2023 Proton X70 review in Malaysia – new 1.5L turbo three-cylinder engine better than the 1.8L turbo 4-pot?

The Proton X70 MC was launched in June last year, with the biggest change to the popular SUV being the adoption of a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine to replace the previous 1.8 litre turbo four-pot.

The direct-injected TGDi mill powers four out of five available variants, but if you still want the larger-capacity motor, it can be found on the most expensive version of the X70 MC, the 1.8 Premium.

With 177 PS and 255 Nm of torque on tap, the 1.5 litre TGDi engine makes 7 PS and 45 PS less than the 1.8 litre powerplant. However, peak torque arrives sooner with the downsized engine at 1,500 rpm compared to 1.750 rpm with the 1.8 litre unit, which is also 43 kg heavier.

A seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission – introduced on the locally-assembled (CKD) model back in 2020 – is standard across the range and you can get

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Perodua hybrid coming in 2024, Proton first EV in 2027

Electrification may be the hot new fashion, but not every brand is rushing into it. Take the two national automakers, Proton and Perodua. Both have said that their entry into the game won’t come so soon, and this was reiterated in an auto sector investor note issued recently by RHB Investment Bank.

In it, the investment bank indicated that Proton is expected to launch its first electric vehicle (EV) in 2027, while Perodua is set to unveil its first hybrid EV in 2024. No surprise with the first, which repeats what has already been stated by Proton, that it is planning to produce and launch its own EV by 2027.

The Perodua mention isn’t exactly a revelation either, at least not with regards to the particular format that will be adopted – the company has said from as far back as 2019 that its first steps into the new frontier

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Ford Mustang Mach-E EV in Malaysia – Premium AWD from the UK, 351 PS/580 Nm, 549 km range, RM450k

The Ford Mustang Mach-E has made its way to Malaysia, but the all-electric SUV hasn’t arrived through official channels. The units you see here are parallel imports, brought in by vehicle importer G-Mart Corporation.

Three units are available, all UK-specification Premium AWD extended range versions. Identically kitted, the dual-motor Mustang Mach-E examples are all priced at RM450,000 each, with G-Mart stating that they come with a five-year warranty.

Specification-wise, the Premium AWD features a 98.7 kWh battery (installed capacity, with usable capacity rated at around 91 kW), which provides it with up to 549 km of travel range (WLTP). This is marginally less than the nearly 600 km of range available on the single-motor ER Premium RWD variant.

The AWD’s motor setup offers 346 hp (351 PS, or 258 kW) and 580 Nm in terms of output numbers, with performance figures including a 0-100 sprint time of 5.8 seconds and

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LEKAS, Besraya toll rates reduced from Jan 1, 2023

Reductions in toll rates for the Besraya and LEKAS expressways will take effect from 12:01am, January 1, 2023, public works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has announced, according to Bernama.

The reduction is by as much as 15 sen for Class 1 vehicles passing through the Loke Yew and Mines toll plazas (North and South) on the Besraya expressway, the report wrote. Meanwhile, the toll rate for Class 1 vehicles on the LEKAS expressway has been reduced from 0.1811 sen per km to 0.1666 sen per km for the closed toll system, while the toll rate at the open toll system for the Ampangan toll plaza remains unchanged.

This means that the new toll rates effective from midnight tonight will be RM1.85 for Class 1 vehicles at any Besraya expressway toll plaza, while motorists using the LEKAS expressway will be charged RM7.80 in each direction.

The current toll

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2023 Honda RS-X gets colour update, from RM9,698

Getting colour updates for next year is the 2023 Honda RS-X kapchai. The new colour choices for the RS-X are Lemon Ice Yellow and Candy Caribbean Blue Sea, priced at RM9,698, while the revised Trico Edition, in Honda’s racing colours of red, white and blue with gold coloured wheels, is priced at RM9,748, compared against the 2021 Honda RS-X price of RM8,688 for the base model.

Pricing does not include road tax, insurance or registration and every RS-X comes with a two-year or 20,000 km warranty against manufacturing defects. Stock of the 2023 Honda RS-X is expected to arrive in authorised Boon Siew Honda dealer showroom beginning January 4, 2023.

No other changes for the RS-X for next season, with the same single-cylinder mill displacing 149.16 cc and fed by Honda’s PGM-Fi mated to a six-speed transmission and chain final drive. Power for the RS-X is claimed to be

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2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS450+ review in Malaysia – at RM699k OTR, is this the best EV on sale right now?

Launched in Malaysia in July this year, the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ is priced at RM698,888 on-the-road without insurance including incentives in the form of import and excise duty exemptions which are waived for electric vehicles in Malaysia.

Here, the EQS 450+ is the sole variant currently available for the German marque’s flagship EV in the country, and brings a lithium-ion battery rated at 107.8 kWh of usable battery capacity, or 120 kWh gross capacity.

This can be recharged via AC via a Type 2 connection at up to 11 kW that brings a 10-100% state of charge in 10 hours, or with DC fast charging via a CCS2 connection at up to 200 kW, with which the EQS can be recharged from 10-80% state of charge in 31 minutes.

With a WLTP-rated energy consumption as low as 15.7 kWh per 100 km, the EQS does a maximum range of 782

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EPMB gets exclusive rights to assemble, distribute Lingbox mini EV in Malaysia, Indonesia; below RM100k

Automotive parts manufacturer EP Manufacturing has secured the exclusive right to assemble and distribute the Lingbox electric vehicle, through a five-year deal that allows EPMB the option of using its own brand name for the EV in the Malaysian and Indonesia markets.

On December 27, wholly-owned subsidiary of EPMB, EP 4Wheeler signed an exclusive distributor agreement with Hubei Dongfeng Power Auto Trade and Xiamen Tsingyan Hylong Motor Technology for the assembly and sale of right-hand-drive Lingbox, and EPMB has been granted the right to distribute these vehicles under the Lingbox or Qingyan Hailong brands.

The agreement takes effect of January 1, 2023 and will expire on December 31, 2027, and it shall be automatically renewed for another five years, subject to terms and conditions. This venture is also a step towards EPMB’s goal of trading carbon credits, according to the company.

Known as the Lingbao Box in its native China,

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Karak motorcycle accident stemmed from car changing lanes – police appeal for information

Following the crash involving five superbikes on the Kuala Lumpur – Karak highway yesterday, police believe the incident happened when one of the motorcycles swerved to avoid a car changing lanes. According to Gombak Police District chief Assistant Commissioner Zainal Mohamed Mohamed, the incident occured at around 12.30 p.m. when the group of bikers riding large capacity motorcycles were travelling from Genting Highlands to Gombak.

“A rider is believed to have lost control of his motorcycle when an unidentified vehicle changed direction into the lane occupied by the rider,” said Zainal. “Four other riders in the group were also involved in the accident when they were unable to avoid the first motorcycle that fell,” he said in a statement reported in Berita Harian.

Zainal added the five riders were aged between 35 to 58 years old and suffered injuries to the head and body. “All victims were brought to

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Subsidi petrol bersasar ikut cc kenderaan bakal dilaksana, guna data dari JPJ – menteri KPDN

Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup (KPDN) Salahuddin Ayub menyatakan bahawa mekanisma untuk memberikan subsidi bahan api petrol secara bersasar sudah hampir lengkap, dan ia akan menggunakan data dari Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) untuk mengenal pasti mereka yang layak menerima bantuan tersebut, lapor Bernama.

“Jadi dari segi data itu (subsidi bersasar) sudah hampir lengkap untuk kita berikan data itu kepada Perdana Menteri (Anwar Ibrahim) tentang bagaimana kita boleh buat subsidi bersasar ini,” katanya ketika mengulas mengenai rancangan kerajaan terutama KPDN yang juga sekretariat kepada Majlis Tindakan Sara Hidup (NACCOL) berkait mekanisme subsidi bersasar dan pelaksanaannya di Johor Bahru hari ini.

Menurut Salahuddin Ayub dalam laporan berkenaan, pangkalan data JPJ boleh digunakan untuk pelaksanaan subsidi petrol RON 95 memandangkan kerajaan dapat mengenal pasti golongan yang layak menerima subsidi berdasarkan jenis kuasa kuda (cc) kenderaan dimiliki.

Menteri berkenaan menyatakan bahawa kertas cadangan mengenai subsidi bersasar sebelum ini sudah dibentangkan

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Road bully incident in Petaling Jaya captured on video – Bezza driver gets threatened with stick for honking

Even in this age where video footage can be recorded on-demand, emotions still get the better of motorists despite the strong possibility of their outbursts being captured as evidence, as this incident in Petaling Jaya, Selangor has shown.

From the footage recorded by a passenger in the Perodua Bezza in this video, the driver of the Bezza was confronted by another driving a Nissan Sentra who was furiously signalling for the Bezza driver to pull over and stop, ostensibly for a prior conflict on the road before the video began.

The Bezza driver obliged, and both drivers involved got out of their vehicles for the exchange, which was especially heated on one side. Here, the Sentra driver briefly returned to his car to retrieve and wield what appeared to be a wooden stick, and had even momentarily raised it to take a swing. Thankfully, the latter action did not

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