Tune Motoring

Malaysian Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, has announced that the Malaysian driving licence (MLM) can now be renewed for up to 10 years.

The 10-year driving licence renewal is just one of many initiatives that will be rolled out by the Ministry of Transport to improve its public service delivery as well as offer more convenience for fellow Malaysians who feel that the current five-year maximum licence renewal is too short.

There is, however, a time period that this service is going to be available. Starting next week (8 May 2023), the 10-year MLM renewal campaign period will end at the end of this year (31 December 2023). There are also other criteria that are required to be eligible for this decade-long licence renewal.

The first thing is that the remaining licence validity should be less than a year from the date of renewal. If this criterion is met, then the MLM can be renewed for 10 years at all Road Transport Department (JPJ) offices and counters across Malaysia.

Those who are eligible can also enjoy the benefit of paying for only nine years instead of 10. Instead of paying RM300 (RM30 per year), the 10-year licence renewal will only cost RM270. Sounds like a good deal if you don’t have to worry about renewing your driving licence for the next decade, eh?

 

The Neta EV brand has finally penetrated the Malaysian market following the official launch of its first-ever model in the country, the Neta V.

Representatives from Neta Auto as well as the country’s official distributor, Intro Synergy Sdn Bhd, are already in the headlines by bringing in the first-ever EV into Malaysia that’s priced under the RM100,000 mark. That, however, won’t stop there as they have plans to launch two more Neta EVs by 2025.

Considering the high prospect of great sales figures paired with outstanding warranty periods, the Neta V will hopefully get the Neta ball rolling here in the country before the introduction of the brand’s second EV offering, the Neta U.

Targeted to arrive here on our shores by the second quarter of 2024, you may think of the Neta U as the bigger and more premium version of the budget-friendly Neta V small electric SUV. The dimensions of the Neta U EV SUV should be an interesting prospect considering the fact that wider, taller, and carries a longer wheelbase compared to the Toyota Corolla Cross.

The base model of the Neta U is powered via a single-electric motor setup powering the front wheels with 161hp and 210Nm of torque. There’s also a slightly more powerful version that outputs 201hp and 310Nm of torque which offers a 0-100km/h time of seven seconds as compared to 10 seconds for the former configuration.

As for battery capacity, we can most likely expect it to come with a 54.32kWh pack that offers 400km of range (NEDC) or a bigger 81.57kWh pack that extends the range up to 500km for every full charge. We can also assume that its DC fast charging capability should be around the same as the Neta V at 30 minutes from 30%-80%.

If SUVs aren’t your thing and you want something that can most likely bring the fight closer to the likes of a Tesla Model S, the Neta S might brilliantly float your boat in terms of design, firepower, and driving distance.

As to which powertrain that’ll come into the Malaysian market, it’s still pretty much in the dark. The Neta S version kicks off strong with an NEDC-rated range of 710km, but there’s also the range-extended model that pushes things off the charts up to 1,000km per full charge.

It’s indeed an interesting and logical strategy for the Neta brand in penetrating the Malaysian market. Their first step of offering an EV under the RM100,000 mark is already a huge talking point for many, and with enough publicity (paired with an EV that can withstand the tests of Malaysian roads), expect the same level of success for the Neta U as well as the Neta S.

 

At the ongoing Malaysia Autoshow 2023, Bermaz Auto Alliance provided a sneak peek of the Peugeot e-2008, which is the first all-electric version of the compact SUV in its history, and evidently the first EV Peugeot to be sold in Malaysia.

Of course, the example shown off at MAEPS might not exactly be aligned with the specifications and feature set of the final model coming to Malaysian showrooms, but it does give us hope that Peugeot models going forward will be equipped as GT variants instead of the lesser Allure.

The e-2008’s appearance is quite similar to the regular 2008, but it includes some unique design elements, such as “e” badging on the side scuttles. It also features featuring body colour accents on the grille and front fog lamps, as well as 18-inch wheels.

Given the higher trim level, there’s a more premium material spread throughout the e-2008’s interior than we’re used to seeing here in the 2008. The seats, in particular, feature a variety of finishing and texture while the most distinguishing element here is the presence of switch-type gear selector instead of a traditional gear lever.

Being a B-segment SUV, albeit one powered by a single electric motor instead of a combustion engine, it will be pitted against the Hyundai Kona Electric, BYD Atto 3, and the Ora Good Cat upon launch.

First introduced globally in 2019, the e-2008’s specifications include a 50 kWh (46.2 kWh net) lithium-ion battery that can cover a distance of up to 320 km according to the WLTP standard. The front-mounted electric motor can generate 136 PS (134 hp or 100 kW) and 260 Nm of torque, enabling the e-2008 to reach a speed of 0-100 km/h in approximately 10 seconds and a maximum speed of 150 km/h.

The e-2008 has the capability to recharge its battery quickly via a CCS2 connection for DC fast charging with a maximum of 100 kW, allowing for 0-80% state of charge in only 30 minutes. Alternatively, an AC charging option is available through a Type 2 connection for up to 11 kW, which takes around 4.5 hours to reach full charge.

While that range and battery size might not upset the current crop of rivals, it is more than enough for a city runabout if you only plan to commute and charge once weekly. It’s endurance already manages to outlast the Mazda MX-30 by a significant margin.

National carmaker Perodua has given us a glimpse into its potential fully electric plans through its Electric Motion Online (EMO) concept, despite previously stating that it would initially focus on hybrid technology for its move into electrification.

The EMO was unveiled at the Malaysia Autoshow and is a visualisation of an electric hatchback – a Myvi-ish sized one too. Although the concept is clearly non-functional and built from clay at 1:6 scale, it does provide a design viewpoint of what an electrified future could look like.

Enforcing its EV angle, Perodua even made a companion miniature charging assembly included with the model. While details were not provided, some information was available through the EMO game simulator in a booth just next to the ‘car’ exhibit.

Perodua also states the would-be B-segment model has the same measurements as the current Myvi, with a length of 3,895 mm, width of 1,735 mm, and height of 1,515 mm, and a 2,500 mm long-wheelbase.

Somewhat underwhelmingly, the electric motor generates just 95 PS and 121 Nm of torque, delivering a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 10 seconds and a top speed of 160 km/h.

A 50 kWh battery is said to be what Perodua envisions for their first EV, which provides a range of 300-350 km and can be charged via DC charging at up to 300 kW – impressive! It takes only 20 minutes to charge the battery to 80% from near-zero.

In terms of design, the five-door hatchback looks stylish in that overly futuristic way and boasts short overhangs. The grille and overall lines might appear familiar as we’ve seen cues here that echo many other brands, not just Perodua.

As the EMO concept is just a clay model, there are no images of the interior, but Perodua has provided its interpretation of how the interior of its electric vehicle could look like in a product video where it’s 3D rendered, and it appears to be quite distinct.

The driver is given a designated cockpit area, which is noticeably separated from the front passenger  with color-coding helping to emphasize the zonal shift, though the final car (if we ever get it) realistically won’t be anything too ‘driver-focused’.

However, the automaker has stated that an actual model based on the concept will be constructed by the end of this year or early next year, so it will be fascinating to see how it turns out. In any case, the EMO concept demonstrates that the automaker is already beginning to plan for the future, and we might see a full size version of what that might look like as early as 2024.

Intro Synergy Sdn Bhd, the official distributor for the Neta EV brand here in Malaysia, has officially soft-launched its first EV offering, the Neta V.

This small all-electric SUV will set a precedent for all affordable electric vehicles in the market as it becomes the first production EV here in Malaysia to be priced under the RM100,000 mark.

Unveiled at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023 during press day, future customers can start placing their bookings this week at MAEPS Serdang from 4-7 May 2023 at their booth located in Hall D. Priced at RM99,800 (OTR excluding insurance), the first 100 bookings will also receive a cash voucher worth RM10,000.

Based on the vehicle configuration presentation during the soft launch, the version of the five-seater Neta V that’ll be marketed here in Malaysia is the one that’s fitted with a single-electric motor powering the front wheels with an output of 95hp and 150Nm of torque.

That translates to a 0-50km/h time of 3.9 seconds followed by a city-friendly top speed of 101km/h. The full battery range can be pushed up to 380km (NEDC), which also means that this Malaysian Neta V is fitted with a 38.5kWh battery pack. Supporting both AC and DC charging, the fastest the Neta V can be charged from 30-80% is 30 minutes.

The insides are pretty much basic or ‘minimalist’ apart from the small yet sleek driver’s display screen as well as the star of the interior, a 14.6-inch intelligent screen set horizontally in the middle of the dashboard. No buttons in this EV, so that’s probably the biggest thing future customers need to get used to.

For the price of RM99,800, all Neta V units here in Malaysia will also receive 10 years body warranty (or 200,000km), five years general parts warranty (or 150,000km), and most importantly, eight years EV high voltage parts warranty (or 180,000km).

Five exterior colours can be chosen for the Neta V – Pink, White, Sky Blue, Cyan, and Midnight Gray. Expect this sub-RM100k EV to be officially launched sometime in July 2023.

TC Subaru, the official distributor of Subarus in Malaysia has finally launched the facelift Subaru Forester, after quietly bringing it into the country last month.

The new Subaru is still the fifth-generation Forester, but the update on the SUV has brought some new life to the vehicle through an altered front fascia as well as updated safety features.

Four variants are offered with prices starting from RM174k. The variants and prices are:

2.0i-L Eyesight – RM174,288 
2.0i-L GT Lite Edition Eyesight – RM180,288 
2.0i-S Eyesight – RM184,288 
2.0i-S GT Edition Eyesight – RM196,288 

No matter which variant you buy, the Forester will come with newly redesigned headlights and glossy blacked-out radiator grille surround. The 2.0i-S and 2.0i-S GT gets a more sophisticated set of headlights, which feature auto high beam and steering responsive headlights.

The other big update is of course the inclusion of Subaru’s basic Eyesight system as standard, but the top two variants get additional features in the form of pre-collision braking with autonomous emergency steering and rear vehicle detection. All variants get:

Adaptive cruise control with lane centering
Lane departure warning and prevention
Lane sway warning
Lead vehicle departure alert and pre-collision throttle management

Everything else is business as usual, which means the Forester is equipped with the same 2.0-litre flat-four unit with direct injection, which produces 156PS and 196Nm, mated to Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT and distributed to all-four wheels via the Symmetrical AWD system.

Other noticeable differences between the top two variants and the rest of the lineup include:

Inclusion of 18″ wheels
Special X-Mode Vehicle Dynamics Control system

All prices are for Peninsular Malaysia, OTR w/o insurance, and come with a 5-year, 100,000 km warranty.

Chery Malaysia has announced its official partnership with Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd to officiate its local assembly or CKD plans into motion.

It’s indeed exciting news considering the fact that the two models that Chery Malaysia has chosen for the local assembly plans are the Tiggo 8 Pro models as well as the very exciting EV model, the Omoda 5.

According to Chery Malaysia’s Country Director, Mr Leo Chen, “We are very excited to be partnering with Inokom. With nearly three decades of experience in assembling vehicles of many world-renowned brands, Inokom is an ideal partner for Chery in our mission to take root in Malaysia and provide Malaysian consumers with high-technology and high-quality vehicles that are ahead of the curve in terms of design.”

The CKD production line for Chery Malaysia will begin in June with an initial target capacity of 20,000 units per year. As for the official launch of both the Tiggo 8 Pro series and the Omoda 5, that will take place sometime in July. Hopefully, there will be some ready stock on standby and minimise the waiting period for anticipating future customers.

“We are also accelerating all other aspects of our localisation strategy, including recruiting top Malaysian talents in areas such as product, sales, after-sales, branding and marketing, and of course through our dealership network – we target to launch with no fewer than 30 dealers covering all major cities nationwide,” added Mr Chen.

 

Proton has unveiled its latest 2023 Proton X50 R3 20th Anniversary Limited Edition model at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023.

As you may have read in the title, only 200 units will go into production and bookings will be opened during the Malaysia Autoshow 2023 period which is taking place from 4-7 May 2023.

Based on the Proton X50 Flagship model, the limited edition Proton X50 R3 comes with all the bells and whistles that you would expect from the range-topping Proton X50 model. This, however, has been given the R3 treatment and judging by the looks, it is indeed a head-turner.

What’s on show at the Proton booth here at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023 event grounds is marked as the Proton X50 R3 Concept (as seen on the plates), which can mean that the production version might be slightly different from the one on display this weekend at MAEPS Serdang.

At first glance, the Proton X50 R3 edition comes with the exclusive Black body colour with a matte finish garnished with yellow highlights. You’ll also find other R3 garnishes like the full body kit, bonnet stripe, radiator grille logo, tailgate nameplate, interior nameplate, and customised 3D floor mats.

Perhaps the biggest upgrade has to be the R3 18-inch flow-formed lightweight wheels that certainly tie everything together. As far as we’re concerned at the moment, the Proton X50 R3 20th Anniversary Edition is purely an upgrade in terms of looks, but who knows, there might be some performance upgrades as well once Proton finalises the production version.

No word on the pricing just yet, but only 200 units will go into production and bookings can be placed at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023. Want one? Try to be at MAEPS Serdang early in the morning and get your booking slot from 4-7 May 2023.

Approximately a year after its global debut, the first M-badged electric vehicle, the BMW i4 M50 arrives in Malaysia, priced at RM446k.

BMW Malaysia today unveiled the BMW i4 M50, the first all-electric BMW M vehicle designed for pure electric driving performance. 

For the MSRP price of RM445,800 you will get what BMW Malaysia calls the vehicle to set the foundation for the future of thrilling EV sportiness in the country – one that is both Sustainable and Responsible.

Two BMW M eDrive motors are equipped in the BMW i4 M50 – one each for the front and rear axles. This configuration allows for an extremely dynamic all-wheel drive experience, with an impressive output of 544 hp and 795 Nm of torque in Sport Boost mode. The century sprint can be achieved in just 3.9 seconds, while top speed is capped at 225 km/h.

With an energy consumption of 24 – 19 kWh/100 km, the electric range is measured at 510 kilometres (based on the WLTP cycle). Compatible with both AC and DC charging modes, the M50 can be fully charged in just 8 hours and 15 minutes with an 11-kW AC charger, or be charged from 10 per cent to 80% in just 31 minutes with a 200-kW DC charger.

The BMW i4 M50 arrives with the BMW M 50 Years Emblems as standard. Also part of the standard equipment includes the M Aerodynamics package, M rear spoiler in body colour and black rear diffuser insert.

Inside, the BMW i4 M50 is furnished with the M interior trim with carbon fibre trim finishers, M anthracite headliner, and features as such M Sport seats at the front, M seat belts, instrument panel in Sensatec, and electrical glass roof. 

The BMW IconicSounds Electric also provides for a particularly emotive experience by recreating the sporty “M” engine sound.

For peace of mind when on the road, the Ev comes with advanced safety systems, which include Acoustic Protection for Pedestrians, Active Protection for Pedestrians, Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Plus and Active Protection.

The i4 M50 will be available in the exterior colours of Mineral White, Black Sapphire, M Brooklyn Grey, M Portimao Blue and Sanremo Green. Interior upholstering is available in Leather Vernasca in Black with Blue Contrast Stitching and Leather Vernasca in Cognac.

Owners of the First-Ever BMW i4 M50 will receive the complete BMW Group Malaysia Premium Ownership experience which includes:

BMW 5-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service Programme
BMW 8-Year / 160,000 km Battery Warranty (whichever comes first)
BMW Roadside Assistance and Accident Hotline
The BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App – BMW Privileges Card
BMW Service Online

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, represented by local distributor Cycle & Carriage, has brought quite the surprise to the Malaysia Auto Show: the AMG GT 63 S E- Performance, the version as you can see.

Sitting at the very top of the AMG range, this fast 4-door (it’s actually a liftback and based on the CLS-Class) blends the power of the company’s M178 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a powerful electric motor to create quite the potent hybrid.

 

All told, the car puts a mighty 843hp and 1,400Nm of torque onto the road via all four wheels, allowing the car to rocket to 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds despite its kerb weight of 2,380kg.

Top speed, meanwhile, stands at 316km/h. It uses a permanently excited electric motor (204hp, 320Nm)  and lithium ion battery, both of which are located at the rear get the car’s weight balance just right.

 

None of this comes cheap, of course, with the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PERFORMANCE coming in with a recommended retail price (inclusive of 10% sales tax) of RM2,088,888. Mercedes-AMG will also likely be offering some options for customers to select, so be ready for that price to be a little more inflated.

 

Exterior features include Benz’s MULTIBEAM LED headlights, 21-inch AMG 5-twin-spoke forged wheels, AMG Aerodynamics Package, Inside you’ll get AMG Performance Seats with Nappa leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, AMG carbon fibre trim, MBUX multimedia system through a widescreen cockpit, a Burmester sound system, a heads up display, and a bunch of active safety and electronic convenience features.

So, ‘just’ 2 million for the hybrid bragging rights?