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Rohingya acting like thug, asking RM20 parking fee around Petaling Street area

Rohingya people are acting like parking attendants around the Petaling Street area, asking for RM20 from drivers.

We’ve always felt bad for the people of Rohingya in Malaysia, because on top of being stateless, they depend on humanitarian aid to live from day to day.

But when the Rohingyas start to overstep Malaysians, this sympathy for their situation gets thrown out the window, especially when they are conning hard-working Malaysians for a few quick bucks.

Kosmo recently uncovered a video showing a Rohingya acting like a parking attendant around the Petaling Street area, apparently trying to collect a parking fee from a driver.

Through a video shared by a social media user, the foreigner is seen wanting RM20 for the usage of the parking area.

The video came with the caption “lokasi adalah di Petaling Street, Jalan Petaling, minta duit parkir sampai RM20 untuk sebuah kereta”.

“We Malaysians only earn so much. It’s extreme,” said the user.

The one-minute video has gained a lot of attention and has gone viral on various platforms, and has now reached over 450,000 views.

The viewers of the video are urging the authorities to detect and act on the foreigners who carry out this illegal work, where they can be seen taking advantage of scared Malaysians.

A barrage of comments was attached to the video, with one netizen saying, “This cannot be allowed! Many of them become thugs to ask for money from the public, disguise themselves as beggars, and become parking attendants like this is their own land. When people don’t want to succumb to their request, they get angry like thugs”.

This follows another week of concerns about Rohingya people in the country, where recently, JPJ and PDRM are starting to be alarmed by the amount of Rohingyas buying vehicles without changing vehicle titles so that they can carry out illegal activities.

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Mercedes partner up with Google – Finally, Youtube and Maps on Mercedes’ high-def screens!

This partnership between Google and Mercedes-Benz will make Mercedes the first automaker to build its own branded navigation experience based on new in-car data and navigation capabilities from Google Maps Platform.

Whether you prefer an Apple or an Android device, there’s no denying that everybody prefers to use Google’s navigation systems, let it be Google maps or Waze.

For this reason, more and more manufacturers are starting to concede that Google’s navigation systems are the best, which is why more and more of them are partnering up with the California-based company.

The latest manufacturer to strike a long-term strategic partnership with Google is Mercedes-Benz, with the move apparently helping them accelerate auto innovation and create the industry’s next-generation digital luxury car experience.

This partnership will give the luxury automaker access to Google’s leading geospatial offering, including detailed information about places, real-time and predictive traffic information, automatic rerouting, and more. 

By embedding these features into the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), customers will be able to enjoy a superior navigation experience, thanks to easy usability and outstanding graphics on the car’s high-resolution screen. 

To help enrich the user experience, the companies will bring the YouTube app into the Mercedes-Benz infotainment system. In addition, Mercedes-Benz will use Google Maps data to enable assisted driving features such as automatic speed adjustments before intersections, roundabouts or curves.

“We invite only the very best partners to enhance our operating system and to add to the Mercedes-Benz customer experience. Google has been a leader in maps and navigation for many years.”

“With our strategic partnership, we are excited to create unique services and to elevate the level of convenience for our customers. It will be deeply integrated within our signature Mercedes-Benz user interface and fully connected to relevant vehicle functions like the state-of-charge”, said Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

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2023 Budget: EV incentives extended according to MOF’s website

There were some updates for EV incentives at the 2023 Budget tabling, it just wasn’t announced by PMX, Anwar Ibrahim.

At the recent 2023 budget tabling, it was a big surprise that nothing was mentioned about EV incentives during the 2 hour live televised broadcast, as that was one of the things that was expected to be updated.

Well, later on in the evening, after the dust had settled, there were actually some updates in regard to EV incentives, outlined in the 2023 Budget touchpoints on the Ministry of Finance’s website.

The biggest update we guess had to do with the import and excise duty exemption for fully-imported (CBU) EVs, as it has once again been extended for another year, closing the curtain on the exemption on December 31, 2025, instead of December 31 2024.

There were also some updates for locally-assembled (CKD) EVs, as the excise duty and sales tax exemption for CKD EVs has been extended to December 31, 2027. This deadline also applies to components used in local CKD assembly of EVs. 

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2023 Budget – Key takeaways for the auto sector

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim has re-tabled the 2023 Budget today at the Dewan Rakyat, and the largest budget on record at RM386.1b has some pretty interesting auto and transport-related points.

As we know, there has been a lot of chatter about the local EV industry recently, but surprisingly, nothing was said about the sector during the budget tabling. Instead, a lot of effort has been put into public transport, road improvements and vehicle licenses. 

Road improvements

The government is also concerned about the high amounts of accidents occurring on local roads which is why they will put aside more than RM2.7 billion to fix and upgrade federal and state roads. RM50 million has also been reserved to upgrade lighting in accident-prone areas around the country.

Absorbing license test costs

Putrajaya will absorb the cost of taxi, bus and e-hailing licence test fees. They will also sponsor tests for those who wish to take the B2 motorcycle license, which is basically tests for the below 250 cc category. This seems like a move to help promote the e-hailing and p-hailing industry as well as public transport.

MRT3 cost slashing

The government will find ways to slash the costs of the Mass Rapid Transit 3 project, cutting it down by RM5 billion. The Prime Minister said the project was estimated to cost around the RM50 billion mark and his administration aims to get it down to RM45 billion. The savings from the cost-cutting will be redirected to the people.

 

 

 

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All-new 2023 Toyota Vios now open for booking! Two variants, RM90k-RM96k

The all-new 2023 Toyota Vios is now open for booking here in Malaysia with an estimated price tag between RM90,000-RM96,000.

The fourth-generation AC100 Toyota Vios which has been launched in other markets like Indonesia and Thailand (called the Yaris Ativ) was recently teased by UMW Toyota and now, you can place a booking for one with two different variants to choose from.

2023 Toyota Vios – 1.5E & 1.5G, est RM90k-RM96k

There will be two different variants for the 2023 Toyota Vios here in Malaysia – 1.5E and 1.5G. Both will be expected to run with the 2NR-VE 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i and perhaps a new CVT gearbox that produces 106PS and 138Nm of torque (the same powertrain as the Indonesian Vios) built on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform. In comparison, the outgoing model is running the 2NR-FE unit that churns out 107PS and 140Nm of torque.

For those who are particular about pricing, the new 2023 Toyota Vios is estimated at RM90,000 for the 1.5E and RM96,000 for the 1.5G (OTR without insurance). There will be a bunch of notable differences between the two, which will be confirmed in the next bit.

For that price, you’re looking at a much sportier-looking Vios that comes with 17-inch alloy rims, selectable driving modes (Power, Eco & Sport), paddle shifters, electronic parking brake with auto hold function, rear AC vents, and a nine-inch display audio with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

A bunch of safety features can also be found in the new 2023 Toyota Vios courtesy of the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) such as:

3D Panoramic View Monitor (PVM)
Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Lane Departure Warning & Prevention
Front Departure Alert
Pre-collision System
Lane Keeping Control
Adaptive Cruise Control
Auto High Beam

There will be five different colours to choose from – Silver Metallic, Nebula Blue Metallic, Attitude Black, Platinum White Pearl, and the new hero colour, Spicy Scarlet SE. An additional RM400 will be charged for those who want it finished in the Platinum White Pearl colourway.

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Toyota making a 7-seater Toyota Corolla Cross?

While Malaysians are still excited about the newly launched Toyota Corolla Cross Sport, there’s news that India may get a 7-seater version of it.

Toyota plans to expand its SUV range in India by introducing a 7-seater Corolla Cross. Reports suggest that the Japanese automakers might bring the longer variant of the already internationally popular model to India.

To make it a 3-row seater vehicle, some re-engineering is to be expected to the Corolla Cross that we currently know and love. 

IndiaTV reports that the 7-seater Corolla Cross would come with a third row of seats that can fold into the floor when not in use. The model is rumoured to be built on the TNGA-C platform and may share powertrain options with the Innova Hycross, assuming they are coming from the same assembly lines.

The powertrain options may include a 2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a hybrid powertrain. Other updates may include a new bumper, grille and modified headlights. It may also be safe to anticipate that the new SUV will be slightly lengthened, with longer rear doors for easier third-row access.

Picture credit: Design AG

The 5-seater Corolla Cross is not currently available in India, but the potential inclusion of a 7-seater variant could be a highly appreciated expansion to the existing lineup. This stretched-out Corolla Cross is an effort by Toyota to address the increasing demand for 7-seater SUVs for the Indian market, and an attempt to compete with rivals such as Hyundai who has flooded the market with the 7-seater Alcazar.

The lingering question in all our minds is whether this larger Corolla Cross will make its way to Malaysia. It would be interesting to see if there is a market for it, when it has to compete with the affordable Perodua Aruz, and Toyota’s own Velloz.
 

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Mitsubishi finally wakes up Ralliart – 286hp Outlander Ralliart SUV to be introduced in 2024

The good old Mitsubishi Outlander will apparently undergo the full Ralliart treatment – to be given close to 300hp.

Best Car Magazine has revealed that Mitsubishi’s performance arm, Ralliart is working on a special project like the good ol’ days and will introduce a fire-breathing Mitsubishi Outlander, called the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Ralliart. 

According to their report, plans are underway to introduce a performance-oriented Outlander PHEV,  just like the one showcased at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January last year. In addition to the engine, Mitsubishi will also update it visually to help show its stripes.

In terms of power, the Outlander Ralliart will be powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, which apparently will be assisted by an electrifying pair of electric motors. The engine only puts out 133hp, but with the assistance of the electric motors, it can generate up to 286hp.

There’s no word on how much torque the Ralliart model would produce, but it’s definitely going to be more than 450Nm, as this is what the regular Outlander PHEV is already capable of. In the current Outlander PHEV, the front axle is equipped with an 85-kilowatt motor and the rear sports a 100-kW motor.

Aside from the mechanical changes, Ralliart also plans to beef up the suspension so that it can utilise the additional power, which might see the SUV get a stiffer suspension setup.

Going by the images posted, major changes have been made to the rear, including an air diffuser, F1-inspired central brake lights and a large spoiler.

That aggressive-looking back end will be paired up with a matching aggressive-looking body kit everywhere else, including some dark and sporty-looking 22-inch rims.

Since unveiling the concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Mitsubishi has introduced Ralliart versions of the Outlander and Outlander PHEV, but none of them came with what we know Ralliart is capable of. This time around however, it seems we will get to see a full-fat Ralliart SUV.

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New Volvo 3S Centre launched in Setia Alam

Sime Darby Swedish Auto has launched its second Volvo dealership here in Malaysia.

Located in Setia Alam, Shah Alam, the new Volvo 3S Centre (sales, service, body, and paint repair) has the capability to offer end-to-end services for its customers.

Covering a span of 23,000 square feet, the new Volvo 3S Centre in Setia Alam offers full immersion in the Volvo Retail Experience (VRE) as well as other high-tech facilities such as four charging bays and everything else in between when it comes to the ownership of Volvo vehicles.

According to Charles Frump, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, “We are pleased to reinforce our partnership with Sime Darby Swedish Auto through the opening of the Setia Alam dealership and we look forward to forging a stronger collaboration in showcasing how Volvo vehicles offer its owners and customers the freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way.”

The new Volvo Setia Alam showroom is located at No.3, Jalan Setia Alam Murni, U13/AH, Seksyen U13, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor. Operation hours start from 8.30am to 6.00pm daily.

 

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Vehicle name change is a must – concerns of foreigners using the vehicle unlawfully

You must transfer vehicle ownership when you sell your car, especially to foreigners as they have been found to use the vehicles unlawfully. 

One of the reasons why everyone must change names when they sell their vehicles is so that the previous owner can avoid any potential liability issues if anything happens to the car.

Kosmo recently brought to light that there is an issue regarding the sale of vehicles to foreigners without transfer of title, and apparently, it has been happening in the country for a long time now by a few parties who want to make a quick buck.

However, these few parties are not sensitive to the fact that selling vehicles to foreigners without changing ownership is legally wrong and can put themselves and other road users at risk.

The president of the Federation of Malaysian Car and Credit Companies Association, Datuk Tony Khor Chong Boon, has chimed in on this issue and said that this could lead to criminal incidents such as road bullying, robberies and road misdemeanours that the vehicle owner himself is not aware of.

“Not changing the name of the ownership of the vehicle is definitely wrong in the law. If anything happens, the fault lies with the vehicle owner, not the party who bought the vehicle.

“This will cause the vehicle owner to bear the risk and be hunted by the authorities if anything were to happen with the car,” he told Kosmo.

He said, buyers should also follow the proper channels to buy any vehicle to avoid fraud.

“Sellers should also not take advantage of these foreigners. Some of them have valid documents and can change the title, but the seller prefers not to change the title in order to make a higher profit,” he added.

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Geely launches a new electrified brand called Geely Galaxy

Geely Auto has officially unveiled its latest electrified brand called the Geely Galaxy.

Marketed as a high-end electrified product series, the Geely Galaxy brand unveiling was also joined by its first premium PHEV production model, the Geely Galaxy L7 long-range PHEV SUV as well as a concept EV called the Galaxy Light.

The Geely Galaxy brand will be at the forefront of Geely Auto’s latest advanced driving techs which were also unveiled during the ceremony. Future NEV enthusiasts can look forward to the brand’s extensive use of the latest E-CMA electrified architecture, Aegis battery safety system, NordThor Hybrid 8848 powertrain, and the Galaxy N-OS smart vehicle operating system.

Seven new Geely Galaxy models in two years

The Geely Galaxy journey will start in the second and third quarters of 2023 when the first Galaxy L7 SUV and L6 go up for sale. That will be followed by its first Galaxy E range production model, the Galaxy E8, in the final quarter of 2023.

There will be a total of seven different models that will be introduced by Geely Galaxy in the next two years – three of which will be the Galaxy E range. All of them will incorporate the new Aegis battery safety system which is said to offer the highest level of user protection as well as usage lifespan. It can also predict pre-empt thermal runaways as well as other situations.

Other highlights include the latest-generation NordThor dedicated hybrid engine from Geely, the NordThor 8848. Its biggest shoutout is the achievement of hitting a peak thermal efficiency of 44.26% which improves fuel economy by up to 15% as well as enhanced performances.

Paired to the NordThor three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT), this hybrid powertrain allows the Geeley Galaxy L7 PHEV SUV to hit 0-100km/h in just 7.5 seconds before arriving at its top speed of 200km/h. In real-world driving situations, the Galaxy L7 can essentially cover 1,370km of range using only a single tank of fuel as tests revealed a remarkable fuel consumption rate of 5.23L/100km. No news so far for its all-electric range, though.

Galaxy N-Operating System

Last but not least, the Galaxy N-Operaing System developed by Geely offers the fastest system startup and response time in its class as the self-developed chips, operating systems, intelligent cloud computing, and satellite networks from Geely are backed using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 vehicle chip.

The brains of it all will see the advancements in the brand’s precise satellite positioning, high-precision maps, and intelligent driving assist functionalities in the near future. Perhaps our favourite part is how good the cars look. Very Audi e-tron-like, eh?

 

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