Ford is UK's most trusted brand - And it's time Malaysia take note

According to The Malaysian Reserve, almost one-third of respondents surveyed in the UK put their trust in one of United States' household brand - Ford.

The Malaysian Reserve | December 9, 2015

Not too long ago my wife and I went looking for a sedan and considered Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Ford in our shopping list.

At that point in time Toyota and Honda seemed pretty comfortable with their commanding share of the international brand market in Malaysia, that they choosed to continue milking Malaysians of their hard earned money by offering bare-to-the-bone cars. 

While Korean cars were already offering push-start button, reverse camera, navigational display, etc, as standard goodies, the T and H were adamant that consumers don't need all these 'nonsense'. They eventually  offered similar accessories, but still it took them a year or so to respond.

Next best thing then was Ford. Models within reach - Focus and Fiesta - were both better equipped and we nearly bought one if not for the lack of choices and the lingering issues of after-sale service and spare parts availability. Local brand carrier for Ford may have done  some improvement now but you can still hear people talking about such issues. 

Hard to get replacement parts. On the one hand, this could be pure rumour mongering by rival brands, but  on  other the other hand, the brand carrier may have actually made amend. [Personally, I don't like to hear Sales Advisor of one brand badmouthing another, no matter how reputable a brand he represents. He maybe telling the facts, but I'd take his 'advice' with a pinch of salt].

Today if you take to the road and observe what cars are driven around you, you'd mostly see locally produced cars, followed by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, with some European and American cars in the mix.

Chevrolet have been making quite an appearance of late, so, Ford with its long existence here should take note. In Sabah, Ford Ranger, Fiesta and Focus are quite a familiar look, not to mention the relatively new crossovers such as Kuga and EcoSport. 

In Malaysia, Sime Darby Motors represent BMW, MINI, Hyundai, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, to name a few. 

With so many brands under its belt, there are chances that some would get 'left behind'. Sime Darby had better be up to the expectations if they want consumers to put trust in this brand.

A Contractor friend of mine recently bought a Ford Ranger as his workhorse and when asked why he changed from Toyota to Ford, he simply said he wanted to 'try out the American brand and figure out how reliable the truck is'. Hmm, perhaps a thumb up here for Ford, although it still has a long way to go in terms of matching Toyota's market share.

The Green Mechanics: 

No doubt, Ford is a reputable automobile brand that can be trusted. It is all down to the brand carrier (Sime Darby) to play its part convincing the Malaysian consumers.

Top 10 best-selling cars in Singapore (2013)

I was reading my copy of The Straits Times made available to hotel guests during our stay at Festive Hotel Singapore and this caught my attention - for the top 5 best-selling brands, the rank was dominated by European cars, with one Japanese brand in the mix.


3,506 Mercedes cars were sold in Singapore as at end-November 2013. Snapshot: The Stratis Times, December 24


Of the 10 favourite brands in The Lion City, one Korean car maker (Hyundai) made it to the list. Sorry Malaysia, your brands are nowhere in sight here. I'm not questioning why; I'm just reflecting on the popularity of the national cars outside of their country of origin.

To put things into perspective, popular models in Singapore such as BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class are (for examples) sold at:

BMW 328i Luxury (A) Sedan - S$242,800 (with COE)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class C200 BlueEfficiency 7G-Tronic - S$237,888 (with COE)
[Reference: Oneshift]

In Malaysia similar cars would cost:
BMW 328i Luxury (A) Sedan - RM293,800
Mercedes-Benz C-Class C200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY 7G-Tronic - RM262,888
[Reference: Cycle & Carriage]


Top 10 best-selling brands in Singapore (Jan-Nov 2013):

Mercedes-Benz	-	3,506
BMW	-	3,295
Toyota	-	3,037
Volkswagen	-	2,729
Audi	-	1,593
Volvo	-	873
Mazda	-	595
Nissan	-	545
Jaguar	-	457
Hyundai	-	444

Proton & Perodua?           -       dream on?

As an example, Proton Preve 1.6 CFE is selling at S$116,000 ( total base price of S$58,000).
Kia Forte K3 1.6 (A) 2013 is selling at S$133,999 (total base price of S$67,000).

From every angle you look at it, Proton and Perodua will take a back seat in terms of number of cars sold in the rich city state. It's the similar case in Brunei.

TheGreenMechanics: While gaining popularity at home, there's still much to be desired of the homegrown car brands with regards to competitiveness and quality in general. Prices are still very high for Malaysian standard of living.

Nissan says 2014 Rogue SUV is more efficient, cheaper than rivals

It's very interesting to see that newer cars get more fuel efficient. It makes cost of owning a car cheaper, and hopefully the car price, too.

Nissan Rogue, or Nissan X-Trail as we know it in Malaysia is now in its 3rd generation and the styling looks fresh, unlike the current X-Trail model which is too boxy for my liking.

The new design remind you of the current Harrier. Image: USA Today

 The Rogue 2014 (X-Trail) was unveiled simultaneously in the US and Europe.

Price wise, it's very interesting (or should I say cheap) in the US, ranging from $23,350 to $30,280 (inclusive of destination and handling charges. That's translated to be about RM76,529 to RM99,242.

The current X-Trail model in Malaysia is selling at RM148,800, not really pleasing.


New Nissan Rogue 2014 is more efficient

Nissan says its revamped Rogue SUV will be cheaper but more fuel efficient than its rivals when it goes on sale in November.

Nissan unveiled the 2014 Rogue Tuesday at its North American technical centre near Detroit.

Nissan says the new Rogue will get an estimated 33 miles per gallon (7.1 litres per 100 kilometres) on the highway, a 20% increase over the outgoing model. That beats its rivals in the highly competitive small SUV segment, including the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape.

The Rogue still has its old 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine, but it's paired with a new transmission for better fuel economy. For the first time, the Rogue will offer three rows of seating and a cargo area with adjustable shelving.

It starts at $22,490.


Source: Timescolonist

What is it with Korean cars..?

I was at one of Kia's service centres attending to wifey's scheduled servicing for her Forte.

While trying not to be too biased towards this brand, I must admit that their line up has improved a lot in terms of design and presentability. Newer models look nicer and appealing at first sight.

Look at these pic I took at the their 3S Centre in Kota Kinabalu (all pictures were taken with the iPhone):

New Cerato 1.6 D-CVVT

Cerato 1.6 starts at RM102,000 and Cerato 2.0 at RM121,000

Dashboard of the Cerato

New Sorento  2.4L DOHC CVVT (RM161,000)

Kia Optima, K5 starts at RM147,000 pitted against the likes of Toyota Camry and Honda Accord

Rims of the Optima look a bit dated now

So, what is it with the Korean cars that brings about bad perception among the general public in this country (if I can use the word 'bad')? Maybe it's the previous reputation that spare parts are hard to to get and therefore expensive, or the overall driving experience isn't comparable to the likes of Toyota, Honda, GM, etc., or is it the perceived lower resale value? Maybe.

But if you ask me, I've started to like their cars ever since the carmaker hired Peter Schreyer, who worked for more than 8 years with Audi, to completely redesign the Kia and Hyundai car lineups.

Perhaps it's time we take a serious look at Kia and Hyundai cars alongside the more popular Japanese and US automakers.

Proton's new Suprima S launched, price starts at RM76,338 (RM78,338 in Sabah)

Proton is expecting to correct the public perception that the local car manufacturer produces sub standard cars with the launch of its latest offering, the Proton Suprima S.

Proton says that this car is RM40,000 cheaper than other makes in the same class. This puts the Suprima S (by Proton's own words) in the same league with Honda Civic, Toyota Altis, Ford Focus and Nissan Sylphy, which are priced around RM115,000 to RM120,000.

For comparison, the RM89,000 Kia Forte is known to be in the same segment as Civic, Altis and the peers.

Ok, I know the Suprima S is a hatchback, but yes, price-wise - that's what Proton is saying.

The Suprima S looks exactly the same as the Preve, except that it is a hatchback.

In Peninsula Malaysia, on-the-road selling price for the Proton Suprima S, which comes with a five-year warranty and five-year free road assist programme, is as follows:

Proton Suprima S 1.6 Executive (metallic) RM76,688
Proton Suprima S 1.6 Executive (solid) RM76,338
Proton Suprima S 1.6 Premium (metallic) RM79,988
Proton Suprima S 1.6 Premium (solid) RM79,638

You have every reason to be pissed off if you've been expecting a similar pricing in Sabah. In Kota Kinabalu area, you are slapped with a RM2,000 'premium' compared to those in West Malaysia:

Proton Suprima S 1.6 Executive (metallic) RM78,688
Proton Suprima S 1.6 Executive (solid) RM78,338
Proton Suprima S 1.6 Premium (metallic) RM81,988
Proton Suprima S 1.6 Premium (solid) RM81,638


"I hope the perception that Proton produces cheap, low quality cars will be corrected because Proton cars are of the same standard as other famous car manufacturers."
- Proton Advisor, Dr Mahathir during the launch of Suprima S.


Suprima S is Proton's first 'hatchback' model fitted with high safety features such as ABS with EBD, brake assist, electronic stability control (ESC), traction control and two rear Isofix mounts. Both Suprima S variants are equipped with six airbags - front, side and curtain.

Five colours are available for the Proton Suprima S, these being Atlantic Blue, Fire Red, Genetic Silver, Tranquility Black and Solid White.

Proton Suprima S 1.6 CVT

TheGreenMechanics: Go for a test-drive, even if you aren't a fan of proton cars. This one looks nice on paper, we are planning to go to the nearest showroom and touch the metal ourselves.

The New Pajero Sport

I visited a car road show by EON Automart a couple of weeks ago at Karamunsing Complex lobby. 

On show were a number of Mitsubishi vehicles including the newly launched Pajero Sport. It so happened that I brought along my PnS camera, so, I asked permission from the Sales Consultants and began firing away. The followings are for a treat.

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Sold at RM163,690 for Kota Kinabalu registration, I was made to understand that the Pajero Sport is aimed at rivaling the Fortuner. I chatted with few SCs and they were so engrossed with pitting the Pajero Sport with the so-called overpriced Toyota Fortuner. So, I did some searchings and compared the vital stats here:

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My observation would purely be based on personal opinion, myself being just another car driver whose choice of ride is just as ordinary as other consumers out there. That I am not a car expert or a car mechanic.

Firstly, this Pajero does not resemble the older version of the full-sized Pajero, or a refinement of the later to say the least. It looks more like a combination of the Triton and the Challenger.

Secondly, the term Sport should imply a little bit of sportiness in the build of the SUV such as the Fortuner Sportivo, Sorento Novus and the face-lifted Rexton. If you are expecting a sporty SUV in the new Pajero then expect to be a little bit disappointed. 

Personally I would like to see a different front grille on the Pajero instead of a familiar looking adaptation from the Triton. A little bit of skirting and spoiler would be more appealing. As it is now, the new SUV looks plain and empty, apart from the awkward choice of side step. A refined Challenger would be more sporty.

Value for money? My answer is yes, if you compare it with the Fortuner solely. Some of its plus points are the combination leather seat, 17-inch alloy wheels, better audio system, keyless entry system, chromed-plated door handle and side mirror. And most importantly it is automatic transmission for ease of driving experience for the urbanites. Compare it with Santa Fe and it may have serious competition in value-for-money.

I was hoping for something different from Mitsubishi and I was sorely disappointed at how they emulate Toyota in producing the Pajero Sport. Just look at how Toyota practically modified the Hilux into Fortuner and you’ll understand the similar case of Mitsubishi’s Triton-turn-Pajero job.

Will I buy it? Have it been available when I bought my current SUV a couple of years back, perhaps I’d have seriously considered it, together with Hyundai’s Santa Fe. It would be a serious contender and rival to the Fortuner if it’s priced at around RM150k.

Overview of the Pajero Sport.

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Stylish tail lamp and nice chrome-plated side mirror.

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Minimalist’s dashboard?

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Familiar looking grille

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I would add a spoiler if it was up to me.

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Folding second row seat and the combination leather trimming

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My favourite – the 17” alloy wheel. A bit expensive but it adds to the car sportiness.

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BTW, one of the friendly Sales Consultants I was chatting with at the exhibition was Mr Nazly, or call him Naz. Their office (EON Auto Mart) is in Tg Aru Plaza and you can reach them at 088-255150 or Naz himself at 016-8139381.

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You can read further by visiting their website, http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/
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CAR AIR-COND ALERT? What's the fuss about?

Shalom everyone, I'm posting this not because I support it, but I'm beginning to grow tired of receiving more and more e-mails these few days; they came like horde of buffalo and they keep coming! So, off I went and did a little diggings and true enough, some fact findings yield some startling views.

I am talking about the apparent chain e-mail titled "Car Air-Cond Alert", "Do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car!" or anything to that meaning. So eye-and-mind catching to readers that everyone seem to be forwarding it.

I reproduce the content as follow:

"Please open the windows after you enter your car and do not turn ON the air-conditioning immediately. According to a research done, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen- take note of the heated plastic smell in your car).

In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer may also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... & the people inside the car will inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.

It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff."

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Consider these few questions before you jump into believing such claim:

1. Research - who did the research, and where are the details and statistics?
2. Benzene - what type of benzene? I'm not a chemist but I came to know that benzene exist in many forms, some of which are harmless. We are looking at which benzene in our cars?
3. 60^o F is equivalent to15.5^o Celsius. My office is air-conditioned at 24^o Celsius, so, if that's the case I may have to start throwing away anything plastic in my office (and home). I'd definitely love to leave my car in the sun and temperature is kept at a 60^o F. Then again, perhaps the writer is talking about sunlight in the North pole.
   
4. And finally, as long as there is no verifiable fact attached to such claim/email, it most probably is plain hoax. Err, this one isn't really a question.
   

The only good thing it did to a layman such as myself is the fact that I am now clear about the layout & schematic diagram of a car air-condition system. Much clearer now I must say.

The final point about opening the window and door is a plain common sense I suppose, but do be careful about leaving your door open when you are parked at secluded places. Your cancer concern may leave you a victim to burglars. And when that happen, there is a possibility that you may be gone sooner than if it was due to cancer itself.

Check this out to get more readings. Good points by some, and you know you'll never be blindly jumping into conclusion anymore.