating to see Proton's response to the Perodua's challenge.

Perodua Myvi Launched/ Toyota News

Perusahan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) launched its latest model Myvi (the 6th) today. I didn’t read it in any of the newspapers but got the news from Paul Tan’s blog. (This guy is really up-to-date).

According to Perodua’s Managing director, Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar, they have received more than 6,000 bookings for Myvi and expect 15,000 more bookings after the launch.

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UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd’s new corporate HQ costing RM50mil was officially opened by by the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah yesterday.

The headquarters in is located on a 24,000sq m site in the Section 15 industrial area, Persiaran Raja Muda, Shah Alam.

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UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd is also launching its new multi purpose vehicle (MPV), the 8-seater Innova on the 27th, this Friday. It replaces the Unser which is no longer produced anymore.

According to managing director David Chen, they have already received more than 2000 bookings.

More information is provided on Paul Tan’s blog.

You can also check out their official website.

More Info:

- UMW Holdings Bhd group managing director: Datuk Dr. Abdul Halim Harun,
- UMW Toyota Motor chairman: Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin
- UMW Toyota Motor deputy chairman: Yoshimi Ishii
- UMW Toyota Motor managing director: David Chen.
- Toyota Motor Corp senior managing director: Akio Toyoda
- Toyota Motor Corp managing officer (Asia, Oceania and Middle East): Datuk Akira Okabe

New Nissan Plant/ Suzuki Swift

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd which distributes Nissan and Renault vehicles in Malaysia is building a new RM125mil plant in Serendah, Selangor(six kilometers north of Rawang).

The new plant is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2007. The initial production capacity at the Serendah plant is 24,000 units a year but it can go as high as 30,000 units.

The present plant is in Segambut.

Other Info:
Executive director of Edaran Tan Chong Motor: Dr. Ang Bon Beng.
Company secretary and General Manager of finance and administration: Joseph Tan

The sale of Nissan vehicles went up 40 per cent to 22,000 units.
Their best selling vehicle in Malaysia is the Sentra, followed by the Frontier pick-up and the X-Trail sports utility vehicle.

Read the Star report here.

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The 1.5-litre Suzuki Swift was publicly launched on the 16 of this month at the Palace of the Golden Horses hotel. Seri Kambangan, Kuala Lumpur.

According to says DRB-Hicom executive chairman Tan Sri Mohd Saleh Sulong, Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd aims to sell between 4,800 and 6,000 units of Suzuki Swift in the first year (400 to 500 units per month).

The 1.5-litre automatic transmission (completely built-up from Japan) Swift will be priced between priced between RM78,000 and RM85,000. It is targeted at urban and suburban young families with incomes of between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a month.

Its competitors include the Honda Jazz, the Chevrolet Aveo as well as the Proton Gen 2.

In order to handle its sales and service, a network of 21 dealers with sales, servicing and spare parts (3S) centres has been established.

Some info about the car:

1. Comes in 6 colours,
2. 5 door hatchback
3. DOHC 1.5 litre, 16-valve fuel injected engine with Variable Valve Timing (VVT)
4. 4-speed automatic gearbox
5. Top Speed: 170 km/hr.

According to Tan Sri Mohd Saleh, they are now carrying out feasibility studies for the CKD (completely knocked down) assembly of Suzuki Swift in Malaysia.

They also plan to launch the Jakarta-assembled APV (all-purpose vehicle) and the Grand Vitara (Fully Built up in Japan) sports utility vehiclelater this year.

Other Info:

1. The Suzuki franchise in Malaysia is held by Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Berhad.
2. Suzuki Motor Corp of Japan chairman and chief executive officer: Osamu Suzuki

3. Suzuki Malaysia chief executive officer: Bastaman Hamzah

4. Besides Japan, the Swift model is also assembled in Hungary, China and India.


Read more about it in the Business Times and in the The Star.

Chery Cars Hit Malaysian Roads

I have been neglecting this blog for a while and now its time for updates.

The Chinese Chery A160 was launched on the 7th of this month by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz in KL.

The Chery A160 costs RM61,519 (on the road with insurance). Alado Bumi Auto Sdn Bhd which distributes this brand in Malaysia, expect to sell about 3000 units this year.

FYI, the ALADO group: ALADO Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (Pte. Ltd.) comprises of :
1. ALADO Automobile Sdn. Bhd.
2. ALADO Marketing Sdn. Bhd. &
3. ALADO Bumi Sdn. Bhd.

(Their website is terrible.)

Other models on line for launching later this year includes the A41 and B14 models.

Read the Star report here.

You can read about the specs of the A160 and the T240 at the Motor trader website here.

They were initally supposed to launch the mini QQ model but put it off following the allegations that it had copied GM Daewoo's Matiz and Spark designs. They later filed a lawsuit in China and GM is asking for compensation of 80 million yuan (US$9.6 million). however, Chery deinies this and says that they developed the design on their own.

Chery Automotive Co. only started exporting cars in October 2001 and it exports cars to more than 10 countries including Iran, Iraq, Bangladesh, Cuba, Syria and now Malaysia.

According to an American importer, Chery will be the "next Toyota...".

KLIMS 2006

The Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow 2006 will be held from May 26 to June 4 at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

I am not sure why KLIMS 2006 and not KLIMS 2005.

DRB-HICOM to distribute and Assemble Indian Brand

DRB-HICOM Berhad's subsidiary USF-HICOM (M) Sdn. Bhd. will start assembling and distributing the Mahindra brand in Malaysia starting with the Scorpio range which was launched in Kuala Lumpur on 4th of this month.

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited is India’s largest manufacturer of 4x4 vehicles and tractors.

The Scorpio range range comprises of the 2.0 litre petrol 4x2 and the Scorpio 2.6 litre diesel double cab.

The Petrol version features a 2.0 litre DOHC 116bhp engine from Renault (used in the Renault Scenic and Laguna series) and is priced at RM79,913.13 (price on-the-road without insurance).

Other Specs:
- 7 seater
- 5 speed manual gearbox
- Standard leather seats
- wishbone suspension at the front
- leaf springs and a live axle at the rear
- disc brakes in front and drums at the rear
- Top speed : 165 kilometres/ hour.

Another Malaysian Car

Did you know that we have not 2 but 5 Malaysian car manufacturers and the numbers are increasing. I am not joking. Let me list them down for you (in alphabetical order):

1. Bufori Motor Car Company (M) Sdn. Bhd.

2. Esnasports Sdn Bhd

3. Perodua

4. Proton (Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd) (The big daddy)

5. TD Cars (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd

According to a Bernama report yesterday, the Naza group is going to join the list as the latest to come out with a Malaysian made car.

Some information about this car (According to group managing director Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin):

- 1.2 litre car
- Launch scheduled in October this year.
- Designs done by 18 Naza engineers, 'mostly former employees of Proton and Perodua'.
- Secret project has been going on for the past two years (Went under the radar of all auto researchers).
- Total investment : Around half a million ringgit
- Estimated production /YEAR: 60,000 to 70,000 units

Read the full report here.