PEOPLE CARS Have Always Been an Integral Part of Malaysian Society
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NEW SUNDAY TIMES COMPACT/FAMILY APRIL 24, 2011 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 03-2056 9298 CAR GUIDE Sms: 012-300 6655 FOR THE PEOPLE CARS have always been an integral part of Malaysian society. In late 1970s, Japanese and Continentals cars shared the same amount of space on the road. As years went by, the Japanese makes moved on to conquer the market as the Continentals became more premium. Before long, with the arrival of Proton in the mid 1980s and Austin Allegro Datsun 120Y later Perodua, national brands crowded the roads, muscling out the foreign brands, with the Continentals suffering more than the Japanese. This year, we began to see more Continental brands driven by Malaysians. Peugeot, Volkswagen and Ford have all made their products more affordable and for those looking for a new ride, there is a wider choice. This week, our guide helps you to see what is in the market and what are the best deals in town. Toyota Corolla KE20 Honda Civic first generation Ford Escort MkII Mazda 1000 The People's 911 Volkswagen New Beetle 2011. More info on Page IV. '&7%'5F'/+55+105 0*#0%'&(7'.'((+%+'0%; #&'2155+$.'$; 4+&)'5610'5#&8#0%'&6'%*01.1); II COMPACT/FAMILY CAR GUIDE NEW SUNDAY TIMES APRIL 24, 2011 Peugeot roars to the top Ford cars claw back EUGEOT is the best selling Continental brand (passenger FORD has been struggling Top Five Continental / American Pcars) in Malaysia for the first with the truck image for quite Brands (January-March 2011)* three months of the year. sometime and was trying hard Malaysia Automotive Association to crawl out from it. said Nasim, the brand’s caretaker, has Model Units Well this year, the company sold 1,538 units of Peugeot vehicles 1 Peugeot 1,538 seems to have made some from January 2011 to March 2011. 2 Mercedes-Benz 1,227 progress. According to Nasim, the figure 3 BMW 1,183 MAA statistics show is a strong 167 per cent jump from 4 Ford 1,174 that Ford is currently in last year where it sold 576 units of 5 Volkswagen 1,099 No 4 on the Continental/ vehicles in the same period of time. * MAA passenger vehicle figures American passenger vehicle Peugeot’s best selling model this list. year remains the 308 hatchback If you count in the sales which contributed to 38 per cent of of its Ranger truck, it will be the sales (588 units). the number one Continental/ Last year, Nasim sold 458 units of American brand in Malaysia. the model in the first quarter. According to Sime Auto Nasim believes the brand’s success Connexion, its best selling can be traced back to Peugeot’s model is the Fiesta where the 200-year heritage and astute model averages around 200 business practices where the French units a month. manufacturer offers the best possible The Fiesta comes in various package to customers. variants -- from the high spec Since Nasim became the custodian dual clutch gearbox hatchback of the brand back in 2008, the to a sedan and even a 1.4-litre company has invested heavily in hatchback with a manual new outlets, a good stock of spare The Peugeot 308 and gearbox. parts at reasonable prices and Those looking for a manual continuously improving after sales the Ford Fiesta are hatchback with sporty quality. bringing people back handling could consider the Peugeot fans can look forward to Western brands. Fiesta manual and feast on its to the launch of a new executive sporty sense. segment car which will make its debut later this year. THE B7 INSPECTION Caveat venditor 1. Glass area 2. Condition of the body 3. Wheelhouse IN the barrage of amendments that earlier this month appointed Puspakom 4. Pillars Parliament passed late last year, to do the inspections and produce the 5. Cut and joint one slipped through without any required reports. 6. Floor publicity – the Hire Purchase Act 1967 That, however, is only part of the (Amendments 2010). changes. A detailed study on the 7. Type of fuel Puspakom, however, drew light to amendments shows that the objective is 8. Chassis frame this amendment when it set up a new to protect Malaysians from buying used 9. Tyres inspection line to cater specifically to vehicles that will break down after two 10. Engine mounting the amendment. days of use. 11. Air-conditioning system The Ministry of Domestic Trade, This is a good start by the ministry 12. Odometer reading Co-operatives and Consumerism had to provide Malaysians with a new 13. CNG system for NGV perspective to the auto financing will be a straightforward “pass” or Second Schedule, a document that lists 14. Side-slip test (to check the landscape, one that protects the rights “fail”. Other items will be rated either down the details of the hire purchase alignment of two front tyres) of the consumer. satisfactory or not, with a short agreement for the vehicle. 15. Emission assessment statement. If the buyer withdraws his/her 16. Suspension CBT GOES THROUGH The inspection list is quite booking, 90 per cent of the fee must be 17. Brake system Group Managing Editor comprehensive and even includes Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohammed Isa THE CHANGES refunded. 18. Under carriage inspection that inspection the air-conditioning system When the application has been consists cut and joint, floor, Group Editor Modified or altered vehicles not and gearbox. approved, the bank will have to prepare Datuk Syed Nadzri Syed Harun chassis frame, engine mounting, eligible While this is not a foolproof consumer a complete agreement and get the exhaust system including muffler Under the new section 4F, it is clearly protection programme as things can buyer to sign it before requesting for and gearbox (visual inspection stated that motor vehicles which have still go awry when it comes to the the rest of the deposit. for leakages, etc). their construction or structure altered internal parts of the engine or the The deposit can only be paid to the or modified are not eligible for hire- transmission, it nevertheless is a good bank but some banks like Ambank has n RM90.00 at any Puspakom centre. purchase transaction. This is up for start. plans to appoint their dealers as agents debate as the meaning of “altered” or The new B7 inspection will replace to collect the deposit. “modification” must be clearly defined. the VR1 but the B5 inspection, a four- Agreement form Editor | Yamin A. Vong point inspection that confirms the Repossession All hire-purchase agreement must be Car status report for used vehicles News Editor | Hezeri Samsuri identity of the vehicle, is still required by Under the new Amendments, all in Bahasa Malaysia or English. Under section 4G, the seller of a used the Road Transport Department. repossessors must have a permit issued The agreement must be printed in Writers | Albakry Salehuddin, vehicle must declare in writing any by the Ministry. black with font size not smaller than Niklas Albakri, Gokul Kandiah defects of the vehicle in accordance Booking and deposit If the hirer has paid up more than 75 10-point Times Roman. Production Editor | Anthony Raj with the inspection report by the Under the new rule, the maximum per cent of the cash price of the vehicle The banks are not allowed to deliver Graphic Consultant | Wan Ismail Puskapom. amount of booking fee that the seller (retail price excluding on the road any incomplete agreements or forms Researcher | S.J. Gana Puspakom has prepared an 18-point can request is a maximum of one charges), the banks must obtain a court or documents. All forms must be Advertising | Joseph Raj inspection, called the B7 inspection, per cent of the total cash price of the order to repossess the vehicle. completed and delivered by the banks ([email protected]) and the charge is RM90 for each B7 vehicle (retail price excluding on the straight to the hirer. inspection, with the cost borne by the road charges). Registration card A copy of the agreement must be Cars, Bikes & Trucks n CONTINUED PAGE X ([email protected]) seller. But this is only after the potential Hirers are now given the option to served within 21 days (now 14 days) Tel: 03-22821841 SMS: 012-300 6655 For safety related items, the result buyer has been served with the keep the Registration Card. after the signing of the agreement. NEW SUNDAY TIMES APRIL 24, 2011 COMPACT/FAMILY CAR GUIDE PAGE III IV COMPACT/FAMILY CAR GUIDE NEW SUNDAY TIMES APRIL 24, 2011 People’s Porsche! HEN it was born, the Beetle was the people's car. In the 90s, the Beetle morphed into a fashion Wicon (it even had a flower vase inside) but come 2011, it shrugged off its feminine traits and emerged as a sporty vehicle for the masses. In fact from the side flanks, the new Beetle has some Porsche lines to it and to support this theory, Volkswagen has made the Beetle longer (+152mm), wider (+84mm) and lower (-12mm). The new Beetle's design was overseen by Walter de Silva and Klaus Bischoff while Marc Lichte was the team leader for the exterior design. The new car gets new proportions as the windscreen is shifted back while the roof is extended even further back. 1.4L TSI (160hp), a 1.6L diesel BlueMotion engine (105hp) Sportier does not mean it is less practical. Volkswagen and our favourite, the 2.0L TSI (200hp). has made the boot larger (310 litres from 209 litres) but it While the first Beetle's safety system might have been still seats four.