Malaysia’s current import and excise tax exemption for green vehicles is limited only to battery EV (BEV) models. Despite the tax exemptions, the cheapest BEV in Malaysia is still priced at RM 139,800 – Great Wall Motor’s Ora Good Cat, imported from China. The idea for the tax exemption is to have these imported BEVs kick-starting market demand so job-creating, investment-attracting local assembly projects can follow. There are now three locally assembled (CKD) BEVs, from two manufacturers – the

November's buzzword is the BYD Atto 3, and after our initial spotting of a camouflaged unit we now have some preliminary facts and figures of the battery-electric (BEV) SUV in Malaysia, thanks to our sources close to the matter. Two variants will be offered; the Standard and the Extended range. The Standard range will approximately start from RM 150k, while the Extended is said to be priced from RM 170k. These are still not set in stone just yet, so do account for slight differences in their fin

At yesterday’s Dewan Rakyat sitting, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul avoided a question by Muar’s Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq on why the Malaysian-made Proton X70 was not used, but an imported Toyota Vellfire is selected instead. In answering an earlier question posed by Bayan Baru’s Member of Parliament Sim Tze Tzin, Zafrul defended the government’s decision to switch its official cars to Toyota Vellfires, saying that the Vellfire offers very good value for money. “The leasing cost spent fo

On the surface, the new 2022 Proton Persona and Proton Iriz may seem like it’s more of the same. At a glance, both 2022 models are still more or less the same 7-year old Proton Iriz and 5-year old Persona that you know since 2014 and 2016 respectively. Yes, there is now an SUV-esque / crossover-like Iriz Active variant but note that there is no difference to its ground clearance - 165 mm for variants with 16-inch wheels, 155 mm for 15-inch – identical to Persona. The Iriz Active’s roof rails add

The C-segment SUV market is surely one of the most competitive in Malaysia. With almost every major carmaker offering one, it’s not hard to see why these are gaining popularity among Malaysians. They are spacious and practical for a growing family, with some even offering 7 seats. Plus, with a higher driving position, it’s probably an ideal vehicle for those who wish to command more presence on the road. But while practicality and size are determining factors in getting a C-segment SUV, another

BMW Malaysia recently unveiled the BMW X5 PHEV, priced from RM 440,745 (without SST). Meanwhile, the Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription Plus goes for RM 391,150 (without SST). Volvo XC90 We’ve yet to get our hands on the X5 so we won’t get into driving impressions. Instead, we’ll walk through the spec sheets of the BMW X5 xDrive45e and the Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription Plus. Powertrain Underneath the bonnet of the BMW X5 xDrive45e lies a 3.0-litre B58 turbocharged straight-six petrol engine that does 286 PS