Ariffbaki: September 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

[New post] Mazda Biante MPV appears on oto.my – 2.0L RM150k

Mazda Biante MPV appears on oto.my – 2.0L RM150k

by Danny Tan

Click to enlarge

Last week, we told you that the Mazda Biante will be introduced in Malaysia in November, alongside the facelifted CX-9. Now, an ad of the eight-seater MPV has appeared on our sister classifieds site oto.my, with an indicative price of RM150,000 for the CBU from Japan model.

The 4.71 metre long MPV – facelifted last year and a direct competitor to recent debutant Nissan Serena S-Hybrid – is equipped with a SkyActiv-G 2.0 engine, with output numbers being 149 hp at 6,000 rpm and 190 Nm at 4,100 rpm. Like the CX-5 SUV, the SkyActiv mill is paired with a SkyActiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission.

The facelift process dresses up the high-roof offering with a new front bumper and grille, new rear LED combination lamps and 17-inch wheels and 215/50 series tyres, among other things. Note that the Biante is not a Toyota Alphard/Nissan Elgrand rival, but a class smaller in the MPV scale.

The oto.my ad lists down dual-powered sliding doors, keyless entry, dual-zone air con and dual-airbags as standard equipment. Four colours are on offer - Radiant Ebony Mica, Aluminum Metallic, Black and Crystal White Pearl Mica - according to the SA from Thrive Glory, a Mazda dealership in Cheras Selatan. The ad also mentions a free three-year/60,000 km service package, besides a three-year/100,000 km warranty.

The live pics you see below are of the Indonesian-spec Biante - the MPV was officially launched there at the recent IIMS 2013 show.

Danny Tan | October 1, 2013 at 2:19 pm | URL: http://paultan.org/?p=202013

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[New post] OFFICIAL: Mitsubishi ASX to be CKD in Malaysia

[New post] Toyota i-ROAD to join Ha:mo urban transport trials

Toyota i-ROAD to join Ha:mo urban transport trials

by Jonathan James Tan

Remember the Toyota i-ROAD you saw in Geneva back in March? Seems it hasn't just waddled into obscurity - Toyota has announced that the all-electric two-seater will join the Ha:mo urban transport system trials in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan from early 2014.

Launched in October 2012, the Ha:mo system combines all forms of public and private transport, aiming to improve traffic flow while keeping emissions in check. It also ensures the most appropriate form of transport is used to get where you want to go.

Two services are offered - Ha:mo Navi and Ha:mo Ride. The former provides both public and private transport users with route guidance and traffic info, while the latter enables car-sharing for short and last-mile hops, such as a ride from the train station to a shop.

The system is currently populated by 10 Toyota COMS personal mobility vehicles (pictured below) and 10 Yamaha PAS power-assisted bicycles that users can rent and return at four locations. From next month, the fleet will grow to 100 of each, and there'll be 17 new rent-and-return locations. These spots will be conveniently located near main train stations and major public facilities.

A fee system for the car-sharing service will also begin in October, starting at 200 yen (RM6.60) for the first 10 minutes and 20 yen (66 sen) per minute thereafter.

Also introduced is the Ha:mo smartphone app - this offers services such as new route suggestions based on traffic flow and local vehicle station stocking levels, vehicle reservation, access to bus timetables and push notifications of predicted traffic congestion and weekly traffic congestion forecasts.

Toyota expects Ha:mo membership to rise from 100 to 1,000 in October, and says the system will bring emotion like "I want to go somewhere more."

Jonathan James Tan | October 1, 2013 at 12:09 pm | URL: http://paultan.org/?p=201830

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[New post] Perodua won’t be forced to merge with Proton – gov’t

Perodua won’t be forced to merge with Proton – gov’t

by Jonathan James Tan

The government cannot force Proton Holdings Bhd and Perusahaan Automobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) to merge, although it can encourage them to forge strategic cooperation to improve the efficiency of parts procurement from vendors, Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed has said, according to Bernama.

Mustapa said that both companies have drawn up plans to enhance production, with Proton planning to increase exports to 50% of total production and Perodua giving comprehensive training to its staff to reduce production costs.

"There is very strong competition in the country and the local manufacturers have accepted change and are making many changes of their own, alongside improvements to enable them to compete with other brands," the MITI minister added.

He was answering a supplementary question from Datuk Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) yesterday in Parliament, on the impact of the competition between Proton and Perodua, as well as from foreign carmakers. Noraini had asked earlier about the 2010 proposal to merge Proton and Perodua, to which Mustapa replied that the government could not force them to do so.

The initial proposal to merge Proton and Perodua was intended to create a more able and globally competitive unit. Mustapa had stated before in 2011 that both companies will not be forced by the government to merge.

Meanwhile, on the subject of the National Automotive Policy (NAP), the MITI minister said that the government has had lots of discussions with stakeholders.

"By year-end, it can be expected that we will have a policy that is good for enhancing the efficiency of the automotive industry. We want our companies to advance and compete from the aspect of price and quality," he said.

Jonathan James Tan | October 1, 2013 at 10:15 am | URL: http://paultan.org/?p=201986

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[New post] JD Power: customer satisfaction improves in Malaysia

JD Power: customer satisfaction improves in Malaysia

by Danny Tan

While overall customer satisfaction with the new vehicle sales process in Malaysia improves in 2013, the gap in satisfaction between local and foreign brands has widened, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2013 Malaysia Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study that was recently released.

Now in its 11th year, SSI examines seven factors that contribute to overall customer satisfaction with the new vehicle purchase experience. In order of importance, they are delivery process, sales initiation, salesperson, paperwork, delivery timing, dealer facility and deal. Performance is reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale, in which a higher overall score indicates greater satisfaction.

Overall sales satisfaction in Malaysia averages 798 in 2013, an increase of 17 points from 2012. Overall satisfaction improves among all factors when compared with 2012, with dealer facility (+25) and delivery process (+20) showing the largest improvements.

While overall sales satisfaction has improved in 2013, the gap in sales satisfaction between local and imported brands has widened to 30 points from 11 in 2012. Contributing to the gap are lower scores in the sales initiation and salesperson factors. "Salesperson-centric qualities, such as fulfillment of commitments, focusing attention on the customer, and thoroughness of following up on customer requests, are key areas for improvement," said Rajaswaran Tharmalingam, Malaysia country head at JD Power Asia Pacific.

The study identifies 19 sales standards that enhance the overall customer sales experience. When shown the list of 19 sales standards and asked to identify which ones their salesperson followed, 72% of new vehicle buyers in 2013 say their SA followed at least 14 standards, an increase from 70% in 2012.

Improvements in overall sales satisfaction are also attributed to external factors, such as the stabilisation in the supply chain for popular models. "Natural disasters such as the Japan tsunami and Thailand floods in 2011 caused inventory shortages in 2012, which affected deliveries and customer satisfaction," said Tharmalingam, who also noted that Bank Negara guidelines that made it more difficult to obtain loans in 2012 have eased somewhat this year, making credit more easily available.

"Continuous product training for the sales team helps ensure they achieve a meaningful discussion with product-savvy new-vehicle buyers. Exceeding buyer expectations creates a notably positive experience. Following up with buyers after the sale goes a long way to improving satisfaction," he added. Presently, only 67% of buyers are contacted after delivery to ensure they are satisfied.

Among the 12 brands included in the 2013 study, Toyota ranks highest with a score of 826. Toyota improves across all factors, with the largest year-over-year improvements in salesperson, deal, paperwork and dealer facility. Nissan ranks second with 823 points, followed by Suzuki (821), Mazda (813) and Ford (812). Suzuki is the most-improved brand with a 61-point increase from 2012.

The 2013 Malaysia SSI Study is based on responses from 2,622 new-vehicle buyers who purchased their vehicle between August 2012 and April 2013. The study was fielded between February and June 2013. J.D. Power released the 2013 Malaysia Customer Service Index (CSI) Study in August, which you can read about here.

Danny Tan | October 1, 2013 at 9:49 am | URL: http://paultan.org/?p=201798

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blogger boleh: “Informasi Malaysia Kini” plus 6 more

Informasi Malaysia Kini
encikarman
Blog Cahaya Cinta
Anuar Menulis
Color of Bitt
PCHBlog
Sop Nama Saya | SOP.NAME.MY

Informasi Malaysia Kini

Posted: 30 Sep 2013 01:31 PM PDT

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